Yan Jue liked playing with his phone, so Tang Xiaomin specially made a pineapple-shaped phone and burned it for him.
He liked drinking, so she burned several bottles of Moutai for him.
He liked her, so she burned a photo of herself for him.
...
Just as Ye Fengxing had said, it was a futile effort.
Everything was placed into the brazier and burned together. She slowly stood up.
Under the evening sunset and the heat of the bonfire, her face was flushed.
Seen from afar, the scene had a feeling of peaceful, enduring time.
"You sent for me, what's the matter?" Ye Fengxing asked.
The past flashed through Tang Xiaomin's mind like a carousel, all the moments she had spent with Yan Jue.
"You say, does karma truly exist in this world?"
Ye Fengxing didn't know why Tang Xiaomin would ask him this, nor what her purpose was.
"Of course it does, otherwise why would so many people suffer retribution."
Tang Xiaomin nodded.
"Yes, Yan Jue and I overthrew your rule, threw the dignified Lord of the Underworld into reincarnation to suffer, and stole everything from you. This is a sin that heaven cannot tolerate."
"Yan Jue's suffering is his retribution. My losing him is my retribution."
"I want to make a deal with you."
Hearing this, Ye Fengxing frowned deeply and was greatly shocked.
"You want to return what I lost to me, in exchange for Yan Jue?" That was something Tang Xiaomin had said before. Sudan Novel Network.
Tang Xiaomin didn't speak, but nodded.
Ye Fengxing felt that her mental state was problematic.
"You're simply daydreaming. Even if you return everything to me, he can't come back. Wake up, he has already turned to dust, forever vanished from this world."
Ye Fengxing once again laid out the cruel reality before Tang Xiaomin.
A direct hit to the soul.
Tang Xiaomin's expression remained unchanged, showing no sign of being affected.
But only she knew how much pain she felt from losing Yan Jue.
"How will you know if you don't try."
"Since everything has its cause and effect, no matter the outcome, I have to give it a shot. What if it works?"
These past seven days, the people around her, including herself, had told her daily that Yan Jue's fate was sealed.
For seven days, she had thought of Yan Jue every moment, yet she couldn't sense his whereabouts for even a second.
If he had endured it, then even if he couldn't come to her, he would surely have thought of her for a moment.
But there was nothing.
She could no longer sit still; she wanted to do something for Yan Jue.
Even if she was dazed and possessed, she still wanted to try.
This was a gamble without an end.
If she lost, she would have failed Yan Jue's trust, and the price would be losing the Underworld.
A saber radiating red light appeared out of nowhere in Tang Xiaomin's hand.
She fixed her gaze on Ye Fengxing, a cold glint rippling in her eyes, clearly showing killing intent.
This sudden turn of events made Ye Fengxing's heart lurch. His expression turned solemn, then quickly relaxed.
"You want to kill me?"
"Yes, I want to send you back to the Underworld, so you can reclaim everything you lost."
Tang Xiaomin stood still, unmoving.
The two stood facing each other under the night sky.
As the surrounding air temperature dropped, the atmosphere also cooled to a freezing point.
Ye Fengxing had never imagined that Tang Xiaomin would one day draw a weapon against him.
And she treated him this way because of Yan Jue, a person no longer in this world.
At this moment, his heart ached faintly.
"Are you sure you want to do this to me?"
Tang Xiaomin said nothing, but her murderous gaze said it all.
His heart was bleeding, in great pain.
"In the beginning, you accepted my offer of betrothal, my gifts, and you were even my fiancée for a time," Ye Fengxing said bitterly.
"Back then, there weren't so many complicated matters. We got along well, and there was no Yan Jue between us."
"It was the first time I treated a woman so well, and I had fantasized countless times about you marrying me and our married life."
"Now you want to kill me for another vanished man. May I ask, was his disappearance my fault? Are you trying to avenge him by killing me?"
Yes, Yan Jue's disappearance was not caused by Ye Fengxing; it was a heavenly tribulation, and he couldn't withstand it himself.
Tang Xiaomin's actions, in this light, seemed like unreasonable squabbling.
Ye Fengxing's words did not move Tang Xiaomin, nor did they make her change her mind. She tightened her grip on the red-glowing saber.
"I won't say any more pointless words."
"I will send you back to the Underworld and return everything you lost. That rightfully belonged to you. If there truly is karma in this world, I hope heaven will look upon my tragic demise and return Yan Jue to me."
Yan Jue was her warmth and light in her darkest moments, her salvation.
Tang Xiaomin had considered it for three days, and after careful deliberation, she had decided to do this.
Therefore, her attitude was firm now, and she would not be swayed by Ye Fengxing's few words.
No matter what, Ye Fengxing had to die today.
Everything would then return to its original trajectory.
Ye Fengxing's face turned extremely grim, and a bitter smile played on his lips.
"Do you really have to kill me for him?"
"Am I so insignificant in your heart that I can be slaughtered at will?"
His heart, ultimately, had been misplaced.
Tang Xiaomin slowly moved her feet, and a terrifying aura of death permeated the air.
"Don't be afraid, I'll be quick. It'll be over before you can feel any pain."
"Ye Fengxing, go where you belong, go and reclaim what is yours."
Tang Xiaomin's current appearance was like a ruthless demon, sending shivers down one's spine.
Seeing Tang Xiaomin like this, Ye Fengxing was not only shocked but also fearful.
He seemed to see Tang Xiaomin and Yan Jue fighting side-by-side on the battlefield, invincible.
He was merely flesh and blood now; escaping was impossible.
He stood still, not moving an inch.
He was gambling, gambling that Tang Xiaomin wouldn't kill him, gambling that he still held a place in her heart.
Gambling that she felt a sliver of guilt towards him.
When Tang Xiaomin was three steps away from him, his heart rose to his throat.
"Flesh and blood, whether you die early or late, you're going to die anyway."
"To die at your hands, for me, could be considered a romantic ritual for my return to the Underworld."
Ye Fengxing's expression became serene. He offered no resistance and had no intention of resisting.
Life and death were in Tang Xiaomin's hands.
Tang Xiaomin hesitated for a moment, and a misty shimmer appeared in her somber eyes.
"If you hesitate, it means you can't bring yourself to kill me, right?" Ye Fengxing suddenly said excitedly, placing his hands on Tang Xiaomin's shoulders.
"What Yan Jue can give you, I can give you too!"
"It's just the Underworld. As long as you don't kill me, you will still be the Queen of the Underworld. Even when I eventually die of old age, I won't contend with you. I will support you as Queen, just like he did. That world will be yours to command."
The prerequisite for all of this was simply that Tang Xiaomin would not strike him down.