Chapter 8: Hopelessness Here
"Farewell?"
Chen Guodong froze as if struck by lightning, his outstretched hand hanging mid-air. He forced a trembling smile. "Why are you leaving so suddenly? Is it about how we divided the last hunt? If there’s a problem, we can talk it out, can’t we?"
Anyone could hear the panic in his voice.
The woman holding the little boy stared blankly at the scene, her mind too numb to form words of protest.
Chen Fan’s heart lurched.
He remembered Uncle Zhang’s warning that the Wei brothers wouldn’t stay much longer—but he hadn’t expected it to happen this soon.
"Brother Guodong, it’s not what you think," said a man resembling Wei Tianyuan but younger, avoiding eye contact. "We’ve no complaints about the hunt’s distribution or your leadership. You’re the one who rallied everyone to dig trenches and fight off the beasts."
"Exactly," the two men behind the brothers echoed, nodding vigorously.
"Then why leave?" Chen Guodong’s forehead glistened with sweat.
The village already had few adult men. Losing four—including the Wei brothers—would cripple them further.
Chen Fan’s throat tightened. He didn’t want them to go either.
Wei Tianyuan glanced at his older brother, who gave a slight nod.
"Brother Guodong, I’ll be blunt. Don’t take this the wrong way."
"Of course not." Chen Guodong’s smile wavered.
He dreaded decisions made after cold calculation—they were irreversible.
Wei Tianyuan met his gaze. "Staying here offers no future."
The words hung like shattering glass.
"Brother Guodong, we’ve barely a hundred souls here—fewer than twenty grown men, even counting the boys. The rest are elders, women, and children. How can so few feed so many?"
"True, it’s hard," Chen Guodong admitted hoarsely, "but we’ve survived this long. We can keep going."
"What about us?"
Wei Tiangong’s voice cut in, calm and firm. "The Zhao brothers from Zhao Family Fort used to wield 100-pound bows like us. Now, with enough beast meat, they’ve reached late-stage Body Tempering. They draw 300-pound bows. With proper resources, we could too."
Chen Guodong flushed with shame. The Wei brothers contributed most to every hunt yet received scraps.
"Guodong," Wei Tiangong softened, "staying is hopeless. Join us at Zhao Family Fort. There’s more food, better living conditions, and martial training. Strength is survival now."
"Come with us, Brother Guodong," Wei Tianyuan pleaded.
The brothers had given their all to the village. Now it was time to thrive, not just survive.
Chen Fan watched his father. He knew what was coming.
Chen Guodong inhaled deeply, tears glinting as he smiled. "I understand, Tiangong. Zhao Family Fort is the right choice. How could I blame you? Without your sacrifices, this village would’ve fallen long ago."
Relief washed over the Wei brothers, tinged with guilt.
"Aren’t you coming?" Wei Tianyuan pressed.
"No." Chen Guodong gazed at the nearby huts. "Before this village existed, I vowed to lead everyone to survival. This place was built by all of us. People like A’Quan, Da Fei, and Zhu Zi are gone, but their families remain. I won’t abandon them."
Silence choked the room. The men’s eyes reddened.
Wei Tiangong’s voice thickened. "Take care, Brother Guodong." He patted Chen Guodong’s shoulder, glanced at Chen Fan, and left.
"Forgive us," Wei Tianyuan murmured, bowing before following.
"Stay safe!" the others called, lingering a moment before vanishing into the night.
Chen Fan watched his father stand statue-still, tears unshed.
Sigh.
He couldn’t fully grasp his father’s turmoil, but the village’s plight was clear: they needed his archery skills, fast.
"Guodong, eat something," the woman urged, pale-faced.
He nodded absently after a long pause.
The "feast" lay heavy with silence. The woman piled rabbit meat into Chen Fan’s bowl. "You trained all day—eat more."
Chen Guodong wordlessly added more meat, making the boy beside them drool over his own meager portion.
"Dad, you need this more," Chen Fan protested, pushing the meat back. His father was their pillar—and hunting would worsen after tomorrow.
"Eat. I’m not hungry." Chen Guodong’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.
Chen Fan hesitated, then bit into the tender meat. Salted and simple, it was absurdly delicious—
[Potential Points +0.1]
"…?"
Chen Fan froze, the system message echoing in his mind.
