The black-haired woman blushed and quickly lowered her head. Not far from her, a woman in purple clothes gazed boldly at Chen Fan, with a faint smile playing on her lips.
"Strange," Chen Fan mused, retracting his gaze. It wasn't surprising that a woman was looking at him because everyone was gazing at him at that moment. However, for some reason, he felt a peculiar sensation. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something different about her gaze.
"Is it just my imagination?" he wondered inwardly.
The crowd's enthusiasm was overwhelming, making it difficult for him to resist. After a brief chat with Chen Guodong, he hastily followed in the direction where Zhang Ren had headed.
"Hey? Why did Brother Fan leave?" Wang Ping asked, puzzled.
"It's probably because he's a bit bashful," Zhao Feng suggested, his eyes filled with envy.
If only he could become a village hero like Chen Fan. But fantasizing wasn't enough; he had to work hard.
"I think he might be trying to find Uncle Zhang. I noticed that he headed in the same direction as Uncle Zhang," someone added.
"But..." Another person hesitated, eyeing the prey with reluctance.
"Oh, come on," his companion urged, dragging him away. "We can't afford to leave without you, and there's no rush. We can always come back later."
Meng Yu's heart raced, and the blush on her face persisted for a long time.
"No, no, no," she shook her head vigorously, as if trying to dispel these thoughts. Then, her brows furrowed.
According to her dream, the hunting team should have returned in the evening with only a small amount of prey. Yet, in reality, they had brought back numerous Steppenwolf carcasses. Something was amiss. She realized that this was the first time in seven or eight years that her dreams had been inaccurate. However, her sister had always insisted that their dreams were infallible.
Something didn't add up.
Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she thought of Chen Fan. She knew who he was; he was Chen Guodong's son. However, in her dream a month ago, there was no Chen Fan in the hunting team that had gone out today. Her dream had featured only eight individuals, not nine.
Yes! Eight people! Not nine!
This meant that this person was someone from outside her dream, altering what was supposed to happen. Her sister had never mentioned such a situation. What was going on?
...
Zhang Ren hobbled ahead, but his ears pricked up, and he stopped, asking, "Why did you follow me? Are you uncomfortable with the star treatment?"
Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. He found Uncle Zhang somewhat exasperating. Why hadn't he said anything when he knew Chen Fan was following him?
He grumbled inwardly but replied politely, "No, I'm just not used to it."
"Hehe," Zhang Ren chuckled, turning around. "What's wrong with that? Many people desire this kind of attention, but they never get the chance."
Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps reached their ears, and Wang Ping and others hurriedly joined them, chattering excitedly. They couldn't help but shower Chen Fan with praises, exclaiming that he was powerful and their idol.
"Alright, alright," Chen Fan said, shaking his head in amusement. He looked at Zhang Ren and said, "Uncle Zhang was talking to me."
A bout of awkward coughing ensued, with everyone glancing up at the sky or down at their shoes, as if nothing had happened.
Zhang Ren didn't appear surprised; he looked at Chen Fan and continued, "I just mentioned that many people wish for such treatment but don't have the opportunity. Some of those people include them."
Wang Ping perked up at this, eager to hear more. Chen Fan was speechless. Did he really consider this a good thing?
Seeing Wang Ping's enthusiasm, Zhao Feng discreetly tugged at his shirt, causing Wang Ping to retract his extended neck.
"It's a good mentality to have," Zhang Ren said earnestly. "On the path of martial arts, there's no room for arrogance and complacency. It can lead to stagnation in one's cultivation and a rude awakening when it's too late."
"What Uncle Zhang said is true," Chen Fan acknowledged, taking a deep breath. While the words weren't exactly pleasant, they were wise.
In truth, Chen Fan hadn't grown complacent. Nevertheless, he knew that receiving praise or encouragement could be a good thing when needed.
Chen Fan's pupils dilated, sensing there would be a "but" in Zhang Ren's response.
"But," Zhang Ren spoke with a serious expression, "if such a situation arises again, I hope you won't act recklessly. Don't fear 10,000 things—just in case. If you fail to shoot enough Steppenwolves quickly, have you considered the consequences?"
"Um," Chen Fan nodded earnestly. "Uncle Zhang, next time, I'll stay calmer."
"As long as you remember that," Zhang Ren nodded. "Your life should always come first. Prey is secondary. If you keep yourself safe, you'll always have a chance to hunt more."
Chen Fan listened, inwardly sighing. His motivation wasn't solely about the prey. If he didn't shoot the beasts, he wouldn't earn experience points. Without sufficient experience points, his skill level improvement would be slower, taking days or even weeks.
In the wilderness, a camp surrounded by three or four-meter-high earthen walls couldn't provide much sense of security.
"This kid still hasn't heeded my advice," Zhang Ren thought, sighing to himself. In his youth, he had been more rebellious than Chen Fan, thinking he had skills, and disregarding advice. If not for this, things might have been different.
"Okay, let's leave it here," Zhang Ren said, feeling somewhat irritated. "It's still some time before lunch. When we get to the warehouse, you can practice Tai Chi forms."
"Okay, Uncle Zhang," Chen Fan agreed, but he furrowed his brow slightly.
His Tai Chi Form had already reached Level 3. Practicing it normally would be too impressive. With this Tai Chi Form, anyone could learn Tai Chi, even if they were beginners, without revealing Chen Fan's true level.
He would need to control it carefully.
Arriving at the open space of the warehouse, even with Zhang Ren's guidance, it typically took a martial artist a month to get started. A very talented individual might manage it in two weeks, but one day? Such speed was unheard of in the martial arts world a decade ago. Could it be that human understanding had improved alongside the mutation, not just the upper limits of human capability?
He cast a skeptical glance at Wang Ping and the others nearby. Were they still as gullible as they seemed?
"Uncle Zhang," Chen Fan asked nervously, "Is there something I haven't been doing well enough?"