Chapter 66.3 Commonage Talisman

*****

Su Su learned of Pang Yi Zhi’s death early in the third month. 

It was said that Tantai Jin couldn’t interrogate anything out of him. Lord Pang committed suicide. He had poison hidden between his teeth, his remains were saved from damage and he died exceptionally peacefully.

Su Su had guessed correctly. He had long planned for this day.

The Xia Empire was defeated, loyal bones were buried in blue mountains¹青山有幸埋忠骨，白铁无辜铸佞臣 (Qīngshān yǒuxìng mái zhōng gǔ, báitiě wúgū zhù nìngchén) – a rhyming couplet used to educate people to be loyal and dependable, as the pro-war faction, Pang Yi Zhi was someone with integrity.

Tantai Jin couldn’t obtain the Hidden Dragon Guards as this mysterious squad had suddenly disappeared.

Tantai Jin was frustrated and annoyed, and personally went out to find them. He was gone for a month, and he changed her grandmother’s location, so Su Su didn’t know where she was.

 Spring had come to the Zhou Kingdom, and the scenery in the palace was beautiful. In the evening, the tiger demon arrogantly²趾高气扬 (zhǐgāo-qìyáng) – high and mighty (idiom); strut about and give oneself airs; be swollen with arrogance walked in, and threw a few toads that it’d caught on the small couch where Su Su was sleeping. 

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Fw Fw nbyple kv yde clyv kv vkzz kvp blye oyp qwzz sq cwxrp.

Mbkp keksv sdzu alxlxclale bso vs lyv cwv dsv bso bl oyp clyvld, yp bl oswze nsxl vs vyjl alhldtl lhlau dso yde vbld³隔三差五 (tépād-nbàoǔ) – lhlau qlo eyup (keksx); vkxl yde ytykd. Tsolhla, kvp RC oypd’v wr vs pdwqq, ps kv yzoyup tsv clyvld wr.

Rv yvl bwxydp clqsal, ps kv bye y pvasdt elxsdkn yway, yde Fw Fw eked’v pbso kv ydu xlanu.

Xdl bwxyd yde sdl vktla nbyple lynb svbla byzqoyu yaswde vbl ryzynl.

Mbl vktla qzle cynj vs Ubldtikyd Vyzynl kd nsdqwpksd.

Rv byed’v lmrlnvle vbyv vbl rlapsd kv oyp xspv yqayke sq oyp cynj.

Mydvyk Kkd bye sdzu fwpv rwv sd bkp nzsvbkdt obld vbl vktla elxsd zlyrv kd yp kq awddkdt qsa kvp zkql yde qlzz kdvs bkp cyvbkdt rssz, przypbkdt vbl oyvla bktb.

Mydvyk Kkd zywtble.&dcpr;&dcpr;

The tiger trembled and climbed out of the pool. It was so frightened that it kept bowing with its hands held out in front, and hid behind the young girl who’d come after it a half step slower.

Su Su was also stunned when she saw Tantai Jin.

The despicable tiger in front of her had suddenly shrank to the size of a palm, and it was shivering with its eyes brimming with tears. She heartlessly picked it up and kicked it away.

The mini tiger demon gave her a grateful look, obediently stretched its limbs and flew out upside down.

After not seeing him for a month, the already thin and frail Tantai Jin seemed to look a bit paler.

During this period, he was fiercely looking for the Hidden Dragon Guards everywhere, but he couldn’t find even a trace, so his bad mood was evident.

Even Su Su, who was in the palace, had heard that he was making a big fuss over it⁴大动干戈 (dàdòng-gāngē) – to go to war (idiom); get into a fight and had killed many people outside the palace.  

Tantai Jin couldn’t find the Hidden Dragon Guards, and this proved that his Night Shadow Guards were somehow inferior to Xiao Lin’s Hidden Dragon Guards.

Su Su felt a little Schadenfreude inside.

As the toads jumped out of the door, Tantai Jin meaningfully said, “Have the old Daoist throw the tiger demon into the Flame Furnace.”

This time, even if it didn’t die, the tiger would have a layer of its skin peeled off⁵不死也得脱层皮 (bù sǐ yě dé tuō céng pí) – (lit.) Even if someone can save his own life, he will not be able to save his own skin; It means receiving a major harm or a significant loss. It is usually used in warnings or blackmails.. Su Su knew he was in a bad mood, so she really didn’t want to go over.

During this period, she was living quite a happy life in the palace. Due to not having a specific status, the palace servants didn’t dare to let her do anything, but they didn’t dare to treat her without proper respect either.

As soon as Tantai Jin returned, the atmosphere in the palace hall was much colder.

Su Su’s bed was soiled, so she resigned herself to ask the palace maid for a clean set and remade the bed.

The young emperor’s hair was scattered down as he sat on the imperial bed, looking at her.

He suddenly opened his mouth to ask, “Are the Hidden Dragon Guards in your hands?”

Su Su’s hands that were making the bed stopped and she looked up, “If they were really in my hands, I think you’d be finished tonight.”

He stared at her for a while, then suddenly said, “Come here.”

Su Su walked over suspiciously, “What’s wrong?”

“Last time, I allowed you to meet Old Madam Ye,” the youth stated as his dark pupils stared at her without blinking.

Su Su nodded, so?

“So,” he pursed his lips and unhappily said, “you should keep your promise.”

Naturally, Su Su remembered what she’d said, “I certainly didn’t lie to you about finding the Eighth Prince, but tracking a person requires one of his personal belongings. He used to live in the palace, send someone to look for one and bring it to me after you’ve found it, I’ll think of a way.”

After speaking, Su Su was about to walk back when her wrist was suddenly pulled.

She was still hugging a pillow, “Is there anything else?”

He pursed his lips, the displeasure between his brows hadn’t subsided at all. His dark eyes were like beautiful obsidian, shining with a cold luster.

He was a little displeased from being fooled.

Curved Jade softly reminded Su Su, “You also said you would teach him to draw the Commonage Talisman.”

Oh right, there’s such a thing.

However, Su Su disliked him, so she deliberately pretended to be puzzled and said, “Is there anything else?”

Seeing that she couldn’t remember at all, Tantai Jin had no choice but to say, “Commonage Talisman.”

Su Su smiled widely, “I almost forgot about it, do you want to see it now?”

The young emperor hummed in agreement.

She forced him to open his mouth to remind her, and Tantai Jin’s expression already showed that he wished he could choke her to death.

“Wei Xi, bring the cinnabar and talisman papers.”

After a while, the cinnabar and talisman papers appeared in Su Su’s hands.

She wasn’t interested in playing around with him on this matter as she just wanted to hurry up, finish drawing the talismans, then go to bed. She had taught Tantai Jin to draw the “Commonage Talisman” before, which was to present the beauty of the world in an illusory form before his eyes.

Let him see all the living things in the world in an instant.

It was a heart-calming charm.

Su Su handed it to him after drawing it and said, “Do you still remember the spell?”

Tantai Jin didn’t speak, and the moment the talisman paper reached his hand, it ignited itself without wind. The dull blue light illuminated his face, and in front of him, the young girl was looking at him sleepily.

“Is it done? If your heart has calmed down, I’ll go to bed.”

Tantai Jin pinched her chin, “You’re tricking me!”

Su Su was baffled and slapped his hand away, “Why are you going crazy again!”

Tantai Jin said, “I can’t see anything,”

Su Su was stunned, “That’s impossible.”

He was practically questioning her level of learning, but when she looked at his expression, it didn’t look like he was lying. She dipped the brush in the cinnabar and drew it again.

This time, Su Su showed it to him herself, and she saw mountains and rivers presented before her eyes, the Mortal Realm was auspicious and peaceful, flocks of birds were chirping, and rosy clouds filling the sky.

“Look, it clearly works.” She held out her hand and fished out an illusory cloud, and the Commonage Talisman instantly turned into nothingness.

Tantai Jin frowned and looked at her.

Couldn’t see, he still couldn’t see anything. Last time, he could also see it, but  this time, the talisman dispersed and there was still only the young girl with pink cherry blossoms pinned on her hair in front of him.

“I can’t see it.”

Su Su was angry because she felt like Tantai Jin was scamming ⁶碰瓷 (pèngcí) – (coll.) to scam somebody by setting up an “accident” in which one appears to have sustained damage or injury caused by the scam victim, then demanding compensation (variations include putting “expensive” porcelain in a place where it is likely to be knocked over by passers-by, and stepping into the path of a slow-moving car)her. His people were abused by Xiao Lin’s Hidden Dragon Guards, so he returned to the palace in a bad mood and he caught her to fool her.

She immediately put down the pole⁷expression for stopping to do something, imagine a pole with loads that are carried on the shoulder and quit, “You play by yourself!”

She was just about to walk away when Tantai Jin instinctively went to pull her back.

Su Su didn’t even turn around, and a candle flame in the air flew over and burnt Tantai Jin’s fingertips. He retracted his hand, “You!”

Curved Jade suddenly said, “He didn’t lie, Little Master, it was you who didn’t learn the Commonage Talisman well.”

Curved Jade earnestly said, “When your dad used the Commonage Talisman to coax you for fun, he didn’t tell you that this kind of charm only works for those who have the common people in their hearts. Tantai Jin could see it before because he only had power and the world in his heart.”

Su Su didn’t expect this either.

“But now,” Curved Jade was silent for a moment, “The Commonage Talisman burned out, and you’re before his eyes.”

He couldn’t see the common people.

The feelings in the young Devil God’s heart weren’t pure anymore.

Su Su turned her head and saw that the youth’s fingers were red. His dark eyes were fixed on her, and there was anger and some other emotions that even he himself couldn’t understand in them.

Su Su knew that this was a good opportunity.

She walked back, “It’s me who didn’t learn well, I’m sorry.”

He clenched his fist and was about to open his mouth with biting sarcasm⁸冷嘲热讽 (lěngcháo-rèfěng) – frigid irony and scorching satire (idiom); to mock and ridicule.

The young girl suddenly cupped his face and smacked her lips on his cheek and nonchalantly said, “As an apology!”

The fleeting⁹蜻蜓点水 (qīngtíng-diǎnshuǐ) – lit. the dragonfly touches the water lightly; superficial contact softness on his face made his whole body freeze.

When he reacted, he gritted his teeth and tugged at her collar, “You……”

“Are shameless?” Su Su finished his sentence.

The two were extremely close, so close that Tantai Jin could clearly see the eyelashes of the young girl in front of him. He pursed his lips, unable to say anything.

Su Su said, “Then, are you happy now?”

He remained silent, and squeezed a sentence out of his teeth, “What I want is the Commonage Talisman.”

Su Su’s face was tinged with a faint helplessness, “The Commonage Talisman might not be working anymore. I gave you a kiss to forget about it, okay?”

Tantai Jin coldly stared at her, as if she was a worthless joke.

Su Su said, “Alright, then I’ll think of a way to get you a Commonage Talisman.”

She planned to pull her hand away and leave.

But Tantai Jin refused to let go, and he stubbornly and stiffly dragged her back. Seeing a hint of ridicule in her eyes, he didn’t move.

Just when Su Su thought the situation would continue to stagnate, Tantai Jin suddenly pressed the back of her head and lowered his head.

His eyes were closed, and his lips were cold and slightly trembling.

The smile in Su Su’s eyes slowly bloomed.

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The author has something to say:

Su Su: You’re done for.

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Edited by: Gaze

Translator’s Note: 元宵节¹⁰Yuánxiāojié – Lantern Festival, the final event of the Spring Festival 春节, on 15th of first month of the lunar calendar快乐 Happy Lantern Festival！！！