Ge Qingzhi remained composed as she began recounting the story from nine hundred years ago.
Shortly after becoming the Tuoba familyâs head, Tuoba Enchengâs love life and career thrived. Under his leadership, the family expanded rapidly, seizing numerous resources and extending its influence. But this inevitably brought them into conflict with other cultivation families and sects.
One day, while hunting spirit beasts, a dispute arose between the Tuoba familyâs cultivators and those from the Moonwatching Valley sect. The Valley had three elders present, who, in their wrath, slaughtered all thirty-seven Tuoba cultivators, including Tuoba Enchengâs nephew. Outraged, Tuoba Encheng led all the familyâs Nascent Soul cultivators to storm Moonwatching Valley. After three days and nights of intense battle, he defeated the sect leader, Lu Zheqing.
Seeing no chance of victory, Lu Zheqing resorted to a desperate measure, sacrificing his life to lay a powerful curse on Tuoba Enchengâs descendants: they would be marked as bearers of misfortune, destined to bring death to anyone close to them. With that curse, Lu Zheqingâs body withered into a dry corpse before Tuoba Encheng, who, in a fit of anger, ground the remains to dust.
Upon returning home after the massacre, Tuoba Encheng was informed that Ge Qingzhi was pregnant. But instead of joy, he was gripped by worry due to Lu Zheqingâs curse. He scoured the continent for a way to lift it, consulting countless experts, but none could help. Frustrated and disheartened, he eventually returned home at Ge Qingzhiâs insistence, who dismissed the curse as mere spiteful words.
When Ge Qingzhi finally gave birth to Tuoba Qiyue, the entire family was struck by fear, as the childâs eyes were pure white, and she made no sound, staring blankly into the dark. Rumors spread within the family, with many claiming the curse had come to pass and that Qiyue was indeed a harbinger of doom.
Despite the dread gripping her husband, Ge Qingzhi remained firm. She declared that Qiyueâs unique eyes were a sign of celestial potential and warned that anyone speaking ill of her daughter would face her wrath. Her commanding words quelled the fears, but then came the troubling signs.
The midwife who delivered Qiyue broke her leg the very night of the birth, and over the next few days, everyone who had interacted with her faced misfortuneâerrors in cultivation, minor injuries, damaged artifacts. These incidents rekindled belief in the curse.@@novelbin@@
Tuoba Enchengâs spirit shattered, overcome by guilt. He blamed himself for not killing Lu Zheqing sooner and considered taking Qiyue away to shield his wife. However, Ge Qingzhi discovered his plan, and they clashed on a nearby mountain. Their confrontation woke up a powerful cultivator who had been sleeping in a nearby treeânone other than Hong Luan, who immobilized them and demanded an explanation. If unsatisfied with their reason, she would exact consequences.
Seeing Hong Luanâs power, Ge Qingzhi was filled with both hope and fear, realizing she might be an ascendant or at least a late-stage tribulation cultivator. She told Hong Luan about Qiyueâs curse, hoping for a solution. After listening, Hong Luanâs expression turned peculiar. She declared she had a connection to Qiyue and would take her as a disciple under her care at Five-Finger Peak of Qingyun Sect. They could see their daughter once every two hundred years, but only brieflyâany longer, and they risked grievous harm.
The answer shattered them. Hong Luan confirmed there was no way to break the curse. Reluctantly, they let Qiyue go with her, and every two centuries, they awaited her return, though each visit was laced with the threat of harm should they linger. Over time, Qiyue grew aware of the curse, leading her to keep her visits brief, always leaving within a day.
As Ge Qingzhi finished her story, Ye Yu was left speechless. He felt as though heâd just heard a tale from another world. Was she serious? He and Tuoba Qiyue had spent countless hours together at Five-Finger Peak, and heâd never experienced a single mishap. And now they were saying she was cursed?
Softly, he replied, âAunt, itâs not that I doubt your story, but Iâve been around Senior Sister for a long time, and nothing has ever happened to me. I think itâs just a myth.â
Ge Qingzhiâs face lit up, delighted to hear his words. That was precisely the response sheâd hoped for. According to Tuoba Qiyue, Ye Yu had been at Five-Finger Peak for months, during which time theyâd naturally been in contact. And yet, Ye Yu hadnât suffered any ill effects. It was all the proof Ge Qingzhi needed.
He was Tuoba Qiyueâs destined partner.