News spread like a virus across Rivernorth and Riversouth via Communication Talismans after nightfall.
Night fell.
The rainy season had ended.
The irritating, endless drizzle had finally vanished, with the last of the corrosive rain falling from the ink-black sky.
A refreshing scent lingered over Nameless Mountain.
As if it had just undergone a baptism.
The pitter-patter of rain had been replaced only by faint calls of birds and insects.
Chen Fan sat alone in his chair atop the city wall, toying with a jade slip left by the King of Medicine Valley while gazing at the weather-beaten canyon cliffs.
He was in a daze.
There were not many diversions in this world, yet he seemed to have grown fond of zoning out—just staying on his turf and leading a perfectly peaceful life.
This was quite nice.
However...
Some people just wouldn't leave him in peace.
Just then—
"Young Master."
Crippled Monkey walked up to the city wall, draped a coat over Chen Fan's shoulders, and whispered, "Are you still thinking about today's event? The Alchemy Sect truly went too far; no wonder you were so angry."
"..."
Chen Fan was dumbstruck for a moment, then shook his head with a smile. "Why would I be angry? Just another no-account bully. This world is full of all kinds of people; it comes as no surprise that someone like him would have shown up."
"But, you see, most of the time, when others expect you to be angry, you need to show a little anger."
"Otherwise, they will think you are weak."
"And that would invite many inconveniences in the future."
"Is that so?"
Crippled Monkey had never expected such an answer from his Young Master. After pondering for a moment, he hesitated, "Back when we were at the Chen Clan, other kids at the private school mocked me for being lame. I wasn't really angry then because I am indeed lame."
"But if someone called me that and I fought them right away,"
"Would fewer people have bullied me?"
"Exactly."
Chen Fan put his arm around Crippled Monkey's shoulder and sighed. "Even if you can't beat them, it doesn't matter. Even if they knock out all your teeth, as long as you gouge out one of their eyes, no one will dare bully you again."
"A show of force now saves a hundred fights later."
"When you join a new social circle, and someone starts bullying you,"
"Remember."
"No matter the cost, you must gouge out one of their eyes. Otherwise, you will be bullied forever."
"What you consider elegance will be seen as weakness."
"You must go berserk first. Only after going berserk would others believe that your elegance is for real."
"But..." Crippled Monkey dithered. "What if my strength is insufficient? If I can't gouge out their eye but only give them a few scratches, should I still fight?"
"Fight. As long as you won't be killed, you must fight."
"A scratch is just a minor injury; will people fear me?"
"No. But they won't bully you too much either. Because even if it is just a scratch, no one wants to get hurt anyway."
"I understand!"
A spark of inspiration struck Crippled Monkey, "So, according to your plan, Young Master, when we go to the Alchemy Sect tomorrow, we only intend to take a bite out of them? We don't actually want to destroy the Alchemy Sect?"
"...
Chen Fan glanced at Crippled Monkey and sighed helplessly. "We aren't that weak."
"I checked the jade slip left by the Young Master of the Valley. It contains general information about most forces in Riversouth."
"The Alchemy Sect's defenses aren't particularly strong, not even as good as the Gongyang Clan's."
"One of the Alchemy Sect's trump cards is their connections. Many forces are in thrall to them with their control over pills and dare not make an enemy of them. After the Alchemy Sect exerts pressure, these forces would naturally play tricks on us."
"For example—"
"When the rainy season in Riversouth has ended, and our Chamber of Commerce travels there, here we would be denied entry into a station, there we would be barred from passage, all such dirty tricks."
"It wouldn't affect us greatly, but it would be annoying."
"Another example."
"The Alchemy Sect's most famous pill is the Cultivation Pill, which boosts cultivation greatly. Thus, the Alchemy Sect has the largest number of high-level cultivators and specializes in assassination."
"One assassin today, another tomorrow."
"That would be troublesome."
"The Alchemy Sect has two trump cards: connections and assassination. What we need to do is strike first before they can put them to use."
"As long as we move fast enough that they can't react, how much stronger can the Alchemy Sect be than the Chen Clan?"
"Just watch."
Chen Fan leaned back in his chair, studying the darkness over the abyss pit, and said softly, "Right now, everyone out there is discussing this matter. As it happens, the rainy season has ended in Rivernorth and is about to begin in Riversouth."
"Everyone is surely wondering how the Alchemy Sect will deal with us after the Riversouth rainy season ends."
"The Alchemy Sect is also eager to bare its teeth to the world, solidifying its status in Riversouth."
"What we need to do is,"
"Strike first."
"Dead men's connections aren't connections."
Chen Fan stopped talking, leaning back in the chair. If this matter were not handled well, his future might grow grim.
The Fan Realm wanted a seat at the table.
Under these circumstances, he was going to cast himself as a hot-blooded youth for the outside world.
Slaying the Alchemy Sect's Young Master one day and storming the Alchemy Sect the next fit this persona perfectly.
There was no alternative.
With a weak foundation, if he got provoked a lot, his resources would soon be exhausted. However, if he forged an image of a madman who would rather fight to mutual destruction than let an insult slide, fewer people would dare provoke him.
This battle had to be fought.
And they must score a crushing victory, making people fear the Fan Realm.
A long time later...
He ordered in a low voice, "Have everyone take stock of resources tonight and then get some rest early."
"Yes."
...
In the dead of night.
Crippled Monkey and the others were asleep; only Wang Kui was still busy with the final inventory in the warehouse.
This Eerie Tide, headed by the Eerie King, had dropped quite a few Eerie Stones and Extraordinary Treasures.
But the most valuable Extraordinary Treasures were the three dropped by the Eerie King in his hand, plus seven more by the rest of the Eerie Tide.
Extraordinary Treasure Name: Eerie Eye.
Extraordinary Treasure Grade: Green.
Extraordinary Treasure Effect: An essential for upgrading an Archery Tower to a Level 6 Cannon Tower. Holding it provides a ten-meter radius of vision in the Perpetual Night.
Currently, the camp's strongest Cannon Towers were Level 5.
Those two Level 6 Cannon Towers had been thoroughly destroyed by the Eerie King, one of which was a Level 6 Eerie Eye Cannon Tower with a Rare Qualitative Change---quite a pity.
But fortunately,
Seven Eerie Eyes had dropped, tantamount to seven more Level 6 Cannon Towers.
He planned to install them all on the Imperial Dragon-horse Carriage.
This would indeed cause some waste.
But the situation might not be as optimistic as he had described to Crippled Monkey. How could a powerhouse that had developed for so long have no hidden cards? To be safe, he needed to stake all on this attempt.
After the rainy season wrapped up in Riversouth and trade routes were once again clear, with his access to the panels, he could purchase large quantities of Eerie Eyes or other materials to upgrade Cannon Towers to Level 6.