Chapter 42: The Gujia Village Folks?
The sudden exchange immediately drew the attention of the others.
"Uncle Liu, what did you say earlier? Something about the one with black hair?"
"Yeah, what are you talking about? I don’t get it."
"I caught part of it. Sounded like Uncle Liu asked Xiao Fan if he liked someone, and when Xiao Fan played dumb, Uncle Liu said, ‘I already know—it’s the black-haired girl.’"
"What? Seriously?!"
Even Chen Guodong, walking ahead, turned to look back.
"Uncle Liu, what’s this about?" Chen Fan asked, torn between laughter and exasperation.
"Stop pretending. I saw it all," the bald man said smugly. "Yesterday, you couldn’t take your eyes off her. Then this morning, you stared again until the poor girl blushed."
"!"
The group gasped, their gazes locking onto Chen Fan with knowing smirks.
"It’s not what you think," Chen Fan insisted, shrugging helplessly.
But protesting would only deepen the misunderstanding—he knew better than to fuel the fire.
"Right, right, definitely not what we think."
"What do we think?"
"Exactly! We didn’t say a word, Xiao Fan."
"Don’t worry—we’ll keep your secret."
They exchanged exaggerated nods, some even nudging the bald man to whisper, "What does she look like? Is she pretty?"
Chen Fan shook his head in resignation. Gossip was inevitable—a harmless distraction in their uneventful lives.
The chatter soon faded into weary silence as the group pressed onward through the barren landscape. Hours passed under the scorching sun, and Chen Fan’s frown deepened. Could our luck really be as rotten as yesterday’s? They’d found nothing worthwhile all morning.
Then, a shadow loomed in the distance—three or four hundred meters away.
"Prey!"
The others perked up, revitalized as if spotting an oasis.
"Looks like… an armored rhino," Chen Fan said with a bitter smile.
"What? An armored rhino?!"
The group deflated but still inched closer to confirm—a hulking, plate-covered beast, unmistakable even from afar.
"Sharp eyes, Xiao Fan!" The bald man grinned. "Archer’s instincts, eh?"
Chen Fan shrugged. At the third tier of body tempering, his heightened senses were no surprise.
"Detour," Chen Guodong declared reluctantly.
Best not to provoke the massive creature. Yet Chen Fan’s grip tightened on his bow. A single shot could bring them enough meat to feed the village for days—and hefty experience points. But its sheer size, like a rampaging truck, made instant kills impossible. One enraged charge, and lives would be at risk.
Not yet, he decided, releasing his grip. Wait until I reach the muscle-refining stage.
"Think it’s the same rhino from last time?" someone muttered.
"Who cares?" Gao Yang spat. "These brutes all look the same. At least we spotted it early."
"Keep moving another hour," Chen Guodong said. "If we find nothing, we’ll rest and eat."
The group trudged on.
"Tired, Xiao Fan?" the bald man asked.
"I’m fine." Chen Fan smiled. With a constitution of 46, the trek was trivial.
Another hour yielded only two scrawny desert hares—nowhere near enough for trade.
"Two hares can feed the village a day or two," Chen Guodong said, noting Chen Fan’s disappointment. "Let’s eat here and regroup."
As they gnawed dried meat, the teasing resumed.
"Uncle Liu, that girl—Meng Yu, right? The one with the oval face and long hair?" Gao Yang prompted.
"Xiao Meng?" A hawk-nosed man, Qin Ming, cut in. "I know her! Pretty thing. Good taste, Xiao Fan!"
Chen Fan rolled his eyes.
"Old Qin, introduce them!" the bald man crowed. "Our Xiao Fan’s a catch—skilled in both scholarship and combat!"
Qin Ming sighed. "She arrived alone. Parents likely died on the road. Poor girl."
"Then quit dawdling, Xiao Fan! Make your move!"
"Seize the day! Or you’ll end up a lonely old man!"
"Or worse—no kids!"
"…"
Chen Fan ignored them—until movement caught his eye. "Someone’s coming."
The group tensed, weapons raised, then relaxed.
"Gujia Village," Chen Guodong said. "Small group—thirty or forty people. Their leader, Gu Jianghai, is decent."
The distant party waved curtly before veering away—standard caution in the wilds.
But Chen Fan froze. A bow-wielding youth his age had locked eyes with him briefly before turning.
This guy… he’s different, Chen Fan thought, uneasy.
