At this moment, Chen Fan stood still, fifty meters away from the archery target. With his right hand poised, he retrieved an arrow from the basket on his back and nocked it onto the string.
"What?" Chen Guodong exclaimed inwardly, his eyes widening. Could he really be aiming for the target from such a tremendous distance?
Before he could dwell on it too long, a sharp "swish" cut through the air. A brief glint flashed on the arrow's black tip, and in the blink of an eye, the distant archery target shuddered violently. An arrow, perfectly unerring, pierced the bull's-eye, sending a resounding thud echoing throughout the area.
In an instant, Chen Guodong's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. Had he actually hit the bull's-eye from fifty meters away? Was this some kind of dream?
The woman by his side also wore a bewildered expression.
Unfazed, Chen Fan calmly extended his right hand, retrieved another arrow from the basket, and set it on the string.
"Whoosh!"
The piercing sound resonated crisply in the still night.
"Thud!"
The second arrow found its mark, right next to the first in the bull's-eye.
Chen Guodong's mouth hung agape, his jaw almost touching the ground.
Once might have been considered luck, but twice? As he looked at Chen Fan, it seemed he was determined to continue.
Chen Fan remained silent, his face as tranquil as water. He pulled out a third arrow, drew the bowstring taut once more, and released it.
"Thud!"
Three consecutive bull's-eyes.
Subsequently, the fourth arrow, then the fifth.
Unbeknownst to them, Chen Guodong and his wife's foreheads were drenched in sweat. They began with disbelief, then reached a state of dumbfoundedness, and now, they were starting to feel somewhat numb.
And at some point, Wang Ping and the others had arrived. Witnessing this spectacle, they stood frozen in shock, unable to utter a word. They had assumed Chen Fan possessed some archery skill, but they hadn't anticipated this level of mastery.
This was nothing short of a perfect shot, wasn't it?
The lame man stood at the sidelines, his mouth twitching. How dare this kid bring his family here to flaunt his prowess? He had truly been taken in by this act.
In the midst of it all, Chen Fan turned around, wearing a faint smile. "Dad, can I go hunting with you tomorrow?"
His words were met with another round of silence. This time, even the lame man and the others were visibly stunned.
Chen Guodong managed a wry smile. What else could he say at this point? Such archery skills, while not quite on par with the Wei family brothers, were still remarkable, especially considering Chen Fan had only practiced for two or three days.
The woman at his side remained speechless.
"I think we should approach this matter with caution," the lame man advised, his tone serious as he addressed Chen Fan. "The wilderness is different from the village, not to mention the danger it holds—wild beasts are not easy targets. You should practice your archery for a few more days before venturing out."
"Yes, yes," the woman quickly chimed in, clearly taken aback by Chen Fan's sudden proposal.
Chen Guodong appeared to share their reservations.
Chen Fan shook his head and spoke with determination. "Uncle Zhang, I appreciate your concern, but isn't it true that honing one's archery skills in the wild can be equally valuable?"
The lame man was momentarily speechless. Indeed, practical experience often yielded faster improvement than daily training—whether in archery or marksmanship. It was a simple truth.
"As for danger, where isn't it dangerous?" Chen Fan added, locking eyes with his father as if to say, "Now, Dad, you can't possibly refuse, can you?"
"Good," Chen Guodong mustered the courage to utter this single word. "Tomorrow morning, you'll go out with us."
"Guodong!" The woman exclaimed, clearly concerned.
Chen Guodong shook his head, signaling to her. He looked at Chen Fan and continued, "I'll be going out tomorrow. Don't practice too late tonight; get some rest."
"Understood," Chen Fan replied with a smile.
On the way back, the woman expressed her worries, "Why did you agree to him? He's not even an adult yet. What if something happens to him out there?"
Chen Guodong sighed, "I have to go out, and you've seen Xiaofan's archery skills. If he goes into the wilderness, he could hunt one or two game animals, which would significantly help relieve the village's pressure."
The woman fell silent for a while and then spoke, "Well, you must ensure his safety."
"Don't worry, unless I die," Chen Guodong stated categorically, though his heart harbored some doubt.
As Zhang Ren had pointed out, wild beasts weren't stationary targets. They'd flee at the slightest sign of danger, and their speed was beyond what ordinary people could match. Of course, there were those who wouldn't flee—a fact that spelled danger.
Sure, Chen Fan could hit the bull's-eye from 50 meters away, but could he do the same against a charging beast in the wild?
Nonetheless, having him in the hunting team instilled confidence in everyone. Even if they missed a shot or two, they wouldn't complain.
In the clearing, the lame man's gaze was complex. "You, kid, wanting to go hunting, why didn't you discuss it with me?"
Chen Fan scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed. "Uncle Zhang, it was a spur-of-the-moment idea. I talked to my dad at the dinner table, but I didn't get a chance to discuss it with you."
"You're too impulsive," the lame man shook his head. "Wouldn't it be better to practice a bit more?"
"Uncle Zhang, time isn't on our side," Chen Fan replied.
The lame man's eyes dimmed suddenly, and the atmosphere grew somber.
Chen Fan didn't like seeing people unhappy, especially when it was due to his words. He smiled and changed the subject, "Uncle Zhang, please continue helping me with my training."
"Just a little assistance," the lame man conceded before limping away into the distance. Although he might not have realized Chen Fan's intent to divert the conversation, he felt compelled to help the village address its predicament.
Four or five hours passed, and everyone, including the lame man, was exhausted. Despite their weariness, no one complained of hardship or fatigue. They took turns assisting Chen Fan in his archery practice.
Among them, some had contemplated joining Chen Fan on the hunt but couldn't muster the courage.
With a muffled sound, a warm sensation flowed through his body, and [Basic Archery] had leveled up.
Finally, Chen Fan breathed a sigh of relief and checked his status.
[Basic Archery: Level 4 (0%), Characteristics: Physical strength level 4, Arm strength level 4, Slow shooting level 4, Riding level 2]
Level 2 in riding and shooting meant that his accuracy when targeting moving prey would reach 60%. This undoubtedly added significant combat capability for his upcoming hunt in the wilderness.
However, the "slow shooting" reaching level 4 left him perplexed.
Aiming at a stationary target, his hit rate had now reached 120%. Did that extra percentage over 100% have any practical significance? Weren't they all equally stable?
No, something didn't seem right.
He furrowed his brow, considering that perhaps the hit rate displayed on the panel was merely a theoretical value and not an accurate representation of his actual performance when aiming at live prey.