Chapter 33: Things Will Work Out in the End

Ye Chen was reluctant to waste his time and energy on solving internal strife within the tribe. For now, he chose to spend a bit more effort in hopes of lessening the shaman's resentment; after all, the dead could no longer vie for favor, and in time, this unwavering loyalist would belong to him entirely.

To be honest, Ye Chen had long coveted such unswerving loyalty from Spirit Bamboo.

“So, tell me then—are you actually going to justify striking down Spirit Bamboo?”

There seemed to be sparks in the shaman’s eyes. She knew full well that it wasn’t just Spirit Butterfly who acted ruthlessly; if the tables were turned, Spirit Bamboo would not have shown mercy either.

But now Spirit Bamboo was dead, and the shaman, recalling their days together, could barely contain her anger.

“You don’t honestly think the Dove Tribe will just sit back and watch us recover, do you?” Ye Chen sneered coldly. “If you ask me, the Dove Tribe will definitely make a move, doing everything they can to see us destroyed.”

Why had the Bamboo Tribe suffered so much? Wasn’t it all because of the brutal conflict with the Dove Tribe?

“We’ve suffered great losses, but the Dove Tribe didn’t come out unscathed either—do they really have the strength to trouble us?” The shaman was unconvinced. “If only a few come, it’s of no consequence. But if many of them come, aren’t they afraid their own nest will be left undefended?”

After all, it wasn’t just the Bamboo Tribe and the Dove Tribe in this region. Who wouldn’t seize the chance to profit from others’ misfortunes? The Dove Tribe, lacking a totem’s protection, would be courting death to leave themselves exposed.

The thought left the shaman frustrated. Precisely because the Dove Tribe had no totem, they had seemed an easy target—only to find themselves kicking a steel wall. If that weren’t the case, the Bamboo Tribe would not be in such dire straits.

A totem was important, but it wasn’t the sole determinant of a tribe’s strength.

“The Dove Tribe doesn’t need to come in great numbers. If they incite the neighboring tribes to attack us, can we really preserve ourselves?” Ye Chen said solemnly. “The only reason those other tribes don’t act rashly is because they fear our totem, isn’t it?”

“But if the totem is gravely wounded, unable to function, then its deterrence becomes meaningless. As time passes, that threat will weaken substantially. With no trump card in hand, the entire tribe will be doomed.”

“It’s not easy for the totem to recover. Both Spirit Bamboo and I awakened our sentience under the tribe’s incense and prayers, mutating together, our natures complementing each other. If one of us were to devour the other, some vitality could be restored.”

Ye Chen was making things up with a straight face. Spirit Bamboo wasn’t around to contradict him, so anything Ye Chen said became the truth. Even if he turned black into white, the shaman couldn’t tell the difference.

Of course, that didn’t mean the shaman believed everything Ye Chen said—she was half-convinced, half-skeptical.

In her eyes, Spirit Bamboo had always been honest, while Spirit Butterfly was cunning and not to be trusted.

“But even so, what you did was too ruthless.”

The shaman still couldn’t accept it. Spirit Butterfly had earned some place in her heart; otherwise, she would have shown nothing but pure hatred.

Ye Chen forced a bitter smile. “Who said I didn’t leave Spirit Bamboo a way out? That golden bamboo seed you’ve been hiding—did you really think you could fool me? Haven’t you noticed I haven’t touched it? I didn’t wipe everything out.”

Ye Chen cursed himself inwardly for his hypocrisy. He had indeed done the deed, but he was banking on the shaman’s ignorance.

Sure enough, the shaman was stunned for a moment, then her expression softened. So there was still hope for Spirit Bamboo. That made Ye Chen’s actions seem less monstrous, less unforgivable.

“You’d best get some rest,” Ye Chen advised. The shaman was getting old; she might not even be able to get up the next day.

Ye Chen said no more. Seeing that his tampering with the shaman’s memories had worked, he felt reassured.

For now, with hidden dangers removed, the tribe could unite and focus on restoring its strength.

Ye Chen sank his consciousness into a dream.

The power of the Dreamworld enveloped the tribe.

Ye Chen felt his mind rising higher and higher, merging with heaven and earth.

It was as if he had achieved unity with the world; the whole tribe lay revealed before his eyes.

Though the sky was dim, it did not hinder him in the slightest. With astonishing power, Ye Chen held the tribe firmly in his grasp.

This was the authority of a Dream God, fully unleashed; the divine aura shrouded the tribe.

It was Ye Chen’s way of wielding the Dreamworld’s power, and what he’d told the shaman was not entirely alarmist.

The Dove Tribe was like a poisonous thorn, ever watching the Bamboo Tribe—no surprise there.

Perhaps, even now, some ill-intentioned plot was being hatched in the dark against the Bamboo Tribe.

Ye Chen did not want to be caught napping, only to find the tribe gone when he awoke—that would be a joke indeed.

At this point, if the tribe faced any threat, Ye Chen would not be caught unawares.

If someone truly managed to slip in unnoticed, it would mean their strength was far beyond what Ye Chen could withstand.

In that case, the only sensible thing would be to run—but such an event was unlikely.

Unless there was something in the Bamboo Tribe worth coveting. But how could that be? It was just an ordinary tribe.

“And yet, to say the Bamboo Tribe is completely ordinary wouldn’t be accurate. After all, Ning Peach Blossom placed great value on it.”

“Otherwise, why bother setting me up, pushing me into the Bamboo Tribe’s blazing pit? The more I think about it, the more vexed I become.”

The outcome had been favorable, and Ye Chen seemed to have suffered no loss, but that didn’t mean there was no price paid.

“What is so special about the Bamboo Tribe?” Ye Chen mused. “Ning Peach Blossom said it was a crucial node in the web of fate, shrouded in mist. Even standing at its heart as a Dream God, I can’t unravel its secrets. Perhaps it’s simply beyond my current ability.”

At present, Ye Chen could only catch glimpses of the truth. Guesswork was all that remained—and that was unreliable.

He decided not to dwell on it. “Forget it, I won’t overthink. When the boat reaches the bridge, it will straighten itself out.”

It wasn’t that Ye Chen was slow-witted; it was just not worth the mental effort. If only he could raise his strength more quickly.

“Incense and prayer won’t surge overnight.”

The Bamboo Tribe was so small, it was enough to move one to tears. Even if they held grand ceremonies daily, it was still just shearing the same sheep—effective, but limited.

“Unless the tribe’s numbers increased rapidly.”

Ye Chen’s heart stirred. “Though it’s too late for new births now, expanding the tribe isn’t impossible.”

“There are always people whose own tribes have been destroyed, forced to wander. If we take them in, it would at least ease our hunger for able-bodied members.”

The tribe’s numbers were few, and the population was imbalanced, mostly women and children.