High-level martial arts: Invincibility starts with basic archery.

Chapter 501 Chen Family Fortress is already a thing of the past.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Chen Fan's tone carried a hint of helplessness, "I didn't force you to spar with me, and the bet was agreed upon, wasn't it?"

Wang Lingling was speechless.

Yes, if we're really talking about it, it was she who insisted on sparring.

The stakes were also explained beforehand.

She just didn't expect that she would actually lose, and lose so decisively.

"I understand, I will keep my promise."

She was very annoyed, muttered something, and turned to walk outside.

I'll help if I can, but don't expect her to risk her life for the people here.

No one dared to block her way, and besides, even if they had the guts, they probably didn't have the strength, so they all made way for her.

After watching her disappear through the door, someone whispered, "They just let her go like that? Shouldn't they have some kind of written agreement? What if she leaves later?"

"yes."

Many people realized what was happening and looked at Chen Fan.

Don't worry.

Chen Fan laughed and said, "That person is a True Yuan Realm martial artist, a figure of considerable importance in our Yan Kingdom. He wouldn't go back on his word."

If it were someone else, he would definitely do something to prevent them from going back on their word.

But not with that guy, because before she gets the Longevity Manual, even if someone tries to drive her away, she won't leave.

"It would be even better if a few more experts came."

He sighed inwardly, not expecting them to follow him out of the city to kill the ferocious beasts; he just hoped they could stay in the city and kill any that escaped.

Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Brother Chen is right. He's a True Essence Realm expert; he wouldn't do something so shameless."

"Yes, although that person has a bit of a temper, he shouldn't be the kind of person who goes back on his word or breaks promises. We were just judging him by our own petty standards, hahaha."

"The thought that there will be a True Yuan Realm martial artist helping us defend the city on the day the beast tide breaks out makes me feel much more at ease."

"Yes, if we include Brother Chen, our Anshan City will have two True Yuan Realm martial artists. I think it's still very possible to defend it."

"What do you mean by 'very likely to hold'? Do you mean 'definitely able to hold'?"

"Yes, yes, I misspoke. We can definitely hold on, hahaha."

Instantly, the previously oppressive atmosphere in the hall became cheerful.

Only the few who knew the truth still wore somewhat forced smiles.

Having an additional True Essence Realm martial artist is naturally a great help.

But this beast tide is no simple matter either.

"President, I have something to attend to, so I'll be leaving now. You should all go back and get some rest too," Chen Fan said, glancing at the sky outside. It was already pitch black, and night had officially begun.

He should go home and visit his family.

……

In a five- or six-story residential building, a room on the second floor was filled with people in the living room.

They were all familiar faces.

Zhang Ren, Liu Yong, Gu Jianghai, the Wei brothers, and others all had their brows furrowed and their faces extremely grim. If there were cigarettes, the living room would probably be filled with smoke by now, resembling a fairyland.

Chen Guodong was among them, his brows furrowed. However, he was slightly better off than the others present, because he had already prepared himself for the news of the beast tide.

"Guodong, isn't Xiaofan coming back?" Gu Jianghai asked.

Actually, these people seemed to have agreed to come together. Besides wanting to hear Chen Guodong's opinion, they also wanted to ask Chen Fan what they should do.

They had experienced beast tides before.

However, the previous times were all in small villages. These people were lucky enough to survive; those who were unlucky would have died long ago.

But this time it was very special.

They were actually in the city.

Not yet.

Chen Guodong smiled wryly and said, "He's probably too busy and can't spare the time right now. How about I give him a call and ask?"

"No, no, no," Gu Jianghai waved his hands repeatedly, "I was just asking casually. Xiao Fan is probably busy, so let's not bother him for now."

"Yeah, yeah," the others chimed in.

Zhang Ren, who was standing to the side, also nodded slightly.

He had been to the Martial Arts Association and knew that Chen Fan held a high position within the association; even Sun Wei spoke of him with great respect.

At such a critical moment, he should be in the martial arts association, discussing countermeasures with everyone.

The next moment, he spoke up: "I know what everyone is worried about. Based on my previous experience, the probability of Anshan City being breached by ferocious beasts is actually very small."

"Really? Old Zhang?"

"It must be true. Old Zhang used to be from Anshan City and participated in the city defense battle," Liu Yong said loudly.

"That's right."

Zhang Ren nodded and said, "Two years ago, Anshan City also experienced a beast tide. I was in the city at the time, defending against the ferocious beasts' attack."

"And then?"

Wei Tianyuan pressed for an answer.

"The situation was extremely critical at the time. Several times, the city walls were breached by the ferocious beasts that surged in. Large numbers of beasts poured into the city through the breaches, resulting in heavy casualties."

Everyone's face turned pale.

"Fortunately, we managed to hold on."

Zhang Ren said, "Under the leadership of the Awakeners Association, the ferocious beasts that broke into the city were all killed, and the beast tide was also repelled. In the end, it lasted for about a week, and the ferocious beasts seemed to leave when they saw that they could not break through."

Chen Guodong and the others all breathed a sigh of relief.

But they also knew that this process would be extremely difficult, and that many times they would fall just short.

"Old Zhang, if the beast tide really comes, will we need to go up to the city walls and fight the ferocious beasts?" someone asked anxiously.

Suddenly, the room fell silent.

This is the second core issue, besides whether Anshan City can be defended.

Previously in the wild, after the beast tide broke out, they all immediately hid in the tunnels, picked up weapons and fought against the ferocious beasts. That was like an old man eating poison, they were tired of living.

But here, if the city guards really force them to guard the city, there's not much they can do.

But once on the city wall, the chances of death were too high.

"No, generally speaking."

Zhang Ren shook his head and said, "After the beast tide breaks out, there will naturally be awakened individuals, martial artists, and guards to resist it. But if the losses are too severe, we will have to mobilize ordinary people in the city to operate guns and cannons to deal with the ferocious beasts."

"Old Zhang, what about the ordinary people in the city last time?"

Zhang Ren didn't speak, but simply nodded silently.

A beast tide! Standing on the city wall, all you could see were ferocious beasts!

Not only do they run on the ground, but they also fly in the sky and emerge from underground. Those that emerge from underground are the most terrifying!

Sometimes, people are walking along the road and suddenly, with a "plop," they fall down, followed by a chilling chewing sound coming from underground.

Even if someone reacts and launches an attack with firearms, they will most likely just hit the ground and waste bullets.

In this situation, let alone guards, the mortality rate for martial artists is also very high. Without forcing ordinary people to go to the battlefield, they simply cannot withstand the pressure.

Of course, for ordinary people, once they climbed the city walls, the speed of death would only be faster...

Instantly, the atmosphere in the room quieted down, with only the sound of everyone breathing remaining.

"Actually, this is what we should do."

Chen Guodong sighed softly and said, "That Chairman Li has saved our lives in a way, by allowing us to move into the city without spending a penny."

"Yes," Wei Tianyuan said. "If we hadn't moved in now and were still in Chenjiabao, it would probably have been overrun by the ferocious beasts overnight. At least half of us would have died, and even if the remaining half could hide in the tunnels for a while, it's still unknown how long they could hold out."

"Brother Wei is right. In the village I used to live in, there were several hundred people who hid in the tunnels. In less than a week, more than half of them starved to death. The remaining people had nothing to eat, so they had no choice but to..." A middle-aged man stopped talking.

"Yes, we are already much luckier than those who live outside." Chen Guodong's gaze swept over the crowd. "So, it's only right for us to go up the city wall to defend against the ferocious beasts, isn't it? We're doing this not only for Anshan City, but also for ourselves and our families."

After these words were spoken, everyone was moved.

Death is something everyone fears. After all, life is only given to us once, and once it's gone, it's truly gone.

But sometimes, you have to risk your life to defend certain things, such as the safety of your family.

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. If Anshan City falls, their fate will not be much better.

Only if Anshan City is defended can their families survive.

"Guodong is right. Chenjiabao is a thing of the past. Now, we are all people of Anshan City. We defend Anshan City not for others, but for ourselves and our families," Liu Yong said earnestly.

"Yes, there is no Chen Family Fortress anymore. All that remains is Anshan City."

"Anshan City is our home."

One sound after another rang out.

A look of determination gradually appeared in everyone's eyes.

"I saw today that they're recruiting people in the city to defend Anshan City. Any able-bodied young men will do, and martial artists will get better pay. We can all be considered martial artists, so I think we should go and sign up tomorrow morning. What do you think?" Wei Tianyuan said with a smile. "Then we can go up to the city wall together and kill the ferocious beasts."

"Alright, let's go together then. To be honest, these ferocious beasts have caused us enough harm. Now that we have this opportunity, we should kill as many as possible to avenge my dead family and friends!"

"That's right, count me in. To be honest, I've been wanting to handle a real gun for a long time. This time, I should finally have the chance."

"Not only will we have the chance to handle real guns, but we'll also have the chance to fire cannons!"

"Are you serious about firing a cannon?"

"Of course it's serious. What, you don't think it's like firing a cannon, do you?"

"Ha ha ha ha."

A burst of laughter erupted inside the room.

Even the usually serious Zhang Ren couldn't help but smile. His gaze swept over the many smiling faces present, and his eyes revealed a deep sense of reluctance.

When the beast tide comes, it's better for ordinary people to hide in the city, but if they go up to the city wall, they're doomed, with a slim chance of survival.

Of all the people here tonight, he might never see them again tomorrow or the day after…

To be selfish, he wished that all these people would stay at home and not come out. But if everyone in the city thought that way, then who would go to the city walls to defend against the ferocious beasts?

If no one is willing to contribute, then when the beast tide rushes into Anshan City, everyone will die.

The laughter gradually subsided, and everyone in the room quieted down.

They knew perfectly well that going there meant almost certain death.

But I'll say it again.

They are now also part of Anshan City; protecting Anshan City is also protecting their own families.

"Ahem, it's getting late, and my sister-in-law needs to rest too. Let's call it a day for tonight," someone said after a light cough.

After all, some things are too sad to talk about. What kind of behavior is it for a group of grown men to sit in the house wiping away tears?

It's better not to say anything. We'll find out what the future holds as we go along.

"Yes, yes, it is getting late. Let's all go back and get some rest."

"Hopefully, the beast tide is just a joke played by the city lord's mansion, and everything will be back to normal by tomorrow," someone laughed.

"Yeah yeah."

Everyone stood up, chatting and laughing, and walked towards the door.

Chen Guodong saw everyone to the door, waving goodbye and telling them to be careful on the way.

Several minutes later, the crowd gradually dispersed, leaving only Zhang Ren, Liu Yong, and the Wei brothers.

"Guodong, wanna grab a drink?"

Liu Yong laughed and said, "Perhaps this is the last time we old buddies will get together."

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Chen Guodong glared at him.

After hesitating for a moment, he nodded and said, "Okay, let's go have a drink."

"Where to?" Wei Tianyuan asked.

"Isn't there a small restaurant not far downstairs? Let's go there."

"Okay, let's go together then."

The group exchanged glances and headed downstairs.

A figure was watching them from behind.

After a long while, the figure withdrew its gaze and then let out a long sigh.

The figure was none other than Chen Fan.

In fact, he had already arrived at the door long ago, and he could hear everything that was being said inside clearly.

While I was moved, I felt mostly heartbroken.

He had already witnessed the fate of ordinary people in the face of the beast tide that afternoon; even armed with firearms, it was all in vain.

But they were still willing to risk their lives for their families.

He didn't want to break the atmosphere, so he didn't knock.

He didn't want to disturb his father's small gatherings with Uncle Zhang and Uncle Liu.

All he could do was to do his best to protect Anshan City and ensure that this hard-won happiness could continue.

(End of this chapter)