Xia Jieye murmured as he watched his wife’s soul faded into his body and murmured, “Sleep well, my Jing’er.”

Hei Anjing’s soul fragment woke up for the last time and appeased Xia Jieye’s rage at the last moment. The destruction of the world halted and everyone looked at Xia Jieye in disbelief.

Gui Xiajun murmured, “He stopped?”

No one spoke like Gui Xiajun did, afraid that they might catch his unwanted attention and lose their lives. But Xia Jieye was so calm as his face once again showed no emotion. He gently picked up the little one hugging his leg and held her when he saw the scratches on her body. He even used a cleansing talisman on An Juehua to make her look clean.

Xia Jieye noticed the eyes on him and commented, “What are you looking at? Get to the surface and prepare to leave this world. Xiajun, transfer the children and elders first.”

Everyone was too frightened to respond to him and so only Gui Xiajun spoke out and said,

“Understood, Big brother!”

Once everyone gathered above ground and made others gather in accordance to their age and gender. But they move so slow that Xia Jieye finally lost his cool.

Xia Jieye passed An Juehua to his younger brother and said, “Give that space stone I gave you. I will make an array and send you guys out all at the same time.”

“Big brother, are you in a hurry?” asked Gui Xiajun.

Xia Jieye who just got to know what happened to the other him and his wife. Ye Xiajie’s soul got impacted by the sudden space transfer while he was protecting his wife. Both souls were injured and had to sleep the whole time in that world they had fallen to. Plus, the world they’ve come into happened to be a world without any of his soul fragments. He needs to go to that game world they are supposed to enter and take back his soul fragment reincarnated in that world.

Xia Jieye replied, “A bit. That other me had been found by Ye Mo. They almost died but Hei Mo saved them.”

Gui Xiajun was a bit dumbfounded, though he knew the news about his saozi and another big brother meeting Hei Mo, he didn’t know that they’d met Ye Mo, that bastard father of his. Now he knows why Xia Jieye is in a hurry. Since the two entered the wrong world, the world in which his soul fragment is supposed to take back was left alone. Xia Jieye needs to take over for Ye Xiajie.

Once Xia Jieye finished the space Teleportation array, he asked the rest to stand up inside and even told Gui Xiajun to do the explaining for him. Of course, the second wife of Ye Mo was left in his care. Gui Xiajun knew that his big brother would mostly torture this lady for what he had done to his Saozi’s soul fragment. Everyone here had witnessed him almost completely lose it.

Xia Jieye spoke, “You go and explain the situation to Hei Jue and An Liang. That little girl in your arms is their daughter. Also, pass a message to An Liang for me.”

“W-What should I say?” asked Gui Xiajun.

“Little girl, cover your ears,” said Xia Jieye to An Juehua. The young lady obediently covered her ears and looked at them innocently.

Xia Jieye said, “Tell An Liang to wash his neck. I’m going to beat him half dead when I return to Vearth.”

“Eh? What did Brother Liang do?” asked Gui Xiajun.

“Ask the bastard yourself. Now, leave,” said Xia Jieye as he activated the array when he saw everyone had entered the Teleportation array. In a split moment, a large group of people was transferred back to the Nether System’s throne room.

Xia Jieye who was left behind dragged the gagged second lady of Ye Mo to the abyss where he had tortured the lady in the longest and cruelest way possible as revenge for what he did to Hei Anjing’s soul fragment. Once Xia Jieye gathers all useful information from this second wife of Ye Mo. He threw her to the hottest layer of the Netherworld. The layer was full of infernal (Hell) Flames that would burn her soul for all eternity. Afterward, he left and went to the gameworld to take back his soul fragment.

—

Back to the Netherworld

Nether System, the deepest layer of Nether Hell.

It is a layer full of darkness. Within one of the caves, Hei Mo was sitting in a lotus form meditating waiting for that one to come as planned. The Nether Rings and chains on him are for decoration but he waited patiently for the prey to take the bait. As expected, he starts to hear footsteps coming closer to the cave he is in.

It was only when a ray of light was felt hitting his closed eyelids and the footsteps stopped in front of him that he slowly opened his eyes. In front of him, An Liang with a pale face and an expression of despair appeared.

Hei Mo and An Liang looked at each other without a word but as more time passed An Liang’s expression turned uglier in anguish and guilt.

An Liang spoke, “Sir, you know that I’m coming, don’t you?”

“Yes,” replied Hei Mo.

“Why didn’t you run? You could at least tell your grandson ahead of time that I will come to take your life.” said An Liang.

Hei Mo responded, “There is no need to run. Because if I run, my great granddaughter’s life would be in danger right?”

“You already know, Sir. But how?” asked An Liang as he felt seated on where he stood as if he lost all his strength. His back was slumped tiredly while looked like he didn’t care about himself even if he got caught or not.

Hei Mo chuckled and said, “For a man who made that Evil God’s reincarnation accept you as his friend in his second life is enough to show your undeniable loyalty. If there is something that could make someone like you betray your only friend it could only mean something had happened to your family. Jue’er was safe by your side which means it wasn’t him who was in danger. I only heard the rumors about your daughter who had gone missing. Since you are doing this kind of thing that could only mean they are using your daughter’s life as leverage or else you would have never betrayed Ye Xiajie.”

Hearing these calm words from an elder made An Liang lose his cool. He is an orphan and had never seen his family since he had opened his eyes to this world. Ye Xiajie was his first friend and he is as important as a brother to himself. Hei Jue is his only love. He loves his wife more than his own. When he got a wife and a daughter, his lifetime wish was completed. He was so happy that he finally had a family of his own. A home he could be proud of no matter what and a friend who would always be there for him.

But suddenly fate asked him to choose. It was a choice that would destroy the peace and happiness he has right now. The choice between his friend and his daughter. Both were important but he was being forced to choose either of the two. Not choosing either means killing both, choosing one would mean betrayal. An Liang decided to choose one. He had chosen his daughter and placed the life of his friend and his loved one in endless danger.

Thinking about how many times Hei Anjing returned to the Nether System wounded or half-dead made the guilt in his heart like a knife that stabbed it countless times. It was too painful for him to breathe and he had no face to see them as this is the result of his choice. Thankfully, Hei Anjing is a powerful immortal even in his weakened state Ye Mo and the Ye Guis had no means of completely killing off his friend’s soul fragments.

But who would have thought that Ye Mo would come over personally this time? If not for Old Patriarch Hei Mo, Hei Anjing, and his friend, Ye Xiajie who had most likely died under the means of that Notorious Ye Gui. Just thinking about this An Liang could hardly hold back his tears.

He could only cry before Hei Mo, his elder whom he needs to kill for his daughter. He even felt more guilt when he saw the old man giving him an understanding gaze. He is forgiving and was even helping him complete what he came to do.

An Liang whimpered, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Elder. I… My… My daughter… they say… They would kill her if I don’t kill you… I… I…”

“Don’t hesitate. I told you I understand. But you should know that I’ve already told Warden Lou about this and he had most likely reported it to your wife. What would you do if Jue’er learned about this?” asked Hei Mo.

An Liang gave out a cynical smile and said, “I would most likely end up as a prisoner. If that happens I would lose all the right to love him. But our daughter would be saved. As long as my wife and daughter are safe, it’s alright no matter what happens to me.” said An Liang.

Hei Mo sighed and looked behind An Liang, “You heard that didn’t you? You two should have a conversation as husband and wife.”

An Liang was shocked when he heard what the elder had spoken. He urgently turned around and saw his wife, Hei Jue, coming out from a space portal. As someone from Hei Bloodline, he also has absolute control over space elements.

“J-Jue’er!?” calls An Liang in astonishment and disbelief.

Hei Jue spoke, “I’ve always been with you right from the beginning. I had seen you make contact with that other side and saw the recording beads of Huahua.”

“This old man would give you two some space but you better change location. Walls have ears,” said Hei Mo as he disappeared in space like how Hei Jue had appeared before them.

This grandfather and grandson used the special means to circulate their qi leaving An Liang dumbfounded by the scene.

“How?” mumbled An Liang in shock.

Hei Jue grabbed his husband’s shoulder and teleported himself to the throne room to have a private conversation with a married couple.

—

Throne Room 𝗼𝐯𝐞𝐥．𝐜𝐨𝗺

An Liang was still shocked by the events that unfolded before him. Not only does his wife appear out of nowhere, but both he and Elder Hei were also able to wield qi in the last layer of Netherhell which is supposed to be impossible.

An Liang looked at his wife in surprise while he was pulled to sit together on the couch in his office. The office was left destroyed when An Liang had gone crazy just now but Hei Jue showed no surprise to see the current state of his husband’s office.

“Sit. Let’s talk,” said Hei Jue.

An Liang could see the corner of his wife’s eyes red. There are obvious traces of tears and he knew that Hei Jue had most likely cried when he saw their daughter’s face in those recording beads he had to save.

Hei Jue spoke and broke the silence between them.

“Liang, I have ordered all the deaths of the Nether Staffs in the Nether System except for the direct subordinate of Ye Xiajie. There are no more spies in the Netherworld,” said Hei Jue.

An Liang woke up in reality when he heard that. He was panicking as he was the one who let those spies get into the Nether System to keep his daughter safe.

“Sweetie, why did you do that? Our daughter would be in danger!” said An Liang.

Hei Jue looked at An Liang sadly and said, “Dear, please don’t be blinded by obsession. I know my daughter too well. Even though you have a lot of Recording beads from them, the only legit ones are only one.”

He placed an old recording bead that seems to be fading due to time and gave it to his husband. An Liang who had almost memorized all the contents of the recording knew that in this bead is a video recording of when their daughter was only 6 years old.

“Only this one is legit. In the other videos, the An Juehua in it is not her. That is not my daughter. Liang compared this video with the rest and looked at Huahua in it. Do you think she would smile knowing that she was kidnapped and was used as a bargaining chip against her parents?

The Huahua when she is only 6 is real. In this video, she does smile but is crying because she misses us. But in the following video, she is smiling without care or fear. This is not our daughter, I’m afraid they had made a fake clone of her and used it against you.

Liang, don’t blind yourself with obsession. They stopped giving real recordings when she was 7 years old and replaced her with a clone. Dear, our Huahua might be gone.” said Hei Jue as his tears started to fall once again.

His eyes were agonizing but it was enough to wake up An Liang’s reason. He knew what his wife was pointing at. If only the recording when Huahua is 6 years old is real and was replaced with a clone afterward then… Is their daughter dead for a long time? Those people were playing with his feelings and love for his daughter. All this time he was protecting the wrong person and betrayed his friend for this.

Hei Jue looked at the lost expression of his husband and couldn’t help but hug him. He could understand what his husband was thinking, the enemies made a fool of him at the same time he lost the last opportunity to save his daughter. If 8 years ago he had told the others about their approach, the possibility of finding and saving An Juehua at that time is bigger. As they know that their daughter is indeed alive but now… No one can tell them if she is still alive or not.

An Liang’s tears stroll down nonstop on his face while having a black gaze as if he lost his soul.

“I… Did I just… waste the only opportunity to save my daughter? Was it my decision before killed her? I… I…”

Hei Jue hugged his husband even tighter. The despair of losing their daughter this time is more painful than knowing they had lost her in that explosion. At the very least if their daughter had died in the explosion, the pain is short but if she was still alive and in the hands of the Ye Gui race then her life might be harder than hell. There is no way the Ye Gui’s would treat their clan who sides with the Mo Family kindly.

“Shush~ it is not your fault. Huahua would never blame you,” said Hei Jue while trying to comfort his husband.

This husband and wife cried all out for the first time knowing that their daughter had most likely died ages ago and under the hands of their enemies who were well known for their ruthlessness.