I Build a Shelter in the Eternal Night

"Yes."

Shao Qiu nodded, then cautiously ventured, "Domain Lord, have the Special Weapons and Night Traveling Clothes from Pavilion Master Zhao been forged? Can the Dark Pavilion go collect them?"

"They’re all finished already?"

Chen Fan nodded in understanding. "Looks like Zhao Shengping is making good time. He’s a quick worker."

Forging so many Spirit Treasures was no simple matter. After all, they were Spirit Treasures, not Tokens from the Life Workshop that could be made with just a couple of hammer strikes.

"Go collect them."

He didn’t say much else. After all, these items were forged specifically for the Dark Pavilion.

"Uhm..."

Shao Qiu said, a bit embarrassed, "One of the Special Weapons broke through to the Yellow Level. This Yellow Level Special Weapon... well... it’s..."

He stammered for a while, unable to get the words out.

Chen Fan laughed. He knew exactly what Shao Qiu was getting at; he just hadn’t expected Zhao Shengping to actually get so lucky with such low odds.

"That’s great."

He said nothing more, agreeing on the spot. "Go get it. The Yellow Level one is yours. You’ve earned it."

"Where did all the things you brought back from the Wind and Rain Tower go?"

"They’ve all been given to Pavilion Master Wang to be logged into the warehouse."

"From now on, after an operation like this, report to me first. Tell me the specific gains and casualties."

"Understood."

Shao Qiu nodded hastily, his expression serious.

"About how many Ghost Stones?"

"A total of 470,000 Ghost Stones."

"That many?" Surprise flickered in Chen Fan’s eyes. "When we wiped out the Pill Sect, we only seized a little over one hundred thousand Ghost Stones. And the Wind and Rain Tower, a mere assassin organization, had 470,000?"

"Yes." Shao Qiu nodded. "And they’re almost all High Level Ghost Stones. But it’s understandable. After all, the Wind and Rain Tower doesn’t do much construction, so it makes sense they’d have more Ghost Stones than other factions."

"470,000 Ghost Stones."

Chen Fan clapped Shao Qiu on the shoulder, his expression serious. "Such a huge stash of Ghost Stones was put into the warehouse and I didn’t even know about it. If there’s a next time, you can step down to Vice Pavilion Master."

"Alright."

"Go on, go get your Special Weapon. I’m going to take a walk by myself for a bit."

"You got it!"

With a look of pure excitement, Shao Qiu bolted toward the city outskirts.

This was the first Yellow Level Spirit Treasure he had ever owned, and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last.

...

"..."

Accompanied by Lame Monkey, Chen Fan strolled down a street dedicated to free trade for merchant guilds. He scanned the vendors’ wares, hoping to find a hidden gem, but his thoughts kept returning to Shao Qiu, and he couldn’t help but click his tongue.

’470,000 Ghost Stones.’

’If I were in his shoes... If that were me, I definitely would’ve run for it. I wouldn’t have come back, that’s for sure. With 470,000 Ghost Stones, you could start over anywhere and make a comeback.’

’But the guy actually came back. To be honest, I’m a little touched. He truly believes that I can help him build a Dark Pavilion that will be known throughout the land.’

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a stick of incense at a nearby stall.

’A pretty crappy white-grade Exotic Treasure.’

But it reminded him of the Heaven-Asking Incense in the Warehouse. He had obtained it a while ago. After lighting it, you could ask one question and receive a completely correct answer. The drawback was that if the question had no absolutely correct answer, or was unanswerable, the incense would be wasted.

He still had one stick left and hadn’t dared to use it.

’The Mortal Realm is short on many materials right now. I’d love to just ask, "I’m currently lacking this, that, and... (listing a dozen or so materials). Where can I get them all?" But I don’t know if that counts as a single question, and I don’t dare to risk it. The experiment is too dangerous. If I’m wrong, this stick of Heaven-Asking Incense will go to waste.’

Just then, a voice called out from behind him.

"Domain Lord Chen."

Chen Fan turned to look and saw three people dressed in standard Sect robes, looking at him with respectful expressions.

"Ah, I remember you. You look a little familiar." Chen Fan nodded thoughtfully. ’These people must be from the World Pavilion. I saw them when I went to Jiangbei to handle the Jiangbei Chen Family’s business. I just wonder what they want with me now.’

"Greetings, Domain Lord Chen." The young man in the lead cupped his fists respectfully. "My name is Tian Qi, a Direct Disciple of the Jiangnan World Pavilion. I had the honor of seeing you in Jiangbei City."

"Oh. Go on."

Chen Fan nodded. ’I remember there was a woman in a white dress who seemed hostile toward me last time, but she didn’t come today. It looks like the World Pavilion is approaching this with a friendly attitude.’

"It’s like this."

Tian Qi took a deep breath, suppressing the unease in his heart and trying his best to calm himself. "The annual Architect Exchange Conference is fast approaching. This time, our World Pavilion is taking the lead in hosting it, gathering renowned Architects from the four regions of Jiangbei, Jiangxi, Jiangdong, and Jiangnan."

"As an Architect yourself, Domain Lord Chen, you single-handedly created the Mortal Realm and possess unique methods and understanding of architecture. We would like to invite you to participate in this conference."

"Not going."

Chen Fan refused instantly, without the slightest hesitation.

’I’m not an Architect, so what kind of conference would I even go to?’

’Exchange what?’

’My experience is just clicking confirm to build and upgrade. That’s it.’

’You guys don’t even have a system panel, what’s there to talk about?’

’Besides, the outside world is dangerous, and Jiangnan is crowded and full of prying eyes. Especially at an Architect conference... with so many people, what if someone tries to backstab me?’

’Pretty dangerous.’

’No matter how I look at it, there’s no reason for me to go.’

"Domain Lord Chen, please don’t be so quick to refuse."

Seeing this, Tian Qi hurriedly said, "In the past, the Architect conference was usually held within the territory of the leading faction. For example, this year it was supposed to be in the World Pavilion’s territory."

"But because the Mortal Realm suddenly rose to prominence during the rainy season and built Mortal City, Mortal City has now become an important hub for exchange between the surrounding factions. Many factions will be coming to Mortal City."

"So, the World Pavilion would like to hold this year’s Architect Exchange Conference in Mortal City. Besides inviting you to participate, we also wanted to ask for your permission to use Mortal City as the venue for the conference."

"That I can agree to."

Chen Fan suddenly broke into a smile. "No problem. I’d be happy to welcome everyone to exchange ideas in Mortal City."

’I don’t know what these Architects will discuss, but I know it will definitely draw a crowd and bring in lots of architectural blueprints. That’s beneficial for me, and it’s all good as long as I don’t have to leave my territory.’

"By the way."

Something suddenly occurred to him, and he asked hesitantly, "Let me ask you a question. From an Architect’s perspective, do you know what one plus one equals?"

Tian Qi was taken aback for a moment, then he began to laugh.

"Domain Lord Chen, although I am merely a Level 6 Architect, I have studied diligently for many years. Of course I know the answer to that."

"One plus one naturally equals four hundred and forty-four."

"This is the consensus among all Architects."