God-Tier Villain

Chapter 42: Chapter 42

"It doesn’t matter, whoever disagrees, I’ll kill them."

"If everyone disagrees, I’ll kill everyone."

Hiss!

Osmond was struck speechless, more than a little scared, the muscles of his wrinkled face twitching, the clansmen were no better, not one dared keep discussing.

Kill whoever disagrees, this is a naked threat!

Every head turned toward Ethel at once, hoping she would speak for them.

But she knew she couldn’t open her mouth.

First, she was only a maid at Soren’s side, and he had already looked after her too many times for her to make greedy requests.

Second, before they came, Soren had promised that as long as the clan understood the situation, he wouldn’t kill them.

So it wasn’t the Demon Emperor she should be persuading toward mercy, it was the Clan Chief and the clansmen she should be persuading to stop resisting.

"Clan Chief Grandpa, fellow clansmen."

"Please believe me."

"The Demon Emperor... he isn’t a bad person."

"Please, Clan Chief Grandpa, put the big picture first."

Osmond thought, and thought, and in the end could only sigh. "Very well, we shall follow Demon Emperor’s words and recommend a new Clan Chief for the Ice Heaven Alluring Fox clan."

"This old man will hand over the Clan Chief’s authority in full."

"May I ask who the Demon Emperor wishes to recommend..."

His first guess was Ethel, most clansmen guessed the same.

"Jared."

The name stunned everyone present, including the girl at Soren’s side.

"My brother?"

"Demon Emperor, is this really okay?" Ethel’s eyes went round, she had assumed Soren would hand the position to Bruce, never her own brother.

"I think highly of him."

The corner of Osmond’s mouth twitched, his expression like a man who’d bitten into something foul. "Demon Emperor, isn’t this treating the matter like a child’s game?"

"Jared only possesses Upper-Tier Spirit King strength."

"He also bears the clan’s curse, when it flares, he goes berserk and cannot tell friend from foe."

Soren didn’t argue, he opened the entrance to his pocket space, and a second later, Jared was let out.

Jared clutched his chest with both hands, grimacing as he staggered upright, the surroundings left him dazed, where is this? Looks like the clan territory? Where is Ethel?

"Ethel!" His voice came out hoarse.

The moment he spotted her beside Soren, he forgot the pain in his chest, crossed the distance in a few long strides, and pulled her behind him, his eyes were full of terror when they landed on Soren.

"Ethel, he didn’t make things difficult for you, did he?"

"No, Brother, the Demon Emperor has been very good to me, listen to me explain..."

She summarized everything from yesterday and today.

By the end, Jared stood frozen, the look he gave Soren slowly softened.

He understood now how Soren treated Ethel, and his affection climbed with it, on the strategy panel, his tier rose, lighting up Obedient and Submissive.

Once again the Strategy Encyclopedia proved accurate, treat Ethel well, and Jared’s view of him transformed.

And Soren was willing to make him Clan Chief.

To Jared, the offer left him flattered past comprehension.

Their parents had vanished mysteriously, leaving the siblings with no one, he bore an innate curse, life in the clan had never been kind, no strength, no backing, no status, so the others froze them out, and bullied them.

If he truly sat in the Clan Chief’s seat, a thing he had only dared dream, it would become real by Soren’s hand.

But no one knew his limits better than he did, an Upper-Tier Spirit King, plenty of clansmen his age had broken through to Lower-Tier Spirit Venerable, and he had no Elders behind him, even with the title, making them submit would be hard.

"Demon Emperor, this old man still feels Jared is too young, and he carries the curse. I fear he cannot bear the weight of the Clan Chief’s seat." Osmond kept trying to talk him out of it.

Soren gave him a flat look. "I am around his age, and I am already a Middle-Tier Demon Emperor."

"If age decided everything, then you, an old Spirit clan chief who has lived thousands of years, should at least be an Upper-Tier Spirit Emperor by now."

Osmond’s old face went red. "Uh, this..."

"Since I recommended him, I will naturally find a way to raise his strength."

"As for that trivial curse, never mind that a single stalk of Heart-Nourishing Tranquility Grass shields him for a year, even breaking it outright, how hard could that be?"

Breaking the curse? Nonsense!

How many years has this curse tormented the clan? From ancient times to now, no one has found a way to break it, you, a demon, understand Spirits better than we understand ourselves?

"Do you still have something to say?"

"Are you doubting this Emperor?"

Soren signaled Lysara, who had stood silent the whole time. "A trivial Spirit Venerable dares doubt me, kill him."

"Make him remember the lesson in his next life."

He’s going to kill me, just like that?

Osmond nearly jumped out of his skin. "No, no, no, Demon Emperor, this old man doesn’t harbor the slightest doubt!"

"On the contrary, this old man believes it completely!"

"Your recommendation of Jared surely comes with your own considerations, this old man wouldn’t dare disobey!"

"What are you all standing around for?"

"Hurry and pay your respects to the new Clan Chief!"

Since he knew what was good for him, Soren waved Lysara back, fortunate for Osmond it was her and not Bruce, once Bruce swung, there was no calling it back, and Osmond would already be a corpse.

"I’ll spare your life for now, assist Jared well."

"Yes, yes, yes, this old man will give everything he has!"

Jared went through the succession ceremony in a daze, Ethel watched it all, quietly overjoyed.

She kept sneaking glances at Soren’s profile, in those pure, gem-clear eyes flowed starlight like a galaxy, none of her little movements escaped him, and the panel made it plainer still.

Good heavens, is this little girl playing for real? Absolute Loyalty lit up.

That tier meant no betrayal, ever, no matter what happened.

The reasons for the leap were simple, her innate purity made her easy to conquer to begin with, Soren had put her brother in the Clan Chief’s seat, and Soren had promised to break Jared’s curse and raise his strength as soon as possible.