The scene shifted rapidly, taking Chen Hao back to over twenty days ago, when he had just woken up from a coma that lasted forty-nine days.

The first thing he saw upon waking was Ye Yuqiao, with a pair of flaming wings wide open, and then he passed out again.

"Ah!" After a cry of alarm, Chen Hao opened his eyes, his face deathly pale, with large drops of cold sweat gathering at the tip of his nose and along his cheeks.

That image, which he had actually recalled several times later, he had always considered a dream.

He had never imagined that it wasn't a dream at all, but reality.

"Everyone has many sides. The one you see might not be the one you know, and the one you know might not necessarily be the original one."

"Why have you lost weight?"

"Did you miss me?"

"There was something I didn't get to finish saying that day in the Dust Realm. I think, that woman who transformed into a firebird looks very much like, very much like, very much like Yuqiao!"

"Chen Hao, although this idea of mine is ridiculous, it is indeed my genuine thought. Is there a possibility that there is another Yuqiao in this world, like Yuqiao's twin sister?"

..

The images and words he had just recalled repeated themselves in Chen Hao's mind, flashing by with lightning speed. Chen Hao's face twisted in ferocity and pain; his head felt like it was about to split open and explode.

That so-called true thought or answer seemed to have become distinctly clear in his heart—Ye Yuqiao was the woman who transformed into the firebird; and moreover, there was another Ye Yuqiao in the world.

Suddenly, all the doubts and oddities that had been lingering in Chen Hao's mind during this period were unraveled.

He realized then that his feelings and intuition had always been hinting to him this absurd and extraordinary answer—and because of its absurdity and outrageousness, he had never thought in that direction before.

As Chen Hao looked at Ye Yuqiao, who was lying prone and sound asleep beside the bed, he shivered all over, finding the Ye Yuqiao before him frightening.

He moved his body back, gradually distancing himself from Ye Yuqiao, while his eyes continued to scrutinize her.

However, on this Ye Yuqiao, he seemed to find no fault whatsoever. Most crucially, the Ye Yuqiao before him could sense the Nether King's Heart and could also emit cryptic signals like her. In this regard, an imposter posing as Ye Yuqiao could not possibly substitute.

The only explanation, then, was as Lin Huashan had said, she must be Ye Yuqiao's twin sister.

But Chen Hao had never heard Ye Yuqiao mention that she had any sisters.

At that moment, Chen Hao suddenly realized another thing: although the Ye Yuqiao before him could sense the Nether King's Heart, she seemed incapable of absorbing the Nether King's Power. The reasoning she had initially given—that she did not want to affect Chen Hao's cultivation of the Nether King's Power—now seemed to be an excuse she had found.

So, what exactly was the deal with the Ye Yuqiao before him?

Chen Hao was at a loss, and the fear in his heart grew as time passed.

After a while, staring at Ye Yuqiao's familiar and beautiful face, Chen Hao was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of guilt for some reason.

All of the foregoing was just his conjecture, and he had no solid evidence. There was still another possibility to the real truth—Ye Yuqiao was real, and everything he had assumed was nothing more than suspicion.

He and Ye Yuqiao had pledged their true hearts to each other, vowing an eternal bond, yet now he began to doubt Ye Yuqiao because of someone else's words and some illusions. That's why he was overcome with such guilt.

If the Ye Yuqiao before his eyes were real, hearing his doubts about her would undoubtedly break her heart.

Gradually, the coldness in Chen Hao's heart dissipated, and his body also stopped trembling. He moved closer to Ye Yuqiao and slowly extended his hand to hold the delicate one that was cushioning her head.

"I must not let Yuqiao hear such thoughts!" Chen Hao thought to himself.

..

..

Dawn.

The cold wind outside the tent was still biting.

Ye Yuqiao opened her eyes, realized she was lying in Chen Hao's arms, and figured it was Chen Hao who had woken up and carried her to bed last night. Thus, a faint smile of happiness curled up on her lips.

At that moment, Chen Hao also opened his eyes and their gazes inadvertently met.

Looking into Ye Yuqiao's bright and clear eyes, he was slightly stunned before his face revealed a somewhat unnatural smile and said, "Yuqiao, you're awake?"

As he spoke, Chen Hao prayed in his heart that Ye Yuqiao hadn't heard his inner thoughts through the Nether King's Heart and kept reminding himself not to think about his doubts concerning Ye Yuqiao.

Fortunately, the just-awakened Ye Yuqiao didn't notice his unnatural smile, immersed more in the joy of Chen Hao waking up.

"Chen Hao, are you alright?" Ye Yuqiao asked, cupping Chen Hao's cheeks with her tender hands.

Chen Hao held Ye Yuqiao tight in his embrace, purposely avoiding direct eye contact and said, "I'm fine now, little lady. I'm sorry for making you worry about me again."

"Hehe!" Ye Yuqiao let out a languid, coquettish laugh, her tone filled with happiness, "Don't apologize, I'm just glad you're alright."

"By the way," Chen Hao changed the topic, "what happened after I fainted on the battlefield yesterday?"

"Um," Ye Yuqiao hesitated, and after a long pause, she said, "Ma Mian used his whip to drag you back, and Niu Tou seized the opportunity to strike while they were still in shock..

..

Long after the sun had risen, Ye Yuqiao called the Clan Leaders of the five major clans to discuss important matters. Naturally, Chen Hao was also invited.

When Zhao Chong introduced Chen Hao to the three clan leaders, Zheng Yang, Wu Kun, and Wang Yun, Chen Hao noticed that their gazes were full of hostility and contempt, which made him feel quite uncomfortable.

Shortly after the meeting began, Chen Hao quietly asked Zhou Ke beside him, "Clan Leader Zhou, why do I feel like those three old clan leaders seem to have a grudge against me?"

"You haven't heard? Last night, in front of everyone, the Nether King declared she would marry no one but you. The three clan leaders wanted to object but angered the Nether King, nearly getting kicked down the mountain and stripped of their positions," Zhou Ke whispered to Chen Hao.

"Why would they object?" Chen Hao asked, puzzled.

"After the Great Ancestor took the throne, he established a rule that every Nether King could only marry someone from the Eight Great Clans," Zhou Ke explained, and then sighed, "Now you see, for your sake, the Nether King has broken a rule that's been in place for tens of thousands of years. And don't worry, the Nether King settled those three old fellows last night. Now no one will dare to obstruct your marriage to the Nether King. I'm really envious of you, young man. I hope you'll look after us all in the future."

Hearing Zhou Ke say this, Chen Hao felt a warm sensation in his heart. He looked at Ye Yuqiao, who was listening intently to what others were saying, emanating a dazzling aura from every inch of her being.

Realizing that he still harbored doubts about the authenticity of Ye Yuqiao's identity, a sudden surge of guilt overwhelmed him.

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