As they watched Li Jiazhai and their prey disappearing in the distance, emotions ran high among the members of Gu Jiazhai's team. One person's eyes turned red as he clenched his teeth and vented, "These individuals are nothing but heartless scoundrels!"
"We finally secured this prey, and now there's barely anything left," his comrade said, choking on his words.
The remaining prey consisted mainly of wildebeest heads, indicating a meager meat supply.
Gu Ze, full of anger, clenched his fists. He harbored a deep desire to shoot Li Xiong dead, but he understood the dire consequences of such an act. Not only would they lose their lives here, but their loved ones back in the village would also face retaliation.
Glancing at the despondent group, Gu Jianghai managed a forced smile and tried to console them. "We all wished to gain a bit more, but at least we didn't return empty-handed. We can continue hunting tomorrow."
"But, Jiang Hai, it took us days to accumulate what we have now," someone lamented.
"Indeed, and even if we're lucky, what if we encounter the Lijiazhai gang again?" another questioned.
A heavy silence descended upon the group, and morale plummeted. Some even wiped away tears, demonstrating that even men couldn't suppress their grief when it welled up.
Amidst this bleak atmosphere, a man with a flat nose and thick lips let out a snort and remarked while gazing at Li Jiazhai's departing figures, "The folks from Chen Jiazhai must be regretting their decision right now."
Hearing this, several individuals suddenly found solace.
"Yes! Those shortsighted fools believed they could use us to delay Li Jiazhai. What a foolish notion!"
"With that much prey, they won't be able to move quickly. It's only a matter of time before Li Jiazhai catches up. They'll suffer a fate worse than ours."
"That's right."
The four of them seemed to have found an outlet for their pent-up emotions, and their spirits lifted.
Gu Ze, while remaining silent, couldn't help but feel a hint of resentment toward Chen Jiazhai for their actions.
However, he also understood that helping others was optional, and there was nothing wrong with them refusing to help.
Suddenly, Gu Jianghai stood up, gazed into the distance, and declared, "Let's follow them. Maybe we can still assist."
"What?" Gu Ze and the others stared at him in disbelief.
"Jiang Hai, are you serious?" the man with the flat nose exclaimed. "When Chen Jiazhai passed by us, they didn't even spare us a glance. Now that they're in trouble, we're supposed to help them? Are you joking?"
The sentiment was unanimous, and they began voicing their disapproval.
"Dad, if they weren't willing to help us, why should we help them?" Gu Ze protested.
"Helping them is helping ourselves," Gu Jianghai replied.
"We may be outnumbered and vulnerable to attack from Li Jiazhai, but Chen Jiazhai is different. They have fewer people than Li Jiazhai, and their prey is abundant. They might not be willing to part with it easily. If the two sides come to blows, we can help Chen Jiazhai, drive off Li Xiong, and reclaim our prey."
The eyes of everyone present brightened with newfound hope.
"But what if there's no fight?" someone inquired.
"If there's no fight, we can still stand our ground, bolster Chen Jiazhai's position, and make Li Jiazhai think twice. Perhaps then, Chen Jiazhai will appreciate us. Otherwise, with our limited numbers, we'll always be at a disadvantage," Gu Jianghai explained.
His words resonated with the group, and while they still felt somewhat hesitant, they recognized the wisdom in his reasoning.
"Alright, let's not waste any more time. No matter how late it is, we may struggle to catch up," Gu Jianghai urged as he picked up his weapon and set off.
The others exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and followed suit.
---
"Look, they're up ahead," a group of individuals from Lijiazhai hurried along and finally spotted several figures in the distance, approximately five or six hundred meters away.
"These guys must be rabbits. They're sprinting like mad," one man with a bow and arrow grumbled.
"Is that going to help them?" his companion jeered. "Running fast won't matter unless they abandon their prey."
"Would they really leave their prey behind?"
The group burst into laughter, their eyes gleaming with greed.
"Brother, how much should we demand for these five prey?" one person asked as they continued to chase.
"Don't even ask, we should take everything!" Li Xiong grinned wickedly.
"But wait, if we starve them to death, who's going to hunt for us in the future?" someone pondered.
"True, Brother Li, from a sustainable development perspective, it might be better to leave them half of the head," another suggested.
"What you say makes sense," Li Xiong pondered for a moment. "Gu Jianghai is right; we should stay at the forefront to meet up later. We can leave half of the head for them."
"Brother Li, you're truly benevolent."
"If Chen Guodong finds out, he'll be very grateful."
"But what if they refuse?"
Someone in the group raised this question, causing silence to fall around them.
All eyes turned toward the person who had spoken, causing him to take a couple of steps back. He continued, frustration evident in his tone, "Brother Li, didn't they refuse to help us last time? It seems like they're even less likely to cooperate this time."
"Refuse?" Li Xiong snorted. "Do they have a choice?"
He then turned to the two archers and ordered, "Listen up, both of you. When we catch up, shoot two arrows to make them yield. We don't need any trouble."
"No problem, Brother."
"Just target that kid."
One of the archers sneered at the thought of Chen Fan. "A brat wielding a one-hundred-pound bow—what's he going to do? If we don't show him some discipline, he won't realize how insignificant he is."
With their intentions clear, the group continued to close the distance rapidly. In no time, there were less than 400 meters between the two teams, and this gap was shrinking visibly with every step.
"Gao Yang, they're getting closer!" Gao Yang, catching his breath, took a moment to glance back and panted out his observation.
The grueling long-distance run with heavy loads had drenched him in sweat, making his speech slightly labored.
The others were no better off.
Despite their mental preparation, the sight of their pursuers was nerve-wracking, causing their legs to quiver.
"Xiaofan, should we stop?" Chen Guodong inquired.
"No, keep moving forward," Chen Fan replied calmly. "In fact, let's pick up the pace. We want them to think we're intimidated."
The group exchanged glances before quickening their stride.
Chen Fan held his bow in one hand and dragged their captured prey with the other as he trailed behind the team.
He glanced back and then turned away, a smirk curling on his lips.
Very well.
Since they're not looking for an easy path to heaven, let's give them a taste of hell.