The Ninth Lady is a rebellious person.

Chapter 477 A Final Meeting, Yet Unrecognized

Looking at the large Ren residence, Master Rong frowned, his face darkening, whether from morning grumpiness or something else on his mind.

"No matter what kind of person that girl is, she must be seriously ill. To meet her in such a ghostly mansion, it's clear that anyone who can make that old bastard suffer is no pushover!" He had actually arrived in Wujing yesterday before the city gates closed, intending to come to the location, but it was already dark, so he wasn't in a hurry.

It was right not to rush things. Otherwise, why would someone come to a haunted house to play with ghosts if they weren't drinking and sleeping late at night? This is clearly a haunted house with a story.

And, his surname is Ren?
Master Rong felt a tightness in his chest, with an ominous premonition that things were spiraling out of control, as if things had deviated from what he expected.

This trip is inauspicious!

Master Rong was somewhat reluctant to go inside, and even felt an urgent desire to escape.

Just leave.

Master Rong turned his head and said, "I have calculated that today is not a good day to receive guests. I will return to the inn now."

San De was somewhat surprised. Was his master uneasy? How strange! He actually sensed unease from his master. This was the first time he had ever seen this in all the years he had followed his master.

"Master?"

"Hurry up!" Master Rong said in a deep voice, gripping the armrest of his wheelchair.

"Since you're already here, where is Fourth Master Rong going?" A voice that sounded like a human voice, yet was also a bit strange, rang out from above the wall.

The two looked up and saw a white cat lying there—no, it wasn't an ordinary cat.

"Master, the cat has become a spirit!" San De looked at Jiang Che with bright eyes and said, "It's so beautiful, and it can even speak human language. Is this the cat demon recorded in the Book of Demons, the kind with nine tails?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? That's a tiger cub!" Master Rong said irritably, staring at Jiang Che with an increasingly solemn expression. A tiger cub that can speak human language is not just a simple case of becoming a spirit; it has already passed through a first level of heavenly tribulation and has achieved a certain level of cultivation.

The tightly closed door opened.

Master Rong gripped the wine pot, pursed his lips, and knew he couldn't escape.

He patted the handrail lightly, and San De pushed him inside. The moss-covered door slammed shut in response.

Upon entering the Ren residence, Master Rong's heart clenched. It was only 2:45 AM, and the sky was not clear; instead, dark clouds were gathering on the horizon, as if a storm was brewing.

He had abandoned his usual frivolous and decadent demeanor, his expression turning cold as he surveyed the mansion. His brows furrowed more and more, but nothing compared to the throbbing in his heart. What was going on?

The mansion looked abandoned for a long time. It was not exactly a ruin, but it was dilapidated and decayed. The beams and pillars were already entangled with withered vines, which swayed in the wind like ghostly claws, casting twisted and hideous shadows in the dim light.

A gust of wind blew in, passing through the broken window frames and empty doorways, emitting a low, mournful whistle, as if a wronged soul was crying.

No, someone should be performing a ritual here.

He couldn't see a single wronged soul. Although there was some lingering resentment, it was extremely faint. The mansion had been abandoned for too long, and there wasn't a trace of human life in it. The air was filled only with a heavy, lingering smell of decay.

Most importantly, despite the house's spaciousness, it harbors a faint yet penetrating chill of death and resentment.

Master Rong didn't understand why the other party had specified this place to meet. He came as instructed, but the deeper he went into the mansion, the greater his doubts became, along with an indescribable tremor and an almost instinctive, soul-deep sorrow and fear. This mansion made him extremely uncomfortable, and his chest felt heavy.

Master Rong's breathing became heavy, and he took a deep breath.

He followed the tiger cub leading the way to a courtyard that had been engulfed by fire. There stood a slender figure, dressed in a plain blue robe, with a thin frame, his back to him, as if he had blended into the deathly silence of the courtyard.

He gasped for breath, his knuckles turning white from gripping the handrail so tightly.

He stared intently at her until she turned around.

It is Langjiuchuan.

The moment Master Rong saw Lang Jiuchuan's face clearly, his throat bobbed, and he subconsciously stood up: "Yao..."

Snapped.

He fell out of his wheelchair, but his neck remained raised, his eyes fixed on her with a greedy and somewhat lingering gaze. But soon, he realized something was wrong.

It's not her, it's not Yao Yao!

This is just a girl who looks somewhat like Ren Yao when she was young.

San De helped Master Rong back into his wheelchair, curiously examining Lang Jiuchuan. After staring at him for a while, he looked at his master's face again.

This girl looks so strange.

Her eyebrows and eyes clearly belong to someone else, but at first glance, you feel like you see the shadow of your master in her, yet she is completely unlike your master. Overall, it's the aura that is somewhat similar.
How could this be?

Lang Jiuchuan's unfathomable eyes, like a deep pool, quietly watched Master Rong, without joy or sorrow, but with a scrutinizing and probing look. A slight flutter in her heart made her purse her lips slightly, and she couldn't help but feel regret.

Seeing the doubt and confusion in Master Rong's eyes, she sighed inwardly. If her predecessor hadn't died, would he have recognized her immediately?
As they locked eyes, Master Rong's heart began to pound uncontrollably. Looking at her young face, he felt as if a cruel answer was about to be revealed, but he couldn't quite grasp what it was.

He pressed his hand to his wildly beating chest and asked in a deep voice, "You are Lang Jiuchuan?"

How could he see the shadow of Ren Yao in her younger days in this woman? An absurd yet intense premonition arose in his mind, and he blurted out, "Are you Yao Yao's daughter?"

Lang Jiuchuan narrowed his eyes, sensing something was amiss. When he spoke of Ren Yao, there seemed to be no trace of sorrow, only longing. Moreover, he was referring to Ren Yao's daughter; he knew she had given birth.
Something is wrong!
Instead of answering his question directly, she asked him, "Does Master Rong not know where this place is? The Ren Yao you mentioned, are you referring to one of the beauties of this haunted house?"

Master Rong was stunned. He looked around blankly, his gaze falling on the burned-out courtyard in front of him. For some reason, a huge despair surged up, as if a sword had stabbed his heart. He groaned in pain and curled up in his wheelchair.

When he looked up again, his voice was hoarse and his eyes were red as he stared at Lang Jiuchuan: "What do you mean? This is Ren Yao's home?"

No, he just saw that this was the Ren residence, which means that the owner of this house is surnamed Ren. It's not her home, but her maternal family home.

No, that's not right. Her tone was too strange. It didn't sound like she didn't know Ren Yao, but rather like she was judging whether the person he was talking about was the same person she knew, or perhaps she was investigating!
Master Rong's voice was dry, wary, and trembling slightly as he asked, "Who exactly are you? What is your purpose in bringing me here?"

(End of this chapter)