I built a safe house in the eerie night.

Zhou Lei's posture as he rushed out of the gap in the wooden wall was almost a desperate act. He roared and swung the heavy iron shovel with both hands, smashing it down recklessly on the badly injured and struggling strange head!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!!"

One after another!

The muffled thuds were especially clear in the silent night.

His small frame unleashed a power bordering on madness, as he used this clumsy weapon to release all the fear and inferiority he had been suppressing.

Yu Niu and Er Hu, who had just finished off their respective opponents and were panting heavily while leaning on their guns, were stunned by Zhou Lei's ferocious appearance. For a moment, they forgot to speak and looked at each other in bewilderment.

"This kid... how come I never realized he was so crazy?"

Until the monster was smashed beyond recognition and turned into a foul-smelling black mud.

Zhou Lei finally stopped, exhausted. He braced himself on the shovel handle with both hands, bent over, his chest heaving, and his whole body was soaked in sweat.

He slowly raised his head and looked at Jiang Ning on the viewing platform. His face still held a hint of fierceness, and he tried to force out his habitual shy smile, which made him look somewhat awkward.

Jiang Ning blinked on the stage.

"Wow, that's a lot of energy they've been holding back..."

He nodded approvingly at Zhou Lei, then said to the three people outside the village:

"Alright, that's enough. Let's all come back!"

Upon hearing the sound, the three of them first cautiously scanned the silent darkness outside the village again to confirm that there was no new threat.

They then looked at each other and saw a tacit understanding in each other's eyes.

Without further hesitation, they picked up their weapons, turned and ran, disappearing through a gap in the wooden wall and disappearing back into the village.

Only when they reached the foot of the viewing platform did the three dare to truly relax. Each of them leaned against the wall, their chests still heaving violently, their faces full of excitement and pleasure.

At that moment, they were certain that they had really done it!

I actually killed those ghostly things in the darkness with my own hands.

This feeling of having mastered enough power and breaking through fear with one's own hands made their youthful blood boil.

"Ha ha!"

Yu Niu caught his breath, patted his chest forcefully, and then lightly punched Er Hu's shoulder with his fist.

Erhu grinned sheepishly and returned the greeting.

Then, the two looked at Zhou Lei, who was still sitting on the ground with a pale face, and the deformed iron shovel in his hand, which was covered with black blood and bits of flesh.

Yu Niu stretched out his big hand and patted Zhou Lei's thin shoulder heavily. Together with Er Hu, they gave him a thumbs up.

Zhou Lei was startled by the pat, and feeling the recognition, his face instantly flushed. He was both excited and a little embarrassed. He habitually scratched his head, grinned as if to laugh, but quickly lowered his head again.

Looking at my still trembling hands.

I really...did it!

With a thought, Jiang Ning put the moved wooden wall and barricade back into place, restoring the defensive line to its original state.

He then moved closer to the observation tube again, carefully scanning the dark mountains and fields in the distance.

Still silent, unusual.

Jiang Ning felt a little relieved, after all, he had managed to get through the first night without the altar safely.

Some disappointment was inevitable; the expected bountiful harvest failed to materialize, with only a few dozen monsters killed throughout the night, significantly reducing the resources available for conversion tomorrow.

Moreover, the newly built "Spirit Gathering Lamp Pillars" were unable to be tested because the eerie atmosphere was too thin tonight, with the outer pillars charging slowly and the inner pillars remaining completely still.

"That's fine..." Jiang Ning sighed softly.

Hearing the sigh, Wang Fu and Xiong Meng, who were behind him, relaxed a little and wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads.

The training exercise they just witnessed was far too stimulating for those of them who are used to avoiding conflict and have a calm, patient nature. They were on tenterhooks the whole time.

"Young Master, may we go and rest now?" Wang Fu asked cautiously.

"Sure," Jiang Ning said, snapping out of her daze and looking at the two of them with a puzzled expression.

"Why are you still standing here? Go to sleep."

Wang Fu and Xiong Meng exchanged a glance and gave each other a helpless, bitter smile.

How could they possibly sleep soundly just now?

Shaking their heads, the two walked down from the viewing platform. Looking at the three young men who were still excitedly discussing how they had just fought so fiercely, they sighed softly and couldn't help but smile.

However, the two of them went over and offered encouragement:

"Well done! Excellent job!"

But then his tone became serious again.

"However, remember, we were lucky tonight; there weren't many of those ghostly things. But you must never be reckless again. The darkness must be respected. If the eerie tide really comes, you wouldn't have enough lives to go out like this!"

After a long and earnest warning tinged with lingering fear, the two finally dragged themselves back to their rooms to rest.

Yu Niu had barely sat down when his ears twitched. He heard the eerie roars and the sound of arrows piercing the air coming from outside the village.

His eyes lit up immediately, and he jumped up and grabbed the bone gun.

"Young Master, here we go again! I can still fight!"

Erhu and Zhou Lei immediately perked up, standing up and looking at Jiang Ning expectantly.

Jiang Ning glanced outside the village and indeed saw one or two ignorant monsters wandering over, but they were quickly and easily killed by the arrow towers.

He waved his hand impatiently, "Alright, alright, that's enough. You guys haven't had a proper night's sleep in days. Even donkeys can't carry as much load as you. Go back to sleep, you all have a ton of work to do tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, the three men, though clearly unsatisfied, dared not disobey Jiang Ning's orders.

Moreover, upon closer reflection, after several days of tension and exhaustion, including tonight's exciting battle, the feeling of fatigue washed over me like a tidal wave once the excitement wore off.

My body is indeed nearing its limit.

"Yes, young master!"

The three responded in unison, obediently put away their weapons, put their arms around each other's shoulders, and whispered about the details of the battle they had just fought. Still feeling unsatisfied, they headed back to their respective residences, probably to chat excitedly for a while before they could fall asleep.

Thus, in the vast darkness outside the village, Jiang Ning was truly left all alone.

He stood alone on the high platform, the night wind carrying the chill of the mountains blowing in, ruffling the long hair that fell across his forehead.

The world was eerily quiet at that moment, with only the gentle breeze whistling through the withered branches and the occasional, sporadic roars that rose from outside the village and were quickly silenced by arrows.

Behind them, in their simple village houses, the villagers finally got a good night's sleep, their soft breathing faintly audible in the silence.

This was an extremely rare and precious quiet night. Peace was left to those who needed rest, while the responsibility of staying awake and watching over fell to Jiang Ning alone.

He exhaled a heavy breath, his gaze passing through the darkness to the blurry outline of the distant mountains.

They carry heavy burdens on their shoulders, and the pressure of the future is as immense as a mountain.

As the core of the village, Jiang Ning must shoulder all of this.

For himself, and for those who have entrusted their trust to him.

"As long as things are getting better..." he murmured to himself, speaking to the silent night and to himself.

"Darkness will always pass."

Jiang Ning gently closed his eyes, then opened them again, and pressed himself close to the observation device once more, continuing his solitary vigil.

He was accompanied by the ceaseless night wind, several bone arrow towers that stood silently in the dark night, emitting a ghostly light, and of course, the land he protected beneath his feet.

Thoughts drifted in the silence.

The eerie intrusions will not cease; as long as darkness remains and humanity still exists here, the struggle will never end.

We must also plan for the longer future every single day.

The defenses are now largely in place; the next step is to establish more stable channels for resource acquisition.

Furthermore, expanding living space, consolidating the foundation of people's livelihood, and attempting to cultivate the spiritual fields are only the first steps...

Time slipped away bit by bit as Jiangning planned things out on his own.

Thick, dark clouds drifted slowly across the sky.

It wasn't until late at night, after confirming that it was indeed impossible for another large-scale ghost tide to appear that night, that they finally arrived at the scene.

Jiang Ning, feeling somewhat relieved, dragged his weary body down from the viewing platform and returned to his simple room, where he almost immediately fell asleep.

The night remained long, and the night wind was icy cold.

The village slept peacefully under the boundless darkness, with only the outer arrow towers faithfully carrying out their guard duties, turning any sporadic, eerie attempts to approach into tranquil black smoke.

......

At dawn, Jiang Ning was awakened by a chill.

He didn't know how long he had slept; he only remembered that he seemed to have fallen asleep and lost consciousness.

As soon as he regained consciousness, he sat up abruptly, the movement startling Wang Fu, who was guarding him nearby.

"Young Master, did you have a nightmare?"

Wang Fu asked softly.

Jiang Ning shook his still somewhat dizzy head, his first reaction being to look out the window, his voice hoarse:

"Is it dawn? Outside, those things..."

"It's almost dawn, young master. The night has passed peacefully, nothing's wrong," Wang Fu said gently.

Upon hearing the word "peace," Jiang Ning's tense nerves finally relaxed, and he let out a long sigh before lying back down on the bed.

The continuous high level of stress had caused him to suffer from neurasthenia, and even in his sleep, eerie roars seemed to echo.

He stared at the still somewhat dim, rough wooden roof planks, feeling the distinct damp chill in the air, and asked softly:

"It's raining, no wonder it's so cold."

"Yes, young master, it's raining. It started in the middle of the night."

Wang Fu handed over the ginger water that was still slightly steaming.

Jiang Ning nodded, took the bowl, and gulped down the warm ginger water. A warm current spread from his throat to his stomach, dispelling much of the chill in his body.

The ginger water made by the villagers using traditional methods, though simple, is very comforting in today's environment.

He couldn't help but think that if there were real hot water and steaming hot food, life wouldn't be so hard for everyone.

Outside the window, the sound of rain pattering could be heard.

Jiang Ning murmured softly, "It's good that it's raining; the soil will be more moist, making it easier to plow and plant..."

He then slowly walked out of the house and looked at the rain and mist.

Fine rain sprinkled across the mountains and fields, enveloping the entire Changyin Mountain in a misty gray-white haze.

The outlines of distant mountains and nearby trees have become soft and blurred. The former desolation and ferocity have been washed away by the rain, revealing a serene tranquility.

In the village, a faint dampness rose from the simple rooftops, and the ground gradually became wet, forming small puddles.

The air was filled with the earthy smell and the crisp, cool scent unique to the air after the rain.

The sky gradually brightened through the rain, but the mountains and fields remained shrouded in mist, with no sunlight in sight.

The mountain path became muddy and difficult to traverse, which also suppressed the dust and sand that had accumulated over the past few days.

On the outskirts of the village, the eerie remains of those who had been shot last night were decaying and dissolving faster in the rain, their black blood mixing with the muddy water, making it even more filthy.

Jiang Ning went outside, and the fine rain gently brushed against her face, carrying a refreshing coolness.

He took a deep breath of the cool, damp air after the rain, and the fatigue of the past few days seemed to be washed away.

Most of the villagers were already up, and their faces showed no signs of drowsiness, indicating that they had all had a relatively peaceful night.

They gathered under the eaves, organizing the tools they would use for their day's gathering, chatting in hushed tones about everyday matters, their tone relaxed.

Upon seeing Jiang Ning emerge, everyone stopped talking and offered him respectful smiles.

Jiang Ning nodded in response to each one.

He also saw that the two crematoriums outside the village had already been lit, their eerie green flames burning quietly in the drizzle. Zhou Lei had gotten up early to process the few remaining bones from last night's spoils.

Zhou Lei's slender figure busied himself by the stove, his movements steady and his expression focused. Looking at him now, he seemed quite different from the boy from last night.

He then turned to look at another open space in the village.

Yu Niu and Er Hu were seen practicing their marksmanship early in the morning, braving the drizzle, shirtless, each holding a bone spear, clumsily but earnestly practicing their marksmanship on the muddy ground.

There's no set method; it's mostly about building arm strength and getting familiar with basic gun movements.

Swing, thrust, retract, parry...

Sweat mixed with rainwater slid down their bodies.

Looking at the scene that should be part of the village's daily life, yet appears vibrant and full of hope.

Jiang Ning stretched out his palm, caught a few drops of icy rain, and smiled from the bottom of his heart.

What we should strive for is precisely this kind of future.

Wang Fu walked to his side, draped a dry coat over his shoulders, and whispered:

"Young master, it's raining and chilly. Take care of yourself."

Xiong Meng also came over, looking somewhat worried.

"Young Master, what about Yao Family Village..."

Jiang Ning looked up at the misty rain and the muddy mountain path, and calmly said:

"The road is long and the rain makes it slippery. No rush. Let's wait until noon when the rain subsides."

Upon hearing this, Xiong Meng nodded, suppressing his anxiety.

Jiang Ning then said, "Let everyone go inside and rest first. It's still raining, and the roads are slippery and dangerous. It's not too late to go out and work when the rain subsides or stops."

Xiong Meng nodded in agreement and turned to greet the villagers who were chatting under the eaves.

Jiang Ning's gaze once again fell upon the withered grove of trees outside the village, shrouded in rain.

The immediate problem is urgent; we need stable channels for obtaining resources. We can't always rely on killing monsters to open blind boxes. Last night's situation is the best warning.

Moreover, even if you kill the monsters every night, the material drop rate is not stable.

Self-sufficiency, the most direct path is through the production of resources.

For now, it seems the only option is to cultivate spirit fields and plant special crops that can produce strange materials such as "Strange Eye Crystals" and "Strange Hand Vine".

The newly reclaimed land outside the village, near the dead woods, has soft soil and is in a good location.

But that place is also one of the directions from which the strange tides emerge.

If the fields were planted there, before they could even grow, they would probably be trampled to death by waves of strange creatures.

We also need to find a way to protect the fields, or rather, to make the strange tides ignore the fields.

Jiang Ning had a flash of inspiration.

The characteristics of the "Spirit Gathering Lamp Pillar".

If the ability to conceal one's presence within a certain range could be applied to fields, making them invisible in the eerie tides, wouldn't that be perfect?

Unfortunately, the "Spirit Gathering Lamp" currently only functions for the building itself, powering the arrow tower, and does not have the function of protecting other areas.

Similar treasures...

Wait,

Jiang Ning suddenly remembered that a few days ago he had obtained a treasure that seemed to be related to the land and protection, but he had not yet found a way to use it.

He went back into the house and quickly took out a small banner.

[Consume one "Deceptive Vine" to awaken the "Guardian Banner"?]