Master, Please Help Me Break the Love Curse! - Chapter 3

Hall of Punishment.

As the name suggests, this was where disciples who violated the Sect Rules were punished.

Shang Qianye gazed up at the plaque above the Hall of Punishment, and a chill ran down her spine.

“Master…”

Shang Qianye turned to Luo Jiu, her eyes pleading for help. But Luo Jiu ignored her, stepping into the Hall of Punishment first.

Compared to the bustling Mountain Gate outside, the Hall of Punishment was eerily quiet. No disciple dared approach this place; everyone avoided it like the plague.

Inside the Hall of Punishment, Shang Qianye stood in the dimly lit hall, catching a faint metallic scent of bl00d. She wondered which unfortunate disciple had been punished here before her. The thought of her own impending punishment made her heart clench.

She admitted she had been overjoyed at the prospect of spending a night with Luo Jiu.

But that didn’t mean she could calmly accept the Hall of Punishment’s punishment.

Master, I’ve been raised by you since I was a child! How can you bear to watch me suffer here?!

Shang Qianye lowered her gaze, clenching her fists at her sides. She heard Luo Jiu speaking to the Hall Master in low, muffled tones, but the distance made it impossible to understand.

When she saw the Hall Master approaching her, she closed her eyes tightly, as if accepting her fate.

“Shang Qianye, do you acknowledge your wrongdoing?”

The Hall Master’s cold, stern voice boomed from above, heavy with oppressive authority.

Normally, she would stand to the side, listening to the Hall Master’s reprimands. Now, having switched places to stand below the platform, she truly felt… a different kind of weight.

“Disciple… acknowledges her wrongdoing.”

Shang Qianye opened her eyes and looked up, hoping to catch a glimpse of Luo Jiu, but the woman had already vanished. The Hall of Punishment now held only the Hall Master, his disciples, and herself, the one being punished.

Seeing Shang Qianye’s sincere acknowledgment of her mistake, the Hall Master nodded slightly.

“Shang Qianye, though you are Elder Luo Jiu’s most esteemed disciple, mistakes must be punished,” the Hall Master’s cold, resonant voice boomed. “Regarding this mission, do you have any defense for your negligence in failing to defeat and allowing the Bl00d Serpent Palace’s Holy Maiden Snake Ji to escape?”

Shang Qianye: “…What?”

Letting Holy Maiden Snake Ji escape?

Wasn’t she being punished for disrespecting her Master, for committing such a heinous act…?

The Hall Master’s eyes widened like copper bells. “What? Didn’t Holy Maiden Snake Ji slip through your fingers?”

Shang Qianye froze for a moment before hastily cupping her hands in a bow. “This disciple’s skills were insufficient, allowing Snake Ji to escape. I willingly accept the punishment!”

The Hall Master’s expression softened with satisfaction, and he nodded. “In that case, according to Sect Rules, you shall receive forty lashes and kneel in the Immortal Ancestor Shrine for seven days. Do you have any objections?”

“This disciple has no objections.”

“Very well. Then let the punishment commence.”

Within the Kunlun Mountains, beyond the endless peaks stretching tens of thousands of miles, lay hidden valleys untouched by human hands, shrouded in profound mystery.

In one such valley, a massive fissure, roughly a mile long, stretched across the landscape. Black-purple mist slowly billowed from the chasm, only to be halted by a golden barrier near the ground.

This was the Heavenly Dao Brake, the convergence point between the Human and Demonic Realms within Kunlun Mountain.

After reporting to the Hall Master, Luo Jiu arrived here. She had been away from the Heavenly Dao Brake for over ten days due to the Bl00d Serpent Palace incident. Although the area was protected by a barrier and guarded by numerous disciples, Luo Jiu still felt more at ease overseeing it personally.

As soon as she stepped out of the teleportation array, a petite female disciple in orange robes rushed toward her.

“Junior Aunt Luo Jiu, you’re back!” the disciple exclaimed cheerfully, her sword in hand as she circled Luo Jiu. “Where’s Senior Sister Shang? Why didn’t she come with you? I haven’t seen her in days! I wanted to go down the mountain with her to buy supplies!”

“That won’t be possible for the next few days,” Luo Jiu said, sidestepping the disciple and continuing forward. “Shang Qianye let the Holy Maiden of the Bl00d Serpent Palace escape and is currently being punished in the Hall of Punishment.”

“Huh?” The orange-robed woman’s face immediately clouded with concern. “Senior Sister Shang would never intentionally let the Holy Maiden escape! Why should she be punished? Junior Aunt, won’t you speak up for her?”

“She made a mistake,” Luo Jiu replied. “She deserves the punishment.”

As they spoke, they arrived near the Heavenly Dao Brake. The disciples guarding the barrier bowed respectfully. “Elder Luo Jiu, you’ve returned.”

Luo Jiu nodded slightly and approached to inspect the barrier.

Originally, the Human and Demonic Realms were separate. Though the Lingxiao Sect knew of the demonic realm’s existence, they had never interfered. A century ago, for reasons unknown, a massive fissure tore open in the Kunlun Mountain Valley, forming the Heavenly Dao Brake.

This breach connected the two realms, allowing demonic creatures to pour through the fissure and wreak havoc in the human world, devouring lives and corrupting all living things. The Lingxiao Sect, in alliance with other immortal sects, purged the demonic creatures and sealed the fissure. However, the barrier was not permanent and required constant maintenance by powerful immortal cultivators stationed to reinforce it. As the Heavenly Dao Brake lay near the Lingxiao Sect, its disciples had guarded it for the past century.

Luo Jiu was currently the immortal cultivator tasked with guarding the Heavenly Dao Brake.

Though called “guarding,” the task actually involved reinforcing the barrier with her full spiritual energy every fifteen days to prevent breaches and demonic creatures from escaping. This meant that whoever guarded the Heavenly Dao Brake couldn’t leave the Lingxiao Sect until their successor arrived.

Guarding was essentially imprisonment.

Fortunately, Luo Jiu had little interest in the outside world. Her temperament was calm and she took things in stride, so she didn’t find her “imprisonment” at the Heavenly Dao Brake particularly distressing.

After inspecting the Heavenly Dao Brake, Luo Jiu discovered several breaches in the barrier, both large and small. These areas required immediate repair with her spiritual energy, suggesting she would need to enter seclusion again soon.

Returning to her starting point, Luo Jiu saw Yunqing, the orange-robed girl, standing outside the barrier with her hands clasped behind her back, waiting for her. Luo Jiu approached with a sigh.

“Yunqing,” Luo Jiu said, “is the Sect Leader still at Lingxiao?”

“Mother went to a conference at the Immortal Sect,” Gu Yunqing replied. “She probably won’t be back for another half-month.”

Luo Jiu nodded. “Then I’ll report the mission’s details to her when she returns. Yunqing, please go to the Hall of Punishment later. Shang Qianye’s flogging should be finished by now. I’ve already contacted Physician Qin. You should…”

“I know!” Gu Yunqing said, her eyes curving into crescents as she looked at Luo Jiu. “Junior Aunt still cares about Senior Sister Shang, unwilling to see her suffer. I’ll go to the Hall of Punishment right now to take care of her!”

Luo Jiu’s expression shifted slightly. She opened her mouth to refute Gu Yunqing’s words, but Gu Yunqing had already turned and dashed away.

Shaking her head in resignation, Luo Jiu turned to the Lingxiao disciples guarding the Heavenly Dao Brake. “I will be entering seclusion for seven days. Do not disturb me during this time.”

The disciples bowed in unison. “Understood!”

Meanwhile, Shang Qianye had just endured forty lashes.

Perhaps out of respect for Luo Jiu, or because Shang Qianye was well-liked within the Lingxiao Sect, the forty lashes—aside from the initial few, which were particularly harsh—seemed more for show than genuine punishment. Shang Qianye suffered relatively little pain.

However, as she put on her robes, the fabric rubbing against her raw skin made her gasp sharply.

“Senior Sister Shang!”

Gu Yunqing had been waiting at the entrance of the Hall of Punishment. When she saw Shang Qianye emerge, leaning against the wall, she rushed over to support her.

Shang Qianye’s face was pale, but she managed a weak smile when she saw Gu Yunqing. “What are you doing here?” she asked. “Aren’t you supposed to be guarding the Heavenly Dao Brake in Master’s place?”

“Junior Aunt has already left,” Gu Yunqing said gently, helping Shang Qianye slowly descend the steps. “I rushed here as soon as I heard you were in the Hall of Punishment. Junior Aunt said she’s contacted Senior Sister Qin. Let’s go back to your quarters first so Senior Sister Qin can examine your wounds and apply some medicine.”

Shang Qianye shook her head, panting slightly. “It’s nothing. I still need to go to the Immortal Ancestor Shrine to kneel in penance for seven days.”

Gu Yunqing’s brow furrowed. “How can they make you kneel in the shrine when you’re in this state?!” she exclaimed loudly.

Having left the Hall of Punishment, they were now on a path where Lingxiao disciples frequently passed by. Hearing Gu Yunqing’s outburst, many turned to stare. Shang Qianye, unwilling to let others see her weakened state after the punishment, quickly pulled Gu Yunqing aside to a secluded spot.

“Senior Sister Shang…” Gu Yunqing knew her words had been somewhat rebellious, given the Sect Rules. Allowing a notorious criminal to escape did indeed warrant punishment. Yet most people would turn a blind eye, since capturing such fugitives was never guaranteed.

This time, however, Ke Luo Jiu seemed determined to punish Shang Qianye, for reasons unknown. Gu Yunqing, who had grown up alongside Shang Qianye, their childhood bond as close as plum blossoms and bamboo shoots, felt genuinely distressed seeing her friend suffer. That was why she spoke up.

Shang Qianye gripped Gu Yunqing’s wrist and whispered, “Don’t say any more. You know Master’s temperament. You’ll end up being punished too.”

Gu Yunqing pouted. “But why is Junior Aunt punishing you so harshly? Even when you failed to capture criminals before, she only scolded you a few times. Why the whipping and kneeling this time? It’s so cruel!”

Shang Qianye couldn’t bring herself to admit that she had not only let the criminal escape but had also committed a grave transgression while under the influence of a Gu poison.

Luo Jiu’s decision not to expel her from the Shimen was truly an act of leniency.

“It’s my own fault,” Shang Qianye sighed, her gaze softening at the thought of Luo Jiu’s features. “I deserve the punishment.”

Gu Yunqing was furious but dared not vent her anger at Luo Jiu. She stomped her foot and grabbed Shang Qianye’s hand. “Forget about all that for now. Let me take you back so Senior Sister Qin can properly treat your back wounds.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Shang Qianye nodded. Luo Jiu hadn’t specified when she needed to kneel at the Immortal Ancestor Shrine, so getting her injuries tended to first seemed wise.

Lingxiao Back Mountain, disciples’ residences.

As Luo Jiu’s eldest disciple and a senior sister to many, Shang Qianye had her own small courtyard. The courtyard was modest, consisting of two rooms and a small yard.

A ginkgo tree stood in the yard, its leaves shimmering gold from the nourishment of spiritual energy. Beneath the tree, a woman in a pale green robe stood gazing upward. She turned her head when she sensed movement behind her.

“Senior Sister Qin,” Gu Yunqing greeted, supporting Shang Qianye as they approached.

The woman, Senior Sister Qin, carried a medicine chest. She nodded slightly at the pair as they entered, her fair complexion framed by hair coiled at the back of her head and secured with a single bamboo hairpin. Her simple indigo robes exuded an air of understated elegance and gentle warmth.

Qin Wangyue smiled softly, her gaze settling on Shang Qianye’s face. After a careful assessment, she remarked, “Qianye, you endured forty lashes and still stand so straight. Truly impressive.”

Shang Qianye offered a wry smile. “Senior Sister Qin, please don’t tease me…”

Gu Yunqing chimed in, “Exactly, Senior Sister Qin. Senior Sister Qianye has suffered enough already. Please don’t mock her.”

Qin Wangyue shook her head. “Hurry and open the door. Let me examine your injuries.”

Inside the bedroom, Shang Qianye removed her upper garment and lay face-down on the bed. Qin Wangyue carefully examined her wounds, applying medicine with meticulous care.

“It’s nothing serious,” Qin Wangyue said softly as she applied the black medicinal ointment to Shang Qianye’s back. “Just superficial wounds. Apply this and rest for a few days, and you’ll be completely healed without a single scar.”

Shang Qianye, lying face down on the pillow, murmured her thanks. “Thank you.”

At that moment, Gu Yunqing entered carrying a bucket of freshly drawn water. Qin Wangyue instructed her to set it aside and gently wiped Shang Qianye’s swollen, reddened skin with a damp towel.

Gu Yunqing’s heart ached as she gazed at Shang Qianye’s battered back. “Junior Aunt really went too far,” she grumbled. “What good would it do to beat you to death? It wasn’t your fault the villains escaped.”

“Enough,” Shang Qianye snapped, glaring at her. “Don’t speak ill of Luo Jiu. Master did what was best for me.”

“Then why did she only beat you? Why not the others?” Gu Yunqing remained disgruntled. “I bet Junior Aunt did it on purpose.”

Qin Wangyue, who had been listening to their conversation, chuckled.

“Yunqing isn’t wrong. Elder Luo Jiu might have acted deliberately.” Qin Wangyue’s words drew both their gazes. Gu Yunqing’s eyes lit up at hearing her opinion validated, and she shot Shang Qianye a smug look that said, See? I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Qin Wangyue immediately added, “Qianye did make a mistake this time. She went after the Bl00d Serpent Palace’s Holy Maiden alone and let her escape. If someone deliberately exaggerates the story and spreads rumors, even a hundred mouths wouldn’t be enough for Qianye to clear her name.”

“Senior Sister Qin, are you suggesting…?”

“Perhaps only a little physical punishment for Qianye will silence those who want to gossip.”

Qin Wangyue said softly, “Elder Luo Jiu has always been unconventional within the sect, and Shang Qianye, as the Eldest Senior Sister, must set an even higher example than ordinary disciples.”

With these few words, Qin Wangyue clarified the situation perfectly. Even Gu Yunqing, who had been complaining just moments before, fell into deep thought, realizing there was some truth to her words.

Shang Qianye, lying on the bed, also pondered the matter seriously. Luo Jiu was one of the Lingxiao Sect’s Five Great Elders and a senior disciple of the Sect Leader. With such high status and a close relationship with the Sect Leader, it was inevitable that some would be jealous and eager to find fault.

“Senior Sister Qin is right,” Shang Qianye said, turning to Qin Wangyue. “Hurry and apply the medicine. I need to go kneel at the Immortal Ancestor Shrine soon.”

She couldn’t let her master’s painstaking efforts go to waste.