Chapter 104: Identity

When Ye Chen opened his eyes that night, he found himself lying on an excessively large and luxurious bed. Such a grand bed did not seem out of place in the room, for the chamber itself was even more immense.

Due to the previous fusion, he felt somewhat fatigued, but soon a refreshing surge of energy flooded his mind, instantly restoring his spirit to its peak condition. He had gathered the souls of zombies from across the world; although some of this soul power had been used to break through barriers, only a small portion was consumed, leaving the remainder intact.

He immediately checked on the others, but found no trace of anyone in the affiliated star system or the star system representing his family. Neither Kanade Tachibana, Shiina, Noriko Dokujima, nor Xiaobai were present.

“Ye Xing, where are Xiaobai and the others?” The sudden disappearance of the others deeply concerned Ye Chen, and he quickly asked Ye Xing, who had just awakened alongside him. Ye Xing replied that he had just woken up and knew nothing.

“Relax! While arranging your identity, I took care of theirs as well. You’ll be able to reunite with them soon!” The voice of Ruoxing interrupted their worries, bringing some comfort.

Afterward, Ye Chen and Ye Xing began to sift through the muddled memories that had been implanted earlier. After some time, they finally discovered their true identities: Ye Chen was the sole heir of the top-ranked Star Group in this world. A few days ago, his parents had died in a spatial quake while investigating a catastrophic event that occurred over twenty years ago on the Eurasian continent, which had caused approximately 150 million casualties. Their bodies had been found only recently.

Ye Chen had fallen unconscious upon learning this news. Near his parents’ remains, the bodies of a couple were also discovered. Thanks to the Star Group’s vast influence, their names—Ryuuo Itsukawa and Haruko Itsukawa—were quickly uncovered. Although their identities seemed deliberately concealed, further investigation revealed they worked for Latatosk's parent company and had assisted his parents. The couple had a daughter and an adopted daughter, named Kotori Itsukawa and Shiori Itsukawa.

This world harbored beings called "Elves," young maidens whose presence could trigger spatial quakes. Their abilities far surpassed those of ordinary humans. Ye Chen had a strong intuition that his mission here would be closely tied to them.

Latatosk was a mysterious organization dedicated to communicating with the Elves and resolving the disasters caused by spatial quakes through peaceful means. Though not particularly enigmatic to the Star Group, Ye Chen cared little for such details. What troubled him was why there was no information at all about Noriko Dokujima and the others.

There was, however, one record regarding Xiaobai—in this world, she still went by the name Shirahime and was said to be Ye Chen’s childhood friend with whom he had grown up, a detail that corresponded well with Ye Xing’s background. As for the rest, there was no news.

“Looks like we’ll have to deal with a lot of people!” Ye Xing remarked in his mind after they had finished sorting through the memories.

“It certainly seems that way. This could get troublesome. But I thought you didn’t like trouble?” Ye Chen smiled wryly, his tone betraying no annoyance.

“Not everything can be perfect. Some inconveniences are inevitable. But the conveniences provided elsewhere will more than make up for it, so don’t fuss over it!” Their remarks made Ruoxing and Ruocheng feel as if their abilities were being questioned, prompting them to respond defensively.

“Yes, yes, we’re not complaining. We’re just not fond of such matters. Actually, we’re quite satisfied with the identities Ruoxing and Ruocheng arranged for us.” Ye Chen smiled lightly at their pouting expressions.

“That’s more like it!” Ruoxing relaxed upon hearing Ye Chen’s words.

Compared to Ye Chen, Ye Xing’s attitude was much more indifferent. He said to Ye Chen, “I don’t like these social situations. I’m leaving everything to you, Ye Chen! I’m going back to cultivate.” Then he retreated to his own space.

“Hey! I haven’t agreed to that! I don’t like this either!” Ye Chen protested reluctantly. But Ye Xing shut him up with a single sentence: “If you let me eliminate everyone who might annoy me, I might help you out. Leave the killing to me!”

After the traumatic incident in the previous world where Kōjō Takuichirō’s sudden attack led to Noriko Dokujima’s death, Ye Xing’s goodwill toward ordinary people had all but vanished. His initial impression of every stranger hovered around a negative three on the favorability scale.

In other words, he harbored a faint disdain for everyone he met. Would anyone expect him to be friendly when he preferred to just kill those he disliked? He certainly didn’t want the police chasing him every day. Resigned, Ye Chen had no choice but to accept this arrangement.

The tightly shut door was then opened. Ye Chen glanced over and saw a delicate girl standing at the entrance, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, her features exquisitely carved. Though small and very young, it was already evident how captivating she would be when grown.

To Ye Chen, she was like a miniature version of Xiaobai. Indeed, it was Xiaobai herself—his childhood friend in this world and one of the few authorized to enter his room in this villa.

“Xingchen, I knew you’d wake up!” The girl smiled and ran over, embracing Ye Chen affectionately.

“Sorry to have worried you. I’m fine.” As he reached out to pat her head as he used to, he suddenly noticed his hand was now small, delicate, and childlike. Ye Chen understood this—Ruoxing and Ruocheng had already explained that he had been reborn.

At first, he had expected to awaken as an infant, but now he was mentally prepared for this form and was not surprised. His gaze then shifted to another figure at the door: an elderly butler, standing upright and serious. Although he appeared to be in his forties or fifties, his body showed no signs of aging, and his steps were steady.

With Ye Chen’s keen perception, he could tell this butler was a formidable expert, perhaps even surpassing Noriko Dokujima, who had mastered sword energy. Ye Chen sensed a commanding aura from the butler and was certain his strength far exceeded Dokujima’s.

Ye Chen’s memories contained some information about this butler, who was noted for his absolute loyalty to the Ye family and formidable combat abilities. His real name was unknown; everyone referred to him simply as Fan Bo. Thanks to him, the Star Group had remained stable during this turbulent time.

It was well known that an organization as vast as the Star Group, having lost both heads of the Ye family, would inevitably attract many greedy eyes coveting its power and wealth.

“Fan Bo, it’s you,” Ye Chen said.