Chapter 434: A Slap

Lu Ye glanced at Shangguan Huanling and couldn't help but sigh softly.

Without a word, he took a step forward, his figure already passing by several people.

"Husband!"

The Vermilion Bird couldn't help but call out.

Yet from start to finish, Lu Ye didn't even spare her a glance.

If there were still unresolved karma between him and Yue Hongling or Shangguan Huanling, then all karma between him and the Vermilion Bird had already ended. In his eyes, she was utterly unfamiliar—as if she didn't exist.

Lu Ye had no reason to even glance her way, let alone respond.

"Lu Ye!"

Suddenly, Shangguan Huanling shouted loudly.

This time, she didn't even call him "Brother Lu Ye," addressing him directly by his name.

Lu Ye's steps faltered.

"Will this never end? I've already mastered the Supreme Emotion Scripture, why can't you forgive me? Even if this was some test, shouldn't it be over by now? Why do you keep dragging this on? Do you think this is fun? Do you really think this is fun?" Shangguan Huanling was furious, roaring at Lu Ye.

It was as if they had returned to their past lives.

A glimmer of nostalgia flashed in Lu Ye's eyes.

It had been so long since he last heard Shangguan Huanling's loud shouts. Hearing it again now actually felt somewhat nostalgic.

So he turned around and looked back.

Shangguan Huanling's heart soared.

Did that actually work?

Shouting had worked in their past life, and now it still worked in this one. She'd have to remember to yell louder next time.

"Watch out!"

The Vermilion Bird suddenly paled and shouted in alarm at Shangguan Huanling.

Shangguan Huanling reacted instantly. Like muscle memory, the moment she heard "watch out," she didn't even know what was happening before a crimson aura flared around her body.

She was fast, but Lu Ye was faster.

Faster than thought, Lu Ye's figure had already appeared in front of Shangguan Huanling, his palm already swinging.

The crimson glow had barely flickered to life when his palm came down hard on her face.

"Smack!" The sound echoed sharply.

Just as the Heavenly Demon Bloodmorph Dash activated, Shangguan Huanling's body was sent spinning like a whipped top from the force of the slap. Yet, her figure still managed to flee, her crimson aura whirling madly as she streaked into the distance.

Lu Ye made no move to pursue, remaining rooted to the spot.

He lowered his head and studied his palm.

This slap...

That slap...

Past and present lives, all of Shangguan Huanling's ridiculous foolishness, all the cruelty hidden behind her idiocy, and the countless times he had wanted to slap her—all became reality in this moment.

Lu Ye had only one feeling: satisfaction!!!

The heavens could testify—even in his past life, Lu Ye had wanted to slap Shangguan Huanling countless times. On many occasions, his hand had already been raised.

But at the very moment he was about to strike, endless excuses would swarm his mind.

Like how he shouldn’t hit his own woman.

How she had followed him since her most innocent youth, all these years.

Her parents were already dead, and he was her only support now.

Without the Way of Love, she must've been scared too...

Too many reasons, racing through his mind like a spinning lantern, and in the end, the slap never landed.

But now? One slap—fucking satisfying!

First, she was no longer his woman.

Second, if the first point didn’t hold, he could fucking kill her without a shred of guilt!

Sun Ruowei’s mouth fell open slightly. She hadn’t expected actual physical violence to unfold here.

Lu Ye’s icy gaze turned to Yue Hongling. "Don’t appear before me again. Right now, I just don’t love you. Don’t make me hate you."

With those words, Lu Ye sauntered off.

Come on, anyone else got shit to say?

Yue Hongling stood there stunned, while the Vermilion Bird’s face was filled with sorrow. But she wiped her tears and took off after Shangguan Huanling.

At least no more drama followed.

After Lu Ye vanished, Yue Hongling seemed to lose all strength, her legs giving out.

Sun Ruowei hurriedly supported her.

"Hong Ling, you must stay strong..."

Yue Hongling stared blankly upward.

"It’s over. Now it's really over."

"It’s not over. Even if Lu Ye doesn’t love you now, you can keep pursuing him. It’s not over. If two people meet a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand times, there’s always a chance for feelings to grow," Sun Ruowei comforted her.

Yue Hongling let out a soft sigh.

She wiped away her tears.

"Auntie, it’s fine. I’m Yue Hongling—since when do I go down easy? As senior brother once said, all these hardships are just a passing frost."

Sun Ruowei... held her tongue.

Because Yue Hongling’s change came too fast. Something wasn't right, but she couldn’t pinpoint what, nor how to mention it.

Yue Hongling broke free from Sun Ruowei's support, even forcing a smile on her face.

"Let's go check on Huanling first. I'm really fine. This is what I deserve. What I owe senior brother—I could never repay it in a lifetime, but I can chip away at it. Sooner or later... sooner or later..."

Yue Hongling's voice cracked again.

She kept wiping her tears, but no matter how hard she tried, they kept coming.

"I... I'm fine..."

"It's just my eyes are stinging a little, I don’t know why... Master... Auntie, let’s... let’s go find Huanling..."

Sun Ruowei embraced Yue Hongling once more.

"Go on, cry. Get it out."

"I won’t cry. Senior brother definitely doesn’t like it when I cry. If I cry... if I cry, I’ll look awful..."

"Wuuu..."

Yue Hongling couldn’t hold back anymore and broke down sobbing.

Her sobs shook her—she simply couldn’t suppress them any longer.

From quiet hiccups to full-on wailing.

"Auntie, it *hurts*! My heart hurts so much!"

"He doesn’t want me anymore. He’s *done* with me!"

"Auntie... Auntie..."

Sun Ruowei could only gently pat Yue Hongling’s back, murmuring comfort.

"Everything will get better. As long as you’re alive, there’s always hope."

Yue Hongling cried for a solid half-hour until her eyes were swollen and red.

"Alright, Auntie, I’m... okay now. Let’s hurry and see how Huanling is doing. Senior brother could never bring himself to hit her before, but now he actually did. She came here full of hope—this probably crushed her even worse than it hurt me. Let’s go check on Huanling."

It must be said, Shangguan Huanling was one hell of a person.

When she was with Chu Ling, Chu Ling was crazy about her.

When she was with Yue Hongling, even Yue Hongling, who’d hated her guts, began to like her.

But Lu Ye? Nothing.

Because Shangguan Huanling poured all her love into everyone else—only Lu Ye received a hollow shell of her!