Even if the tiger demon had transformed into human form, he still retained his beastly nature. Seeing the little tyrant’s cold face, he couldn’t help but repeatedly bow with his hands out and beg for mercy.
Nian Baiyu looked at him speechlessly, knowing he was one of their own, naturally, he wouldn’t drag him out to skin and kill.
Seeing that he wouldn’t be killed, the tiger demon hurriedly fled on his hands and feet.
He was extremely pitiful. When he was with Tantai Minglang, he was still a powerful tiger general, but after following Tantai Jin, he’d become shameless, and only knew how to kiss up and curry favor with him.
Su Su threw down her bowl and spoon, and left without looking at Tantai Jin.
Ever since she’d said she wanted the position of empress, the emotions in Tantai Jin’s eyes fluctuated from time to time, sometimes contemptuous and mocking, sometimes conflicted and cold.
Curved Jade said, “He’s a Devil God, and devil gods naturally prefer power and status. Do you still remember the ancient book that recorded the life of another Devil God? That person didn’t even have a wife, and even the number one beauty in the God Realm was sadistically tortured and killed by him. So Tantai Jin won’t give you the position of empress.”
Seeking power was the Devil God’s nature.
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Mydvyk Kkd bkxplzq nzlyazu jdlo vbyv kq bl alyzzu yexkvvle vs zkjkdt Fw Fw, bl oswze wdeswcvlezu pvytdyvl1停滞不前 (vídtgbìcùikád) – pvwnj yde dsv xshkdt qsaoyae (keksx); .
——Rq bl byp y rszkvknyz xyaakytl okvb Fbknby, vbld plkgkdt vbl dsavblad vlaakvsau yde kdhlpvktyvkdt ydnkldv okvnbnayqv oswze cl kxxkdldv.
——Rq bl zlvp vbl sze Pyskpv qkde y uswdt pwnnlppsa okvb y prkakvwyz assv kd vbl dlmv qlo ulyap, yde xyaaklp bla kd yehydnl, vbld obld vbl kxxsavyz tyvl srldp, rlabyrp bl xktbv cl yczl vs nyvnb y tzkxrpl sq vbl kxxsavyz Pys.
Tsolhla, clnywpl bl eked’v jdso obs bl oyp, vs vbkp eyu, Mydvyk Kkd pvkzz vbswtbv vbyv bl oyp xlalzu y bspvytl rakdnl obs nswzed’v raynvknl xyavkyz yavp, yde oyp ps olyj vbyv bl xktbv dsv zkhl zsdt.
Gde obyv nswze Fw Fw tkhl bkx?
Gv vbkp xsxldv, Uwahle Kyel nsxrzlvlzu wdelapvsse Mydvyk Kkd’p vbswtbvp, kq bl alyzzu oydvle Fw Fw, bl oswze cl calyjkdt bkp okdtp.
“R jdso bl osd’v,” Fw Fw pyke.
“Nkvvzl Yypvla, usw jdso?”
“Yes, I don’t want any empress position either,” Su Su said. “I said this deliberately. There are two advantages. Tantai Jin always feels that everyone in the whole world wants to harm him. When I told him I wanted the position of empress, it relieved his heart instead. As long as his emotions are swayed, we’ve achieved our goal. Also, I want to see what Ye Bing Shang really wants to do.”
The original owner’s eldest sister was so mysterious that even the young Devil God felt tenderness towards her, so there must be some secret to her.
Tantai Jin had been moody these days, and Su Su had ignored him.
Instead, the tiger demon that had transformed disappeared. On no particular day, Nian Muning gave Su Su a strange look and said, “The tiger demon was thrown into the Soul Eating Flag by His Majesty.”
His Majesty asked the tiger demon to learn knowledge and skills from the old Daoist, and the tiger was now crying every day in the Soul Eating Flag.
Su Su expressed her sympathy.
*****
In the early fourth month, it was the Great Zhou’s Folk Festival of Flowers2花朝节 (huāzhāojié) – Birthday of the Flowers, spring festival on lunar 12th or 15th February.
There was also a feast in the palace. Everywhere was decorated with lanterns and coloured banners, and the atmosphere of Great Zhou, which was fond of extravagance and sizhu3traditional Chinese chamber music, was very jubilant on the Festival of Flowers.
The local customs of Zhou Kingdom were open-minded, and this day was also a day for men and women to pledge their love.
Thousands of years ago, men would still sing to women. If the two fell in love with each other, they could just roll into the underbrush.
Curved Jade commented like an old pedant, “Zhou Kingdom really defies convention4放浪形骸 (fànglàng-xínghái) – to abandon all restraint (idiom); refuse to be bound by convention and offends public morals5伤风败俗 (shāngfēng-bàisú) – an idiom; corrupt public morals; violate common decency!”
At dusk, Su Su heard several little palace maids chattering and laughing——
“I heard that Madame made a water jade personally, and the water jade cracked into two almost identical pieces.”
“His Majesty will be very happy to receive it.”
Water jade was a specific type of jade in the Zhou Kingdom that needed to be refined like a kiln, and after carefully cultivating the jade and placing it in water, it would crack into two pieces.
The more delicate and symmetrical they were, and the better the color of the water jade cultivated, the greater the sincerity.
Curved Jade gave Su Su a bad idea, “Why don’t you make a piece of water jade for Tantai Jin as well?”
Seeing Ye Bing Shang as gentle as water, thoroughly looking like a good wife and loving mother, while its Little Master’s heart was as calm as still water6心如止水 (xīnrúzhǐshuǐ) – an idiom; remain steady in one’s principle; stand firm on one’s beliefs, and composed as a cultivator, Curved Jade was secretly anxious inside.
Ji Ze was dead, and there was only a little more than a year left before the seal of the Abyss of Desolation was broken.
A year was but a blink of an eye for the life of an immortal, and the pearl still only had the beginning shape of nails.
The heart of the young Devil God was cold, his laughter, annoyance, and anger were mostly from learning the emotions of others.
Curved Jade was worried that the mission would fail.
Su Su shook her head and said, “It’s useless to persistently be nice to him, look at Jing Lan An.”
“So what should we do?”
Su Su laughed and said, “Let’s try to run away? Curved Jade, it’s been a while since we’ve flown, right?”
At first, Curved Jade didn’t understand what Su Su meant, until it watched her take out a huge paper hawk, then it realized what she was going to do.
The spring moon was like a bright knife.
Su Su climbed up the astrology tower carrying the paper hawk, mounted onto it, and flew out.
Beneath her feet was the lively mortal world. Countless lamps were lit up, and the prosperous Zhou Kingdom was full of joy.
The breeze blew the hem of her skirt, and she used a wind talisman to fly out beyond the palace gates.
Flying into the distance, she saw a shocked Nian Muning, standing helplessly in place. She didn’t dare to really hurt Su Su, so she hurriedly ran towards the palace banquet venue.
Su Su propped up her chin and looked at the prosperity of the mortal world with Curved Jade. This boundless world was so much warmer than the Immortal Mountains.
She picked the busiest street to land in.
Su Su casually bought a mask and put it on her face, “Guess when he’ll get distressed enough to chase after me?”
The young girl clasped her hands behind her back and walked into the crowd.
*****
The palace banquet hadn’t ended yet, and right now, Ye Bing Shang was tying the other piece of water jade for Tantai Jin.
“May Your Majesty have unparalleled good fortune and stay prosperous.” She smiled a little shyly, looking more delicate than a flower.
Tantai Jin fell silent, the corners of his mouth tugging up, revealing a gentle smile.
Ye Bing Shang looked at him, and vaguely saw a hint of Xiao Lin’s shadow from his expression. She wanted to frown a little.
The sound of the string orchestra continued, and the dancers were gracefully spinning with their flowing sleeves flying around, like a magnificent dreamland.
Suddenly, Nian Muning, who was dressed in sturdy clothes7Clothing that don’t look sloppy, can be frequently seen in wuxia novels or games
Might look something like this: 
, hurriedly ran in and whispered something into Tantai Jin’s ear.
Ye Bing Shang watched as the gentle mask on Tantai Jin’s face disappeared, instantly becoming eerily cold and terrifying.
His gaze gradually turned gloomy, his chest heaving with every breath, and he looked at everyone present with vicious and hateful eyes.
The courtiers below were busy drinking8觥筹交错 (gōngchóu-jiāocuò) – wine cups and gaming chips lying about in disorder (idiom); to drink and gamble together in a large group; a big (drinking) party and were completely unaware.
The black-clad emperor suddenly got up and everyone looked over, his gloomy face had a smile as gentle as water, “I have something to do, so I’ll take my leave, if my dear ministers have nothing else, then you are dismissed.”
The crowd feared him more than they respected him, especially the courtiers who’d previously eaten Tantai Minglang’s flesh, so they hurriedly bowed and excused themselves.
A black bow was handed to the emperor, and he hurried out as if he was going to catch a disobedient prey.
Looking at his back, Ye Bing Shang understood that the bow wouldn’t really shoot an arrow. He just wanted to scare the disobedient young girl.
——She was close enough to hear Nian Muning speak.
Tantai Jin walked out several steps before suddenly turning around.
Tears ran down Ye Bing Shang’s cheeks, and Tantai Jin stared blankly at her as she cried. He was silent for a long time, then revealed a slightly stiff smile, “I forgot to give you a gift in return, Nian Baiyu, take Madame to the treasury and send over whatever she likes.”
Ye Bing Shang looked at him pleadingly.
He turned around and strode away.
Xiao Hui worriedly said, “Madame……”
Ye Bing Shang wiped away the tears on her face and calmly murmured, “It’s still not working.”
Nian Muning and the Night Shadow Guards followed the black-clad emperor, but most of the women on the streets wore masks.
People came and went, and there was laughter everywhere, so how could they easily track down a young girl?
Nian Muning said, “Your Majesty, it’s impossible for Third Miss Ye to leave, her grandmother is still in our hands.”
Tantai Jin spoke sullenly, not hearing anything else, “I already knew that she would run, I should’ve broken her legs.”
Humans were cold-hearted, just like when his mother’s existence prevented him from being born, and he didn’t hesitate to choose to kill her.
It was entirely possible for Su Su to abandon her old and useless grandmother!
Nian Muning watched as His Majesty rudely turned a woman in purple over, tearing off her mask, and seeing that it wasn’t the person he was looking for, he simply shoved her.
He looked like a man who’d been betrayed, so grief-stricken and angry that his eyes were red.
“She broke her promise, when I find her, I’ll throw her and that old woman into the snake pit!”
Nian Muning didn’t dare to speak, perhaps it was her illusion, but she heard a little grievance and helplessness in His Majesty’s rage.
Third Miss Ye was very capable. If she really ran away, there were few people in this world who could find her.
They walked for a long time, and the murderous Qi of the Night Shadow Guards made people get out of the way one after another.
Tantai Jin suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Right now, he was standing on the Bridge of No Regrets, and there were couples forming pairs under the bridge. His dark eyes looked at the pairs of young men and women, and a cold smile suddenly appeared on his lips.
Nian Muning had an ominous feeling inside.
His Majesty’s arrow was already nocked on the bow. He aimed it at the crowd, hitting the knee of one of the men under the bridge with a single shot.
The woman who’d come with the man screamed.
The festive atmosphere suddenly turned chaotic, and Nian Muning flurriedly said, “Your Majesty, they are your people.”
There was a chill in the spring air. In the night breeze, the youth laughed softly, “Oh, who cares?”
He nocked an arrow and started killing people.
Nian Muning’s face was pale. Unlike her younger brother, Nian Baiyu, this was the first time she’d seen Tantai Jin’s cold ruthlessness.
The people at his feet were like pigs and sheep in his eyes. There was an aura of blood in his eyes, and even fragments of a smile.
Her mind went blank, and she finally took out a black and white fang mask9Might look something like this: 
and put it on Tantai Jin.
He can’t lose…… the people’s support.
Her hands and feet were cold.
Just before the scene got completely out of control, a person in an aqua dress kicked the bow and arrow out of Tantai Jin’s hand.
The fine black hair of the newcomer was like a waterfall. She caught the falling bow and arrow, and coldly aimed it at Tantai Jin.
Nian Muning hurriedly blocked the person’s hand and protected His Majesty.
Tantai Jin threw off his mask and calmly said, “You’re back.”
He reached out to remove the silver butterfly mask of the woman in front of him.
The flowers of the human world were in full bloom, and beneath the mask, the young girl’s slightly cold eyes, like a blade in the night, looked at him with a hint of anger.
Tantai Jin stared at her coldly.
In her head, Nian Muning inevitably remembered what His Majesty had said earlier about the snake pit punishment.
The chaos of the crowd wasn’t over yet, and amidst the countless screams, the black-clad youth suddenly hugged the young girl.
He clasped her extremely tight, as if he wanted to crush her into dust10挫骨扬灰 (cuògǔ yáng huī) – grind the bone, then scatter the ashes (an idiom).
But if he really wanted her to die, he’d never have embraced her.
His dark eyes looked at the festive lanterns in the city moat and spoke in Su Su’s ear.
Su Su was stunned, “What?”
The screams drowned out the youth’s whispers, and she only felt as if the force around her waist was about to crush her.
He pursed his lips, not repeating himself, just looking coldly and deeply at the flowing river beneath them.
Curved Jade softly muttered, “He said, he’ll let you be the empress, and if you run again, he’ll really kill you.”
Su Su was stunned, then revealed a smile.
Three golden nails swirled inside the tear pearl, and Curved Jade rejoiced, “Three Soul Extinguishing Nails have appeared.”
There were six left.
*****
Tantai Jin wasn’t very happy. His eyes were downcast as he played with Su Su’s silver butterfly mask, as if she had murdered his entire family.
Su Su rarely found him pleasing to the eye.
She deliberately said, “I want the phoenix robe11costume/official clothing for the empress in blue with a red embroidered phoenix.”
He kept a cold face and didn’t speak.
Su Su didn’t want to be the empress, but looking at his gloomy debt-collector12讨债鬼 (tǎozhàiguǐ) – lit. debt-collecting ghost; person difficult to deal with or shake off expression, while he acted like the sky was going to collapse, she felt cheerful.
She tried her best to manage her expression well, imitating his cold and gloomy face.
“If you want to laugh then laugh,” he said in a deep voice.
He’d also said this before. Back then, he was blinded in one eye and Su Su had picked him up.
But today, Su Su wasn’t polite, as she buried her cheeks in the crook of her arm and burst into laughter.
He pursed his lips and tightly tugged on the silver butterfly.
After quite a while, he saw that she was still laughing. Tantai Jin couldn’t bear it anymore and pinched her chin, “Enough, don’t overdo it13适可而止 (shìkě’érzhǐ) – to stop before going too far (idiom); to stop while one can; don’t overdo it; know the limits.”
“Just because I’m letting you be the empress, doesn’t mean that I’ll put up with you!”
The young girl blinked her watery eyes and smiled, “Oh.”
He stared at her for a long time, then gritted his teeth and said, “If you lie to me again……”
Tantai Jin’s eyes had hints of ghostly coldness, like two dark clusters of fire, and Su Su knew that this time, he didn’t plan to joke with her. Peeling the skin and extracting bones, he was totally capable of doing that.
If she did betray him, or run away again, he would surely hate her to death.
A chill ran down her spine as Su Su looked at the youth’s dark eyes.
She quietly touched the three divine nails that had already taken shape in the pearl, and her heart was certain.
A hundred years later, the person in front of her would be nothing but a handful of yellow sand.
Edited by: Gaze
Omg 😭 woahh what a turn of events i didn’t think he’d be this soft now