Chapter 30: Chapter 30: "Quan’Er, You Are the Future Heir of the Chen Family.

「Jiangbei City.」

The city, famous for the Jiangbei Marketplace, was still flooded, but the clamor of life had already returned.

Murky streams flowed down the streets. Barefoot merchants, who had skillfully rolled their pant legs up to their knees, waded through the ankle-deep water to set up their stalls.

In no time at all.

The sounds of hawking and peddling gradually replaced the patter of rain. As the endless night receded, the city awakened.

A wisp of steam from hot food mingled with the fresh, earthy scent of the air.

The morning market was open.

Even the early arrival of the rainy season couldn’t stop the morning market from opening. After all, people had to eat. Besides, for ordinary folk, there was little they could do in the face of such things but resign themselves to fate; they couldn’t change anything.

But in a residence next to the morning market district, it was exceptionally quiet, a stark contrast to the bustle just a street away.

This grand residence in Jiangbei City was the estate of the Jiangbei Chen Family.

One of the three great powers of Jiangbei City.

...

"..."

In a small courtyard enclosed by several side rooms in the rear of the Jiangbei Chen Family estate, a middle-aged man in training clothes stood in the downpour. His expression was solemn, his eyes were shut tight, and his hands were clasped together as if in meditation.

The next moment!

His eyes shot open, a sharp glint flashing within them.

Several Level 2 Ghost Stones in his palm shattered instantly, transforming into an eerie green liquid that swirled in the air.

"Go!"

The middle-aged man let out a soft cry and thrust his fingers forward. The eerie green liquid, as if alive, swam rapidly through the air, gradually forming the faint, liquid-green outline of an Arrow Tower Illusion.

During this process of formation, some of the pale green liquid continuously dissipated into the air.

"Rise!"

A few breaths later, the man clenched his fist again.

In the downpour, the Arrow Tower Illusion rapidly solidified, until it stood firm in the courtyard.

The servant beside him, holding an oil-paper umbrella to shield him from the rain, offered fawning praise, "Tributor Liu, your efficiency with Ghost Stone energy is getting higher and higher! Now you can build an Arrow Tower with only five Level 2 Ghost Stones."

"On the market right now, hiring an Architect to build an Arrow Tower for one’s camp costs at least 150 Ghost Stones."

"Their material cost is around 100 Ghost Stones."

"That Level 4 Architect the Chen Family used to have needed 70 Ghost Stones’ worth of materials to build one Arrow Tower."

"But you, Tributor Liu, you only need 50 Ghost Stones to build an Arrow Tower, and with a success rate as high as seventy percent!"

"Before long, Tributor Liu, you will be the undisputed number one Architect in all of Jiangbei!"

"Hmph."

The middle-aged man snorted, a flash of pride in his eyes. As a Level 5 Architect and a Chen Family’s Honored Guest Elder, he had his pride. But after glancing around, he frowned slightly. "Where is the Patriarch? Doesn’t he usually join me here for morning training?"

"This servant does not know."

"You may leave. I’ll go see the Patriarch."

...

The Jiangbei Chen Family estate. A side courtyard. The council hall.

The current first heir of the Chen Family—the very youth who had personally exiled Chen Fan to the Wilderness—had scrambled out of bed and gotten dressed after receiving the notice for an emergency meeting this morning. He rushed to the council hall through the heavy rain.

He walked into the council hall.

The Patriarch was already seated at the head of the table, flanked by the five most powerful Elders of the Jiangbei Chen Family.

"Father."

After bowing his head in greeting, the youth sat in his designated seat. He could feel that something was off about the atmosphere today. His father’s expression was grim, tinged with anger, indignation, and... disbelief.

’Has something happened to the family?’

"Quan’Er, you’re here. Now that everyone has arrived, this emergency meeting will concern the future of the Chen Family. All of you, please speak freely. Don’t hesitate to share any thoughts you have."

Quan’Er was the youth’s pet name; his full name was Chen Quan.

The first heir of the Jiangbei Chen Family.

’Everyone has arrived?’

Chen Quan faltered for a moment, his gaze subconsciously lifting to the empty chair across the table. That was Tributor Liu’s seat. Normally, Tributor Liu was always asked to attend meetings, no matter how big or small.

Tributor Liu had complained about it many times, saying he was just a Level 5 Architect and didn’t understand family development. He’d said they shouldn’t call him to every random meeting, as he needed time for his Cultivation and didn’t have the energy to spare.

’But they didn’t ask Tributor Liu to come today?’

’What could possibly be so important that they have to hide it from the Chen Family’s only Architect?’

He keenly sensed a hint of unease in the air.

He immediately adopted an air of complete detachment, sitting in his seat as if meditating. His own standing in the family was still shallow; whatever was going on, it surely had nothing to do with him. He just needed to stay quiet.

However—

His father’s next words sent a cold sweat breaking out across his back.

"Chen Fan. My son."

"A few days ago, someone had him sent to the Jiangbei Chen Family’s Station 37 in the Wilderness to serve as its stationmaster."

"His only attendant was his personal servant, a man named Lame Monkey, one of the servants the family trained three years ago. When they left, they carried only three Ghost Stones."

As soon as the words fell, the color drained from Chen Quan’s face. He shot to his feet, not daring to look his father in the eye. His voice trembled slightly. "Father, according to the Chen Family’s rules, sending Chen Fan to the Wilderness for training is in line with the ancestral teachings. Everything was done according to procedure..."

He didn’t get to finish before the sound of a fist rapping on the table cut him off.

His father hadn’t mentioned this at all over the past few days. He’d thought his father knew nothing about it, but he was so well-informed that he even knew the servant’s name. Chen Quan himself could barely remember what the servant was called.

’Who would pay attention to a servant’s name?’

The middle-aged man at the head of the table had a face etched with deep lines, heavy bags under his eyes, and a tightly drawn mouth. He tapped lightly on the table, leaning back in his chair with exhaustion filling his eyes, yet his head remained habitually raised.

His hair was completely white.

His face was weathered by time. He was the kind of man whose oppressive presence could be felt with a single glance.

Like an old lion.

"The rainy season arrived early. Today is the third day."

"Of all the stations in the Wilderness that didn’t have time to evacuate, only two have survived. One is Station 16 of the Hill and Valley Royal Family."

"The other—"

"is Station 37 of the Jiangbei Chen Family."

"The very station where Chen Fan is."

He threw a Ghost Map onto the table, then leaned back, half-closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. His voice was hoarse with exhaustion. "Elders, what are your thoughts on this? Speak."

"Quan’Er."

"You are the future heir of the Chen Family. Think on it first. I want to hear your thoughts in detail shortly."

"This..."

"How is this possible?"

As soon as the Patriarch finished speaking, the Chen Family Elders exchanged looks of disbelief. They hadn’t actually known that Chen Fan had been sent to the Wilderness, but seeing Chen Quan’s reaction, they could guess what had happened.

It was perfectly normal. In a family like theirs, such things were all too common.

The only thing that wasn’t normal was...

How could Station 37, where Chen Fan was, possibly survive until the third day of the rainy season?