Chapter 129 - 107: This Inconspicuous Woman Is a Night Watcher
Chapter 129: Chapter 107: This Inconspicuous Woman Is a Night Watcher
Chen Fan and the man in the green robe walked side-by-side through the canyon.
Lame Monkey and the others followed behind them, while the dozens of attendants from the Sheep Race had dismounted and were leading their horses by the reins at the very end of the line.
...
Zhou Mo seemingly glanced over the Sheep Race’s caravan a few times, but he was inwardly stirred. ’As expected of a family from Jiangnan,’ he thought. ’Even with only their eyes visible outside their Armor, these attendants radiate the kind of indifference that only comes from weathering countless battles. They’re a skilled bunch.’
’Their Cultivation is probably high, too. That Armor doesn’t look light, and an ordinary person wouldn’t be able to wear it on such a long trek.’
...
They had just passed through the canyon and arrived at the Celestial Pit.
The man in the green robe subconsciously glanced around, inwardly marveling at the location. ’What a great spot. It’s surrounded by natural barriers. As long as you hold the canyon, it’s easy to defend and difficult to attack. The drawback is just as obvious, though—if the entrance is blocked, there’s no way to escape.’
"Is that..."
He froze for a moment, noticing several bizarre, man-shaped indentations on one of the Celestial Pit’s rock walls. They were in a spread-eagled shape.
"Oh, that."
Chen Fan followed the man’s gaze and said nonchalantly, "The Jiangbei Wilderness gets a little restless during the rainy season. A Ghost King broke in the other day, and the fight got a little out of hand."
"The Ghost King was pretty tough."
"Those are the holes it left when I smashed it into the rock wall."
"Things have been hectic lately, so I haven’t gotten around to fixing it. My apologies for the mess, Elder Qi."
...
The man in the green robe was inwardly reeling. After a long moment, the corner of his mouth twitched, and he managed a wry smile. "Sect Leader Chen, please don’t praise me so. I’m unworthy of being called ’Elder.’ Just... call me Qi Yue."
"It’s all the same, all the same."
Chen Fan chuckled. "Come, Elder Qi, this way please."
He had built several Stone Houses on the floor of the Celestial Pit the day before, designating it the "Reception Area." It was meant specifically for entertaining guests of high status, as Cave No. 1 contained too many secrets to allow outsiders inside.
’Once things are more developed,’ he planned, ’I’ll build a city at the canyon entrance for traveling caravans to rest. A proper city in the heart of the Jiangbei Wilderness.’
Lame Monkey, who was following behind, spoke up.
"Everyone, this way please."
He clearly recalled the Young Master specifically instructing them yesterday *not* to repair those man-shaped holes...
...
From a carriage of the Sheep Race caravan parked inside the Celestial Pit, a young boy in a white robe lifted the curtain and peeked his head out. He first glanced timidly at Chen Fan, then trotted over to Qi Yue. Tugging on the corner of Qi Yue’s sleeve, his eyes sparkled.
"So your name is Qi Yue!"
"You never told me your name! I’m Gongyang Yue. Our names go so well together, don’t you think?"
Immediately after,
a middle-aged man in hemp-cloth robes, who had been walking beside the carriage, quickened his pace to stand before Chen Fan. He clasped his fists and spoke in a raspy voice, "I am Gongyang Yiyue, Supreme Elder of the Sheep Race. I have come to see Sect Leader Chen."
"Gongyang Yue is the Patriarch’s only son and has been doted on since childhood. I hope Sect Leader Chen will forgive any discourtesy."
"It’s no matter."
Chen Fan stood before the entrance to one of the Wooden Houses in the reception area. He glanced over the group and cheerfully waved them inside, but he felt a little strange...
’Qi Yue.’
’Gongyang Yue.’
’Gongyang Yiyue.’
’Do people from Jiangnan have some obsession with the moon?’
Just then—
Gongyang Yiyue, who had been about to say something more, suddenly seemed to sense something. His gaze fell upon a woman bustling about in the depths of the cave. He froze on the spot, a flicker of horror in his eyes.
’As a Night Watcher, I’m extremely sensitive to others of my kind.’
’This unassuming woman... she’s a Night Watcher!’
’And...’
’She’s activated at least two or three times. She looks seventeen or eighteen, which means she can activate at most one more time.’
Though his mind was reeling, his expression remained a placid mask. This meant he had to raise the threat level of the Mortal Sect yet again. The level of deterrence a faction could project with a Night Watcher was completely different from one without.
Most importantly, there were differences between Night Watchers.
The lesser ones were those who had never activated. They might have more activations available, but they often found it difficult to resolve to sacrifice themselves for their faction. It’s hard for anyone to make the decision to burn away their remaining lifespan.
It wasn’t unheard of for a family to face a great enemy and dispatch a Night Watcher to destroy them, only for the Night Watcher to desert their post midway through the mission.
The superior ones were like him and this woman.
They had already activated, proving their willingness to sacrifice for their cause. If their faction faced a crisis, they were ready to activate again at a moment’s notice. Only a Night Watcher who had already proven their loyalty in this way offered true deterrence to outsiders.
...
Inside the Wooden House.
Seated on a wooden chair, Chen Fan personally brewed tea for Qi Yue and the others. He said with a helpless smile, "For the past while, the Mortal Sect has been trapped by the rainy season. It only just ended yesterday, so we’re still getting things back in order. We haven’t had a chance to trade with the outside world yet, so I’m afraid we don’t have much to offer you."
"I hope you’ll be understanding."
"Which is why—"
"We were planning to rest for a day before heading to Jiangbei City tomorrow."
"You must have passed through Jiangbei City on your way here. How is it faring?"
"It’s virtually unscathed."
Qi Yue sat on his chair, all traces of the Jiangbei Old Demon’s usual languor gone. His back was ramrod straight as he said earnestly, "Not many in the city are in mourning. The City Wall has sustained some damage, but it doesn’t look too severe."
In the first half of his life, he had roamed the martial world with nothing but his sword.
He never feared the powerful.
He never feared the influential.
Even when facing the Patriarch of the Sheep Race, he had never been so deferential. His philosophy was simple: no matter how powerful someone else was, it wasn’t as if they’d give him a single coin, so why should he bow and scrape? Yet, in front of Chen Fan, he subconsciously felt unable to hold his head high...