Master, Please Help Me Break the Love Curse! - Chapter 31

Lingxiao Sect, Dungeon

Gu Yunqing had been waiting for some time in the dark, damp dungeon. The only light came from torches flickering on the stone walls, casting the prison cells into alternating shadows and dim illumination.

This part of the dungeon was carved deep within Lingxiao Sect’s mountain, a stark contrast to the picturesque valley outside. The air here was cold and damp, so frigid that even cultivators with magical power felt the chill. For those without such abilities, the mere cold was enough to break their will; no torture was needed to extract confessions.

Recently, Lingxiao Sect had captured the Demonic Sect disciples who attacked Pei Hui. Interrogation revealed they were not true members of the Demonic Sect but merely held honorary titles, performing menial tasks.

During a Soul-Searching Technique investigation, someone noticed inconsistencies and reported them up the chain of command. The information eventually reached Gu Yunqing. Knowing about the Snake Lady’s existence and the suffering Shang Qianye had endured for failing to capture her, Gu Yunqing immediately informed Shang Qianye upon hearing news of the Snake Lady.

When Shang Qianye arrived at the dungeon, she immediately spotted the four or five prisoners locked in the cells.

The men were young and strong, dressed like ordinary farmers, completely different from the people they had encountered at the Bl00d Serpent Palace.

“Senior Sister, you’re here,” Gu Yunqing greeted her, pointing to the prisoners inside. “They’ve already confessed. The Snake Lady orchestrated everything. Do you need to question them further?”

Shang Qianye’s expression darkened as she approached the cell door, her gaze sweeping over the prisoners one by one.

These men possessed no magical power and had only played minor roles in the scheme. After days in the dungeon, their faces were pale with cold, each wrapped in a cotton blanket, shivering violently.

“I’ll interrogate them individually,” Shang Qianye told Gu Yunqing. “I need to confirm whether that person is truly the Snake Lady.”

Over the next day, Shang Qianye spent the entire time interrogating each prisoner in turn. Refusing to trust their verbal confessions, she used the Soul-Searching Technique to meticulously examine their memories, reviewing them multiple times.

By the time she finished, Shang Qianye’s spiritual energy was severely depleted. Even when she tried to stand, she swayed momentarily, steadying herself only after a brief wobble.

“Senior Sister, are you alright?” Gu Yunqing asked anxiously, rushing over to support her. She helped Shang Qianye to a nearby chair and offered her Medicinal Pills to replenish her spiritual energy.

Shang Qianye swallowed three pills before feeling some recovery. Leaning back in the chair, she closed her eyes to rest and regulate the replenished spiritual energy within her body.

Within the memories of those men, Shang Qianye had indeed seen the Snake Lady.

The woman, dressed in fiery red robes, barefoot, with long, curling black hair, sat cross-legged in a grand hall, propping her head on one hand as she issued orders to the assembled men.

The Snake Lady was clearly living lavishly these days. She must have used her Charm Technique, for every man present was infatuated with her, obeying her every command and practically offering her their hearts.

“I want you to find someone in Buddha’s Finger Cave,” the Snake Lady said in a flippant tone. “Follow them closely and use my specially crafted Bewitching Incense.”

She withdrew several sticks of Bewitching Incense, still warm from her body, from her robes and tossed them before the men. Closing her eyes slightly, she continued, “Once you light the incense, your part is done. Understand?”

The men rushed forward, scrambling for the Bewitching Incense. Driven mad, they desperately inhaled the lingering scent, their heads banging together with loud thuds.

Later, these men plotted to follow a group of men and women dressed in Lingxiao Sect robes into the Buddha’s Finger Cave. They kept their distance, and even within the memory, Shang Qianye couldn’t discern whether these figures were actually Pei Hui and her companions.

As the Lingxiao Sect disciples ventured deeper into the cave, the men lit the Bewitching Incense from afar and immediately retreated.

This was all that remained in the man’s memory.

After regulating her spiritual energy, Shang Qianye slowly opened her eyes.

Gu Yunqing, who had been anxiously sitting beside her, immediately asked, “Senior Sister, are you still feeling unwell? Should you take another pill?”

Shang Qianye shook her head. “Yun Qing, did you see those men’s memories too?”

Gu Yunqing nodded.

“Then do you really think those people were Pei Hui and the others?”

“Huh? Senior Sister, what do you mean?”

Gu Yunqing was bewildered by the question, blinking her innocent eyes. “Even though they were far away, everything—their physiques, the sequence of events—matched Pei Hui and the others’ experience perfectly. They must have been the ones who lit the Bewitching Incense, which led to Pei Hui and the others being harmed.”

But Shang Qianye countered, “I find this whole affair suspicious. These people’s memories can’t be trusted.”

Gu Yunqing scratched her head, confused. They had gone to great lengths to find these witnesses. How could Shang Qianye dismiss their memories so easily?

Shang Qianye rested for a while before saying, “I’ll stop here for today. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

“Alright, then she—”

“No, I’ll handle it myself.”

After leaving the dungeon, Shang Qianye…

For some reason, seeing the Snake Lady’s smiling face made her feel like the woman was actually looking at her through those men. The Snake Lady had always treated those men as mere tools, just like the person performing the Soul-Searching Technique.

This was truly strange.

Should she tell Luo Jiu?

Shang Qianye pondered, deciding that she would definitely need to discuss this with Luo Jiu. However, she planned to use the Soul-Searching Technique again tomorrow to see if she could uncover any further clues.

The next day, Shang Qianye arrived at the dungeon before dawn and remained there until nightfall.

She reviewed the memories again and again. The Snake Lady had left remarkably few clues; only the grand hall itself seemed peculiar.

The men she had manipulated were almost all local farmers, already living in poverty. A thatched-roof hut was considered a sign of prosperity for them. How could they possibly have acquired such a spacious and brightly lit hall?

The wooden hall was unusually large, and the chair the Snake Lady had sat in didn’t look like anything a farmer would own. The black fur rug beneath her feet, upon closer inspection, turned out to be animal hide—possibly bear fur.

Shang Qianye suspected that investigating this place might lead her to the answers she sought.

After leaving the dungeon, Shang Qianye immediately went to Luo Jiu’s residence.

Since their departure from Jade Court Forest yesterday, Luo Jiu hadn’t spoken a single word to her. Shang Qianye, preoccupied with interrogating prisoners, had forgotten about it until she stood at the door and belatedly realized—Luo Jiu had been ignoring her for an entire day.

Is she… really angry?

Shang Qianye rubbed the tip of her nose, paced back and forth at the entrance, and finally stepped inside.

I’ve already made it clear to Luo Jiu that I love my Master. What else can I do?

Love can’t be hidden, especially given their unusually delicate relationship. Isn’t it perfectly reasonable that she’s succumbed to the love gu’s influence?

Besides, she had legitimate business to discuss with Luo Jiu this time.

“Master?”

Shang Qianye circled the residence, checking the study, bathhouse, and bedroom, but found no sign of Luo Jiu. Just as she was about to grow concerned, she heard a commotion from the courtyard and headed toward the sound.

There, Luo Jiu knelt on the ground with her back to Shang Qianye, tinkering with something. Yellow paper talismans lay scattered at her feet, suggesting she was facing some trouble.

“Master,” Shang Qianye said suddenly, startling Luo Jiu. Luo Jiu turned to glance at the figure behind her, frowning as she asked, “Do you always walk so silently?”

Shang Qianye: “……”

She felt somewhat unjustly scolded.

Luo Jiu’s cultivation was so advanced that whether she made noise while walking was irrelevant. In theory, she should sense anything approaching her in advance, leaving no reason to be startled.

Could it be that Shang Qianye’s cultivation had improved?

Seeing her silence, Luo Jiu brushed off her sleeves and stood up, pointing to a hole in the fence. “Since you’re here, this fence is broken. Help me fix it.”

Shang Qianye glanced at the fence. Beyond the courtyard lay a forest. The hole didn’t seem large, likely caused by a small animal like a fox or weasel. Repairing it shouldn’t be too difficult.

What Shang Qianye found amusing was that Luo Jiu, who had maintained the Heavenly Dao Brake’s Barrier for so many years, couldn’t even fix a hole in her own fence.

Shang Qianye swiftly repaired the hole in the fence, ensuring it was sturdy before tidying up the remaining materials and putting everything back in its proper place.

Luo Jiu had long since retreated to a nearby spot to relax with a cup of tea. When Shang Qianye returned, she didn’t bother asking about the fence repair; she trusted Qianye’s work implicitly.

“Master,” Shang Qianye said, standing before Luo Jiu. “I captured some Demonic Sect disciples recently. During the Soul-Searching Technique, I glimpsed the Snake Lady in their deepest memories. I came to report this to you.”

Luo Jiu raised her head. “The Snake Lady? We have a lead on her?”

“A slight lead,” Shang Qianye replied. “I’m already preparing to investigate. She should be nearby.”

“Good, then proceed as you see fit.” Luo Jiu didn’t stop her, but cautioned, “The Snake Lady has undoubtedly come prepared this time. Be extra careful when you engage her. Don’t let her infect you with any of her miscellaneous Gu.”

Shang Qianye smiled faintly, her lips curving into a gentle smile. “Understood, Master.”

Ten days passed.

Shang Qianye had confirmed the location of the Demonic Sect’s ‘stronghold’: a mountain villa fifty miles east of the Lingxiao Sect.

Originally the residence of a wealthy merchant, the villa had been raided by bandits and was now their base. Reconnaissance revealed that the bandits numbered only twenty to thirty. The Snake Lady was the bandits’ leader’s newly wedded wife, and the bandits now obeyed her every command.

With the number and location confirmed, the rest would be much easier.

Shang Qianye decided to lead the operation personally. Gu Yunqing would also assist, along with a dozen Lingxiao Sect disciples she had brought along. However, mindful of past incidents, Shang Qianye remained wary of unforeseen complications.

At least the black-clad woman from that day hadn’t reappeared. She couldn’t determine whether the woman had left or was lurking in the shadows, waiting to ambush them.

“Qianye.”

Just as the group was packing up to descend the mountain according to their plan, Qin Wangyue approached.

Shang Qianye looked at her in surprise. “Senior Sister Qin, what brings you here?”

Qin Wangyue smiled. “I heard you discovered the Snake Lady’s stronghold, so I came to bring you some medicinal pills.”

She handed over a small medicine box and said earnestly, “These are specially prepared for you.”