Childish Obsession Entwined to the Bone (2)

After a moment of silence, True Person Yu Qing raised a hand and brushed his sleeve, taking something from within his wide robes. He opened his palm slightly and held it out before Lin Mumu. "Take a look at this."

Following his motion, Lin Mumu lowered her head and looked at the green jade pendant. It was fine warm jade, smooth and gentle to the touch. Half a rabbit had been carved upon it, its ears drooping, the lines still bearing the rawness of unfinished work. It had clearly been set aside halfway through carving.

She had been born in the Year of the Rabbit and usually enjoyed collecting rabbit-shaped ornaments. Quite a few people in the sect knew that.

"This was found in Yulan's residence. When the Discipline Hall disciples inspected it, they discovered your birth date and eight characters carved inside the pendant, along with a life-protecting curse embedded within." He paused, and his tone grew heavier. "But that spell is not of the righteous path. It is an evil curse that must be refined with the blood essence of others. Who knows how many lives were used to fill this life-protecting talisman?"

The wind swept past the treetops, stirring a scatter of soft rustling. True Person Yu Qing looked into Lin Mumu's eyes. "But regardless of how extreme his actions were, he did ultimately harbor some genuine feelings for you."

Lin Mumu's gaze rested on the pendant, but her eyes did not ripple in the slightest. There was neither gratitude nor surprise, not even a trace of curiosity. She looked at it as though it were an ordinary stone.

She was quiet for a moment, then slowly raised her head to look at True Person Yu Qing. Her tone was so calm it was nearly cold. "Sect