Chapter 13: Chapter 13: You Can’t Just Be Used to Death

"An Architect..."

The bronze-skinned man following behind Wang Kui had a flash of envy in his eyes. While Architects weren’t the strongest combatants among Cultivators, they absolutely held the highest status.

After all, there was a limit to a Cultivator’s strength. When night fell, they still had to hide near a Campfire.

In this world, hunkering down to survive was the dominant strategy.

The idea of a Cultivator suddenly charging into the darkness and going on a rampage was a complete fantasy.

"The Chen Family really let a treasure slip through their fingers this time. If Patriarch Chen found out, he’d probably cough up blood from rage."

"But... Station Chief, should we report this to the family? Chen Fan definitely won’t return to the Chen Family now. He’s a newly awakened, unaffiliated Architect. If we can get the Wang Family to send someone to recruit him, it would be a huge merit for us."

The man’s eyes darted about, and he grew visibly excited.

"Xiaoyu."

Wang Kui didn’t reply at first. A moment later, he clapped the man’s shoulder. "I joined the Wang Family when I was twenty. I’ve been a Station Chief for a full thirteen years. Do you know what this job really is?"

"It sounds prestigious, like you’re some kind of official."

"But in reality, it’s just about raking in wealth for the family in a dangerous environment. To put it bluntly, we’re just worker bees in a hive. Our destiny is to either work ourselves to death or get wiped out in a Ghost Tide. We get a monthly stipend of ten Ghost Stones, and that’s about it."

"My surname might be Wang, but I’m not part of the main family. Promotion is out of the question."

"You’ve been with me for three years. I’ve taken you with me to every station I’ve been assigned to. You should be thinking about your own future. Have you ever considered where our path forward lies?"

"Reporting this would indeed earn us some merit."

"But what would that merit really get us?"

"Besides—"

"Chen Fan supposedly awakened as an Architect only after arriving in the Wilderness. Do you really think his opportunity just happened to pop up out here? It’s painfully obvious he was being suppressed by his family and could only act freely out here. This was his plan all along."

"And what does that tell you?"

"It tells you Chen Fan has wanted to strike out on his own for a long time."

"If you report this now, while Chen Fan is still weak, he might be pressured into joining the Wang Family. But what do you think will happen then? Do you think he won’t hold a grudge against us? That he won’t ask the Wang Family to get rid of us? And do you really think the Wang Family would hesitate to sacrifice the two of us?"

"You need to think through the stakes very carefully."

"On the other hand, if Chen Fan really wants to build his own faction, and he owes us a personal favor... couldn’t we use that as an opportunity to join him? Even if it’s a new, rising faction, being a core member there would be far better than being a worker bee for the Wang Family, wouldn’t it?"

A look of admiration spread across the man’s face. He patted his chest and said, "You see things so clearly, Station Chief. Don’t worry. I’ll do whatever you say. I definitely won’t act on my own."

"Good."

Wang Kui smiled and patted the man’s back. "Let’s go, back to camp. It’s good that you think that way. I’ve been pondering something for years. Every faction needs its worker bees, but... a bee that’s worked for thirteen years should at least get a chance to move up."

"They can’t just work you to death, right?"

"What do you think?"

...

"Young Master."

Lame Monkey walked over to the cart Wang Kui had just brought, peered into the two large ceramic jars on it, and then said, "He delivered another jar of water and some food."

"Good."

Chen Fan’s eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke in a low voice, his face devoid of a smile. ’I didn’t want to reveal my identity as an Architect so soon, but those two Arrow Towers are impossible to hide. It was bound to get out sooner or later.’

’If Station Chief Wang chooses to report this, the pressure I’ll face will be immense.’

’I need to strengthen the camp’s defenses as quickly as possible. That way, even with outside pressure, I can hold on for a while. I should also design an escape route. If I really can’t hold out, I can relocate and start over.’

’For now, this Station Chief Wang seems like a smart man.’

’I just hope he can see the long-term benefits and isn’t blinded by the prospect of a quick profit.’

He looked toward the newly tilled and planted Farmland at the edge of the camp. The crops there wouldn’t mature for another three days; there was no rushing it.

He had eight Ghost Stones left.

’Not nearly enough.’

’The main problem was that he had no way to get more Ghost Stones in the short term. The Beast Traps hadn’t caught a single Ghost Object last night, and he didn’t know why. Logically, Ghost Objects were always on the move in the darkness; there was no way all the Ghosts in this area had been wiped out.’

"Worth a try."

After a moment of thought, Chen Fan tucked the remaining Ghost Stones away, waved for Lame Monkey to follow, and left the encampment, pulling the cart deeper into the Wilderness.

Only through practice could he find the truth.

Mere speculation was useless.

...

「After about an hour of walking.」

This part of the Wilderness was largely flat, with few hills or valleys. Looking back, he could still faintly make out the two Arrow Towers.

"This spot will do."

Chen Fan pulled out the Ghost Map from his robes to check his position. This stretch of Wilderness wasn’t vast, and he was already approaching its edge. There were no other encampments nearby.

To the east of the Wilderness lay the Jiangbei Marketplace.

To the west was Ping City.

To the south was a desert, and to the north, the coast.

From his current position, he could reach the sea by walking north for another two or three hours.

Generally, travelers crossing the Wilderness journeyed between the Jiangbei Marketplace and Ping City. The southern region was a no-man’s-land; people naturally took the shortest route between the two points, a straight line.

As a result, the outposts in the middle of the Wilderness were always packed with travelers.

In contrast, his original post, Chen Family Outpost 37, was located in the northern part of the Wilderness, far from the central route. Naturally, not many people passed by. The only traveler he had seen in days was that middle-aged man in the azure robe.

Now, having walked north for another hour, he was in an even more deserted area.

There were certainly no outposts here.

It was practically a no-man’s-land.

PHEW...

Chen Fan let out a soft breath and slowly closed his eyes. He took three Ghost Stones from his robes and tossed them into the air. Instantly, the three stones melted into a milky-white liquid as the ethereal image of a Ghost Fire materialized before him.

As the milky-white liquid flowed into the image, it began to solidify, though not as completely as the Arrow Towers had.

He then snatched a handful of dry grass from the ground and tossed it in.

Only then did the image completely solidify.

A simple, unadorned Ghost Fire settled firmly onto the ground.

"Y-Young Master?"

Lame Monkey, standing to the side, watched this happen. His breathing grew ragged, his eyes wide with disbelief. A Ghost Fire was an Ordinary structure, so its blueprint was widely known. He remembered it requiring many different materials. ’How did the Young Master build it just by tossing in a handful of dry grass?’

’And it only cost three Ghost Stones?’ 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

’You had to know, a single Ghost Fire sold for about sixty Ghost Stones in the Marketplace!’

’What kind of profit margin was that?!’