The Ninth Lady is a rebellious person.

Chapter 293 Reputation Ruined
Ning Long, this long-unheard name suddenly entered my ears, like a shovel, lifting the lid that buried secrets and exposing the filth, darkness and invisible things hidden inside.

Sheng Huai'an recalled the brilliant and talented scholar from Jiangnan in his memory. He came from a declining scholarly family, and from birth, his educational resources were far superior to those of his own farming and scholarly family.

He is as his name suggests, possessing a brilliant mind and understanding of everything. He can grasp any essay or policy instantly, and his insights are unique. His poems and articles are always praised, read, and spread. He is like the bright moon in the sky, worthy of admiration.

Sheng Huai'an, on the other hand, had to put in his utmost effort to study, spending twice as much time as others and never slacking off day or night, before gradually joining them and becoming a classmate at the state school.

Ning Long finds studying too easy. He always seems nonchalant, yet he consistently ranks first in every major exam. It's so unfair!

He clearly didn't put in any effort, so why did he get first place so easily? Was it just because he had an extra bit of talent?

What Sheng Huai'an hated most was Ning Long's mentality. It was as if she was confident that she had everything under control and had it all in her grasp. That arrogant confidence, which seemed to look down on everyone, was dazzling and made people want to destroy that confidence.

This idea grew stronger and stronger, and eventually, he got his chance.

In their village, there was a Taoist priest named Wuchi who had followed a wandering Taoist priest in his early years. Somehow, he returned to the village and began practicing in the mountains. He said he could help him change his fate, but on the condition that he had his son.

Sheng Huai'an married young, and his son was once known as a "unicorn son," according to the temple keeper of the most famous Guan Gong temple in their village. And indeed, his son, Cong'er, was very intelligent from a young age.

If he had Ning Long's luck, would he have been the top student, enjoying smooth sailing and leading his family to a new era, soaring to great heights?

He is young, he can have more sons, and he can even marry a lady from a prestigious family, but he only has one chance to change his fate.

Sheng Huai'an thought about Ning Long's luck and intelligence, but in the end, greed overwhelmed human kindness, and he made a deal with the devil.

The five-foot-tall Taoist priest truly mastered the art of extracting souls and bones, and imprisoning and manipulating them.

He became the renowned Mr. Liu Feng, married his mentor's daughter as his second wife, and his family became a distinguished noble family. His son...

His only regret was his son.

He never managed to have another prodigy, only a spoiled brat raised by women who was good for neither literature nor martial arts. He often wondered if this was retribution. He had personally sent away a prodigy, only to be given a good-for-nothing who could not inherit his mantle!
But that doesn't matter. He still has his grandson, whom he can personally teach. It's all possible. But now, his grandson is about to be gone.

There is no one to carry on the legacy.

Ning Long, is this your revenge?

Sheng Huai'an's vision blurred for a moment, and he seemed to see the bright moon, full of vigor and brilliance, slowly walking towards him.

Ninglong!

Sheng Huai'an made a hoarse sound, as if someone had grabbed his throat, making it impossible for him to speak. He tried to pry the invisible hand stuck in his throat with his left hand.

Everyone was stunned when the ghost revealed that Mr. Liu Feng had killed people to extract their bones.

Someone realized what was happening and wanted to curse this money-grubbing ghost, telling him to stop spouting nonsense and that Mr. Liu Feng was no villain. But before the words were even out of their mouths, they saw Mr. Liu Feng, as if possessed, frantically pawing at his throat.

What kind of show is this?
Immediately afterwards, they saw Sheng Huai'an, who was not good at walking, stand up and, as if he were a different person, clearly recount his past misdeeds, leaving everyone stunned and speechless.

No way, that can't be true. If this were true, it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor, punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan!
The late emperor has passed away, but he is still the ruler. Sheng Huai'an is deceiving the emperor!

Is he crazy?
The students turned pale, exchanged glances, and retreated hastily. Some of the more astute ones had already slipped away quietly, lest they attract the attention of officials. If they joined forces with this man who had committed the heinous crime of deceiving the emperor and tried to seek justice for him, their futures would be ruined, and they might even implicate their families. Others, eager to hear the story, quickly jotted down what 'Sheng Huai'an' had said. Good heavens, this was a bombshell that would shock the literary world! If a storyteller told it in a teahouse or tavern, wouldn't the place explode?
Upon hearing that Sheng Huai'an was making a deal with evil forces by using his son, someone couldn't help but throw the stinky tofu they were eating at him.

"Even tigers don't eat their cubs, but you do the opposite; you're simply vicious."

"That's right, sages and saints? Bah! They're clearly wolves in sheep's clothing!"

"No wonder it turned out like this, it's karma."

"kill him."

"Report to the authorities! Report to the authorities immediately! This man has committed the crime of deceiving the emperor!"

Deceiving the emperor is an unforgivable crime!
The servants of the Sheng family trembled; it was over, they were going to die.

The old man's self-destruction is no different from publicly slitting his own throat with a sword.
They wanted to cover his mouth and carry him away, but the current 'old man' was terrifying, with a chilling aura emanating from him, and they couldn't get close!

The area in front of Tongtian Pavilion has never been so lively.

Ever since Sheng Huai'an revealed his true colors, people have been spreading the word and flocking to this place to hear how he committed evil and harmed others out of greed.

When the Sheng family learned the news, their first thought was not to bring the person back, but to pack their valuables and try to escape. However, soon, soldiers surrounded their house and blocked all the entrances and exits.

The Sheng family is finished!

After Sheng Huai'an finished recounting the evil deeds, his expression changed again. He collapsed softly to the ground, watching the rotten leaves and eggs flying towards him. His throat itched, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

He knew exactly what he had just said—no, what Ning Long had said—but he couldn't regain control.

This is Ning Long's counter-suppression, just as he has suppressed Ning Long all these years.

Sheng Huai'an is finished!
He turned his head with difficulty and saw Ning Long standing beside him, looking down at him with the same disdain and indifference as when she was young.

Sheng Huai'an stretched out his hand and made two "heh heh" sounds: "Give it back to me..."

He must return to the Linglong Tower.

Obsessive.

Ning Long sneered and turned back to A Piao and the others.

Lang Jiuchuan shook his head slightly and cast a spell on Sheng Huai'an, keeping him alive.

The crime of deceiving the emperor requires evidence; otherwise, how can Ning Long be exonerated? The scholar who achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations died due to human greed, falling victim to evil magic. What a pity!

She needs to add fuel to the fire in the fight against evil and heresy!
More and more officers and soldiers came over, dispersed the onlookers, lifted Sheng Huai'an up, and also took away several students who didn't have time to run away.

Ah Piao spread her hands, feigning shock, and said, "I never imagined that Mr. Liu Feng would be such a villain. Truly, justice prevails and retribution is swift!"

Everyone: This show is so fake!