The Ninth Lady is a rebellious person.

Chapter 549 Distinguishing Right from Wrong, Upholding the Righteous Principle

Gong Xuanyao, the head of the Gong family, was already standing in the library at some point. He was dressed in a black Taoist robe embroidered with clouds and cranes. His face was dignified, and he exuded a powerful aura of someone who had long held a high position and a chilling aura of someone who had just emerged from seclusion. His sharp eyes swept over the mess on the ground and landed on Gong Tinglan.

"What on earth are you doing?" The head of the Gong family strode over, his voice filled with suppressed anger. "I've been in seclusion for just over a year, and I had no idea you were getting involved with that Lang Jiuchuan. Looking at Lang Jiuchuan, her actions reveal a deep-seated malice towards the Xuan Clan, as evidenced by the trouble she caused the Rong family. She is unruly and difficult to control, but her mind is deep and calculating. Getting involved with her is like seeking a tiger's skin. Don't forget, the Gong family is also among the Xuan Clan."

Gong Tinglan frowned, somewhat displeased, and said, "The patriarch has never met Fellow Daoist Lang, yet he judges her character based solely on the elders' one-sided opinions. Isn't that too one-sided and unfair, and also lacking in decorum?"

He wasn't surprised that the Gong family head knew what Lang Jiuchuan was doing. Even if he was in seclusion, he had plenty of eyes and ears to watch and listen for him. Once he came out of seclusion, someone would tell him everything. After all, the head of a clan couldn't really be deaf and blind.

However, judging Lang Jiuchuan's character based solely on hearsay is hardly convincing.

The head of the Gong family narrowed his eyes, glancing sideways at the heir, and said coldly, "It's rare to see you protect anyone, let alone a woman. Do you perhaps want to become her Daoist partner?"

If that's the case, then he can pretend he never said those things before.

Gong Tinglan: "?"

Can't you be serious? This sudden change of tone is a bit too abrupt and excessive.

“My son is single-mindedly devoted to the Dao, aspiring to the realm of returning to nothingness, and has already severed all worldly desires. You should give up on that idea!” Gong Tinglan said calmly.

A hint of regret flashed in the eyes of the Gong family head, but his face regained its stern expression. He said, "I know you are born with a rebellious streak. If you are unwilling to form a marriage alliance, I will grant your wish. You have been secretly inciting the younger disciples of the clan to try to overthrow the old system and eliminate the corrupt elements. I have also suppressed the discontent for you because I know that each generation has its own ideas. You are the young master of my Gong family. As long as you can make the Gong family glorious and lead it further, I can cooperate with you, including my own people. But I need an explanation for your recent actions... If you continue to act recklessly, then don't blame me for acting fairly as the head of this family!"

Gong Tinglan stood up straight, meeting his gaze, and said, "Whether I'm being ridiculous or not, Patriarch, why don't you listen to what I have to say first? Do you know why the Rong family's tall building collapsed overnight, and why this landslide disaster occurred? Besides the fact that the Rong family committed all sorts of evil deeds and were punished by heaven, there was also the karmic backlash caused by the Rong family head and the Imperial Advisor's collusion."

Before the head of the Gong family could answer, he continued, his tone icy: "The Rong family's downfall, in the end, was due to decay, to a root that had long been rotten, which led to a sudden change of fortune. Do you think Lang Jiuchuan stirred up trouble for no reason? No, the real culprit was the Imperial Advisor, who orchestrated all the tragedies. He usurped the country for his own enrichment, harmed the bloodlines of aristocratic families, stole their fortune, and his schemes were far-reaching and appalling..."

Gong Tinglan slowly recounted everything he knew and had experienced, without hiding anything. In the library, apart from his cold voice, there was only the increasingly rapid and heavy breathing of the Gong family head.

The clan elders were his eyes and ears, but they were not fully aware of worldly affairs. Gong Tinglan could not rashly reveal the true face and actions of the Grand Preceptor to everyone. Therefore, they did not know what Gong Tinglan was doing. They only felt that he had been acting strangely and domineeringly recently, and there was an indescribable sense of unease about him. That's why they informed the Gong family head.

Now, the head of the Gong family had finally obtained all the information from his son, and he was so shocked that he crushed the jade talisman in his hand. He had no doubt that Gong Tinglan had deliberately fabricated a story about the Imperial Preceptor in order to shake up the Xuan Clan's corruption; his heir was by no means an ignorant waste!
"...Qian, Yang, and Li are a cautionary tale for all our noble families. Father, imagine what the world would become if he seized all the fortune of the world by himself? In his eyes, the mere Xuan Clan and Gong Family would be no different from ants. In the end, they would be nothing more than a silent speck of dust disappearing in the long river of history. How could they possibly achieve lasting fame and pass on their teachings to the world!"

Upon hearing this, the head of the Gong family's expression changed drastically.

The Imperial Advisor is a pillar of the nation, with unfathomable cultivation. He seizes the nation's fortune and even the fortune of aristocratic families. What is his true intention?
"Are you really not exaggerating? Inheritance is not easy. You are the young master of my Gong family. Your actions should be aimed at protecting my Gong family clan."

Gong Tinglan laughed, her laughter tinged with sarcasm and disappointment, and said, "This is one of the reasons why the Xuan Clan has been corrupt for so long. It is because you all prioritize the so-called interests of the clan that the Dao heart and Dao soul of the Xuan Clan are no longer pure, and it is also why most of us have mediocre cultivation. Because you have been deceiving yourselves for so long, your Dao hearts have long been corrupted by the so-called superior people who are praised by the world as unattainable!"

"How dare you speak to your father like this?" The head of the Gong family was very displeased.

Gong Tinglan showed no fear, her face radiating righteous indignation: "Patriarch, if you only know how to preserve your life in this chaotic world and disregard the greater good of the common people, then what difference is there between my Gong family and those worldly families that are so eager to make a living? Or in your eyes, is our Gong family no different from them? Our family of metaphysics is descended from the Daoist sect. What we inherit is not only techniques and secret arts, but also the Dao itself, and even more so, a responsibility to protect the righteous path of humanity, to understand the secrets of heaven, and to safeguard the common people!"

His voice was clear and resonant, carrying an undeniable power as he coldly declared, "Does the patriarch still remember the teachings of our Gong family's ancestors? Those who study the Dao must distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, and know what to do and what not to do! Now that evil has usurped the country and wreaked havoc on the people, how can our Gong family, having been aware of this, stand idly by out of fear of unknown risks? To see evil and not punish it is to aid and abet it; that would truly be a disgrace to our ancestors' teachings, and a disgrace to all that we have learned and inherited!"

The head of the Gong family was startled and met his gaze.

His heir is still young, but he already has the energy and integrity to lead the younger generation, and he is already capable of standing on his own. He has truly lived up to the teachings of his ancestors: distinguish right from wrong, discern good from evil, and uphold the right path without wavering!
Looking back at myself, perhaps my heart has truly been corrupted by years of worldly interests, making me hesitant and calculating.

"Patriarch, my wish is not to drag the Gong family into ruin, but to make our Gong family a true model of righteous sects, daring to stand up against this great calamity for the common people, upholding justice and eliminating evil. Only in this way can we truly be remembered for generations and respected by all, instead of being infamous for eternity like the Rong family!" Gong Tinglan stared intently at him and said, "Whether we choose to cower for a time, which may ultimately lead to our demise, or choose to stand up and fight for a future that will be remembered in history and for the sect to prosper, please make the decision, Patriarch!"

The head of the Gong family said calmly, "What if I choose to keep to myself?"

Gong Tinglan smiled and said, "Father, you're getting old. I have no choice but to plot to seize the throne!"

Patriarch Gong: "..."

What kind of celestial being is he? He's clearly a traitor!
　Thanks for pointing out the bug!
　　(End of this chapter)