Chapter 313 - 160: "You must be alive to spend what you take.

Chapter 313: Chapter 160: "You must be alive to spend what you take.

Large batches of Ghost Stones were poured down like a flowing stream.

The Rainy Season Defense Line gradually took shape.

...

While Chen Fan was busy in the Mortal Realm, building the Rainy Season Defense Line and preparing for the coming rainy season, the New Continent was also bustling with activity.

Over fifty thousand people had gathered here.

This was no small number.

Many small cities didn’t have that many people.

Night had just fallen.

The auxiliary members of the Mortal Realm finished their day’s work, shouldering their hoes as they lined up and headed toward New Continent Base One.

Three massive water spouts had been set up outside the base.

As they lined up to return,

they could take a shower along the way.

At the base entrance, people had set up hundreds of tables, each laden with a wide variety of food. You could take whatever you wanted.

It was all food prepared by hundreds of cooks who had worked all day.

The quality of the cooking varied.

You just had to pick what you liked.

"Steamed buns! Steamed buns! Anyone want some steamed buns?"

Uncle Zhang stood beside a steamer, shouting to the Mortal Realm Members passing by. It was strange, really; he had joined the Mortal Realm resolved to risk his life.

’He never expected that after joining, he’d still be making buns.’

’The old saying was right, though.’

’A skilled trade means you’ll never go hungry.’

’No matter how badass the Mortal Realm was, they still needed a bun-maker, didn’t they?’

Soon,

after eating and washing up, the Mortal Realm Members made their way to their bedrolls inside the base and drifted off to sleep.

There were no houses.

But even though it was the middle of winter,

this part of the New Continent wasn’t cold. Even sleeping on the ground with just a bedroll and a blanket was comfortable enough.

After daybreak,

the aroma of breakfast wafted over from the base entrance.

Upon waking, the Mortal Realm Members left the base once more to work.

Some went to the ruins outside Defense Line One, digging for Ghost Stones and Ghost Bones with their hoes. Others took boats to the islands to excavate Ghost Stones, while still others were sent to locations even farther beyond the defense line,

traveling back and forth on Skeleton Horses.

...

As far as the eye could see,

this once desolate and uninhabited continent was now swarming with people. The Ghost Stones visible on the surface were only a small fraction; most were buried under sand and dirt.

Hoes fell again and again.

Each swing unearthed a few Ghost Stones, which were then placed into the basket at their side.

Then they would swing their hoes again.

After some time,

a shirtless man, the back of his neck slick with sweat, straightened up, leaning on his hoe. He gazed back at the Dead Sea, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions. He didn’t know where he was.

But he knew how fast the Mortal Realm High-speed Rail was.

He had been on that train for a very long time.

’I must have come to a place very, very far away. I even wonder if this is still the Eternal Night Continent.’

’I originally thought joining the Mortal Realm before the rainy season meant I’d be putting my life on the line.’

’I never expected it to just be hard labor.’

’No one here complains about being tired.’

’Earning twenty Ghost Stones a month for manual labor... that was unheard of before. Most importantly, there are no Ghost Objects here. It’s completely safe. I don’t have to worry about surviving this rainy season anymore.’

’It’s just...’

’I don’t know if my wife will make it through this rainy season.’

Just then—

a low voice spoke up beside him.

"Hey, brother."

A skinny man with shifty eyes sidled up to him. He kept swinging his hoe vigorously as he spoke in a low voice.

"Have you ever thought about it? We dig up so many Ghost Stones every day, but the Mortal Realm only gives us a monthly salary of twenty Ghost Stones. Don’t you think that’s a little low?"

"I’m trying to get a group together to go see the Lame Pavilion Master—the guy in charge here—and negotiate a raise to our monthly salary."

"I’ve got seven guys so far. You in?"

"..."

The shirtless man, who had been lost in thought, snapped back to reality. He glanced at the skinny man but said nothing, simply returning to his work. He silently swung his hoe, unearthed several Ghost Stones, and placed them in his basket.

"Hey, brother."

The skinny man sounded a little annoyed. "So? Are you in or not? Just give me a straight answer."

The shirtless man paused and looked at him. "Out there, can you make twenty Ghost Stones a month?"

"Of course not."

"Then isn’t this good enough?"

"Are you an idiot, brother? We dig up tons of these Ghost Stones every day. The Mortal Realm must be rolling in it. Is it too much to ask for a small raise to our monthly salary?"

The shirtless man sighed, but still felt compelled to offer some advice.

"Do you remember how long we were on that High-speed Rail? Have you ever thought about how many Ghost Stones it must have cost to build an Undersea Tunnel this massive?"

"Have you ever thought about the cost of discovering this continent?"

"All we’re doing is the simplest digging work."

"We should be content."

"Besides, we don’t have to deal with Ghost Objects here. I’ve never slept so peacefully in my life. What’s so bad about that?"

The skinny man gave a short, angry laugh. After spitting out a few sarcastic "fines," he fell silent. He backed away to join the others who were clearly in on his plan, and they huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.

"..."

The shirtless man watched the skinny man walk away, shaking his head without a word.

’This guy has clearly never experienced the terror of a Ghost Object firsthand.’

’Anyone who’s had a close encounter with a Ghost Object...’

’...would cherish what we have now.’

’I’d be willing to stay here even without a monthly salary. If only... I could bring my wife here too.’

...

"Alright then."

After a brief discussion with his companions, the skinny man and the others nodded in unison. They all saw the same conclusion in each other’s eyes: there weren’t enough of them. Just a few guys complaining wouldn’t be enough to get their monthly salary raised.

This wasn’t part of their plan.

They had planned to incite a much larger group.

Since they didn’t have the numbers...

...they’d just have to help themselves.

After glancing left and right, the skinny man pretended to bend down, quickly snatching three Ghost Stones off the ground and stuffing them into his shirt. He stood up, and only after seeing that no one was paying attention did he clear his throat and resume digging.

The few people around him followed his example.

Just then,

a voice suddenly spoke up right beside them.

"Busy, are we?"

The skinny man froze, his face instantly turning white as a sheet. He shakily turned his head and saw a middle-aged man standing there, watching them with a smirk.

It was none other than,

Qi Yue.

...

"Sigh."

On the City Wall of New Continent Base One.

Lame Monkey stood on the City Wall, leaning his upper body over the battlements and staring listlessly into the depths of the sea. ’The rainy season is coming to Jiangbei soon. I wonder how the Young Master’s preparations are coming along.’

’I really want to go back to Jiangbei.’

’Too bad the Young Master left me here to oversee the excavation work on the New Continent.’

His greatest source of entertainment these days...

...was standing on the City Wall and gazing at the distant Thunderstorm Area by the coast, a place of roiling clouds, wind, and lightning. He was curious what purpose that forbidden land served and how it had come to be.

’And would it just disappear one day?’

’When you’re bored, daydreaming is your last resort for passing the time.’