Before the Samsara Path.

Chen Hao and Ye Yuqiao were anxiously waiting.

"Chen Hao, what if neither of them can come back?" Ye Yuqiao asked, leaning in Chen Hao's arms.

Chen Hao's expression darkened, and after a long pause, he said, "Then let's hope, as Xie Xiaofeng said, that in the end, they will become a pair of paired birds."

"But Tang Jing loves you," Ye Yuqiao pouted. "If it were you, would you wish to become paired birds with a woman other than me?"

Chen Hao shook his head.

"Is my feeling for you different from her feelings for me?"

"What's different?" Ye Yuqiao pressed.

Chen Hao looked down at Ye Yuqiao in his arms, his tone somewhat disdainful, "Why do I feel like you're a bit angry? Are you still concerned about that prayer bead matter?"

"Yes!" Ye Yuqiao answered honestly. "You should know what that prayer bead means, right?"

"What do you think I should do?"

"I don't know." Ye Yuqiao's right hand fiercely grabbed at Chen Hao's chest. "Anyway, you made me angry."

Chen Hao kissed Ye Yuqiao's forehead and suddenly asked with a laugh, "Then, I was wrong, little girl, what should I do to make you forgive me?"

"Don't call me little girl in the future!" Ye Yuqiao suddenly said in a very stern voice to Chen Hao, "And don't kiss me in public. You are the Yang King, and I am your master. There must be the courtesy of the monarch and minister between us."

Chen Hao frowned and asked with a gloomy face, "Are you serious, or are you joking?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Then why are you still leaning in my arms?"

"It makes a fundamental difference whether I lean in your arms of my own accord or you pull me into them," Ye Yuqiao explained.

Chen Hao stared wide-eyed: "That's so domineering."

"I am domineering!" Ye Yuqiao said, growing more serious.

Chen Hao was speechless and suddenly felt somewhat at a loss. He didn't know whether Ye Yuqiao was angry about the prayer bead or if, after returning to the Netherworld City, she really had changed, reverting to her initial self from twenty years ago—the aloof Fourth Generation Underworld King.

Then the two fell into silence.

Until two purple beams burst from the Samsara Path!

Chen Hao and Ye Yuqiao, who were embracing each other, quickly dodged to both sides, avoiding the beams of light.

"Xie Xiaofeng, Tang Jing!" Chen Hao exclaimed excitedly as the two beams of light transformed into the Yin Souls of Xie Xiaofeng and Tang Jing.

Xie Xiaofeng had succeeded in bringing the reborn Yin Soul of Tang Jing back from the Samsara Path.

After blinking and confirming he was not seeing things, Chen Hao stepped forward, opened his arms, and embraced the Yin Souls of both Xie Xiaofeng and Tang Jing.

"You're back, that's really great!" Chen Hao said hoarsely.

Then, Ye Yuqiao walked behind Chen Hao and gave a small smile towards Xie Xiaofeng and Tang Jing.

"Damn it, Yuqiao!" Tang Jing said, looking at Chen Hao and Ye Yuqiao, her eyes shimmering with tears, her expression somewhat embarrassed.

Soon after, Chen Hao released Xie Xiaofeng and Tang Jing.

"What are your plans for the future?" Ye Yuqiao asked Xie Xiaofeng and Tang Jing.

"I want to take Tang Jing's Yin Soul to the mortal world, until my life comes to an end and then return back to the Netherworld together. Is that okay?" Xie Xiaofeng asked, looking at Ye Yuqiao.

At this moment, Tang Jing's Yang Spirit and physical body were already gone, leaving only her Yin Soul. Now in the Netherworld, whether or not she could return to the mortal world depended on Ye Yuqiao's agreement.

"Of course!" Chen Hao replied with a smile for Ye Yuqiao.

Ye Yuqiao squinted severely, then sent a covert signal to Chen Hao: "Chen Hao, I'll let it pass this time, but next time you can't make decisions for me so easily."

Chen Hao shivered inwardly, feeling a chill. Ye Yuqiao's words had hurt him somewhat.

"Even though I am the Underworld King, I can't just break the rules and allow a Yin Soul to return to the mortal world," Ye Yuqiao explained, her tone slightly softer.

"I know," Chen Hao responded, "But considering Tang Jing's merit in sealing the Gate of the Nether King, letting her stay in the mortal world for a few decades should be acceptable, right?"

Ye Yuqiao didn't speak again.

Then, Ye Yuqiao led the three to find Niu Tou, who then took Xie Xiaofeng and Tang Jing to the mortal world. In the Samsara Path, Tang Jing agreed to give Xie Xiaofeng a chance to pursue her and promised to follow him back to the mortal world.

After parting ways, Chen Hao and Ye Yuqiao got into a carriage and headed towards Chen Hao's Yang King's Mansion.

The two sat facing each other and did not speak for a long time.

"Why aren't you talking?" Ye Yuqiao asked Chen Hao.

"You aren't talking either."

"Why don't you sit next to me?" Ye Yuqiao glared at Chen Hao.

"Didn't you say we needed to maintain the decorum between ruler and subject?"

"This isn't a public setting."

After hesitating for a moment, Chen Hao sat down next to Ye Yuqiao.

Ye Yuqiao smiled, then leaned her head on Chen Hao's shoulder.

Smelling the unique fragrance emanating from Ye Yuqiao, Chen Hao's momentary emotions subsided, and he hooked his right hand around Ye Yuqiao's waist, whispering in her ear, "Should we talk about our future now?"

Ye Yuqiao's brows furrowed slightly.

"You promised me, after defeating the Ghost King, to fulfill our eternal promise."

Ye Yuqiao's frown deepened, and after a long hesitation, she said, "Now the three families of Wu, Zheng, and Wang have rebelled, there is deep resentment within the Netherworld City, and the seal on the Gate of the Nether King might be broken at any moment. Can I first handle these matters?"

Chen Hao hummed agreement to Ye Yuqiao.

Being appointed as the Yang King, Chen Hao was tasked with governing the Netherworld from the mortal world. Thus, three days later, he left the Netherworld and returned to the mortal world, while Ye Yuqiao, as the Nether King, stayed to handle the troublesome affairs of the Netherworld.

Three months later. Finally, the rebel armies of the Wu, Zheng, and Wang families were quelled; the Netherworld City regained its former prosperity; the seal on the Gate of the Nether King was also stabilized by Chen Hao using seventy-two Turtle Spirit Stones arranged in a Sun-concentrating Formation, continuously injecting Yang Energy into the Exorcizing Moon Blade.

Everything was improving, yet Chen Hao felt he and Ye Yuqiao were gradually drifting apart:

Due to Ye Yuqiao's busy schedule, Chen Hao would not disturb her during the day, only sending a few coded messages through the Nether King's Heart before going to sleep at night. Gradually, the frequency of their communication dwindled to once every two or three days. Initially, Chen Hao was somewhat upset, but later he got used to it.

Within two months, they had met only five times. Four of those were because Chen Hao, as the Yang King, had to attend meetings in the Netherworld on the first and fifteenth of each month; once was when Chen Hao, longing to see Ye Yuqiao, went to the Netherworld on his own initiative, only to be rebuked by Ye Yuqiao and sent back to the mortal world.

Among those five meetings, they only had one private interaction, and only at Chen Hao's request did Ye Yuqiao agree to spend a night at his mansion in the Yang King's Mansion.

Night had fallen.

Without keeping to the scheduled time or notifying Ye Yuqiao, Chen Hao came alone to the Netherworld.

Just like the last time he visited the Netherworld without notifying Ye Yuqiao, she was very angry upon seeing Chen Hao.

"You are the Yang King, managing the Netherworld from the mortal world; there are many matters there needing your attention!" Ye Yuqiao scolded loudly, paying no heed to Chen Hao's dignity.

Seeing Ye Yuqiao's displeasure, Chen Hao felt annoyed and sternly said, "I came to ask you if you still remember our eternal promise."

Suddenly, Ye Yuqiao's eyes narrowed, and she looked very troubled.

After a long time, seeing Ye Yuqiao still had not responded, Chen Hao felt a chill in his heart and said, "I came here for another reason too. I want to resign as the Yang King. I'm very tired, and now I'm just a normal living person; I want to live like a common person in the mortal world."

"You can't resign from being the Yang King!" Ye Yuqiao shook her head, "If you want to marry me, you must keep your position as the Yang King to be my equal."

She looked very flustered at this moment, with Chen Hao's decision catching her off guard.

"If you truly want to marry me, to fulfill our eternal promise, why bother about being equals?" Chen Hao said, his expression and voice carried a hint of coldness.

Before Ye Yuqiao could respond, Chen Hao continued, "I'm going back to the mortal world. Lately, our feelings seem to have grown cold."

Ye Yuqiao suddenly stood up from the chair, huffing angrily, looking down at Chen Hao from a superior position.

Chen Hao looked back up at Ye Yuqiao, who stood before the position of Nether King, feeling her to be so distant. She stood there, expressionless, her eyes slightly dim, with no intention of asking him to stay.

"Let's not contact each other for now, I will freeze the Nether King's Heart, we both need to think about what kind of future we really want."

Finished speaking, Chen Hao's face was covered with bitterness.

He turned around, then walked towards the outside, with Ye Yuqiao not retaining him.

When he reached the doorway, he paused and said, "Whatever decision you make, I truly won't blame you. As for our eternal promise, if it has become a burden in your heart, affecting your decisions."

Having said that, Chen Hao disappeared into the night outside the door, while Ye Yuqiao continued to stand there in silence.

..

..

Half a month later, Chen Hao invited Tang Jing and Xie Xiaofeng to have dinner at his house.

Although Tang Jing's Yang Spirit had died, Chen Hao had transferred the soul element Ma Mian had placed on his chest onto Tang Jing's Yin Soul, allowing her an additional physical body, making her appear like a normal person.

At the dinner table.

"Bastard, I noticed you've been quite idle lately as the Yang King," Tang Jing commented, puzzled.

"Actually, I resigned as the Yang King half a month ago," Chen Hao replied.

"Ah!" Chen Hao's answer surprised both Tang Jing and Xie Xiaofeng.

"I invited you to have dinner at home today because I'm going on a trip this afternoon, and I don't know when I'll return. But don't worry, I'll definitely be fine, and I'll definitely come back."

"And what about Yuqiao?" Tang Jing asked with a furrowed brow, "Does she know you're going on a trip?"

Chen Hao shook his head, then recounted the changes between him and Ye Yuqiao over the past few months.

"Actually, I'm not surprised that Yuqiao is like this," Xie Xiaofeng said, "Do you remember what happened in Rainbow City? I realized then that she's a strong, responsible woman. Right now, this is her normal state; she's been the Nether King for nearly twenty thousand years, and the events of the past few years were just a minor episode in her reign as Nether King. She's now returned to her regular state, she is the Nether King!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.