Lang Jiuchuan was not afraid of the Lang Family members becoming arrogant. If they truly relied on her name to run roughshod over the villages and countryside, seizing ill-gotten wealth, believing themselves above the rules — that would not be a blessing for the family, but a path inviting disaster.
Of course, if they truly turned out to be mud that could not be plastered onto a wall, she would not be overly disappointed. Everyone had their own karma and fate.
What did it matter that she was born of the Lang Family? She would not forever carry her descendants along behind her. She had already done what she was meant to do.
To become a pillar. To become the soul of the clan. To become the existence that all looked up to.
She would also give back to the family — which was why she had awakened their spiritual potential, and she would still leave behind some cultivation and enlightenment methods. In the future, should any member of the Lang Family have the fortune to enter the path of cultivation, they could train with these methods. If they wished to make their way in the mortal world instead, then they would have to struggle and strive on their own.
But she would not remain beside the Lang Family to guide them indefinitely.
Even if she reached Core Formation, she could not perpetually interfere in the family’s karmic ties and fated circumstances.
Lang Jiuchuan’s words were like a sudden awakening for Lang Zhengping. That trace of restlessness and hidden worry in his heart disappeared entirely, replaced by a heavy sense of responsibility and a clear sense of direction. His expression turned solemn as he said: “I understand. Rest assured — the Lang Family will never become a burden to you, nor will we stray from the right path and disgrace your great name or the Lang Family’s legacy. Any who would do so does not deserve to call themselves a member of the Lang Family!”
Just as Lang Jiuchuan had said, she had already established both the pillar and the clan’s soul. Once the heavens and earth were set in order and peace came to the realm, as long as the Lang Family did not stray from the right path, no one would dare come to their door with hostility — they would only seek to curry favor. What the family needed to do was to guard their hearts and carry on that legacy from generation to generation, striving to become one of the foremost great clans.
As he and Lang Jiuchuan spoke, they together composed the family precepts. Lang Jiuchuan did not ask him to do the writing — she took up a sheet of yellow ceremonial paper herself and wrote with a talisman brush.
Lang Zhengping was both delighted and shaken: delighted because these family precepts would carry enormous weight and power of deterrence, and shaken because she had prepared for everything so thoroughly — clearly, she was readying herself for a departure with no guarantee of return.
His mood grew heavy once more.
That damned Tantai Wuji — truly despicable!
Lang Jiuchuan suddenly seemed to remember something. She glanced at Lang Zhengping and asked: “Is there anyone in the family who thinks that with the country having no ruler for even a single day, it should fall to the Lang Family to take charge and rule?”
Lang Zhengping started. “Ah, who would dare think that? Nobody has a head big enough to wear that kind of hat. Who?”
A family they hadn’t even properly managed yet, and they’d dare covet the rule of an entire nation? He, for one, had never dared entertain such a thought.
Lang Jiuchuan smiled lightly. “Good that there isn’t. Barring any unexpected developments, a wise ruler will arrive at the latest by next year. The Lang Family need only conduct themselves in accordance with what we’ve just discussed. The new sovereign will not dare do anything to the Lang Family.”
“But of course — with you here, who would be so blind?” Lang Zhengping wore a smug expression for a moment, but the next instant he composed himself and said: “Jiu’niang, are you afraid? Do you have confidence that you can slay that demon lord and return alive? If…”
He swallowed back the words that wanted to come out — if you can’t beat him, just run.
Saying that would probably be an insult to her standing.
Lang Zhengping felt once again that heavy truth: the greater a person’s power, the greater the weight of their responsibility.
“I will do everything in my power.” Lang Jiuchuan’s expression was cold and resolute. “When I examine myself and find no fault, though my opponent be of a thousand or ten thousand, I shall advance.”
In her heart there was a righteous and upright spirit that could cleanse even the most terrible demonic energy. She did not fear death.
Having settled the foundations of her family’s future, Lang Jiuchuan did not rest. She knew that Tantai Wuji would not simply sit and wait for death — there was not much time left for them.
Inside the Hall of Heaven’s Reach.
Lang Jiuchuan looked at Feng Ya’s face, which had grown visibly more haggard, and asked: “What’s the matter — those old foxes at court refusing to cooperate?”
How had he aged so much in just a single day?
Feng Ya’s expression was ice-cold. “They’d dare? I’d actually respect them as warriors if they did. It’s that the conclusion of any matter is always the same in the end, yet they insist on quarreling until the heavens themselves are turned upside down. I’ve now witnessed firsthand the full might of a civil official’s tongue. If that force could be harnessed, it could verbally topple a mountain peak.”
And the emperor had to face this sort of thing every single day. How terrifying.
Lang Jiuchuan suppressed a laugh. “The court has always been a battlefield without smoke. You’ll get used to it.”
Feng Ya immediately shook his head. “I have no desire to get used to it. I only hope this wise ruler arrives soon. You truly don’t know who it is?”
“As long as the ruler is a wise one, what does it matter to me who they are? I have no intention of taking this country for myself, so there’s no need to waste energy peering further into the heavenly mysteries.” Lang Jiuchuan said plainly. “Only — in the process of the wise ruler’s rise to power, the common people will inevitably suffer casualties. There will be countless families broken and lives destroyed once again.”
A trace of compassion had entered her voice.
“For great accomplishments to be achieved, countless lives must be sacrificed. When dynasties change, how can there ever be no bloodshed and death — especially in a complete change of dynasty, and especially under circumstances where demonic forces have appeared in the mortal world? If things can be brought under control quickly, that is already the greatest blessing possible. To demand more would be unreasonable.” Feng Ya looked at her and said: “Even a Core Formation Zhenren cannot have everything all at once. A small world always has its own fate and fortune. Your very existence has already caused its fortune index to increase considerably. So — do not demand the impossible.”
“I understand.” Lang Jiuchuan looked at him and saw that he had further merged with that body, his aura growing more profound and deep. She said: “Since you have made use of the old monster’s original body, the more you merge with it, the greater the rejection between his divine soul and these bones and blood will become. His craving for the energy of death and resentful spirits will only grow more desperate. Can you sense where he is?”
Feng Ya shook his head. “That blood-soul lamp of his can likely conceal his aura — I can’t sense it. But the torment of the demonic energy striking back against him is something he will certainly have to endure. Moreover, since he wishes to break through to a higher realm in order to contend with the two of us and with the righteous path throughout the realm, he will inevitably intensify his efforts to transform this world into a land of death, absorbing even more of the resentful death energy and all manner of dark emotions to reinforce his demonic cultivation.”
Lang Jiuchuan nodded. “That’s correct. Given his nature, he would never willingly give up. Even though we have broken his grand scheme, he will certainly have contingency plans. I’ve considered the possibility that he would choose to seize my physical body to make another attempt at the pinnacle — but instead he chose to fall into demonic ways and lurk in hiding while seeking to transform the world into demonic territory. This is not cowardice. I fear his purpose goes beyond revenge and slaughter — he is scheming something far larger.”
“I’ve said it before — entering the demonic path and seizing your physical body are not mutually exclusive. Right now, he has no more perfect body to inhabit, and the spiritual body of a Core Formation Zhenren would naturally be his first choice.” Feng Ya curled his fingers and drummed them against the table. “In the age of immortal cultivation, humans, demons, monsters, and ghosts all existed. The demon race had their own demon realm, with the Demon Emperor and Demon Patriarch as the supreme rulers, their power immense. Hypothetically — he intends to use boundless death energy and resentful spirits to forcibly condense the core of a demon realm, merging his soul and body with the realm itself to become something akin to a Territorial Deity. At that point, within the borders of this Great Dan, he would possess near-limitless power.”
This conjecture sent a chill through Lang Jiuchuan. To transform Great Dan into a demon realm — every living creature on this land would become a demon, and the heavenly order of this world would likewise crumble. Who, at that point, would be the supreme ruler?
“For him to transform the world into a demon realm — not unless I die!” Lang Jiuchuan gave a cold laugh. She took up three ancient tortoise shells and a few spiritually vibrant copper coins. “Whenever one has ambitions, they require a favorable confluence of heaven, earth, and time. I must probe the heavenly mysteries.”