novelraw Chapter 258 256: The Curse of Never Being Able to Be with Master
Chapter 258 256: The Curse of Never Being Able to Be with Master
Aboard the Spiritual Giant Wheel of the Xuanyuan Dao Sect.
Beneath the flickering candlelight, a silver-haired young woman leaned against a jade table, slowly letting the robe slip from one of her shoulders.
The Copper Mirror reflected her skin, as fine and flawless as white jade. Every inch was breathtakingly beautiful.
However, the perfect image was marred by a black and red Curse Seal. The seal rested silently where her neck met her shoulder, resembling the wing of a shattered butterfly and adding a touch of sinister allure to her exquisite back.
Qing Yueqiu lowered her gaze. Her long eyelashes, like butterfly wings tinged with pink, trembled softly, as if silently expressing the sorrow in her heart.
Her fingertips slowly traced the half-butterfly-wing Curse Seal on the back of her neck. It was bone-chillingly cold to the touch, as if detached from her body heat, carrying a chill that could not be dispelled.
That cold touch felt like Ji Shenyun's final mockery, a constant reminder of the curse's existence.
This was the curse Ji Shenyun had branded upon Qing Yueqiu—a vicious curse meant to make her live and die alone.
Under this curse, she couldn't even tell anyone about Ji Shenyun. This not only forced her to keep her lips sealed but also meant that Qing Yueqiu had to bear this lonely curse all by herself.
According to Ji Shenyun, whenever she got close to her Master, an irrepressible killing intent would surge within her. Qing Yueqiu hadn't seen her Master yet, so she had no real concept of this so-called irrepressible killing intent.
However, another of the curse's prohibitions was already causing her immense suffering.
She wasn't even allowed to miss her Master!
"Impossible! Ji Shenyun, how could you—"
Qing Yueqiu's eyes turned red as her Master's handsome figure began to appear in her mind—that gentle glance, that faint smile, and all the little moments they had spent together.
The memories washed over her like a tide, and a gentle smile unconsciously graced Qing Yueqiu's lips, as if those beautiful moments were enough to dispel any gloom.
But in the next moment!
The shattered butterfly-wing Curse Seal on her neck suddenly erupted with a blinding red light. A sharp pain, like a dagger, stabbed into her heart, nearly suffocating her.
Her body curled up slightly as she slumped over the jade table. A fine sheen of cold sweat broke out on her brow, and her breathing became ragged and shallow.
It was as if an invisible hand was strangling her, forcing her away from the one person she wanted to be close to most.
The broken butterfly-wing Curse Seal flared up, feeling like ten thousand ants gnawing at her heart. The itch was bone-deep, the pain unbearable. It was like a cold chain wrapping tightly around her soul, dragging her into a lonely Abyss, trying to forever cut her off from warmth and love.
"No, it's impossible! You can't even take away my right to miss my Master!"
"You can't—you can't make it so I can't even think about him!"
"You can't be so cruel!"
The candlelight flickered beside the trembling young woman, its dim, yellow glow casting shadows on her pale profile. It seemed as if even the light itself was sighing in sorrow for her.
Qing Yueqiu gazed at her pale reflection in the Copper Mirror, endless longing and struggle hidden in the depths of her red eyes.
She gritted her teeth, enduring the agony, and muttered in a low voice, "Ji Shenyun, do you think a despicable trick like this is enough to make me submit?
You're wrong. No matter how you torture me, this love won't fade. It will only burn brighter!"
"You old fossil who's been swept into the dustbin of history, stop haunting me like a ghost!"
Qing Yueqiu stuffed a handkerchief into her mouth to keep from shattering her teeth against the immense, ant-like agony that was to come.
Ji Shenyun had said the curse would forever prevent her from missing her Master, but Qing Yueqiu refused to accept it!
Her Master's figure reappeared in her mind, and the curse flared up once more. Enduring the pain, Qing Yueqiu lowered her hand.
As the Spirit Ship rocked and swayed through the Cloud Sea, the young woman's crimson eyes grew hazy with pain and passion. Her clothes were soaked through with fragrant sweat. When the pain reached its peak, far exceeding her limits...
The young woman's crimson eyes rolled back in her head, and she fainted dead away.
「...」
[To all the proud disciples of the Dao Sect returning in triumph, we will soon be arriving back at the Xuanyuan Dao Sect. Please gather your belongings and prepare to disembark in an orderly fashion.]
[At the same time, due to the unforeseen incident in the Kunlun Mountain Secret Realm, we ask that all disciples refrain from claiming they have been to the Kunlun Mountain Secret Realm until the Dao Sect has fully investigated the situation. All are to abide by the confidentiality agreement...]
'Have we returned to the Sect?'
A glimmer of clarity finally returned to Qing Yueqiu's hazy eyes. She pursed her pink lips and retrieved a fresh set of undergarments and a dress from her Jiezhi Storage Ring to change into.
After all, the clothes she was wearing were completely soaked.
HISS—
The moment she thought of her Master, the Curse Seal began to ache again, causing the young woman to suck in a sharp breath of cold air.
Qing Yueqiu swallowed several Pain Relief Pills in a row, which brought some slight relief. However, she knew that taking too many would lead to resistance. It wasn't a long-term solution. 'If I want to be able to miss my Master,' she thought, 'I'll have to undergo special training to endure the pain.'
Only those who can endure the pain have the right to shoot their shot at Master!
But no matter what, this was an undeserved disaster.
'You old fossil, I hope you stay suppressed in that mirror for the rest of your life! It'd be best if you were refined out of existence soon!'
Qing Yueqiu silently cursed a certain Empress who was still suppressed within a seal.
「...」
Meanwhile, having punished some tax-evading Alchemists and keeping his good deeds quiet, Pei Yuhang had just returned to the Cold Palace Sword Mansion.
But the moment he stepped through the gates, he saw his Dao Companion, Ye Liyuan, rushing to greet him.
"What's wrong, Liyuan? Why are you in such a panic?"
"Ah Han, I just received a notice sent to our mansion from Elder Liu. There was an incident at the Kunlun Mountain Secret Realm, and the Dao Sect disciples have returned early."
"An incident at the Kunlun Mountain Secret Realm?! Is Yueqiu all right?!"
Pei Yuhang's heart skipped a beat, and a faint tremor entered his voice that he himself didn't notice.
"Oh, Ah Han, don't be so anxious. I know you dote on your precious disciple, but Yueqiu is surely fine. If something had happened to her, Elder Liu would have told you directly."
Seeing the usually composed Pei Yuhang looking so nervous, Ye Liyuan couldn't help but find it a little amusing.
Although Ah Han was always strict with Yueqiu, Ye Liyuan knew that Qing Yueqiu, whom he had raised by his side since she was a child, held a place in Pei Yuhang's heart so important that even she, Ye Liyuan, felt a tiny bit jealous.
Ye Liyuan gently smoothed Pei Yuhang's furrowed brow and whispered in his ear, "Alright, don't stand here worrying for nothing. Hurry and go greet Yueqiu at the Sect gate. I'm sure Yueqiu is missing you very much right now, too."