Master, Please Help Me Break the Love Curse! - Chapter 11

The more arrogant Shang Qianye had been when the love gu flared, the more terrified she was now.

How could I have uttered such treasonous words?

This time, it wouldn’t be as simple as forty lashes and kneeling in the ancestral hall…

Shang Qianye began to worry. If her legs were broken, would she still be able to bring food to Luo Jiu regularly?

Just as Shang Qianye was lost in her anxious thoughts, the person in her arms slowly opened her eyes.

“…Master.”

Shang Qianye, her face pale as death, threw back the covers and knelt on the bed, saying, “Master, I was wrong. Please punish me.”

Whether it was a whipping or kneeling as punishment, she was prepared for either.

But Shang Qianye waited for a long time without hearing Luo Jiu’s voice. She couldn’t resist glancing up slightly and saw Luo Jiu lying on the bed, her brow furrowed and eyes tightly shut.

It seemed Luo Jiu didn’t want to face this reality either.

“Master…” Shang Qianye called out timidly, her voice piercing the darkness.

The rustle of fabric sounded as Luo Jiu sat up, pulling the blanket around herself. She let out a long sigh.

“Stop kneeling there. It’s annoying,” Luo Jiu said, her voice hoarse. She coughed uncomfortably, frowning. “Go get me some water.”

Without a word, Shang Qianye rose and fetched water. She carried the lukewarm tea to the bedside and handed the cup to Luo Jiu.

After drinking, Luo Jiu’s throat finally felt a little better.

She glanced at Shang Qianye in the darkness, finding the sight irritating. “Put some clothes on,” she snapped. “It’s indecent.”

Shang Qianye: “……”

Though she didn’t understand how she was being indecent, she knew Luo Jiu’s annoyance was justified. She obediently slipped on her clothes, not daring to argue.

Luo Jiu leaned against the headboard, her eyes half-closed, focusing on her discomfort. Shang Qianye had been a bit too rough last night, leaving her body aching, exhausted, and longing for more sleep.

Yet the sticky feeling on her skin made Luo Jiu feel deeply unsettled.

She wanted to curse.

But this wasn’t the first time. She knew this would happen every seven days, and even she was tired of scolding Shang Qianye.

Besides, Shang Qianye hadn’t done it on purpose.

The thought made Luo Jiu’s head throb.

“Master,” Shang Qianye said, her anxiety growing as Luo Jiu remained silent. Noticing Luo Jiu’s pale, sickly complexion, she cautiously asked, “Should I heat some water for you to take a bath?”

Luo Jiu paused before finally grunting in agreement.

Shang Qianye immediately sprang out of bed, brimming with energy, and went to heat water. Only after leaving the bedroom did she realize it was past midnight. She had no idea how long they had slept. The forest was eerily silent in the dead of night, broken only by the sounds of Shang Qianye drawing and heating water.

Soon, the entire pool was filled with warm water. Shang Qianye went to the bedroom to call Luo Jiu out for her bath.

Luo Jiu was surprisingly docile today.

Shang Qianye had expected punishment—at the very least, a few lashes if not a broken leg. But reality seemed otherwise. Luo Jiu sat in the bath, the warm water reaching above her chest, allowing Shang Qianye to see the faint bruises she had left behind.

Suddenly, Shang Qianye’s mind flooded with memories of what had happened just hours earlier.

How she had held that soft flesh in her hand, how she had called Luo Jiu “shamelessly wanton.”

“What are you staring at?” Luo Jiu asked, her eyes closed as she leaned against the edge of the pool.

Shang Qianye startled, quickly suppressing her thoughts and tossing medicinal herbs into the water. “Nothing, Master,” she murmured. “I’m adding extra herbs to reduce swelling. This will make your bath more comfortable.”

As soon as the words left her lips, Shang Qianye wanted to bite her tongue.

Why did I have to bring that up?

Luo Jiu frowned slightly, her eyes—made luminous by the steam—opening to glance sideways at Shang Qianye. She didn’t argue.

Luo Jiu seemed to be in an unusually good mood today.

Shang Qianye blinked in confusion, set down the medicinal herbs she was holding, and knelt beside the pool.

“Master, aren’t you going to punish me?” Shang Qianye tilted her head and asked softly, “I really went too far today. Why aren’t you saying anything? Even a whipping or kneeling in the ancestral hall would do.”

“Why would I punish you?” Luo Jiu lowered her gaze and sighed. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“Master…”

Luo Jiu had come to terms with the situation. Looking at Shang Qianye kneeling beside the pool, her expression softened. “The love gu is indeed a thorny issue. We need to resolve it as soon as possible to avoid further complications.”

Shang Qianye nodded earnestly.

Luo Jiu scooped up some water from the pool and said slowly, “I’m already trapped in Lingxiao. I’ll probably never be able to leave freely for the rest of my life. You can’t end up like me, confined to one place forever.”

This was the first time Shang Qianye had heard Luo Jiu speak like this. She asked in confusion, “Does Master want to leave Lingxiao?”

Luo Jiu paused before answering, “Lingxiao is a wonderful place, and I love it here. But I chose to stay and maintain the Heavenly Dao Brake. It’s different for you.” She looked up at Shang Qianye and continued gently, “You can’t let the love gu control you forever.”

Shang Qianye wanted to retort, How do you know I don’t want to be controlled?

If she could, Shang Qianye would gladly remain under the love gu’s control, forever by Luo Jiu’s side.

But reason told her Luo Jiu was right.

The love gu was no good, and sooner or later, it had to be removed.

“Master…”

Shang Qianye opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn’t find the words. Luo Jiu glanced at her, patted the water’s surface, and said, “Stop kneeling there. I’m not punishing you. Come soak with me—it’s a waste of water for just one person.”

Shang Qianye was both flattered and surprised. She obediently undressed and slipped into the pool.

Luo Jiu rarely spoke much, and today she had already said more than usual. As soon as Shang Qianye joined her in the bath, she closed her eyes to rest. Shang Qianye dared not move in the water, instead hugging her knees and shrinking into a corner, mimicking Luo Jiu’s posture.

After about an incense stick’s worth of time, Luo Jiu grew tired. She casually dried herself with a spell and went to bed.

Shang Qianye cleaned up the bathhouse, then hesitated before Luo Jiu’s bedroom door.

Should she sleep with Luo Jiu tonight, or in the study?

After a long moment of indecision, Shang Qianye recalled Qin Wangyue’s words: Seize every opportunity! Sleeping beside Luo Jiu would certainly foster their bond. Just as she reached out to push the door open, a spell on the door repelled her, numbing her hand.

Shang Qianye: “……”

Understood, Master. This disciple will go sleep in the study!

The next day, Shang Qianye woke up early and practiced her cultivation techniques for an hour before bringing the breakfast she had bought to wake Luo Jiu.

Aside from her bi-monthly retreats to the Heavenly Dao Brake, Luo Jiu had little to occupy her time and usually slept until late morning. But today, when Shang Qianye returned with breakfast, she found Luo Jiu already awake.

Moreover, there was another person in the courtyard.

A woman in casual robes sat across from Luo Jiu, sipping tea. Hearing the commotion, she looked up and greeted Shang Qianye with a smile, “Little Qianye, visiting your master again?”

Shang Qianye stared at her in surprise. “Headmaster Gu?”

Gu Jin’s smile was warm and approachable. Noticing the breakfast in Shang Qianye’s hand, she turned to her junior sister and said, “Why are you making Qianye fetch breakfast for you again? You don’t even need to eat.”

Luo Jiu glanced sideways at Shang Qianye and retorted, “She wanted to go herself. What does it have to do with me?”

Seeing Gu Jin’s arrival, Shang Qianye knew the two had matters to discuss. She whispered to Luo Jiu, “Master, I’ll just leave the breakfast in the tea room for now.”

Gu Jin said bluntly, “Bring more tea, snacks, and fruit.”

Shang Qianye nodded and went inside to prepare.

Watching Shang Qianye disappear into the house, Gu Jin turned to Luo Jiu with a radiant smile. “Your Qianye is so obedient, unlike Yunqing. That child is spoiled rotten by me—never studies properly and only wants to run around outside.”

“Yunqing is still young,” Luo Jiu said, taking a sip of tea. “You didn’t come here just to chat, did you? Get to the point.”

“Oh, come now, we’re fellow disciples of the same sect. Must I always have an ulterior motive for visiting you? Can’t I simply come to reminisce?” Gu Jin set down her cup. “Though, I must admit, there is something I need to ask of you today.”

Luo Jiu glanced at her with dark eyes, her expression conveying, “I knew you had something up your sleeve.”

Instead of immediately revealing her request, Gu Jin leisurely began to reminisce. “Remember when I went down the mountain for that Sect Leaders’ Conference? It was just a bunch of Sect Leaders gathering to eat, drink tea, and exchange pleasantries—utterly boring. During those three days, I missed our Lingxiao Sect terribly and couldn’t wait to finish and fly back on my sword.”

As they spoke, Shang Qianye emerged with tea, pastries, and fruit, along with a cushion.

She first placed the refreshments on the table, then turned to Luo Jiu with the cushion. Luo Jiu seemed momentarily taken aback, but after a moment, her expression turned peculiar. She didn’t refuse, so Shang Qianye placed the cushion behind her back.

Gu Jin watched their subtle interaction, her eyes narrowing slightly, but she continued speaking without pause. “After the conference, I was planning to return immediately, but I was suddenly summoned by the royal family. They said a child with exceptionally strong spiritual roots had appeared among their relatives and asked me to assess her. When I examined her, the girl’s spiritual root was indeed remarkable, and her aptitude was excellent. I figured taking her under my wing wouldn’t be a bad idea, so I brought her back.”

As Gu Jin rambled on, Shang Qianye looked up in confusion.

Is Headmaster Gu talking about… that arrogant Little Princess?

Leaning back against the comfortable cushion and sipping her tea, Luo Jiu said impatiently, “Why are you talking so much? When are you going to get to the point?”

Gu Jin chuckled. “We’re getting to the main point now. Ah, where was I? Oh, right, that little girl. Her spiritual root was truly remarkable. After bringing her back, I assigned her to Yu Shiyan’s tutelage, thinking that Medicinal Cultivation would be better than Sword Cultivation. A princess wouldn’t be cultivating for battle, after all.”

“But this girl had a difficult personality. Like Yunqing, she was spoiled by her elders. She immediately clashed with Qin Wangyue, the Eldest Senior Sister of Medicinal Cultivation—Yu Shiyan’s most cherished disciple. The two of them quarreled incessantly.”

Seeing Gu Jin about to launch into another lengthy tangent, Luo Jiu’s expression darkened. Shang Qianye, however, sensed something amiss.

Sure enough, Gu Jin sighed heavily, set down her teacup, and turned to Luo Jiu with a grave expression. “Because of this incident, the Little Princess was punished to kneel in the ancestral hall. But after she emerged, she gathered her entourage and left the mountain without a word. No one has seen her since.”

In short, the Little Princess Pei Hui had vanished from the Lingxiao Sect.