He Probably Wouldn't Kill His Own Stepmother, Right?

The dead of night was silent. Everyone in the camp had fallen asleep. Even Weiwei was sprawled by the farmland, snoring softly. The injury on its head was completely gone, and it was sleeping quite soundly. Chen Fan glanced at Weiwei curled beside the farmland, guarding the porcelain vat, and couldn't help but chuckle. He had learned the name of this exotic beast from Qi Feng. A Sky-Swallowing Crocodile. A remarkably rare exotic beast. A faction's foundation consisted not just of exotic treasures and social connections, but also information reserves. For instance, from the ancient text fragments he had salvaged from the Dan Sect, he had uncovered a rather chilling piece of information. Everyone across Jiangbei held the unanimous belief that the Eternal Night had descended 378 years ago. Ever since, the Eternal Night had enveloped the entire continent, leaving ghost creatures to plague the mortal realm. However... The ancient fragments from the Dan Sect recorded that eight thousand years ago, the Eternal Night had descended and rampaged across the mortal realm. Numerous factions had joined forces to repel the darkness and restore peace to the world. Yet for unknown reasons, those factions had gradually faded from history—cultivators disappeared, and their structures vanished without a trace. Until years later—specifically, 378 years ago—the Eternal Night descended once again. Ghost creatures wreaked havoc across the world once more. This implied that the Eternal Night had not descended upon this world for the first time. Like the ocean tide, it was cyclical. Another critical piece of recorded information was that the Dan Sect had been secretly surveying a deep mountain in Jiangnan, suspecting it held the ruins of an ancient faction. If they could unearth a building blueprint or an exotic treasure there, it would certainly be of exceptional quality. To Chen Fan, this felt somewhat like an old server shutting down and a new server opening. Before they could piece together any real leads, however, the Dan Sect had been wiped out by him. Without having annihilated the Dan Sect, he would never have learned such vital intelligence anytime soon. Moreover, there was another crucial detail. The Dan Sect had risen to prominence so rapidly because it had once discovered the ruins of an ancient faction, which contained the construction formulas for several buildings, along with certain pill recipes, ghost stones, and other resources. Of course, ancient factions varied in strength; that particular ancient faction was relatively weak and had left behind nothing of high grade. For example, crafting ghost fire required only a handful of dry grass and no other materials. This critical detail was recorded in plain sight within the Dan Sect. Chen Fan strode in silence toward the warehouse. The Eternal Night held far too many lurking perils. What he had to do was forge Nameless Mountain—and even Jiangbei—into an absolutely secure sanctuary, where no crisis could touch him. Standing before the warehouse, he inspected the panels of the exotic treasures one by one. Even after he viewed their panels, the treasures remained unappraised, bearing no trace of inspection by an appraiser. Most of the already-appraised exotic treasures were tied to alchemy—boosting the quality of pill batches, increasing yield, lowering failure rates, and so on. There were also quite a few defensive treasures. His gaze settled upon one that had already been appraised, shaped like a bolt of fabric. "Exotic Treasure Name: Cloud Fabric." "Exotic Treasure Grade: Green." "Exotic Treasure Effect: Can be used in a Level 7 Living Workshop to craft robes. Crafted robes possess a defensive effect equivalent to a Level 1 wall. Yields 6–10 pieces." A fine item. The camp's Living Workshop was currently Level 5; he would upgrade it tomorrow. Aside from that, there were numerous material-type exotic treasures. For instance: "Exotic Treasure Name: Blazing Flame Stone." "Exotic Treasure Grade: Green." "Exotic Treasure Effect: Can be used in a Level 6 artifact refining workshop to forge weapons, armor, and more. Forged weapons will be Green-grade spirit treasures. Yields 1–10 weapons." The camp lacked an artifact refining workshop, which required an artifact refiner to oversee it—and the camp had none. Because weapons varied in size, the quantity produced would differ. Crafting throwing darts would yield a large number, while broadswords would yield far fewer, and armor would consume even more. Incorporating different materials would grant the forged spirit treasures distinct effects. A Green-grade exotic treasure possessed the same power as a Green-grade spirit treasure. The only difference was that the former dropped from ghost creatures, while the latter was forged by mortal hands. There were quite a few similar forging materials scattered about. Then there was that already-appraised Yellow-grade exotic treasure. "Exotic Treasure Name: Dragon-Head Cane." "Exotic Treasure Grade: Yellow." "Exotic Treasure Effect: Holding this exotic treasure enhances the wielder's defense, granting a defensive effect equivalent to a Level 3 wall. If damage exceeds its tolerance threshold, the cane will shatter beyond repair." With a touch of delight, Chen Fan looked down at the cane in his hand, carved entirely from emerald jade. Swinging it revealed a solid, satisfying weight. Its shaft was segmented like bamboo, topped with a dragon-head grip. It was quite a remarkable protective spirit treasure. Now he wouldn't have to worry as much about assassinations. What did the defense of a Level 3 wall entail? From the Dan Sect's jade slips, he had learned that Level 5 ghost creatures were known as "ghost kings," while Level 10 cultivators were called "martial kings." Wielding this cane, he could take several blows from a ghost king head-on, or over a dozen strikes from a martial king. "Not bad!" he praised once more. This was the only Yellow-grade exotic treasure in the Dan Sect's holdings. Evidently, even in Jiangnan, Yellow-grade exotic treasures were far from easy to come by. It was also worth noting that there were two Green cultivation methods. One was specifically tailored for alchemists, while the other suited ordinary cultivators. It allowed for faster cultivation than Zhou Mo's method, and switching to it carried no drawbacks. After returning from Jiangbei City tomorrow, he would switch over to it. He was currently a Level 2 cultivator. He needed to hurry up and reach Level 3. Not that he expected to become an overwhelming powerhouse, but at least his body would be nimbler and his stride lighter. Whenever a faction leader was forced to take the battlefield in person, that faction was essentially on the brink of ruin. No matter how formidable he was, how many could he fight on his own? Along the way, he had also acquired a good number of cultivation pills, which would help boost the cultivation of Sick Monkey and the others. As for the Yellow-grade alchemy furnace, it was practically earmarked for Medicine King Valley. He had no use for it for the time being. It all depended on how much Medicine King Valley was willing to offer; if their bid was too low, he would simply have his own people drive up the price and keep it. Even though they had no alchemist now, they would surely have one in the future. On the other hand, among the six building blueprints, several were ones he could put to immediate use. Yet he couldn't build them right away—he lacked the manpower. He had to go to Jiangbei City and bring back a batch of people. There were also several terrain cards among the exotic treasures. They were quite interesting, but they required people as well. He had come to realize that people were also the foundation of a faction. Without sufficient personnel, nothing could function properly. He didn't linger in the warehouse for long. After looking around, he leaned on the Dragon-Head Cane and headed back to the wooden cabin to get some sleep. It had been quite a while since he had enjoyed a proper rest. Truth be told, using the cane felt rather comfortable. It was smooth and warm in his hand, feeling less like a protective exotic treasure and more like a refined curio to toy with. Furthermore... a thought had been lingering on his mind: where could he go to abduct some alchemists and artifact refiners? Well... Qi Feng's alchemy skills seemed quite impressive. Then again, that was somewhat unrealistic, given that the man was the heir to Medicine King Valley. Tonight, every faction that had traveled from Jiangnan to Jiangbei City tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Generally speaking, when a region's rainy season arrived early, the major surrounding factions would dispatch their younger generations there once it subsided. Part of the purpose was to scavenge corpses, while the other was to evade disaster by exploiting the seasonal loophole to dodge their own rainy season. Yet tonight, the members of the Qiuhe Wang family sat in silence in their ancestral residence, exchanging grim glances. The Wang family's stationmasters and subordinates had already been dismissed; only bloodline clan members remained in the compound. "Tomorrow is the final moving deadline set for us by the master of the Jiangbei Market. What are your thoughts?" "Should we part ways and fend for ourselves, or stick together and see if we can forge a new path?" Inside the council hall, a middle-aged man sitting in the head seat spoke with a raspy voice. His father was Wang Qiuhao, the Wang family patriarch. Yesterday, when his father had driven a carriage alone to visit the Fan Gate, he had pawned the Wang family ancestral residence to the Jiangbei Market for three thousand ghost stones. If he returned the next day and repaid thirty-one hundred ghost stones, the ancestral residence would remain theirs. If he did not return, the property would forfeit to the Jiangbei Market. At the heart of the ancestral residence stood a ring of Level 3 wall. Though modest in size, taking shelter behind it was enough to weather the rainy season in safety. Atop the wall were fourteen Level 4 arrow towers, six Level 5 cannon towers, and various other buildings—all bundled together and pawned to the Jiangbei Market at a dirt-cheap price. It had undoubtedly been a giveaway. His father's resolve had been absolute back then—a desperate, burn-the-ships gamble. His father had said that while the tribute of ghost stones could be modest, they had to prove they had done everything in their power. What mattered was demonstrating their sincerity. Having just endured the rainy season, the Jiangbei Market couldn't produce many ghost stones anyway. "Let's part ways." After a long silence in the room, another middle-aged man—one of his paternal uncles—spoke up. "The patriarch took all our reserves when he left. Even if we wanted to start a small business, we don't have the capital. We might as well split up, save money for a few years, and then reunite to see if we can establish a merchant guild." The others exchanged glances and nodded in agreement with the proposal. "Very well," the middle-aged man in the head seat said after a brief pause. "I, Wang Wufan, on behalf of my father, issue the final order of the Wang family: as of tomorrow, the Wang family is officially disbanded. We shall part ways. Three years from now, if everyone still wishes to gather and work together, we will meet on this very day at Old Hu's Butcher Shop by the west gate of Jiangbei City." "Agreed." *** "Chief." "The stationmasters dismissed by the Wang family are all seasoned veterans. Once winter passes, the outposts across the wasteland will reopen. How about we take in these stationmasters and seize the Wang family's former outpost shares when operations resume?" The Wild Wolf Gang leader knitted his brows slightly. After pondering for a long time, he shook his head. "No need." "The regional landscape has shifted drastically this year. The Fan Gate is stationed right on the wasteland and might swallow up the shares of all the outposts. Let's wait and see if the Fan Gate intends to claim that prize. If they don't, we can make our move." "Then what about those stationmasters? They're all experienced hands—it would be a pity to let them slip away." "Let me think about it." *** In the Jiangbei Chen family compound, inside a wing room. The alluring woman who was Chen Quan's mother rose from her seat, leaned against the window to scan her surroundings, and then drew a voice transmission talisman from her bosom. A rare expression of deference and dread crossed her lovely face. Only after the connection was established did she speak hurriedly. "Master." "The rainy season in Jiangbei has ended, but the situation has changed drastically. The outcast of the Jiangbei Chen family established the Fan Gate on Nameless Mountain. Their strength is considerable—they slew a ghost king and even killed the young master of Jiangnan's Dan Sect." "Should we proceed with the original plan to search Nameless Mountain for what that person left behind? Or should we wait until the Dan Sect takes revenge on the Fan Gate before sneaking up the mountain?" After a lengthy silence from the other end of the talisman, a grating male voice rasped out, sounding like fingernails scraping against glass. "The Fan Gate has already changed its name to the Fan Domain. Last night, they launched a surprise raid on Jiangnan and slaughtered an entire Dan Sect city. Their strength is not to be underestimated." "Forget about the item beneath the sinkhole." "Ascend from the other side of the mountain and simply retrieve the Snow Lotus and the Mountain Embryo. Do not set foot into the Fan Domain's territory. If you inadvertently alert them, under no circumstances must you reveal our identity or plan. Isn't your current identity still Chen Fan's stepmother? Just say you came to visit him and wanted to give him a surprise. You can devise the exact excuse yourself." "If all else fails... with your charms, Chen Fan is a hot-blooded youth; he might not be able to resist you." "The Snow Lotus must be brought back. If you fail this mission, you don't need to return at all." The alluring woman hesitated, opening her mouth several times before finally blurting out, "Can't we wait until the rainy season ends, send reinforcements to wipe out the Fan Domain, and then take both the Snow Lotus and the item beneath the sinkhole?" A sneer came through the talisman. "Reaching into Jiangbei is already stretching our reach far enough. If the Holy Land had the power to travel so far to crush the Fan Domain, we wouldn't have needed to post you in Jiangbei for over a decade. We would have slaughtered Jiangbei directly, and everything would be ours." "Once you return, the position of Holy Maiden will still be yours. That cheap son of yours will also qualify to compete for the status of Holy Son. This is the Lord's grace bestowed upon you; I trust you will seize it." "The Heaven-Transmitting Talisman has limited uses, with only one activation remaining. I hope the next time it is activated, it will bring news that your mission is complete and you are on your return journey. I will arrange people to rendezvous with you." "By the way..." "The Lord is very intrigued by how Chen Fan managed to single-handedly build the Fan Domain in such a short time during the rainy season. The Lord suspects Chen Fan must possess a supreme architect treasure. If you can bring Chen Fan back as well, your son won't even need to compete—he will become the Holy Son directly." With those words, the talisman in her hand gradually dimmed. It was an exceptionally high-grade voice transmission talisman, capable of bridging immense distances. After the connection was severed, the alluring woman sat on the edge of the bed in prolonged silence. The danger of this mission had increased dramatically. She would have to exploit her identity as his stepmother skillfully; perhaps only then could she survive if she were discovered. That young man... surely he wouldn't go so far as to kill his own stepmother, right? Doing so would ruin his reputation. Meanwhile, in another wing room of the Jiangbei Chen family compound... Chen Quan was huddled in the corner of his bed, his face deathly pale, trembling uncontrollably. He had already learned that Chen Fan had founded the Fan Gate on Nameless Mountain and slaughtered both a ghost king and the Dan Sect's young master. That man had dared to kill even the young master of the Dan Sect. Would he hesitate to kill him? He spent every day steeped in terror, terrified that at any moment Chen Fan would arrive in Jiangbei City and drag him out of his bedsheets. "Mother should be able to hold him off, right...?" Night had fallen, yet he still dared not sleep. His sole glimmer of hope was that the faction backing his mother could fend off the Fan Domain. He desperately wanted to flee, but... there was nowhere to run. The outposts around Jiangbei City had not yet reopened. Without a Skeleton Horse, he couldn't go anywhere at all.