The Ninth Lady is a rebellious person.

Chapter 448 People are afraid of being famous and pigs are afraid of being strong.
Lang Jiuchuan then asked about the aftermath of the Qiongshui water demon, as she still remembered that she needed to guide the soul of that child's corpse.

At this point, Gong Qi straightened his face and said, "The water demon's ghost domain was broken, and my fellow Daoist Yi Ce and I were swept into the undercurrent. Beneath that undercurrent, there was a resentful bone array. The riverbed was full of blackened corpses. It must have been a ghost-raising formation set up in the Qiong River many years ago, with human sacrifices every year, which resulted in a water demon that lived on resentment and almost caused a great disaster."

Lang Jiuchuan twirled the beaded string on his wrist and said, "The Ghost-Raising Formation is what gave birth to the Water Demon, which is also why it was able to cultivate the Myriad Souls Formation. It was just that it wasn't lucky enough to succeed at the last minute. Otherwise, if it had gathered a few more lives, it would have become a great force."

Gong Qi nodded, then said with a stern face, "Two of our Taoist priests have perished at the bottom of the river."

Lang Jiuchuan was taken aback: "Is it because the Ghost Realm was broken?"

“It must have been the inner demons that were triggered in the Ghost Realm.” Gong Qi sighed. “The spiritual energy is so scarce that it is impossible for people like us to cultivate the Great Dao of Immortality. But to be unable to even cross a Ghost Realm is simply because our path is too shallow.”

Lang Jiuchuan couldn't help but sneer: "They've been fighting openly and secretly for power and status within the Xuan Clan all this time. How pure can they possibly be if they want to comprehend the Great Dao? Top-tier resources won't fall into their laps; they'll only benefit those who are already in high positions."

Gong Qi pursed his lips and said, "The original intention of the Xuan Clan was simply to pass down the numerological arts that each clan was good at from generation to generation, becoming a family of Xuan masters, whether it be exorcising evil spirits, divination, fortune telling, medicine, alchemy, or feng shui. That was indeed the case at the beginning, but later..."

Later, the nature of the matter changed.

The Xuan Clan became arrogant and domineering, monopolizing and suppressing others, focusing on status and so-called bloodlines, while neglecting the most important aspects of cultivation and self-cultivation. Perhaps it was for this reason that the heavens allowed the Xuan Clan to gradually decline, with very few people possessing top-tier cultivation, and Foundation Establishment cultivators being extremely rare!
He's not even as good as the person in front of him!
Gong Qi looked at Lang Jiuchuan with a complicated expression.

What he didn't say was that she had caught the eye of the Xuan Clan and even many powerful figures. While people marveled at how formidable this young woman was, they also felt immense apprehension towards her.

They fear her!

"The news of your joint slaying of the Water Demon and the two half-demon evil spirits has already spread. Your name, Lang Jiuchuan, has already caught the attention of those with ulterior motives." Gong Qi looked at Lang Jiuchuan and said, "People are afraid of becoming famous, just as pigs are afraid of getting fat. You should be careful."

Lang Jiuchuan raised an eyebrow and met his gaze: "What, are you going to use those tricks of the Xuan Clan on me?"

If recruitment fails, suppress them.

"With their young master keeping them in check, the Gong family won't act rashly. The Feng family mainly focuses on weapon crafting, so they probably won't dare to make any rash moves either. But the royal family and the Rong family, especially the Rong family, are your mortal enemies, so I'm afraid..."

Lang Jiuchuan smiled and said, "Actually, what Daoist Zhishang said is not entirely correct. How can the decline of the nation's fortune be due to evil spirits? It is clearly their own doing that they are ruining the nation's fortune! When they cannot recruit a strong person, they will always suppress and kill them with all their might. In this way, when the common people are in trouble, who will save them?"

After she finished speaking, she stood up and said, "I understand your reminder, thank you. However, since they are determined to seek their own death, I don't mind using them as practice. That way, I will have a legitimate reason to use them."

Gong Qi asked, "You're leaving? Aren't you going to check the record of merits?"

"If you don't do it, I won't be having a calm discussion with you here; I'll be coming to your door." Lang Jiuchuan waved and left.

Whether or not she had accumulated merit and made vows, she could sense it during her recent retreat, which is why she recovered so quickly.

The Record of Exterminating Evil, the Chapter on the Water Demon of Qiongshui, and the Book of Merits recorded by the Surveillance Bureau, contain Lang Jiuchuan's name written in top-grade cinnabar. This chapter is circulated to various prefectures by storytellers every month. Even though there are many meritorious people who submit their stories, only Lang Jiuchuan is remembered.

She was not a member of the Xuan clan, but a noble lady from a noble family. She was only of marriageable age, young but very capable. After personally slaying the water demon, she single-handedly killed a half-demon that appeared out of nowhere.

She was unknown, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, but after the appearance of the Record of Exorcising Evil and the Book of Merit, she became famous throughout Wujing and the surrounding areas. Some speculated that her being raised on the estate was just a pretense, that she was actually following a reclusive master to learn the Tao and pass it down to future generations, and that once she attained enlightenment, she would descend the mountain to return to the mortal world to help the world.

Regardless of what is said outside, when people mention the name Lang Jiuchuan, they either admire him, are terrified, or feel jealous and wary, all with a hint of awe.

This great reputation brings Langjiuchuan a continuous stream of merit and goodwill, but it also brings unavoidable crises.

As Gong Qi said, she was powerful and would naturally be sought after. What Lang Jiuchuan did not expect was that the first to recruit her would be the royal family. Even after she had slapped Tantai Cong in the face, they would still extend an olive branch to her.

The method of recruitment, however, was the most ordinary woman's marriage!
After helping the child's corpse to be resurrected at Qiongshui, Lang Jiuchuan went to Jiuchuan Bridge to carve some seals and bury some things. Then she went to Tongtian Pavilion to inquire about the wedding of Young Master Rong. When she returned to the Lang family, she happened to hear about this disgusting and upsetting thing!
The Emperor wishes to bestow her in marriage upon Prince Tantai!
Lang Jiuchuan felt nauseous, and he actually did vomit!
Lang Zhengping and Cui looked at her with worry. How could they resist a marriage ordained by the imperial family?
"To dispel the Emperor's idea, I even said that you are frail and will not live long, fearing that you would not be able to take care of yourself. We haven't even had your coming-of-age ceremony yet!" Lang Zhengping said worriedly. "But what did he say? He said that the royal family is blessed with great fortune and is protected by the dragon's aura. He said that if you marry into the royal family, you will definitely live a long life."

Jiang Che, who was being held in Lang Jiuchuan's arms, couldn't help but fly into a rage. He roared and spoke in human language: "Disgusting! You call it a marriage decree, but it's actually a forced sale. You're keeping people in your own den to have babies!"

Lang Zhengping: "?"

Cui: "!"

The two stared in horror at the white-furred cat, their faces turning pale. Wasn't it a cat? How could it speak human language? Was that roar just now a tiger's howl?

"You scared someone." Lang Jiuchuan pinched the tiger's head.

Jiang Che belatedly looked at the two of them, feeling somewhat guilty. He shrank his neck and said, "I was so angry that I forgot to pretend."

It raised its paw at the two of them sullenly: "I am no ordinary cat, but the White Tiger King, Lord Jiang Che."

To prevent them from being too frightened to breathe, Lang Jiuchuan offered up the bone bell, causing its spiritual energy to swirl around them. He then explained the origin of Jiang Che and asked, "Did Tantai Ming say which prince it was?"

She addressed the current emperor by his given name, her words laced with disdain!

Lang Zhengping, his eyes fixed on the camera, said, "Choose whomever you like. Tell me who you want, even if they're already married."

Lang Jiuchuan raised an eyebrow: "Anyone can choose? He really thinks highly of me!"

"Are you willing?" Cui asked her. "I can have your maternal grandfather politely decline, and with the help of Master Xue and Lord Shen, would that be enough?"

“It’s no use.” Lang Jiuchuan shook his head and said, “The royal family is also one of the Xuan clans. They are used to taking things by force, so there’s no need to involve Master Xue and the others.”

"Then what should we do? Why don't you run away?" Lang Zhengping sighed. This child has really had a lot of troubles. Before, she was smeared with a bad reputation, and now she's famous in Wujing. As a result, she's been forced into a marriage, which is obviously a pit of fire. They're trying to drag her into it!

It's better to be smeared; at least then no one will dare to covet her!
　I need some help from you guys: What are some quotes you think are memorable, and what scenes do you consider iconic? Please mark them! See you in the comments!

　　My editor asked me to recommend something, but I couldn't think of anything to recommend. I hate doing these kinds of things!
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　　(End of this chapter)