Both used traditional bows and arrows, and chose a target at about 100 meters away. Whoever hit the target would win.
The handsome young man on the other side, named Xu Mingyu, went first. To be fair, they both used the same bow and arrow. He drew his bow and shot, and with a whoosh, the arrow flew out and struck its target squarely.
Cheers erupted from Liu Er's ranks. He handed the bow and arrows to Ye Yunyi and said politely, "Chief Ye, please come in."
"Not bad," Ye Yunyi said affirmatively as she took the arrow.
Ye Yunyi stood tall and straight, longbow in hand, her gaze fixed intently on the distant target. She took a deep breath, adjusting her breathing and posture. Her right hand gripped the bowstring, pulling it back taut with a soft hum. Her left hand steadily supported the bow, maintaining her balance. Her eyes were sharp and resolute, locked onto her target.
Suddenly, she released her right hand, the bowstring snapped back, and the arrow shot towards the target like lightning. The arrowhead struck the center of the target precisely, producing a crisp sound.
Both hit their targets with graceful movements and imposing presence, so there was no clear winner or loser.
"Chief, I can fire two shots at once and hit two targets," Xu Mingyu said proudly.
"What a coincidence! I also have a skill—I can shoot three bullets at once and hit three targets. Shall we have a contest?" Ye Yunyi said with a smile. She was delighted to see these powerful individuals and admired their loyalty.
She did not yield when threatened, nor did she back down in the face of life and death; her loyalty is evident. If she can also resist temptation, then she will be able to win over these people, which will give her even more support.
So, this impromptu competition was a way to show the opponent our strength, to instill goodwill or even awe in them, making it easier to recruit or manage them later. This is called winning hearts and minds.
"Sure." Xu Mingyu was a little surprised when he heard that Ye Yunyi could shoot three arrows, but he quickly covered it up and agreed after hesitating for a while.
Two more targets had already been added to the original positions. This time, Ye Yunyi went first. She released three arrows, drawing the bow fully, squinting as she aimed, and all three arrows flew out at once, hitting the bullseye in all three shots. Not just hitting the target, but hitting the bullseye.
The two people announcing the scores at the bullseye, one from Ye Yunyi's team and the other from Liu Da's team, were both shocked. Ye Yunyi's team only knew that Ye Yunyi was good at archery, but they didn't know she was this good. The opposing team, on the other hand, was completely unprepared and even thought Ye Yunyi was bragging when they heard the results.
Xu Mingyu felt a little uneasy, but he didn't show it. He picked up his bow and arrow, and when he nocked three arrows, he made a mistake and dropped one on the ground.
But no one booed him. Ye Yunyi continued to encourage him, teaching him how to nock three arrows and saying, "Keep it up."
Xu Mingyu took a deep breath, adjusted his mind, and shot three arrows. Two hit the bullseye, and one just barely made it. The outcome was decided.
But everyone still burst into applause. Ye Yunyi said, "A very good result for the first time trying three arrows."
"Thank you, Chief Ye. Xu Mingyu is completely convinced," Xu Mingyu said.
"Look, it looks like zombies are coming over there!" someone in the crowd shouted.
The crowd fell silent instantly. Following the direction the man pointed, they saw that a group of zombies had entered the village, and there seemed to be quite a few of them.
They had already checked the entire village before entering, and there were no zombies there. The reason so many had arrived was probably because the noise from the shooting earlier was too loud.
Zombies don't stay in one place; they follow sounds, the scent of living people, animals, the smell of blood, or even wander aimlessly.
Moreover, some zombies have now developed intelligence, like the so-called zombie king they arrested in Jiangyue Community, who can command other zombies to obey his orders.
"One of you stay here to protect Liu Da, the rest of you, we'll go kill the zombies," Yun Yi shouted.
Ye Yunyi walked at the front, still carrying her bow and arrows. Her agility was no less than that of the men behind her. Within range, Ye Yunyi nocked three arrows and fired, piercing the heads of three zombies. As the situation in the villa area improved, her arrows were no longer bamboo arrows, and their lethality was much greater.
Xu Mingyu followed closely beside her, also firing three arrows, all of which hit their mark, but only killing two. Ye Yunyi gave him a thumbs-up and encouraged him, "I believe you'll hit your mark with all three next time."
The others immediately joined in, and the more than 100 zombies that these 50-plus people attacked were wiped out in less than 20 minutes.
Looking at the zombie corpses scattered on the ground, everyone felt a sense of unfulfilled excitement. However, it wasn't entirely easy; those who were good at melee combat still faced dangers, but they were all rescued by their teammates.
After killing a few zombies, Ye Yunyi also devoted some attention to observation. This time, things went very well. Whether it was Liu Er's people or her people, they all worked together seamlessly when killing zombies, without taking the opportunity to attack each other's people. They even lent a helping hand when the other side was in danger. They cooperated well with each other.
Liu Da and his bodyguard Liu Xiaoming watched as they worked together to kill the zombies. He vaguely felt that these people who were loyal to him would eventually be won over by Ye Yunyi.
He had never taken any risks, but in order to keep the power of discourse in his own hands, he sent his younger brother to the front line. However, his younger brother was cruel by nature, uneducated, and his skills were not as good as Ye Yunyi's.
Moreover, Ye Yunyi has a group of reliable people around her. She has martial arts skills, doctors, and intelligence. Perhaps her base has already developed very well. It's just that she doesn't trust them. Yes, as a leader, how can she expose her stronghold to people she doesn't trust?
It seems he should put away those inappropriate little thoughts he had before.
After the zombies were eliminated, everyone laughed and talked about how many they had killed. Some even boasted to each other about how amazing their moves were, and they quickly thanked the people who had saved them.
Zhao Yong instructed everyone to clean up the zombie corpses and burn them during the day the next day, so that the bright firelight at night would not attract another batch.
After this incident, Liu Er's arrogance diminished considerably, and he even followed Zhao Yong's instructions, carrying the zombie corpses.
Soon, Ye Yunyi returned with everyone and said, "Who can cook? Let's have a good celebration tonight. It's our first meal together, so it has to be a feast."
Three people in the crowd raised their hands, and the three of them took the supplies and cooked.
“It’s not safe here. We still need to take necessary precautions. Although these two houses are surrounded by walls, the original security measures in the village still need to be strengthened. Let’s send 10 people to make some repairs,” Ye Yunyi said.
Ten more people in the crowd raised their hands. Ye Yunyi looked around and saw that there were people from both sides, so she felt relieved.
"Alright, Weifeng, Boss Liu, see if there's anything else that needs to be handled or supplemented, and make the arrangements yourself," Ye Yunyi said to them. She then took her leave and went to the rooftop with Zhao Yong to check on the village's situation and discuss the next steps.
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