If Lang Jiuchuan were an ordinary noble daughter, a marriage decree from the imperial family would have been something the Lang Family considered sweeter than honey — a windfall of fortune. But she was not. So for her, this marriage decree was a shackle — arsenic coated in honey.

And this decree was clearly ill-intentioned. Just as Jiangche had said — they wanted to grab her and stuff her into their nest.

Yet the Marquis Kaiping’s residence could not openly defy this so-called decree. Even after Lang Zhengping had painted Lang Jiuchuan as someone with a short lifespan, they still refused to abandon the idea — which showed they were utterly determined to have her.

Lang Zhengping felt sick to his core. Forced buying and forced selling — that description truly wasn’t wrong.

The imperial house was counting on the fact that Lang Jiuchuan was a daughter of an ordinary noble family and had not truly taken religious vows — and so they used this method to rein her in. Their move was a straightforward one, without hidden tricks — using the simplest yet most direct and effective means to bring her into their fold: turning her into one of their own.

Lang Jiuchuan also found it disgusting, but she was not nearly as worried as they were. She said: “It’s merely a marriage decree — no need to look as if you’re mourning the dead. This matter will ultimately come to nothing. Trust me.”

“You have a plan?” Lang Zhengping was somewhat curious.

Lang Jiuchuan smiled. “If they’re willing to sacrifice the child to catch the wolf, then they can hardly blame the wolf for opening its mouth wide. I can claim I have a husband-cursing fate.”

Lang Zhengping: “…”

Cui Shi coughed twice. “Using that strategy is cutting yourself to harm the enemy.”

“I have never thought about marrying anyone — so whether I’m said to curse husbands or not makes no difference to me.” But if the imperial family truly insisted on going forward regardless, then they couldn’t blame her for cursing whoever came her way.

Cui Shi fell silent, her feelings complicated.

The news that the Emperor intended to bestow a marriage decree upon Lang Jiuchuan and a member of the imperial family spread quickly. Those who didn’t know better simply thought the Lang Family had struck remarkable luck and was about to soar to new heights.

But those who knew Lang Jiuchuan’s nature were quietly breaking into a cold sweat on her behalf. She cultivated the Dao, yet she also had the freedom to marry, and her status was that of a “subject’s daughter.” In this situation — how was she going to break free?

If she defied the decree outright, she would be openly making enemies. She alone might not care, but the Lang Family would certainly be implicated.

What was most laughable was that Daoren Ruoxu — the very Daoren Ruoxu who had destroyed the half-demon right in front of Lang Jiuchuan — now had the audacity to come and serve as a persuader on behalf of the others.

“Marriage would sever your path of cultivation, Fellow Daoist Lang — yet this predicament is easy to resolve. Why not simply join the imperial family as a Guest Elder? If you are willing, this old Daoist can speak on your behalf.” Ruoxu stroked his white beard, his eyes glittering with calculated light.

Lang Jiuchuan gave a cold laugh. “So that is how you sell yourself in their service?”

Ruoxu’s expression changed sharply. “You! Fellow Daoist Lang, you are still young — do you not know that the wise adapt to circumstances?”

Lang Jiuchuan narrowed her eyes, her smile sardonic. “You’ve also said I’m young — which means I’m an untested calf who doesn’t fear tigers. I’m someone whose wild nature cannot be tamed. I was never cut out to learn the art of wagging my tail and begging for scraps. Daoren Ruoxu need not trouble himself teaching me that particular skill — I’m too dim to learn it.”

Ruoxu swept his sleeve and rose to his feet, his gaze ice-cold. He gave a cold grunt: “It seems Fellow Daoist Lang intends to refuse the toast and drink the forfeit instead. Well then — I’ll wait and see how you break free from this!”

“Safe travels. Don’t let me see you out.” Lang Jiuchuan lifted her teacup.

Ruoxu stormed off in a huff.

The moment he was gone, Gong Qi walked in with Fuqi at his side. He said gravely: “I hadn’t expected the imperial family to suddenly pull this move. What’s to be done? Someone must have suggested this to them — otherwise why so suddenly?”

Fuqi said with disgust: “Power used to trample others — the imperial house is an expert at that. Their plan is clearly to imprison Little Nine in the deep palace, clip her wings, and exploit her spiritual potential — combined with her bloodline, hoping to produce an heir with outstanding talent.”

Gong Qi’s expression shifted through several changes. “What you say is more than plausible. The Xuan bloodline of the imperial family has grown increasingly impure — so much so that in the past thirty or forty years no one with exceptional talent has been born.”

And now a Lang Jiuchuan appeared — gifted beyond measure, formidable in ability, and she happened to also be a woman of the Daoist path, barely past the age of maturity. To call her beautiful, powerful, and young was not an overstatement.

Someone like that — merely recruiting her as a Guest Elder would be a waste. Bring her in as family, borrow her as a vessel — and perhaps a similarly gifted heir might be born.

The more Gong Qi thought about it, the more his fury rose.

What a repulsive approach.

Far more repulsive than recruiting her as a Guest Elder.

“The Rong Family and you are mortal enemies, and they’ve now formed a marriage alliance with the imperial family — I’m afraid this matter isn’t unconnected to them.” Gong Qi frowned.

Lang Jiuchuan’s eyes went cold. “That’s the limit of their scheming!”

“Yet this scheming is a sound one.” Gong Qi looked at Lang Jiuchuan. “On this matter, perhaps let our young master step in and say a word or two. Earlier, when the corpse demon was slain, our young master gave you a token of proof. As far as the outside world is concerned, you are considered a person of our Gong Family. This move by the imperial family is effectively an open act of poaching.”

“Not yet.”

“You’re planning to defy the decree?”

“Who said anything about defying it?” Lang Jiuchuan suddenly smiled. “I am fated with the Seven Baleful Stars — if they’re not afraid I’ll curse them, they can go right ahead.”

Her tone was perfectly calm, and yet deeply unsettling. Gong Qi felt an involuntary chill and asked: “What exactly are you planning?”

“Nothing in particular.” Lang Jiuchuan said lightly. “Meet soldiers with arms, meet water with earth.”

Gong Qi thought: Those words — why do I not quite believe them?

Lang Jiuchuan put on the air of someone completely unbothered while everyone around her was panicking. Gong Qi could not press further; he only left behind the words that if she ever needed help, she could contact the Gong Family at any time.

After he left, Fuqi said: “The Gong Family at least doesn’t appear to be in league with the Rong Family and the imperial family. But the Feng Family…”

Lang Jiuchuan said: “The Feng Family is like a reed swaying in the wind, maintaining neutrality, looking like they intend to lean toward whichever side proves stronger. As for Gong Tinglan and Gong Qi — the young ones — they do have a genuine wish to change the current state of the Xuan Clan. They see the long picture: they know that this ongoing dynamic will only cause the Xuan Clan to truly decline and fall apart, until in the end not even the small inheritance left by their ancestors can be preserved. That’s why they want to push back. But whether they have the strength to do it — that’s hard to say. Overturning an old order is like reforming a dynasty — it can’t be done overnight.”

“At the core of it, the Xuan Clan’s arrogance and their belief in their own superiority run too deep.” Fuqi gave a cold laugh. “Precisely because of that, when a maverick like you appeared, they felt the crisis bearing down on them — and devised such a vicious and filthy scheme to cage you.”

A marriage decree — far more repulsive than being recruited as a Guest Elder.

“Can shallow waters truly trap a true dragon?” Lang Jiuchuan let out a short laugh. “They have given birth to this greed — so don’t blame that greed for dragging them down to the underworld!”

Fuqi raised an eyebrow. “So you really do have a plan in mind!”

Lang Jiuchuan looked down at her hands and said: “It depends on whether they want to live in peace.”

Fuqi sighed. Was this not just one wave before the previous one had even subsided? The Rong Family wasn’t brought down yet, and now the imperial family was added to the mix. Even if Heaven had sent her down to the mortal world to endure tribulations, this was surely nine layers of mortal catastrophe.

“Young miss, come back to the residence quickly — the palace has sent someone to read out a decree!” A servant from the Lang Family came running in to report, breathless and urgent.

Fuqi: “…”

Well. Someone truly did not want to act like a human being.