Chapter 6: Must It Be Her Blood?

“Little Master, is there truly no other way?” he asked almost pleadingly, his eyes brimming with desperate hope.

“There is another method, but it would severely harm her body. Even if the curse is lifted, her lifespan would be drastically shortened. This curse was cast using the blood of her closest kin; only blood from an equally close relative can safely break it. Mr. Pei, you must find someone to help.”

Bai Qianzhou knew she had a maternal uncle whose blood could also undo the curse.

“He can’t come anymore. None of them can,” his voice heavy with despair.

“Why not?” unease welled up within Bai Qianzhou.

“My wife’s eldest brother was in a car accident a year ago. He remains in a coma and is currently convalescing abroad. We have yet to find her biological daughter.”

A jolt struck Bai Qianzhou’s heart like a thunderclap. She hurriedly calculated, her brows knitting tightly. The result weighed on her spirit like a crushing blow, draining her strength and leaving her numb.

Her mother’s eldest brother—her uncle—indeed could not come.

Then… the only option left was to use her own blood?

Though she was reluctant to acknowledge the connection, she could not stand idly by and watch Bai Lu perish.

Especially since the curse had been wrought with Bai Lu’s own blood.

“Little Master, if there’s truly no other option, then…” Pei Hexuan looked at Bai Qianzhou with weary eyes, only to find she had already cut her finger.

His voice faltered as he stared blankly at her. With each stroke of her blood on the straw doll, invisible power surged forth.

When she finished, Bai Qianzhou gripped the doll tightly in her left hand, raised her right hand’s index and middle fingers gently, and whispered, “Heaven and earth are boundless; let the forces of yin and yang break this. With my blood, I undo this!”

At the word “undo,” the paper talisman on the doll’s back ignited instantly. The straw doll turned to dust, scattered by the wind.

At that moment, her complexion turned as pale as paper, frail and mournful. “The curse is lifted. She’s safe now. I need to rest.”

Bai Qianzhou turned to leave but suddenly lost her footing. She fell hard, her head striking the corner of a table. The world blurred before her eyes.

She murmured, “I was only trying to break a curse. This damned misfortune… maybe it would be better if I just died.”

“小大师!” Pei Hexuan rushed forward in panic. Bai Qianzhou had already lost consciousness.

He hurriedly lifted her onto the bed and called for the family doctor.

Pei Hexuan frowned, recalling the little master’s earlier words: only blood from a close relative could break the curse. Yet just now, Bai Qianzhou had used her own blood.

The butler and family doctor arrived swiftly. The door opened quietly, revealing Bai Qianzhou lying pale as death on the bed.

The butler’s face first showed surprise, then as if realizing something, his eyes glinted with sudden understanding.

“I was wondering why this little master seemed so familiar. Looking closely now, she bears a striking resemblance to the lady.”

“What are you saying?” Pei Hexuan turned sharply toward the butler.

“I mean the little master looks somewhat like the lady, especially in the eyebrows and eyes,” the butler said, pointing to Bai Qianzhou’s pale face.

The family doctor nodded slowly. “Indeed, she does. Though her features seem more youthful.”

Pei Hexuan’s gaze lingered on Bai Qianzhou again, his heart stirring with emotion. He had never noticed before, but now, she resembled his wife’s youthful face more and more.

And considering how she had so resolutely used her own blood to lift the curse, could it be that this little master was the biological daughter his wife had been searching for all these sixteen years?

Moreover, had she known all along?