...
Meanwhile.
In Rivernorth City.
Inside the council hall of the "Rivernorth Chen Clan."
At the head of the table, the Patriarch, with graying temples, leaned back in his chair, his eyes half-lidded, wordless. Despite looking worn and weary, his spine remained as straight as ever, as if he would rather die than let it bend.
The Clan Guardian, Chen Quan, and the Elders had all gathered here.
No one spoke.
After a long while.
Finally, one of the Elders, with a look at the Eerie-hide map spread on the table, ventured,
"Today is the 18th day since the rainy season began. Rivernorth City hasn't been breached yet. Should there be no major crises in the days to come, perhaps Rivernorth City wouldn't suffer too many casualties this time."
The Elder paused for a moment, carefully choosing his words before continuing,
"There are about ten days left until the rainy season ends. Chen Fan... Young Master's Station No. 37 remains in the wasteland."
"No signs of destruction for now."
As soon as these words fell, the other Elders subconsciously glanced at him.
The Clan Guardian sitting opposite him flashed a hint of displeasure in his eyes but said nothing, while Chen Quan was fiddling with the hem of his robe, his expression unclear. The Patriarch gave no indication of opening his eyes.
Although the phrase "Young Master Chen Fan" sounded rather abrupt, at this moment, they had to admit that Chen Fan had undoubtedly become an Architect—and a powerful one at that.
Therefore, regardless of his status, they had to show him a certain level of respect.
At the very least!
Clan Guardian Liu knew all too well that even with an unlimited supply of Eerie Stones, he could not have survived the rainy season out there for eighteen days.
First and foremost, you had to possess many building blueprints.
Also, you had to be well-versed in them, which meant you should have studied them and practiced a lot.
Could Chen Fan simply erect a building with a thought?
Seeing that no one else intended to speak, the Elder continued,
"At the northernmost of the Rivernorth Wasteland, by the sea, there is a mountain called Nameless Mountain. The Eerie-hide map shows that an Eerie Fire ignited in this mountain a few days ago and has not extinguished since."
"I suspect,"
"That's likely a branch camp built by Young Master Chen Fan."
"Moreover..."
"Last night, the Eerie-hide map showed twenty Eerie Fires flaring up at Nameless Mountain, which extinguished shortly after dawn. We are unsure what happened, but it was likely that Young Master Chen Fan fought a fierce battle last night."
"Young Master Chen Fan might have encountered dangers in the rainy season wasteland far more vicious than we can imagine."
"Especially since Young Master Chen Fan..."
Before he could finish, he was interrupted.
Chen Quan, who had been sitting quietly in his chair, looked up to fix a bloodshot stare on the Elder, enunciating each word, "Do you enjoy calling him 'Young Master Chen Fan'?"
"Before he's even back, you're already dying to serve as his slave?"
Then, as if overcome with emotion, he jumped up, slammed his hands on the table, and shouted,
"I, Chen Quan, am the only Young Master of the Chen Clan! The sole heir!"
"Do you understand?"
"Can you remember that?!"
"Insolence!"
The Patriarch's long-closed eyes flew open, only to reveal a trace of anger in their cloudy depths. "He is the First Elder. You are a junior. How dare you speak like that?"
"Apologize!"
Chen Quan snorted coldly and stormed out without a word, slamming the door shut behind him.
The Clan Guardian, a Level 5 Architect, also left with a dark expression.
"..."
The Patriarch sat motionless in silence for a long time, then, with a swish of his sleeve, walked alone from the council hall.
"First Elder."
Not until there were only these few Elders in the council hall did the rest of them turn their gazes upon the First Elder.
"Alas."
The Elder rose to his feet, paused for a moment, then spoke with a sigh, "Do you often visit teahouses to listen to storytellers?"
"In almost every tale, there is a type of character that sounds like they are marked for death as soon as they appear."
"Young Master Chen Quan feels exactly that way to me."
"The rainy season is coming to an end."
After uttering this seemingly random remark, the Elder said nothing more, gave a shake of the hand, and walked out.
...
"Mother!"
Chen Quan knelt before a woman, his eyes red-rimmed, tears streaming down his face as he cried, "The Clan Guardian, the Level 5 Architect, isn't he someone from your Sky-Flattening Chamber of Commerce?"
"Why do we have to rely on the Chen Clan?"
"Can't we operate independently?"
"Father is just too unreasonable!"
"..."
The woman took a slow sip of tea before speaking unhurriedly, "You know little of the inside situation, and there are only two things you need to know."
"First."
"The Rivernorth Chen Clan needs our Sky-Flattening Chamber of Commerce."
"Second."
"The Sky-Flattening Chamber of Commerce needs the Rivernorth Chen Clan."
"As for Chen Fan, you need not worry too much. Our arrangements over the years are about to pay off after this rainy season. By then, I will take you away from the Rivernorth Chen Clan. You have long days ahead of you."
"When you've seen the world outside, you'll realize that a mere Rivernorth City is nothing."
"..."
Still on his knees with reddened eyes, Chen Quan was momentarily stunned before asking confusedly, "Mother, what arrangements?"
"You no longer want me to contend for the heir's position?"
"Heir?"
The woman rose and took a seat on the windowsill. Her dark hair was neatly combed, adorned with an exquisite hairpin, her face as fair as jade, her brows arched like crescent moons, lips red and teeth snowy, as she gazed out at the rain falling from the eaves.
Merely sitting there, she resembled a treasured painting.
Her bare feet swayed lightly in the air, like white magnolias blooming after the rain, exuding an untouchable, cool fragrance.
With a soft chuckle, she poured herself a cup of tea and then lazily said,
"Over a decade ago, my father came from Riversouth to this godforsaken Rivernorth City. Rumors spread that our family had fallen into decline, and that my father had arrived with 5,000 Eerie Stones to start anew in Rivernorth City, establishing the Sky-Flattening Chamber of Commerce."
"But, these fools."
"They aren't capable of complex thought."
"They cannot understand why our Sky-Flattening Chamber of Commerce, with a Level 5 Architect, would marry into the Rivernorth Chen Clan."
The woman's attire was alluring.
A moon-white chest wrap was loosely tied, revealing an occasional glimpse of the curves, with a light-red sleeping gown embroidered with plum blossoms draped around her.
"And—"
"How could a place like Rivernorth produce a beauty like me?"
The woman picked up a bronze mirror to admire herself, clearly satisfied with her looks.
And indeed, she had good reasons to be narcissistic.
If there had been a ranking for beauty, she would undoubtedly have taken first place in Rivernorth City, unmatched by those common women at the brothels. Like a lotus rising unstained from the mud, she had an aura of inviolability about her.
Men loved this sort the most.
Destructive by nature, men were passionate about toying with such untouchable beauties.
Chen Quan, still on his knees, inadvertently let his gaze fall on her jade-like feet swaying in the air. His Adam's apple moved uncontrollably, and he hurriedly averted his eyes. After struggling to take in the information, he asked with disbelief,
"So, my position as the Chen Clan heir isn't important at all?"
"No."
"Then... why did you make me contend for it, Mother?"
"To give you a chance to get some firsthand experience. After all, you'll have to continue contending in the future."
"Mother."
Chen Quan took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, "Is that grand plan you mentioned related to Nameless Mountain?"
"..."
The woman's delicate brows knitted again. She withdrew her gaze from the rain outside and looked at Chen Quan, "Where did you hear that?"
"I..."
Chen Quan dared not look his mother in the eye. He pressed his face to the floor and said tremulously, "Last time, when you and Uncle Liu were talking inside, I happened to pass by and heard something about Nameless Mountain."
Uncle Liu was the Clan Guardian Liu, the Level 5 Architect.
He did not reveal all.
That time, he had not only overheard the conversation but also some indecent sounds.
However, he had not told his father.
The woman did not speak.
The room fell into a deathly silence, where you could hear a pin drop.