Li Sheng felt his heart pound in his chest as the elderly couple led him into their humble home. The atmosphere in the room was thick with secrets, and despite the warmth from the hearth, a chill ran down his spine. Mei Lin's parents were no ordinary healers. They carried an air of mystery, as though they held knowledge of ancient powers far beyond the world Li Sheng knew.
The elderly man, Mei Lin's father, motioned for Li Sheng to sit. His face was lined with years of wisdom, but his eyes held a quiet intensity.
"You seek to break the curse that binds your wife," he said, his voice gravelly but authoritative. "You must understand, it is not a curse that can be easily undone. The jade amulet she wears is far more than a simple relic—it is a vessel of unimaginable power. To break it, you must confront forces much older than the world itself."
Li Sheng sat up straighter, his determination unwavering. "I don't care about the dangers. Mei Lin is everything to me. If there's a way to save her, I'll do whatever it takes."
Mei Lin's mother, an elegant woman with silver streaked hair, stepped forward. She placed a hand on his arm, her touch surprisingly firm. "You must be careful. The jade amulet was forged during the Warring States period, by a powerful sorcerer who sought to control life and death. It was said to be able to heal wounds, cure illnesses, and grant its wearer unimaginable strength. But it came at a terrible price: each act of healing drained the wearer's life force, leaving them weaker with each use. Over time, the wearer would lose themselves entirely."
Li Sheng felt a knot form in his stomach. He had known that Mei Lin's gift came with a price, but hearing the full extent of it was overwhelming. "So, is there no way to stop it? No cure?"
Mei Lin's father sighed, his face darkening. "There is no cure, only a choice. The amulet's power can be sealed, but it must be done by someone with equal strength of spirit and purpose. It is a ritual that requires great sacrifice—one that few are willing to endure."
Li Sheng clenched his fists. He wasn't going to let Mei Lin suffer any longer. "What kind of sacrifice? I'm not afraid."
Mei Lin's mother exchanged a long look with her husband. "The ritual requires the strength of the one who wears the amulet, but it also requires the one who loves them. It is a bond—both physical and spiritual—that must be severed. If the ritual is performed, the one who does it will lose their own life force in the process. The jade amulet will be destroyed, but the cost will be great."
Li Sheng was silent, processing the gravity of what he had just heard. He had known that breaking the curse wouldn't be easy, but this... this was beyond anything he had imagined.
"How can we prepare for such a ritual?" Li Sheng asked, his voice steady despite the overwhelming fear that threatened to consume him.
The old man looked at him with a mix of pity and understanding. "You must understand, young man, that the choice is not entirely yours. The one who wears the amulet must be willing to release it, and that is the greatest challenge. Mei Lin may not be ready to face this. She may not even want to live without her powers."
Li Sheng's heart sank. He had always known that Mei Lin's gift was both a blessing and a curse, but now, the burden of that gift seemed even heavier. Would she be willing to let go of everything she had become?
"I will talk to her," Li Sheng said, standing up. "I'll make her understand. She deserves a life without this curse."