Yet Another Trip to the Dungeon!

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Ye Jing's forehead, and his heart sank to the bottom.

Xiao Li's breath finally faded away in those expectant eyes, her eyes closed forever, leaving Ye Jing with only endless sorrow and despair. The surrounding air seemed to freeze, so heavy that it was hard to breathe.

"No... Xiao Li..." Ye Jing's voice trembled. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Those once vibrant eyes had lost all their light.

He knelt beside Xiao Li, holding her increasingly cold hands tightly, tears silently streaming down his face, dripping into the dust and instantly swallowed up.

Seeing this, the villagers' anger was reignited. "Look! He really is the murderer! He's the one who killed Xiao Li!" the sharp-tongued woman shouted, pointing at Ye Jing, her voice filled with hatred and glee.

"Kill him! Avenge Xiao Li!" The villagers were blinded by hatred. They forgot that Ye Jing was once a part of this village, and forgot the days they had spent together.

At this moment, all they wanted was to see Ye Jing receive the punishment he deserved.

No one came to rescue Ye Jing; he was like a lone boat abandoned in a storm, at the mercy of the relentless waves.

The villagers' anger, like a raging storm, instantly overwhelmed him.

They forgot reason, forgot compassion, and were left only with blind hatred and fear of the "monster".

"Kill him! Avenge Xiao Li!" Someone in the crowd shouted first, and then stones and sticks rained down on Ye Jing.

He tried to cover his head with his hands, but such resistance seemed so powerless in the face of the angry crowd.

Each blow was accompanied by intense pain, but what pained him even more was his heart—for his own powerlessness, for Xiao Li's passing, and even more so for the indifference and heartlessness of these once-familiar villagers.

"Stop! Listen to me!" Ye Jing shouted with difficulty, his voice almost drowned out by the clamor of the crowd.

He tried to explain, tried to convince them that he hadn't meant to hurt Xiao Li, but it all seemed so futile.

The villagers were blinded by hatred; they only wanted to see Ye Jing punished to quell their anger and unease.

"Monster! What do you have to say? Xiao Li, such a good girl, died because of you!" A young man glared angrily, his wooden stick swinging mercilessly at Ye Jing.

Ye Jing was unable to dodge in time and was struck hard, staggering and falling to the ground.

"How... how could you do this?" Ye Jing lay on the ground, looking up at those once-familiar faces, his eyes filled with disbelief and despair. He couldn't understand why these people had become so unreasonable, so cruel and heartless.

He had helped them so much.

"Hmph, a monster is a monster. You think we'll show you mercy?" The sharp-tongued woman sneered, walked up to Ye Jing, and lightly kicked his face with her toe. "Let me tell you, Ye Jing, you should have known your fate. Staying in the village is just being a menace. Today, we'll act on behalf of heaven and get rid of you, you monster!"

Ye Jing felt an unprecedented sense of humiliation and frustration.

He never imagined he would end up in such a state.

He tried to stand up, but his body felt as if it were being crushed by a thousand-pound boulder, and he couldn't move.

He could only watch helplessly as those once friendly villagers had now turned into hideous enemies.

"Ye Jing, you killed Xiao Li, you deserve it!" a middle-aged woman said through gritted teeth, her eyes filled with the flames of hatred. "You think you can save people with those evil spells? Let me tell you, you only bring disaster and death!"

"I didn't... I really didn't..." Ye Jing tried to explain weakly, but before he could finish, he was interrupted by a barrage of punches and kicks.

He closed his eyes tightly, letting the pain gnaw at every inch of his skin and every nerve. He felt as if he were being torn into countless pieces, each piece carrying endless pain and despair.

The Evil Qi within him surged, yearning to erupt.

But once it breaks out, all of these people will die.

Then he went back to his old ways.

In the endless darkness, Ye Jing's consciousness gradually blurred, but the resentment and injustice in his heart burned fiercely like a raging fire.

Every breath was accompanied by excruciating physical pain, but he seemed to feel no pain, only a chill in his heart, more piercing than any physical injury.

A heavy bang as the iron door slammed Chaos pulled him back to reality. He was surrounded by cold stone walls, and only a faint beam of light shone through the high window into the narrow space, illuminating his scarred face.

Ye Jing opened his eyes and realized that he had been knocked unconscious and locked in a cell, awaiting unknown punishment.

Ye Jing curled up in the corner, letting her thoughts drift away.

He recalled his interactions with the villagers, the happy times they had shared, which were now the most distant memories.

"Ye Jing, you still can't escape this fate after all." He smiled bitterly, his voice hoarse and low. Recalling the past, his heart was filled with mixed feelings. He had thought that his help could bring hope to this village, but he never expected that he would become the target of everyone's hatred in the end.

It failed again!

In terms of understanding people's hearts, that Evil God still had a slight edge.

"Xiao Li..." he murmured to himself, his heart heavy. If all of this was truly an experience...

That innocent and kind girl died because of Xue Lan, and his heart must have been filled with endless guilt and self-blame.

Ye Jing understood that if things continued like this, Xue Lan's heart would be plunged into endless darkness!

Time seemed to stand still in the cell; every second felt like an eternity.

"Xue Lan's life is truly miserable!" He smiled bitterly, a resolute glint in his eyes.

He knew he might not be able to change the situation, but he could choose how to face it.

He can prove himself, that is, Xue Lan's innocence, in his own way, even if the road is full of thorns and obstacles.

Evil God should not underestimate humanity!

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps broke the silence of the cell. The door was pushed open abruptly, and a beam of bright light shone in, making him squint.

He looked up and saw several armored soldiers standing at the door, their expressions serious.

"Ye Jing, you are suspected of murdering villager Xiao Li. You are hereby ordered to be escorted to the courtroom for trial," the leading soldier said in a deep voice, his tone devoid of any emotion.

Ye Jing did not resist; he simply stood up silently and allowed the soldiers to escort him out of the cell.

He knew this would be his last chance to prove his innocence.

This is also the last chance to defeat the Devourer of Desire in this round.

He had to seize this opportunity, and whatever the outcome, he had to bring the truth to light.