"Hmph... Cowardly?" Yan Jun gave a bitter laugh.
To him, any reason Tang Xiaomin gave for not loving him was just an excuse.
"Say whatever you want, the current you will all belong to me."
He steeled himself, his gaze fixed on Tang Xiaomin's slightly parted, rosy lips.
Even though she had a different face now, Tang Xiaomin was undeniably still beautiful, captivating his heart.
What followed was something he had long wanted to do.
He slowly lowered his head, inching closer to her.
Seeing this, the desperate Tang Xiaomin glared at him venomously.
"Yan Jun, if you dare to touch me, you will suffer a terrible fate."
At this moment, Yan Jun was fearless.
"Whatever fate awaits, I will accept it. For you, any fate is insignificant."
His face loomed larger in her eyes, his breath growing more distinct.
Tang Xiaomin closed her eyes in despair, inwardly cursing Yan Jue a thousand times, vowing to flay him and tear his sinews...
Just as Yan Jun was about to succeed, a sudden sense of danger approached. Yan Jun whipped his head around.
*Bang!*
A fist the size of a sandbag smashed into Yan Jun's face, sending him flying backward with a loud thud, embedding him into the stone wall.
The sheer explosive force of that punch was evident.
Yan Jue's face darkened as he looked at Yan Jun in the distance, his molars grinding audibly.
"Minmin, are you alright?"
The weakened Tang Xiaomin was finally saved. It was like a transition from hell to heaven. She mustered her last bit of strength, stumbled forward, and collapsed into Yan Jue's arms, breathing heavily.
It was indeed Yan Jue. It was really him.
She couldn't utter a word, overwhelmed by a surge of intense grievance, feeling a strong urge to cry.
The man naturally sensed Tang Xiaomin's distress. He held her tighter, comforting her in a gentle voice.
"I'm here, don't be afraid. Wait for me here, I'll go teach him a harsh lesson."
Yan Jue pushed Tang Xiaomin away and strode directly towards Yan Jun, who was not far away.
This time, Tang Xiaomin did not intervene. She simply sat on the ground, silently watching Yan Jue's retreating back.
Seeing the woman he cherished being bullied had ignited Yan Jue's towering rage.
He had only one thought at this moment: to beat the scoundrel who dared to bully Tang Xiaomin!
Yan Jue's fist landed squarely on Yan Jun's chest, causing him to spew a mouthful of blood that stained Yan Jue's white shirt.
However, such a punishment was far from enough to quell Yan Jue's fury.
His fists rained down on Yan Jun relentlessly, the dull thudding of impacts echoing incessantly.
Soon, his fists were stained with blood. Yan Jun's body was a bloody mess, lying in a pile of stones, barely clinging to life, unconscious. Sudan Novel Network.
Yan Jue roughly tore off a piece of his shirt to wipe his hands, then returned to pick up Tang Xiaomin from the ground.
"I've handled it, let's go."
Tang Xiaomin nodded obediently in his embrace.
"Mhm."
Yan Jue carried Tang Xiaomin directly towards the surging lava. To his surprise, it wasn't scorching hot. After passing through the lava, their view immediately returned to the fissure they had used to enter.
After walking for about another half an hour, they finally rendezvoused with the undead warriors they had brought.
On their way in, they had unknowingly fallen under a powerful illusion, causing them to get separated.
The undead warriors tried to find Tang Xiaomin but couldn't, and they kept going in circles.
It wasn't until Yan Jue arrived that, guided by the telepathic connection between him and Tang Xiaomin, he accurately pinpointed her location.
Moreover, the illusion that had been plaguing Tang Xiaomin was utterly useless against Yan Jue's immense power.
Along the way, Tang Xiaomin spoke to Yan Jue at length, about many things.
"Yan Jue, it turns out that Duke Zhou was sealed in the depths of the Underworld. It was he who threw Yan Jun into reincarnation, turning him into Ye Fengxing."
"So he was the one pulling the strings from behind the scenes all along. It was probably all aimed at me."
"No matter who it is, if they dare to reach out for you, I will not let them go," Yan Jue said coldly.
What he loathed the most was for someone to bully Tang Xiaomin right under his nose.
If Tang Xiaomin suffered grievances or harm, it made him feel incompetent, unable to protect her.
"If I hadn't acted on my own, none of this would have happened. Yan Jue, you can blame me."
Tang Xiaomin wouldn't shirk responsibility when she made a mistake.
This time, it was indeed Tang Xiaomin's fault. She had not only disobeyed Yan Jue and snuck back, but she had also acted rashly, putting herself in danger.
It was impossible for Yan Jue not to blame Tang Xiaomin even a little.
But when he saw her in danger, frightened, he couldn't bring himself to scold her.
He gently pinched her small nose.
"This is the consequence of you not listening to me. Let's see if you dare next time."
"I won't dare, I will never dare again," Tang Xiaomin said obediently.
The near-assault by Yan Jun had brought her to the brink of despair, making her wish for death. She was truly terrified.
"It's good that you know. Next time, let me handle any issues, understood?"
"Understood."
With Tang Xiaomin's submissive attitude, Yan Jue lost all his temper.
Upon their return, Tang Xiaomin's mind was filled with thoughts of Duke Zhou.
Unfortunately, when she questioned several of the Yama Kings, they all looked bewildered, claiming ignorance of Duke Zhou's existence.
Just as Tang Xiaomin was at a loss, a minor ghost messenger from the River of Forgetfulness delivered some items.
"My lord, these are all Tang Xu's belongings, I've organized them and brought them to you."
"Leave them here."
"Yes."
After the ghost messenger left, Tang Xiaomin opened the box that had been delivered.
It contained Tang Xu's clothes and other items, as well as a dumbbell and a water cup. Tang Xiaomin examined them one by one, reminiscing about him.
After all, he was a brother who would have died for her. She doubted she would ever meet such a person again in her lifetime.
It was a pity that by the time she wanted to cherish him, there was no longer an opportunity.
With a complicated emotion, she prepared to close the box.
Suddenly, a notebook caught Tang Xiaomin's attention. Driven by curiosity, she opened Tang Xu's journal.
She read through it, and for the first time, she understood Tang Xu's inner thoughts.
Most of his writings were filled with repentance for his past mistakes, and she was the protagonist of this notebook.
As she read further, Tang Xu suddenly mentioned Meng Lan, even specifically noting, "I can't quite figure out this girl, Meng Lan. She also visits the Bridge of Helplessness to care for Meng Yiren, who is buried beneath the bridge."
Tang Xiaomin recalled Meng Lan, who guarded the Xuanxia Cave, that beautiful woman with a disfigured face, and found her highly suspicious.
For this reason, Tang Xiaomin made a trip to the River of Forgetfulness. It was time to confront Meng Yiren, the traitor.
The River of Forgetfulness was a unique entity, specifically producing Forgetfulness Water that washed away the memories of a soul.
According to the proper procedure, only souls who had consumed Forgetfulness Water were qualified for reincarnation and transmigration.
Tang Xiaomin walked on, reaching the end of the River of Forgetfulness and standing on the Bridge of Helplessness, looking down.