Chapter 00216: Knowing People by Their Faces but Not Their Hearts
# Knowing People by Their Faces but Not Their Hearts
Chapter 216
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 216: Knowing People by Their Faces but Not Their Hearts
“If you draw even one line of the talisman incorrectly, the entire talisman is rendered useless.”
“Are you saying that Lu Yao’s drawing failed to activate it?” He Lingchuan found it both amusing and exasperating. “Something meant to be a life-saving trump card, he shouldn’t be so careless with it, right?”
“I’ve heard of Lu Yao’s reputation; he’s known as the Man-Eating General, originally from the grasslands.” Li Qingge chuckled softly. “But you’re right, this talisman is skillfully crafted and shows years of mastery, which is beyond what Lu Yao could achieve.”
“This is just an ordinary talisman, it depicts the Wind Stabilization Technique…” Li Qingge suddenly stopped speaking, picking up the talisman paper to examine it against the fire basin.
She leaned in closer, and He Lingchuan thought she was going to throw the talisman into the fire.
Just as he was about to speak, the talisman paper ignited with a whoosh.
“Hey!” There was no need to burn it; this was food for the Divine Bone!
He Lingchuan tried to snatch it back, but Li Qingge firmly pressed down on his arm. “Calm down!”
Her tone was resolute and stern, a stark contrast to her earlier gentleness.
The flames quickly consumed the paper, but miraculously, the talisman remained intact, only the air filled with the smell of smoke and char.
“Just as I thought.” Li Qingge turned the talisman toward him. “Take another look.”
He Lingchuan stared intently; the paper was still black with red characters, but the strokes and patterns seemed somewhat different.
“Is this its true appearance?”
Li Qingge did not answer but laid it back on the table, smoothing it out for closer inspection.
“I’ve only seen this kind of talisman in ancient texts; I didn’t expect to see the real thing today.” She said seriously, “This is the Jiaosheng Talisman.”
“What’s its function?”
“Using oneself as a vessel to summon a deity to manifest supreme divine powers.”
So Lu Yao’s intention in swallowing the talisman was not to save himself or escape, but to summon a deity to unleash a powerful attack to annihilate all his enemies?
He had no intention of surviving; he wanted someone to accompany him in death.
Lu Yao truly lived up to his reputation as a ruthless bandit.
“What’s the difference between this and a divine descent?”
“You’ve heard of divine descent?” Li Qingge glanced at him. “Divine descent requires long-term meticulous arrangements; the deity will descend into a designated vessel capable of withstanding its power. The Jiaosheng Talisman, however, is a temporary summons, and the vessel may not necessarily meet the deity’s requirements.”
“Can any deity be summoned?”
“Of course not.” Li Qingge smiled. “Deities do not like to be offended; the talisman creator must pray and communicate in advance, essentially giving prior notice. When trouble arises, they then summon the deity. Thus, each completed talisman corresponds to a specific deity.”
“Then which deity does this one correspond to?”
“That’s unclear; there is a correspondence in the dark, but it won’t be shown on the talisman.” Li Qingge spoke softly. “I’ve heard that the cost of divine descent is enormous, and the Jiaosheng Talisman is even more so. When it is used, the situation must either be desperate or one is at the end of their rope, so the offerings are made in advance to the deity. When a human swallows the talisman, they request the latter to appear and assist. Lu Yao swallowed the talisman but didn’t summon any deity, which is why he was so surprised.”
Understood, this is a check that must be cashed when the time comes.
In the end, Lu Yao was left with a bounced check.
It’s unimaginable how despairing and confused Lu Yao must have felt when the deity turned out to be untrustworthy.
After grasping the situation, He Lingchuan felt a wave of fear. “Thank goodness the deity didn’t pay him any mind; otherwise, none of us present would have survived?”
“Pretty much.” Li Qingge poured herself a cup of hot tea. “I’ve never seen a deity descend, so I’m not sure of its power. But since it can be used as a trump card, its power should not be weak. I suspect this was not made by Lu Yao but rather by Hong Xiangqian.”
Hong Xiangqian is known as the “Holy Master,” so it’s not surprising he could communicate with the deities, right?
“Why didn’t the deity come?” If this talisman was made by Hong Xiangqian, it should be reliable, and the cost would have been pre-paid by him; Lu Yao just needed to use it.
“That’s hard to say.” Li Qingge pondered for a long time. “Perhaps the talisman itself has flaws; after all, these secret techniques don’t have standard versions for comparison. Or perhaps the deity looked down on Lu Yao and was too lazy to help him—after all, Hong Xiangqian is already dead. This talisman should have been a contract between Hong Xiangqian and the deity; or perhaps… the deity had matters to attend to and couldn’t come in person?”
“Anyway, it all comes back to that saying—” she pushed the talisman forward with a smile like a blooming flower, “Young Master He is truly a lucky star; to encounter such a rare stroke of luck.”
“It seems I should go back and have a drink to calm my nerves.” He Lingchuan put away the talisman, thanked Li Qingge, and took his leave.
Duke Songyang watched his retreating figure, deep in thought.
A quarter of an hour later, Li Fubo came to pay his respects, having just brushed past He Lingchuan on his way.
Duke Songyang discussed the improvement methods for the broken sword with him.
Since the sword’s nature is very active, perhaps the time to forge the sword could be shortened to within ten days.
After the business was concluded, Li Qingge finally asked Li Fubo, “You’ve been following He Lingchuan for seven or eight days now; what do you think of this person?”
Li Fubo thought for a moment. “Aside from his preference for cultivation and martial arts, he’s not much different from other wealthy young masters. His personality is somewhat blunt, and he spends money extravagantly, so he’s not disliked in the military.”
“Blunt?” Duke Songyang smiled. “Spirit weapons choose their masters. Do you think Zhong Shengguang’s legacy sword would recognize a blunt person as its master?”
Li Fubo shook his head. “I believe that spirit weapons choosing their masters do not consider temperament but only look at valor and courage.”
Duke Songyang pondered. “Then at least those four words are present.”
He Chunhua is skilled in schemes, while his eldest son He Lingchuan is blunt.
Is that so?
At this moment, a maid came to report: “The news from the Northern Demon Kingdom’s branch has arrived.”
“Bring it in.”
Someone entered to deliver the message.
Li Fubo took the opportunity to excuse himself.
…
Since the black talisman was not something he could reference, He Lingchuan casually fed it to the Divine Bone necklace before returning to the relay station.
To his surprise, both He Chunhua and his wife were there.
Madam Ying immediately questioned him upon seeing him: “What did you and Duke Songyang talk about for so long?”
“We discussed the plan for reforging the broken sword, and I asked her to analyze the things left behind by Lu Yao.” He Lingchuan yawned. “The almond tea there is delicious; it’s all gone.”
“What things?” He Chunhua asked.
“A black talisman I picked up from Lu Yao.” He Lingchuan shrugged. “It turns out it was a talisman to summon a deity for revenge; he used it but it didn’t activate. Ah, I walked a trip to the gates of hell without realizing it.”
“Let me see.” He Chunhua reached out for it.
“It’s gone.” He Lingchuan scratched his head. “The patterns only show when close to fire, and I accidentally burned it to ashes.”
He Chunhua let out an “oh,” seemingly not too concerned.
However, Madam Ying gently sighed, “Duke Songyang is quite pitiful; he became a widower at such a young age.”
“She…?” She was married before? He Lingchuan was taken aback.
Forget it, he was tired of saying, “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
Madam Ying, however, was quite satisfied with her eldest son’s cooperative expression. “Li Qingge married the Secretary Supervisor Fan Linong at sixteen, a match arranged by her grandfather, which shows great care. I’ve heard that this Fan is talented and handsome, the youngest Secretary Supervisor since the founding of our Great Yuan, a perfect match for Li Qingge. Unfortunately, he was not blessed enough to enjoy the beauty’s favor; he passed away less than two years after their marriage at the age of twenty-nine. Truly, heaven is jealous of the talented.”
The Secretary Supervisor is the head of the Secretary Department, overseeing classics and calendars; it sounds prestigious, but it’s equivalent to the director of the national library, with little real power in this dynasty.
It seems the old Duke Songyang understood the risks of high positions well and found a leisurely husband for his granddaughter, far from the center of political storms.
He Chunhua smiled. “Where did the madam hear this from?”
Madam Ying glanced at him sideways. “The aristocracy of Shihuan City has all sorts of news.” This time, she made quite a few friends in Shihuan City, and her information was much more reliable than before. “Didn’t the master say before that no movement in the capital should be overlooked?”
“Fan Linong was indeed talented and did die young, but he didn’t die of illness.” He Chunhua turned to instruct the steward, Old Mo, to take care of something before continuing, “He chose the wrong side in the struggle for the throne. As a result, after the current emperor inherited the throne and enacted reforms, he mocked and criticized it, claiming the reforms were weak and ineffective, advocating for the Northern Demon Kingdom’s enlightened governance. Later, someone reported him for sympathizing with the rebels and secretly aiding the uprising, presenting evidence, and the king had his head chopped off.”
He spoke slowly, “Can you guess who reported him?”
He Lingchuan looked at Madam Ying, who was shocked.
Treason is a grave crime; if the evidence is conclusive, why not make the trial public, instead of covering up Fan Linong’s true cause of death with the excuse of illness?
Moreover, why was Li Qingge unharmed, able to manage her Songyang residence well?
How come the Fan family was fine, not implicated?
The answer was almost obvious.
Madam Ying hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking, “Could it be Li Qingge?”
“‘Someone secretly sent evidence into the palace, presenting it before the king,’ that’s the original wording. I don’t know if it was Duke Songyang. Only the king and the informant likely know the truth.” He Chunhua leaned back against the chair. “However, I’ve heard that Duke Songyang entered the palace just two days before Fan Linong was captured. Not many people know about this matter, and the king intends to keep it under wraps.”
Madam Ying clutched her chest, trembling as she said, “This woman has a truly vicious heart!”
She and He Chunhua had a harmonious relationship, and everything went smoothly for them; she couldn’t imagine how another woman could accuse her husband of a crime.
But upon hearing this, she felt somewhat reassured.
Since her husband knew that Duke Songyang had a heart of a viper, he would likely remain vigilant against her?
He Lingchuan was also quite surprised; this could be described as knowing people by their faces but not their hearts?
At this moment, steward Old Mo entered to report: “Master, everyone has arrived.”
He Chunhua sat up straight. “Let them in.”
Seeing he was about to handle business, Madam Ying hurriedly left.
Before arriving at Dunyu, He Chunhua needed to gather his subordinates for another meeting.
This time, everyone was present: the He family trio, Zeng Feixiong, Wu Shaoyi, Zhao Qinghe, Mo Zhejingxuan, and three newly promoted generals from the supporting army.
These were the trusted core members of He Chunhua.
Before speaking, he first distributed a green bamboo tube to each of his subordinates, each with a stopper at the opening.
(End of Chapter)