Strike with All Our Might, Destroy Fan Domain

Shao Qiu sat at the foot of the city wall, staring blankly at the deep crater in the opposite cliff face for a long time before he spoke softly. "Qi Yue, I want to see if I can kill you." "Would you let me assassinate you once? I'd like to test your anti-assassination skills." "Don't worry, I'll hold back." Qi Yue stood where he was, his face indifferent. He uttered not a word and gave no response, not even sparing Shao Qiu a glance, as if he hadn't heard a thing. "Hey." Shao Qiu said, somewhat annoyed, "I'm talking to you. Could you drop the aloof act? Just a little while ago, when the Domain Lord stuck a cannon barrel right in your face, you were bawling and screaming. Now you're acting all cold and detached again." "Everyone heard you." "..." The corner of Qi Yue's mouth twitched slightly. His face darkened in embarrassment as he said, "You can try, but I won't hold back." "Fine, it's a deal then. I definitely won't use poison, rest assured." "There's one more thing..." Shao Qiu glanced up at Chen Fan, who was deep in thought atop the wall behind them, and lowered his voice. "I heard you broke through to Martial King with ten-tenths body tempering. I want ten-tenths body tempering too." "You?" Qi Yue shook his head. "You aren't a demonic cultivator. You can't endure the Ten Thousand Swords Piercing the Heart tempering method. Taking a normal Martial King Pill will grant you nine and nine-tenths at best." "I have my own methods. I plan to use the Ten Thousand Poisons Devouring the Body tempering method. That can achieve ten-tenths as well. It's just that it might hurt quite a bit, and I'm worried I won't be able to hold out. I wanted to ask how you managed it." "Conviction." Qi Yue resumed his habitual icy demeanor, his expression impassive. "The moment you worry about not holding out, you are doomed to fail." "I have never heard of this Ten Thousand Poisons Devouring the Body method, but the agony surely isn't much less than my demonic tempering. The process is excruciatingly long. To endure it, you first need an immense tolerance for pain." "And... an extraordinarily steadfast conviction." "A conviction for which you are willing to lay down your life." "My conviction was revenge." "Before fulfilling that conviction, I would not die, nor could I allow myself to die." "I have my own conviction too," Shao Qiu said earnestly. "I want to make a name for myself. I want more people to know my name. That is my conviction." "..." Qi Yue turned his head and shot Shao Qiu a look. "The consequence of deceiving oneself is merely talking yourself into suicide. That conviction is too weak. It will not sustain you through ten-tenths tempering. Once, another demonic cultivator also sought ten-tenths tempering." "His conviction was a woman." "For that woman, he vowed to achieve ten-tenths tempering even at the cost of his life. He believed his conviction was unbreakable." "Regrettably, it was not as steadfast as he imagined. His end was failure—his body exploded, and he died." "To me, my conviction isn't weak at all." Shao Qiu's face was dead serious. "Even so, you still need tremendous pain tolerance. In the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion, I meditated upon the bamboo slips left behind by a senior, and sword qi shattered my meridians repeatedly, which forged my endurance. Your body is too frail; you won't survive it. Ordinary injuries cannot build the tolerance you need." "No need to worry about that." Shao Qiu grinned. "Before I turned seventeen, and during my early years in the Immortal-Slaughtering Holy Land, I ate plenty of bitterness. On that front, I might even be tougher than you." Qi Yue remained standing in silence, offering no reply. What needed to be said, he had already said. Everyone had their own fate. He had no interest in hearing Shao Qiu's tale. Everyone had their own story. Just as magnificent. And just as tedious. At the end of the day, they were all largely the same. *** Night fell, and the Eternal Night enveloped the entire continent. This was the realm of ghost creatures. "Fan Domain..." "What an arrogant name. Could it be a remnant of an ancient power?" In the darkness. A shadowy figure sat upon a throne, scarlet pupils flickering as he rested his chin on one hand, lost in thought. He had never encountered such a name in the ancient fragmentary texts, nor did he know what had transpired on the ancient battlefield. Ever since the ghost king he had recently recruited died in the Jiangbei Wasteland, he had spent these past days dispatching pseudo-human ghosts into Jiangbei to gather intelligence on Fan Domain. He had gleaned a general outline: Fan Domain was situated within Nameless Mountain—the former residence of "That Person." Its main defensive installations consisted of over a hundred Tier 5 cannon towers. There was also a vehicle called the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage capable of deploying the Heaven and Earth Chessboard to strike the ground from the sky. However, operating it likely incurred a hefty price; aside from wiping out the Dan Sect, Fan Domain had never been seen using it again. Inside their camp, there were probably a few Tier 6 cannon towers as well. Otherwise, killing a ghost king would have been impossible. Right then— A voice drifted from the deeper shadows of the hall: "My King, when the next rainy season arrives, I will personally lead a force to Jiangbei and eradicate Fan Domain in one stroke." "No..." The shadow on the throne gently rejected the proposal. "This Fan Domain is rather peculiar. Rising during this past rainy season, they erected over a hundred cannon towers in less than a month. Such productivity far surpasses ordinary architects." "Most likely, they inherited some kind of treasure." "Jiangbei was a major battlefield in ancient times. It is only natural for remnants to have been left behind." "We cannot afford to be careless." "What is more..." "Though you are slightly stronger than the fellow who died, you are not stronger by much. If you go, you might die as well." "The aura left behind by That Person will not last more than a few years." "We must have everything prepared within these few years. Otherwise, when the undersea ghost tide makes landfall, the consequences will be intolerable to both of us." Having said this, the shadow on the throne could not help but let out a soft sigh. That would be a true ghost tide. True ghosts. After a long silence, he spoke in a raspy voice. "Our lingering near Jiangbei for so long has had only one objective: the moment That Person's aura fades, just before the undersea ghost tide prepares to land, we will beat them to Jiangbei." "Slaughter every living being in Jiangbei." "Seize the Heavenly Dao blessing." "Next, carry out two tasks." "First—" "Find a way to deliver a message to Fan Domain, informing them that an undersea ghost tide will make landfall in a few years. Fabricate some ancient book fragments and send them over, just as we did before. Once Fan Domain learns of this, they will likely evacuate on their own accord." "It is best to resolve this without resorting to arms. I cannot quite see through Fan Domain." "If they have no intention of evacuating and choose to defend Jiangbei to the death..." "Then we cannot grant them too much time to develop. The speed at which this faction has risen is simply too fast." "When the next rainy season arrives..." "Strike with all our might. Destroy Fan Domain." "All three of you ghost kings will mobilize together. No..." "I will mobilize alongside you." "Even if we must pay a steep price, we will uproot Fan Domain. Were it not for our inability to enter Jiangbei outside the rainy season, I would march there right now and choke Fan Domain in its cradle." "Still, they will probably evacuate." The shadow on the throne gave a faint chuckle. "According to our scouts, Fan Domain already retreated once at the start of the rainy season. Since they could withdraw once, they can withdraw a second time." "As long as we secure the Heavenly Dao blessing in four years, we will barely qualify to join the front lines." "Growth happens much faster there." *** "Things are looking a bit grim..." On the continent of Eternal Night. In an obscure corner surrounded entirely by pitch-black darkness, a middle-aged man sitting cross-legged slowly opened his eyes. Gazing toward Jiangbei in a daze, he murmured under his breath. He could faintly sense that his aura was on the verge of dispersing. In four years at most, Jiangbei would completely lose its protection. He had been trapped here for thirty-seven years. Four years from now, he certainly would not be able to rush back. Jiangbei was the largest defensive line at the rear of the Eternal Night continent, stretching a total of 170 kilometers. The coastline offered no natural barriers whatsoever. Once it fell, the ghost tide would pour from Jiangbei into Jiangnan and run rampant across the flat expanse of the Guanxi Plain. Yet... He fell silent for a long time, uttering no further words. Right then— "Boss." A crocodile lying to the left of his feet suddenly spoke in human tongue. "If we can't make it back, is Little Flower doomed?" "He ought to run." The man sitting cross-legged shook his head. "The Snow Lotus nurtured by the Heaven-Imprisoning Array I laid before departing should be mature by now. Once he consumes it, his innate affliction will be cured. With the strength of an adult Sky-Swallowing Crocodile, he can flee at any time over these coming years. As long as he doesn't stubbornly defend the spot, he won't die." Another crocodile lying beside his feet also spoke in human tongue, its tone carrying a hint of complaint. "I told you back then that it wasn't the right time to have a cub, but you just had to push for it." "What kind of nonsense is that?" The crocodile on the left retorted, somewhat annoyed. "It was so boring back then! With nothing else to do, how could we not fool around and hump a bit?" "The boss went the whole time without humping a single woman." "He handled it with his own hand; I saw it with my own eyes." *Bang!* The seated man suddenly lashed out, stomping his foot down and burying the loudmouthed crocodile's head deep into the earth. Countless cracks splintered across the ground around them. With an impassive face, he said coldly, "I rather regret teaching you human speech. How about I rip out your tongue instead? What do you say?" Just then— "That Person." From the darkness came a languid, casual voice. "Are you still unwilling to speak? I only need one answer from you, and I will release you immediately. Why bother? Even if we win, a figure of your stature is beyond our ability to kill." "A few ants dying—what does that have to do with you?" "In any case, you will not die." "..." The man slowly pulled back his foot and looked up into the darkness above. After a brief pause, he suddenly chuckled. "Maintaining this great array must consume quite a bit, doesn't it? You've kept it going for thirty-seven years; I wonder how many more years you can manage?" "I have memorized your voice." "Once I break this array and step outside, will you be ready to receive my visit?" The darkness remained silent for a long while before speaking again, though the confidence in the voice had noticeably waned. "I did not send anyone to Jiangbei. Even if you emerge, you can only kill me, not my son. I never used Jiangbei to threaten you." "You know that for us ghost creatures, bearing a child is exceedingly difficult. This was our deal. Otherwise, Jiangbei would never have held out until the undersea ghost tide makes landfall." "Of course. I have always remembered that deal." At some unknown point in time, a portion of the ghost creatures had awakened intellect. The moment they gained intelligence, they refused to be lumped together with those mindless, bloodthirsty monsters. They began emulating human culture, adopting human names, mimicking human heritage, and styling themselves as the "Ghost Clan." They considered themselves the darlings of heaven and earth. Yet intelligent ghost creatures found reproduction exceptionally difficult. Giving birth to a single offspring meant passing down their lineage. Just like humans, they yearned deeply for human civilization—except they did not wish to dwell only in the dark of night. They wanted to live upon the land in the light of day, just like mankind. To truly become a race of the Eternal Night continent. One prerequisite to achieving this was the extermination of every human on the continent. Only when the native race of this land was wiped out entirely would they gain the Heavenly Dao's recognition and become an official Ghost Clan. This was the dream shared by countless members of the Ghost Clan over the years. "Let me share some news with you," the voice from the darkness spoke again. "In recent years, breakthroughs on the front-line battlefield have proceeded smoothly. You humans will soon be unable to stem the tide. Perhaps I will not live to see the day our Ghost Clan officially walks the land, but my child will." "He will inherit my glory." "Tch." The man sneered, offering no further remark. The voice in the darkness dropped the serious talk and transitioned into casual conversation. "Over the years, I have studied a great deal of human culture, yet I have never encountered the surname 'Na.' Why is your name 'That Person'? Is there an origin story behind it?" "Long ago, mankind had a Human Sovereign whose surname was Na. Thereafter, those with the surname Na were the noblest of nobles. It is merely that this secret gradually faded into the river of time, and very few people know of it now," the middle-aged man said with a sudden, knowing smile. "I see." Upon hearing this anecdote, the voice in the darkness brimmed with yearning and envy. "The Ghost Clan will have its own culture in the future. I have decided that my surname will be Na. I shall become the noblest ghost creature on the continent of Eternal Night. This surname suits me well." "Thank you for telling me." "Don't mention it." "Then I shall take my leave. I will visit you again next time." Soon, absolute silence returned to the dark. "..." Only after a long while did the middle-aged man sit motionless on the ground, brooding in silence. When the previous Eternal Night descended, the ghost creatures had yet to develop intellect. This time, however, intelligence had already emerged. Having intellect versus lacking intellect were two entirely different matters. This meant... Mankind might truly perish during this cycle of Eternal Night. He was clearly nowhere near as optimistic as he had appeared a moment ago. "Boss, what are you thinking about?" The crocodile sidled up to his feet once more and asked in a low voice. "Sigh." The man let out a long sigh, retrieved a scroll of bamboo slips from his robes, and spread them on the ground. "I left in a hurry back then, and a few slips from my diary in Nameless Mountain were left behind. I'm worried someone might read them." "What's there to worry about with that?" "It's a diary! Of course I'd worry about someone reading it." "Even if someone reads it, it doesn't matter. Jiangbei will be destroyed in four years anyway. Whoever reads it will surely die too." "..." The man looked up impassively at the pair of wide, dopey eyes the size of lanterns. "Do you know? The thing I regret most in this life is teaching you to speak." "Did you hear that?" The crocodile on the right, clearly female, feigned anger. "Even the boss is sick of you." "And you." The man turned toward the female crocodile, his face expressionless. "When the two of you are going at it, if you dare imitate human bedroom moaning again, I'll rip your tongue out too." "Oh..." *** Dawn broke. Chen Fan stretched languidly, walked out of the cave, and stood outside the wall, looking up at the sunlight pouring down from above. Today was another bright, clear day, and no ghost creatures had assaulted the camp the previous night. Outside the rainy season, ghost creatures almost never charged at ghost fire. What he needed to do today was... Spend. He had accumulated quite a few ghost stones over these days. Originally, he had planned to stockpile enough ghost stones to construct the entire 170-kilometer Jiangbei defensive line in one go. Now, that was no longer necessary. With the Legendary qualitative change path of the "Great Wall," he could build piece by piece whenever he had ghost stones on hand. Gradually accumulating. Until it reached 170 kilometers. Soon, Wang Kui hurried out from the cave and began reporting the camp's current resources. "Domain Lord." "Currently, the camp possesses a total of 1.17 million ghost stones. Another 200,000 ghost stones are not included in that figure: 100,000 are the reserve stones you ordered kept aside, not to be used except in emergencies, and the remaining 100,000 are allocated for Fan Domain's daily operational consumption." "Mm." Chen Fan nodded slightly. There were still many ghost stones yet to be collected; he couldn't rush it. He fixed his gaze upon the section of wall endowed with the Great Wall Legendary qualitative change path. He needed to raise its tier first to ensure it wouldn't be destroyed. Upgrading a Tier 3 wall to Tier 4 cost 1,000 ghost stones per meter. This one-meter section was already a Tier 4 wall, while the adjacent twenty meters connected to it were all Tier 3. Upgrading a Tier 4 wall to Tier 5 required 2,000 ghost stones. No other materials were necessary. "Not needing materials is truly wonderful." Chen Fan let out a sigh of relief. The structures best suited to him were those that upgraded purely with ghost stones; all those miscellaneous materials severely hindered his progress. After consuming 2,000 ghost stones, this section of wall was swiftly elevated to Tier 5. *Wall upgraded to Tier 5. Durability and firmness increased.* *Please select an upgrade path:* *1: In thunderstorms, durability and firmness are moderately increased.* *2: In darkness, durability and firmness are considerably increased.* *3: Flight Prohibition: Prior to the wall's destruction, no creature may fly over it.* "..." Seeing this upgrade panel, a thought instantly popped into Chen Fan's head: he wished he could pick all three. He wanted every single one of these upgrade paths. Though none were qualitative change paths... All three were immensely useful. The first went without saying, tailored specifically to boost defense during the rainy season. The second was fantastic as well. Walls were meant to function in the dark anyway, making it effectively a permanent passive buff. Both were great. Yet compared to the third, they paled in significance. Had the Dan Sect possessed a Tier 5 wall back then and chosen this path, his Nine-Five Dragon Carriage would have been forced to destroy the wall before it could fly over the sect. Of course, that was only in theory. In practice, it was basically impossible. The reason was simple: Other people could not see upgrade paths. This was not a qualitative change path that applied to every wall upon selection. If he chose Flight Prohibition for this single meter of Tier 5 wall, the no-fly zone would only cover the airspace directly above that one meter. Fly from another spot, and one could still cross. Unless— Every meter of wall, upon reaching Tier 5, chose the Flight Prohibition path. Only then would it form an absolute natural chasm that barred all flying creatures. For an ordinary architect to achieve that was theoretically simple enough: just dismantle any wall that rolled the wrong option and rebuild it. But the cost... That was unimaginably high. Others faced far higher construction and upgrade costs than he did. Tossing resources around like that would drain the entire Guanxi Plain dry without managing to produce a 170-kilometer no-fly barrier. He, however, could do it. "Heh..." Chen Fan suddenly grinned. According to the scenes of the ancient battlefield recorded on the jade slip, when the undersea ghost tide made landfall, many ghost creatures were swept up by the surging waves and smashed against the wall, while a massive number were carried directly over the wall by the breakers, sowing chaos in the rear. The undersea ghost tide had no flying ghost creatures. The anti-air cannons on the wall were meant specifically to deal with the creatures flung over by the tidal waves. The effectiveness hadn't been stellar. Yet if his Jiangbei defensive line were uniformly Tier 5, supplemented by a vast array of Tier 10 God-Slaying Cannons, it would cease to be a mere defensive line. It would become a slaughter zone cordoned off by his walls. How many ghost stones, how many exotic treasures would that yield? How immense a Heavenly Dao blessing could he claim? The mere thought made him chuckle. Of course, the prerequisite was that he could amass that many ghost stones over the next four years. It was a long and arduous journey; his methods of gathering wealth would need to be rather brazen. Consider it a protection fee paid by those factions for him holding the Jiangbei defensive line. He didn't actually know what the Heavenly Dao blessing specifically entailed. It might extend one's lifespan, or grant high-grade building blueprints. But he knew it had to be extraordinary. Otherwise, even That Person wouldn't have coveted it. Could something desired by a figure of that caliber be subpar? "Keep upgrading!" Excited, Chen Fan spent another 5,000 ghost stones to raise this section of wall to Tier 6. Another panel popped up before him. *Wall upgraded to Tier 6. Durability and firmness increased.* *Please select an upgrade path:* *1: The wall can self-detonate, unleashing tremendous destructive power. The power depends on the wall's firmness and tier.* *2: Enemies attacking the wall in close combat have a minor chance of suffering reflected damage.* *3: Ranged attacks against the wall deal reduced damage to it.* All three paths were decent. He rejected the first option immediately. Granted, if every meter of the 170-kilometer Jiangbei defensive line possessed that effect and detonated simultaneously, the spectacle would be magnificent. Yet— He hoped never to see that day. This 170-kilometer defensive line was something he would pour his very life into building over four years. If it suddenly blew to pieces, he'd be so heartbroken he'd hang himself from a southeastern branch. Better not to choose it. If he didn't pick it, he wouldn't use it. Once chosen, he would always feel the urge to use it someday. Just like Da Yu. Fan Domain didn't actually lack Nightwatchers, but Da Yu always believed he was the Nightwatcher, and that his primary duty was to initiate his sacrifice. He constantly felt he had to activate his power for Fan Domain. That was where the trouble lay, and Chen Fan couldn't even scold him for it. Once you had a hammer, everything looked like a nail. The second option was unneeded as well. He already possessed the Thorns Mail qualitative change path, which was far superior. It reflected not only melee damage, but a portion of ranged damage too. That left only the third option. After locking in the third path, he looked at the panel and let out a long sigh. The matter he dreaded most had finally come to pass. Upgrading the wall from Tier 6 to Tier 7 required 7,000 ghost stones plus any one heavenly material or earthly treasure, such as a Monkey Head Fruit or an Earth Heart Fruit. Ghost stones were easy enough. Those heavenly materials and earthly treasures, however, gave him a headache just looking at them. The Jiangbei line was 170 kilometers long, which was 170,000 meters. That meant upgrading every meter would require one fruit, translating to 170,000 Monkey Head Fruits. Without raiding Mount Huaguo, where on earth could he find so many? Those were heavenly materials and earthly treasures, big brother! Did you think you were buying cabbages? Buying them by the hundred and seventy thousand? Even cabbage wasn't bought in such quantities! Still, he had no need to worry in the short term. Within ten years, it would be impossible for him to afford a 170-kilometer Tier 7 wall. That would cost him his old life. Having finished all this, Chen Fan breathed a long sigh of relief. Now, this one-meter section possessing the Great Wall Legendary qualitative change path had been raised to Tier 6, far exceeding the level of the other walls. It was safe now. As long as the ghost fire did not extinguish, this wall could not be destroyed. He actually felt a strong urge to test which was stronger: a Tier 10 God-Slaying Cannon, or a Tier 6 wall. The former was higher tier and green-grade. The latter was lower tier and white-grade. Yet a wall's defense scaled far faster than a cannon tower's offense. It was truly hard to say which was sturdier. Anyone holding a spear in one hand and a shield in the other would naturally itch to strike them together and see which prevailed. Of course, thinking about it was one thing; he certainly wouldn't carry out the experiment. He couldn't bear to ruin his Tier 6 wall. If he accidentally wiped out the Legendary qualitative change, it would be game over. Afterward, he squatted on the ground, picked up a twig, and began doing math in the dirt, muttering under his breath. "Building one meter of wall takes 10 ghost stones. Upgrading to Tier 2 takes 50. Tier 3 takes 500. Tier 4 takes 1,000." "The cost for one meter of Tier 4 wall is 1,560 ghost stones." "The entire Jiangbei defensive line spans 170 kilometers." "The total construction cost would be..." "265.2 million ghost stones." "One Tier 10 God-Slaying Cannon requires 37,800 ghost stones. Across 170,000 meters, placing one every 100 meters... It's heavy artillery, so one every hundred meters is enough to handle the behemoths in the ghost tide." "That requires 1,700 Tier 10 God-Slaying Cannons." "64.26 million ghost stones." "Added together, that's roughly 329 million ghost stones." "Tack on low-tier cannon towers, ghost fire, copper pipes, cannon tower firing consumption, and other baseline expenses, and roughly 400 million ghost stones will definitely suffice." "Which equates to earning 100 million a year." "Or over 8 million ghost stones a month." "..." Squatting on the ground, Chen Fan sketched out numbers with the twig. He had to calculate a clear ledger first. He couldn't stumble blindly along without even knowing the total cost, only to discover later that his ghost stones were running short. Four hundred million ghost stones was no small figure. To achieve this, the Guanxi Plain had to be conquered! Smaller factions were as numerous as stars; he could plunder their ghost stones using cost-effective products like the Skeleton Horse. For major factions like the Immortal-Slaughtering Holy Land, he would demand protection fees at their doorstep, wiping out anyone who refused to pay. That should roughly scrape together enough. He felt entirely justified in collecting this protection fee. If he weren't standing guard in front, they would all die. Once the ghost tide made landfall, not a single one would escape. What was wrong with collecting a bit of protection fee? Was this money being spent on him? No, it was being spent on their own survival! Give him 400 million ghost stones, and not even the King of Heaven himself could take a single step into Jiangbei! Of course, if the King of Heaven truly showed up, that would be another story. As for the Tier 5 wall's Flight Prohibition, he desired it immensely, but that was evidently out of reach four years from now. Upgrading 170 kilometers of Tier 4 walls to Tier 5 would cost another 340 million. Scraping the Guanxi Plain down to the bone wouldn't yield another 340 million. Unless he expanded further. Expanding into surrounding areas, perhaps taking a trip to the Guandong Plain as well. Except... Chen Fan's expression turned faintly odd. Expanding like this, why did it feel like he was the real ghost tide sweeping south from Jiangbei? Then again... The ghost tide had good taste. Choosing to land at Jiangbei and drive straight south—no natural barriers, smooth plains, nothing to stop them. He needed to figure out how to operate the "Great Wall" as soon as possible. He could build a one-kilometer section first and march south to gather funds! As the saying went: taken from the people, used for the people. He suddenly understood the profound truth of that phrase. The 21-meter-long wall at the entrance of Cave 1 currently had one segment at Tier 6, while the rest were Tier 3. He refrained from upgrading the remaining segments for now. He intended to practice maneuvering the wall first, then return to camp later to see which basic structures didn't require materials to upgrade so he could max them out. Ground spikes and the like, for instance—he would unlock all the compendium entries he was supposed to unlock. Ignorance in the past was one thing. Now that he knew, he would claim every reward available. Chen Fan controlled the wall like a long dragon, darting about inside the camp. It wasn't particularly fast—a bit slower than a Skeleton Horse, but faster than an ordinary steed. As it moved, it plowed deep furrows into the earth, churning up the soil as if the ground had just been tilled. This thing was undeniably an exceptional plow. "It can't climb cliffs?" He felt a twinge of regret. He attempted to make the dragon-like wall crawl up the rock face, but evidently, it couldn't be done. Fair enough. If it could do that, it would defy all reason. Next, he stood at the very front of the wall segment with his hands clasped behind his back, lighting the twenty ghost fires stationed within the canyon. His face was cold as he gazed into the distant horizon. Beneath him, the wall surged forward like a dragon, speeding toward the canyon entrance. Wind roared past his ears. In this moment, he felt he looked exceedingly dashing. Compared to flying on a sword, he felt this was far cooler. At the very least, its intimidation factor was much greater. Soon, the dragon came to a halt at the canyon mouth. Beyond the canyon lay territory outside the camp's boundaries; the dragon could venture no further. He jogged briskly to the other end of the dragon, stood at the new vanguard, and leaned on his emerald cane, looking back toward the camp with an aloof gaze. The dragon sped forward once more. After several round trips, he finally satisfied his craving. "Awesome!" Chen Fan steered the wall back to the entrance of Cave 1, grinning broadly. Once he finished experimenting with how to take the Great Wall outside, his debut on the Guanxi Plain would feature this very entrance. He would deliver a little shock to the local bumpkin architects of the Guanxi Plain. Let them witness what a Legendary qualitative change path truly looked like. With that done, he looked at the Eternal Night panel again. An "Achievements" tab had appeared. Currently, there was only one: "A Step Ahead." His movement speed within camp boundaries was increased. "How fast can it be?" He experimentally sprinted several dozen meters. His body did feel considerably lighter, but it was still far inferior to a Skeleton Horse. This achievement... felt rather useless. It should have been granted to Fan Domain members instead. That way, their work efficiency would improve. The Clear Breeze Array in Fan Domain's camp was now active around the clock, casting a faint breeze over the camp that sped up the movements of Monkey and the others. This likewise boosted efficiency in their daily chores. *** Time drifted toward late afternoon. Roughly two hours remained before dark. Chen Fan sat on a bench atop the wall. On the table before him sat three plates of dumplings and a bowl of dumpling soup. It was winter, and the temperature continued to plummet. The most perfect food for winter was dumplings. "Three fillings of dumplings are absolute must-eats." Chen Fan picked up a dumpling with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth. Savoring the juice bursting on his tongue, he squinted his eyes in pure bliss. "Beef with scallion, pork with celery, and egg with chives." "If you love dumplings, you simply cannot miss these three." He picked up another dumpling and tossed it into the waiting, gaping maw of Weiwei, who lay on the ground outside the wall, staring up with eager, hungry eyes. "There's an art to eating dumplings too." "The first few must be eaten 'civilly'—that is, without dipping sauce, simply appreciating the pure flavor of the dumpling itself. Fresh out of the pot, riding the piping-hot steam—that is what you call comfort." "After that, you can switch to the 'martial' way." "The martial way means dipping sauces." "And you must prepare four varieties: pure vinegar with minced garlic; vinegar with chili oil, garlic, and sesame oil; pure soy sauce; and pure sesame oil." "Each has its own unique charm." He picked up another dumpling, dipped it in the vinegar saucer, and popped it into his mouth before contentedly lifting the bowl of dumpling soup beside him. "When circumstances permit, eat dry dumplings alongside dumpling soup. In weather like this, taking a sip of hot and sour soup mingled with cilantro is sheer heaven." Before long, the dumplings were cleaned out entirely. He poured himself a bowl of scalding dumpling water, sipped it slowly along the rim, and wiped his mouth in satisfaction. From his robes, he drew the pipe tobacco Wang Mazi had presented to him. Lighting it, he leaned back against his chair, puffing clouds of smoke and chuckling with profound contentment. "A dumpling feast must conclude with a bowl of the water they were boiled in. Once you've eaten and drunk your fill, follow it with a puff of dry tobacco." "Light on your feet, relaxed all over." "Only then can it be called having eaten a proper meal of dumplings." "Contentment!" For this meal, he had only two words: pure bliss! *Roar!* Weiwei let out an anxious, low growl beneath the wall. Listening to him talk had made it drool with craving, yet why had it only received a single dumpling? It hadn't even tasted the flavor yet! "Don't rush." Chen Fan leaned back and grinned. "Tonight, I'll have Stationmaster Qi make you a basin-sized batch of dumplings. I'm taking this meal for myself first." During the rainy season, he had harbored two enduring desires. One was to eat dumplings to his heart's content. The other was to feast heartily on stewed pork with cabbage and glass noodles. Now, one of them was finally fulfilled. Most of Fan Domain's people were currently stationed in Fan City, so he could only chat with Weiwei. Though Weiwei could understand a bit, it couldn't reply, leaving him feeling somewhat unfulfilled. As the saying went, in this fleeting life, one seeks a kindred spirit. If there were someone here who shared his passion for dumplings, raising a cup to drink and exchanging insights with him, it would be even more delightful. Ah, sheer comfort. Chen Fan leaned back in his chair, set down the pipe, and gazed out beyond the wall, slipping into a post-meal daze. He cherished this moment. Though he had nothing pressing to do, he had worked so hard for so long precisely to enjoy some leisure. If the result of striving so hard was merely having to strive harder, wouldn't all that effort have been for nothing? If only it would snow. The colder the weather, the more fragrant the dumplings. The more fragrant the dumplings, the saucier the neighbor's wife. The aroma of tobacco drifted into his nostrils. This was a ghost plant tobacco Wang Mazi had procured for him; inhaling its smoke steadily enhanced one's cultivation, albeit slowly. He loved it nonetheless. Anything that increased cultivation without requiring active meditation was something he adored. Even if the price was a bit steep, Fan Domain could easily afford it now. Right then— The voice transmission talisman in his robes suddenly warmed. Retrieving it, Zhou Mo's voice came through: "Domain Lord, something has happened..." "Hold on a second." Chen Fan sighed and cut Zhou Mo off. Rising languidly, he waved a hand, and the maidservant waiting beneath the wall swiftly stepped forward to clear the bowls and chopsticks. He had barely enjoyed a brief spell of peace. How had trouble cropped up again? Didn't they know he had waited an entire rainy season for this meal of dumplings? Was he merely waiting for dumplings? He was handing in his exam paper to his rainy-season self, ensuring his former self wouldn't think he had failed to keep his promises. "Speak." "A pseudo-human ghost slipped into Fan City. The Fan Domain members guarding the gate made an oversight during the inspection." "..." Chen Fan's brow furrowed slightly, though he did not scold him. Instead, he asked, "Are the losses severe?" Though it was a rookie mistake, it was understandable. Wherever humans were involved, there was bound to be a chance of errors. That probability was a flat hundred percent; it was merely a question of sooner or later. Thus, a faction's duty was not to demand absolute perfection from subordinates, but to possess the capability to swiftly contain the situation when an oversight occurred. Of course, punishment remained necessary. A lesson had to be learned, and other members of Fan Domain needed to take warning from it. "We suffered no losses. I noticed it immediately and brought the situation under control. Only one merchant caravan from a Jiangxi faction had a member killed when the pseudo-human ghost detonated. It's almost entirely sorted out. The main thing is that the pseudo-human ghost dropped some items. I felt you might need to inspect them personally, Domain Lord, so I was preparing to return to camp to report in person." "Wait for me. I'm coming to Fan City." Chen Fan stowed the talisman back into his robes. Letting out a reluctant breath and tasting the lingering fragrance of dumplings in his mouth, he took a candy from his robes and tossed it into his mouth. *Ahem.* Delicious as they were, they did leave a strong breath. As the lord of a domain, when stepping out to meet people, basic decorum had to be maintained. *** Fan City. Roughly two hours remained before dark, and no more caravans were entering the city. At this hour, it was unwise to rush across the Jiangbei Wasteland; if an accident occurred on the road, one's life would end right there. "..." Chen Fan stepped down from the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage and looked at Zhou Mo waiting at the city gate, along with a Fan Domain member he had never seen before. Fan Domain had recruited many newcomers this time. There were many he didn't recognize, though some looked vaguely familiar, as if he had caught glimpses of them in passing. "Were you on gate duty today?" "R-reporting to the Domain Lord... it was... it was me..." A young man, looking about twenty-six or seven, stood behind Zhou Mo clad in Fan Domain's standard black robe, trembling uncontrollably. Then, as though terror overwhelmed him, his knees buckled and he stammered, "Domain Lord, I... I still have family. I don't want to die... I..." "You won't die." Chen Fan glanced at the various caravan members inside the city looking his way, his brow furrowing slightly. "Get up. Don't kneel. If word spreads, it'll make it seem as though I treat Fan Domain members harshly and tyrannically." "There were no major losses this time. Your penalty is three months' stipend." "Tomorrow, Zhou Mo, take him and gather all the gate guards. Have him explain where his oversight lay, summarize it into an experience log, and ensure everyone assigned to guard duty thereafter pays close attention to that detail." "All right." "Dismissed." Inside Fan City. Chen Fan stared at the ancient book fragment Zhou Mo handed him, his eyes narrowing slightly. The information recorded on this fragment was simple: Four years from now, the undersea ghost tide will make landfall, leaving Jiangbei barren of all life. Yet his expression gradually grew peculiar. How had this been recorded? A prophecy? The ghost tide would land four years later because the aura left behind by That Person in Jiangbei would dissipate in four years, allowing the tide to breach the shore. Why did this ancient book fragment give him the faint impression of being artificially fabricated?..