The mournful melody lingered as flames roared, crackling in the night. The ritual was ready. Members from the four clans carried Simon Grant to the bonfire.
Yuna Ji sobbed and screamed, while Lucille Xing pressed a hand to her forehead. The incident at Yuna Ji's quarters days ago had already been discussed by Joseph Qiao and the generals; for now, they decided not to report it to King Grant.
Simon Grant's death was a crushing blow to the Grant Family. King Grant returned, aged overnight by grief. Edward Grant had not come back; with Simon gone, he could only remain at the central pass.
"Why are people so weak, Joseph?"
Inside King Grant's chamber, Joseph Qiao stood silently. The king's eyes were dull, heavy sadness pouring from his gaze.
Joseph Qiao stared at King Grant without speaking. After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"Let me go and assist Edward Grant. Wynn Domain and Sage Domain may be quiet for now, but I fear..."
King Grant remained silent. Joseph Qiao did not continue. He decided to personally visit the central pass, which Simon Grant had always managed. Now, with Edward Grant taking over so abruptly, Joseph worried he might undo the system Simon had worked so hard to build.
In the Tang Clan, the entire tribe was celebrating. Food was brought in endlessly. Bella Liang happily dragged Tang Lan along.
"Well, who would have thought Simon Grant was really dead? Haha, now the Grant Family must be nearly finished. We owe it all to you, Old Tang."
Stanley Tang stood nearby, just as delighted. For them, Simon Grant's death was an enormous windfall.
Tang Lan smiled, but something felt off. Wraithshade hadn't contacted him for ten days. No matter how he called for spirits, there was no response.
Unable to sit still any longer, Tang Lan decided to cross the mountains to search for Wraithshade. He didn't know why Wraithshade wouldn't answer, but he was sure of one thing—the spirit he carried would lead him straight to Wraithshade.
"Uncle, it's so late—are you really going out now?"
Stanley Tang watched in confusion as Tang Lan rode out of the village on horseback.
"Stanley, just work closely with Commander Bella Liang. I have something I need to do."
Once in the mountains, Tang Lan abandoned his horse. Guided by the spirit, he learned Wraithshade was still near Grant City. He couldn't take the main road—he had to go through the forest.
Nearly a month passed before Tang Lan finally crossed the mountains and arrived in the deep forests near Grant City. Wraithshade still hadn't answered him, and Tang Lan was growing anxious.
The deeper Tang Lan ventured into the woods, the darker it became. In the pitch-black thicket, he found Wraithshade lying quietly in a sticky mud pool, an arrow lodged in his forehead.
"What happened? You..."
Tang Lan examined Wraithshade in confusion. His condition was dire—physically weak, and most importantly, every spirit that once dwelled in him was gone. The cause was surely the arrow in his forehead. Tang Lan gripped the arrow and pulled it out with all his strength.
Wraithshade's eyes fluttered open in the muddy pool.
"It's you."
Wraithshade spoke feebly. Tang Lan had never seen him this weak before.
"Where are the spirits in your body?"
But the most crucial thing was that all the spirits that once gathered inside Wraithshade were now gone.
After a while, Tang Lan dragged Wraithshade out of the mud and propped him against a tree. He handed over an Obsidian Core, which Wraithshade swallowed whole.
"Failed? How could that be?"
Tang Lan stared in astonishment, unable to believe what Wraithshade had told him. Simon Grant was dead, and their only target was a girl not yet ten years old.
"I didn't hold back at all. Those few people, clearly ordinary, were so dazzling."
Wraithshade smiled faintly as Tang Lan looked on, heartbroken.
"It took you so much effort to gather all those spirits, and now they're gone. Sigh."
"You'll have to start collecting again. It's wartime now—come with me to the May Domain."
"What do you want to do there?"
Tang Lan asked, puzzled. Wraithshade smiled.
"It's been so long since I've been back. I wonder if my tribe still exists."
Tang Lan's eyes widened at once, staring at Wraithshade in shock.
"Amazing! Ten shots, ten hits!"
Lucille Xing looked in disbelief at Lona Long, who sat atop a horse. Their wounds had mostly healed; only Sebastian Zhao still couldn't do strenuous activities, but the other eight were recovered.
"Lona Long, be honest—have you been secretly practicing?"