Chapter 47: “The Flower Crippled Monkey Planted… Has Blood!”
????After the elders had withdrawn—
??The Chen Clan Head sat alone in the shadowed Council Hall. In just a handful of days, he seed to have aged a decade. Silver threaded his sideburns, exhaustion dulled his eyes, yet his back remained ramrod straight—a lion refusing to bow, no matter how battered by the years.
??Decades ago—
??He had t Chen Fan’s mother during his travels: an unattached Level 4 Builder. At the ti, the Chen Clan’s own Builder had succumbed to old age, plunging the family into crisis. He’d courted her with relentless determination, married her into the clan, and together they had Chen Fan.
??He had cherished her—never once neglecting her.
??But then, illness struck her down in her pri.
??The Chen Clan once again found itself without a Builder. That was when the Ping Tian Chamber of Comrce offered their daughter’s hand in marriage, with a Level 5 Builder as dowry. He understood perfectly what Ping Tian sought.
??The Chamber had a Builder of their own, but simply possessing a Builder did not guarantee a faction’s rise.
??They wanted his Chen Clan.
??He wanted their Builder.
??He’d always believed he could outmaneuver them. As long as he found another Builder, he could sweep aside the Ping Tian Chamber at any ti. Through those years of silent struggle, he had no ti to spare for Chen Fan. The clan’s advancent was his only concern—not the role of a gentle father.
??Until—
??Chen Fan was sent to the Wasteland… and returned as a Builder himself.
??Suddenly, all his years of effort seed a monuntal farce.
??For a mont, he even began to doubt himself.
??But he adjusted.
??If Chen Fan survived the Rainy Season, he would seek him out—sit down and speak with him through the night. If Chen Fan was willing to serve the clan, he would crush the Ping Tian Chamber without hesitation and devote every resource to supporting his son.
??But if, after all those years of neglect, Chen Fan bore resentnt and refused to return—
??Then that threat would need to be extinguished early.
??“…”
??The Council Hall was empty, yet still he refused to let his spine bend.
??He did not believe he had done wrong.
??He had simply—
??Been unlucky, that was all.
??…
??Within the Chen estate.
??After leaving the Council Hall, the elders exchanged glances. The Grand Elder spoke first, his voice rough and weary: “The Clan Head has grown old. The Chen Clan needs a new helmsman. If Chen Fan survives this Rainy Season, I believe… we should welco him back as Clan Head.”
??“Agreed.”
??The other elders nodded under the rain, offering no objection.
??No one ntioned Chen Quan.
??By blood, Chen Fan was the clan’s rightful eldest son.
??By talent—if he survived the Rainy Season—he would outshine Chen Quan, who relied only on his mother’s family.
??And as for temperant: years of silent endurance, and now, at his first opportunity, he had broken free. Chen Quan’s petty scheming could not compare.
??As long as Chen Fan survived the Rainy Season.
??And… was willing to lead the Chen Clan.
??…
??Centuries ago, the Eternal Night descended.
??The world was forever changed.
??So much so that people no longer rembered this continent’s old na—only that now it was called the Eternal Night Continent.
??Dawn broke.
??As the long night faded, another day began.
??“…”
??Standing atop the Wall, Chen Fan finally exhaled. There had been no Ghost Tide last night—only the occasional pack of Ghostbeasts crashing into the Camp, leaving behind Ghoststones and corpses.
??At daybreak,
??He began his usual inventory of the Camp’s resources.
??But when he passed by the Ghostfire, he paused. Why were there only forty-five Ghoststones left inside?
??He’d topped it up to fifty just yesterday. Normally, the Ghostfire consud one stone per night. The Arrow Tower hadn’t seen much action, so it couldn’t have burned through four stones. Especially since the Ghostfire’s second upgrade had already reduced the energy consumption of defensive structures.
??After a mont’s thought—
??He realized the cause.
??It had to be that ten-thousand-ter road.
??Yesterday, he had laid a copper pipe across the Wasteland, planning to use it as a highway after the Rainy Season, linking Jiangbei City and Pingcheng. The Ghostfire could flow through the copper pipe, creating a Safe Zone within a ter of its length.
??With the Ghostfire traveling such a long distance, it had devoured Ghoststones far more quickly.
??Once he understood, he imdiately severed the Camp’s connection to the road.
??The copper pipe was still under construction, not yet in use. Burning Ghoststones on it now was pure waste.
??There hadn’t been many Ghostbeasts last night.
??And the few that did appear seed to be fleeing for their lives, charging blindly into the Camp. That could only an the Wasteland had been thrown into chaos the previous night.
??At the edge of the Camp—
??“Be careful out there.”
??Chen Fan stood outside, watching as Zhou Mo and a dark-skinned youth—one of Wang Mazi’s forr n—prepared the Trike. He had assigned the boy to assist Zhou Mo.
??The Trike had passed all its tests.
??It wouldn’t break down.
??The upgraded Level 4 Arrow Bastion was now much lighter than the old Arrow Tower—light enough to be carried on the Trike alongside the Ghostfire. While it might slow them a little, it was not a major issue.
??At last, they could travel to distant, abandoned Waystations and haul back resources.
??“Understood.”
??Zhou Mo nodded, his face grave. The loss of his comrade yesterday had driven ho the lesson: even in broad daylight, the Rainy Season Wasteland was anything but safe.
??After seeing them off—
??Chen Fan glanced around at the bustling Camp, then turned to head back to his hut for so rest.
??But just then—
??“Station Master!”
??A shout ca from the Farmland. Qi Chong’s voice rang out: “It’s blooming! The flower Crippled Monkey planted—it’s in bloom!”
??“Oh?”
??Chen Fan blinked, then recalled the matter. Smiling, he made his way to the Farmland.
??Back when they first cleared the field, Crippled Monkey had found a seed in the hut and buried it in the soil. The seed had sprouted and budded, and Crippled Monkey had even built a small wooden shelter to protect the flower.
??“Looks pretty good.”
??Chen Fan stood at the edge of the Farmland, smiling at the flower blooming in the corner. Its stem was translucent and jade-white, its peony-like petals a deep, vivid red—as if dyed in blood.
??But…
??His smile gradually faded.
??Why… was there a System Panel floating beside the flower?
??—
??[Unique Treasure Na]: Blood Ghostflower
??[Unique Treasure Grade]: Green Grade
??[Unique Treasure Effect]: Mature. Can be used as special forging material.
??—
??He fell silent for a long mont, then quietly took out a piece of Ghostskin—the one dropped by the Female Ghostbeast. The panel on this previously unremarkable Ghostskin now displayed a clear ssage: “Requires watering with Blood Ghostflower to reveal its properties.”
??He had never known where to find a Blood Ghostflower.
??And yet, it had been growing right under his nose all along.
??But if the seed Crippled Monkey planted was a Seed-type Unique Treasure, why hadn’t the System Panel appeared when he first saw it?
??“Station Master.”
??Qi Chong was visibly excited. “I’ve never seen a flower like this before. Looks rare—maybe after the Rainy Season, we can take it to Jiangbei Market and sell it for so Ghoststones. It’s definitely not ordinary.”
??“It’s far from ordinary.”
??Chen Fan paused, then grinned. “At alti, give Crippled Monkey an extra chicken leg.”
??“And you too, Qi Chong.”
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