"Come on, let's go home!"

The city wall before him was unfamiliar.

But the farmland outside it was all too familiar. As one section of the wall slowly sank into the ground to reveal a passage, Wang Kui wiped the rain from his face. Much of the exhaustion from their journey vanished in an instant, and he looked back with a broad grin.

"Come on, let's go home!"

He had never gambled in his life.

He had always kept his head down and done his work.

He knew full well that he had no particular talent and had never awakened as any special kind of cultivator. He had worked diligently for the Wang Family for thirteen years, and aside from occasionally skimming a little off the top, he had never done anything out of line.

Not because he was virtuous.

But because he lacked the nerve.

Even when he had first invested in Chen Fan, he had only intended to give it a try. Without outside circumstances pushing him along, he would have struggled to decisively leave the Wang Family and join Chen Fan. Now, though, it seemed he might have chosen the right man to follow.

As long as he survived this rainy season.

He would be among the first to join this faction. Becoming the head of the worker bees would surely be no problem, and his future prospects would far surpass anything he could have achieved in the Wang Family.

There was roughly an hour left before Eternal Night descended.

Rain poured down, and mist shrouded the world. The chill swept like a flood through every corner of the wasteland.

Jiangbei Chen Family Station No. 37.

Inside the newly built wooden hut.

Chen Fan and the others sat on the floor around the Furnace. Everyone had changed into dry clothes, while their rain-soaked clothes hung on a rack inside the hut. Crippled Monkey handed out food.

Every Station kept a sizable stockpile of food.

They would not run short anytime soon. Their current supplies could feed the group for two or three months, though it was all coarse grain.

Of course, it would not be enough to last the entire Winter Season.

But they could worry about the future when it came.

"Wang Kui."

Chen Fan looked at Wang Kui, who sat among the others. "We don't have enough resources right now, and the area inside the wall is small. There's only room to build one hut. We'll need the remaining space for other buildings."

"Tomorrow, take a few men and put up a partition inside."

"Crippled Monkey and I will sleep on the Left Wing. The rest of you can share a sleeping platform on the Right Wing."

"No problem."

Wang Kui hurriedly stood and nodded his agreement.

Wisps of cold air slipped through the gap in the door, bringing a biting chill, but the heat rolling off the Furnace soon drove them away.

"Sit down."

Chen Fan looked calmly at the others and said softly, "None of us knows whether we'll make it through tonight. Since we've all met here, you could call it fate. Let's just talk. Tell us about any wishes you have, things like that."

"If one of us dies, the survivors can help fulfill his wish after making it through the rainy season. That way, our meeting won't have been for nothing."

"Wang Kui, you first."

"Me..." Seated before the Furnace, Wang Kui held his stiff, damp, chilled hands out to the heat. After thinking for a while, he said hoarsely, "I don't really have any wishes. I worked for the Wang Family for thirteen years. Even if I didn't accomplish much, I certainly put in the hard work."

"But I never got promoted or received a raise."

"It left me feeling a little bitter."

"I just want to save up some more Eerie Stone, marry a wife, and have a big, chubby son. But don't bother remembering that wish. I'll have to handle it myself. You lot can't do it for me."

As his words fell.

The others could not help laughing, and much of the tension faded.

"Oh, come on..."

Another man, who never let his long saber leave his hands, grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "If you die, I'll make sure my kid's surname is King. Consider it carrying on your family line."

Only then did he turn to Chen Fan with a serious expression.

"Station Master."

"Like Wang Kui, I was a Station Master under the Wang Family. I haven't been there as long as him, though. I worked for them for three years, and I couldn't get promoted or get a raise either. But I don't hate the Wang Family."

"After all, there are only so many positions to fill."

"But—"

"The Wang Family only fed me. You saved my life, Station Master."

"My name is Zhou Mo. I'm a Level-Two Cultivator. From now on, whatever you tell me to do, I'll do it!"

Zhou Mo...

Chen Fan silently repeated the man's name, his gaze lingering on the long saber in his arms. "You use a saber? You're a Level-Two Cultivator, and the Wang Family never considered nurturing you?"

This was the first Level-Two Cultivator he had met.

"Ah."

Zhou Mo shook his head with a self-deprecating smile. "A Level-Two Cultivator's physique isn't actually all that different from an ordinary person's. We're not much stronger. In this world, no matter how strong cultivators are, they can't fight Strange Entities head-on. They just have a little more ability to protect themselves."

"Unless you're a special cultivator, there's simply no point in nurturing you."

"When I was young and foolish, I absorbed a lot of Eerie Stone, dreaming of becoming a powerful fighter and roaming the world. Later, I realized it was impossible. But I've loved practicing with a saber since childhood. Even after giving up on improving my Cultivation, I kept practicing in my spare time and picked up a few skills."

Next.

Wang Mazi, beside the Furnace, scratched the back of his head and began his introduction. "Station Master, you already know I used to be the Station Master of Chen Family Station No. 36. Before joining the Chen Family, I was an itinerant merchant. I like traveling around. My wish is to live a little longer and, if I get the chance, see places farther away."

"To see what the world is like out there."

"You'll get the chance." Chen Fan nodded lightly.

Then Station Chief Qi, sitting nearby, spoke with some nervousness. "My name is Qi Chong. I used to be a Station Master for the Wild Wolf Gang. I don't have any grand wishes. My elderly mother was killed by Strange Entities years ago. Her body was never found."

"When I have the means someday, I'd like to build her a new cenotaph."

"Space inside the city is limited, so building a cenotaph costs quite a lot."

"Mm."

Chen Fan nodded lightly.

Outside, cold winds swept past, and heavy rain beat against the wooden hut. The heat pouring from the Furnace not only drove away the chill but also helped the men gradually relax.

Eternal Night was approaching.

As they chatted, everyone gradually grew more familiar with one another.

Even Crippled Monkey could not resist joining in for a few remarks.

Conversations between men always came back to the same few subjects.

They talked about which brothel in the city had the most exciting women.

They talked about the latest happenings in the various families.

They talked about embarrassing moments from their pasts.

It was a little crude, but these topics were often perfect for breaking the ice.

"..."

After getting the conversation started, Chen Fan rarely joined in. He sat quietly beside the Furnace, warming his hands. He wanted to build a faction of his own in the wasteland, and these men would be its first foundation.

He needed a rough understanding of each man's character and abilities.

Zhou Mo, for instance, never put down his saber and carried himself like a swordsman. Chen Fan could consider developing his individual combat prowess and forming a patrol and guard unit for the Camp.

Qi Chong had no ambition and was reserved and dutiful, but his filial devotion was commendable. He could take charge of farming in the future.

Wang Kui was quick-witted and had considerable management experience. He could be trained as a deputy.

Wang Mazi had experience as an itinerant merchant and enjoyed traveling. In the future, he could handle the Camp's trade, taking its products to the Market to exchange for Eerie Stone.

Crippled Monkey was utterly loyal and exceptionally efficient. Naturally, he would be Chen Fan's most trusted confidant.