The Unorthodox Tomb Raider

This method used to be very effective, but one major difficulty is that not every cave has the conditions to be converted into a hidden troop shelter.

Moreover, building such a suitable place for temporary rest and recuperation would be very costly, requiring a large number of craftsmen and a significant amount of military expenditure.

Therefore, although it is useful, it is not something that everyone can afford.

Just as Fang Yun was engrossed in observing and speculating about the era in which the cave was dug and who was there at the time, a joyful shout suddenly came from behind him.

"Fang Yun, what are you doing here! Did those ants eat you up?"

Huang Ying quickly walked towards Fang Yun. When Fang Yun turned his head to look, he could clearly see a tear stain under the corner of Huang Ying's eye.

Ono and Muyang were both surprised and delighted to see Fang Yun, wondering how he had escaped danger.

“Brother Fang, I didn’t expect to see you again. We thought you… well, never mind. The fact that you were able to escape danger shows that you are blessed by the heavens.”

Ono and his companion breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Fang Yun was alright.

They were still bothered by what had just happened. After all, even if it was for the sake of the overall situation, they couldn't get over the guilt of leaving Fang Yun behind.

Chapter 439 Another Dangerous Situation

"Yingmei insisted on coming back to find you, and we couldn't stop her. Of course, if Yingmei hadn't insisted on coming back, we really wouldn't have seen you at all."

Ono walked over, patted Fang Yun on the shoulder, and asked Fang Yun to explain how he had escaped.

At that moment, Chen Dafang suddenly coughed. Fang Yun glanced over and saw that the man's eyes showed both surprise and displeasure.

He originally thought Fang Yun was already a corpse, so he didn't pay attention when Huang Ying made a fuss and instead brought her back.

This was the plan to bring Huang Ying to see Fang Yun's body, so that she would give up and stop making trouble.

When they arrived, they were surprised to find Fang Yun alive and kicking, seemingly without a single injury.

"I really don't know what kind of luck this kid had, that he could actually pull it off like that."

Chen Dafang thought to himself that the ants must have encountered something else when they were about to attack Fang Yun, which is why they hurriedly retreated.

Or perhaps it's because the amount of honey I prepared before was too small, and I no longer have anything to welcome those insects.

Thinking about this, Chen Dafang couldn't help but feel a little regretful. He wished he had put in more.

"Kid, I'll let you off the hook this time. But if you keep refusing to listen to reason, you're in for a world of hurt."

Chen Dafang coldly watched Fang Yun's side. If Huang Ying invited Fang Yun to join the team again and Fang Yun agreed, then he would start the second plan.

“Brother Fang, I think you should continue traveling with us. I just spoke with Xiao Ye and asked him to take good care of you. We also brought a lot of weapons and rations with us, enough for you to share.”

"Yes, Brother Fang, Yingmei means well. Why don't you come with us?"

Ono felt a little guilty and wanted to make amends by asking Fang Yun not to blame him for what he had done before.

Just as Fang Yun was about to speak, he noticed several pairs of eyes turning towards him at the same time.

First was Chen Dafang, whose gaze was cold and devoid of any emotion, yet he was very attentive to Fang Yun's movements.

Next was Huang Ying, her eyes filled with anticipation. Then there was Xiao Ye, who seemed to feel both guilty and hopeful.

As for Mu Yang, he was older and his gaze was somewhat unfocused.

"I think we should forget it. You guys have been hunting together for years and you cooperate well. I'm just an outsider and I don't have any chemistry with you. If you join us, it will only slow us both down."

Huang Ying was about to speak when Chen Dafang said, "I think Brother Fang is right. He's a reasonable person. Sometimes, more people don't necessarily mean more power. Separating is actually a better choice."

As he spoke, Chen Dafang turned his gaze to Ono, who hesitated for a moment before saying, "I think we can discuss it further..."

Chen Dafang was clearly not satisfied with this answer, and looked at Mu Yang again. Mu Yang sighed softly, and then said, "I also think that what Brother Fang and Dafang said is true."

"You've all heard that story before, haven't you? One monk has water to drink, two monks carry water together, three monks have no water to drink. The principle is the same."

After hearing all this, Huang Ying stamped her foot, put her hands on her hips, and said, "Hmph, I think you're all just selfish and self-serving. You're only saying all this because you're afraid of being implicated."

“If you’re scared, you can leave on your own. I’m not scared, so I’ll go with Brother Fang.”

At this moment, Ono stammered, "Sister Huangying, when I came out, Auntie told me to take good care of your safety. You can't leave like that, I'm going to stay with you."

Huang Ying laughed and said, "Then how about this, you come with us, and the three of us will go together. If the other two don't agree, then the two of them can go."

Hearing this, Chen Dafang was already suppressing his anger as he spoke, saying, "Yingmei, how can you be so stubborn? You will pay the price for your willfulness sooner or later."

With that, Chen Dafang turned his head and said, "Since you put it that way, I don't want to stop you any longer. You guys can all go together. Mu Yang and I will go together. But if you encounter any danger, don't come to us for help!"

"Fine, I won't ask. Do you think I don't have hands and feet? Do I need your help?"

The oriole was quite dismissive.

Mu Yang stood to the side, wondering why Chen Dafang would agree to Huang Ying's request. He, as Chen Dafang's childhood friend, knew exactly what Chen Dafang was thinking.

Logically speaking, even if some compromises were made, it shouldn't have come to this.

Mu Yang was very puzzled.

Fang Yun, however, sensed something unusual. Chen Dafang's temporary concession was definitely not a good thing.

Fang Yun estimated that he would be up to something soon.

Chapter 440 Future and Past Events

Afterwards, Fang Yun, Huang Ying, and Xiao Ye walked together, while Chen Dafang and Mu Yang went in another direction.

This was somewhat unexpected for them, but since they had decided to continue down this path, no one said anything more.

As they walked down another road, Huang Ying suddenly turned to Fang Yun and said, "Brother Fang, that Chen Dafang wasn't a bad person before. He might have been a bit selfish, but don't be too angry. He did go a bit too far just now."

Huang Ying was worried that Fang Yun might have a problem with Chen Dafang, so she tried to comfort him.

After all, Chen Dafang and she were from the same village, and they had come out together this time. Moreover, Chen Dafang had never treated her too badly, so she didn't want Fang Yun and him to become enemies.

On the other side, when Ono heard Huang Ying say this, a bitter look appeared on his face. He said, "Da Fang used to be a really good person, but after that... that incident, he changed a bit."

Ono and Chen Dafang were related by marriage, so Ono naturally knew about Chen Dafang's situation.

If it weren't for that incident, Chen Dafang would still be a pretty good person. He used to be very generous and kind, and he was also very polite to others.

But since that incident, Chen Dafang seems to have changed completely, becoming petty, impulsive, and easily angered.

"Of course, I don't think we can entirely blame him. If it were someone else, even if it were me, after going through that, I probably wouldn't be much better off than him, and it would probably take me a long time to recover."

Ono spoke slowly.

At this moment, Fang Yun became interested. Originally, he had no interest in Chen Dafang at all, but their discussion aroused his curiosity, and he immediately asked, "What is that matter you're talking about? Why don't you tell me?"

"Since we don't know how much longer we have to walk in this tomb, talking about it will help relieve our fatigue."

As Fang Yun spoke, he yawned; he hadn't been sleeping well lately.

Huang Ying thought for a moment and then nodded. Anyway, there really wasn't much to say right now. This matter wasn't exactly a secret, and saying it would allow Fang Yun to understand Chen Dafang better, which might help ease tensions between the two in the future.

"Ono, should you say it, or should I?"

Huang Ying glanced at Xiao Ye, after all, he was well aware of this matter as well.

Upon hearing this, Ono suddenly perked up and said, "Then let me explain. I am quite clear about this matter."

Then, Ono began to recount the whole story in detail.

It turns out that Chen Dafang used to be the best archer among the young men in their village. Because of his outstanding skills, he was often invited to participate in archery competitions in the town.

And Chen Dafang certainly didn't disappoint. Although there were many young people in the town, he always managed to come out on top.

Soon, Chen Dafang's abilities caught the attention of a hunter organization. Of course, Chen Dafang was still quite inexperienced to them at the moment; they wanted to see what his future potential was like.

So, the organization came to the village and found Chen Dafang's family, intending to take Chen Dafang away for a period of time. During this period, the organization would pay for all of Chen Dafang's expenses and needs.

Crucially, if Chen Dafang performed well, the organization promised to send him rewards to his family regularly.

Chen Dafang's parents quickly told him the news, and Chen Dafang was naturally very excited and agreed.

This archery organization is a top-tier entity in the entire town, and even at a higher level.

Hunters who can join this archery organization are almost all top-notch hunters.

Just getting in is enough to signify your status as a top-tier hunter. And with that reputation, wherever you go, the starting price for a job will be far beyond the reach of many ordinary hunters.

Chen Dafang not only wanted to go there to improve himself, but also hoped to improve his family's life through this new career.

Therefore, Chen Dafang went there this time with full preparation.

Moreover, on the day he was taken away, the whole village decorated with lanterns and set off firecrackers in his honor. After all, Chen Dafang was the pride of the entire village at that time.

When Fang Yun heard this, he noticed that Huang Ying's eyes also revealed something different from what he thought of King Zhao.

Putting everything else aside, Chen Dafang is probably quite respected in his village.

"What happened next? Was he not selected and unable to stay in that organization?"

Fang Yun was also puzzled by this question. Could it be that Chen Dafang's personality changed because he couldn't stay in that organization?

However, that would seem a bit pretentious, since I've actually heard of that organization before.

Those who can get in are all elite talents, and as far as Fang Yun knows, even among the young people who are taken away, the probability of being selected in the end is only one in ten, which means the competition is very fierce.

Chapter 441 Regrets

"Did he give up because he wasn't selected?"

Fang Yun asked curiously.

"That's not it. After all, although Brother Dafang is very capable and has always been unique in our organization, he is not the kind of person who is blindly arrogant. He knows that his level may not be enough in that organization."