Who would dare take possession of another’s body?

To be precise — what manner of demon would dare, more like.

Lang Jiuchuan’s expression did not change. The person she was now was nothing like the one she had been just after her return to the living — when the mere sight of a monk or Daoist had filled her with dread, when entering a temple had left her trembling inwardly, fearing those people might see through her borrowed existence and that the laws of Heaven would cast her out of this body.

She had been afraid then — but also overthinking it. When she had reflected on it later, she realized: her return had been personally escorted by the Judge of the Dead. He had been the one to find this body for her to return to the living, and he had been the one to rewrite the ledger of life and death for this form. She herself had done nothing — so if the laws of Heaven were to punish anyone, it ought to be the good officials of the underworld, not her.

If the Judge were to learn of her reasoning, he would probably leap up from beneath the ground in a fury and demand a reckoning. Enjoying a benefit and then feigning ignorance — those words had been made for exactly this kind of shameless rogue.

Though Lang Jiuchuan’s soul occupied a borrowed body, she was, in a manner of speaking, operating with a proper permit. Therefore she had no fear of divine retribution. What she ought to fear was how long she could sustain herself in this body — dying again would be a rather significant inconvenience.

And so, when Gong Qi transmitted those words to her ear, not a flicker crossed her face. She acted as though she had heard nothing, and responded to his bow with a cool, composed nod.

Gong Qi saw how entirely unruffled she appeared — as though she had not heard his transmission at all — and his eyes flashed. Could he have misread her? No, that could not be right — her features plainly bore the marks of one who had died young, and her aura too was not quite right.

Was she playing games with him?

The fingers hidden within Gong Qi’s sleeve formed a seal and directed it toward Lang Jiuchuan.

The Celestial Master’s Sealing Incantation.

If an evil ghost had taken possession of her body, being struck by this incantation would provoke a visible reaction — and if it were one of the more malignant sort, it might be expelled from the body entirely.

It was not an especially severe measure, but it was one that struck down evil wherever it appeared, with no regard for life or death — he was completely indifferent to what might happen to her.

Lang Jiuchuan’s hand brushed over Dizhong and deflected the incantation. The right hand concealed within her cloak also formed a seal and sent it directly toward Gong Qi.

Courtesy demands a return — one good turn deserved another.

Take this incantation of mine.

Gong Qi watched his incantation strike — and Lang Jiuchuan showed no reaction whatsoever. Something was off. Could he truly have been mistaken?

But in the very next instant, his entire body seized and went numb. It was as though lightning had struck him — tingling and burning, body rigid and aching — and he toppled forward, straight toward Lang Jiuchuan. He dropped flat on his face with a heavy thud.

A prostration with all five points touching the ground — the deepest bow of respect.

The Heavenly Punishment Incantation. Truly effective.

When masters crossed moves, everything happened without a sound.

Lang Jiuchuan narrowed her eyes, a flash of light passing through them. On her face, she assumed an expression of startled alarm, stepping back two paces. “There is no need for such ceremony, Daoist gentleman!”

Jiangche thought to himself: Hmph. What hypocrisy — the two of you were plainly ambushing each other.

The sudden prostration startled everyone present. Gong Qi, however, did not share their interpretation — he simply assumed Gong Qi’s old injury had flared up, and hurried to help him up. “Is it your old—”

Gong Qi grabbed his hand and cut him off. “Cold weather. The ground was slippery. My legs went numb from the freeze.”

He hauled himself to his feet using Gong Qi’s arm as support, and looked toward Lang Jiuchuan. Seeing that expression of guileless, puzzled innocence, he laughed despite himself — furiously.

Well. Very well.

He had underestimated her.

This first exchange — he had come off worse.

“Ninth Young Lady Lang — truly exceptional,” said Gong Qi, flashing her a smile. But his eyes were ablaze with the spirit of a challenge. “Should we not address each other as fellow martial brothers?”

“Finished — he has set his sights on you,” Jiangche murmured, drifting out to perch on her shoulder.

The moment it appeared, Gong Qi’s entire body went taut. His gaze swept instinctively around — something was off. There was something else here. What was it — not a yin spirit, nor an evil presence, yet he could not see it.

He tried to move, and immediately had the sensation of being watched. He glanced back to find Lang Jiuchuan looking at him quietly, those eyes of hers appearing to see straight through his thoughts.

Trouble. He had exposed himself.

Gong Qi’s chest lurched, and as he stared at Lang Jiuchuan, his baby-faced features twisted with barely contained aggravation.

In the space of her Spirit Terrace, Lang Jiuchuan spoke to Jiangche: “No longer sulking?”

Jiangche gave a sniff. “I am the White Tiger King. I have weathered a Heavenly Tribulation — a tiger of such standing is not so petty.” It changed the subject. “This Gong Family — they rank second in the Xuan Clan. These two have a considerably stronger cultivation than that so-called old Daoist the Rong Family sent.”

Lang Jiuchuan gave a small nod. “Mm. This Gong Qi possesses the Celestial Eye — he cannot see you, but he has sensed your presence. He is more formidable than his elder martial brother.”

“As if you needed to tell me — I knew it from the moment he spoke just now. He has set his sights on you.” Jiangche said: “The Xuan Clan is always on the lookout for talent. Do you think they will try to recruit you?”

“The Xuan Clan cannot hold me.”

Lang Jiuchuan returned that single line, then said to Gong Qi: “This young woman has learned only the barest smattering of Daoist techniques — I would hardly dare embarrass myself before such accomplished practitioners. You flatter me, young Daoist. Madam — we ought to go and pay our respects to Grandmother. We should not keep the old lady waiting.”

Cui Shi came back to herself and quickly said to Gong Qi and the others: “We must still go and present ourselves to the old matriarch. Please, do excuse us — we shall gather again at the banquet the household will be hosting shortly.”

She could not quite say why, but something about the atmosphere just now had struck her as oddly peculiar. She could not put her finger on what was off — only that there had been the distinct feeling of smoke before a battle.

“Please, Madam, go ahead.” Gong Qi gave a clasped-hands bow.

Cui Shi led Lang Jiuchuan away.

Gong Qi frowned. “This ninth young lady of the Lang Family — her body is thin and frail, her color pallid, her blood and vital energy insufficient. She does not have the look of someone who will live long. Yet when I attempted to observe her fate in her features, I felt a strange inadequacy — as though I were reaching beyond my means. I could not see through her. It was odd. Your ability at reading physiognomy is stronger than mine, and you were born with the Celestial Eye — could you discern anything?”

Gong Qi said flatly: “She is indeed someone who died young.”

Gong Qi: “?”

Gong Qi fixed his gaze on Lang Jiuchuan’s retreating figure. “I tested her just now — you saw what happened.”

Gong Qi thought of him suddenly throwing himself to the ground, and his expression darkened. “You lost the exchange with her?”

The corner of Gong Qi’s mouth twitched. “I was simply caught off guard.”

“But you still lost!” Gong Qi said, face darkening further. “Elder Brother has told you time and again — apply yourself to cultivation, do not squander your gifts. Look at you now — even a girl younger than yourself managed to make you look a fool, and leave you performing a grand bow before all present. If word gets back to the martial brothers at home, they will laugh themselves to death.”

Gong Qi immediately covered his mouth. “I was only testing her — I did not expect this young woman to be so crafty and ruthless. All I did was play a perfectly harmless little joke, and she had to put me through such a humiliation. Hmph.”

“This is your lesson — never underestimate anyone.” Gong Qi grabbed him by the ear and dragged him along. “Come back with me and train. Tomorrow we still need to go out and investigate the trail of that demon.”

Gong Qi said: “Elder Brother — are you not the least bit curious? The Lang Family actually has a young lady who knows Daoist arts, and from what I can tell, her cultivation is no lesser than mine. She is completely unknown, and yet the Xuan Clan has heard nothing of her — that simply should not be.”

Gong Qi’s footsteps halted. He looked in the direction Lang Jiuchuan had gone. “Now that you put it that way, I think I may understand how the Lang Family’s misfortune came about. If it was not that young lord, then it was her?”

“What are you thinking?”

“Could it be that some faction attempted to recruit her and failed, and has now moved to suppress and eliminate her?” Gong Qi said, his voice low.

Gong Qi’s expression darkened. If that were the case — which faction? Their own Gong Family had long since made clear its distaste for such practices and never pressured anyone into membership — it could not possibly be them.