Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Actually, There’s No Choice
Upon hearing this, the rest of the team felt their hearts sink.
Damn it, why did we have to run into these people right now?
"What should we do?"
Someone gritted their teeth and said, "They’ve definitely seen us too. Running away is not an option."
The others remained silent.
Indeed, now that they were in pairs, carrying their prey, they couldn’t move fast. Even a child could easily catch up to them.
"Damn it! If worse comes to worst, we’ll fight them!"
Gao Yang was a hothead. The last time they encountered a pack of wolves, he also advocated for a head-on clash.
"Exactly! A few days ago, that wildebeest accidentally fell into our trap. It was our prey. Those bastards from Li Family Stronghold saw that we were outnumbered, and in broad daylight, not only did they steal it, but they also slapped Guodong."
"What!"
Chen Fan looked at Chen Guodong in astonishment.
That night, he hadn’t mentioned this at all.
Chen Guodong shook his head calmly and said, "It’s all in the past."
Then he looked at the group, who were fuming with rage, and said, "A wise man knows when to retreat. Preserving our strength is the most important thing. If they really come to rob us, we should still give them a portion."
At this, the others wore expressions of discontent.
Facing a stronger opponent, if it came to a real fight, they would still be the ones to suffer.
But, if this happens once, it will happen again and again. Would they have to surrender all their hunting spoils to the people of the Li Family Stronghold from now on?
Why!
"Dad," Chen Fan said calmly, "there’s no need to surrender just yet. With me here this time, we don’t have to worry even if they come over."
"That’s right!"
Everyone’s eyes lit up, and their spirits were lifted.
Last time, Li Family Stronghold relied on their numbers and their long-range attack capabilities.
But this time, Xiaofan was with them!
His archery skills were extraordinary, far superior to those of the two in the Li Family Stronghold. If they dared to come over, they would definitely suffer!
"Moreover, this situation is not as simple as we think," Chen Fan continued.
"?"
"Xiaofan, what do you mean?"
The others were puzzled.
"If you look closely, you’ll see that they are two different groups of people. One group is from the Li Family Stronghold, and the other group is from the Gu Family Stronghold, whom we encountered while resting earlier," said Chen Fan.
The group moved forward a short distance, squinting their eyes to see in the distance. Sure enough, it seemed that the path was blocked by the people of the Li Family Stronghold, and it really looked like two distinct groups?
"If I’m not mistaken, it should be the people from the Gu Family Stronghold returning with their prey, and they just happened to be intercepted by the Li Family Stronghold. And at that moment, we appeared," Chen Fan analyzed. "Otherwise, the people from the Li Family Stronghold would have come over long ago upon seeing us."
"Hiss..."
The group collectively gasped.
"Xiaofan makes sense. The people of the Li Family Stronghold have always bullied the weak. Many of the smaller strongholds have been harassed by them, and some have even been wiped out," the bald man agreed.
"Wiped out from starvation more likely."
"Indeed, they robbed others of their prey, and during the winter, many of the elderly and young starved to death."
"Damn these beasts! No wonder they didn’t move when they saw us. They were busy robbing others," Gao Yang cursed. "Guodong, I think we should take this chance to ally with the Gu Family Stronghold and drive them away!"
Chen Guodong was tempted by the idea.
His restraint was not due to weakness but to avoid impulsive actions leading to severe consequences. Now, the Gu Family Stronghold was being bullied. If he ignored it, what would happen if they were next, and the Gu Family Stronghold did the same?
If it continued, the Li Family Stronghold would only become stronger, extorting the other strongholds even more aggressively.
However, some in the team hesitated.
"Guodong, Old Gao, I think we shouldn’t get involved," Qin Ming, the middle-aged man who previously mentioned Meng Yu’s identity, frowned. "I know it sounds cowardly, but getting the prey back to the stronghold safely is our top priority right now. Otherwise, if the Li Family Stronghold catches up, it’ll be too late."
"Yes, let’s take this chance to leave."
"Guodong, even if we go over, it’ll be a costly fight."
Chen Guodong frowned and fell into deep thought.
Should they leave or stay?
"Uncles, I think, since the moment they saw us, leaving is not an option," Chen Fan shook his head.
"The people of the Li Family Stronghold are just biding their time, worried that we’ll intervene. If we do, the numbers would be closer, and they’d have to give up. However, this would make them resent us more. After we part from the Gu Family Stronghold, they would surely come after us and rob us of our prey. That’s the least they would do."
Everyone’s face turned pale at these words.
Right, the people of the Li Family Stronghold were bullies. They’ve been indirectly causing deaths for a long time, but if provoked, they might resort to killing!
The proponents of helping the Gu Family Stronghold, like Gao Yang, also felt a chill down their spines.
Indeed, unless they allied with the Gu Family Stronghold and fought the Li Family Stronghold head-on, they might end up taking the fall for them.
But even if the Gu Family Stronghold agreed, it would be a brutal fight.
"So, should we leave quickly then?"
Qin Ming asked urgently.
"Yes, if helping them results in disaster, let’s just leave instead."
"Right, right."
Even Chen Guodong was swayed. Perhaps ignoring the Gu Family Stronghold was the best choice?
"Uncle Qin, that would be even worse," Chen Fan looked at him.
"Why?"
Qin Ming was taken aback, along with everyone else.
You said that helping wouldn’t work and would attract hatred. The end result would be us suffering.
So, we shouldn’t help?
But now you say not helping wouldn’t work either?
Chen Fan didn’t beat around the bush and continued, "If we don’t help, the Gu Family Stronghold will soon give in, handing over their prey. If I were the Li Family Stronghold, I’d only take half to avoid inciting them, and then..."
"And then turn on us," the bald man realized first, his eyes revealing a hint of horror.
At that point, the Gu Family Stronghold wouldn’t care, just as they had planned to do earlier.
The Li Family Stronghold wouldn’t take all the prey, avoiding extreme retaliation.
"Yes," Chen Fan nodded.
"We would find ourselves in the same situation, having to hand over most of our prey to them, suffering their insults, and making them more powerful."
Everyone’s spine tingled at the thought.
They finally understood the deeper meaning behind Chen Fan’s earlier statement that this situation wasn’t simple.
It seemed like they had choices, but in reality, they had none. Whether they stayed or left, they would be caught up. Unless they left part of their prey behind and took a gamble.
If the amount satisfied the Li Family Stronghold, they might get away. But only just.
Human greed knows no bounds. Continuous concessions would only make the other side more aggressive.
And if the amount wasn’t enough, the consequences were clear.
They looked at each other, their expressions grim.
Considering their knowledge of the Li Family Stronghold, they realized this scenario was all too plausible.
"Xiaofan, what do you think we should do next?" Chen Guodong asked.
"There is a way, and that is to strike first!" Chen Fan replied.