Master, Please Help Me Break the Love Curse! - Chapter 54

“Master!”

Black Malevolent Qi surged into the cave in an instant. Shang Qianye, her heart racing with anxiety, ignored the Qi battering her body and bolted toward the exit. Clumps of Malevolent Qi swirled through the air, emitting sharp, buzzing sounds—part excitement, part mockery.

When a mass of Malevolent Qi slammed into Shang Qianye, her entire body shuddered.

Yes, yes, yes! This is exactly the feeling!

The Heart Demon, which hadn’t surfaced in ages, suddenly roared to life in Shang Qianye’s mind. Shang Qianye, can you feel the power? These Malevolent Qi adore you! They all want to merge with you!

Shang Qianye shook her head, ignoring the Heart Demon’s sudden reappearance. Following her memory, she stumbled toward the fissure, searching for Luo Jiu’s figure as she went.

“Master!”

Useless. She doesn’t care about you at all. Even if you find her, what good will it do?

“Master, where are you? I’m coming to help!”

If she truly cared about you, why would she leave you alone in that cave for so long, not even sparing you a glance?

Shang Qianye was knocked down again by a wave of Malevolent Qi. Her body convulsed in pain, but she gritted her teeth, pushed herself up from the ground, and continued forward. “Master…”

Poor thing, you’re so pitiful~

The person you love doesn’t love you back. What’s the point of clinging to her side every day? You try so hard to please her, but in the end, she still doesn’t want to see you.

Shang Qianye, if I were you, I’d say screw the Heavenly Dao Brake and the Lingxiao Sect. I’d find a secluded cave and lock her up, making love to her day and night.

What do the heavens and earth matter to you? The only thing you should do is keep your beloved locked securely by your side~

“Shut up!” Shang Qianye couldn’t bear the incessant chatter in her mind any longer. She shouted angrily, “What nonsense are you spouting? How could I ever treat her like that!”

Luo Jiu was the person she loved most, her very life. How could she ever imprison her?

What kind of Heart Demon is this? Why do its words only make me resent it more?

Shang Qianye covered her ears, but she could still hear the Heart Demon’s mocking laughter. Frustrated beyond measure, she desperately wanted to find Luo Jiu immediately and check if she was injured. Just as Shang Qianye prepared to move forward, a golden light flashed, and a figure materialized before her eyes.

It was Gu Jin.

“Headmaster Gu?” Shang Qianye froze for a moment, realizing Gu Jin had sensed the anomaly at the Heavenly Dao Brake and rushed here. She quickly explained, “The Barrier at the Heavenly Dao Brake seems to have broken. Master has been trying to repair it for three days, but it’s still failing. She probably can’t hold on much longer.”

Gu Jin’s expression darkened. She drew her sword and slashed at a swirling mass of black Malevolent Qi that lunged toward them, then asked with a frown, “Where is your Master?”

Shang Qianye pointed in the direction. Gu Jin immediately teleported them there.

“Master!”

“Junior Sister!”

Within the fractured Barrier, they saw Luo Jiu still struggling to maintain it. Her face was deathly pale, and the array in her hands had lost its former brilliance, likely from days of relentless effort without rest.

Luo Jiu caught sight of them from the corner of her eye. Her brow furrowed as she asked Gu Jin, “Why did you bring her here?”

Gu Jin hurried over to join her in reinforcing the Barrier. “I saw she was looking for you, and it’s too dangerous for her to be alone out there, so I brought her along. Junior Sister, what happened? How did the Barrier break?”

Luo Jiu sighed inwardly. “It’s a long story. Just help me stabilize the Barrier for now.”

Gu Jin nodded. “Alright!”

Working together, Gu Jin channeled her spiritual energy into Luo Jiu’s body. The Barrier in Luo Jiu’s hands regained its brilliance, even pushing back the surging Malevolent Qi by a fraction.

“It’s working!” Gu Jin turned to Shang Qianye, her face lighting up. “Qianye, come help too!”

Shang Qianye hesitated. “I…”

“She can’t!”

Luo Jiu shouted, “Anyone can help, but not her!”

Shang Qianye: “!!”

Gu Jin frowned at Luo Jiu’s words, staring at her stern expression in disbelief. After a long pause, she asked, “Did you two have a fight?”

Luo Jiu: “……”

Does she think I’m that clueless?!

“Stop talking and focus!” Luo Jiu snapped, her brow furrowed. “If you don’t want your Lingxiao Sect to be disbanded, shut your mouth!”

Gu Jin let out a dry “Oh” and obediently fell silent.

Shang Qianye watched the two women working together, a deep sense of injustice welling up inside her. She couldn’t understand why Luo Jiu had suddenly turned so hostile toward her. It wasn’t like this before.

It wasn’t like this before…

See? I told you she doesn’t love you. Even in a crisis, she doesn’t want your help.

Poor Shang Qianye. Why don’t you listen to me? If you’re willing, I have a hundred ways to make Luo Jiu fall in love with you. She’ll come willingly.

Shang Qianye clenched her fists.

Perhaps the suppression was working. The Malevolent Qi gradually subsided, and even the shattered Barrier began to slowly repair itself.

Luo Jiu’s eyes lit up with joy as she continued to channel her magic.

Why are you fighting? Don’t you want to know why Luo Jiu suddenly turned on you like this?

Shang Qianye stood motionless, her head bowed. She murmured, “Master must have her reasons for doing this. It’s important.”

Heh.

Perhaps even the Heart Demon found Shang Qianye’s blind devotion laughable, for it fell silent after that.

As the sun set and the Heavenly Dao Brake plunged into twilight, the rampaging Malevolent Qi finally quieted. The precarious Barrier, now reinforced with spiritual energy, grew increasingly stable.

Beneath the Barrier, countless crimson eyes turned in unison toward Shang Qianye’s position.

Luo Jiu followed their gaze and found herself locking eyes with Shang Qianye. From start to finish, Shang Qianye’s eyes had remained fixed on Luo Jiu. When their gazes met, Luo Jiu saw a deep, wounded grievance in the other woman’s eyes.

Luo Jiu’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly turned to Gu Jin and said, “Thank you, Senior Sister. If you hadn’t come to help me, things could have gone very wrong this time.”

Gu Jin, whose spiritual energy was nearly depleted, smiled faintly. “We’re from the same sect, our strengths are naturally aligned. Who else would help you if not me? Besides, if the Heavenly Dao Brake were to break, wouldn’t I, as Sect Leader, be the one to suffer the consequences?”

Luo Jiu didn’t stand on ceremony. She immediately pressed, “This place is still dangerous. As Sect Leader, you shouldn’t linger here. You should leave at once.”

Gu Jin pouted. “Honestly, you’re so fickle! Using me when you need me, then dismissing me the moment you’re done. I just helped you with something so crucial, and now you’re trying to kick me out?”

“Then would you like to stay for tea before you leave?”

“Fine, I’ll leave if you want me to. But we’ll settle this later.”

Gu Jin departed swiftly, leaving Luo Jiu and Shang Qianye alone in the Heavenly Dao Brake once more.

Luo Jiu looked at Shang Qianye with a hint of awkwardness. After a long silence, she turned her back and said, “I need to stay here and repair the Barrier. You should return to the Cave. I’ll likely be here for the next few days.”

Shang Qianye stood quietly, gazing at Luo Jiu for a long moment before lowering her head and murmuring, “Yes, Master.”

Luo Jiu had expected Shang Qianye to ask why she had been so harsh, to look at her with hurt and anger. But to her surprise, Shang Qianye simply turned and left.

Luo Jiu watched Shang Qianye’s retreating figure, a sudden pang of guilt rising in her chest.

Had she been too harsh?

After all, Shang Qianye hadn’t done anything wrong…

Luo Jiu hesitated, wondering if she should chase after her and explain that she hadn’t meant to be so harsh. But then she remembered she was the Master. When does a Master ever apologize to a disciple?

I’ll just smooth things over later, she thought. After I finish repairing the Barrier, I’ll find some time to say a few kind words. Qianye likes me so much, she’ll be easy to coax.

Satisfied with this plan, Luo Jiu sat down cross-legged and began repairing the Barrier.

Deep within a northern mountain valley, Qin Wangyue awoke from unconsciousness to find herself still sitting in the donkey cart. The donkey plodded along at a snail’s pace, taking two steps and then resting, meandering through the forest like a millstone grinding ink.

She frowned slightly and coughed twice, drawing the attention of the person driving the cart up front.

Yu Shiyan turned to stare at her, her eyes completely devoid of expression, lacking focus even as she looked at Qin Wangyue, as if she were a natural-born puppet.

“Give me some water,” Qin Wangyue said.

Yu Shiyan retrieved a water pouch from her storage pouch and handed it over. Qin Wangyue eyed the tightly sealed leather flask and sighed helplessly. “I don’t have the strength to open it. Can you loosen it for me?”

Say the word, and she’ll do it.

As Yu Shiyan handed her the water, Qin Wangyue felt a mix of helplessness and resignation.

After all, we’re on the run.

No, she was on the run. Yu Shiyan was merely a hostage she had dragged along.

After drinking some water, Qin Wangyue watched Yu Shiyan continue driving the donkey cart and couldn’t help but sigh, “You never imagined you’d see a day like this, did you?”

Yu Shiyan didn’t react, merely swaying with the donkey cart’s bumpy ride.

Leaning against the pile of miscellaneous items, Qin Wangyue pulled out the now-dim Soul-Devouring Pearl from her robes.

Having been completely drained by controlling Yu Shiyan, the Soul-Devouring Pearl—which had painstakingly accumulated over a thousand souls—would now have to start from scratch.

Qin Wangyue sighed softly and murmured, “At least Yu Shiyan is now under my control. It’s not a complete loss.”

The donkey cart meandered through the forest, its pace unhurried. Qin Wangyue didn’t urge it on, focusing instead on resting and healing her injuries with her eyes closed. When she opened them again, she noticed the sky had darkened, and the donkey refused to move any further.

Yu Shiyan sat motionless at the front, neither cracking the whip nor uttering a word. For a moment, the only sound in the dim forest was the donkey’s snorting.

Qin Wangyue: “……”

Just as she was about to speak, Qin Wangyue sensed something amiss. She turned her head and saw Xuan Ying standing against a tree, her arrival unnoticed. It was impossible to tell how long she had been observing them.

“Since you’re here, why not come out and say hello?” Qin Wangyue sat up, clutching her wound. Noticing Xuan Ying’s gaze fixed on Yu Shiyan, she quickly explained, “Don’t worry, she’s my puppet now.”

Only then did Xuan Ying shift her gaze to Qin Wangyue.

“You’ve failed again.”

Qin Wangyue felt a surge of irritation at the contempt in Xuan Ying’s eyes. She was now entirely dependent on the Demonic Sect’s protection to survive, making it crucial to appease the woman before her.

Forcing a smile, Qin Wangyue said, “Though I failed, I gained something else.”

Xuan Ying watched her silently, waiting for her to continue.

“I’ve discovered Shang Qianye isn’t ordinary,” Qin Wangyue said slowly. “She’s… a member of the Demonic Race.”