"It's Not Kindness, It's an Investment"

"…" Chen Fan narrowed his eyes slightly, silently observing everything before him. After activating the Eternal Night Lord panel, he had obtained blueprints for five basic buildings and one special building. The "Bear Trap" was that special building. A bear trap was not an especially difficult snare to make, but only one constructed by an architect possessed special building effects capable of inflicting damage on ghost creatures. As for the remaining five basic buildings, they were: Wall, Farmland, Arrow Tower, Wooden Cabin, and Sacrificial Tower. After observing for a while longer, he quietly withdrew and made his way back toward his camp. ... As he neared the camp, he could see Quehou from a distance, sitting on the ground braiding rope while constantly scanning the surroundings on alert. Seeing Chen Fan return, Quehou hurriedly scrambled to his feet and stepped forward to report. "Young Master!" "I've already braided a three-meter length of rope. But conditions are poor—there's no limewater to treat it, no time to dry it in the sun, and withered grass isn't as good as hemp stalks. It might not be very strong." "No matter." Chen Fan shook his head. "As long as it's serviceable, it doesn't need to be exceptionally sturdy. Have you eaten yet?" "Not yet." "Eat some of the dry rations." "I saw there isn't much left. Going hungry for a few meals is fine by me—I'm used to starving anyway." "No need for that." Chen Fan glanced toward the depths of the wasteland, his brow furrowing slightly. "We have work to do tonight. You need a full stomach to have strength. Don't worry about food; I'll figure something out." When the Chen family abandoned him at this outpost, they never intended for him to return alive, so naturally they had left no provisions. The nearest market, Jiangbei Market, was still a long journey away. However, the other outposts nearby should not be lacking in food and water. Relying on the Chen family's name, he might be able to trade ghost stones for some food. Right at that moment— Two figures appeared atop the low earthen mound in the distance and strode toward their camp. As they drew near, the middle-aged man leading the way looked at Chen Fan with a slightly odd expression, cupping his fists in greeting. "Your Excellency must be the stationmaster of Jiangbei Chen family's Outpost 37?" "I am Wang Kui, stationmaster of Qiuhe Wang family's Outpost 17." A smile surfaced on Chen Fan's face, and he returned the gesture. "Greetings, Stationmaster Wang. I am Chen Fan." He recognized the two men. They were from the outpost he had just scouted, though he had no idea what had brought them here to seek him out. Wang Kui cleared his throat lightly before speaking in a probing tone. "Stationmaster Chen, as far as I know, your Chen family's Outpost 37 has been abandoned for over a month. Why was it suddenly put back into service?" "Hardly any travelers pass along this stretch of road, and there's little profit to be made. Could it be that you've caught wind of something?" "Though our two families share little friendship, those of us sent out here on bitter duties—even from rival clans—ought to look out for one another in this desolate wilderness. If a ghost tide breaks out, neither of us will make it out alive." "After all, the glory belongs to the family, but our lives belong to ourselves. Wouldn't you agree?" Chen Fan did not answer immediately. He had a rough idea of what Wang Kui was thinking—the man was clearly overthinking things. Yet before Chen Fan could speak, the man behind Wang Kui blurted out in astonishment, "You're Chen Fan? That bastard son of the Jiangbei Chen family?" "…" Chen Fan nodded impassively. "I am." "Mind your mouth!" A flicker of understanding passed through Wang Kui's eyes. He turned to glare at his subordinate in feigned anger, then forced an awkward smile. "My man lacks manners. But then, I've been out on the wasteland for so long that I've been out of touch with outside affairs for quite some time." "My outpost still needs someone in charge, so I'll take my leave first." Without lingering, he turned and led his subordinate away. ... Out on the wasteland. Wang Kui walked across the cracked earth with his subordinate, his brow knitted slightly as he asked, "What exactly is that Chen Fan's background? Give me the full story." Ever since entering the service of the Wang family, he had spent nearly all his time stationed at outposts, a full thirteen years in total. Though he was rotated to a different outpost every year, he truly had no knowledge of such gossip. "It's actually quite famous." The bronze-skinned man scratched at the dry flakes of skin on his face and grinned. "That old head of the Chen family—back when he inherited the position in his youth, the Chen family wasn't nearly as strong as it is now. The main reason was that they lacked an architect." "You've got to admit, though—the old head was quite handsome back then. He ran into a female cultivator who happened to be a Rank 4 architect. She had no real background, just a rogue cultivator. He pursued her relentlessly until he won her over, and she bore him a son—that very Chen Fan." "From then on, relying on that Rank 4 architect, the Chen family gradually gained a firm foothold in Jiangbei." "However, when Chen Fan was still young, that woman died. Then the Chen family head formed a marriage alliance with the Pingtian Chamber of Commerce, having two sons and a daughter who are now the current heirs. Her dowry included an enshrined Rank 5 architect." "The architect currently enshrined in the Chen family came over from the Pingtian Chamber of Commerce." "Think about it: with an architect backing her, that new wife naturally wanted her own son to inherit the Chen family. Chen Fan's standing grew lower and lower. Originally, Clan Head Chen still harbored a sliver of hope, thinking that since Chen Fan's mother was an architect, Chen Fan might awaken as one too." "An architect from one's own clan is far more reliable than an enshrined expert." "The result was obvious—he failed to awaken. Chen Fan lost all standing. Being dispatched out here this time probably wasn't because he caught wind of anything; more likely than not, he was sent here to die." "…" Wang Kui's brow furrowed slightly. "How could that make him a bastard? I thought he was born of a maidservant or something. Isn't he squarely the eldest son of the primary wife?" "Heh, if his Rank 4 architect mother hadn't died, he would indeed be the legitimate eldest son. But once she died, he became the bastard." "True enough." Wang Kui let out a long sigh. "These great families are rife with such sordid filth. In that case..." He pondered for a moment before speaking. "Since he was sent here to die, they surely didn't leave him any ghost stones or food. Later, take some food and water from our camp over to them, and... give them five ghost stones as well." "Huh?" The bronze-skinned man froze in his tracks. "Stationmaster, the clan is coming to balance the books in half a month. If we give away five ghost stones, the accounts won't add up." "It comes out of my own pocket; it won't touch the station's books." "Oh, right..." The man scratched the back of his head. "Then it's fine. But Stationmaster, why the sudden burst of kindness? Those two are doomed. Even if you give them five ghost stones, they won't survive more than a few days." "It's not kindness; it's called an investment." Wang Kui shook his head. "He is in a virtually hopeless plight, yet when we met just now, Chen Fan didn't plead for our help at all. Even that cripple had eyes full of vigilance and guard, without a trace of despair or fear." "What does that tell you?" "It tells you that his situation might not be as hopeless as it seems."