"An Architect..."
The man with bronze-toned skin following behind Wang Kui had a flash of envy in his eyes. Although Architects are not the most powerful combatants among cultivators, their status is absolutely the highest.
After all, no matter how strong a cultivator was in combat, it amounted to little. When night fell, they still had to hide near the campfire.
In this world, survival through defense was the norm.
The idea of a cultivator suddenly charging into the darkness and leaving a bloody trail was pure fantasy.
"This time, the Chen Clan has truly lost a treasure. If the Chen Clan Head knew about this, he'd probably cough up blood in fury."
"However... Station Master, should we report this to the clan? From the looks of it, Chen Fan definitely won't return to the Chen Clan. He's a newly awakened Architect with no affiliation. If we can get the clan to send someone to recruit him, we could take huge credit for this."
The man's eyes darted around in apparent excitement.
"Qiu Junior."
Wang Kui didn't respond immediately. After a moment, he patted the man's shoulder and said, "I joined the Wang family at 20 and have been a station master for 13 years. What kind of job is a station master?"
"It sounds glamorous, with a position of authority."
"But in reality, it's about accumulating wealth for the family in dangerous environments. To put it bluntly, we're like worker bees in a hive. Our fate is to work ourselves to death or perish in some Eerie Tide, earning just 10 Eerie Stones a month. That's all there is to it."
"I may have the Wang surname, but I'm not part of the family. There's no way I'm getting promoted."
"You've been with me for three years, following me from station to station. You should think about your own future. Have you ever considered where our path lies?"
"Reporting this would indeed earn us credit."
"But what would that credit bring us?"
"Besides—"
"If Chen Fan awakened as an Architect only after coming to the wasteland, do you really think it was just a stroke of luck? Anyone with half a brain could see that he was likely pushed around in the family and finally got a chance to act freely only after arriving here. It was all part of his plan."
"What does that tell you?"
"It means Chen Fan has long since been planning to go independent."
"Chen Fan is still relatively weak. If you report it now, under pressure, he might agree to join the Wang family. But guess what? He'd definitely resent us. Do you think he'd instigate the Wang family to come down hard on us? And do you think the Wang family would hesitate to sacrifice us?"
"You need to think through the stakes here."
"Chen Fan already owes us a favor. And if he really wants to build his own force, couldn't we use that as a chance to join his force? Even if it's a new force, being a core member of a rising power is better than being a worker bee for the Wang family, right?"
A hint of admiration flashed across the man's face, and he thumped his chest. "Station Master, you've really thought this through. Don't worry, I'll do exactly as you say. I won't act recklessly."
"Mm."
Wang Kui smiled and patted the man's back. "Let's head back to camp. It's good that you understand this. Over the years, I've been thinking about one thing: in any force, there must be worker bees. But... shouldn't a worker bee who's worked for 13 years at least get a promotion?"
"You can't just have them work until actual death, right?"
"What's your opinion?"
...
"Young Master."
Crippled Monkey walked over to the two ceramic vats on the new cart Wang Kui had brought and took a look before speaking. "They've delivered another vat of water and some food."
"Good."
Chen Fan squinted his eyes slightly and spoke softly, but there wasn't much of a smile on his face. Though he didn't want to reveal his identity as an Architect so soon, those two 2-Archery Towers were hard to keep hidden. Sooner or later, they would see the light of day.
If Station Master Wang chose to report it, he would be under immense stress.
He needed to strengthen the camp as soon as possible. That way, even if outside forces pressured him, he could hold his ground. It'd be best to design an escape route, too. If he couldn't hold out, he could relocate and start over somewhere else.
For now, Station Master Wang seemed like a smart man.
He hoped the man would see the long-term benefits and not get blinded by short-term gains.
He looked toward the edge of the camp, where the newly plowed and planted farmland lay. The crops in this field required three days to mature, whatever rush he was in.
He still had eight Eerie Stones left.
Not nearly enough.
The main issue was that there was no way to get more Eerie Stones in the short term. Last night, the animal traps didn't catch a single Eerie Creature. He wasn't sure why. Logically, Eerie Creatures should be moving around in the darkness. It wasn't like they could be wiped out in one area.
"Let's try it."
After a moment of thought, Chen Fan gestured for Crippled Monkey to follow him. He tucked the remaining Eerie Stones into his robe, left the station, and advanced into the wasteland, pulling the cart along.
Truth comes from practice.
Guessing alone was useless.
...
After walking for about a shichen(1 shichen equals 2 hours).
The wasteland was mostly flat, with no hills or valleys. Looking back, he could faintly see the two Archery Towers in the distance.
"This is the spot."
Chen Fan pulled out the Eerie-hide map from his robe and checked his location. This wasteland wasn't very large, and he was already near the edge. There wasn't a single station around.
To the east of the wasteland was "Rivernorth Marketplace."
To the west was "Ping City."
To the south was a desert, and to the north, the sea.
From where he stood, he'd reach the sea in about two or three shichen(1 shichen equals 2 hours) if he headed north.
Generally, travelers crossing the wasteland moved between Rivernorth Marketplace and Ping City. The southern part was a no-man's land. If you were cutting through the wasteland, the straight line between two points was the shortest route.
That's why the stations in the middle of the wasteland were packed with travelers every day.
But the "Chen Clan Station 37," where he'd been, was in the northern part of the wasteland, far from the central route. Naturally, not many people passed by. The only traveler he'd seen in days was that middle-aged man in the blue robe.
Now, after walking another shichen north.
He had reached a place where no people were seen, let alone any station.
It was practically a no-man's land.
"Hah..."
Chen Fan exhaled softly, slowly closed his eyes, and took three Eerie Stones from his robe, tossing them into the air. Instantly, the stones melted into a milky-white liquid, and the ethereal image of an "Eerie Fire" appeared in midair.
As the milky-white liquid flowed into the image, it gradually became corporeal, but not as completely as the Archery Towers had.
He then plucked a handful of dried grass from the ground and tossed it in.
The image solidified.
A simple, ancient "Eerie Fire" settled steadily on the ground.
"Young... Young Master?"
Crippled Monkey, standing to the side, watched this scene, his breathing growing rapid, his eyes filled with disbelief. Eerie Fire was an ordinary structure, so its formula was widely known. He remembered it required many materials. How had the Young Master built one with just a handful of dried grass?
And it had only cost three Eerie Stones?
A single Eerie Fire sold for about 60 Eerie Stones in the market!
What an astronomical profit margin in this!