Observing Chen Guodong and the others galloping ahead like startled rabbits, the entire group from Lijiazhai erupted in raucous laughter.
"Hahaha, it seems they've spotted us."
"So what? Do they really think they can escape from our grasp?" An archer at the front remarked with a sly grin.
"Hahaha, Lao Yang, you have to let them struggle a bit, right? It's like someone who's drowning. They know that the more they struggle, the faster they'll sink, yet they still thrash about desperately until they meet their end."
"That's right."
The group laughed heartily as they continued the pursuit, behaving as though victory was already assured.
The distance had dwindled to around 300 meters.
"Let's keep running, let's keep running! I want to see how far they can go," Li Xiong mused aloud, licking his lips, his face twisted with sadistic pleasure.
Many had tried to escape in front of him before, only to meet a grim fate. The people from Chenjiazhai were no exception unless they abandoned their hard-earned prey.
"Brother, someone's behind us!"
Suddenly, a cry of alarm emerged from the rear of the group.
"What?"
Everyone slowed down and turned to look back, their expressions transforming into disbelief.
"It's Gu Jianghai and the others?!"
"Damn it, do they dare to follow? Are they suicidal?"
The group erupted in anger.
Even if they weren't the sharpest tools in the shed, they understood that having someone tailing them was never a good sign, especially after they had appropriated most of the other party's prey.
"Brother Xiong, things might be getting complicated," the man with the aquiline nose said gravely.
When Li Xiong had contemplated taking all of Gu Jianghai's prey, this man had urged caution, suggesting that they leave some room to prevent retaliation.
In his view, since Chen Guodong and his group had opted to stand idly by and watch, the folks from Gujiazhai would likely hold a grudge. He believed they wouldn't help, and might even wish for them to be robbed.
But now, things were amiss.
"Pay them no mind."
Li Xiong's face darkened. "Our main target is still Chen Guodong up front. Gu Jianghai and his lot can wait; there's plenty of time to deal with them."
As he spoke, he signaled to the two archers in the lead, saying, "Old Li, Lao Ji, when we're within range, fire a couple of shots to set an example and avoid any trouble."
"No problem, Brother."
"At 200 meters."
Another archer confirmed, "Once we're within 200 meters, those folks from Chenjiazhai are easy pickings. None of them will escape."
"Alright! Keep up the chase!"
Li Xiong glanced back before resuming his sprint, a look in his eyes that left the members of Gujiazhai chilled to the bone.
"Jiang Hai, they've spotted us," one of them said, anxiety lacing his words.
Gu Jianghai gritted his teeth and replied, "They were bound to notice sooner or later. Besides, if we pull back now, do you think Li Xiong will just forget about it? We're in a tight spot, and there's no room to maneuver anymore."
Hearing this, several individuals finally steeled their resolve.
"Dad," Gu Ze furrowed his brow, looking dissatisfied. "Those folks from Chenjiazhai are still running away. Don't they realize there's no escape?"
He genuinely wondered if such a timid group would muster the courage to resist once they were overtaken. It wouldn't be surprising if they meekly surrendered their prey, perhaps even kneeling and offering it up with both hands.
If that were the case, they were in for a tough time.
Gu Jianghai sighed. "It's probably just a reflex, right? They're likely testing whether they can outdistance the people from Lijiazhai. Once they realize they can't, they should stop, arm themselves, and prepare to fight."
His companions exchanged uncertain glances, their expressions somewhat vacant.
They could only hope that he was right. Otherwise, their next encounter with the people from Lijiazhai might not involve such a simple handover of prey.
"At 300 meters."
Chen Fan cast a backward glance, then turned back and continued their headlong flight.
He had already noticed the two archers at the front preparing their arrows on the bowstrings.
"Hoo, hoo..."
Chen Guodong and the others, exhausted from the grueling run, felt their lungs burning and their legs aching with pain.
However, Chen Fan hadn't signaled to stop, and they didn't dare to halt either. Their only hope of turning the tables lay in Chen Fan's archery skills. Without him, they wouldn't stand a chance against Li Xiong and the others, no matter what they did.
In the blink of an eye, the distance closed another thirty or forty meters.
"The distance is nearly there," Old Li remarked as he nocked an arrow, holding the longbow's left hand steady and raising it slowly.
"Don't worry," another member chimed in with a smile. "Around 200 meters is the optimal range. If it's farther, the arrow's power diminishes."
Old Li nodded, carefully lowering his left hand. The anticipation among the group grew, and they began to let their imaginations run wild.
This scene, however, left Gu Jianghai and the others trailing behind feeling increasingly anxious.
"They're about to enter bow and arrow range. What are those folks from Chenjiazhai thinking? No matter how fast they are on foot, can they outrun flying arrows?"
"They should stop and shield themselves or return fire."
"Yeah, don't they have an archer among them? Why aren't they fighting back?"
"You mean the guy who looks like Ozawa, right? If it's him, maybe I've misjudged him. He's likely just holding that bow to intimidate people."
Gu Jianghai's lips moved slightly, uncertain of what to say upon hearing this.
Indeed, that young man appeared quite inexperienced. Not every young person could handle a heavy bow like his own son. So, had he been overthinking things?
Despair flickered in his eyes as he envisioned the people of Chenjiazhai falling one by one to enemy arrows.
However, the next moment, a peculiar scene unfolded.
Several members of Chenjiazhai who had been fleeing suddenly halted, turned around, and glanced behind them.
Li Xiong and his pursuers, as well as Gu Jianghai and his group trailing behind, were all taken aback by this unexpected turn of events.
"Hahaha, those guys can't run anymore!"
The Lijiazhai residents were elated, running even faster, oblivious to the fact that the young man at the rear had fully drawn his bow, causing it to emit a high-pitched sound.
Then, it happened.
"Snap!"
A deafening sound, startling in the otherwise silent wasteland, as an arrow nearly a meter long shot forth like black lightning, streaking through the air.
"Scatter!"
Hooked Nose shouted, feeling an impending sense of doom the moment Chen Fan swiftly drew his bow and arrow. But it was too late; he hadn't even had the chance to utter a word of warning.
The smiles on the faces of the Lijiazhai group had barely faded when they heard a sudden rush of air, as if something was hurtling toward them at an alarming speed.
Old Li at the front widened his eyes, seeing a small black dot growing rapidly larger in front of him. Then...
"Pfft!"
An incredibly sharp sound pierced the air, and the arrow penetrated his chest. The immense kinetic force sent him soaring as if he'd been struck head-on by a car, limbs flailing forward and body arcing backward through the air.