Chapter 175: The Wheel of Fortune Turns

Blackbeard’s eyes widened in shock, but before he could say a word, a crackling bolt of lightning came crashing down on his head.

He was instantly engulfed in a white flash, his limbs jerking uncontrollably like he was having a seizure. The people nearby were so terrified they jumped back ten steps, staring in horror at the blinding light.

“So this is the terrible consequence you were talking about?”

When the lightning faded, Blackbeard reappeared before everyone with a head of frizzy, exploded hair, his face pitch black and smoke curling out of his mouth. Without even moving his eyes, he toppled straight to the ground.

With a loud thud, his body hit the floor, the sound echoing through the room.

The smell of burnt flesh in the air grew even stronger.

The little wooden cabin fell silent; everyone was so scared they didn’t dare make a sound.

It was a long while before someone finally swallowed nervously and asked in a trembling voice, “Is… is he dead?”

That question broke the silence, and soon everyone in the cabin was looking over curiously.

In the end, it was the chief of the Red Fox Tribe who mustered up the courage to walk over. He reached out and felt under Blackbeard’s charred nose for breath.

“He’s not dead, not dead. Chief Blackbeard is still alive.”

“That’s good, that’s good.”

The people in the cabin finally began to stir, the tension slowly easing.

Mu Tong’s taut back relaxed a little too. He stood up, putting on a righteous air, and said, “Do your duty for as long as you hold your post. If you’re a slave, you should act like one. Now that we’re slaves of Earth Village, we should follow the system’s instructions. Jason, let’s go, don’t waste any more time.”

With that, he nodded slightly to the others in the cabin, then led a few of Black Skull’s loyal followers out with big strides.

No wonder he was the second-in-command of Black Skull, able to trick the space pirates so thoroughly—his ability to keep a straight face and go with the flow was truly impressive.

And to think, just moments ago, he’d been even more vocal in his opposition than Blackbeard himself.

The other tribespeople in the cabin exchanged furtive glances.

Mu Tong snorted inwardly, knowing exactly what those strange looks meant. This was called wisdom and adaptability—only those who know how to read the times survive.

Out on the Earth Village square, most people were still lingering after the barbecue.

Those who had switched sides in time—like Xiao Liuzi and Wang Er—had been given a chance to redeem themselves and were now official residents of Earth Village. Although they were still under a three-month probation, they’d been allowed to join the evening’s barbecue celebration.

Especially Wang Da, who had helped the villagers understand the Black Tiger Tribe’s situation and revealed Blackbeard’s treasure stash. Yun Qimu had praised him highly, calling him a model villager.

Wang Da was over the moon, and even Lai San, who’d joined Earth Village earlier, couldn’t help but feel a little envious.

At the moment, Wang Da and Xiao Liuzi were rubbing their stuffed bellies, chatting happily with Lai San and learning about life in Earth Village.

When they saw Zack and the others cleaning up the aftermath, they watched with glee.

Seeing Mu Tong and his crew—who used to boss them around just because they had nutrient solution—now forced to work with sour faces, they couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Switching sides had definitely been the right call!

“Mr. Mu, why hasn’t our chief come out yet?” Wang Da sidled up to Mu Tong, picking his teeth with a twig as he asked with a sly grin.

Mu Tong’s face darkened, but he forced a smile and replied, “Chief Blackbeard was punished for ignoring the system’s warnings. He’ll probably come out once he regains consciousness. If you’re worried, go check on him yourself.”

His eyes flashed darkly. These guys who used to flatter him were now climbing right over his head. He was furious, but there was nothing he could do.

Wang Da just snorted and said sarcastically, “I’m not worried at all. Blackbeard’s tough—he won’t die that easily. Besides, he’s a slave now, and I’m an official resident of Earth Village. I wouldn’t associate with someone who’s against the village. But Mr. Mu, Blackbeard always treated you like a brother. Now that he’s in trouble, how can you just leave him like that?”

He put on a pained expression, as if scolding Mu Tong for abandoning his friend.

Mu Tong glared at him. He finally understood—Wang Da was deliberately trying to get under his skin.

But he didn’t dare retort with, “Weren’t you Blackbeard’s lackey? Why don’t you go check on him?”—afraid the ever-present system would catch him and punish him for it.

Thinking of Blackbeard’s miserable state, he could only swallow his anger and let Wang Da mock him.

His handsome face was now clouded with gloom.

But in his heart, he swore: Just wait, I’ll get my revenge sooner or later.

Wang Da was delighted to see Mu Tong so frustrated.

Hmph, serves him right for making my life miserable before. Now the tables have turned!

He hummed a little tune, hands behind his back, and walked over to Lai San to discuss bunking together in his cabin that night.

Lai San was more than happy to show off his new home to the guy he’d always admired.

He’d had a lucky streak these past few days, earning enough spirit coins to buy the cabin he’d been renting. He’d just paid it off, and now it was truly his.

Xiao Liuzi quickly joined them, eyes sparkling. “Brother Lai San, can I stay too? I don’t have anywhere to sleep tonight.”

Lai San patted his chest generously. “Of course you can. But the bed’s small, so you’ll have to sleep on the floor.”

Xiao Liuzi’s eyes lit up. “I don’t mind! I can sleep on the floor!”

Da Xiong and the other defectors crowded around too. “What about us? Let’s all squeeze in together—it’ll be warmer that way.”

Lai San didn’t hesitate, welcoming everyone. He even promised to take them out tomorrow to hunt monsters and open treasure chests for meat.

Having spent most of their lives surviving on low-grade nutrient paste, Wang Da and the others were thrilled at the prospect of real meat. They could hardly wait for morning to come so they could go hunting.

And the fruit! There wasn’t much to go around, but even a small piece tasted heavenly, making them feel light as air.

“Come on, let’s get some sleep so we can get up early tomorrow!”

“Yeah, we need to go hunt for meat!”

With arms around each other’s shoulders, Wang Da and his buddies left the square in high spirits, leaving behind the Black Tiger tribesmen who were still cleaning up, grumbling as they caught the lingering aroma of roast meat.

Hmph, Wang Er was so sly. If only they’d switched sides too—meat really was delicious!"