After the Elders departed.
The Chen Patriarch sat alone in the council hall. In just a few days, he had aged considerably, with graying temples and weary eyes. Only his spine remained straight as a lion's.
Decades earlier.
While traveling, he had met Chen Fan's mother, an unattached Level 4 Architect.
At the time, the Chen Clan's original Architect had died of old age, leaving the family in a desperate situation without an Architect. He immediately began a passionate pursuit, married her, and brought her into the Chen Clan; together they had Chen Fan.
Throughout their marriage, he cherished her.
He never dared neglect her.
But... in a severe illness, she died young.
The Chen Clan was faced with the dilemma of having no Architect once again. Then, the "Sky-Flattening Chamber of Commerce" offered their daughter's hand in marriage, with a Level 5 Architect as the dowry. He knew what the Sky-Flattening Chamber of Commerce was thinking.
Although the Sky-Flattening Chamber of Commerce had an Architect, having an Architect alone did not guarantee the rise of a faction.
He coveted their Architect.
They salivated at his Chen Clan.
He believed he could outmaneuver them. Once he secured a new Architect, he could easily crush the Sky-Flattening Chamber of Commerce. In the decades of struggle that followed, he had no time to pay attention to Chen Fan. His primary duty was to develop the Chen Clan, not to be a kind father.
Until...
Chen Fan was sent to the wasteland and became an Architect.
It made all his years of effort seem absurd.
It even led him to doubt himself.
But he pulled himself together.
If Chen Fan survived the rainy season, he would personally seek him out for a long night of conversation. Should Chen Fan be willing to serve the Chen Clan wholeheartedly, he would immediately destroy the Sky-Flattening Chamber of Commerce and fully support Chen Fan.
But if Chen Fan harbored resentment over his years of neglect and refused to return to the Chen Clan...
That potential threat must be eliminated early.
...
No one else remained in the council hall, yet he was still unwilling to bend his straight back.
He did not believe he had done anything wrong.
He just...
Had bad luck.
...
Inside the Chen Mansion.
After the Elders left the council hall, they exchanged glances. The First Elder spoke first, his voice hoarse. "The Patriarch has grown old. The Chen Clan's future needs a new helmsman. If Chen Fan survives this rainy season, I think... how about welcoming Chen Fan back as the Patriarch?"
"Agreed."
The few Elders offered no further opinions, only nodding slightly in the rain.
No one mentioned Chen Quan.
By blood, Chen Fan was the Chen Clan's legitimate eldest son.
By strength, if Chen Fan survived the rainy season, he would be far superior to Chen Quan, who relied on his maternal family.
By temperament, Chen Fan had endured years long solely to bide his time; Chen Quan's childish scheming could not compare.
As long as Chen Fan survived the rainy season.
And... was willing to lead the Chen Clan.
...
Centuries ago, the Perpetual Night invaded.
The world underwent many earth-shattering changes.
People even forgot the continent's original name, now only knowing it as the "Perpetual Night Continent."
Dawn broke.
As the Perpetual Night receded, another night passed.
...
Standing on the city wall, Chen Fan finally relaxed. There had been no Eerie Tide last night, only sporadic dozens of Eerie Creatures rushing into the camp, leaving behind Eerie Stones and corpses.
At dawn.
As usual, he began inventorying the camp's assets.
But when passing by the "Eerie Fire," he paused. Why were there only forty-five Eerie Stones in the Eerie Fire?
He clearly remembered replenishing it to fifty yesterday. Normally, maintaining an Eerie Fire consumed one stone overnight, and the Archery Towers had hardly been activated. It couldn't have consumed four stones. Moreover, the Eerie Fire's second upgrade reduced the consumption of defensive structures.
After a while.
It hit him that it must have been that ten-thousand-meter road.
Yesterday, he laid a ten-thousand-meter road in the wilderness with copper pipes, planning to use it as a highway after the rainy season to connect Rivernorth City and Ping City. The Eerie Fire could flow through the copper pipes, transforming the surroundings of 1 meter wide into a safe zone.
The Eerie Fire flowing back and forth over such a long distance consumed Eerie Stones faster.
Understanding this.
He immediately severed the connection between the camp and the road.
The copper pipes were only being laid, not yet ready for use, so consuming Eerie Stones was a waste.
There hadn't been many Eerie Creatures last night.
Those who had appeared seemed to be fleeing for their lives, rushing blindly into the camp. The wilderness must have been turbulent last night.
At the camp's edge.
"Be safe on the road."
Chen Fan stood outside the camp, looking on as Zhou Mo and a young boy operated the tricycle. The boy had originally been with Pockmark Wang but was now assigned to accompany Zhou Mo.
The tricycle had been tested.
It wouldn't collapse.
The Archery Fort was much lighter than an Archery Tower. Placing it and the Eerie Fire on the tricycle slightly reduced speed but had no major impact.
They could now travel to distant abandoned Stations and bring home resources.
"Alright."
Zhou Mo nodded resolutely, without his usual excitement. The death of his subordinate yesterday made him realize that even during the day, the rainy season wilderness wasn't completely safe.
After seeing Zhou Mo off.
Chen Fan glanced at the busy people around him, preparing to return to the wooden hut to sleep.
Just then—
"Station Master!"
Qi Chong's voice suddenly came from beside the farmland. "It's blooming! The flower Crippled Monkey planted has bloomed!"
"Oh?"
Chen Fan was momentarily stunned before remembering this. Smiling, he walked toward the farmland to see the flower.
When the farmland had just been cleared, Crippled Monkey had taken a seed from the hut and buried it in the soil. Later, the seed sprouted and grew into a bud. He even built a simple little shelter for that flower bud.
"Quite beautiful."
Chen Fan smiled, standing by the farmland and looking at the blossom emerging from the soil in the corner. Its stem was crystal clear, jade-white, and its peony-like petals were vibrant and translucent red, as if dyed.
But...
Soon, his smile stiffened.
Why... was there a panel beside this flower?
「Extraordinary Treasure Name」: Human-Blood Eerie Flower.
「Extraordinary Treasure Grade」: Green.
「Extraordinary Treasure Effect」: Matured, can be used as a special forging material.
After a moment of silence, he quietly took out a piece of Eerie-hide from his chest. The female Eerie Creature had dropped it. The panel of this blank Eerie-hide read in part... "Requires moistening with the Human-Blood Eerie Flower sap to reveal its content."
He never knew where to find the Human-Blood Eerie Flower.
He never expected it to be right before his eyes.
But if the seed Crippled Monkey had found back then was a "Seed-type Extraordinary Treasure," why didn't a panel appear when he first saw it?
"Station Master."
Qi Chong said excitedly, "I've never seen this kind of flower before. It looks like a rare and precious flower. After the rainy season, maybe we can exchange it for some Eerie Stones at the Rivernorth Marketplace. It looks extraordinary."
"Indeed extraordinary."
Chen Fan paused for a moment, then smiled. "Give Crippled Monkey an extra chicken leg at dinner."
"You get one too."