Chapter 215: Knowing people by face but not by heart

“If you draw one line wrong on a talisman, the whole thing is ruined.”

“Are you saying Lu Yao's talisman didn't work because he drew it incorrectly?” He Lingchuan said, half-amused, half-exasperated. “Even for someone as reckless as him, he wouldn't treat a life-saving trump card so carelessly, would he?”

“I've heard of Lu Yao; he's called the Cannibal General and came from humble origins,” Li Qingge said with a smile. “But you're right, this talisman is drawn with such skill and precision, showing years of mastery. It’s unlikely Lu Yao made it.”

“This is just an ordinary talisman, depicting a Wind-Calming Spell…” Li Qingge suddenly stopped speaking, picking up the talisman paper and holding it up to the brazier.

She leaned closer and closer. He Lingchuan thought she was about to throw the paper into the brazier and was about to speak when the talisman paper suddenly burst into flames with a whoosh.

“Hey!” He exclaimed. Even if you can't decipher it, there's no need to burn it! This is food for the divine bone!

He Lingchuan moved to snatch it back, but Li Qingge firmly pressed down on his arm. “Calm down!”

Her tone was firm and stern, completely unlike her previous gentle demeanor.

The flames quickly died out. Miraculously, the talisman paper remained intact, though the air was now filled with the smell of smoke and char.

“Just as I thought,” Li Qingge said, turning the talisman towards him. “Take another look.”

He Lingchuan stared intently. It still looked like black paper with red characters, but the strokes and patterns seemed slightly different.

“Is this its true form?”

Li Qingge did not reply. She placed it back on the table, smoothing it out, and examined it closely.

“I’ve only ever seen this kind of talisman in ancient texts; I never expected to see a real one today,” she said seriously. “This is a God-Summoning Charm.”

“What does it do?”

“It uses one’s own body as a vessel, inviting a deity to descend and manifest supreme divine power.”

So, when Lu Yao swallowed the talisman, he wasn’t trying to save himself or escape, but rather to summon a deity to descend and unleash a devastating attack to kill all his enemies?

He clearly had no intention of surviving, wanting to take his enemies down with him. Lu Yao certainly lived up to his reputation as a ferocious bandit.

“How is that different from a divine descent?”

“You’ve heard of divine descent?” Li Qingge glanced at him. “A divine descent requires extensive and careful preparation beforehand, and the deity descends into a pre-selected vessel that can withstand its power. A God-Summoning Charm, however, is an impromptu invitation to a deity, and the vessel offered might not necessarily meet the deity's requirements.”

“Can you summon any deity?”

“Of course not,” Li Qingge chuckled. “Deities don’t like to be offended. The talisman artist must pray and communicate with them beforehand—in other words, make prior arrangements—so that the deity will descend when trouble arises. Therefore, each completed talisman is actually linked to a specific deity.”

“So, which deity is this talisman linked to?”

“That’s unclear. There’s an unseen connection, but it’s not displayed on the talisman,” Li Qingge said softly. “I’ve heard that divine descent rituals come at a huge cost, and a God-Summoning Charm like this is even more so. When it's used, the person is either at their wit’s end or on their last breath. Therefore, the payment is given to the deity in advance, and when the human swallows the talisman, they’re asking the deity to appear and help. The fact that Lu Yao swallowed the talisman and no deity appeared is why he was so surprised.”

Understood. It was like a check that should have been cashed when the time came. But Lu Yao got bounced.

A deity, dishonoring their word—Lu Yao’s despair and confusion were understandable.

After understanding, He Lingchuan felt a shiver of dread. “Thank goodness the deity didn’t respond to him, or none of us present would have survived?”

“More or less,” Li Qingge said, pouring herself a fresh cup of hot tea. “I’ve never witnessed a divine descent, so I don’t know its full power. But since it can be used as a trump card, its power shouldn't be weak. I suspect Lu Yao didn’t make this either; it likely came from Hong Xiangqian.”

Hong Xiangqian was known as the “Sacred Master,” so it wouldn’t be surprising if he could communicate with deities, would it?

“Why didn’t the deity come?” If this talisman was made by Hong Xiangqian, it should have been very reliable, and the cost would have been paid by Hong Xiangqian in advance, meaning Lu Yao only needed to use it.

“That’s hard to say,” Li Qingge mused for a long time. “Perhaps the talisman itself had a flaw, as there are no standard versions of these secret arts to compare against. Or perhaps the deity simply looked down on Lu Yao and couldn’t be bothered to exert power for him—after all, Hong Xiangqian was already dead. This talisman, by rights, should have been a contract between Hong Xiangqian and the deity. Or perhaps… the deity was otherwise occupied and couldn’t personally attend?”

“In any case, it comes back to that one saying—” She pushed the talisman forward, a radiant smile on her face. “Young Master He is truly a lucky general; to encounter such one-in-a-million good fortune.”

“Looks like I should go back and have a drink to calm my nerves,” He Lingchuan said, pocketing the talisman. He thanked Li Qingge and took his leave.

Marquis Songyang watched his retreating figure, lost in thought.

A quarter of an hour later, Li Fubo came to pay his respects. He had just passed He Lingchuan on his way there.

Marquis Songyang discussed improvements to the broken blade’s cultivation method with him. Since the blade’s properties were highly active, the cultivation period might be shortened to within ten days.

After their official business was concluded, Li Qingge asked Li Fubo, “You’ve been with He Lingchuan for seven or eight days now. What’s your impression of him?”

Li Fubo considered this. “Aside from his preference for cultivation and martial arts, he’s much like any other rich young master. His character is somewhat straightforward and he spends lavishly, which makes him not unpopular in the army.”

“Straightforward?” Marquis Songyang smiled. “Spirit artifacts choose their masters. Do you think Zhong Shengguang’s legacy blade would acknowledge a brute as its master?”

Li Fubo, however, shook his head. “I believe spirit artifacts don’t consider temperament or disposition when choosing a master; they only look for fierce courage.”

Marquis Songyang mused, “So, at least those four words apply.”

He Chunhua was cunning, while his eldest son, He Lingchuan, was straightforward.

Was that truly the case?

Just then, a maid reported, “The business report from the northern demon kingdom branch has arrived.”

“Bring it in.”

Someone then entered to deliver the message.

Li Fubo took the opportunity to excuse himself.

Since the black talisman was useless for reference, He Lingchuan casually fed it to the divine bone necklace, then returned to the guesthouse.

Unexpectedly, both He Chunhua and his wife were present.

Lady Ying saw him and immediately questioned, “You talked with Marquis Songyang for so long, what did you two discuss?”

“We discussed plans for reforging the broken sword, and I asked her to analyze the items Lu Yao left behind.” He Lingchuan yawned. “Her almond tea was delicious. That’s all.”

“What items?” It was He Chunhua who spoke.

“A black talisman I picked up from Lu Yao,” He Lingchuan shrugged. “Turns out it was a charm to summon a deity to help with revenge. He used it, but it didn’t work. Sigh, I walked through the gates of hell without even realizing it.”

“Let me see,” He Chunhua said, extending a hand towards him.

“It’s gone,” He Lingchuan scratched his head. “The pattern on it only shows near fire, and I accidentally burned it to ash.”

He Chunhua uttered a quiet "Oh" and didn't seem to take it to heart. Lady Ying, however, sighed softly. “Marquis Songyang is quite pitiful; she became a widow at such a young age.”

“She…?” She was married? He Lingchuan was stunned.

Never mind. He was tired of saying, “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

Lady Ying, however, was pleased with her eldest son’s responsive expression. “Li Qingge married Fan Linong, the Imperial Secretary, at sixteen. This was a match arranged by her grandfather, truly showing his thoughtful intentions. I heard that Master Fan was talented and handsome, the youngest Imperial Secretary since the founding of Great Yan, and he and Li Qingge were considered a perfect match. Unfortunately, he was not fated to enjoy the beauty’s grace; he passed away from illness less than two years after their marriage, at the age of twenty-nine. It truly was a case of heaven envying talent.”

The Imperial Secretary was the head of the Imperial Secretariat, in charge of classics, maps, astronomical records, and calendars. While it sounded like a high-ranking position, it was essentially equivalent to the director of the national library and held no real power in the current dynasty.

It seemed the old Marquis Songyang deeply understood the dangers of high office and great power, so he found a leisurely husband for his granddaughter, keeping her away from the center of political storms.

He Chunhua smiled. “Madam, where did you hear that?”

Lady Ying cast a sidelong glance at him. “The noble families of Shihuan City have all kinds of information.” This time, she had made quite a few friends in Shihuan City, and her intelligence network was much better than before. “Didn’t you say, my lord, that we shouldn’t let any ripple in the capital go unnoticed?”

“Fan Linong was indeed talented, and he did die young, but not from illness,” He Chunhua said. He first turned to instruct Butler Mo to attend to some matters, then continued, “He sided with the wrong party in the struggle for the throne. Then, after the current emperor ascended and enacted reforms, Fan Linong became sarcastic and highly critical, asserting that the reforms were weak and ineffective, and openly advocated for the enlightened system of the northern demon kingdom. Later, someone reported him for sympathizing with rebels and secretly aiding their seditious acts, presenting evidence. The King then had him beheaded.”

He slowly said, “Guess who reported him?”

He Lingchuan looked at Lady Ying, whose face was filled with shock.

Treason was a grave crime. If the evidence was conclusive, why wasn’t the trial made public? Instead, Fan Linong’s true cause of death was covered up as an illness.

Furthermore, why was Li Qingge unharmed and still able to manage her Marquis Songyang estate?

And why was the Fan family also unharmed, not implicated?

The answer was practically obvious.

Lady Ying hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking, “Could it be Li Qingge?”

“‘Someone secretly sent incriminating evidence into the palace, presenting it before the King’—those were the exact words. I don’t know if it was Marquis Songyang. The only ones who likely know the truth are the King and the informant themselves,” He Chunhua leaned back in his chair. “However, I heard that Marquis Songyang had just entered the palace two days before Fan Linong was arrested. Few people know about this, as the King intentionally kept it private.”

Lady Ying trembled, clutching her chest. “That woman has such a venomous heart!”

Her relationship with He Chunhua was harmonious, and everything in her life was smooth. She couldn’t imagine how another woman could accuse her own husband.

However, hearing this, she felt largely relieved. Since her husband knew Marquis Songyang had a venomous heart, he would probably be wary of her, right?

He Lingchuan was also surprised. Was this a case of knowing someone’s face but not their heart?

Just then, Butler Mo came in to report, “My lord, everyone has arrived.”

He Chunhua straightened up. “Let them in.”

Seeing that he was about to conduct serious business, Lady Ying quickly left.

Before arriving in Dunyu, He Chunhua intended to gather his subordinates for another meeting. This time, everyone was present: the three men from the He family, Zeng Feixiong, Wu Shaoyi, Zhao Qinghe, Mozhe Jingxuan, and the three newly promoted generals from the support army.

These were He Chunhua's trusted core members.

Before speaking, he first handed each subordinate a green bamboo tube with a stopper at its opening.