Chapter 38: Seizing Your Head

Ye Chen gripped the ebony wood tightly, intending to throw it beyond the borders of the tribe so that when Ebony woke, he could simply crawl away and be done with it.

Yet, in that very moment, a faint unease began to stir within Ye Chen’s heart.

“Have I overlooked something?”

He muttered to himself, fixing a piercing gaze on Ebony, cold light flickering in his eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

The battle between the Jiu and Bamboo tribes against the boar monster in the virtual realm had come to an end. Now, the two tribes turned their weapons against each other in a fierce conflict.

Wu, observing the ferocity of their clash, naturally thought of Ebony and shifted his attention to him. In doing so, he immediately noticed the struggle written upon Ye Chen’s face.

“I tampered with Ebony’s soul, planning to let him return to the Jiu tribe—a piece I could play at leisure, and if he proved useful, so much the better.”

“But now this sense of unease... Perhaps I’m worried Ebony might somehow escape and slip from my control.”

Ye Chen found it strange. After all, he had already manipulated Ebony’s very soul. Why, at the decisive moment, did unease assail him?

“Is it because Ebony is blessed with extraordinary fortune? Though I don’t really believe in the notion of a ‘fated protagonist,’ I can’t help but be wary of it.”

“If Ebony’s luck were ordinary, I’d have no reason to hesitate.”

It was clear Ye Chen intended to make Ebony a chess piece, used to strike at the very heart of the Jiu tribe—a ploy they would scarcely guard against.

After all, Ye Chen’s methods were so bizarre that unless one had already encountered such tricks, it would be impossible to anticipate them.

“Ebony is highly valued in the Jiu tribe. If he betrays them, it should be quite effective.”

Wu laughed quietly. “Since the Jiu tribe plotted against us, how could we not repay them in kind? If the timing weren’t off, I’d have struck at them myself by now. I doubt they could withstand it.”

Ye Chen glanced at Wu, his expression odd, and said coolly, “So you also think Ebony should be allowed to return alive?”

Ye Chen was confident in his manipulation of Ebony’s memories, believing the man was firmly in his grasp. But why was Wu so confident as well? Ye Chen had never explained his methods to Wu.

Was Wu simply blinded by hatred, or was there more to it? No, that didn’t seem right.

A cold chill crept into Ye Chen’s heart. “Back when the Bamboo tribe’s leaders all lost their heads and decided to attack the Jiu tribe, it happened so hastily and ridiculously that such a major decision was made in a few words. Clearly, Wu has a history of this.”

“Could it be that Wu is losing his mind again?”

Wu still appeared shrewd, smiling as he said, “And what if Ebony does return? Even if he miraculously survives, he’s lost an arm—he’s a cripple now. How could he possibly cause us trouble?”

“Wu is certainly confident,” Ye Chen thought coldly as he gazed at Ebony.

Even with a lost arm, what gave Wu such certainty? Had he forgotten how close their entire tribe came to annihilation? Even if the tribesmen were growing rapidly through their training in the virtual realm, was Wu really so sure of their strength? At the very least, some caution was warranted.

Under the night sky, silver moonlight spilled down, casting the tribe in stark relief upon the earth, like a crouching beast baring its blood-red maw—an omen of dread.

Truth be told, now that the crisis had passed, Ye Chen had hoped to settle into quiet cultivation, patiently restoring the tribe’s strength and building its foundation bit by bit.

With the virtual realm at his disposal, time could be manipulated with ease. Even if all those experiences were illusory, they would still temper his people—an enormous advantage.

But he had miscalculated. The danger had never truly receded. There must still be hidden currents lurking beneath the tribe’s surface, unseen but chilling in their presence.

“No, I mustn’t panic. That force, whatever it is, can’t be too strong. If it could act openly, it would have crushed the tribe long ago.”

“Such power can only plot in the shadows, perhaps clouding the mind. But if one is forewarned, how much effect could such influence still have?”

Ye Chen glanced at Wu, choosing not to act rashly.

“What’s special about Ebony? Is it that powerful luck, or something else that makes him so important?”

“That hidden entity harbors no good will toward the Jiu tribe. The Bamboo tribe’s leaders lost their heads, but the Jiu tribe gained nothing—both sides suffered in the end.”

“It seems whoever lurks in the shadows simply wishes both tribes destroyed. If so, what reason would they have to spare Ebony?”

“Or is it that powerful fortune truly so unreasonable? Even enemies are unconsciously compelled to protect him?”

A cold smile played about Ye Chen’s lips, a vicious determination rising within him.

“No matter your schemes, if you’re so dangerous, I’ll just cut off your head and see what more you can do.”

He had thought letting Ebony die outright would be a waste. Such a pawn, delivered to his hand, could have worked wonders as a spy within the Jiu tribe.

But dreams, he reminded himself, are easily shattered by unexpected disaster. He couldn’t guess what form such disaster might take, but it hardly mattered; a swift beheading would settle everything, sparing him any further trouble.

Ye Chen raised the bamboo blade and swung it down. Ebony’s head was severed in a single stroke, blood splattering as the head rolled across the ground, black mist curling around it.

Abruptly, the head’s eyes flew open, blood tears streaming down its face, a chilling murderous intent locked on Ye Chen, freezing the very air.

The change was so sudden that Wu was caught off guard. What had happened? Why had Ye Chen suddenly cut off Ebony’s head?

A strange anger welled up in Wu, inexplicable and fleeting.

Wu frowned in confusion. “Why am I angry? It’s just another brat from the Jiu tribe dead—I wish they’d all perish!”

He reflected for a moment. “No, something isn’t right. What’s gotten into me?”

Recalling his previous conversation with Ye Chen, Wu felt as if he’d become someone else, not his usual self. Dazed, he stared off, lost in thought.

“Rising from the dead even after beheading—is this what troubled me?” Ye Chen murmured.

The severed head let out a shriek, lunging at Ye Chen, but with a thunderous blast it exploded mid-air.

Ye Chen summoned the strand of divine power that had merged with Ebony’s soul, dispersing the attack from the head.

Blood and bone scattered, yet crimson light gathered, sketching the vague outline of a spectral head.

“Give me back my head.”

A ghostly wail echoed, thick with unwillingness.

“If I’ve lost my own, then I’ll just take yours.”

The voice dripped with venom. On the ground, Ebony’s headless corpse dissolved into a torrent of black mist, surging like a flood to merge with the phantom head.

In an instant, its aura soared.

“No, this is not Ebony,” Wu exclaimed in alarm. “Is there some monster possessing his body?”