Chapter 216: Knowing People, Knowing Faces, Not Knowing Hearts

"You mean, Lu Yao drew it wrong so it didn't take effect?" He Lingchuan was dumbfounded. "As a life-saving trump card, no matter how reckless he was, he shouldn't have been so careless, right?"

"I've heard of Lu Yao's name; this guy is called the Cannibal General and originally came from the grass roots." Li Qingge smiled. "But you're right, this talisman is skillful and fine, showing years of attainments, which shouldn't be something Lu Yao could do."

"This is just an ordinary talisman, drawing the Wind-Fixing Technique..." Li Qingge suddenly stopped, picking up the talisman paper and shining it against the fire basin.

She got closer and closer. He Lingchuan thought she was going to throw the talisman paper into the fire basin and was about to speak, when the talisman paper "whooshed" and caught fire.

"Hey!" Even if you can't see it, you don't have to burn it; this is food for the God Bone! He Lingchuan wanted to snatch it back, but Li Qingge pressed his arm. "Don't be impatient!"

The tone was firm and severe, completely different from the previous gentleness.

The flames burned out in two or three strokes. The magical thing was that the talisman paper was still intact, but there was a smoky, burnt smell in the air.

"Sure enough." Li Qingge turned the talisman paper toward him. "Look again."

He Lingchuan stared intently, seeing it was still black paper with red characters, but the strokes and patterns seemed to be a bit different.

"Is this its true appearance?"

Li Qingge didn't answer, put it back on the table and spread it flat, observing it carefully.

"I've only seen this kind of talisman in ancient books, I didn't expect to see the real thing today." She said solemnly. "This is the Jiao God Curse."

"What is the function?"

"Using oneself as a skin bag, inviting the gods to descend to show supreme supernatural powers."

So Lu Yao didn't intend to save himself or escape when he swallowed the talisman, but to invite the gods to descend and open a big move to kill all the enemies?

He didn't intend to live, wanting others to be buried with him. Lu Yao lived up to the name of a fierce bandit.

"Then what's the difference from God Descent?"

"You've also heard of God Descent?" Li Qingge looked at him. "God Descent requires long-term and careful arrangement beforehand, and the gods will descend into a specified skin bag that can withstand their power; the Jiao God Curse is to temporarily invite the gods, and the skin bag offered doesn't necessarily meet the gods' requirements."

"Can you invite any god?"

"Of course not." Li Qingge smiled. "The gods don't like to be offended either. The talisman drawer must pray and communicate beforehand, that is, greet them first. Once there is trouble, they will ask the other party to descend. So every drawn talisman actually corresponds to a god."

"Then, who does this one correspond to?"

"That's not clear, there is a correspondence in the dark, and it won't be displayed on the talisman." Li Qingge said softly. "I heard that the price of God Descent is huge, and this Jiao God Curse is even more so. When it can be used, the person either has no way out or is exhausted, so the chips are paid to the gods beforehand, and humans demand the latter to appear and help when swallowing the talisman. Lu Yao didn't invite any god after swallowing the talisman, so he was so surprised."

Understood, this is a check, and it should be cashed when it should be cashed. As a result, Lu Yao was bounced.

The gods actually broke their promise, and Lu Yao's despair and doubt were imaginable.

After understanding, He Lingchuan felt a lingering fear. "Thanks to the gods not birding him, otherwise none of us present would have survived?"

"Pretty much." Li Qingge changed to a cup of hot tea. "I haven't seen the gods descend, so I don't know its power. But since it can be used as a trump card, the power shouldn't be weak. I guess this wasn't made by Lu Yao either, it should have come from Hong Xiangqian."

Hong Xiangqian has the name of "Saint Teacher," it's not strange to be able to communicate with the heavenly gods, right?

"Why didn't the gods come?" If this talisman was made by Hong Xiangqian, it should be very reliable, and the price was also prepaid by Hong Xiangqian. Lu Yao just had to take it and use it.

"That's hard to say." Li Qingge thought for a long time. "Maybe the talisman itself has flaws, after all, these secret arts don't have standard versions to compare; maybe the gods look down on Lu Yao and are too lazy to exert effort for him—anyway, Hong Xiangqian is already dead. This talisman should logically be a contract between Hong Xiangqian and the gods; or maybe... the gods had something to do and couldn't come in person?"

"Anyway, it still boils down to that sentence—" She pushed the talisman forward, smiling like a flower. "Young Master He is indeed a general of good fortune, to be able to encounter such a one-in-a-million luck."

"It seems I should go back and have a drink to suppress the shock." He Lingchuan put away the talisman and said goodbye after thanking Li Qingge.

The Marquis of Songyang looked at his back, thoughtful.

Half a quarter of an hour later, Li Fubo came to visit. He happened to pass by He Lingchuan on the way.

The Marquis of Songyang discussed the improvement of the sword-planting method with him. Since the nature of the saber was very active, the duration of planting the saber might be shortened to within ten days.

After the business was discussed, Li Qingge asked Li Fubo, "You have been by He Lingchuan's side for seven or eight days, what do you think of this person?"

Li Fubo thought for a while. "Except for his preference for cultivation and martial arts, he is no different from ordinary rich family children. His personality is a bit reckless and straightforward, and he spends money lavishly, so he is not annoying in the army."

"Reckless and straightforward?" The Marquis of Songyang smiled. "Spiritual weapons choose their masters. Do you think Zhong Shengguang's legacy saber would recognize a reckless man as its master?"

Li Fubo shook his head. "The subordinate thinks that spiritual weapons choosing their masters don't consider temperament, only courage."

The Marquis of Songyang was playful. "Then, at least these four words are there."

He Chunhua is full of schemes, while his eldest son He Lingchuan is reckless and straightforward.

Is that so? At this time, the maid came to report: "The business news from the northern demon kingdom branch has arrived."

"Bring it in."

So someone came in to send the letter.

Li Fubo took the opportunity to retire.

Since the black talisman couldn't be used for reference, He Lingchuan fed it to the God Bone Necklace, and then returned to the post station.

Unexpectedly, both He Chunhua and his wife were there.

Lady Ying saw him and chased after him to ask: "You chatted with the Marquis of Songyang for so long, what did you say?"

"Discussed the plan for recasting the broken sword, and I asked her to analyze the things left by Lu Yao." He Lingchuan yawned. "Her almond tea is delicious, it's gone."

"What thing?" It was He Chunhua who spoke.

"A black talisman, I picked it up from Lu Yao." He Lingchuan shrugged. "It turned out to be a talisman to invite the gods to descend to help with revenge. He used it but it didn't take effect. Hey, I walked before the Ghost Gate and didn't know it."

"Let me see." He Chunhua reached out to him.

"Gone." He Lingchuan scratched his head. "The pattern on it needs to be near the fire to be displayed, and I accidentally burned it to ashes."

He Chunhua oh-ed, seemingly not taking it to heart. Lady Ying sighed softly: "The Marquis of Songyang is also pitiful, becoming a widow at such a young age."

"She...?" She was married? He Lingchuan was stunned.

Forget it, he was tired of saying things like "Why didn't anyone tell me."

Lady Ying was very satisfied with her eldest son's cooperative expression. "Li Qingge married Fan Linong, the Secretary Supervisor, at the age of sixteen. This was a marriage designated by her grandfather, which can be said to be painstaking. I heard that this Master Fan was talented and handsome, the youngest Secretary Supervisor since the founding of our Great Yuan, and a perfect match for Li Qingge. It's a pity that he didn't have the blessing to enjoy the beauty's grace, and died of illness less than two years after marriage, at the age of twenty-nine. This is really, heaven envies talent."

The Secretary Supervisor is the head of the Secretariat, in charge of classics, astronomy, and the calendar. It sounds like a high rank, but it actually has no real power.

It seems that the old Marquis of Songyang knew the risk of high position and great power, and found a leisurely husband for his granddaughter who was far away from the political storm center.

He Chunhua smiled. "Where did the lady hear about it?"

Lady Ying squinted at him. "The noble families of Shi Huan City have all kinds of news." This time she also made many friends in Shi Huan City, and the news was much better than before. "Didn't the master say that the wind and grass in the capital should not be let go?"

"Fan Linong is indeed talented, and indeed died early, but not of illness." He Chunhua turned to tell the steward Old Mo to do things first, and then continued, "He stood on the wrong side in the struggle for the throne. As a result, after the current Saint succeeded to the throne, he promulgated the reform, and he sneered and criticized it, believing that the reform was weak and ineffective, and advocated that the northern demon kingdom was enlightened. Later, someone reported that he sympathized with the rebels and secretly helped the rebellion, and presented evidence of the crime, so the King cut off his head."

He said slowly: "Guess, who reported him?"

He Lingchuan looked at Lady Ying, who was full of shock.

Treason is a capital crime. If the evidence is conclusive, why is this trial not made public, but covered up by the name of illness? Taking a step back, why is Li Qingge fine, and still able to manage her Songyang Mansion well?

Why is the Fan family fine, and not implicated?

The answer is almost ready to come out.

Lady Ying hesitated before tentatively asking: "Could it be, Li Qingge?"

"'Someone secretly sent the evidence of the crime to the palace and presented it to the King,' this is the original words. I don't know if it's the Marquis of Songyang. The only ones who know the truth are the King and the informer himself." He Chunhua leaned back in the chair. "But I heard that the Marquis of Songyang had just entered the palace two days before Fan Linong was arrested. Few people know about this, and the King intends not to spread it."

Lady Ying stroked her heart and said tremblingly: "What a vicious heart this woman has!"

She and He Chunhua had a happy marriage and everything went well, so she couldn't imagine how other women could report their own husbands.

However, hearing this, she was also mostly relieved. Since her husband knew that the Marquis of Songyang had a heart of a snake and scorpion, he would probably be vigilant against her?

He Lingchuan was also surprised. Is this knowing people, knowing faces, not knowing hearts?

At this time, the steward Old Mo came in to report: "Master, everyone is here."

He Chunhua sat up straight: "Let them in."

Seeing that he had serious business to do, Lady Ying left the scene in a hurry.

Before arriving at Dunyu, He Chunhua had to gather his subordinates to hold another meeting. This time, everyone came very complete: the three father and son of the He family, Zeng Feixiong, Wu Shaoyi, Zhao Qinghe, Mo Zhejingxuan, and the three generals newly promoted by the Ceying Army were all here.

These were the backbones that He Chunhua trusted.

Before opening his mouth, he gave each of his subordinates a green bamboo tube with a stopper at the mouth.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 217 =====