Chapter 169 Heartless Curse (1/2)
Huashang sneered. Her figure went out of focus and soon, she was back in the chief seat of the hall. Just as Xiao Chen was about to speak, he stopped himself. It was best not to linger on this topic and complete this task as soon as possible. Thus, he spoke before Huashang could. ”Thank you for showing me leniency with your three attacks earlier. Will you return to the Jade Qing Sect with me now?”
She propped her jaw with her hand and looked at him with interest. She smiled faintly. ”When did I say I'll return with you?”
”Earlier, you said you'll return with me as long as I manage to take three of your attacks. Have you already forgotten your words?” Xiao Chen asked.
Huashang raised her head and gave a loud laugh. ”You said that. I don't remember agreeing with you.”
”You…” Xiao Chen never imagined that a senior like her would go back on her word in front of so many of her disciples. Losing some of his patience, he asked, ”Then what will it take for you to return with me?”
Huashang chuckled as she accepted a teacup from a disciple. She took a sip from it with a smile. ”I've told you. I'll return as long as you agree to marry my disciple.”
The disciples in the hall were utterly confused. Their master had always warned them not to have feelings for someone, much less entertain thoughts of marriage. What was the reason for her drastic change today? Little did they know that this was Huashang's character. She always had to have her way. The more she couldn't get something, the more she wanted it.
”Impossible.” This time, Xiao Chen had lost all of his patience. His answer was direct and resolute, leaving no room for argument.
Huashang laughed heartily. ”I think that's beyond your control now.”
Xiao Chen's heart sank. What did she mean? Was she going to coerce him? He said unhappily, ”Not even the Heavenly Emperor can force me to do something I'm unwilling to do.”
It was at this moment that Huangfu Xin'er walked out from behind the hall. ”Oh no,” Xiao Chen thought. ”Did she overheard everything I said earlier?”
Huangfu Xin'er reappeared with a calm appearance, unlike how she previously looked. She smiled faintly at Huashang and said, ”Master, I'm fortunate enough to learn under your tutelage and has been cultivating all this while. I hope you'll stop making things difficult for Young Master Xiao.”
Huashang frowned and a bitter expression crossed her face. ”Xin'er, this person obviously has a prior…”
Huangfu Xin'er shook her head with a smile. She turned to Xiao Chen. ”Young Master Xiao, perhaps there was a misunderstanding between us but let bygones be bygones from now on. There's nothing between us anymore.”
Hearing these words made Xiao Chen feel like a needle had pierced his heart. He recalled their past together—all those days in the Skygale Sect in the Human World as well as the Fire-heart Jade that she gifted him. The more he thought of the past, the more intense the pain became. Even though he didn't know what happened to him, he knew he couldn't show sorrow on his face now. He smiled and said, ”Alright.”
When he uttered his agreement, the pain intensified sharply as if dozens of needles were jabbing his heart. He went pale in the face. Huashang smiled after seeing his current state. However, she ultimately exhaled a long sigh.
It took a long time before the inexplicable pain in Xiao Chen's heart eased. For some reason, he wanted nothing more than to leave this place. ”Since that's the case, forgive me for the disturbance. Farewell.” He turned around and flashed Li Muxue a gentle smile. ”Let's go, Muxue.”
”Wait.” Huashang stopped him just as he was about to step out of the hall.
”Do you have other orders for me?” Xiao Chen asked, turning around.
Huashang smiled. ”Didn't you notice that you're infected with my Heartless Curse? I came up with the curse after reading a strange ancient book. No other person in this world can undo it.”
The expression of the disciples inside the hall changed drastically. They never thought that their master would still end up learning the cultivation methods inside the Heartless Mystic Sword manual. It seemed that this was the reason that she had gone into closed-door meditation last month, not because she was recovering from injuries sustained in a battle.
Xiao Chen replied indifferently, ”So what?”
Huashang laughed heartily. Her gaze turned sharp as she said, ”Kid, don't you know that you're at death's door? Those carrying this curse can't have feelings for another. Once they develop feelings, they would experience pain. This pain would only intensify as time passes. In the end, their True Qi will leave their body and they will die from Qi Deviation!”
Quite a few disciples in the hall turned pale. Their master had always warned them not to have feelings but there would always be those who would sneak out to meet their lovers. Now that she had learned this curse, wouldn't they be in danger if she planted it on each of them?
Li Muxue's expression had been dark for a long time. Xiao Chen wore a deep frown. No wonder he felt a stab of pain earlier. In the end, he still harbored lingering affections for Huangfu Xin'er. This curse was indeed powerful. ”We bear no grudges against each other. Why do you want to harm me, Senior?”
Huashang raised her head and laughed. She said sternly, ”Kid! There aren't many people who dare to defy me! Forget it. Just kill someone for me and I'll help you undo the curse!”
She had cursed him with the intention of threatening and forcing him to marry Huangfu Xin'er. That was evidently impossible now. However, she wasn't willing to undo the curse just like that.
Xiao Chen frowned. ”Your cultivation far exceeds mine. Why aren't you killing that person yourself?”