Eternal Night Falls, Ready to Work!

"Understood." The bronze-skinned man said thoughtfully, "Stationmaster, you mean Chen Fan's mother might have left him some hidden trump card?" "It's plausible. After all, she was a Rank 4 architect, hardly short on wealth." "Indeed." Wang Kui nodded. As they spoke, they had already reached their own outpost. He instructed in a low voice, "That's why it's worth forming good karma. I've worked for the Wang family for so long; five ghost stones won't break me. "Even if they're lost, it's no great pity. "But if the gamble pays off, he'll surely remember this kindness and repay it. "And even if there's no return, it doesn't matter. "Out in the world, having more friends and fewer enemies is never a bad thing. "By the way— "When you go deliver the supplies in a moment, mind your tone. Don't make it feel like charity, or good intentions will foster resentment." "Don't worry, Stationmaster. Leave it to me!" ... "Young Master." At Jiangbei Chen Family Outpost No. 37. Quehou tucked his knife back into his robes, watched the departing backs of Wang Kui and his companion, and said raspily, "Those two most likely think we'll steal their business down the line. They might harbor ill intent. Should we strike first?" "No need." Chen Fan shook his head without elaborating. He merely took the hemp rope from Quehou's hands and tied it to the bear trap, waiting for dark. His plan was simple. Once Eternal Night fell, the moment he sensed movement from the bear trap, he would immediately pull it into the safe zone, kill the ghost creature with the knife, and then cast the trap back out into the night. That way, the bear trap could be reused. Low-level ghost creatures could be killed with an ordinary knife like this. Against ghost creatures of even slightly higher levels, a normal knife wouldn't leave a scratch. Fortunately, any ghost creature that could be held by a bear trap was of very low level and posed no threat of backlash. After testing the setup, Chen Fan returned inside the cabin to catch up on sleep, leaving Quehou outside to keep watch so they could take turns resting before working tonight. ... "Young Master, Young Master." Woken up, Chen Fan stepped outside and saw a burly man with rough, bronze skin. Broad and muscular, he stood outside the camp hauling a handcart, waving with a wide grin. It was the subordinate who had followed Wang Kui earlier. Before Chen Fan could speak, the burly man took the initiative to explain, "Stationmaster Chen! Before your outpost fell into disuse, Stationmaster Wang borrowed some food and water from your camp. After your Chen family abandoned the post, he never found a chance to return it. "Now that your Chen family has reopened this outpost, he sent me over right away without delay to bring it back. "Well then... "I won't linger. I still have work to attend to back at the station." After the burly man left, Quehou approached the handcart with full vigilance. Two brimming vats sat upon it: one filled with clean drinking water, and the other loaded with food—dozens of flatbreads, rice, assorted vegetables, and... two steaming roast ducks. *Gulp.* Quehou's throat bobbed involuntarily before he said with absolute certainty, "Young Master, it's definitely poisoned!" "It isn't poisoned." Chen Fan shook his head. "The moment he revealed my identity, he knew I wouldn't live long. There's no reason to poison me and invite trouble upon himself." "Not poisoned?" Quehou frowned, skeptical. "Could he really be returning what he borrowed? Is this Wang Kui so true to his word?" "Of course not." Chen Fan picked up five ghost stones from the bottom of the vat. Weighing them in his hand, he chuckled softly. "Consider it an investment. He thinks I might not die after all, so he's gambling on my future." "Meaning he's giving them to us?" "Yes." "Then why... why did he claim..." "He was worried about wounding my pride. Quite thoughtful of him." "But if that's the case, isn't he worried we won't remember the favor later? After all, he called it a repayment." "..." Chen Fan patted Quehou on the head. "Go inside and get some sleep. I'll take over watch." "Yes!" ... After Quehou went inside, Chen Fan began taking stock of the camp's current assets. He had to admit that this angel investment arrived at just the right time, relieving any worry about food in the short term, while the five ghost stones would also be of great help. There were still two ghost stones in the ghost fire, enough to sustain it for two days. Those two ghost stones couldn't be touched; he had to leave himself at least a one-day margin of error and not cut things too close. Combined with these five ghost stones, he had six ghost stones in hand. Six ghost stones... He turned his gaze toward the five basic structures included in the Eternal Night Lord panel. - [Currently 5 types of basic buildings available to construct.] [Level 1 Wall]: Can resist the impact of low-level ghost creatures. Constructing one meter costs 10 ghost stones. [Level 1 Farmland]: Drastically shortens the maturation cycle of crops. Constructing one plot costs 2 ghost stones. [Level 1 Arrow Tower]: Deals a certain amount of damage to low-level ghost creatures. Construction costs 10 ghost stones. [Level 1 Wooden Cabin]: Provides good cold and wind resistance. Construction costs 2 ghost stones. [Level 1 Sacrificial Tower]: Can acquire special resources. Construction costs 20 ghost stones. - The wall... Was damn expensive. Ten ghost stones for a single meter. The safe perimeter of his ghost fire was currently ten meters across, which meant a thirty-two-meter wall—that would require three hundred and twenty ghost stones, utterly out of reach for now. If a ghost tide really came crashing into the ghost fire, he would simply have to accept his fate. He would just consider himself cursed with bad luck. After a moment's consideration, he used the only six ghost stones he had to craft three more Level 1 Bear Traps. With that— He possessed four bear traps, at the cost of completely emptying his pockets. Not a single ghost stone remained. Next, he only had to wait for Eternal Night to fall, and then get to work! ... "Phew..." Chen Fan patted his round, stuffed belly, looked toward the thick darkness sweeping across from the horizon, and let out a long breath. He was full. The roast duck had been delicious, rich and savory. Four steel Level 1 Bear Traps tied with hemp ropes were laid out on the barren ground outside the circle of light. The next instant! Dense darkness enveloped everything completely. The light emitted by the ghost fire sheltered the two of them like an eggshell, and that familiar rustling once again resonated in their ears. Countless ghost creatures had arrived alongside the Eternal Night! "Quehou," Chen Fan said in a low, slightly tense voice, "I'll handle pulling the ropes; you ensure a lethal strike on the first hit. Stay safe!" "Understood." Quehou was equally nervous. This was his first time attempting to kill a ghost creature face-to-face; pretending not to be tense would be a lie. Finally. After half an hour had passed, one of the hemp ropes suddenly twitched. The movement was slight, but Chen Fan caught it immediately. Taking a deep breath, he gripped the rope with both hands and slowly dragged the bear trap back from the darkness. The moment the bear trap was pulled into the circle of light, a simian ghost creature with its lower leg clamped in the trap was dragged inside. It was none other than a monkey-headed ghost.