Officially Commencing Operations

Chen Fan did not linger in Medicine King Valley. He departed shortly after his arrival. His departure marked the complete establishment of the high-speed rail line connecting Fan City to Medicine King Valley. It spanned a total of 787 kilometers—a slightly longer route to skirt the desert. At a speed of seventy kilometers per cup of tea, the entire journey took only eleven cups of tea. One terminus sat at the northernmost edge of Jiangbei, while the other lay in the heart of Jiangnan. In the past, traveling between the two required days. Without a Skeleton Horse, the journey would have been impossible; the intervals between intermediate outposts were far too great for ordinary horses to reach shelter before dark. Now, the trip took a mere eleven cups of tea. Travelers were spared the blazing sun and harsh winds. There was no need to seek lodgings at outposts. One could reach the destination within the same day. If one wished, even a same-day round trip was entirely feasible. Of course, regular transit had not yet officially opened; the project was still in its track-laying phase. Out across the Jiangnan plains, Chen Fan sat aboard the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage and continued laying track. This time, he was paving the lines running from Medicine King Valley to the various cities of Jiangnan. Another five days slipped by. Chen Fan set out on the journey home. During those five days, he had not rested once in Jiangnan. He had connected lines to nearly every major city—nine cities in total, all linked. Now, anyone in Jiangnan wishing to travel to Jiangbei could complete a round trip within a single day. On the return journey, Chen Fan leaned back against the carriage interior, thoroughly exhausted. Over the past ten days, aside from sleeping at night, he had barely paused during daylight hours. Laying copper pipes was not physically demanding in itself—in fact, it hardly consumed any physical strength—yet the sheer volume and prolonged duration took their toll. Even the least strenuous action, repeated ceaselessly, became utterly grueling. "Domain Master," Shao Qiu said softly after sitting in the carriage in conflicted silence for a long time. "You have transformed the Eternal Night Continent. You have changed the world. Fan Domain may one day be renowned across the entire Eternal Night Continent." Leaning against the carriage wall, Chen Fan waved a weary hand. "Spare me the flattery. I'm exhausted." "It isn't flattery." Shao Qiu shook his head. "Even if your high-speed rail line currently only connects Jiangbei and Jiangnan, you have no idea what this represents." Chen Fan rolled his eyes at him. "Just shut your mouth and let me rest. I have no idea what it represents? Did I toil away laying track for ten straight days just for fun? Like I said, you're hopeless at brown-nosing. Go sit in the corner." "Uh..." Shao Qiu shrank back sheepishly, tucking his neck into the corner of the carriage. What he had actually wanted to say was that this feat was unprecedented and would never be matched, benefiting not only Fan Domain but the entire Eternal Night Continent. Yet coming out of his mouth, the words had somehow sounded wrong. After a day and a night of non-stop travel, the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage did not halt when darkness fell. Instead, it sped straight through the Eternal Night, rushing toward Fan Domain as fast as possible. Upon arriving back in Fan Domain, Chen Fan didn't even pause to rest before walking up to the wall at the gorge's cavern mouth. He settled into his familiar rocking chair, lying back as his entire body relaxed in an instant, letting out a long breath. "Ah, that's much better." Staying in Fan Domain was simply far more relaxing. Traveling abroad was too exhausting, surrounded by unfamiliar faces and strange places. The rocking chair beneath him had been crafted by Xiao Qiu back when the Living Workshop had first been built. Even though the Living Workshop had since been upgraded and could produce far superior chairs, Chen Fan had never replaced it. He was accustomed to this one. "Give me an overview of Fan Domain's situation over the past few days." Wang Kui stood beside him and handed over a ledger, then recited the details from memory so Chen Fan had a clear reference to follow. Thanks to the strict warehouse inventory management system, the ledger was guaranteed to be free of discrepancies. "Domain Master," Wang Kui said with a serious expression, "during the eleven days you were away, a total of 1,379,000 ghost stones were consumed. Over those same eleven days, Fan City generated a net profit of 2,370,000 ghost stones after deducting construction costs. That does not include the 100,000 ghost stones stored in the camp's ghost fire, nor the 100,000 ghost stones held in reserve capital." "Fan City's profits came predominantly from the Silk Road. However, an increasing number of factions are setting up stalls in Fan City to buy and sell exotic treasures; perhaps we should consider taking a percentage cut. The Silk Road accounts for ninety percent of total profits. The remainder consists of modest gains. I opened a shop in Fan City dedicated to selling the braised delicacies prepared by Zhao Shengping, the Pavilion Master of the Artifact Pavilion. The revenue isn't staggering, but it is growing steadily. The total profit over these eleven days came to 12,000 ghost stones." "Beyond that, quite a few factions have delivered substantial sums of ghost stones to Fan Domain over these past days, hoping we can extend the high-speed rail to their front doors. But since you were in Jiangnan, Domain Master, and our communication outposts haven't reached that far yet, we couldn't contact you. I accepted the ghost stones on a temporary basis, informing them that a final decision would be made once you returned. The total amount in that batch comes to 3,710,000 ghost stones. Excluding that sum, Fan Domain's warehouse reserves currently stand at 2,611,000 ghost stones." Chen Fan's expression turned slightly odd. "Are you telling me that the ghost stones offered by other factions exceed the entire reserve of Fan Domain?" "Yes." Wang Kui nodded. "Mainly because so many factions reached out to us. Virtually every faction of any renown across the four regions of Jiangbei has come knocking. It's only because the Wind and Rain Tower was wiped out; otherwise, they would have come to us too. With the high-speed rail, assassinations would be far faster in the future. Take an order in the morning, arrive by noon, and be back at camp in time for dinner." "I'm afraid that wouldn't have worked," Chen Fan chuckled. "The Wind and Rain Tower's base was on an island out at sea. Our high-speed rail can't reach offshore islands." "Actually, it might not be impossible," Wang Kui said hesitantly. "Weiwei is fantastic at digging. It could just tunnel through the seabed." Chen Fan froze, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. Come to think of it, that was true. There was no need to worry about cave-ins thanks to the Mountain Skeleton Embryo. Nor was there any need to worry about how to make landfall—a vertical shaft would do, considering the high-speed rail was essentially an elevator at its core. Vertical travel was its original specialty; running across the ground was a departure from its main trade. While the idea was intriguing, it was useless for now. He didn't even know what lay across the sea. Digging an undersea tunnel would lead nowhere. Still, it remained a fascinating proposal. "Domain Master, should we keep those ghost stones or return them?" "Hmm..." Chen Fan pondered for a moment before deciding, "Filter through them. Keep the offerings from factions that submitted 100,000 ghost stones, and return the rest." "Understood. In that case, we will keep 2,760,000 ghost stones. Fan Domain's current total reserves will stand at 5,371,000 ghost stones." Chen Fan rose from his rocking chair, stretched lazily, and stepped off the wall toward his wooden cabin. He hadn't slept well on the dragon carriage over the past few days; now that he was back, he wanted a solid rest in his own bed. After a short trip outside, Fan Domain's ghost stone reserves had already broken through the five-million mark. Not bad at all. His next goal would be ten million. *** Just as dawn broke, members of Fan Domain's Logistics Pavilion mobilized into action. The Domain Master had already finished laying the route; their job was to refine it. The red fruit on the unnamed mountain was no longer sufficient, so they had procured a large quantity from Jiangnan. While scarce in Jiangbei, those wild berries grew in abundance in Jiangnan—tart and astringent, something no one bothered to eat. Their main task was to mark the Domain Master's lines in red and place warning signs at set intervals. The primary groundwork was already complete; the remaining details could be handled by his subordinates. Sitting atop the wall, Chen Fan leisurely brewed a cup of tea to celebrate the end of his business trip, slowly flipping through the architectural blueprints in his hands. These were the blueprints he had acquired at the Architects' Exchange Conference. Back when he purchased them, he had promised to construct the corresponding structures and return them after the conference concluded. However, his impromptu trip had delayed the matter. By now, the conference had ended, and the architects from the various factions had long since returned home. He planned to deliver the finished buildings right to their doorsteps once the high-speed rail was running. Among them were the Tianxia Pavilion's Soul-Devouring Sculpture, as well as blueprints for hanging baskets and automatic spraying devices. In addition to those, he held two White-grade blueprints and one Green-grade blueprint: [Exotic Treasure: Mill] [Grade: White] [Effect: Architectural blueprint. Rapidly processes agricultural crops.] [Exotic Treasure: Water Well] [Grade: White] [Effect: Architectural blueprint. Extracts groundwater.] Both were excellent utility buildings for daily life, especially the latter. Fan Domain currently did not possess a proper well of its own. Having one would make fetching water far more convenient. Though only White grade, it was immensely practical. The remaining item was the Green-grade blueprint: [Exotic Treasure: Fishery] [Grade: Green] [Effect: Architectural blueprint. Cultivates various fish species.] He decided to build one by the shore later, right next to the Port. Raising some fish along the coast would be quite pleasant. Once he finished looking over the blueprints, he descended from the wall, boarded the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage, and rode toward Fan City to inspect his territory. After just a few days away, Fan City had grown noticeably livelier. "We need to expand," Chen Fan murmured, looking at the congested city gates. Originally, Fan City measured only one thousand meters on each side. For a settlement intended solely for trade and commerce, that should have been plenty. But Fan Domain had become the focal point of the four regions of Jiangbei, drawing an ever-growing influx of visitors. The city was simply growing too cramped. Moreover, Wang Kui had reported that numerous factions wished to open shops within Fan City: pill dispensaries, inns, heavenly material and earthly treasure merchants, and even fortune-telling stalls of all varieties. That represented another stream of revenue. Once the high-speed rail opened, the traffic would surge even further, making Fan City all the more inadequate. Expansion had to be put on the agenda. Accompanied by Monkey, Chen Fan walked down another street, one primarily lined with stalls where factions traded their exotic treasures. Whenever he had free time, he enjoyed browsing here for finds. Suddenly, Chen Fan's pupils contracted. He spotted a remarkable treasure. A Luck Bell—a bell-type exotic treasure with an effect identical to the Luck Whistle, granting a brief boost to fortune. He still had a Yellow-grade Lucky Bag waiting to be opened; this was precisely what he needed! He didn't pause, walking past the stall without taking a second look. Soon after, a member of the commerce chamber stepped forward, haggled on his behalf, and secured the bell at a fair price before delivering it into his hands. Chen Fan's previous personal purchases had been largely for show; normally, there was no need for him to step forward in person when an unfamiliar face could handle the transaction cleanly. Inside a shop, Chen Fan sat in a chair, fumbling a spatial ring from his robes as he muttered, "It won't be long before this ring can be opened. This time, I'll definitely get the right answer." He had kept both the spatial ring and the Yellow-grade Lucky Bag with him at all times. The bag was made of silk, cinched tightly at the neck with a red cord, resembling a fish-roe lucky pouch. He inspected the bell in his hand: [Exotic Treasure: Luck Bell] [Grade: Green] [Effect: Upon ringing the bell, slightly enhances luck for the immediate next action. Single-use treasure.] The panel description differed slightly from the Luck Whistle. Instead of boosting luck for three breaths, it granted a minor increase for the very next action. The wording was somewhat ambiguous. For instance... in the final sprint of intimacy, right as everything was about to burst forth, if he rang the bell, would the odds of conception skyrocket? How did it even determine whether a pregnancy was good luck or bad luck? Or did it calibrate according to his own wishes? He pushed the thought aside, took a deep breath, and whispered as he stared at the Lucky Bag's panel: "Come on... Time to witness a miracle." [Lucky Bag: Upon opening, grants a 50% chance of a Yellow-grade exotic treasure, a 30% chance of a Yellow-grade heavenly material or earthly treasure, a 10% chance of a Yellow-grade architectural blueprint, a 9.5% chance of a Yellow-grade wonder, and a 0.5% chance of other items.] The lower the probability, the greater the value. *Clang!* The bell rang out, clear and melodious. He swiftly untied the cord around the bag and reached inside, pulling out... an architectural blueprint. "A blueprint?" Chen Fan felt a tinge of regret. He had hoped to hit that 0.5% chance for 'other,' deeply curious about what it might contain. Still, it made sense; a minor boost to luck was not a massive one. Yet when he read the panel on the blueprint, he froze on the spot. [Exotic Treasure: Signal Tower] [Grade: Yellow] [Effect: Expands the transmission range of voice transmission talismans.] "Holy shit!" "Jackpot!" Chen Fan couldn't help but swear aloud, then hurried out of the city in high excitement to return to Fan Domain aboard the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage and test its effects. The Silk Road! The New Continent! The High-Speed Rail! The Jiangbei Defense Line! Every major initiative of Fan Domain suffered from a single glaring weakness: severely limited communication range. But now... the final deficiency had been thoroughly resolved. An ordinary voice transmission talisman had a maximum effective range of one hundred kilometers. Establishing a communication chain from Fan City to Medicine King Valley would have required at least ten communication outposts; now, perhaps five would suffice. This was not merely a reduction in costs, but a vast expansion in coverage area—after all, a communication radius wasn't a straight line, but an entire expanse. Returning swiftly to Fan Domain, Chen Fan consumed one thousand ghost stones and one ghost bone to construct a Signal Tower atop the mountain. Standing ten meters tall, it was crafted entirely from stone, a solid cylinder of uniform width from top to bottom, resembling a round stone pillar etched with diverse patterns. [Building: Signal Tower] [Grade: Yellow] [Level: 1] [Effect: Amplifies the transmission range of an embedded voice transmission talisman by ten times.] *(Note: Upgrading to Level 2 requires 2,000 ghost stones and any one of the following: Sea Embryo, Mountain Embryo, Forest Embryo, etc.)* "Ten times... That's a thousand kilometers." Chen Fan fell into stunned silence. The straight-line distance from Fan City to Medicine King Valley was seven hundred kilometers—hardly a short trek. Now, by placing a single Signal Tower at each end, they could achieve real-time communication without needing any intermediate outposts. The leap in convenience was staggering. The sheer scale of the achievement made him marvel at himself; such a massive undertaking had been completed in just ten days. Furthermore, this made high-speed rail dispatching possible. His current rail system was a single-track line. Operating a double track was out of the question for now, as that would mean constructing an entirely separate parallel line—demanding enormous time, labor, and wealth, making cost recovery exceptionally difficult. But with Signal Towers, flawless junction dispatching was achievable. For instance, Fan Domain's rail department could receive departure updates from every station. By establishing landmarks along the line to track precise locations and coordinating with train conductors and nearby stationmasters, trains could pass one another using sidings. When two trains approached each other, one could pull onto a nearby siding to wait for the opposing train to pass before returning to the main line. Passenger capacity would multiply dramatically. Naturally, that was a prospect for the future; he had no intention of introducing complex dispatching right away, as the workload would be overwhelming. Chen Fan took a deep breath and began investigating how the Signal Tower operated. Upgrading it in the short term was impossible, as he lacked a Sea Embryo, but Level 1 was more than sufficient; its coverage was already enormous. "Testing, testing." He pulled out a voice transmission talisman and attempted to contact Sick Monkey in Fan City through the Signal Tower. The connection established almost immediately. Of course, that was hardly surprising—he could have reached him even without the tower, since Fan City sat right beside the unnamed mountain. Even so, he grasped the tower's underlying logic. By placing a voice transmission talisman inside the Signal Tower, that talisman could contact someone a thousand kilometers away. But one couldn't very well stand beside the tower all day to talk, could they? Instead, he could use the talisman in his hand to reach the Signal Tower, which would then relay the message to the person holding the corresponding talisman a thousand kilometers away. The Signal Tower served as a relay hub. This would vastly enhance Fan Domain's overall coordination. Furthermore, the Signal Tower had no capacity limit, meaning it could seamlessly relay ten thousand, one hundred thousand, or even a million messages simultaneously without issue. If that was the case... Chen Fan's expression turned intriguing. The idea he had once jotted down on a draft—Fan Domain Telecommunications—could finally be realized! He could sell voice transmission talismans directly, with only those crafted by Fan Domain capable of relaying through the Signal Tower. Voice transmission talismans were consumable goods, guaranteeing repeat purchases, and they were an absolute necessity. In the past, only major factions could afford to build communication outposts, given the steep construction and maintenance costs, and those were always clustered in central regions rather than remote outposts. But now, with the launch of the high-speed rail, interaction across the four regions of Jiangbei would grow far more intimate. The demand for communication outposts would skyrocket. Launching Fan Domain Telecommunications at this juncture would undoubtedly bring in a colossal fortune. "Excellent." He smiled to himself, deciding to announce the news once the high-speed rail network was mostly established. Life truly seemed to be getting better and better. *** "Sometimes, human strength truly feels so insignificant..." To the west of the ruined city of Pingcheng, within the headquarters of the Jiangbei Chamber of Commerce, the chamber's leader stood by the window in a daze, staring at the peach blossoms outside. The Jiangbei Chamber of Commerce existed in name only. The Silk Road had thoroughly shattered his monopoly, essentially severing almost all of his revenue streams and forcing him to pivot. And pivot he did. He wasn't the sort to blame heaven or curse his luck; when a crisis struck, he didn't whine, he sought a way out. He had adapted to the times, joining Fan Domain's Silk Road initiative to purchase large numbers of Skeleton Horses for resale in other regions. Yet as a Jiangbei-based power, his connections in other territories were nowhere near as extensive as those of rival factions. Sales had been painfully sluggish. When he finally managed to find a client after immense effort, he discovered the buyer had already paid a deposit to another faction. That path proved treacherous. So he sought another. Since Fan Domain had become the focal point of the four regions of Jiangbei, building outposts across the Jiangbei wilderness to offer traveling caravans a place to rest seemed a lucrative venture. The more Fan Domain flourished, the more he would earn. He had already poured resources into establishing the outposts. Before he could even recoup his capital, word came of the Fan Domain High-Speed Rail. In the future, traveling caravans would ride the rail; aside from those hauling massive cargo like Giant Tortoises, who would bother stopping at outposts? That venture looked set to end in total loss as well. Pivoting so desperately had practically driven him into an early grave. He understood that Fan Domain had never targeted him intentionally, yet they were thoroughly running him into the ground all the same. He stared blankly into the distance, at a loss for where to turn next. *** In Sunset City, the city dedicated to cultivation and breeding within Fan Domain, a new district had been cleared. Chen Fan constructed ten max-level Living Workshops in one breath, turned to Xiao Qiu behind him, and smiled. "From here on, your primary task is crafting voice transmission talismans. There is no quota limit—the more, the better." Xiao Qiu stared dumbfounded at the ten neatly aligned Living Workshops before asking instinctively, "Is there a rough target number?" "Start with two hundred thousand." "We don't have that many Flesh Ghost Mother-Child Fruits in the warehouse." "Yes, we do," Stationmaster Qi chimed in quietly from the side. "I have such a massive city and so many people toiling day and night—did you think we were playing house here? Fan Domain has gathered a wide variety of ghost plant seeds lately, and they're all under large-scale cultivation. The current stock of Flesh Ghost Mother-Child Fruits is more than enough for you to craft two hundred thousand voice transmission talismans. If that isn't enough, I'll expand our operations further. I guarantee your needs will be met." "Alright!" Xiao Qiu took a deep breath, his expression turning resolute. "No problem! So long as there are enough fruits, I can handle the rest." *** Three days later, the members of the Logistics Pavilion returned. The details along Chen Fan's high-speed rail line had been thoroughly ironed out, with markings placed along the entire route. The Logistics Pavilion had also refined the stations Chen Fan had erected at each stop. Over the past two days, Chen Fan had made a trip along the rail line himself, erecting a total of five Signal Towers across Jiangbei and Jiangnan to guarantee seamless coverage between both regions. It was fair to say that one could now reach Fan Domain from virtually any corner of Jiangbei or Jiangnan. Around each Signal Tower, he had constructed basic fortifications, including walls, cannon towers, and ghost fires. The Signal Towers did not need direct physical connections to Fan Domain. The personnel who had previously staffed Fan Domain's communication outposts were relocated to the towers, tasked with routine duties such as replacing the voice transmission talismans embedded within. After three hectic days, the high-speed rail line that held the attention of everyone across the four regions of Jiangbei finally made its inaugural run! Inside Fan City, a platform rushed to completion overnight by Fan Domain stood in stark contrast to the surrounding architecture. Along the edge of the platform, a red line was painted across the ground, leading straight out toward the wilderness. Resting on the ground was a high-speed train assembled from eighteen max-level hanging baskets linked together. Beside it stood a station sign: [Fan City Station] Chen Fan designated it Line 1. It featured twelve stations in total: Fan City, Jiangbei Bridge, Medicine King Valley, and nine major cities across Jiangnan. This was their first major trunk line. The moment operations were declared open, a gathering of faction leaders who had been invited stepped forward to experience it. "Everyone," Chen Fan said with a genial smile, looking at the assembled leaders from the edge of the platform. "All aboard. This is the first official line of the Fan Domain High-Speed Rail. Come aboard and experience it for yourselves." "Domain Master Chen," one patriarch asked, voicing the question everyone was most curious about, "how... how do you plan to charge for this high-speed rail?" This was the crux of the matter. Everyone already knew the Fan Domain High-Speed Rail was an incredible marvel; the only question was the cost. If the fare was exorbitant, it would be painful to bear. People would still use it, of course, but only under exceptional circumstances rather than on a whim. "That will be announced shortly," Chen Fan replied with a chuckle as he boarded the train. The remaining faction leaders exchanged glances and followed him inside. The high-speed rail started up promptly, hurtling toward the depths of the wilderness at blistering speed. Ahead stretched the red line, flanked on both sides by warning signs flashing past in rapid succession—all added by the Logistics Pavilion. Before long, the train smoothly decelerated and halted at the platform of Jiangbei Bridge. "This bridge is called Jiangbei Bridge, marking the boundary between Jiangbei and Jiangnan." The adjoining platform was clearly newly built, set within the protective radius of a ghost fire. It featured rain shelters, rest areas, and even potted flowers and shrubs. "A touch of comfort," Chen Fan introduced with a smile. This was the value of the Logistics Pavilion; while flowers and greenery served no practical purpose, they made the surroundings far more pleasant. The faction leaders gazed out the windows with mixed emotions. The speed was undeniably astonishing. Moments later, the train started again. When it stopped next, it pulled up before the gates of Medicine King Valley. A newly constructed platform stood there as well, clearly built by Fan Domain in a style consistent with the other stations. "My home, my home!" the Master of Medicine King Valley chuckled merrily. "In the future, whenever you need pills, just take the high-speed rail directly to my door! Or contact me, and I can deliver them right to your doorstep." The train set off once more, ferrying the faction leaders to the remaining nine cities of Jiangnan. The route formed a loop, neatly connecting all nine cities. At every stop before a city, crowds of commoners flocked outside the walls to gawk at the spectacle. Finally, when the train halted at the station of the last city, Chen Fan stepped onto the platform, turned to the faction leaders, and smiled. "Fan Domain High-Speed Rail." "The fare is tentatively set at one ghost stone." "Charged per person." "Board at any station, alight at any station—the price remains the same." "Freight cargo will be billed separately." The moment his words fell, Fan Domain personnel stationed at the post pulled out a sign prepared in advance and planted it firmly in the ground: [Fare: 1 Ghost Stone] [This route is Fan Domain Line 1. Terminus: Fan City.] Simultaneously, all stations received the announcement and displayed identical boards: [Officially Commencing Operations Today] [Currently Operating on Alternating One-Way Schedules] *(For example: departures this double-hour run toward Fan City; departures next double-hour run from Fan City to here, alternating every double-hour. Consult station notice boards for specific timetables.)* The news detonated across every station at once. The faction leaders beside him, along with the commoners of the city, were struck dumb on the spot. O-One ghost stone?! Wasn't that far too cheap?! The toll for Jiangbei Bridge alone used to be five ghost stones, yet a train ticket cost a single ghost stone and waived the bridge toll entirely? And it could take you so far, at such incredible speed? Did this mean that not only could powerful factions ride it, but ordinary commoners could as well? Chen Fan stood quietly to one side with an amused smile as an enormous high-speed train hauling a full one hundred hanging baskets glided smoothly into the station of Peace City from the distance. Each basket could hold over a dozen people, allowing the massive train to accommodate well over a thousand passengers. This train was bound for Fan City. It was the very first train put into official commercial service. The instant ticket sales were announced, countless commoners who had been watching the spectacle reached for their ghost stones and surged into the station, paying their fares to board. The price was simply too cheap. In the blink of an eye, the train was packed to capacity and rumbled off into the distance. A cup of tea later, another colossal train pulling one hundred hanging baskets pulled into the station, overflowing with passengers almost instantaneously before departing fully laden. Peace City was the terminal station. When laying the track, Chen Fan had extended the line one kilometer past the city and established an outpost there for trains to park. The train he and the faction leaders had ridden, for instance, had already pulled onto a siding after arriving at Peace City, leaving the main line completely unobstructed for regular operations. Fan Domain High-Speed Rail Line 1 had officially entered operation. Nearly every faction and civilian around the stations learned of the fare right away: a single ghost stone. What did that mean? Back when Wang Kui served as a stationmaster, his monthly salary had been ten ghost stones. That meant even Wang Kui could easily afford it. And Wang Kui had been among the higher earners among common folk; an ordinary laborer earned only three to five ghost stones a month. Even those ordinary people could grit their teeth and spare enough for a ride to experience it. In other words, virtually anyone could afford to take the high-speed rail. This was completely different from what the factions had anticipated. They had assumed the fares would be steep, catering exclusively to influential powers. Who could have imagined it would be set so low? *** "Damn it! When the hell did Peace City get so many fucking people?!" "Did the entire damn city turn out?!" In Hundred Days City, one of the nine great cities of Jiangnan and the second-to-last stop on Fan Domain Line 1—just after Peace City—a bearded, middle-aged man stood on the platform, cursing furiously as train after train sped past. Upon learning that one could experience the high-speed rail for just a single ghost stone, he had sprinted over immediately. Yet ten consecutive trains had roared by, every single one packed to the brim. There wasn't an inch of space to board. Unless someone disembarked, no seat could open up, and nobody was getting off. He couldn't get on no matter how hard he tried. "Hey, are there any more trains coming?" he asked the nearby Fan Domain staff member anxiously. "No more for now," the member stationed at Hundred Days City replied, flipping the nearby sign over. "The next departures will run from Fan City to Peace City. Departures from Peace City to Fan City won't resume until over a double-hour from now." "Fine, I'll wait!" The man ground his teeth. As long as a train came, he would wait; his only fear was that in a double-hour, the people from Peace City would pack the cars full once again. *** "Look, that's Medicine King Valley! Medicine King Valley!" Aboard a high-speed train, passengers pressed excitedly against the windows, pointing at the Gold-Swallowing Toad resting beside the valley entrance. Medicine King Valley had always been renowned across Jiangnan, and people knew of its gentle guardian beast, the Gold-Swallowing Toad. But few had ever seen it in person. Seeing it now filled them with sheer excitement. The Master of Medicine King Valley, who had taken this train back to his sect, saw how popular his toad was. His eyes lit up. As the train made its brief stop, he squeezed his way out and shouted toward the passengers inside: "Anyone want to pet the Gold-Swallowing Toad?" "Selling shadow retention stones!" "Take a commemorative picture!" "Feedings available!" The passengers exchanged hesitant glances. Their goal was Fan City, which had gained immense fame recently; they had all wanted to see what it looked like. Yet some passengers couldn't resist and dashed off the train, sprinting excitedly toward the Gold-Swallowing Toad. They could always visit Fan City next time; for now, getting a keepsake picture was the priority! Having a portrait taken with the famed Gold-Swallowing Toad would give them immense bragging rights over drinks! While others boasted about meeting various dignitaries, pulling out an image of themselves alongside the Gold-Swallowing Toad would instantly dominate the table. Who could compete with that? "Pet it as much as you like, touch it freely!" The Valley Master beamed from ear to ear. The Gold-Swallowing Toad crouched in place, its heavy eyelids half-closed, perfectly motionless and thoroughly enjoying the attention. "Valley Master..." The Great Elder, who had been trailing behind him, finally couldn't hold back and leaned in to whisper, "As the Valley Master, you should maintain an air of profound mystery and avoid appearing so casually before the public. Furthermore, the Gold-Swallowing Toad is our sect's guardian beast. Allowing these mortals to fondle it like this... doesn't it compromise our dignity...?" The Valley Master cast an annoyed glare at the Great Elder. "Broaden your perspective! Learn a thing or two from Domain Master Chen. With an empire as massive as his, did he hide away in Fan Domain? You need foot traffic to do business! Besides, see how fast these shadow retention stones are selling? This is business too!" Turning back to the crowd, he called out cheerfully, "Come along, this way! Only one ghost stone to take a keepsake image, complete with feeding and petting!" *** Soon, the first high-speed train pulled into Fan City. Over a thousand people poured out, instantly making the city vastly more bustling. Some disembarked, glanced around briefly, and dashed straight out the city gates toward the coast. Fan City sat merely a kilometer from the sea; many people had never seen the ocean in their entire lives, and their greatest dream in coming here was to lay eyes upon the open waters. "Sniff... Smells... smells incredible!" A man who had just jogged off the train looked around in bewilderment, dazzled by the sights. Before he could take in the surroundings, an intoxicating aroma hit his senses, prompting him to follow the scent with his eyes. Not far away, an elderly gentleman tended to a steaming braised food stall, busily preparing braised offal while shouting at the top of his lungs: "Step right up, take a look! Guaranteed delicious! If it isn't fragrant, you don't pay a copper!" The man walked over instinctively and glanced at the signboard: [Jiangbei Braised Master] His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. "How much for a portion?" "Two ghost stones a bowl." "That expensive?" The man's voice rose in disbelief. "A bowl like this back home wouldn't even cost one ghost stone!" Wasn't Jiangbei supposed to have low living costs? Why was this pricier than Jiangnan? "Is that even comparable?" Zhao Shengping snorted coldly as he worked amidst the steam. "Once you taste my braised stew, I guarantee you won't be able to stomach another bite of anyone else's for the rest of your life. Besides, I am Zhao Shengping, Pavilion Master of Fan Domain's Artifact Pavilion! What kind of status do I hold? Where else could you spend two ghost stones to have someone of my standing cook braised stew for you?" "Pavilion Master of the Artifact Pavilion?" The man froze, then turned indignantly to a passing Fan Domain member. "Excuse me, sir! That old man selling braised food claims he's your Artifact Pavilion Master! He's impersonating a pavilion master of Fan Domain!" The stopped member let out a helpless sigh. "He's the real deal. He genuinely is the Master of our Artifact Pavilion." "How is that possible?" The man stared blankly. Were Fan Domain's pavilion masters down on their luck to the point of cooking street food for commoners? Weren't ordinary Fan Domain members supposed to earn one hundred ghost stones a month? "What do you know?" Zhao Shengping scoffed. "Making braised food is my passion. The Artifact Pavilion doesn't have any pressing tasks right now—is there a crime in me coming out to cook some braised stew?" Coming to Fan Domain had truly been the best decision of his life. Not only did it provide him and his disciples with a livelihood, but more importantly, his state of mind had transformed. In his previous sect, whenever he cooked braised dishes, everyone mocked him, branding him with the humiliating moniker 'Guanxi Braised Master.' It had made him hold his head low in shame. But here in Fan Domain, the Domain Master fully respected his passion. As the saying went, a scholar would gladly die for the confidant who understood him. He had never felt such a profound sense of belonging to any faction. This was his home; he would spend the rest of his life here and go nowhere else. Furthermore, he could proudly proclaim himself the 'Jiangbei Braised Master'—no longer an insult, but a testament to his mastery. "Give me a bowl!" The man wasted no more words. A dish prepared personally by the Pavilion Master of Fan Domain's Artifact Pavilion was something he simply had to taste.