Master, Please Help Me Break the Love Curse! - Chapter 38

Gu Jin’s message immediately shifted both their attention.

Due to the limited capacity of the sound transmission talisman, Headmaster Gu only conveyed this brief message before instructing that a list of all personnel who had recently visited the Dungeon be compiled and submitted to Luo Jiu for review.

“Master,” Shang Qianye said with concern, “do you think there really is a Demonic Sect spy within our sect?”

Luo Jiu put away the sound transmission talisman without answering Shang Qianye’s question. Instead, she said, “Rest here for now. I’ll go check outside the Barrier.”

After leaving Shang Qianye in the Cave, Luo Jiu departed. Though Shang Qianye wanted to follow, she was still exhausted from their journey and decided it was best to wait obediently in the Cave for Luo Jiu’s return.

While Luo Jiu was out, Shang Qianye tidied up the Cave. She straightened the disheveled bedding and gathered their scattered clothing into a neat pile.

By the time Shang Qianye finished her leisurely tidying, Luo Jiu had returned with the requested documents.

Gathered around the stone table, Shang Qianye moved the oil lamp closer.

It was a register of those who had entered and exited the Dungeon, meticulously recording the names of all personnel, the duration of their stay, and the tasks they performed.

Shang Qianye glanced at the register. The entries were remarkably detailed, documenting every action and conversation of each individual who passed through the Dungeon.

“This… this is too thorough!” Shang Qianye exclaimed in astonishment. “Do they even record what people say?”

“Yes,” Luo Jiu replied without hesitation. “Some conversations contain hidden codes known only to the participants. Every word must be recorded.”

“Then wouldn’t it be enough to just record the conversations of those who met with the Snake Lady? Why record everything?”

“The Snake Lady’s magical power is formidable. She can hear every conversation within the Dungeon. Therefore, everything must be documented.”

Shang Qianye stared at the registers, only half understanding. She noticed that a single day’s entries filled nearly an entire volume. Reviewing these records from beginning to end would be a considerable undertaking.

“Huh?”

Shang Qianye spotted a familiar name in the ledger. Pointing to Qin Wangyue’s name, she asked, “Why is Senior Sister Qin in the Dungeon too?”

Luo Jiu stared at Qin Wangyue’s name for a long time. In truth, this woman had been her primary suspect from the start.

Whether it was the incident with Princess Pei Hui or Shang Qianye’s own troubles, everything seemed to trace back to her. Before leaving, Luo Jiu had specifically instructed Gu Jin to keep a close eye on Yu Shiyan’s disciple.

Qin Wangyue wasn’t particularly talented—some might even call her unremarkable. Yet she compensated with extraordinary diligence. In every exam and test, she consistently achieved top marks.

Could such a hardworking person truly be an informant for the Demonic Sect?

And if she was, did Yu Shiyan know?

Luo Jiu pondered deeply. Now that she and Shang Qianye were safe within the Heavenly Dao Brake, they were cut off from the outside world. Investigating this matter would have to rely on Gu Jin and the others.

At that moment, Shang Qianye gazed at the records about Qin Wangyue and said thoughtfully, “How did Senior Sister Qin administer medicine to the Snake Lady? It doesn’t seem like there were any problems. She couldn’t be an inside agent.”

Luo Jiu glanced at her and countered, “Why are you so certain?”

Shang Qianye replied, “Because Senior Sister Qin is such a good person. We grew up together, and she has the gentlest nature.”

Luo Jiu retorted, “A gentle nature doesn’t necessarily mean someone is a good person.”

“Master, are you suspecting…?”

Luo Jiu didn’t answer. Instead, she stood up and said to Shang Qianye, “You lack experience and have poor judgment of character. You’re also quite foolish. Some things are better left unsaid to you.”

Foolish?

Shang Qianye was puzzled. Where had she been foolish?

“Get some rest,” Luo Jiu said calmly. “Whatever it is, we’ll discuss it once your injuries have healed.”

Late at night, in the Medicine Field, Qin Wangyue emerged from the workshop wearing a pale green robe and carrying a small bamboo basket at her waist.

“Senior Sister Qin,” a young Medicinal Cultivator said, leaning against the doorframe, “are you collecting Moon Scale Powder alone? Do you need any help? Would you like me to accompany you?”

Moon Scale Powder was a type of butterfly scale powder that could only be harvested under moonlight. When used medicinally, it could neutralize most toxins and was a common antidote.

“That’s not necessary. You should rest,” Qin Wangyue replied with a gentle smile. “I can manage on my own.”

With that, she descended the stairs, basket in hand, and headed toward the nearby Medicine Field.

The Medicine Field was now swarming with Moon Scale Butterflies. These white butterflies were slow to react, barely flinching as Qin Wangyue approached. She could easily catch one with a quick reach, then gently tap its wings to release the moon-like scale powder, which fluttered into her bamboo basket. Once most of the powder had fallen, she released the butterfly, ready for the next capture.

Following the Moon Scale Butterflies, Qin Wangyue ventured deeper into the Medicine Field until she reached its very edge, where she finally stopped.

A sudden gust of wind swept through the field. Qin Wangyue noticed a strange pool of water shimmering under the moonlight, gradually coalescing into a human-like figure.

Xuan Ying emerged from the pool and stepped forward.

“Long time no see,” the butterfly said, turning to face her. “The Lingxiao Sect’s Barrier doesn’t seem to be working very well on you, does it?”

Xuan Ying ignored her idle chatter, her gaze fixed on Qin Wangyue. She spoke only two words: “Save her.”

“We can’t,” Qin Wangyue replied calmly. “The Snake Lady has tightened her grip on her people, and the Sect Leader is watching closely. Rescuing anyone from the Dungeon is impossible right now.”

Xuan Ying’s brow furrowed as she stared at Qin Wangyue.

“I simply see no point in adding to the casualties,” Qin Wangyue said, standing in the moonlight and gazing at the stars above. “You should know the Lingxiao Sect’s strength. We can’t rescue the Snake Lady through a direct assault.”

Xuan Ying remained silent.

Qin Wangyue continued, “She has a Demonic Sect seal in her mind. Until we find a way to remove it, no one can risk moving her.”

Xuan Ying stared at her. “Do you have a plan?”

“A plan… well, not exactly a plan,” Qin Wangyue said with a smile. “Our goal isn’t to confront the Lingxiao Sect head-on, but to secretly break the Heavenly Dao Brake’s barrier and release the Demonic Race. Once that happens, neither the Lingxiao Sect nor anyone else will be a match for the Demonic Sect.”

Xuan Ying narrowed her eyes slightly.

She could see that Qin Wangyue wasn’t a reliable partner.

Given the difficulty of the rescue, Qin Wangyue had never intended to help the Snake Lady from the start. Even though the Snake Lady had aided her many times in the past, Qin Wangyue refused to risk her own safety for it.

Though cruel, this was precisely the kind of calculation the Demonic Sect would make. If their disciples ever started acting with compassion and loyalty, that would be truly terrifying.

Seeing Xuan Ying’s silence, Qin Wangyue approached her with a smirk.

“Don’t blame me for being heartless,” Qin Wangyue said. “Rescuing the Snake Lady in her current state is simply too difficult. Our Demonic Sect already has too few members; we can’t afford to lose more over a single person. If the Snake Lady manages to escape the dungeon on her own, we might consider helping her. But ultimately, her fate rests on her own luck.”

Xuan Ying’s dark eyes remained as cold and unreadable as ever, revealing no hint of her emotions. After a long silence, just as Qin Wangyue was about to give up hope of her agreeing to the plan, Xuan Ying finally murmured an “Mm,” signaling her consent.

Qin Wangyue’s face lit up with joy. She continued, “My Soul-Devouring Pearl has been acting strangely lately. It’s completely unable to absorb soul power, which is really troubling me. Could you help me test it?”

Xuan Ying stared at her for a moment, then effortlessly lifted a dripping-wet man from the black pool.

The man was barely conscious, his eyes rolled back in his head, with only faint breaths indicating he was still alive.

Seeing this, Qin Wangyue immediately retrieved the Soul-Devouring Pearl from her robes and channeled magical power to send it floating above the man’s head. The pearl sensed the soul and began to orbit him on its own.

White soul power streamed out of the man and flowed into the pearl.

“Strange, it seems to be working perfectly,” Qin Wangyue murmured, puzzled. “Why didn’t it work on Shang Qianye?”

The Soul-Devouring Pearl not only had no effect on Shang Qianye, but it even returned the stored soul power to her—an unprecedented occurrence.

Xuan Ying tossed the soul-drained male corpse into the water pit before asking Qin Wangyue, “It didn’t work?”

Qin Wangyue’s eyes curved into a smile. “Not entirely useless. See? It’s working now. Thank you for helping. The Lingxiao Sect has been tightening its restrictions lately, making it impossible for me to acquire corpses. I’m so glad I have you.”

Xuan Ying asked, “How many more do you need?”

Qin Wangyue knew she was referring to how many more souls the Soul-Devouring Pearl needed to reach its full potential. This magical artifact belonged to the Demonic Sect, and because Qin Wangyue had access to many dying individuals, they had entrusted it to her.

To unlock the Soul-Devouring Pearl’s true power, it first needed to absorb three thousand souls to achieve perfection and unleash its full capabilities.

“About a thousand more,” Qin Wangyue replied, retracting the pearl. “There haven’t been any major disasters or calamities lately, so I’ve had to absorb them one by one. Progress has been slow.”

Upon hearing this, Xuan Ying said, “I have a way.”

Qin Wangyue’s interest was piqued. “What way?” she pressed.

Xuan Ying simply replied with two words: “Plague.”

Qin Wangyue’s eyes lit up. “Excellent! If we can unleash a plague in the surrounding area, those thousand lives will be ours in no time! Then, using the power of the Soul-Devouring Pearl, we can shatter the Heavenly Dao Brake in one fell swoop!”

Xuan Ying had no further interest in conversing with Qin Wangyue. She turned and stepped into the water pit, glancing back only to say, “I’ll give you the plague. You keep an eye on the Snake Lady.”

Watching Xuan Ying sink beneath the water’s surface, until both she and the strange pit vanished completely, Qin Wangyue let out a derisive laugh.

“Even after joining the Demonic Sect, she still wants to help others,” Qin Wangyue mused. “Xuan Ying, Xuan Ying, someone like you will die sooner rather than later.”

Checking the time, she realized it was nearly time to return. Staying out too long would raise suspicion. After all, the Lingxiao Sect was currently conducting a thorough investigation into internal spies.

On her way back, Qin Wangyue gathered some medicinal herbs. When she reached the thatched hut in the Medicine Field, she found only one Junior Sister, a Medicinal Cultivator, inside, seemingly planting something.

The Junior Sister startled at Qin Wangyue’s entrance and quickly greeted her, “Senior Sister Qin.”

“Don’t mind me, just carry on with your work. I’ve just finished collecting Moon Scale Powder,” Qin Wangyue replied, untying the small bamboo basket from her back. She took out the Moon Scale Powder she had gathered that night and divided it into small boxes.

The Junior Sister crouched down again, continuing to tend to her herbs, completely oblivious to the intense gaze Qin Wangyue was now directing at her.

I can’t keep hiding like this, Qin Wangyue thought. It’s wasting too much time. When the plague breaks out in a few days, my movements will be severely restricted. The only way to resolve this predicament was to have the Lingxiao Sect find the ‘internal collaborator’ themselves.