73: Chapter 74 The Post Station Nest

It wasn't that the fire was going to go out—it was that the Post Station, Fire Well, Night Wing, and underground ash storage, these few points just twisted together, had sucked away more than half the power of the fire pillar in one breath. This newly seized forward station finally revealed its true nature: it could "eat" fire, and it ate extremely ferociously, without any hesitation.

Grey Pupil reacted the fastest; he slammed his ceremonial staff hard against the ground and shouted in a deep voice: "Don't open the cylinder yet! If the main fire pillar drops any further, the old skeleton of the entire Post Station will collapse, and we'll all be buried in the ash by then!"

Wu Fu had been staring intently at that grey-white stone cylinder, her eyes full of inquiry. Hearing this, she immediately turned her head to look above the Post Station—the Night-Wing Scout Hunter on the high platform of the post building was still hanging steadily, but the grey-red fire spreading outward along the groove of the main fire pillar was a whole circle thinner than when they had just seized the post, as if it had been fiercely sucked away by something.

The outer wall entrance, the front platform of the building, the underground ash storage, and the side path under the bridge—every place was crazily "demanding fire," insatiably greedy.

She clicked her tongue, her tone carrying a bit of impatience, but her mind was spinning fast, instantly clarifying the key: "It's normal. This place is no longer an isolated stronghold; it's four mouths waiting to be fed. If you don't twist them into one force and string them into one line, no matter how much fire you fill in later, it will all leak out through the cracks—it's purely a waste of effort."

After The Old Craftsman handed over the stone cylinder, he remained in a daze, as if he hadn't yet recovered from the shock of "finding the holder of the black fire."

But upon hearing Wu Fu's words, it was as if someone had hammered him awake. He tapped his stone ruler on the ground, bent down to stare at the main fire pillar, and then swept his gaze over the ground, the ash storage opening, and the well-back trench. His originally cloudy eyes instantly became as sharp as a knife.

"It's not four mouths," he said with a hoarse voice, his tone carrying unquestionable certainty as he directly corrected Wu Fu. "It's one main fire pillar, one fire network, two work roads, and one lower storage. The things are all there, it's just that the connections are broken and the order is chaotic."

Once these words were out, even the usually conceited Wu Fu raised her eyes to look at him again, her eyes showing a bit more approval—this old guy really knew the ways of the Post Station.

The Old Craftsman said no more and crouched down. His stone ruler moved quickly across the ash-covered ground, and a few thick lines instantly outlined the veins of the Post Station: the main fire pillar was in the center, the high platform line of the post building was for receiving wind and scouting, the lower-left ash storage line was responsible for collecting materials and stockpiling, the well-back trench line was specifically for continuing and transferring fire, and the side path under the bridge was gently circled on the outermost side, not drawn to a dead end, leaving an opening that could be used for both attack and defense.

"The Post Station is not a city; don't think about becoming fat in one bite and fixing all the places at once," The Old Craftsman said without looking up, his stone ruler pointing at the lines on the ground. "First, set up the main fire pillar and the fire network. If it can breathe, transfer fire, and allow craftsmen and materials to pass through smoothly, that's enough for it to live. Once the skeleton is stable, then slowly fill in the flesh and patch the gaps."

Lu Jin stared at those few simple yet precise lines, and his heart instantly became clear.

The forward sub-nest he wanted was never about moving the Furnace Cave Fortress over exactly as it was, but rather, on this old skeleton of the Grey Stele Post, first connecting an external nest point that could transfer its own fire, breathe on its own, and send fire and people forward on its own—first set the bones, then grow the flesh; not a single step could be out of order.

But the practical difficulties were also immediately laid out in the open.

Lu Jin pressed his divine sense into his Sea of Consciousness, and the consumption from the Furnace Cave Fortress side became instantly clear: the Priest Well needed fire to maintain operations, the Brood Nursery Court needed pulp to cultivate bone-armor, and the outer ring defense line was already consuming a huge amount. Now, with the Post Station added, both ends were drawing power simultaneously, and the burden on the main divine domain instantly doubled.

Grey Pupil stated these pros and cons more bluntly, without any concealment: "If you force the establishment of the sub-nest now, the main divine domain will lose a layer first. The fire for the Priest Well can be suppressed, and the pulp for the Brood Nursery Court can be saved, but the walls of the outer ring, the bone-armor soldiers, and the faith of the believers will all have to tighten their belts, and not a bit of slack can be allowed."

But when Wu Fu heard this, her eyes brightened even more—what she feared least was calculating the pros and cons and breaking through a deadlock.

"Then don't set it up fully, set up the skeleton first!" She spoke very fast, her tone certain. "The Work Rats and this group of old craftsmen will connect the Post Station fire grooves. I only need one sub-nest abdominal storage; being able to collect materials, transfer nest pulp, and hang Night Wing guards is enough. If a point-snatching team really comes to scout at night, we won't be left with only one fire pillar to hold out; at least there will be a buffer."

After speaking, her gaze immediately fell on the royal court cold mirror fragment in Ning Yanqiu's hand, her tone carrying a bit of urgency: "And this mirror fragment in her hand, don't keep clutching it. Clutching it in your hand only lets you see yourself, and it can't be used for anything. Hang it into the fire network, let it manage the roads and fix the positions—that's when it's truly valuable!"

Ning Yanqiu's fingertips tightened slightly, and the cold mirror fragment disk in her palm transmitted a bone-chilling coldness.

Ever since she brought this thing out from under the bridge, she had never let go—partly because the fragment had just connected with her aura, and the chill was still drilling into her bone joints; the other part was that she knew clearly in her heart that once the fragment was hung into the Post Station fire network, it would no longer belong only to her as an opportunity; it would become a part of this forward stronghold, coexisting and living with the Post Station.

The Old Craftsman also spoke at this moment, his tone plain but every word earnest: "She must hang it."

He raised his hand, his stone ruler pointing precisely at the main branch point of the fire network he had just drawn. "A front-marking mirror is never meant to be kept in one's bosom as a treasure. With the mirror in hand, you can at most see the road ahead; when the mirror is hung in the fire network, all the roads of the entire Post Station will be under its management."

When he said this, there was not a hint of the awe that would treat the cold mirror fragment disk as an old heirloom of the Ning Family. In his eyes, this was just an old piece of craftsmanship that should be used to its fullest potential and hung where it belonged. Only by fulfilling its purpose could it be considered not wasted.

Ning Yanqiu stared at the line for the main branch point on the ground, was silent for two breaths, and then suddenly looked up and asked: "After it's hung in, can it still be taken out?"

The Old Craftsman raised his eyes to look at her, a gaze that seemed to pierce through her thoughts and understand all the concerns she hadn't voiced: "It can be taken out. But once it's hung in, the fire of this Post Station will remember it. If you take it away in the future, it will leave your hand, but what remains is the road of this Post Station—it will recognize you, and it will also cling to you."

These words were very plain, yet they struck exactly at the hardest point in Ning Yanqiu's heart.

Returning to the Ning Family, she could put this cold mirror fragment disk into the mirror vault and treat it as an unimportant old object; but hanging it into the Post Station fire network would make it the bones of the front line, her bond with this stronghold, and it would never return to the way it was before.

Ning Yanqiu didn't ask a second question, and the coldness that had been tightly held in her eyes instead slowly settled, becoming exceptionally firm.

She flipped the cold mirror fragment disk over, the cold white mirror surface reflecting that layer of dim grey-red fire from the main fire pillar, and said word by word: "Hang it."

Hearing this, Lu Jin didn't try to persuade her, nor did he say anything more. He raised his hand and pressed down, directly fixing the division of labor for the whole scene, his tone crisp and clean, without any drag: "Grey Pupil, you are responsible for the main fire pillar and the Fire Well connection grooves; you must stabilize the fire sequence and not let the fire pillar sink any further. Wu Fu, build the sub-nest abdominal storage and the high platform nest beams; be fast and ensure stability. Work Rats, focus on transporting the pulp materials. The rat-folk craftsmen are responsible for combing through the old grooves, old chains, and positioning, following The Old Craftsman's method. Burrowing Spear Rats, expand the lower layer of the ash storage by another half, leaving a depth line for the sub-nest, just in case."

Qiao Ye and Wen Zhao were not at the Post Station, but those two defense lines outside could not be left unwatched.

Lu Jin shifted his divine sense and added another sentence, his tone carrying an unquestionable order: "All Night Wings are to be hung on the high platform. Keep a close watch on both the front entrance and the well-back trench; don't let anyone sneak in for a surprise attack. Send a message immediately if there is any movement."

As the order fell, the entire Grey Stele Post instantly came alive—not with chaotic bustle, but with everyone and every Bone-Armor Beast knowing where they should go and what they should do, each performing their own duties, orderly and methodical.

Grey Pupil took action first.

He didn't rush to add fire to the main fire pillar, but instead, along that circle of old fire grooves at the bottom of the fire pillar, he pressed the grey fire brought back from the Outer Fire Well in inch by inch.

Once the fire entered the old grooves, the layer of dark patterns deep underneath the Post Station, which had originally been broken, indeed began to connect bit by bit, just as The Old Craftsman had said, emitting a faint red light.

The group of rat-folk craftsmen also walked out from the underground ash storage for the first time.

They were still afraid of people; when passing by two tall Bone-Armor Furnace Guards, their ears would subconsciously flatten, their spines would tense up tightly, and they would even breathe very lightly.

But once they saw those exposed old grooves, broken chains, scorched Post Station fire bricks, and half-buried positioning nails, their steps changed—the fear in their eyes faded, replaced by an instinctive focus.

Some crouched down, their fingertips gently stroking the brick seams to judge the degree of damage; some picked up small stone hammers to gently tap the broken chains, listening to the sound to judge if they could still be reused; and two of the youngest rat-folk, not even caring about their fear, circled a collapsed old beam three times, arguing in low voices about whether that beam should be turned over and stuck into the groove to be more stable.

Wu Fu stood to the side watching, her lips unable to resist curling up slightly, her eyes full of admiration: "These guys are truly born craftsmen; without anyone telling them, they find work to do on their own."

The Old Craftsman snorted, jabbed his stone ruler into the ground, and said in a stern tone: "Don't go looking for work on your own. Do it by rank! Work properly and don't make trouble for me."

As soon as he spoke, the usually somewhat scattered Grey Stele rat-folk instantly quieted down. They obediently stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him—not out of fear, but because of a habit formed over many years: only by listening to his instructions could they survive and get the job done.

"Short-Tail's group, go connect the left outer trough. Clean the ash out of the trough first, then press the slurry. Don't rush the fire; White-Ear, take the two little ones and shorten the well chain; make sure it fits the curve of the fire trough to prevent fire leakage; and you few, don't just patch the beams directly. Measure the beam foot dimensions first and find the load-bearing point. Whoever dares to use slurry to patch the load-bearing point again, I'll smash their hands first!" The Old Craftsman spoke extremely fast, his instructions clear and concise, with not a wasted word, yet every sentence hit the mark.

At first, the Work Rat followed the fast-hand method Wu Fu usually taught, smearing slurry directly into the cracks. However, after The Old Craftsman pressed down with his stone ruler, it stopped on the spot. Under The Old Craftsman's guidance, the Work Rat changed to the sequence of cleaning the trough first, then pressing the slurry, and finally applying the fire-seam material. With the three steps changed, the previously rough patches instantly became smooth and flat, and even the curve of the fire trough was perfectly aligned.

Wu Fu stood by and watched for a moment. Instead of being annoyed, she became more and more energized. She grabbed a Work Rat, smeared a bit of thinner slurry on its front paws, pointed to the fire trough The Old Craftsman had just repaired, and said in an authoritative tone: "Learn! Don't just smear blindly. Follow The Old Craftsman and learn the real skills so you can be of great use in the future."

The Work Rat didn't fully understand, but it obediently lay down and followed The Old Craftsman's example, cleaning the trough and pressing the slurry bit by bit, doing it properly.

On the other side, Grey Pupil successfully connected to the Fire Well. The grey-red fire poured back along the well line. It was no longer just sustaining the main fire pillar; instead, it followed the old fire troughs re-cleared by the rat-folk and The Old Craftsman, branching out into three thin fire lines toward the post tower, the ash warehouse, and the outer edge of the well-back trench. The fire was not large enough to burn people, but it was enough to wake up the most critical skeleton of the entire Grey Stele Post inch by inch.

The most intuitive change appeared on the high platform of the post tower. The three-story inclined platform, which originally relied on the Work Rats and Wu Fu to patch together, now saw a circle of faint grey patterns emerge in the broken beams and old bone troughs as the fire trough lit up. The place no longer looked like a simple high platform built temporarily; instead, it became a front-line beam mouth where Night Wings could rest, take off, and slide out for reconnaissance—solid and stable.

Lu Jin stood in front of the main fire pillar and could clearly feel the tug-of-war at both ends—at the Furnace Cave Fortress, fire and faith were being siphoned off, and the aura of the main god's domain was noticeably weaker. But here at the Grey Stele Post, it was truly starting to grow its own "breath." It was no longer a dead point parasitic on the main god's domain, but was slowly becoming an "organ" that could truly push forward and operate autonomously.

This deal was worth it.

"The cold mirror fragment disk can be hung now," Grey Pupil said suddenly, his tone steady. "The fire network is connected, and the mirror base is stable."

Ning Yanqiu had already walked to the main distribution point behind the right side of the main fire pillar. It was originally just an old mirror base, mostly buried by ash, so inconspicuous that no one had noticed it. But after The Old Craftsman's precise measurement and Grey Pupil's fire-pressing awakening, the extremely faint white patterns under the mirror base had all emerged. The patterns were ancient and simple, fitting perfectly with the royal court craftsmanship patterns on the outer edge of the cold mirror fragment disk, without the slightest discrepancy.

Ning Yanqiu did not hesitate at all, raised her hand, and pressed the cold mirror fragment disk into the mirror base.

"Click—"

A soft sound, not loud, but it felt like it struck everyone's heart. The entire Grey Stele Post shook gently, as if the skeleton that had been sleeping for many years had finally been awakened.

The next moment, the cold white mirror patterns no longer just lit up from the cold mirror fragment disk; they spread out line by line along the main fire pillar, the four wall corners, the post tower high platform, and the outer edge of the well-back trench, like a fine, dense net covering the entire Grey Stele Post. In the originally grey-red fire network, a layer of extremely thin cold-white mirror lines suddenly appeared. The cold white did not steal the fire's brilliance, but it illuminated every path and every crack the fire passed through clearly, making everything visible at a glance.

Ning Yanqiu stood in place, her eyes sinking to the bottom, her gaze gaining a bit of clarity. She didn't need to release the four small mirrors to probe the points anymore. The high and low openings, wind-sheltered cracks, ash-collapse zones, and old bridge eyes of the entire Grey Stele Post all automatically floated into her mind along with the fire network, without a single omission.

The foundation on the right slope was too loose; it couldn't be walked on, or it would collapse. A replenishment line could be opened on the outer edge of the well-back trench to facilitate the delivery of materials. The small airspace on the left side of the high platform of the post tower was an excellent spot for a sneak attack and most easily exploited by people using hooks to descend. The grey seam directly in front of the main fire pillar, if hit by another heavy impact, must be disconnected first, otherwise, it would affect the entire fire network.

This wasn't "seeing"; it was the Grey Stele Post handing over its own roads and openings to her control.

Just then, a grey shadow suddenly appeared outside the Grey Stele Post, trying to sneak in silently along the wind-sheltered opening of the high platform—it was a scout from the looting team, trying to probe the reality during the chaos.

Ning Yanqiu didn't even raise her head. She just pressed her fingertips lightly to the upper right and said in a flat, waveless tone: "Seal."

That small, wind-sheltered opening that was most suitable for hiding people suddenly lit up with a line of cold white mirror patterns. Like an invisible barrier, it instantly blocked the grey shadow's path. The moment the grey shadow stepped in, its whole body felt as if it had been fiercely struck by some invisible hard pattern. Its landing spot instantly went awry, and with a scream, it rolled down from the half-slope, suffering broken bones and tendons.

Wen Zhao, who was down the slope, was the first to look up. Seeing this scene, he laughed softly, his voice full of admiration: "Alright, now the road is truly under control. Anyone who comes will have to fall."

Ning Yanqiu herself was stunned for a moment. Not because she couldn't do it, but because it came so smoothly and naturally—after the cold mirror fragment disk was hung into the fire network, she was no longer just helping Lu Jin watch the road; she was setting the road and cutting off paths for the entire stronghold, becoming the "eyes" and "commander" of this Post Station.

She slowly let out a breath and gave orders in a steady, methodical tone: "The wind-sheltered opening of the right high platform is sealed; no passage allowed. Do not walk on the ash-collapse zone on the outer curve of the front slope; send people to repair it first. The well-back trench can be used for materials; arrange for Work Rats and rat-folk to take turns guarding it. Leave only half an opening for the side gate under the bridge; guard the entrance well to prevent sneak attacks."

Every sentence no longer sounded like an on-the-spot judgment; rather, it sounded as if the Grey Stele Post was meant to listen to her commands, already carved into its skeleton.

Wu Fu's eyes lit up as she listened, and she couldn't help but exclaim: "That's the flavor! This is the real purpose of hanging the mirror disk in; it's a hundred times better than holding it in your hand!"

The Old Craftsman also nodded lightly, a rare sight, his tone filled with a hint of gratification: "The old front marker has finally returned to the correct position."

With this, the Grey Stele Post finally established the skeleton of the sub-nest.

The main fire pillar was sustained by the well fire, steady and secure; the high platform held the Night Wings, with strict vigilance; the ash warehouse expanded inward into the sub-nest's belly warehouse, capable of storing materials and transferring slurry; the rat-folk craftsmen and Work Rats cooperated tacitly, connecting troughs, repairing beams, and pressing chains, busy but not chaotic; Ning Yanqiu hung the cold mirror fragment disk into the fire network, and the road rights and cut-off points of the entire stronghold finally had a true master control, solid as a rock.

Lu Jin stood in front of the main fire pillar, watching this Post Station that had only been captured a short while ago, growing its own muscles and bones bit by bit. From a dilapidated old stronghold, it had turned into a front-line sub-nest capable of both offense and defense, and autonomous operation. The pressure that had been weighing on his chest finally truly eased.

They hadn't just seized an isolated point; they had truly pushed the front line of the Furnace Cave Fortress forward by a stretch.

And this was only the beginning.

Only then did The Old Craftsman remember the stone tube that had been temporarily set aside, and said: "It can be opened now." He tucked his stone ruler behind his sleeve and signaled for Lu Jin to place the stone tube on the most stable grey fire by the main fire pillar. "This thing recognizes fire, not people. It won't open when it sees dead fire. Only when the Post Station's fire is corrected will it be willing to recognize its master."

Lu Jin followed the instructions and gently placed the stone tube on the grey fire. As soon as the stone tube touched the scorching grey fire, the old fire pattern on the tube body immediately lit up by half a line, emitting a faint red glow. The black wax sealed at both ends of the stone tube did not melt into liquid; instead, it shrank inward layer by layer, as if it were being sucked back by whatever was inside the tube, eerie and magical.

A moment later, with a soft "pop," the stone tube cracked open a thin slit, and grey energy drifted out slowly from the slit, carrying an ancient and vicissitudinous aura.

Everyone's eyes instantly gathered there—there were no drawings inside, no long text, only a thin stone leaf roasted brown by fire, carefully rolled up inside.

Lu Jin gently unfolded the thin stone leaf, only to see a very short sentence carved on it, the handwriting primitive, penetrating the back of the stone, revealing an unquestionable warning:

"When the fire bridge opens, do not walk the main entrance."