Dead Man's Head

On the tray Situ Xun carried was the head of a woman with her eyes open. Her skin was deathly pale, her lips bright red, and dried blood still clung to her short black hair.

"So this is Jiang You?"

"I heard she's the only human so far who can coexist with the fire seed. I thought she'd have three heads and six arms, but she's just like this..."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. She was actually hacked apart until only her head remained."

"Situ Xun, that old dog, betrayed Forbidden Island with such backbone back then, but now he's knelt his way back here himself. Hahahaha."

"..."

The crowd automatically moved aside, leaving a path through the middle.

At the end stood a throne forged from countless high-level crystal cores. A man lounged diagonally upon it.

He wore silk slippers and black silk draped over his upper body, with black silk trousers below. His black hair reached the ground, and his blade-cut features carried an intensely hard and wild beauty.

Most beautiful were his eyes, like a pair of exquisite cat's-eye emeralds.

A curvaceous woman in a gauzy dress nestled against him, making the scene look incomparably sensual.

The man lazily propped himself up and glanced at Situ Xun. "You old dog. I thought you'd never come back in this lifetime."

Situ Xun bowed, pressing his forehead firmly against the ground to show his submission.

"The Situ family's Situ Xun has brought Jiang You's head to apologize to Lord Jin!"

"The Situ family is willing to offer this gift in exchange for Forbidden Island's protection!"

He knelt directly and raised the tray high above his head.

The dead head's eyes had already lost their luster, staring motionlessly straight ahead.

This man was the ruler of Forbidden Island, from the Jin family—Jin