High Martial Arts: Invincible Starts from Basic Archery novel Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Here, There is No Hope

"A farewell?"

Chen Guodong felt like he had been struck by lightning. His outstretched hand hung in the air. Forcing a smile, his voice trembled slightly, "Why leave all of a sudden? Is it because of the previous distribution of prey? If there's any dissatisfaction, we can discuss it, can't we?"

Anyone could tell he was flustered.

A woman clutching a young boy looked on at the scene in a panic, her mind blank, forgetting to say anything to persuade them to stay.

Chen Fan was equally shocked.

He remembered Uncle Zhang mentioning before that the Wei Brothers probably wouldn't stay long. Who knew it would be fulfilled so soon?

"Brother Guodong, it's not what you think."

A man who resembled Wei Tiangong but was younger stepped forward, though he was a bit too embarrassed to look Chen Guodong in the eye.

"We have no issues with the distribution of prey or with you, Brother Guodong. It was you who encouraged everyone to dig deeper defenses and fend off the fierce beasts."

"Yes, yes."

The two others standing behind the brothers nodded vigorously.

"Then why do you still want to leave?"

Cold sweat poured down Chen Guodong's forehead.

There were already too few adult men in the village, and now four were leaving, including the two Wei brothers. Their departure would be a severe blow to the already impoverished village.

Chen Fan's heart was in his throat.

He, of course, did not want these people to leave.

Wei Tianyuan glanced at his elder brother, who nodded slightly.

"Brother Guodong, then I'll be honest with you. Please don't be angry."

"How could I be?"

Chen Guodong forced another smile.

What he feared most were decisions made after weighing the pros and cons, as they meant there was no hope of persuading them to stay.

Wei Tianyuan took a deep breath and looked Chen Guodong in the eye, "Because staying here offers no hope."

As soon as he said that, it was as if a certain sound of something shattering echoed in the room.

"Brother Guodong, we barely have a hundred people here, less than twenty adult men including a few young boys. The rest are elderly, women, and children. How can a few of us feed so many mouths?"

"It is difficult," Chen Guodong's mouth opened slightly, "but we've kept going until today, haven't we? We can keep going."

"What about us?"

This time, Wei Tiangong spoke.

His eyes were incredibly calm, "A few years ago, the Zhao Brothers from Zhao Family Castle, like us, could only draw a 100-pound hunting bow. But in recent years, with enough fierce beast meat, they've reached the late stage of body tempering and can pull a 300-pound hard bow. If we had sufficient food, we could do the same."

Chen Guodong was momentarily speechless, overwhelmed with guilt.

True, every time the hunting team brought back game, the Wei brothers contributed the most, yet each time they only received a small portion.

"Guodong."

Realizing his words had been too harsh, Wei Tiangong sighed, his tone softening, "Listen to me. Staying here offers no hope. Why not come with us to Zhao Family Castle? There, not only is there more food, but also better living conditions. Most importantly, you can learn some skills to strengthen the body. In these times, only those with strength can survive."

"Yes, Brother Guodong, come with us!"

Wei Tianyuan's eyes were filled with hope.

The two brothers had given so much for the village, with clear consciences.

Now, they wanted to live for themselves, to grow stronger, so their families wouldn't suffer from hunger and cold anymore.

Chen Fan looked at his father, guessing what his decision would be.

Sure enough, Chen Guodong took a deep breath, his eyes moist with tears and a smile, "I understand, Tiangong. Going to Zhao Family Castle is the best choice. How could I blame you? If it weren't for your silent contributions, the village wouldn't have survived until now."

Hearing this, Wei Tiangong and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

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