Ge Qingzhi remained composed as she began recounting the story from nine hundred years ago.


    Shortly after becoming the Tuoba family’s head, Tuoba Encheng’s 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 family’s 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 Encheng’s nephew. Outraged, Tuoba Encheng led all the family’s 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 Encheng’s descendants: they would be marked as bearers of misfortune, destined to bring death to anyone close to them. With that curse, Lu Zheqing’s 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 Zheqing’s 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 Qingzhi’s insistence, who dismissed the curse as mere spiteful words.


    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 he’d just heard a tale from another world. Was she serious? He and Tuoba Qiyue had spent countless hours together at Five-Finger Peak, and he’d never experienced a single mishap. And now they were saying she was cursed?


    Softly, he replied, “Aunt, it’s not that I doubt your story, but I’ve been around Senior Sister for a long time, and nothing has ever happened to me. I think it’s just a myth.”


    Ge Qingzhi’s face lit up, delighted to hear his words. That was precisely the response she’d hoped for. According to Tuoba Qiyue, Ye Yu had been at Five-Finger Peak for months, during which time they’d naturally been in contact. And yet, Ye Yu hadn’t suffered any ill effects. It was all the proof Ge Qingzhi needed.


    He was Tuoba Qiyue’s destined partner.