With his entire body limp and powerless, Chen Sheng couldn't muster any strength. His reaction speed was drastically dulled. He could only watch helplessly as the long blade swung down. With a sickening sound of flesh being cleaved—
Chen Sheng's head was severed on the spot.
It rolled a few times on the ground before coming to a stop in front of Wang Chen.
His eyes were wide open, locked onto Wang Chen's face, burning with unwillingness and fury even in death.
"Hmph. Dare oppose me? This is the price."
Wang Chen looked at Chen Sheng's head, a trace of vicious resolve flickering in his eyes. So what if Chen Sheng was a forefather of rebellion? He didn't care about uprisings against others—but this one was against him, and that was unacceptable. If he didn't kill him now, Chen Sheng would become a great threat in the future.
Who knew what kind of methods the patriarch of rebellion might have?
The concept of fate and fortune wasn't mere superstition.
Wang Chen was once a loser. Even as the current ruler of a city, holding high office and authority, his heart remained that of a defiant underdog. A loser rising to power—what a divine twist of fate. Having ascended, he would never allow himself to fall again. And for that, anyone who dared challenge him or covet his authority would face the madness of a cornered loser.
Underdog Ascension: He vowed that no other underdog would rise up to dethrone him!
"Lord, Chen Sheng is dead. Should we chop his body into pieces and feed it to the dogs?"
The one who executed Chen Sheng was a general—a ruthless-looking man, clearly no gentle soul.
"No need, General An," Wang Chen replied. "Though he attempted rebellion, he didn't manage to stir up chaos. Besides, Chen Sheng is a historical figure—the founding father of peasant uprisings, the first to shout 'Are kings and nobles born better than us?' Alive, he was a threat—but in death, he deserves a measure of respect."
A tinge of melancholy filled Wang Chen's heart. He had a poetic streak. To see a historical figure fall by his own hands stirred complex emotions.
So now, even I've slain a legend… a mere loser who's killed a name in history.
In this life, losers shall become invincible!
"As the Lord commands," An Lushan replied without hesitation, eyes filled with loyalty.
"Stitch his head back onto his body, prepare a coffin, and bury him in the wilderness. Give him a burial fitting his status."
After some thought, Wang Chen made the final decision.
"Yes, it shall be done."
An Lushan gave the order, and several constables moved in to collect Chen Sheng's remains.
Without a leader, the city's unrest failed to spark into true rebellion. The chaos was quickly subdued. The people, seeing their daughters—once conscripted as palace ladies—still alive, had a change of heart and refrained from rioting.
Most of Chen Sheng's followers had already been purged.
Midnight Burial
In the dead of night, several constables carried a thin coffin into the wilderness. They quickly buried it in a pre-dug grave, covered it with soil, and erected a tombstone.
The epitaph read:
The Tomb of Chen ShengDied in a failed rebellion.
Simple words, yet brimming with heavy meaning.
After finishing the burial, the constables hurried away—this wilderness was dangerous. Who knew when a feral beast might leap from the shadows? In the darkness, even the whispers of fate seemed to echo endlessly, keeping all nerves taut.
Silence returned to the wilderness, save for the eerie presence of a fresh grave.
But two to three hours later...
Resurrection
Suddenly, a group of people emerged quietly from the shadows, laying offerings before the tomb. One by one, they wept bitterly.
"Brother Chen, how could you die like this? That damn Xiaoyao King was too cunning. He had a trap ready for us. If we hadn't sensed something wrong and changed plans at the last minute, we'd be dead too."
"That bastard poisoned Brother Chen. Truly despicable and shameless. But rest assured, Brother Chen—we'll grow stronger and one day avenge you!"
"We're going to find Brother Wu Guang. He will definitely avenge you. Please watch over us, Brother Chen. Are kings and nobles born better than us?"
One after another, the men kowtowed and swore their oaths aloud.
Crack!
Suddenly, a sharp noise broke the silence—unexpected, jarring, and terrifying. Something had just… shattered.
"Did you hear that?"
"Yeah. Like something breaking."
"You don't think it's a beast hiding nearby, do you? This place may have been cleared once, but who knows what's changed since? There are too many beasts, breeding far too fast."
Fear began to rise in their hearts.
Being out in the wild at night—never a good idea.
Danger could strike at any moment.
Rustle!
Then they saw it—the newly buried grave began to shift. The soil trembled and parted.
"It's the tomb!"
"Look! The dirt's moving! Don't tell me… Brother Chen has turned into a corpse monster?!"
Their eyes widened in fear, locked onto the grave.
Suddenly—a hand burst from the soil.
The scene was horrifying enough to freeze blood.
Then a body clawed its way out.
"Brother Chen… he's turned!"
The men trembled, hearts pounding in terror.
"I didn't die."
Chen Sheng stood atop the grave, eyes sharp and lucid—not a dead man's gaze. He spoke clearly.
"Brother Chen… you're really alive?!"
Shock and awe spread through the group.
"But I saw your head get chopped off! How can you still be alive?"
Indeed, many had seen him beheaded. Blood everywhere. A severed head rolling far from the body. No way to survive.
"Destiny favors me. I, Chen Sheng, cannot die. Even if my head is severed, I shall return. I am the undying one. My cause unfinished—I will not fall!"
His voice rang with impassioned conviction.
"Brother Chen is right! We weren't born to be slaves—only to suffer. If Brother Chen is truly undying, then it is fate itself that calls him! Brother Chen, what's next? Just say the word—we follow you!"
His immortality was a sign of divine fate.
To them, he was now more than a man.
Chen Sheng nodded inwardly—hearts and minds were his to command.
And indeed, he did possess an immortal body.
But truthfully, had they not stitched his head back on, even with his immortality, he wouldn't have revived.
This near-death experience reminded him of the cultivation technique he had pursued for years:
🔥 [Undying Sutra of a Hundred Tribulations]("百劫不死经")
He had obtained this ancient technique from an old beggar and had cultivated it relentlessly. According to its description, this was a true immortal art. Once mastered, it granted an undying body.
But its core was the Death Tribulation: only by dying could one achieve breakthroughs. Each death, if survived, would result in a tremendous leap in cultivation.
Death before Rebirth: Die once—grow stronger. The more you die, the more powerful you become.
He had never dared try it—until now. Importantly, the death couldn't be by suicide. It had to be a fated calamity. Only then could the sutra activate.
The mental image of the cultivation art was the Undying Grass.
Still, with low cultivation, decapitation was a sure death. Without his head, there could be no return.
Fortunately, Wang Chen's artistic sentimentality led to his head being reattached.
Only then did the rebirth succeed.
Touching his neck, not even a scar remained. Fully healed.
"With the Undying Sutra of a Hundred Tribulations, I now possess an immortal body. As long as I'm not torn limb from limb, beheaded, or destroyed at the core—no wound can kill me. That encounter… was truly heaven's gift."
Chen Sheng's eyes gleamed.
"Send word to the surviving brothers—leave Xiaoyao City at staggered times. The Xiaoyao King is too crafty. We can't achieve anything here. Staying only wastes time. Also, look for any rumors about Village Establishment Tokens."
Village Establishment Token (建村令):With it, we can found our own settlement. No longer need we bow to others.
Chen Sheng gave his orders with clear determination.