“I agree! We can’t abandon our women and children until the very last moment! What if those devils really leave after the war? If we don’t leave a single one alive, then all of us will have died in vain!” Another villager then loudly agreed.
"Have you all considered that, assuming the high-ranking demons do leave after the war, the inferior demons will definitely stay? Although the inferior demons won't care about the Burial Abyss, as long as they take root here, our women and children won't be able to survive here anymore!"
"So if we choose the second option, we must have warriors accompany the women and children to clear out the inferior demons in the future. But will our remaining forces be able to hold off the demons? Once the village's defenses are easily breached, who can guarantee that the Demon Burial Abyss won't be noticed by the demons?"
Mr. Zuo asked in a loud voice.
“Mr. Zuo, it’s not that we don’t believe what you’re saying, but we can’t live with ourselves sentencing our wives and children to death like this! We have to give them a chance to live!” After a moment of silence following Mr. Zuo’s words, a villager called out.
"Our hope lies in defeating those demon bastards! It's not that you've sentenced your wife and children to death, but that the demons won't let them go! Only by defeating those demon bastards can we save our loved ones!" Mr. Zuo shouted, raising his arms.
“I choose option three,” Old Man Ma shouted. “Old man, I only have an old woman at home, so I don’t really have the right to make decisions for families like yours with sons and daughters. But think about it, what are their chances of survival under options one and two?”
“Our Darkmoon Village was already short-handed. Without the able-bodied men, not even needing to mention the lesser demons, the women and children simply couldn’t survive here on their own.”
"But what if we escape to the Abyss of Demons? With just these few broken boats, we'll all end up drowning."
"Moreover, by doing this, we are giving the demons the opportunity to discover the Burial Abyss, build a base here, explore shipping routes, and launch a surprise attack on the divine realm from the sidelines. If that happens, wouldn't we become the sinners of the divine realm?"
"I've had enough of hiding all these years, and I'm too lazy to hide any longer. Rather than die in the belly of a fish, I'd rather kill a few lesser demons and fight those demon brats. It would be much more satisfying. Besides, we still have Instructor Tao. Who dares to say that we're bound to lose?" Old Man Ma shouted.
"Well said! Only by defeating those demon bastards can we save our wives and children. I also choose option three. Let's all fight those demon bastards together!"
“I also want to fight those demon cubs, but my child can barely walk. Even if he stays, he can't help. Rather than let him die with us, why can't we let them try their luck in the Demon Burial Abyss?”
"Yes, my woman is still sick. Sending her to fight against the demons is just sending her to her death."
"Your wife can go to the Burial Abyss of Demons alone? Wouldn't she need all the able-bodied men in the village to accompany her? Doctor Wang will have to go too, right? If everyone leaves, what will we use to fight those demon bastards?"
...
Old Man Ma's words resonated with some villagers, but many others still couldn't let go of their wives and children, and the argument raged on without anyone being able to convince the other side.
"Quiet down, everyone! Quiet down! Time is of the essence. No matter which method we choose, we must get started preparing quickly. Since no one has any other suggestions, let's vote!" Mr. Zuo shouted when he saw that everyone's opinions could not be agreed upon.
After a brief commotion, the villagers dispersed. Tao Jiaotou stepped forward and used a twig to draw three circles on the ground in front of the thatched hut where the secret passage was hidden, marking them as one, two, and three, symbolizing the three options proposed by Mr. Zuo.
Then each villager picked up a stone and threw it into a circle. Wang Yao noticed that there were the fewest stones in circle number one, while circles number two and three had roughly the same number. Clearly, the villagers were still unable to make a choice between saving the women and children and sacrificing everyone.
“Mr. Zuo, this voting method is unfair. We need to call the women and children here and let them vote as well. It’s a matter of life and death, and we have no right to make decisions for them!” A man carrying a stone came to the three circles, hesitated for a long time, and suddenly shouted at Mr. Zuo.
The man's words immediately caused a stir in the crowd, with many who had not yet voted speaking out in agreement.
"Alright, then please call your wives and children here. Let's have one vote from everyone in the village to decide this matter." Seeing that most people agreed with the man's suggestion, Mr. Zuo didn't insist any further and immediately decided to start the vote again.
Not long after everyone dispersed, the entire village gathered again, this time with significantly more people. The addition of a large number of women and children made the scene much noisier than before.
After hastily clearing out the three circles, those with small families, like Old Man Ma, were the first to step forward and cast their votes.
Families with more members were particularly conflicted, with the women repeatedly asking their husbands about the meaning of the three options. After one round of stones was cast in the three circles, no one else followed, and the voting was temporarily interrupted.
In the oppressive atmosphere, a woman finally led three children who were wrapped around her legs, and slowly walked into the circle under the watchful eyes of everyone.
Her husband was the man who had just suggested that all his wife and children vote. He was seen clutching his collar tightly with both hands, watching his wife and children walk forward with a nervous expression.
The woman led the child step by step to the front of the circle. She first bent down and whispered a few words to a somewhat shy boy next to her. The child suddenly shook his head and giggled, then threw the stone in his hand into the third circle without hesitation.
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