"???"
Li Jiazhai and the others remained oblivious, thoroughly surprised.
Why? Old Li was fine; why did he take flight?
"Snapped!"
The whistling sound resurfaced.
This time, it was Lao Ji who hadn't sensed the impending danger. He experienced an intense pain, as if every bone in his body had shattered.
"?"
Li Xiong suddenly shivered and peered ahead. Shortly after, an expression of extreme fear overtook him, and he attempted to speak but couldn't.
There was a "poof."
An arrow penetrated his chest, and a piercing scream echoed through the sky.
"Careful!"
Finally, someone reacted and shouted.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
Two screams followed in quick succession.
Two more individuals were struck by arrows and met instant demise.
In the blink of an eye, almost half of the thirteen-member team had vanished, and even the rest of the Li family village hadn't yet comprehended the situation.
But Gu Jianghai and the others were left dumbfounded.
It was the young man at the end of the line. He appeared to be advancing towards Lijiazhai while releasing arrows.
It was too distant for them to witness the details.
However, the people from Lijiazhai ascended one after another; the first was still mid-flight as the second followed, then the third and fourth.
Everything transpired like a scene in a slow-motion movie.
Cold sweat emerged on Gu Ze's forehead.
How was this possible? How could this be?
He had closely observed Chen Fan before and could discern that he wielded a one-hundred-catty bow. Now, the scene before him confirmed it was indeed a one-hundred-catty bow. Otherwise, the archers from Lijiazhai wouldn't have remained unresponsive.
No, they might have reacted even before retaliation became possible.
This guy was excessively swift! Such a potent bow firing five arrows consecutively in a short span – was his shoulder immune? No, it appeared he had halted; it must be...
"How could it be!"
The next moment, he exclaimed in astonishment.
He observed that the young man had resumed his advance, firing arrows. Every release was accompanied by a figure hurtling not far away, accompanied by agonizing screams.
Even the individual hiding behind the round shield wasn't spared; the shield was penetrated, the arrow impaled his heart, and the arrowhead dripped with blood.
One, two, three, four...
More and more individuals fell, and the young man's shooting pace gradually slowed. After firing an arrow, he took a few steps forward before releasing the next.
"Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"
Someone discarded their weapons and fled, screaming.
"Please, please, I still have an eighty-year-old mother and a three-year-old child waiting for me."
Someone, trembling with fear, knelt and clasped their hands, tears streaming.
"I'll fight you!"
Some, with determined eyes, seized spears and charged forward.
But they had forgotten their earlier words, that a person couldn't both flee and release arrows. In the end, they all collapsed into pools of blood.
If this battle were to be summarized in one sentence, it would be an unequivocal massacre.
With the final scream, the wilderness descended into eerie silence once more.
"Regrettable," Chen Fan muttered, setting down his bow.
Having made a decision, he would no longer show mercy to prevent future troubles.
Chen Guodong and others ahead gazed upon this scene with complex emotions.
At times, human life was genuinely fragile, akin to a mere sheet of paper.
Yet, who could these individuals in Lijiazhai blame? They had only themselves to blame.
Behind them, Gu Jianghai and the others stood like statues, as if struck by lightning.
Could this be real? The people of Lijiazhai were dead, all of them! Slain by a single individual, who annihilated their entire team!
"Yes, it's him, that young man with the bow," someone stammered.
Hearing this, several mechanically gazed at Chen Fan in the distance, their hearts trembling like an approaching landslide and tsunami.
It's him! It turned out to be him!
They had underestimated that young man who had previously fled like a coward, but no one could have fathomed his immense strength!
They might resent Lijiazhai, but they were powerless against him.
However, if he was this powerful, why had he fled earlier, just as the people from Chenjiazhai had done?
A breeze rustled through the air.
Gu Jianghai suddenly comprehended.
Understood!
He comprehended everything.
Chen Guodong and the others had been putting on an act! They deliberately feigned timidity and fear to lull the people in Lijiazhai into a false sense of security and draw them within their effective range!
By the time the folks in Lijiazhai realized it, it would be too late. They would have exceeded the desperate 100-meter mark.
And those few prey from the Chen family village hadn't been merely fortunate; it was the young man who had shot them with arrows. They even had a premonition that the scene of those prey being shot was distinct from the current one.
How absurd?
Gu Jianghai displayed a self-deprecating smile.
He used to believe that waiting for assistance to arrive would be beneficial, but in the end, why would they need his aid? Perhaps in the eyes of the other party, waiting for someone to arrive on their own would be a hindrance.
The most absurd of all were the people from Lijiazhai.
Others could easily shoot them, yet they, in their avoidance of trouble, opted to persevere and relentlessly pursued Li Jiazhai, believing the other party to be weak and easy prey.
Even here, the folks from Chenjiazhai continued to yield and flee.
As a result, Li Jiazhai grew even more complacent, ultimately facing the consequences.
This was likely the cycle of fate, and retribution was inevitable.
He turned around, smiling wryly. "Let's go, we're heading back."
Since the people in Lijiazhai had departed, there was no point in lingering here.
In other words, their arrival had also become meaningless.
"Ah?"
The man opposite him widened his eyes and protested, "But our hunt..."
"That belongs to the Chen family village, not us," Gu Jianghai interrupted.
Several individuals hung their heads upon hearing his words.
Indeed, it was the Chen family village's spoils. Although originally intended for themselves, it was a different matter after passing through the hands of the Li family village.
Dare they request it back? Were they not afraid of meeting the same fate as the people in Lijiazhai if they dared?
Considering it from another perspective, even if the people in Chenjiazhai were willing to return their spoils, would they dare to accept?
Dejectedly, several individuals retraced their steps.
"There are still silver linings."
Gu Jianghai consoled, "The Li family village is gone. From now on, we can hunt without worrying about our prey being stolen."
"Yes, it's all thanks to Chen Guodong and the others, along with that young man."
"I wonder what his name is. If we ever meet him again, we should express our gratitude for settling the score."
"Yeah, yeah."
Several adults sighed with emotion, their faces bearing faint smiles.
On the contrary, young Gu Ze felt a bit uneasy upon hearing these words.
Could someone his age be so formidable? The shooting speed was terrifying, and their physical prowess was astonishing.
He might be a first-level body tempering warrior, no, a second-level one, perhaps?
Reflecting on this, he felt a tinge of regret. If only he had enough food, his strength might not lag far behind.
"Old Gu! Gu Jianghai!"
Just then, a voice called out from behind.
Gu Jianghai was taken aback; had he heard correctly? Someone was calling their names?
It must be a hallucination, right? He shook his head and took a step forward.
Yet, the voice from behind grew louder and more insistent.
"Gujiazhai! Don't leave!"
"Come back! Come back!"
"Have you lost your prey?"
The voices surged like a rising tide.