Chen Fan followed the sound and arrived at a hut already crowded with people engaged in discussions.
"Why did Xiao Hong do this? Did she hang herself?"
"Sigh, her husband didn't return yesterday, and her child died a few years ago. She was all alone. Maybe she thought life had lost its meaning, so she took her own life?"
"What's the use of trouble?"
"Yes, these days, when you have your last meal without knowing when the next one will come, death might seem like a relief."
After making this somber remark, most of them fell silent.
Yes, it might seem better to die than to struggle in hardship, but death required courage.
"Make way, make way!"
A voice called out, and two adult men emerged carrying the pale, emaciated body of a woman on a simple stretcher.
The woman's tongue protruded grotesquely, a chilling sight. Even Chen Fan's heart raced at the first sight, though everyone present seemed accustomed to it, or perhaps they were desensitized. Even children under ten stared without flinching.
Chen Guodong eventually emerged from the hut, visibly tormented. If Zhu Zi hadn't died the day before, this woman might not have lost her mind.
His voice was hoarse as he first consoled the gathered crowd and then turned to several grown men among them, saying, "Prepare to go hunting in half an hour."
Several people exchanged glances and nodded.
The living continued to move forward despite the loss of those who had passed away.
"When did you arrive?" Chen Guodong asked Chen Fan once the crowd dispersed.
"Not long ago," Chen Fan replied, still haunted by the image of the corpse.
Chen Guodong nodded and turned away.
"Dad."
Chen Fan suddenly asked, "Do we have any spare bows and arrows? I want to learn archery."
Chen Guodong turned around, looking surprised. In his mind, this son was somewhat introverted and timid. Letting him face ferocious beasts was akin to a death sentence.
"What's different today?"
"I want to become stronger," Chen Fan replied sincerely. "I don't want to starve to death."
Chen Guodong's eyes showed relief, though it was brief.
"Bows and arrows, alright. Go to the warehouse, find Uncle Zhang, and tell him I sent you. There are a few bows there. Start with the smallest one."
"How many bows are there?" Chen Fan asked, taken aback.
He had thought there were very few iron bows in the camp, considering that only two or three people were equipped with them. But now, according to his father, it seemed there were plenty of bows and arrows.
Chen Guodong glanced at him, as if reading his thoughts, and said, "Archery isn't as simple as you think. It's actually quite challenging. Even if you become proficient, hitting a low-level beast from twenty to thirty meters away is not guaranteed. A knife might be more reliable."
With those words, he turned and left.
Chen Fan had a sense of foreboding, but he had already spoken, so he had no choice but to follow through with it.
The warehouse was located in the northwest corner of the camp, with few people in the vicinity. Evidently, everyone was staying home to conserve warmth.
Upon arrival, Chen Fan was surprised to see several young men his age practicing archery in the open space outside.
They held long spears and practiced stabbing motions about two meters away. A middle-aged man with a limp corrected their movements and called out instructions like "receive" and "stab."
Chen Fan narrowed his eyes, suspecting that this man was Uncle Zhang mentioned by his father.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward.
Before he could approach, the man with the limp turned to assess him, along with the curious gazes of the young men behind him.
"I know who you are," the man said with a faint smile. "You're Chen Guodong's son, the one who almost died from eating wild fruits a few days ago, right?"
Chen Fan smiled awkwardly.
"Are you here to practice archery too?"
"I'd like to try archery," Chen Fan replied.
The young men exchanged glances as if they had some unspoken understanding.
"Another one," the man with the limp noted. "Come with me."
He turned abruptly, facing the young men, and said, "Still slacking off? Sweat now, bleed less later, got it?"
The young men immediately resumed their archery practice.
Chen Fan followed the man with the limp into the warehouse, where he was astounded by the array of weapons. Various cold weapons such as swords, spears, halberds, shields, iron axes, and even a few earth cannons were on display.
The man with the limp noticed his gaze and smirked. "Without gunpowder, these are just decorations. Over there is the bow you want. Pick one."
Chen Fan looked to the left, where several longbows hung on the wall. Their sizes increased from left to right, with the smallest one being just a meter long and the largest almost the height of a person.
Swallowing hard, he turned to the man with the limp and said, "Uncle Zhang, I'd like to start with the one on the far left, please."
The man chuckled and took down the bow, giving it a little pull. The bowstring vibrated rapidly, making it clear that it required considerable strength to draw. Within twenty steps, it could kill a low-level beast with one arrow.
"Try it," the man said, tossing the bow to Chen Fan.
Chen Fan quickly caught it, held the bow with his left hand, and selected an arrow with his right. He aimed at a target not far away, pulling the bowstring slowly. The pain was immediate, but he gritted his teeth, mustering all his strength before releasing the bowstring abruptly.
A soft "snap" sounded as the arrow flew. Chen Fan's entire body trembled, and his right arm felt weak. However, his mind raced as he noticed a slight change in his mental property panel.
[Skill: Basic Archery, LV0 (1%)]
For a split second, Chen Fan was tempted to exclaim in astonishment but managed to contain himself. Unexpectedly, he had unlocked a skill, Basic Archery, despite starting at level 0, with a progress bar showing 1%.
This was a glimmer of hope, wasn't it? If he could unlock basic sword skills or basic martial arts in a similar way, he might become even more powerful.
At that moment, Chen Fan felt invigorated.
The man with the limp furrowed his brows, watching Chen Fan with a puzzled expression. Were young people nowadays really this easily impressed? All this excitement from drawing a basic bow?