The head of the Rong Family’s gaze locked onto Lang Jiuchuan, filled with probing scrutiny, as though he wanted to see straight through to the very soul within her. This person before him, frail in body yet acting alone, had in the span of barely half a year thrown the Rong Family into complete upheaval, shattering what had once been peaceful.

She had not even set foot in the Rong Family’s ancestral grounds. She had merely remained in Wu Jing, yet time and again she had ruined the Rong Family’s plans, had crippled the two elders who stood at the absolute pinnacle of the Rong Family’s cultivation in Dao techniques, and now she had crippled his Rong Family’s young mistress — his sole heir.

How had she done it? Who was standing behind her? Why had she set herself so relentlessly against the Rong Family — was it purely because of this body she inhabited, or was there something more?

Who exactly are you? I am your calamity.

Lang Jiuchuan met the head of the Rong Family’s gaze with cold composure. Her eyes swept across the white that had crept into his temples and the deep furrows carved into his face. Even as he strained to conceal it, he could not hide that air of decline — the lingering aftermath of a backlash not yet fully recovered from.

The corner of her lips curved up in a slanted smile. The lord of half-demons — it was him. No question about it.

And the one who had harmed her — was also him.

Good. That made things simple.

Lang Jiuchuan’s eyes were exceptionally bright, dark and still as a cold pool, her gaze razor-sharp, as though she had already seen through everything — and within those depths, not a shred of disguised malice. It was enough to make the head of the Rong Family’s heart sink, his own gaze turning ice-cold in return.

When enemies meet, the hatred burns all the fiercer.

That was precisely this moment.

The head of the Rong Family shifted his gaze from her, his eyes sweeping the entire hall like a torch, and finally let out a long sigh. He said: “It is the misfortune of our household that such a rebellious daughter should emerge from it. The fault lies with this old one, who has spent his days behind closed doors in pursuit of the Great Dao, negligent in her upbringing and discipline. It was unknown to me that she had suffered a hidden wound a year ago when she slew a mountain demon — her Dao root was damaged and heart-devils began to flourish within her. In order to mend this root, and despite still being so young, she recklessly rushed matters and forcibly attempted to cross the heavenly tribulation to enter Foundation Establishment, which only caused her heart-devils to grow more severe.”

His voice was heavy with anguish, laden with boundless self-reproach and disappointment. Even his straight back bent somewhat as he said with a haggard expression: “Once the heart-devils arose, she dared to conceal it, privately and in secret cultivating forbidden and wicked techniques, until she fell into demonic obsession and committed grave transgressions. This old one — I am unworthy of the glorious righteous path, and equally unworthy of my fellow cultivators!”

He set Rong Huanxuan aside, gathered his sleeves, and bowed low to the assembled crowd in the manner of a Daoist salute.

The crowd exchanged glances, their expressions of fury easing somewhat.

Lang Jiuchuan gave a cold laugh. What fine acting — so quick to admit fault. Had he calculated that to argue would only bring humiliation upon himself, so better to admit it cleanly and preserve the reputation of an upright, transparent man?

She swept her eyes over the crowd. As expected: with that single display of heartfelt contrition and grief-stricken self-flagellation from the head of the Rong Family, every face had softened a fraction.

Gong Tinglan’s eyes flickered, and he said: “What the head of the Rong Family ought to feel unworthy of are those living souls that were refined and consumed by Rong Huanxuan, as well as the ancestors of every generation — to have such an heir is the shame of all generations of the Rong Family. Furthermore, your words imply she was young and ignorant — does that not mean you already knew of her cultivation of forbidden techniques and were quietly offering support? After all, she is young and has not yet reached Foundation Establishment. As for where these forbidden techniques came from and how she gained entry into them — without someone to guide her, one could hardly find the way in.”

The head of the Rong Family pointedly avoided any mention of whether he had known. To let the Rong Family’s crimes be cast aside — how could that be allowed?

If he will not raise it, then I will.

Gong Tinglan’s gaze turned piercingly cold.

Watching the head of the Rong Family being put on the spot, Lang Jiuchuan felt a wave of satisfaction wash through her. She decided she must spend more time in Gong Tinglan’s company — this young man had promise.

Gong Tinglan, still not satisfied, continued: “Upon seeing Rong Huanxuan’s descent into demonic corruption, this junior is reminded of something else. Previously, the half-demon that Fellow Daoist Lang eradicated — the trail of evidence led straight to the Rong Family. Looking at the head of the Rong Family now, he would appear to be still recovering from a backlash, would he not?”

The head of the Rong Family was shaking with fury. Insolent wretch!

The various Dao cultivators who heard Gong Tinglan’s words found those buried memories stirring back to life. That’s right — the matter of the half-demon had caused quite a stir back then, and the Surveillance Division had uncovered the fact that the head of the Rong Family had suffered a backlash. He had claimed it was from battling a flying corpse-demon, but was it truly such a convenient coincidence?

Now, with Rong Huanxuan herself cultivating wicked techniques right before their eyes, it no longer seemed strange at all that the Rong Family might have kept a half-demon in their custody.

The gazes of the assembled cultivators toward the head of the Rong Family filled with doubt. That he had no knowledge of his household’s young mistress cultivating wicked techniques — could anyone truly believe that?

“Without evidence, Fellow Young Daoist Gong would do well not to make careless accusations.” The head of the Rong Family shook out his sleeve, his tone hardening: “That our household has produced this creature who runs contrary to the righteous path is the shame of my Rong Family and a wound to all of Daoism. As head of this family, I will not evade responsibility. As patriarch of a lineage within the Daoist tradition, I will even less tolerate harbouring evil or showing favoritism.”

He looked toward Rong Huanxuan. A flash of grief crossed his eyes, swift as lightning, before he turned back to the crowd with cold resolve and an unmistakable look of determination: “Rong Huanxuan has violated the iron laws of the Daoist tradition by cultivating these wicked and demonic arts. Her crimes are beyond pardon. Effective immediately, Rong Huanxuan is stripped of the position of young mistress. Her cultivation shall be abolished, to make clear the truth of the matter, to preserve the integrity of the Dao path, and to serve as a warning to others.”

He drew a deep breath and continued: “Beyond this, she shall be imprisoned in the Demon-Suppressing Division under the jurisdiction of the Enforcement Hall, there to endure the punishment of the Glacial Steel Wind and to face the wall in reflection, that her heart may be set right. This punishment shall be supervised and carried out in full by the Enforcement Hall. This old one will show no favoritism and will not rescind a single word. Would this punishment satisfy my fellow cultivators?”

At these words, the entire hall erupted into stunned silence.

The head of the Rong Family was truly ruthless — he was willing to go that far?

But Rong Huanxuan, in this state, was already finished. She could never again bear the position of young mistress. Abolishing her cultivation was, in that sense, no great sacrifice.

It was simply that the head of the Rong Family’s decisiveness — so swift, so ruthless — was striking.

Lang Jiuchuan and Gong Tinglan exchanged a glance, each reading the mockery in the other’s eyes. He had seen that Rong Huanxuan was no longer of use — and only then did he stand so tall in righteousness, cutting off the tail to save the body, in order to protect the Rong Family’s standing among the Daoist lineages.

And as for imprisoning her in the Demon-Suppressing Division — the Enforcement Hall was entirely within the control of the Daoist lineages. Who could say whether she’d walk in one day only to suffer some “accident” the next, with the person gone altogether?

Or perhaps to protect Rong Huanxuan, it would all be for show — a false imprisonment, while secretly finding a way to preserve her life-soul and a remnant of her cultivation, waiting for the storm to pass before plotting another course.

Lang Jiuchuan did not believe a word of it. This ploy of sacrificing a piece to protect the king might fool the other righteous path cultivators — but to fool her? Ha.

“What a splendid act of sacrificing righteousness over kinship. The head of the Rong Family is indeed the picture of the glorious righteous path. If that is so, why burden the Enforcement Hall at all? Would it not be more fitting for the head of the Rong Family to personally cleanse his own household — would that not be more just?” Lang Jiuchuan spoke suddenly, gesturing toward the black shadow of the Black Impermanence in the corner: “As it happens, the Black Impermanence of the underworld is still present. Let him bear personal witness — thereafter, in both the realms of the living and the dead, no one could dare question the fairness and impartiality of the head of the Rong Family. What does everyone think?”

The crowd instinctively looked over. So this one had not left yet — how had he managed to spend the entire time watching the spectacle without drawing anyone’s attention?

But this young Daoist Lang — what a venomous mind. She was forcing the head of the Rong Family to personally sacrifice righteousness over kinship right here and now.

To kill a person, kill their heart first. Nothing more than this.

From this alone, it was clear that she and the Rong Family had a grievance of immense depth — the irreconcilable kind.

Gong Tinglan fell into contemplative thought.

The moment the head of the Rong Family heard Lang Jiuchuan’s suggestion, his eyes split open in fury, his gaze cutting toward her like a blade.