I Build a Shelter in the Eternal Night

This project couldn’t be done for less than three hundred million.

"Three hundred million."

Chen Fan suddenly laughed, almost out of exasperation. The number was so large it left him speechless. Just this morning he had been so happy—one Skeleton Horse could earn 1,400 Ghost Stones, which meant 1,000 of them would net him 1.4 million Ghost Stones.

’How am I supposed to spend so many Ghost Stones?’

Well, now he knew.

Now he knew how to spend them.

And it still wasn’t enough.

’How many horses will I have to sell to cover this project?’

But he set his anger aside.

After calming down, he began to calculate the feasibility.

Was it possible to earn three hundred million Ghost Stones in four years?

"..."

Chen Fan leaned back in his chair, forcing himself to think as calmly as possible. If the Silk Road plan went smoothly, he could dump large quantities of high-quality, low-cost goods into the more affluent regions of Jiangdong, Jiangxi, and Jiangnan.

And even into the richer Guanxi Plain and other areas.

It was possible to earn three hundred million Ghost Stones in four years.

"Sigh."

After a long while, he let out a long sigh, his expression gradually firming. He had made his decision. He wanted to see if the Mortal Realm could plug this gap in Jiangbei.

’Four years, three hundred million, to defend Jiangbei.’

He now understood that the entire Eternal Night Continent was under assault by the Ghost Tide. His location was likely in the rear, with the front lines facing a much more intense battle. Fleeing further back wouldn’t necessarily guarantee more safety.

But as long as he held this gap.

Then Jiangbei would be completely safe—his absolute rear guard.

In that case!

The first step would be to open up his Silk Road at the auction a month from now!

To lay the foundation for earning three hundred million in four years!

After making his decision,

Chen Fan wasn’t so anxious anymore. He still had four years, after all. If things weren’t looking good after two or three years, it wouldn’t be too late to run.

He stood up, smiled, and patted Hey Hey on the head. "Good little one."

He was lucky Hey Hey had let him know about this.

Otherwise, when the Undersea Ghost Tide made landfall in four years without any warning, he would have been unprepared, and that would have been a true life-or-death crisis.

’This information can’t get out.’

’I can’t let the other factions find out.’

’Otherwise, if it causes a panic and all the factions pull out, all the Nodes on my Silk Road will be gone.’

"Come on, let’s go get you something to eat."

...

「The next day.」

As Chen Fan was busy working in the camp, a man in a Mortal Realm Standard Robe hurried over to him, saying respectfully, "Domain Lord, a man calling himself Qi Yue is outside the valley asking to see you."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Chen Fan put down his hammer and laughed. "Bring him in, quickly."

Not long after, Qi Yue walked into the canyon and arrived at the Celestial Pit alone. Chen Fan strode out of the camp to meet him, smiling. "Elder Qi, what brings you here?"

"To teach your people swordsmanship."

Qi Yue stood as still as a pine tree, his expression serious. "In two months, I’m going to kill a group of people. I might die. Within these two months, I will pass on my life’s learning to your people."

"It’s just—"

"I’m worried about Gongyang Yue. If possible, I hope this can be exchanged for some protection for the Sheep Race."

On this trip, Qi Yue had come alone, without the ever-present Gongyang Yue and Gongyang Yiyue by his side.

"My people don’t use swords."

"Blades are fine too. They’re more or less the same."

"Sit."

Chen Fan did want Qi Yue to teach his people, but... he wanted Qi Yue himself even more. The Mortal Realm currently had no one with a Cultivation as high as Qi Yue’s.

He led Qi Yue to a Wooden House on the surface of the Celestial Pit. After personally brewing him a cup of tea, he looked at Qi Yue and spoke softly.

"When I first took over the Jiangbei Chen Family’s Station 37, you were the one who told me how to better survive in the Wilderness. For that, I have always been grateful."

"If you think the people you want to kill are too troublesome."

"Leave it to the Mortal Realm."

"The Mortal Realm will do the killing."

"..."

Qi Yue was silent for a long time before shaking his head with a self-deprecating laugh. "The Mortal Realm can’t kill this person. Only I can."

"You underestimate the Mortal Realm."

"I am well aware of the Mortal Realm’s strength. It’s just that you can’t see him. Only I can."

"He can turn invisible?"

Qi Yue shook his head and said no more on the matter, but a faint hint of deathly intent flickered in his eyes.

Chen Fan nodded thoughtfully and didn’t press further, changing the subject instead.

"So, do you like Gongyang Yue?"

"I don’t."

"If you don’t like her, why do you keep her around?"

"She’s the one clinging to me."

"No good feelings at all?"

"I have some. She’s one of the few people who are good to me."

"Tsk."

Chen Fan clicked his tongue, stood up, and looked at Qi Yue with a smile. "Everyone has their own path. I won’t interfere with yours. I’ll be troubling you for the next two months. My people are over there."

"Let me know if you need anything at all."

He pointed to Zhou Mo and his group, who were not far from the house.

...

After Qi Yue left, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows within the house. It was Shao Qiu, dressed in white.

"Not bad."

Chen Fan chuckled as he looked at Shao Qiu emerging from the corner. "It seems he didn’t notice you at all."

"Of course."

A flash of pride appeared in Shao Qiu’s eyes. "After that sliver of my soul returned, my Cultivation is just one step away from Martial King. We’re at the same level of Cultivation, so of course he couldn’t discover me."

But then he added, somewhat indignantly.

"But he’s too arrogant. There’s no one in Jiangbei I can’t kill."

"Anyone he can kill, I can kill."

"And anyone he can’t kill, I, Shao Qiu, can still kill."

"You really can’t kill this one."

He pulled the Bamboo Scroll detailing information on the Jiangbei Old Demon and Qi Yue from under the table. After flipping through it again, he leaned back in his chair and said softly, "The last person he wants to kill is himself. He wants to kill the weak, cowardly self he used to be."

"He’s been living in obscurity not to hide from enemies, but simply because he can’t accept his own past."

"No one can help him."

"Only he can kill this person."

"I can kill him."

Shao Qiu thought about it seriously for a moment before declaring decisively, "Now that my strength has recovered, I have a fifty-percent chance of killing him. With a Special Weapon forged from Earth Gold, that goes up to seventy percent. If I also had Night Traveling Clothes made from Earth Gold, I’d have one-hundred percent confidence."

"I’d kill him within three breaths."

"..."

Chen Fan looked up at Shao Qiu, speechless. "Can you stop talking about killing, killing, killing? He wants to end his life, not be ’killed’ in the way you mean. He wants to kill himself—the part of himself that holds his humiliating past."

"It’s a rather tragic story. Can you understand that?"

"I know, Domain Lord."

Shao Qiu lowered his head, abashed. "I just thought he sounded too arrogant. What does he mean, ’no one can kill him’? I can. If he doesn’t believe it, I’ll kill him just to show him."

"Sigh."

Chen Fan let out a long sigh and said no more. He could see it now: Shao Qiu truly loved his profession.

It wasn’t about the reward.

Even without any payment.

If someone claimed, "No one in Jiangbei can kill me," Shao Qiu would happily skip over, dagger in hand, for no other reason than to prove that yes, someone in Jiangbei *could* kill them.

’Such pure passion for his work.’

Just like when Shao Qiu had attacked the Slaughter Immortal Holy Land, his main goal hadn’t been the reward. It was all for the sake of making a name for himself.

"You can go. There’s nothing else."

"So, are we still killing him?"

"We are not."

"Understood. When will the Domain Lord issue the first assassination mission?"

"Wait until the rainy season is over, at least. Who are you going to kill right now?"

"The president of the Jiangnan Commerce Association."

"...Get out of here and go train your people in the Yunling Pavilion."

"Yes, sir!"

...

「Celestial Pit.」

Zhou Mo stood beside Qi Yue with a serious expression, listening intently to his instruction.

"Hmm?"

Qi Yue carefully sensed Zhou Mo’s Cultivation, and his brow suddenly furrowed. "Your Cultivation is increasing at an abnormally fast rate. You’re almost a Level 4 Cultivator. Have you..."

His voice trailed off abruptly.

He instantly understood, his gaze shifting to Cave No. 1 in the distance as realization dawned in his eyes.

’It must be because of a Training Room.’

’It seems the Mortal Realm has a Training Room as well. Although it’s a newly risen faction, its foundations aren’t weak at all. But... even with a Training Room, can Cultivation really increase this quickly?’

’Is this the right path?’

"Er..."

Zhou Mo stood there, not knowing how to explain.

’How should I put it?’

’That the Yunling Pavilion is open twenty-four hours a day with no time limit, and we eat Cultivation Pills like candy?’

’Can I even say any of that?’

"You haven’t been practicing Demon Cultivation, have you?"

Qi Yue asked, his voice raspy and his expression somewhat grim.

"Demon Cultivation? Is Demon Cultivation even faster?"