The Ninth Lady is a rebellious person.

Chapter 606 Seeing Injustice, the Gong Family Offers Assistance

A stern shout came from the alley entrance.

Everyone looked over, and someone came running. He was wearing a purple Taoist robe, with a clear and bright face and piercing eyes. In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of them.

Master Bafang used his Yin Eyes to see who it was and frowned. He realized that it would be difficult to take the Lang family away today according to the Imperial Preceptor's order. The Gong family head was a man who appeared solemn on the surface, but was actually more slippery than a fox and extremely difficult to deal with.

He had long been detached from worldly affairs, and it was unclear why he had suddenly reappeared this time.

Master Bafang recalled the Imperial Preceptor and various rumors, his gray eyes revealing no emotion.

The Gong family head arrived at the Lang family's gate, ignoring the Daoist disciples who were about to form an array. He only looked at Fu Qi and Jiang Che, raised his hand slightly, and sent a telepathic message to them, signaling them to calm down. Then he turned to the Daoist Masters of the Eight Directions and asked, "Fellow Daoists of the Eight Directions, what are you doing? Are you trying to use a Daoist array to harm ordinary mortals?"

"I don't know what wind blew the Palace Clan Head here, but the ordinary people you speak of don't count as this tiger and this ghost." Daoist Bafang pointed at Fu Qi and Jiang Che, then at the people who were injured and screaming because of the frightened horses, and said, "They are the ordinary people, yet they were injured because of them, their crimes are heinous!"

The head of the Gong family glanced at them and retorted, "Isn't it because you were so forceful and aggressive that they retaliated to protect their master? The Lang family is law-abiding; why would they go out of their way to hurt people when they're living peacefully? It's not like they've been screwed over!"

Master Bafang's face darkened: "Patriarch Gong, stop this nonsense. I am here on His Majesty's orders to capture the accomplices of the evil Taoist. Are you perhaps also colluding with the evil Taoist?"

Snapped!
The head of the Gong family produced a fan and fanned himself sharply, the gust of wind distorting the face of Daoist Bafang. He straightened his expression and said, "I advise you, fellow Daoist, not to lie through your teeth. I am old and have a bad temper, which is why I have been cultivating the Pure Heart Path in recent years, for fear of accidentally committing murder. You say I am colluding with demonic cultivators, which is an insult to the Gong family and to our ancestors. No, even if you are blind, you cannot just spout nonsense."

"You!" The Eight Directions Taoist was hit by the wind, his face was swollen and covered in blood. His gray eyes seemed to be filled with resentment, and were somewhat black.

"The claim that he is a heretic is utterly absurd. Without any basis or evidence, it's not enough to simply label someone with great merit as a heretic; his family is also dragged into it. People who stand up for justice, like Shen Qinghe, the upright official of the Censorate, Xue Shi, the teacher who is a role model for students, Ou Dajia, and General Ning, who helped stabilize the country of Da Dan, are all thrown into prison simply for speaking a few words of justice for virtuous people. How can this convince the public?"

The head of the Gong family spoke with an air of authority and a clear, resonant voice that carried far and wide: "Fellow Daoist, don't say it's His Majesty's decree. His Majesty is young and his temperament is unpredictable. Instead of advising him, you're adding fuel to the fire. Are you trying to make His Majesty a tyrant, a name that will be remembered for all time?"

He looked coldly at the Taoist priests and others, and said, "Or perhaps His Majesty has been bewitched by some evil spirits, which is why he has suddenly become muddleheaded and incompetent, and has lost his judgment. He has fabricated charges at will to eliminate dissidents, and is not afraid of chilling the hearts of the loyal and righteous people of the world. Is his behavior of being possessed by a ghost an attempt to make enemies of the world?"

His words, though seemingly sarcastic, carried a heavy weight, and the room fell into a deathly silence!
The news of the upheaval in the court had already reached the Gong family before the officials even left the palace. Gong Tinglan was in a critical period of seclusion and it was inconvenient to disturb him, so the head of the Gong family came over in person.

Although Lang Jiuchuan hadn't had time to inform the Gong family of the details of the imperial tomb incident, he had participated in unraveling the mystery and quickly grasped the key points. Combined with the news from the palace that the Imperial Preceptor and the Holy Maiden were both dead, and that the current emperor had suddenly changed his personality, it was likely that he had been reborn into the body of a saint; otherwise, why would he act so abnormally?

It's likely that Lang Jiuchuan stirred up a hornet's nest, provoking that old monster to go mad, which is why he retaliated. But his retaliation wasn't just directed at anyone; he was stirring up trouble everywhere, inciting public outrage, and making enemies of the world. What exactly was he trying to do with this extreme behavior that would obviously provoke Lang Jiuchuan's retaliation?
Now that they've already torn off all pretenses and are at each other's throats, isn't he afraid that Lang Jiuchuan is determined to kill him, regardless of the consequences?
This is unlike his cautious and shrewd nature; it's too unusual!
Master Bafang's face was extremely ugly: "Patriarch Gong, this is His Majesty's will. Are you questioning His Majesty?"

The head of the Gong family, his gaze sharp as lightning, said, “The Gong family, following its ancestral teachings, has the responsibility to uphold justice and punish evil. As subjects, we have the duty to correct wrongdoing. Your Majesty’s baseless accusation that Fellow Daoist Lang is a heretic is questionable. Given the numerous doubts surrounding today’s events, I cannot stand idly by and watch a loyal and virtuous person be wronged, causing turmoil and unrest among the people. If you insist on arresting him today, you will be making an enemy of the world, and thus an enemy of the Gong family.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of people came up. They were all disciples of the Gong family, each carrying a magic weapon and talisman, with solemn expressions.

Master Bafang felt a jolt in his heart. How could she have gone to such lengths? What made Lang Jiuchuan so capable of commanding the Gong family to protect her so fiercely, even bringing her family under their protection?

He didn't understand that attacking the Lang family was tantamount to attacking Lang Jiuchuan, which was a slap in her face. If she really took down the Lang family, it would be like a general fighting on the front lines to protect the country, only to be discarded after his usefulness was over.

Therefore, whether it was Master Xue or the head of the Gong family, they all said that His Majesty's actions were unjust and chilled the hearts of the people, especially those generals guarding the frontier. Who knew if they would be next?

"Not only do I question it, but I also want to enter the palace to investigate what kind of demon has bewitched His Majesty into chaos and become an enemy of the world. Fellow Daoist Liu Xiu, are you willing to accompany me to eliminate evil and uphold justice?" The Palace Clan Head looked in another direction.

Master Bafang also looked over, and saw a Taoist priest wearing a patched gray Taoist robe with a gourd hanging from his waist. He looked unremarkable and easily forgotten.

Liu Xiu turned around casually, his eyes languid and his face showing an impatient expression. He was disgusted by the worldly affairs, and this so-called Bafang was even more annoying!

He was only interested in Lang Jiuchuan, whom the old Gong had praised so highly, which was why he was tricked down the mountain by the Gong family head. But as soon as he arrived, he was faced with all this filthy and mundane stuff. It was so annoying, and he wanted to go back to the mountain!
Liu Xiu fiddled with the gourd at his waist, and the gourd flashed with golden light, shooting out a righteous energy toward a Taoist priest standing to one of his sides: "You're learning all sorts of nonsense, it's an eyesore!"

The Taoist priest let out a scream, his expression twisted and contorted in agony. Then, before everyone's eyes, a black aura carrying the smell of blood shot out from his body, almost materializing. The Taoist priest knelt down, clutching his dantian, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

They suffered a backlash!

　I was supposed to update during the day, but my glasses broke in the afternoon, so I went to get them repaired and had my prescription checked. In less than a year, my prescription has increased by another 50 degrees, now it's over 500. I also have astigmatism and presbyopia of over 100 degrees. No wonder it's getting harder and harder for me to see things. It's even harder on my eyes in dim light at night, and lately they've been hurting and my eyes are constantly watering!
　　So, accompanied by a gentle and handsome young man, I spent a fortune on a new pair of glasses that combine nearsightedness and presbyopia, so I can read on my phone and books up close without taking them off. After leaving the store, I thought, "I only came to get my glasses fixed, how did I end up spending money?!"

　　(End of this chapter)