"..."
Chen Fan's eyes narrowed slightly as he silently observed everything before him. He had gained blueprints for five basic structures and one special structure from activating the "Perpetual Night Lord" panel.
The "Animal Trap" was that special structure.
An animal trap was simple to fashion, but only those crafted by an Architect came along with the special damage effect against Eerie Creatures.
The remaining five basic structures were—
"City Wall," "Farmland," "Archery Tower," "Wooden Hut," and "Sacrificial Tower."
After observing for a while, he quietly retreated and headed back toward his station.
...
Approaching the station, he could see from a distance Cripple Monkey sitting on the ground, weaving hemp rope and constantly looking around, keeping watch.
Upon seeing Chen Fan return, he sprang up and came to report with such haste.
"Young master!"
"I've already woven a three-meter-long hemp rope. A lot of things are still lacking—there is no limewater, and it hasn't been sun-dried. This dried grass isn't as good as hemp stalks, so it might not be very sturdy."
"That's fine."
Chen Fan shook his head, "As long as it's usable, it doesn't have to be too sturdy."
"Have you eaten yet?"
"Not yet."
"Go ahead and have some rations."
"But we don't have too many rations left. It's nothing for me to skip a few meals. I'm used to going hungry."
"No need." Chen Fan turned to gaze deep into the wasteland with a slight frown."We have work to do tonight. You need to eat your fill to have the strength. Don't worry about food. I'll handle it."
The Chen Clan had abandoned him at this station without any intention of letting him return alive, and naturally, they hadn't left any rations. The nearest market, the "Rivernorth Marketplace," was quite a distance away.
But other nearby stations shouldn't lack food and water.
Perhaps he could exchange some Eerie Stones for food using the Chen family name.
Just then—
Two figures appeared on a dirt slope in the distance, striding toward their station. As they neared, the middle-aged man in the lead cast a strange gaze at Chen Fan, cupping his hands in salute.
"You must be the station master of the 'Rivernorth Chen Clan's Station 37,' correct?"
"I am Wang Kui, station master of the 'Ravine Wang Clan's Station 17."
A smile creased Chen Fan's face as he returned the cupped-hands salute. "Greetings, Station Master Wang. I am Chen Fan."
He had seen these two before.
They were from the station he had just gone to observe. He just didn't know why they had come to see him.
Wang Kui cleared his throat before opening his mouth to probe, "Station Master Chen, as far as I know, your Chen Clan's Station 37 has been abandoned for over a month. Why has it suddenly been reopened?"
"This stretch of road doesn't see many travelers passing through, and the profits are meager. Have you heard some news?"
"Our two clans may not be close, but we are all out here doing tough work. Even from rival clans, we should stand together in this wilderness. If any Eerie tide erupts, neither of us could stand a fighting chance alone."
"After all, honor belongs to the Clans, but our lives are our own. Don't you agree?"
Chen Fan didn't reply immediately. He roughly guessed Wang Kui's thoughts—clearly, the other was overthinking things.
But before he could speak, the man behind Wang Kui spoke up in surprise, "Your name is Chen Fan? That illegitimate son of the 'Rivernorth Chen Clan'?"
"..."
Chen Fan expressionlessly nodded, "Yes."
"Shut up."
A trace of understanding passed in Wang Kui's eyes as he pretended to be angry with his subordinate behind him, then forced a smile and said helplessly, "My subordinate doesn't know any better. As for me, I've been out of touch here in the wasteland for too long."
"I have matters to attend to at my station, so I am taking my leave now."
Without lingering, he turned and left with his subordinate.
...
On the wasteland.
Wang Kui walked with his subordinate on the cracked earth and inquired with a slight frown, "What exactly is Chen Fan's background? Tell me in detail."
Since he started working for the Wang Clan, he had been almost fixed at the stations for a full 13 years, though he rotated stations once a year,
He really wasn't clear about these gossipy matters.
"This matter is quite well-known."
The man with bronze-colored skin behind him scratched at the dry flakes on his face, grinning, "That old man from the Chen Clan. When he was young, he took over as Clan Head. At that time, the Chen Clan wasn't as strong as it is now, mainly because the Clan had no Architect."
"But you know what?"
"The Chen Clan head was quite handsome in his youth. He met a female cultivator, a Level 4 Architect. That female cultivator had no background, purely a wandering cultivator. Through persistent pursuit, the Chen Clan head won her over, and they had a son, Chen Fan."
"After that, relying on this Level 4 Architect, the Chen Clan slowly gained a foothold in Rivernorth."
"But when Chen Fan was still young, the woman died. Then the Chen Clan head married a daughter from the 'Pingtian Chamber of Commerce,' and sired another son, the current heir. The dowry included a Clan Guardian---a Level 5 Architect."
"The Architect Clan Guardian the Chen Clan has now come from the 'Pingtian Chamber of Commerce.'"
"Just think, this new wife has an Architect backing her, so she definitely wants her own son to inherit the Chen Clan. Chen Fan's status naturally declined more and more. Originally, the Chen Clan head held a sliver of hope, thinking that since Chen Fan's mother was an Architect, perhaps Chen Fan could awaken as an Architect too."
"A Clan Guardian is certainly not as reliable as an Architect emerging from your own clan."
"But the result is obvious, Chen Fan failed the awakening and lost all favor. Being sent here this time probably isn't because of getting wind of anything; most likely, he was sent here to die."
"..."
Wang Kui knitted his brows, "You call that an illegitimate son? I thought it was with a maid or something. Isn't this clearly the first trueborn?"
"Hey, if his Level 4 Architect mother hadn't died, he would be the first trueborn. Otherwise, he would be no more than an illegitimate son as he is."
"You have a case."
Wang Kui sighed deeply, "These big clans are full of dirty dealings. In this case..."
He pondered for a moment before continuing,
"Since he was sent here to die, he probably wasn't left with any Eerie Stones or food. Later, take some food and water from our station to them, and ... also bring them five Eerie Stones."
"Ah?"
The bronze-skinned man was dumbstruck. "Station Master, in half a month, the Clan will come to collect the profits. If we give away five Eerie Stones, the accounts definitely won't match."
"I'll pay for it personally, not from the station's funds."
"Oh, oh..."
The man scratched the back of his head, "Then it's fine. But Station Master, why the sudden kindness? These two are doomed. Even if you give them five Eerie Stones, they won't last more than a few days."
"It's not kindness; it's called an investment."
Wang Kui shook his head, "The other party is in a nearly hopeless situation, but just now, when we met, Chen Fan didn't ask us for help. And that cripple—his eyes were full of vigilance and wariness, without a trace of despair or fear."
"What does that mean?"
"It means the other party might not be that desperate after all."