Chapter 46: No Choice, Strike First to Gain the Advantage

Upon hearing these words, the hearts of the others in the group instantly sank to the bottom, as if pressed down heavily by a giant boulder.

Why were they so unlucky, running into this group of bullies just when they were returning fully loaded?

"What are we to do?" someone gritted their teeth, their voice full of anxiety. "They have definitely seen us; if we just try to leave like this, we certainly won't get away."

The others were also silent. It was true; at this moment, they were carrying the prey in pairs, moving slowly, and even a child could easily catch up to them.

"Damn it! If it really comes to it, we'll just fight them!" Sun Gang had a fiery temper; the last time they encountered a wolf pack, he had advocated for a head-on confrontation.

"That's right! A few days ago, we finally caught a giant-horned rhinoceros, but it accidentally fell into a trap. That was clearly our prey, yet this bunch of guys relied on their numbers to snatch it in broad daylight, and they even slapped Guohao!"

"What!" Lu Yu's face was full of shock, and he looked at Lu Guohao in disbelief. That night, Lu Guohao hadn't mentioned a single word about this.

Lu Guohao's expression was calm; he shook his head slightly and said, "It's all in the past, not worth mentioning."

Then, he looked at the furious crowd and advised, "A wise man does not fight when the odds are against him; preserving our strength is the key. If they really come to rob us, we should just divide some up and give it to them."

Hearing this, the others were full of resentment. The situation was stronger than the people; if they really fought, they would likely be the ones to suffer. But if they set this precedent, would all the Zhai's hunting results have to be offered to that bunch from Wang Family Zhai in the future? Why should they!

"Dad," Lu Yu said with composure, "don't be in such a rush to concede. With me here this time, even if they come over, there's nothing to be afraid of."

"That's right!" The eyes of the crowd suddenly lit up, and their Spirit was also bolstered.

Didn't Wang Family Zhai rely on their numbers and long-range attack methods last time? But this time, Lu Yu was here! His Archery was Chushen Ruohua, far stronger than those few from Wang Family Zhai. If they dared to come, he would definitely make them pay dearly!

"Besides, things are not as simple as we think," Lu Yu continued.

"Hmm?"

"Xiao Yu, what do you mean by that?" the crowd asked, looking puzzled.

"Look carefully, those seem to be two different groups. One is from Wang Family Zhai, and the other is from Qin Family Stronghold, whom we met when we were resting earlier," Lu Yu explained.

The group walked forward a short distance, squinting and peering into the distance, and vaguely saw a few people being blocked by those from Wang Family Zhai; it really seemed to be two groups.

"If I had to guess, it should be that the people from Qin Family Stronghold were bringing their prey back to their Zhai and happened to run into Wang Family Zhai. Wang Family Zhai wanted to snatch their prey, and just then, we appeared."

Lu Yu analyzed, "Otherwise, if the people from Wang Family Zhai had seen us, they would have already rushed over; they wouldn't still be standing there like fools."

"Hiss..." The crowd gasped.

"Xiao Yu makes sense. This bunch from Wang Family Zhai has always bullied the weak and feared the strong. They have bullied many small Zhais in the past, and some people from those small Zhais have even run away," Zhao Shan said, deeply agreeing.

"It's not that they ran away; they were probably starved to death."

"That's right. They snatch other people's prey, and those Zhais lose their food. If it happens to be winter, many old people and children are starved to death."

"Damn it, these bastards! I was wondering why they didn't move when they saw us; it turns out they were busy robbing others and had no time to deal with us," Sun Gang cursed.

"Guohao, in my opinion, we should take this opportunity to rush over, join forces with the people from Qin Family Stronghold, and beat them away!"

Lu Guohao felt tempted when he heard this. He endured without acting, which did not mean he was cowardly; he was just afraid that acting impulsively would come at a heavy price.

Now that the people from Qin Family Stronghold were being bullied, if he stood by and watched, would they do the same if his own Zhai were targeted by Wang Family Zhai and Qin Family Stronghold happened to pass by?

If this continued, Wang Family Zhai would only become more arrogant and intensify their extortion of other Zhais.

However, there were also a few people in the group who looked hesitant.

"Guohao, Lao Zhao, I think we shouldn't get involved in this."

Zhang Feng, the middle-aged man who had previously revealed Ji Bingyu's identity, frowned and said, "I know it's a bit selfish to say this, but getting the prey safely back to the Zhai is the top priority. Otherwise, it will be too late once the people from Wang Family Zhai catch up."

"That's right, let's leave now."

"Guohao, even if we go over, if a real fight breaks out, it will be more trouble than it's worth."

Lu Guohao furrowed his brows, caught in a dilemma. Should they go, or stay?

"Uncles, I think that from the moment they saw us, the idea of leaving is no longer an option," Lu Yu shook his head.

"The people from Wang Family Zhai aren't moving now because they have reservations, fearing that if we go over to interfere, the numbers on both sides will be similar, and they would have to give up. But if that happens, Wang Family Zhai will definitely hold a grudge against us. Once we separate from Qin Family Stronghold, they will surely strike hard; snatching the prey would be the least of it."

The faces of the crowd turned pale instantly. That's right, that bunch from Wang Family Zhai were bullies. Although they had used indirect methods to harm many people before, if they were truly provoked, it wasn't impossible for them to kill to vent their anger!

Sun Gang and the others who had advocated helping Qin Family Stronghold also broke out in a cold sweat.

That's right, unless they joined forces with Qin Family Stronghold on the spot and had a big fight with Wang Family Zhai, they would likely end up suffering for someone else's sake.

But not to mention whether Qin Family Stronghold would be willing to cooperate, even if they were, a real fight would be a life-or-death struggle, and the situation would be hard to resolve.

"Then, what if we leave immediately?" Zhang Feng asked hurriedly.

"That's right, that's right. Since helping them won't end well, let's not help and just leave now."

"Yes, yes."

Even Lu Guohao was somewhat wavering; perhaps ignoring Qin Family Stronghold was the best policy?

"Zhang Shu, that is even more of a worst-case scenario," Lu Yu looked at him.

"Why?" Zhang Feng looked blank, and the others were also confused.

You say going up to help won't work because it will invite hatred and we'll be the ones who suffer. So we don't help? And now you say not helping won't work either?

Lu Yu didn't keep them in suspense and continued, "If we don't help, Qin Family Stronghold will surely have to concede before long, either by sharing a portion or handing over all their prey. If I were from Wang Family Zhai, I would only take half, so as not to push them too far, and then..."

"And then they would come after us," Zhao Shan was the first to react, his eyes full of horror.

By then, the people from Qin Family Stronghold would surely stand by and watch, just as his own group had wanted to do just now. And since Wang Family Zhai hadn't taken all the prey, they wouldn't have completely enraged the other side.

"Yes," Lu Yu nodded.

"This brings us back to the previous choice; we would still be caught, then have to hand over most of our prey, be humiliated by them, and let them become even stronger."

As soon as Lu Yu finished speaking, everyone felt a chill down their spines. They finally understood the true meaning of what Lu Yu had said earlier about "things not being that simple."

They seemed to have a choice, but in reality, they had none. Whether they left or stayed, they would be caught, unless they were willing to leave some prey behind to take a gamble.

If the prey left behind could satisfy Wang Family Zhai, they might escape this time, but that would only be for this one time.

Human desire is endless; one concession after another will only make the other side more unscrupulous. If the prey left behind isn't enough, then there's even less to say.

The crowd looked at each other, their faces very grim. Based on their understanding of those people from Wang Family Zhai, they were truly capable of such things.

"Xiao Yu, what do you think we should do next?" Lu Guohao asked.

"There is a way, of course, and that is: strike first to gain the advantage!"