I Build a Shelter in the Eternal Night

Chapter 122: Chapter 103: What Do You Mean, the Sheep Race Is Carrying the Death Banner to Scavenge in Jiangbei?

"The more stories you have, the more enemies you make."

"Why?"

"In this world, ninety percent of all stories end in tragedy."

"What about the other ten percent?"

"The other ten percent have no ending."

"Then will our story end in tragedy?"

"We don’t have a story."

"Then what is this?"

"A cursed bond."

"Ah, that’s so hurtful! But a cursed bond is still a bond. Does that mean you admit we’re connected?"

The man in the carriage tugged casually on the reins, smiling but saying nothing more on the subject.

"After we get into the city, we’ll swap out the Ghost Map, find an inn, and set off for Jiangbei tomorrow."

The two continued to chat as their carriage drove into the city.

Only after the merchant caravan had driven far off...

...did the murmurs of discussion gradually begin.

"I’m not seeing things, am I? Is that the Death Banner of the Sheep Race?" a stall owner leaned out, gazing at the departing caravan, his eyes fixed on the ram on the banner, which seemed alive, its eyes glinting with rage.

"You’re not mistaken."

A youth who had stopped at the stall remarked with emotion, "Seventeen years ago, the Sheep Race raised their banner and rode hundreds of miles to save a wife. I saw it with my own eyes. It was this very banner they carried."

"Seventeen years have passed."

"And the Death Banner of the Sheep Race once again flies over Jiangnan."

"I just don’t know the reason this time."

"The heavens are about to change..."

"You were just a snot-nosed kid seventeen years ago. How old were you? What could you possibly have understood?"

"But you were right about one thing—the heavens are indeed about to change." An old man squatting by the street said grimly, "The rainy season in Jiangbei is about to end, and then it’ll be our turn here in Jiangnan."

"Jiangbei’s rainy season came early this time. Many cities have probably fallen, their people dead. These past few days, I’ve already seen many factions preparing to enter the Jiangbei Wilderness to pick up corpses."

"Everyone should be more worried about whether they can survive our own rainy season."

"What’s there to be afraid of?" The stall owner pursed his lips. "The rainy season in Jiangnan is arriving on schedule. It’s not early, so it won’t be as dangerous."

"Heh heh."

The old man smacked his lips around his dry pipe, clasped his hands behind his back, and started walking toward the street corner. "It’s good to be young. The ignorant know no fear."

"You old fossil, who do you think you’re fooling!"

The stall owner glared at the old man’s retreating back and cursed under his breath, then looked up again with envy at the Sheep Race’s distant caravan. "A single one of those Skeleton Horses sells for a full 3,000 Ghost Stones on the market."

"Its stamina far surpasses any ordinary thousand-li horse, and it never tires."

"When will I ever be able to afford a Skeleton Horse like that? If I rode that back to my village, wouldn’t all the young girls’ eyes turn red with envy when they saw me?"

"Don’t count on it."

The youth standing nearby teased, "The folks in your village are ignorant. If they saw you riding back on a Skeleton Horse, they might think you’ve been possessed by a Ghost Object and run for their lives."

"Besides, you’ll never afford one by running a stall your whole life. Let me show you a better way."

"Tell me."

"Look, it’s almost dark. Go buy a sword and charge into the eternal night. You get one Ghost Stone for every Ghost Object you kill. Just kill three thousand of them in one night, and you’ll have enough for a Skeleton Horse."

The stall owner dropped his attentive posture and stared at the white-robed youth beside him as if he were an idiot. "That’s a great idea. Why don’t you go do it?"

"I’m going. Why wouldn’t I?"

The youth shrugged, turned, and strode toward the city gate. He pulled a Ghost Stone from his robes and flicked it into a guard’s hands. The gate rose.

And at that moment—

Darkness had just fallen over the entire plain. Outside the city was a pitch-blackness so thick you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

The white-robed youth walked calmly and composedly into the darkness.

On his back, he carried a Heavy Sword that was nearly as tall as he was. Its blade was extremely wide and had no visible edge, resembling a wooden door.

Less a Heavy Sword.

More a Heavy Ruler.

"Hey!"

Seeing this, the stall owner was scared stiff. After a long moment, he finally snapped out of it and yelled with a panicked look on his face, "I was just fucking talking nonsense! Are you crazy? It’s dark, and you’re running outside?!"

However, before the words had even left his mouth, the white-robed youth had already walked into the darkness and vanished.

...

「At the same time.」

In Jiangnan Shuicheng, in another teahouse.

A man with effeminate features toyed with a Jade Bracelet in his hand, his brow furrowed as he gazed at the caravan passing on the street below. The Death Banner, fluttering in the wind, was exceptionally jarring.

After a long while, he spoke softly.

’What’s the meaning of this? The Sheep Race is carrying a Death Banner to Jiangbei to pick up corpses?’

’Is this even within the rules?’

’How is anyone else supposed to compete? Is everyone going to carry a Death Banner to scavenge from now on?’

’Besides, with the power of the Sheep Race, would they even care about the paltry profits from scavenging?’

The old man sitting across from him took a sip of tea and said slowly, "It’s probably not for scavenging. They have other intentions."

’How strange.’

The young man pulled his gaze away from the window, drew the curtain, and leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowed as he murmured, ’Carrying the Death Banner is certainly a way to show off. I wonder when Father will let me carry the Death Banner just once.’

"Carrying the Death Banner is no game."

"But it looks so explosive. I like being explosive."

"Also—"

The young man’s brow tightened. "When I was entering the city, I saw the current Direct Disciple of the Jiangdong ’One Sword Sect.’ That maniac is in this city too, and it looks like he’s also heading for Jiangbei."

’Is something big going to happen in Jiangbei this year?’

’Why does it feel like such a huge gathering?’

"This is the way of the world." The old man dipped his finger in tea and drew the character for ’heaven’ on the tabletop. "In this world, all the truly great figures are never born one after another. Instead, they sprout in batches during a certain period, like leeks."

"They vie with one another."

"The last one left alive will become a great figure, etched into the annals of history as the ruler of an era."

"Even the most powerful tyrant needs others to serve as his foil."

"Mm... that makes sense."

The young man laughed. "So Father sent me and the disciples of Medicine King Valley to Jiangbei to scavenge, but his real purpose was for me to join in on the excitement?"

’It seems Father must have sensed something. I was wondering when Medicine King Valley would ever need to resort to scavenging to survive.’

’Among the factions entering Jiangbei this time, there shouldn’t be anyone stronger than our Medicine King Valley, right?’

"..."

The old man turned his head, opened the curtain, and looked at the distant caravan. He said slowly, "The Sheep Race even brought Gongyang Yiyue with them on this trip. I suggest you try not to be too conspicuous. This journey to Jiangbei doesn’t seem like a spring outing."

"Gongyang Yiyue..."

The smile on the young man’s face slowly faded, a trace of fear flickering in his eyes.

In all of Jiangnan, there was no one who didn’t know of Gongyang Yiyue.

He was the "Night Watcher" of the Sheep Race.

’It seems...’

’This time, the Sheep Race truly intends to carry that Death Banner to the very end.’

"Oh, and the Pill Sect is here as well."

"That animal is here too?"

A look of disgust flashed across the young man’s face. He despised scum who toyed with women’s affections more than anything. He himself had remained a virgin, determined to wait until he found his one true love to share in the "joys of fish and water." This, combined with the fact that the Pill Sect and Medicine King Valley were sworn enemies, only deepened his loathing.

"Mm."

"The Pill Sect has long made it known that they intend to propose a marriage to the Sheep Race after the rainy season in Jiangnan ends. But now, the situation seems a bit delicate. The Sheep Race doesn’t seem willing, and they look ready to fight to the death."

"I recall the Sheep Race being no match for the Pill Sect, right?"

"They are no match, but they can take a chunk of flesh with them. After that, it would be our Medicine King Valley’s turn to make a move. However, the Pill Sect clearly doesn’t want to start a war either. It seems they want to let the younger generation handle the younger generation’s affairs."

"You mean Gongyang Gao’s daughter is also in the caravan?"

"Mm. Everyone in Jiangnan knows. Don’t you pay attention to these things before you go out?"

"I don’t pay much attention."

"You don’t need to. With me here, you just need to watch the show. No one can touch you."

The old man’s voice was calm, but his words dripped with confidence.

...

「Jiangbei Wilderness, Nameless Mountain.」

「Night had just fallen.」

Tonight, everyone in the camp had set aside their work. They stood vigilantly on the City Wall, waiting patiently as the rain gradually thinned.

The rainy season was about to end.

Tonight.

The Ghost King would most likely come for them. Whether they could survive the rainy season depended on tonight; it was the final hurdle.

’Come on, then.’

Chen Fan stood on the City Wall, staring straight ahead at the darkness-shrouded canyon. He pressed his palms against the battlements, feeling the damp chill of the night rain as he murmured.

’I’m ready.’

’Let me see what the Ghost King is capable of.’