Master, Please Help Me Break the Love Curse! - Chapter 27

Luo Jiu didn’t reply, merely yawning languidly and squinting her eyes in contentment as she murmured an indistinct “Mmm,” before changing the subject.

After her bath, Shang Qianye led Luo Jiu back to their room and knelt by the stone bed to help her put on socks.

“Master didn’t bring any spare clothes, so you can wear mine for now,” Shang Qianye said, tilting her head to look up at Luo Jiu, who stood before her in only her undergarments, her half-dry hair cascading down her back. Her tone was inexplicably cheerful.

Luo Jiu had no objections and readily agreed.

Shang Qianye had brought three sets of clothes. Luo Jiu chose the lightest-colored one, but when she stood up, she realized Shang Qianye’s clothes were a bit too long for her, the pant legs dragging on the ground.

Frowning in annoyance, Luo Jiu rolled up the sleeves and muttered, “You’re not even that much taller than me. How are your clothes so big?”

Shang Qianye smiled brightly as she picked up the matching sash. Wrapping it around Luo Jiu’s waist, she whispered, “These clothes are meant to be loose-fitting. The other sets should fit better. Would Master like to try them on?”

Despite her words, Shang Qianye’s hands moved swiftly, the blue-and-white sash encircling Luo Jiu’s slender waist. The spirit stone embellishment glowed with an ethereal blue light, gathering at her lower abdomen.

“Never mind,” Luo Jiu said, finding it too troublesome. She glanced down at Shang Qianye tying the sash and added, “We’ll have to change back into my own clothes once they’re dry anyway. No need to bother.”

Shang Qianye’s eyes curved into a smile. “Alright.”

The following days passed as usual. Luo Jiu would leave during the day and return in the evening to eat the dinner Shang Qianye had prepared. The only difference was that when they went to sleep, they no longer lay stiffly on opposite sides of the bed. Instead, Shang Qianye would proactively cuddle up to Luo Jiu, holding her tightly as she drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

Because of the delay caused by removing the Gu, the originally planned seven-day seclusion had been unexpectedly extended by a day. It wasn’t until the eighth day, near noon, that Luo Jiu finally repaired the last damaged section of the Barrier.

With the Barrier now capable of holding for another fifteen days, she could finally rest a little.

Shang Qianye had packed their belongings early and was waiting at the cave entrance. When she saw Luo Jiu return, she immediately stepped forward, naturally taking her hand and channeling spiritual energy into her.

Feeling the soothing comfort of Shang Qianye’s spiritual energy flowing through her meridians, Luo Jiu didn’t want to let go of her hand. She simply asked, “Are you all packed? We’ll be leaving soon.”

“Everything’s ready,” Shang Qianye replied. “I left some things we couldn’t carry in the cave and placed a Barrier inside to protect them from moisture and dust. We can use them next time we come.”

Luo Jiu nodded in satisfaction and tugged at Shang Qianye’s hand. “Let’s go, then.”

They returned the way they had come.

As they passed through the wind formation at the Heavenly Dao Brake’s barrier entrance, Shang Qianye closed her eyes and gripped Luo Jiu’s hand tightly. After taking about a dozen steps forward, the wind suddenly stopped. Before Shang Qianye could open her eyes, she felt her hand go empty.

Luo Jiu had deliberately released her grip.

Shang Qianye instinctively opened her eyes and saw Luo Jiu take two steps ahead, her expression reverting to its usual coldness. Like countless other master-disciple pairs, Luo Jiu walked ahead of Shang Qianye, leaving her with only a view of her dark nape.

Gu Jin and the others had been waiting outside for some time. When they saw Luo Jiu and Shang Qianye emerge, they greeted them with smiles.

“Junior Sister, you’ve finally finished your seclusion!” Gu Jin and several other managers gathered around. “How was everything inside the Heavenly Dao Brake? You stayed an extra day—did anything unusual happen?”

Luo Jiu lowered her gaze respectfully. “Nothing unusual occurred,” she replied to Gu Jin. “I was merely delayed by some matters. Everything within the Heavenly Dao Brake remains normal.”

Shang Qianye’s eyes remained fixed on Luo Jiu the entire time, completely oblivious to Gu Yunqing rushing toward her.

“Senior Sister!”

Gu Yunqing suddenly appeared before Shang Qianye, blocking her gaze toward Luo Jiu. “Senior Sister, you’re finally out! I was worried I’d miss your birthday. I even prepared a gift for you.”

Shang Qianye reluctantly shifted her gaze to Gu Yunqing. “Oh? You didn’t need to bother. I don’t need any gifts.”

“How can you not want a gift for your twentieth birthday?” Gu Yunqing insisted. “Don’t worry, Senior Sister, I’m sure you’ll love what I got you.” She took Shang Qianye’s arm and smiled. “Shall we head back to Ginkgo Courtyard first? I’ve prepared a whole table of food there. We can eat something first.”

Hearing this, Shang Qianye looked up at Luo Jiu, only to see Gu Jin already leading her toward the exit, Luo Jiu not even glancing back.

How could this be?

Inside the Barrier, Luo Jiu and I…

Noticing Shang Qianye’s gaze, Gu Yunqing followed her line of sight. “My mother has some matters to discuss with Junior Aunt,” she explained. “It’s just internal sect affairs—nothing for us to worry about. Let’s head back. You must be exhausted after being in seclusion for so long, Senior Sister.”

Shang Qianye’s heart churned with conflicting emotions. Her brow furrowed slightly as she watched Luo Jiu’s retreating figure, a bitter taste rising in her throat. Yet she couldn’t forget to respond to Gu Yunqing, managing only a strained “Mm” before following her away.

In Ginkgo Courtyard, the golden ginkgo trees flourished, their leaves shimmering in the sunlight.

“Senior Sister, look!” Gu Yunqing pulled Shang Qianye into the courtyard, pointing to a bubbling brass pot on the stone table. “This is the latest craze from the mountain villages—Antiquity Broth. Some call it hot pot. It’s incredibly delicious, and I prepared it specially for you today.”

The brass pot simmered with fragrant spices. As soon as Shang Qianye entered the courtyard, she caught the enticing aroma. She glanced at Gu Yunqing in surprise. “Did you prepare all this yourself?”

Gu Yunqing blinked, clasped her hands behind her back, and smiled enigmatically.

“How could she have prepared it all alone?”

At that moment, Qin Wangyue emerged from the adjacent kitchen, dressed in a pale green robe. She carried a plate of freshly washed vegetables, which she set down on the stone table. Smiling warmly, she looked up at Shang Qianye. “While you were in seclusion these past few days, Yunqing missed you terribly. When she heard you were returning today, she rushed out to greet you. That’s how I ended up taking over the hot pot preparations.”

Gu Yunqing chuckled in protest. “Senior Sister Qin, you’re exaggerating! I prepared the pot and the seasonings myself, didn’t I?”

“Of course,” Qin Wangyue replied with a knowing smile, choosing not to expose her little lie. “Enough standing around. Let’s sit down and try it. This is my first time eating hot pot too.”

The three sat around a small stone table, enjoying a steaming hot pot. Since none of them could handle spicy food well, they had opted for a simple clear broth. Yet even this plain broth had been carefully prepared, and when paired with dipping sauces and fresh ingredients, it offered a unique and satisfying flavor.

Gu Yunqing, ever the chatterbox, kept peppering Shang Qianye with questions about the Heavenly Dao Brake. After all, the Heavenly Dao Brake was a sacred site within the Lingxiao Sect, forbidden to all disciples except the Sect Leader and a few Elders.

“There’s nothing special about the Heavenly Dao Brake,” Shang Qianye said, picking up a slice of meat and swishing it in the broth. “It’s just a long, narrow fissure. The fissure contains numerous barriers of varying sizes. Master’s seclusion was to repair the damaged barriers, a process that takes about seven days from start to finish.”

Qin Wangyue listened attentively, then asked curiously, “Then why were you a day late? Did something go wrong with the barriers?”

Shang Qianye shook her head. She knew she couldn’t reveal any secrets about the Heavenly Dao Brake, not even to Gu Yunqing and Qin Wangyue. Besides, their delay had been due to spending half a day removing the Gu, something she couldn’t openly explain.

“There were no issues,” Shang Qianye said. “Master simply woke up a few days late, and since she had to care for me while we were there, we postponed our departure by a day. The Heavenly Dao Brake’s barrier remains perfectly intact.”

Qin Wangyue narrowed her eyes slightly, offering a casual “Oh” before asking thoughtfully, “So, the barrier can only sustain itself for a maximum of fifteen days? Is that why Elder Luo enters seclusion at fixed intervals?”

Shang Qianye looked at her strangely, asking, “What are you implying, Senior Sister?”

Qin Wangyue smiled. “Nothing in particular. I was just curious.”

Gu Yunqing, bored to tears by their conversation about the Heavenly Dao Brake, wrinkled her nose in disdain. “What’s so interesting about the Heavenly Dao Brake anyway? It’s just a valley. I’ve even done guard duty there a few times. The barrier is so tight not even a bird can fly through. It’s utterly dull.”

Turning to Qin Wangyue, she suggested, “Senior Sister Qin, why don’t you tell us about the Capital? You went there with Elder Yu to visit the Little Princess, right? How is she doing now?”

“Senior Sister Qin went to the Capital?” Shang Qianye asked, surprised. “When did that happen?”

“It was on the same day you and Junior Aunt went into seclusion,” Qin Wangyue replied. “Mother thought the Little Princess, who had returned from the dead, might offer some clues. We also needed to deliver the prepared Medicinal Pills to the Capital, so she sent Elder Yu Shiyan, Senior Sister Qin, and the others there.”

“Is that so?”

Qin Wangyue noticed their conversation about Princess Pei Hui. Her expression remained gentle as she sighed softly. “The Capital is indeed very prosperous. After arriving, we went straight to the Princess Royal’s Manor to see Pei Hui.”

“Pei Hui’s condition isn’t good,” Qin Wangyue said with a worried expression. “She’s like a three-year-old child now, recognizing only her parents and close relatives. When we arrived, she panicked, crying and screaming.”

Qin Wangyue sighed. “Master checked her pulse. Pei Hui’s soul hasn’t fully returned. She’ll likely remain like this for the rest of her life.”

Hearing this, Gu Yunqing let out a sigh of pity.

“Even though Pei Hui is arrogant and domineering, she doesn’t deserve this,” Gu Yunqing sighed. “She’s still so young to have become like this. Those Demonic Sect members deserve to die. If I ever catch them, I’ll make them pay dearly.”

Qin Wangyue cast a faint glance at Gu Yunqing, a hint of mockery in her eyes, though she quickly concealed it.

Shang Qianye frowned slightly but remained silent. For a moment, the three of them fell into an awkward silence.

“Oh dear, why did I bring that up?” Gu Yunqing quickly changed the subject, turning to Shang Qianye. “Senior Sister, I’ve booked a table at the manor below the mountain for tomorrow night with the other Senior Martial Brothers and Sisters. We’re planning a birthday celebration for you. You absolutely must come!”

Qin Wangyue chimed in, “Yes, we’ve prepared a surprise for you. Don’t be late!”

“Why are we still celebrating down there?” Shang Qianye asked, sounding exasperated. “Can’t we just have a simple meal?”

“Absolutely not!” Gu Yunqing insisted. “Don’t worry about the details, Senior Sister. Just clear your schedule for tomorrow. We’ll make sure your birthday banquet is lively and memorable!”