Half an hour later, Zhang Ren surveyed the row of people before him. A wry smile played on his lips as he inquired, "Guodong, have you decided to take up martial arts?"
"Absolutely!" Gao Yang seemed revitalized, his energy surging as if he'd just had a hearty meal. "Old Zhang, we've heard from Xiaofan that becoming a warrior can double your strength. If we reach the second level of body tempering, we could triple it!"
"That's right! If each of us can match Xiaofan's prowess, our hunting yields will skyrocket."
"Old Zhang, you wanted to teach us before, but we weren't committed. We apologize for that. This time, we're truly serious. Please, teach us!"
Their eyes brimmed with sincerity, and their voices resonated with determination.
Wang Ping and the others, who observed from the sidelines, were flabbergasted.
What was happening? Had Uncle Guodong and the gang suddenly decided to learn strength training from Uncle Zhang? Did they intend to stand in a row and throw punches together?
It was an amusing image.
Zhang Ren cleared his throat, glanced at Chen Fan, and thought, **Why does it feel like Guodong and the others have orchestrated this? Without Chen Fan's intervention, I wouldn't believe it.** Chen Fan responded with a knowing smile, as if saying, "Go for it, Uncle Zhang."
Zhang Ren redirected his gaze to Chen Guodong and the others. "Guodong, while I'm delighted you're keen on martial arts, I must emphasize that it's not as simple as you might imagine. It requires determination. Moreover, you're not young. Compared to Wang Ping and the others, you'll have to invest significantly more effort. Are you truly prepared for this?"
As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes, emanating an aura that the group of middle-aged men keenly felt.
However, they had already made a pact with Chen Fan, and to back down now would be a blow to their pride. Plus, Wang Ping and the others were watching.
"Zhang Ren, I'm prepared," Chen Guodong declared, taking a deep breath.
"Me too."
"I'm in."
"Let's go!"
Liu Yong and the others chimed in enthusiastically.
"Alright, let's start now. Line up one meter apart," Zhang Ren instructed, wasting no time, and began teaching them the foundational stances, just as he had done for Chen Fan and the others.
Chen Fan nodded, silently planning to include the newcomers from Gujiazhai when they arrived. Especially Gu Ze, whose abilities were formidable; coupled with martial arts training, they could be a force to be reckoned with.
It was evident that the guy was feeling the pressure.
It would be a valuable addition.
Wang Ping and the others approached. "You've managed to persuade Uncle Guodong and the others to learn martial arts—it's incredible."
"It's not only incredible but also forward-thinking," Gao Yang added. "Imagine if our entire hunting team consisted of warriors; hunting would become much easier."
"That's right," Chen Fan concurred, "but hunting is not as simple as it seems, even for warriors. You'll understand in due time."
The smiles on Wang Ping and the others' faces vanished. Was hunting really that challenging for warriors?
"You'll see," Chen Fan said, shaking his head, refraining from elaborating further.
"By the way, Chen Fan, what about Gu Ze?" Zhao Feng inquired, his gaze complex. "You mentioned that Gu Ze, around your age, can draw an eighty-catty bow. Is it true?"
All eyes were now fixed on Chen Fan.
"Yeah," Chen Fan confirmed.
The group's expressions shifted.
Zhao Feng and the others took a deep breath.
Could Gu Ze, seemingly their age, be a martial arts prodigy like Chen Fan? Had martial arts prodigies become so common these days?
"He's in a rather unique situation," Chen Fan replied, trying to be discreet. "Don't compare yourselves to him; just be yourselves."
Zhao Feng and the others exchanged wry smiles, realizing that their opponent was indeed a martial arts genius.
It made sense why Uncle Guodong had agreed to Gujiazhai's proposal so swiftly—Gu Ze alone was an exceptional addition.
"Chen Fan, when I was practicing archery earlier, I encountered some difficulties. Can you give me some guidance?"
Zhao Feng inquired.
"Sure."
Chen Fan nodded, then glanced at Zhang Ren before leading a few people aside.
Originally, he wanted to ask Zhang Ren about the concept of "stimulating the power of qi and blood." However, it seemed that Zhang Ren was currently occupied, so he decided to wait a bit longer.
Following his father's wishes, the hunting team wouldn't go hunting the next day but would instead meet the people from Gujiazhai. The day after, they would collectively journey to Songjiabao for a food exchange.
This provided him with an extra day to accumulate potential points. Before setting out, he aimed to reach the level of meat refining. If necessary, he'd enhance his strength to draw a bow with a 200-jin pull.
In comparison to a 100-catty bow, one with a 200-jin pull would offer double the shooting range and increased lethality.
Additionally, he was close to completing the "Meteor Arrow Method," with progress approaching one-third. It was expected to be successfully mastered by the following morning.
With a more potent bow and improved archery skills, he would undoubtedly embark on the Songjiabao trip with much greater confidence this time.
After teaching Zhao Feng and the others archery techniques, Chen Fan prepared to practice "Basic Archery."
Despite having a considerable amount of experience points, he didn't intend to use them on these fundamental martial arts. These basic skills consumed experience points rapidly but offered limited improvements while rapidly increasing proficiency, making them suitable for practice.
On the other hand, advanced martial arts like Taijiquan had an upper limit, progress was slower, but the improvements were substantial, offering more value for the investment.
As he contemplated this, a limping figure approached him.
"Good evening, Uncle Zhang," Chen Fan greeted him proactively.
Zhang Ren regarded him quietly.
Chen Fan grinned awkwardly. "I'm genuinely sorry, Uncle Zhang. I should have discussed this with you beforehand, but I returned late today, and..."
"I'm not here to blame you," Zhang Ren interrupted, shaking his head. He turned to observe the individuals persevering in their training and added, "It's great that you managed to convince them. However, I hope they understand that not everyone can become a warrior as swiftly as you."
For instance, the Wei brothers took two or three years to achieve it.
Nonetheless, in comparison, the food situation today could potentially accelerate the process, though he wasn't sure by how much.
"Don't worry," Chen Fan reassured him. "Envy fish for its delight in water, it's better to retreat and cast a net, making gradual progress. Doing something is better than nothing, right, Uncle Zhang?"
"Hehe," Zhang Ren chuckled.
"By the way, Uncle Zhang, I happen to have a question for you: What does it mean to stimulate the power of qi and blood?" Chen Fan inquired.
"What!" Zhang Ren turned abruptly, surprise etched on his face. "You can utilize the power of qi and blood???"