"That's right! That one! As long as you tear off that golden talisman, I guarantee you'll become emperor!"
Bai Yujun braced herself against the chair, her face filled with excitement, as though she longed for the freedom that was about to come. Meanwhile, Li Zhang swayed drunkenly, never quite able to reach the golden talisman.
"Revenge is almost within reach~!"
"You only need one tug to fulfill your wish~"
"Killing that demon is as easy as turning over one's hand. Take it slow, don't rush, you'll reach it any moment now~"
Just as Li Zhang's hand was about to seize the golden talisman...
Li Zhang suddenly smiled.
"No, I won't take down this golden talisman. Wouldn't taking it down let you break free and leave?"
"Y-you... weren't drunk?"
Bai Yujun stared at him, dumbfounded.
"I was drunk, but not drunk enough to become that foolish. I'm sorry, but I can't help you leave. In the future, I'll still need your help to secure my Imperial Throne. How could I let you go?"
He hopped down from the chair and walked over to the stone where he usually sat, then took a seat. So he had indeed only been pretending to be drunk.
Bai Yujun's expression was a marvelous sight when she realized she had been played. She wanted both to strangle that hateful Li Zhang to death and to make him tear off the golden talisman. Those two expressions kept shifting across her pretty face, wonderfully vivid. The look of helpless defeat after a failed plan was displayed to the fullest, as though she had turned into a hysterical madwoman.
Her snake pupils brimmed with disappointment. Nearly trembling all over, she tilted her head back and struggled to restrain her emotions.
"I told you to take it down, but you