Master, Please Help Me Break the Love Curse! - Chapter 15

In the council hall, Gu Jinzhao activated the white jade pendant, and a scene quickly materialized before everyone’s eyes.

It was the last thing Princess Pei Hui had seen in her lifetime.

The scene showed her kneeling on the ground, crawling toward the stone door. Around her lay corpses, their faces pale and bodies stiff, indicating they had been dead for some time.

Pei Hui was clearly terrified. The audience could hear her frantic heartbeat and heavy breathing.

White soul energy swirled around her, all rising toward the ceiling.

“I have to get out… I want to… live…”

With a final shudder, Pei Hui lost the strength to crawl any further. Her outstretched fingers touched the sunlight beyond the stone door, and the scene faded to black.

But the vision didn’t end there. Footsteps echoed in the darkness as someone slowly approached the dying Pei Hui and whispered in her ear.

The woman lowered her voice, speaking in a deep, raspy tone:

“Foolish child, in your next life, never offend the Demonic Sect. After all, we Demonic Sect disciples always repay our debts, tenfold.”

Only then did the vision from the jade pendant completely vanish.

The council hall fell silent. After a long pause, someone finally spoke: “Demonic Sect disciples? Hasn’t the Demonic Sect been dormant for ages? Why would they suddenly reappear now?”

Gu Jin clutched the jade pendant, her brow furrowed in concentration. She cast the spell again, reviewing Pei Hui’s residual memories several times. The woman’s figure remained absent from the visions, likely because Pei Hui, terrified, hadn’t dared to turn around, thus failing to capture the most crucial detail.

Yet the woman’s final words hung heavy in the air, casting a pall over everyone present.

Demonic Sect?

Shang Qianye sat on a futon behind Luo Jiu, her mind swirling with confusion. She tilted her head, peering at Luo Jiu’s back, leaned forward, and whispered, “Master, what’s the Demonic Sect?”

Luo Jiu, lost in thought, startled at Shang Qianye’s sudden question. She shot her disciple a reproachful glare before explaining, “A century ago, a rift to the Demonic Realm opened, allowing many demons to enter the human realm. Though they were reviled for their slaughter and pillaging, many humans willingly followed them. The demons organized these followers, imparting their cultivation techniques—that’s how the Demonic Sect was formed.”

“Later, the demons were driven back to the Demonic Realm, and the immortal sects launched a campaign to eradicate the Demonic Sect. Most of its disciples were brought to justice, and in recent years, they seemed to have vanished entirely. But now it seems they didn’t disappear; they merely went into hiding.” Luo Jiu frowned at the vision Gu Jin projected. “The Demonic Sect’s involvement in Pei Hui’s murder makes this situation exceedingly complicated.”

Everyone understood the complexity of the situation. But there was a silver lining: the footage proved that Pei Hui’s killer was a disciple of the Demonic Sect, absolving the Lingxiao Sect of direct involvement.

This meant that if the Royal Family demanded an explanation, the Lingxiao Sect wouldn’t be caught completely off guard.

The meeting dragged on until the late hours of the night. Luo Jiu, who had only been there to make up the numbers, grew drowsy and began to doze off, her head propped against her hand. Noticing this, Shang Qianye quietly fetched a blanket and gently draped it over Luo Jiu’s knees.

When Luo Jiu finally woke up, the meeting had just adjourned. She yawned, glanced down, and saw the blanket on her lap. Turning to look for Shang Qianye, she found her seat empty. Luo Jiu’s gaze softened as she touched the blanket, her eyes lowered slightly.

“Master.”

Just as Luo Jiu was lost in thought, Shang Qianye rushed over. Seeing Luo Jiu look up, she smiled and said, “I brought you a cloak—the mountain wind is chilly at night—and a bowl of chicken soup from the kitchen.”

Luo Jiu’s eyes flickered to the white cloak draped over Shang Qianye’s arm and the food box in her other hand.

“Who told you to do all this?” Luo Jiu asked, picking up the blanket and rising to her feet. “I have cultivation techniques to protect me. How could I possibly be cold?”

Shang Qianye’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. “Yes, Master is naturally immune to the cold. But this chicken soup is freshly brewed and exceptionally flavorful. Why don’t we finish it before heading back?”

Luo Jiu was about to decline, but Shang Qianye had already produced the soup.

The palm-sized white porcelain bowl radiated the savory aroma of chicken soup, instantly awakening the hunger pangs in Luo Jiu’s stomach. Though Luo Jiu had long since entered a state of bigu—abstaining from grains and requiring no food—the allure of delicious food remained irresistible.

Luo Jiu stared at the bowl for a long moment before finally shifting her gaze and murmuring a soft “Mm.” “Then let’s finish it before we leave.”

The rich, warming broth felt soothing with each sip. Drinking a bowl on a chilly day brought a profound sense of comfort, entirely different from the protective warmth provided by her cultivation techniques. Luo Jiu drank with evident satisfaction.

Shang Qianye stood beside her, watching Luo Jiu savor each spoonful of the soup she had painstakingly simmered. Her heart swelled with contentment, knowing her efforts had been well worth it.

By the time Luo Jiu finished the soup, the council hall had emptied completely.

Setting down the bowl, Luo Jiu finally turned to Shang Qianye, who had remained by her side.

“Does Master have any further instructions?” Shang Qianye asked, already reaching for the bowl and chopsticks. She also offered Luo Jiu a handkerchief to wipe her mouth.

Watching Shang Qianye’s deft movements, Luo Jiu hesitated for a long time. Only when she was sure no one was around did she finally speak. “You’re not busy tomorrow, are you?”

Shang Qianye’s face flashed a question mark, but she quickly replied, “I don’t think I have anything planned. Does Master have something for me to do?”

“It’s nothing urgent.” Luo Jiu avoided Shang Qianye’s gaze as she stood up. “Come to my room after nightfall tomorrow.”

With that, Luo Jiu turned and left without looking back.

Shang Qianye cradled the empty white porcelain bowl, tilting her head slightly.

Go to Luo Jiu’s room after nightfall?

What for?

Could it be…?

The thought made Shang Qianye shake her head vigorously. She rubbed her reddened earlobes, dismissing the idea as absurd. What kind of person is Luo Jiu? Cold and aloof, with a terrible temper. If she’s calling me to her room at night, it must be for some secret mission she can’t reveal to others.

It couldn’t possibly be anything… like that.

Despite this, Shang Qianye couldn’t stop her mind from conjuring vivid fantasies, especially the image of Luo Jiu lying beneath her, eyes flushed crimson.

She shook her head again, forcing her thoughts back into order.

No more wild imaginings. I’m a proper person.