Chapter 149: Love Gu

“Very well!” The Lady of the Yellow River clearly understood the threat hidden in the Underworld officials’ words. She withdrew the dagger in her hand and said, “I will trouble you two Underworld Lords for now. I will not take Pi Yangxi’s life at this moment. You may leave.”

As soon as the Lady of the Yellow River finished speaking, the two oppressive forces pressing down on me from behind receded like a tide. I, who had been suffocating, began to gasp for breath. The Underworld officials came and went so suddenly that I was left utterly bewildered. I looked at the Lady of the Yellow River, fearing she might regret her decision, and quickly said, “I have nothing to discuss with you. As you’ve seen, Bai Xiaoli and I truly love each other. Our wedding was witnessed by the Underworld itself. If you have no further business, please leave.”

Unexpectedly, a sneer appeared on her face after hearing my words. She snorted and said, “Do you really think the Underworld will protect you forever? Even if the hand holds immense authority, the Underworld will only shield you for three days.”

Three days of protection?

I had thought that with the talisman, the Lady of the Yellow River wouldn’t dare to kill me. But the protection period was far too brief.

Seeing my troubled expression, the Lady of the Yellow River continued, “Do you really believe Bai Xiaoli fell in love with you out of genuine affection?”

“If Bai Xiaoli didn’t have feelings for me, would she have married me?” I asked, puzzled by her words. Judging by her expression, it seemed there was more to Bai Xiaoli’s marriage to me than met the eye.

Sure enough, the Lady of the Yellow River sneered, “Do you know why Bai Xiaoli has never even seen your face but insists on marrying you? Do you really think a country boy like you is that charming?”

Her words stunned me. Honestly, I wasn’t ugly, but I wasn’t handsome either. Bai Xiaoli wasn’t the type to be superstitious or blindly traditional. Her love seemed to have been planted in her heart early on, to the point where she refused to marry anyone but me.

Yet, I had never met Bai Xiaoli before. There had to be some hidden truth.

I dared not dwell on it further because I was deeply in love with Bai Xiaoli and could not accept the idea that her feelings for me were caused by anything else. I looked at the Lady of the Yellow River and insisted, “Love is unpredictable. Bai Xiaoli and I truly love each other. Even if you kill me, I will become a ghost and still be with her.”

The Lady of the Yellow River snorted coldly. “There is no such thing as love without cause. Bai Xiaoli’s intense affection for you is because your grandfather meddled.”

Meddled?

Her words were like a landmine exploding in my heart. I didn’t want to believe her, but Bai Xiaoli’s love was so sudden, and I wasn’t exactly a leading man. For a wealthy young lady to declare love for me so quickly was strange in itself. It forced me to consider the possibility that the Lady of the Yellow River’s words might be true.

She continued with disdain, “You don’t know, do you? Long ago, your grandfather planted a love curse in Bai Xiaoli’s heart, which made her believe you were her destined one. But love curses have a lifespan. When it dies, Bai Xiaoli will awaken and realize the person she loves isn’t you. Do you think she’ll accept that?”

A love curse?

In the world of Feng Shui, such secret methods do exist, but they are difficult to perform and have a very low success rate. Love curses are a type of flower curse, cultivated from the flesh and blood of either the man or woman, blossoming after three months into a brilliantly beautiful flower. The caster then harvests the flower to create a love curse and casts it upon the person of their choice.

However, the timing to cast the curse is extremely stringent. It must be done within half an hour of the recipient’s birth; otherwise, the curse won’t take root.

The lifespan of a love curse generally spans twenty to thirty years. Once it expires, the caster reassesses the relationship between the two parties—some continue together, others part ways.

“All these gains and losses are deliberate. Your grandfather planned everything carefully. If you were truly outstanding, why hasn’t any other wealthy young lady endured years with you? Why is it only the daughter of the richest man in Duhe City who falls in love with you because of a marriage contract?” The Lady of the Yellow River went on.

I quietly watched her expressionless face, unable to discern whether she spoke truth or lies.

If what she said was true, one question gnawed at me: why would my grandfather go to such lengths to arrange this marriage? What was his purpose?

“Give me one reason why my grandfather would do this,” I looked up at the Lady of the Yellow River, seeking an answer.

She didn’t keep me waiting. “Undoubtedly, your grandfather is a formidable figure—a rare Feng Shui master in two thousand years who has seen through the secrets of the Yellow River’s fate. Both you and Bai Xiaoli are merely pawns in his game. He intends to use you both to break the Yellow River’s destiny.”