CH 10

Su Tang's voice is loud, the people in the hall were all surprised for a moment, they all turned their face to look at him.

Ling Si was the first one to react, he gently patted Su Tang's head, then placed him within his arms, only then did he laugh and faced Sun Rouwan saying: "I have let you be ridiculed, letting us stay together in one room is just fine."

When he said this, his voice was warm and gentle,the nearby maidservants couldn't help but blush, she first looked at Su Tang, and then looked at Ling Si, discovering they are similar, she felt embarrassed to take a second peek.

(Note: Maidservant feels Ling Si and Su Tang are both good looking)

To think the two are originally a pair, no wonder. That white jade little prince is so good looking, whoever sees him will like him, with regards to this he is delicate and lovable, at a glance you can tell the Taoist Priest pampers him.

But the two are really a match, the maidservants could not help but take another two glances.

Su Tang, being stared at in this matter also became shy, but he did not retreat, only directly clinging onto Ling Si, like a nursing kitten, just barely calling out: Ling Si is mine, none of you are allowed to fight for him.

Ling Si seeing Su Tang acting in this manner, his heart pounded.

This little fox, how is he so cute?

"Then let's prepare a room." Sun Rouwan was calm despite this unexpected circumstance, softly smiling, letting the maidservants go first.

"I have troubled Miss Sun." Ling Si said.

"You are our visitor." Sun Rouwan finished, seeing Ling Si just sitting there drinking tea, his eyes slightly sweeping the crowd, not making any further actions.

She thought for a moment, then suddenly came to a realization, she immediately assigned the remaining maidservants some chores, and they all descended.

There are now only three people left in the hall.

Only then did Ling Si stand up, he first allowed Sun Rouwan and Su Tang to find a safe place to stand, and from his bag he took out a stack of talismans, pasting it in the four corners of the hall, then followed it up with swinging his arms out letting some coins fly, in the middle of the coins a red string was strung through it, in the dark, the candles brought forth a strange light.

Then he began to recite a mantra, the coins on the talismans pressed down tightly on the walls, the tails of the red strings began to fly, as the mantras are chanted faster and faster, the hall gradually began to light up with a bright white light, becoming increasingly brighter, dazzling the eyes.

"Now!" Ling Si ordered, all the red strings hearing the command, quickly intertwined, in the center of the hall creating a red net, Ling Si waved his right hand, sending out a lotus like talisman, unequivocally falling into the center of the net.

The lotus abruptly unfolded letting out a light, the candle flames spontaneously combust, undoubtedly the doors of the main hall was sealed securely, but suddenly a cold wind attacked, the candle flames flickered uncertainly, Ling Si used his finger to strike, creating an echo, the flames in the center of the hall extinguished, only the light from the lotus remained.

Ling Si completed the entire process neatly, and did not drag anyone under water, the red strings converged together through the use of Zhèn fǎ and gathered under the light, he then quietly retreated.

(Note: drag anyone under water = imagine someone who's in trouble and they drag you into their mess so you can get into trouble with them)

(Note: Zhèn fǎ = type of method from spiritual teachings?)

Among the glow of the fire, there seems to be something that is being burned, hoarsely screaming, it made ones hands and feet cold, Su Tang unconsciously bowed his head, only to see a horrible shadow on the ground, that shadow was constantly twisting, resembling an executed demon, struggling as it dies

"Ah!" Su Tang, in the end has never encountered such a scene, he could not help but be scared and screamed, he backed away, his legs and feet didn't work well, as a result he fell to the ground.

At this time, a pair of warm hands held onto his waist, Su Tang automatically leaned in, just in time to fall onto a broad chest.

"Do not be afraid, I am here." Ling Si said from behind him, the sound is gentle, but very reliable.

Su Tong instantly settled down, but he was still frightened to death, his legs and feet were still soft (Note: can't stand up), and finally can only be like a shrimp lying on it's side, hanging onto Ling Si's body.

However Zhèn fǎ is not yet completed, Ling Si used one hand to hold onto Su Tang, he used another single hand to hold onto the red strings, with his fingertips, the net woven from red strings became tighter and tighter, within the blaze of the fire the shadow struggled violently, an extraordinary ear piercing sound came out.

But Ling Si's eyes are calm, it seems that everything is in his control, after who knows how long, the demon issued out a roar, eventually burning away within the fire.

It's immediately followed by the rapid burning of the flames, it spread along the red strings, quickly becoming an ocean of fire, however seeing Ling Si did not move, the others did not dare to move.

The flames rapidly burned the talismans, ash fell, the miasma within the hall dispersed, the lotus petals closed, the flames seems as though it heard the beckoning of a general's command to submit itself.

The four copper coins flew into Ling Si's hands from the four corners of the hall, at the same time, a brown dān fell to the ground, everyone's souls has not yet returned to their bodies, Ling Si first went to set alight the lamps, turning back saying: " It has ended "

(Note: dān = pellet)

He said, he scraped up a bit of the brown dān , and took out a blank talisman and folded it into a paper crane, recited an incantation, then placed the dān into the paper crane, and let it fly.

Su Tang was also just immersed in the fire, incapable of extracting himself, his little face is scared deathly pale, standing motionlessly away at a distance.

Sun Rouwan was slightly better than him, however the face complexion wasn't good, barely able to sit down on a seat, and wanting to drink tea to relieve the shock.

"Baby, still afraid?" Ling Si touched Su Tang's head, asking.

"Ah ... ..." Su Tang nodded his head, his eyes slightly red, whoever looked at his little appearance will feel bad, Ling Si quickly picked him up, and fed him a sweet, Su Tang buried his head in his arms, letting Ling Si smooth out his hair.

After a long time, Sun Rouwan made a sound: "Taoist Priest Ling, that matter just before, can you elaborate it?"

Ling Si nodded his head, holding Su Tang he sat up straight, only saying: "You have demons within your residence, every corner has it, it seems to be monitoring you, I only merely got rid of it's head, after the lotus light burned it the brown dān is what's left of the demon."

"That brown thing?" Sun Rouwan asked softly.

"Correct," Ling Si answered, and continued:" There are other demons above this demon, if it was all eliminated, I fear it will only beat the grass to scare the snake, therefore I folded the paper crane in advance to replace it, then trace the source, in the future there will be an opportunity to eliminate it all at one stroke."

(Note: beat the grass to scare the snake = to inadvertently alert an enemy)

Sun Rouwan tactfully listened to it in it's entirety, and suddenly called to mind a case that caused the people great anxiety, knowing that she could have been the next casualty, she could not help but shiver.

"Then tonight .... what's to be done?" Sun Rouwan asked softly with some fear..

"Rest normally, but do not allow the demon to discover your location,"Ling Si finished, and thinking the other person may be afraid, he added:" The last missing young lady was just yesterday, these three days you are safe, before the demon kills you I will dispose of it for you, moreover there is talismans to protect you, you do not need to be excessively anxious."

Sun Rouwan gently nodded, recalling Ling Si's ability just before, her heart relaxed, but she had experienced too much recently, she is extremely tired, but still inadvertently chatted with Ling Si and company, they headed back to the rooms.

Ling Si and Su Tang went back to their room and discovered the maidservants have already prepared the hot water long ago, however Su Tang was scared just a moment ago and his legs were still soft, in his heart he also felt too lazy to get up, but he wasn't allowed to lie down.

"Baby, get up for a bath." Ling Si with great difficulty picked up Su Tang from behind, coaxingly saying.

"I do not have the strength." Su Tang went to recline on the bed, extending a calf, lovably and delicately, stating: "Little Ling, help zhèn to take a bath and change clothes."

(Note: Su Tang is using the imperial form of "we" which is "zhèn". It's a term emperors use to refer to themselves while talking to their subjects or servants.)

The author has something to say: attack: seeking but failing to get!

(Note: lit. seek but fail to get (idiom); fig. exactly what one's been looking for)