Chapter 13: Wild Boars Wreak Havoc, Homes Destroyed

The shadow of the spirit bamboo swayed uneasily, filled with apprehension toward the spirit butterfly. This was the moment of its greatest weakness, and the arrival of the spirit butterfly was nothing short of malicious. The spirit bamboo did not trust the spirit butterfly in the least; if it could drive her away sooner, all the better. In its view, the most likely scenario was that the spirit butterfly would abandon the chieftain’s body, allowing her spirit to become whole, and then they would engage in a fierce battle where neither could overcome the other. At that point, the spirit bamboo would simply go with the flow and slip away from the dream.

Yet the spirit butterfly seemed so assured, her soul clearly feeble, and still she dared to be defiant. Did she have a hidden trump card? The spirit bamboo grew anxious—for it had suffered setbacks before. When Ye Chen called for outside help and Ning Peach Blossom intervened, the spirit bamboo was beaten so badly it began to question itself, and after barely preserving a back-up plan, even that was dismantled by Ning Peach Blossom.

Although the spirit bamboo suspected that the spirit butterfly could not so easily call for aid, and that such action must come at a great price, was it possible not to be afraid? This was why it kept silent, but it couldn’t just watch as the spirit butterfly slowly claimed the nest as her own.

It had never expected to succeed in one blow—this was merely a test. Yet now, it seemed this tentative strike might escalate into a decisive battle, a brutal fight, and the spirit bamboo was rather bewildered, even fearful that a hand from beyond might suddenly intervene and crush it in an instant.

This was no idle paranoia. The spirit bamboo was extremely sensitive to danger, perhaps a natural instinct. It felt as if someone was watching from the shadows—a gaze calm and devoid of killing intent, yet if, on a whim, that watcher decided to act out of displeasure, it would spell doom for the spirit bamboo.

No matter how many thoughts churned within, they didn’t slow the spirit bamboo’s movements. In the ethereal realm, the spirit bamboo seemed draped in endless flames, dominating half the sky, while on the other side, mists flowed like a rolling river.

Half fire, half water—the clash was fierce beyond compare.

The chieftain’s spirit, meanwhile, remained unharmed, staring dumbfounded at the scene. The void seemed on the verge of explosion, shattering into countless crystalline fragments that cascaded downward, threatening to collapse the entire ethereal realm.

Both sides strained against each other, pulling the realm to its limits; though they didn’t tear it asunder at once, the damaged portions swiftly regenerated.

When all was said and done, both Ye Chen and the spirit bamboo wielded incense power and the force of wishes in their battle; the aftermath of their struggle would ultimately become the material to mend the ethereal realm.

Originally crude and hastily constructed, this world gradually grew solid as the combat raged on.

Suddenly, the fierce fighting ceased.

Within the Bamboo Tribe, chaos had erupted, forcing Ye Chen and the spirit bamboo to halt their confrontation, though both remained wary and vigilant, not daring to let their guard down.

“It's bad, Chief! We’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest—many wild boars are coming!”

Ye Chen saw a tribesman running towards him, but before he could ask anything, the shaman intercepted the man.

“Fang, you say many wild boars are coming? What happened?”

The tribesman, named Fang, bore a name much like the others of the tribe—names such as Stone, Oak, and the like.

Fang’s face was full of terror. “We were chasing the runaway boar and were about to succeed, but suddenly a whole herd appeared.”

A single wild boar was difficult enough to handle, but a herd was a serious matter indeed.

The shaman began to ask more, but Ye Chen cut in, “No need for more questions. Let Fang lead the way. There’s no time to lose—we must go and help at once.”

The shaman almost protested instinctively, for he hadn’t forgotten that the chieftain’s body was now possessed by an outsider, but he knew the gravity of the situation and, though seething inside, held his tongue.

Fang was badly wounded, blood trickling down his body, but there was no time to rest. As he prepared to lead the way, a shiver overtook him, making his words falter.

“They’re here—the wild boars are here.”

No further explanation was needed. Ye Chen looked up to see six large wild boars and three smaller ones charging furiously, raising clouds of dust as if bulldozers were rampaging toward them—an intimidating sight.

“These wild boars, coming in a pack, are indeed a disaster.”

Ye Chen felt no fear, gripping his bone knife eagerly.

“If they dare invade the tribe, they are courting death.”

Without standing idle, Ye Chen rushed toward the wild boars.

The shaman hesitated—he had suffered humiliation from wild boars before and knew well that running over would only bring more disgrace.

Just then, a warm energy flowed through the shaman’s body.

“The totem…”

The shaman’s heart surged with excitement; this was the power of the totem. Evidently, the totem was unharmed.

Embracing the strength welling within, the shaman even fancied that a single punch might kill a wild boar. He hurried after Ye Chen, while Fang, trembling all over from the deep trauma left by the wild boars, hesitated a moment before following.

“Spread out! Hide yourselves well!”

Ye Chen was disappointed to see the tribe in panic. The old and weak, unable to fight, could be excused, but what of the able-bodied youths? Their fear was disheartening.

Six large wild boars and three small ones—should the entire tribe be rendered helpless?

Ye Chen swung his bone knife, cleaving one of the large boars in a single stroke, blood spraying everywhere. Without pause, he struck again, breaking the hoof of another boar dashing away at full speed. The creature’s massive body crashed to the ground with a force that left it writhing, unable to rise for quite some time.

Ye Chen’s ruthless efficiency terrified the other wild boars, stopping them in their tracks; they turned to flee.

But escape was not an option. The shaman caught up, wielding his bamboo blade, which pierced straight through the throat of a large boar. Crimson blood flowed along the blade, transforming into strands of mysterious power, which then merged into the spirit bamboo.

Ye Chen’s expression shifted—by acting thus, the shaman was conducting a kind of impromptu sacrificial rite, benefiting the spirit bamboo even without elaborate preparation.

Ye Chen felt inclined to break ties; the shaman’s actions were a grave offense.

“Does he think I won’t retaliate over this?”

He seethed inwardly, watching the wild boars scatter as the shaman unleashed his might. With such power, it was clear the shaman was backed by the spirit bamboo. Yet with a full-strength blow, could he not kill the shaman outright?

“If I fled now and chose another tribe to serve as their totem, would that be feasible?”

“This Bamboo Tribe is nothing but trouble. Its people can’t even handle six large and three small wild boars. If I were to abandon them for another tribe, there would be little to regret.”

Ye Chen mused, “Though my talisman seed is not yet perfected and hasn’t become a divine decree, I am still considered a totem. Some tribes have no totem at all. Starting over in a new tribe wouldn’t be impossible.”

But glancing at the spirit bamboo’s shadow in the ethereal realm, he sighed. Entangled as he was with the spirit bamboo, escape would not be easy.

“Consider the shaman lucky—he’s escaped disaster this time.”

Ye Chen felt a tinge of disappointment, then saw the shaman stumble, nearly falling.

“This is bad—the wild boars here aren’t all; the whole herd must be a hundred strong.”

Looking into the distance, Ye Chen saw a vast, dark mass of wild boars charging toward them, and for the first time, he felt genuine pressure.

“It seems I misjudged the tribe. In the face of a hundred wild boars, anyone’s scalp would tingle with dread.”