
Artist's commentary
The Taoist Emperess's Summer Holiday
Keh heh heh! I must say, it is nice to take a holiday every now and then.
Now go on, Master. You see that sunscreen on the table, yes? Well, then hurry up and put it on me. I am sure it will be more satisfying for you than if I were still in my small Assassin form. Consider it your reward for a job well done. Savor this good fortune while it lasts. But be sure you do not confuse the sunscreen for the chicken blood. That would make a mess in more ways than one.
Hm? You wish to know why I also have these Taoist instruments here? Why, there is no telling when undead monstrosities may intrude upon this beach, of course. If I am going to exorcise such spirit creatures, I may as well get it out of the way. So this summer, I am going to hunt down every last spirit beast I can find and add all those lost corpses to my jiāngshī army! Or at least, that is my goal. I am prepared to face them no matter when they appear, and that includes during the day. Hence, the sunscreen. Now hurry and put it on me already!
...Ohhh. Now I understand. You are dragging your feet to give yourself as much time as possible to admire me in my swimsuit, aren't you? Well, aren't you adorable. Very well then, in that case...
Even when she's supposed to be on summer vacation, the hard-working empress never forgets her duties.
I wanted her to at least relax while she was out here, so I put on sunscreen like she asked. As a reward, she gave me a jiāngshī talisman that she claimed had been custom-made.
When I turned it over, I found a pinup-style picture of her in her swimsuit.