“Five Stones, Not a Cent Less.”

Fan Domain camp. Chen Fan led Monkey back to the gorge entrance. The rest of the situation needed time to ferment. For now, there was only a single one-way route connecting two points: Fan City and Jiangbei City. Trial operation. These first few days were completely free of charge. All to spread the word. He was able to accomplish this primarily due to two things: Copper pipes, plus a max-level hanging basket. Both building options were relatively rare. The former was especially so; to his knowledge, he was currently the only one who possessed that building module. Yet no matter how rare a building was, so long as it wasn't unique, someone else was bound to obtain it eventually. Therefore, what he needed to do was expand the network as fast as possible. That way, even if someone wanted to steal his business, they wouldn't stand a chance. Most importantly of all... His construction costs were dirt-cheap. If anyone else wanted to build a line like his, the resources they would have to consume... Recovering their investment in the short term would be utterly impossible, to say nothing of how difficult it would be to cough up so many ghost stones in one go. In the near future, he would have no competitors. What came next was a series of tests. First was the collision test. At the entrance of the gorge. A max-level hanging basket hovered just above the ground, poised and ready to launch at any moment. Not far ahead of it stood a newly erected Rank 1 wall. The next instant— The high-speed rail started up. Accelerating with terrifying speed, it tore forward with the howl of the wind and slammed straight into the wall. *Crash!* A deafening boom rang out. The hanging basket shattered into several pieces, hurtling through the air. The transparent light shield overhead also shattered in an instant. It went without saying that if a passenger had been inside the cabin, they would have died without a shadow of a doubt. The collision test was complete. The max-level hanging basket had decent speed, but its defenses were lacking. The line had to be kept clear at all times. The so-called line was the copper pipe buried beneath the ground; the hanging basket could only travel along the copper pipe. Next, the obstacle test. He led a Skeleton Horse out and placed it in front of the max-level hanging basket. He started it again. *Boom!* The Skeleton Horse was crushed to powder, while the hanging basket continued forward almost completely unscathed. Ordinary obstacles could not stop a max-level hanging basket. Chen Fan glanced at Qi Yue beside him. He actually wanted to see whether a Martial King could block the high-speed rail, but after some thought, he decided against it. Then he continued testing. With a shift of his thoughts... A section of the copper pipe running directly from Fan Domain to the Port was removed. The high-speed rail started up once more. It shot to top speed in an instant, but when it reached the gap, it ground to a sudden halt. Without the copper pipe, it could go no farther. "Not bad." Chen Fan gave a slight nod, his eyes narrowing faintly. The max-level hanging basket's defenses were sufficient. As long as it could shatter a Skeleton Horse, that was enough. As for a Rank 1 wall... well, there was truly no helping that. Even a Rank 1 wall was sturdier than most things in existence. "Young Master," Monkey said with some worry, "as it stands, if someone deliberately damages the copper pipe, this line will be forced out of operation for a while." "Mm." Chen Fan nodded gently, murmuring, "Ghost fire flows through the copper pipe, carrying a certain radius of ghost fire along with it. Outside the rainy season, ghost creatures won't attack it, though during the rainy season they will charge into the ghost fire's range. "However, the copper pipe is buried a meter beneath the earth. "Apart from that, there are no structures aboveground. Ordinary, unthinking ghost creatures won't be able to destroy anything. "Even if intelligent ghost creatures were to dig three feet down to destroy the pipe, it's buried a meter deep, so digging it up won't be easy. They won't be able to destroy much, and we can simply repair it once the rainy season ends. "Our main concern is other factions. "Some factions might grow jealous and destroy the copper pipes we lay down, bringing the line to a standstill. "What we must do is intimidate the world with thunderous wrath. "Any faction that dares to destroy our copper pipes will be wiped out down to the last clan member once identified. "There is plenty of filth in this world. "We cannot guarantee that no plan will ever be disrupted. All we can do is reduce the number of such people. Once our high-speed rail network is extensive enough to link all four regions of Jiangbei together, even if one route gets sabotaged, it won't matter in the grand scheme of things." Chen Fan spoke no more. He merely stood where he was, gazing at the max-level hanging basket hovering low against the ground nearby. The existence of high-speed rail drastically accelerated his plans, causing the profits he could reap to skyrocket once again. Four years? Give him enough time, and within four years, he would secure Jiangbei. In ten years, he would launch a counteroffensive. The camp currently had 1.62 million ghost stones left. Of those, 470,000 had been brought back by Shao Qiu after wiping out the Wind and Rain Tower. He had no intention of hoarding this sum; he would continue pouring it into the development of Fan Domain. The shortfall of hundreds of millions of ghost stones three years from now could never be saved up through penny-pinching. Money that needed spending had to be spent. The more he invested, the more he would earn. The hanging basket could be attached externally to most structures. Once mounted on a building, its activation would consume that building's ghost stones. He had already checked: the hanging basket's consumption was extremely low, virtually negligible. It wasn't even close to the daily upkeep required by the copper pipes. Right then— "Domain Lord," Qi Yue, who had been following behind him all along, suddenly spoke up. "My time has come. I may need to depart for a while." Chen Fan turned to look at Qi Yue. He knew about this matter; Qi Yue was going to kill a group of people. "You don't need my help?" "I must kill these people myself." "All right." Chen Fan didn't press further and gave his consent. Even if a Martial King couldn't win a fight, they were more than capable of escaping. *** Inside Fan City. The Medicine King Valley Master paced restlessly back and forth by the inn's window. After a long while, he finally halted, turned toward Qi Feng beside him, and spoke in a solemn, raspy voice. "Qi Feng. "Our Medicine King Valley's alchemy techniques have always been far ahead of the curve. Jiangnan was already the most developed of the four regions, and our alchemy surpasses the other three regions. But do you know why Jiangdong and Jiangxi don't buy pills from us?" "The reason is simple. "Many pills aren't that different. Even if our pills are slightly better than theirs, they're only slightly better—not enough to make a world of difference. When our pills are transported to Jiangdong, the shipping costs naturally have to be factored in. "They simply can't compete in cost-effectiveness against pills made by local alchemy factions. "However... "What if shipping costs could be drastically slashed? "Would people still buy pills from those local alchemy factions? "No. "At the same price, they would definitely buy our Medicine King Valley's pills, because our pills are simply better than what other alchemists concoct. "If... "If Fan Domain's 'high-speed rail' could run straight to the entrance of our Medicine King Valley, and then branch out to other regions, our Medicine King Valley could swallow the entire alchemy market across all four regions!" "Father," Qi Feng said, looking out at the bustling crowds outside the inn with a dazed, helpless sigh, "you might be forgetting Medicine King Valley's production capacity. We only have so many alchemists. Even if we truly secured that many orders, we wouldn't be able to refine that many pills. "This is alchemy. "It's not like growing cabbages..." He felt the deepest impact from Fan Domain's development. Looking back on when he first met Chen Fan, Fan Domain had only just slain the ghost king, and various factions had traveled to Nameless Mountain to offer congratulations. At that time, there was no Fan City, no Silk Road, and certainly no high-speed rail. Now... They had it all. It seemed as though a great deal of time had passed, almost like a whole year. In reality, only a little over a month had gone by. Over the course of this month, Medicine King Valley had seen its own changes. They had joined Fan Domain's Silk Road immediately and made quite a few ghost stones through that batch of Skeleton Horses. But compared to Fan Domain, it was like comparing a drop in the ocean. "What you say makes a lot of sense." The Medicine King Valley Master slung an excited arm around Qi Feng's shoulder. "The fact that you thought of that shows you're truly using your head. "What if... "What if our pills were priced lower than everyone else's, while offering superior quality? "Tell me, would any other alchemy faction be able to sell a single pill?" "They definitely wouldn't be able to sell any," Qi Feng replied, shaking his head. "But what would be the point? We'd lose our shirts." "We take the loss head-on," the Medicine King Valley Master said gravely. "We can rely on high-speed rail plus subsidies to rapidly seize the entire market across the four regions, choking out every other alchemy faction until everyone in the four regions buys only from Medicine King Valley. "After that, we absorb the alchemists from those other factions to make up for our shortfall in production capacity." "Those alchemy factions will band together and besiege us..." "We'll pay Fan Domain for protection." "This..." "This move will burn a massive amount of ghost stones early on. But if we pull it off, from then on, Medicine King Valley will be the greatest alchemy faction across all four regions. This will bring glory to our ancestors—it's the greatest opportunity Medicine King Valley has faced in decades." "Father." Qi Feng looked at the graying elder before him with mixed emotions. "I never realized you possessed such bold drive." "That's because we have a retreat route," the Medicine King Valley Master confessed. "If we fail, Medicine King Valley can simply join Fan Domain en masse. You're on fairly good terms with Domain Lord Chen, and Fan Domain lacks alchemists anyway, so they wouldn't turn us away. "Didn't we make some ghost stones selling Skeleton Horses recently? "Take out one hundred and fifty thousand ghost stones. "Present them to Fan Domain. "Say we wish to partner with them to build high-speed rail to Medicine King Valley, ensuring that Medicine King Valley becomes one of the nodes. "And do it quickly. "If we can become the very first node, Medicine King Valley's reputation will spread across the four regions alongside the high-speed rail. That will give us a massive advantage when our pills move to capture the market later on. "I leave this matter to you." "All right," Qi Feng agreed. He looked at the elder before him and smiled. "Father, it has been a very long time since I've seen you so full of vigor." "When a man witnesses a miracle, he always finds a little more vigor in his bones." The Medicine King Valley Master chuckled. Soon. Deep night fell. That night, carried along by countless voice transmission talismans, news of Fan Domain's latest creation, the "high-speed rail," swept across the land north and south of the river. Countless factions tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Chiefly, they had no idea how fast Fan Domain could lay down high-speed rail, nor what the costs were, which clouded their judgment. If laying the line between Jiangbei City and Fan City had already drained a colossal amount of Fan Domain's resources... Then they could safely ignore it in the short term. If the cost wasn't that high, however... Then this was going to be enormous. *** Fan Domain camp. Chen Fan sat atop the wall draped in an overcoat, writing something on a sheet of paper. The heading read: "Fan Domain Communications." "Young Master." Right then— Sick Monkey climbed onto the wall. Seeing Chen Fan writing with his head down, he caught sight of the title and asked curiously, "What does 'Fan Domain Communications' mean?" "This?" Chen Fan leaned back against his chair and chuckled softly. "A new plan to roll out in the future. Voice transmission talismans have a limited transmission range. To communicate across long distances, one must establish multiple outposts to relay the messages. "It takes time, effort, and money. "Because of this, many factions have no choice but to burn through massive amounts of ghost stones every year just to maintain the operation of their communication outposts to expand their influence. "Ghost stones shouldn't be wasted like that. "I'm considering whether Fan Domain could unify 'communications' by having all factions store their voice transmission talismans at our outposts. That way, they wouldn't need to maintain their own outposts anymore, and we could collect a handsome fee." "That sounds rather unlikely..." Monkey said hesitantly. "After all, the messages sent through voice transmission talismans are private secrets of each clan. It's unlikely they'd let them pass through Fan Domain's hands. They wouldn't feel safe." "Mm." Chen Fan gave a slight nod. "That's why this plan is only on paper for now; it hasn't been implemented yet." "Young Master, don't you get tired thinking about so many things every single day?" "What's there to be tired about?" Chen Fan turned his head to look at Monkey, smiling faintly. "Everything you conceive can be brought to life in reality—don't you find that fascinating? "Wherever I want the high-speed rail to go, that is where it goes. "I hold down Jiangbei without taking a single step away. "And all the other factions have to come knocking on my door. "All right." He stood up and walked toward the stairs. "Time to get some sleep. Tomorrow morning, I have to see Wang Mazi and the others off to sea. Let's hope everything goes smoothly." *** Dawn broke. The Port. A crowd of Fan Domain's core members had gathered here. Beside the port, a Rank 4 ghost fire burned fiercely. This was an independently constructed ghost fire; no walls had been built around the outer perimeter of the port. At the port's berths, Three Sea Ships lay anchored. They were ready to set sail at a moment's notice. "Domain Lord. "Everyone." Leading a group of Commerce Pavilion subordinates behind him, Wang Mazi stood solemnly by the water's edge, gazing at Chen Fan and the others. "This is far enough. Wait for me—I will definitely return with good news." Nearby, Over a dozen Fan Domain members were loading large batches of ghost stones, along with fresh water and crops produced in Sunset City, onto the Sea Ships in an orderly fashion. Going out to sea was no leisurely task. Once away from land, one was left with virtually nothing. Even if they encountered no ghost creatures, running into heavy wind and waves would drastically reduce their chances of survival. "You must return alive." Chen Fan stepped forward, patted Wang Mazi's shoulder, and said quietly, "Your primary objective on this voyage is to scout out what lies across the sea. If you encounter danger, don't try to tough it out—flee if you must." "I understand." Wang Mazi grinned broadly. "Don't worry, Domain Lord. I will definitely come back alive." "Good. Did you bring the ghost-skin map Qi Chong made for you? Don't lose it. If you lose that, you won't be able to find your way home." "It's safely stowed away. There's no way I'll lose it." By now, All supplies were fully loaded. Several Fan Domain members stood at the berths, ready to cast off the ropes. Wang Mazi took a deep breath and declared in a ringing voice: "I, Wang Mazi, Master of the Fan Domain Commerce Pavilion, "am ordered to execute the 'New Continent' plan. "Domain Lord, please give the order!" Chen Fan smiled. "Depart." "Understood!" Wang Mazi lingered no longer, leading his men onto the three Sea Ships in groups. The ropes tethering the ships to the berths were cast off, and the sails were hoisted, snapping in the wind. The three Sea Ships gradually sailed toward the deep ocean. Standing at the stern, Wang Mazi waved farewell to them continuously. With this parting, No one knew when they would meet again. Perhaps he would return safely before long. Or perhaps he would stumble straight into a den of ghost creatures. Yet no matter how dangerous it was, someone had to go. Just like the high-speed rail, which was highly likely to be sabotaged by people, it still had to be laid. Nothing in this world... Could be avoided simply because it was difficult. Could be fled from simply because it was dangerous. Do it. Bite the bullet and do it, solve problems as they arise, and forge ahead along the road. Eventually, the clouds would part to reveal the bright moon. Standing nearby, Wang Kui, Zhou Mo, and the others wore complex expressions as they watched the three Sea Ships gradually vanish into the deep ocean. They, too, waved goodbye, even though they knew that at this distance, Wang Mazi could no longer see them. Yet they knew Wang Mazi was certainly still looking back at them. "Of the dreams we talked about back during the rainy season, only Wang Mazi went and realized his," Wang Kui muttered under his breath. Zhou Mo glanced at Wang Kui and couldn't help but chuckle. "I recall your dream was to take a wife and have children. What's the matter, haven't found a girl to your liking?" "You can't rush these things; it's all about fate and chemistry." "Still, you're not getting any younger. I'm worried you'll shrivel up first." "Piss off!" After seeing Wang Mazi off, the core members of Fan Domain climbed back onto the back of the Giant Tortoise, heading toward Fan City to return to their respective posts. "Sick Monkey." Chen Fan held Monkey back and instructed, "Fan Domain is short on hands again. "Once the high-speed rail begins running, we will need a batch of people to operate the trains. Combined with the staffing needs everywhere else, we have to find another group of people. "Put up an announcement over the next few days. "Cultivation level doesn't matter. "What matters is being sharp-witted, having all their limbs intact, and having a relatively clean background." "Young Master, what exactly do you mean by a clean background...?" "Qi Yue." "Like Qi Yue?" "No, definitely *not* like Qi Yue." "Understood." *** Fan City. Chen Fan sat inside a shop, listening to Wang Kui report on the day's revenue. "Domain Lord. "Over the past few days, we've collected another sum of funds, totaling seven hundred and ninety thousand ghost stones. The first batch of credit lines we extended is almost entirely paid back. "The deadline we set for them was one month. "Most factions settled early. Yesterday, we even received a repayment on the second batch of credit lines. That faction is quite driven—they had two merchant caravans running back and forth non-stop. "Their connections are wide, too. "The Skeleton Horses they took back sold out instantly." "Mm." Chen Fan flipped through the ledger in his hands. As Fan Domain grew larger and larger, the ledger had become increasingly complex. It was nothing like the simple days of the past when ghost stones were counted one by one; back then, he didn't need a ledger at all, keeping track of everything in his head. Now, without looking at the books, Even he had no idea exactly how much wealth he possessed. Right then— A Fan Domain member walked over to his side and reported, "Domain Lord, Young Valley Master Qi Feng of Medicine King Valley requests an audience." "Send him in." Shortly after, Qi Feng, clad in long robes, walked into the shop alone. Without any pleasantries, he immediately spoke: "Domain Lord, Medicine King Valley wishes to become the first node in Fan Domain's high-speed rail network. "To that end... "We have brought one hundred and fifty thousand ghost stones, hoping to co-build the high-speed rail with Fan Domain. "Naturally, we are well aware that for an epoch-making megaproject like this, one hundred and fifty thousand ghost stones are far from enough. Therefore, we are also willing to offer fifteen percent of Medicine King Valley's net profits over the next three years." Chen Fan looked at Qi Feng with a smile. "That doesn't sound like very much." Building a high-speed rail network wasn't expensive for him, but that was only in comparison to other factions trying to build one. In truth, the cost was by no means low. One meter of copper pipe cost one ghost stone. Fan City was located at the northernmost edge of Jiangbei. Medicine King Valley was situated in the middle section of Jiangnan. The straight-line distance between the two places was a staggering... seven hundred kilometers. Which meant... Seven hundred thousand meters. The cost of the copper pipes alone would be seven hundred thousand ghost stones. If they took a detour, the cost would be even higher. "It should be quite a lot." Qi Feng took an anxious breath before laying out his father's entire plan, treating it as another bargaining chip. After hearing Medicine King Valley's scheme, Chen Fan fell silent where he sat. The Medicine King Valley Master's plan was somewhat too ahead of its time for this world... Most people in this world toiled bitterly just to scrape together ghost stones to fight ghost creatures. Who would ever come up with such an idea? Even if someone did, how many would actually dare to carry it out? Becoming the first node of the high-speed rail network. Using Fan Domain's prestige to make a name for Medicine King Valley—the promotional reach of that would be enormous. Undercutting competitors with high quality and low prices to seize the market. Swallowing rivals. Boosting production capacity. Devouring the pill market across all four regions of Jiangbei in a single bite. If this plan truly succeeded, fifteen percent of the net profits over three years would indeed be no small sum. Medicine King Valley was trying to build... a brand. After a long pause, he nodded with a smile. "Fine. "I accept this deal." "Thank you, Domain Lord Chen!" Qi Feng immediately breathed a sigh of relief and waved to signal his men outside to carry the ghost stones in. Seeing Chen Fan now, he no longer felt the easygoing comfort of their first encounter. "By the way." Chen Fan raised an eyebrow slightly. "This plan of yours will consume a tremendous amount of ghost stones. Can you hold out?" Qi Feng hesitated briefly before answering tentatively, "We should be able to. Father plans to excavate our entire 'ghost mine' to gamble on this." He hid nothing. This was what his father had instructed him: answer whatever Domain Lord Chen asked, emphasizing absolute sincerity, as they had no conflict of interest with Fan Domain. However, he still made sure to pause before answering, conveying that what he shared was indeed classified information. "A ghost mine?" This was the first time Chen Fan had heard the term. "Yes." Qi Feng nodded. "In ancient times, when countless ghost creatures died in battle, no one mined their ghost stones. As time passed, they were buried underground. The corpses completely decomposed, but the ghost stones remained. "Such ghost stones left behind on ancient battlefields are called 'ghost mines.' "One of the reasons Jiangnan is so wealthy is that it produces more ghost mines. "Medicine King Valley possesses a ghost mine, but we've barely mined it. The ghost mine generates 'ghost qi,' which accelerates the growth of medicinal herbs. Once mined, that effect vanishes." Without saying more, Qi Feng took his leave, the deal successfully struck. Chen Fan sat at the table, turning the term over in his mind. He could understand the formation of a "ghost mine," but logically, shouldn't Jiangbei have the most of them? After all, Jiangbei had been the absolute front line in ancient times. Jiangnan had merely been Jiangbei's rear. Why hadn't he discovered a single ghost mine in Jiangbei? He hadn't even heard of them before. It seemed he would have to find time to thoroughly comb the Jiangbei coastline. Perhaps he might unearth something left behind from ancient times. *** Outside the gates of Fan City. The trial operation of the high-speed rail between Fan City and Jiangbei City had been temporarily suspended. Xiao Qiu, Master of the Logistics Pavilion, was riding the high-speed rail with his personnel, applying a red liquid along the route. The rail line consisted of copper pipes. The copper pipes were buried underground. They were invisible on the surface. Unless the train was running or night had fallen, no one would be able to tell that a high-speed rail line ran beneath their feet. Therefore, to prevent people from accidentally digging it up or constructing buildings directly over the line, Xiao Qiu had gone to Nameless Mountain to harvest a large quantity of a fruit called "red fruit." The red liquid produced by crushing the fruit and mixing it with water would seep into the soil and remain for years without fading. It was perfect for marking the path. Anywhere a red line ran was a Fan Domain high-speed rail route. Anyone who dared to erect a structure on this line or damage the route was declaring themselves an enemy of Fan Domain. It might seem domineering, but Fan Domain had not built its fortune on mild amiability. Being peaceful now did not mean they wouldn't flip the table when crossed. At regular intervals, The Logistics Pavilion members also hammered wooden signs into the ground along the rail line. They clearly stated that this was a Fan Domain railway. Tamper, and die. "Young Master," Sick Monkey said hesitantly as he followed Chen Fan out of Fan City, "if we don't mark it, wouldn't anyone trying to sabotage our railway not even know where the line is?" "You can't stop those who have their minds set on it." Chen Fan shook his head. "Once the railway opens, trains will run. As long as they run, people will know where the line is buried. "If you try to guard against every single person in everything you do, you'll never accomplish anything. "Guard against seventy percent. "Eliminate twenty percent. "Intimidate the remaining ten percent. "That is enough. "Let's go." Chen Fan strode toward the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage parked at the city gate. "Ah?" Monkey, who had been listening intently, hurriedly hobbled after him. "Young Master, where are we going?" "To build the road to Medicine King Valley." "So soon?" "Mm." Soon after the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage vanished, it reappeared in the same spot. Before the eyes of the onlookers, it began laying the road once more. The starting point was still Fan City, as copper pipes sank into the ground one after another. Fast and efficient. A buzz of discussion arose as people wondered where this line was being built. Judging by the direction, It was heading deep into the Jiangbei Wasteland. *** Ten hours later. Night fell. The Nine-Five Dragon Carriage came to a stop. With the Eternal Night about to descend, Chen Fan temporarily erected a ghost fire beside the carriage and stepped down to stretch his limbs. A Rank 1 ghost fire. Its radius wasn't particularly large, But it provided enough room to move around. "I'm really not used to this." Chen Fan stood in place stretching his body, looking out into the darkness beyond the ghost fire's glow. This was the first time in many days that he had spent the night outdoors. Other matters could be delegated to others, But laying railway tracks was something he truly had to do with his own hands. He had worked non-stop for a full ten hours with barely any rest in between, laying one hundred and fifty kilometers in a single breath. It seemed like a vast distance, but in truth, he was still within the Jiangbei Wasteland. He hadn't even left Jiangbei yet. He needed to build another one hundred and seventy kilometers before reaching the border between Jiangbei and Jiangnan. The southernmost edge of Jiangbei was a massive desert, and south of that desert lay the Great River. Only after crossing the river did one reach Jiangnan. He did not intend to cut straight through the desert. Although that was the shortest route, The sandy terrain made laying copper pipes exceedingly difficult. This route angled toward the eastern side of Jiangbei, skirting the desert and crossing the Great River before running straight into Jiangnan. Under normal circumstances, travelers from Jiangnan going to Jiangbei avoided the desert. Neither carriages nor Skeleton Horses could travel across the sands. They all skirted the desert to the east, crossed the river, and then entered Jiangbei. Sick Monkey had already lit a campfire, with a pot set over the flames simmering with broth. Weiwei sprawled nearby with curious wonder, looking around left and right. The fear in its eyes had lessened slightly, replaced by a touch of excitement toward the outside world. This was the first time Weiwei had left Nameless Mountain and stepped into the world beyond. Ever since Weiwei's affliction had been healed, it was no longer so timid. Still, having spent a lifetime living in fear had left its mark; it remained rather skittish. Yes, He had brought Weiwei along as well. Since he had brought it out, it naturally had its uses. *** At daybreak, Chen Fan set out once more to lay the line. Passing by a Fan Domain outpost, he contacted Wang Kui back at Fan Domain via a voice transmission talisman. Only after confirming that nothing untoward had happened in Fan Domain yesterday did he resume laying the road with peace of mind. That day, He worked for twelve hours, Laying one hundred and seventy kilometers. He halted beside a bridge. Many merchant caravans were coming and going here. The Great River separated Jiangbei and Jiangnan, and several bridges spanned its waters. These bridges were structures— Not crafted by mortal hands. They were exceptionally sturdy. The Great River spanned seventy to eighty meters at its widest points and a dozen meters at its narrowest. At their current location, the water was forty meters wide. The toll on this bridge was also the most expensive. Every crossing was charged per head: five ghost stones per person. The downstream bridges were cheaper, But required a longer trek. Caravans pressed for time used this bridge, while those in no hurry took the downstream crossings. Still, this was understandable. Building a bridge spanning forty meters of water certainly cost far more than one spanning a dozen meters, so charging a higher toll was only natural. Exhausted in body and mind, Chen Fan grabbed a quick bite, crawled into the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage, and fell into a deep sleep. Two days. Building three hundred and twenty kilometers was no small feat—it was truly exhausting. They camped where they were. Outside the rainy season, things were not so perilous, especially with the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage present. Soon, Dawn arrived. Chen Fan stepped out of the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage and walked to the riverbank, looking out at the waters of the Great River surging downstream, churning yellow with silt. He glanced toward the nearby bridge. Merchant caravans were already crossing the bridge, traveling from Jiangnan into Jiangbei. When they caught sight of the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage, they froze momentarily, then hurriedly brought their caravans to a halt upon recognizing him, bowing in greeting. He gave a slight nod in return. Eighty percent of the caravans entering Jiangbei were heading for Fan City. Even if they didn't recognize him, They recognized the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage. In fact, even those who had never seen it before could recognize it at a glance. An extraordinary carriage drawn by nine Blazing Flame Dragon Horses was something only Chen Fan possessed in all four regions of Jiangbei—it was unmistakable. He did not possess a "bridge" building blueprint. Fan Domain currently had no need for bridges either. If the opportunity arose later, he would secure one. Soon— He walked up to the guards on the bridge and said calmly, "Call your clan head over. Tell him Chen Fan of Fan Domain has come to negotiate with him." His route had to cross this bridge. Naturally, he had to discuss the fees with the faction that owned it. "Yes!" When the guards on the bridge heard the name Chen Fan, their expressions shifted slightly. Awestruck, they respectfully agreed, then hurriedly pulled out a voice transmission talisman to contact their clan head. Before long, An elder in long robes, flanked by an entourage, came rushing toward him. "Domain Lord Chen!" His voice arrived before he did. The leading elder strode forward with a broad smile plastered across his face. "Domain Lord Chen, your great name precedes you! I had no idea you would grace us with your presence in person. Please forgive my lack of a proper welcome! "Please! "Domain Lord Chen, I have already instructed my servants to prepare a feast at our residence." "You are too kind." Chen Fan cupped his fists with a smile. "We can skip the meal and talk business. May I ask which faction you belong to?" "The Jiangnan Shui clan." The elder smiled. "Our surname is Shui. We have lived by the water for generations. We can hardly call ourselves a faction—we merely make our living off the water." "Clan Head Shui, well met. "I wonder if Clan Head Shui has heard of the 'Fan Domain high-speed rail' over these past few days?" "It has thundered in our ears," the elder replied gravely. "Fan Domain is currently building a second high-speed rail line, running from Jiangbei to Jiangnan. The line will pass over your bridge, occupying only a small footprint—just a fraction of the space. "Your bridge is twenty meters wide. "I only need about three meters of width; that will be plenty. "Of course, "I won't take it for free. Name your price." "Very well." The elder showed no surprise whatsoever. He held up five fingers and said earnestly, "Every caravan that crosses my bridge is charged per person. "Five ghost stones per head. "Non-negotiable. "Since you have spoken, Domain Lord Chen, I will not charge Fan Domain a single cent. However, the high-speed rail must halt at the bridgehead, and every passenger riding the rail across must pay five ghost stones to our Jiangnan Shui clan." In truth, He had already received word yesterday that Chen Fan was building a high-speed rail line connecting Jiangbei to Jiangnan, and he knew it would inevitably pass through here. After all, this was the closest bridge. Going farther downstream would mean taking a detour. Furthermore... Many of the downstream bridges also belonged to his family. Or rather, all the bridges between Jiangbei and Jiangnan belonged to them; only their family knew how to construct bridges. In other words, if his family perished, the link between Jiangbei and Jiangnan would be completely severed. Making a living off the water for generations was no empty boast. Thus, they had prepared their countermeasure long ago. Once the high-speed rail opened, Travel between Jiangnan and Jiangbei would undoubtedly become far more frequent. With so many people riding the rail, the tolls collected would leave their hands sore from counting. Chen Fan's brow furrowed slightly upon hearing this. This would throw a wrench into his plans. After a brief silence, he spoke: "How about this: name a lump-sum price, and I'll buy it out completely. "I won't interfere with other caravans crossing the bridge in the future. "However, those riding the Fan Domain high-speed rail will not be charged a single ghost stone when crossing. How does that sound?" "That... really won't do." The elder shook his head helplessly. "Domain Lord Chen, we make our living by fishing, not by selling the fish. A one-off deal won't do. Since you're crossing the bridge, the toll must be paid." He cleared his throat lightly. "Domain Lord Chen, "you may not be familiar with the situation in Jiangnan. In all of Jiangnan, only our Shui clan knows how to build bridges. Every bridge spanning this Great River belongs to my family. "If you want to cross the river, you must go through our Jiangnan Shui clan." Chen Fan fell silent for a moment, his face expressionless, before speaking in a low voice: "I recall there were three factions controlling the bridges between Jiangbei and Jiangnan. Perhaps the other two would agree to my terms." "Ahem." A smirk flashed through the elder's eyes. "Your information is a bit outdated, Domain Lord Chen. Originally there were indeed two others, but both perished during this past rainy season in Jiangnan. "Now, only our family remains. "If our family were to fall as well, "any future exchange between Jiangbei and Jiangnan would require detouring through Jiangxi or Jiangdong. Those two regions have clans capable of building bridges as well, though the detour is rather long." "How about this," Chen Fan said, pausing and ignoring the elder's prattle. "One ghost stone per head. The passenger volume will not be small; you will earn plenty. "In the past, you could only earn money from caravans, and there weren't that many caravans. Once my high-speed rail opens, plenty of people who aren't part of any caravan will travel this way. "You should know when to be content." "Five stones, not a cent less." The elder shook his head with a touch of smugness. "I know Fan Domain is powerful, and I know the might of that Nine-Five Dragon Carriage of yours. But only our family can build bridges in Jiangnan. If I don't give the nod, your Fan Domain's high-speed rail will never cross into Jiangnan in this lifetime. If you dare build the road, I'll block it with walls, and..." Before the words could fully leave his mouth, Chen Fan turned and walked away, speaking no further. Refusing face when it was offered. Dithering and dragging his feet. Chen Fan had already been exhausted and irritable after two straight days of hard labor, and now this fool had come to annoy him. *Only your family knows how to build bridges? If I wipe out your family and find the blueprint, Fan Domain can build its own bridges.* The very moment Chen Fan turned his back, A streak of cold light suddenly flashed across the elder's neck. Before the elder could even react, Blood sprayed into the air. Cold air rushed in through the slit. The elder clutched his neck with both hands, yet blood still poured uncontrollably between his fingers. His throat could only emit gurgling noises; he wanted to speak, but couldn't utter a single word. Shao Qiu had appeared behind the elder at some point. Like a wraith, he darted and shifted through the crowd. In just a few breaths, Nothing remained but a pool of blood on the ground. These people's cultivation levels were not high; before a Martial King like Shao Qiu, they had no resistance whatsoever. The instant the elder died, A fissure abruptly opened beneath their feet on the massive bridge. With its owner dead, the bridge belonging to the Jiangnan Shui clan would completely collapse before long. From then on, no bridge would connect Jiangnan and Jiangbei. Meanwhile— The Nine-Five Dragon Carriage had already taken to the air, soaring across the Great River and charging straight toward the territory of the Jiangnan Shui clan. The caravans watching from the roadside stood frozen in complex silence, gazing at the corpses lying in the pool of blood with rueful expressions. They had overheard the entire conversation. The price hadn't been agreed upon. In truth, they had harbored grievances against the Jiangnan Shui clan for a long time. The tolls hadn't been this exorbitant in the past, but ever since the other two families were wiped out, the prices had been jacked up. After all, it had become a monopoly. Many had suspected whether the Jiangnan Shui clan had played dirty during the rainy season, steering the ghost tide to breach the territories of the other two factions. Otherwise, how could there be such a convenient coincidence? Though seeing them slaughtered brought a sense of grim satisfaction, what were they to do now that the bridge was gone? The Nine-Five Dragon Carriage could fly, but they certainly couldn't...