Chapter Thirty-Seven: Better to Offend a Noble Clan than Provoke the Xuan Tribe

Lang Jiuchuan felt a genuine stir of emotion, but Jiang Che’s sudden interruption smoothed it away, leaving her calm once more. Perhaps the old woman’s affection was born of a love for her late son, but this small measure of care was likely the only thing that could soothe the soul of the original host. It wasn’t a life lived entirely in vain, then.

"Grandmother is still with us; you should keep these," Lang Jiuchuan said, tucking the deeds and banknotes back into the pouch and handing it over to Nanny Wang.

Nanny Wang shook her head. "Since the Old Madam gave them to you, Ninth Miss, you should keep them. Do not worry about others finding out. Few people know of this, and even if they did, who would dare speak against it? A grandmother giving a bit of her private wealth to the child of her beloved son—who would call that partial? The human heart is naturally biased; even the fingers on one hand are not of the same length."

She turned her head to see the Old Madam drifting into a light slumber and whispered, "The Old Madam’s greatest concern is always you and your father."

Lang Jiuchuan gripped the silk pouch tightly. "I don’t believe I have ever seen a portrait of my... father."

"The Old Madam’s illness stems from excessive longing, so we dare not keep any portraits of the Second Master in Shoukang Hall, for fear that seeing them would only deepen her sorrow. The Second Madam should have some," Nanny Wang paused, remembering the animosity between Lang and the Cui woman, then added, "Aside from her, there is one in the ancestral hall."

Lang Jiuchuan nodded and tucked the pouch into her waistband. Glancing back at the Old Madam, who had fallen asleep with her head tilted to one side, she studied the wrinkles on her face for a long moment before saying to Nanny Wang, "You have worked hard."

Nanny Wang smiled. "The Old Madam will surely be very happy to have you in the manor from now on."

Lang Jiuchuan hesitated, then gave a soft, noncommittal hum.

As they walked out of Shoukang Hall, Jiang Che remarked, "Now that you’ve done this, you couldn’t leave even if you wanted to, could you?"

Lang Jiuchuan ignored the question. "Did you retrieve the items I asked for?"

"Naturally. With a majestic White Tiger King such as myself on the job, how could I return empty-handed? They are all in your room." Jiang Che floated before her, looking fierce. "And you, what kind of trouble were you stirring up yesterday? How did your body end up in such a wretched state? Let me tell you, if you’re going to die, you’d better warn me in advance so I can run for it. Don’t drag me down with you."

"If you had provided me with more spiritual energy, I wouldn’t have suffered such a backlash," Lang Jiuchuan retorted coldly.

Jiang Che laughed in anger. "I see your other talents are meager, but your ability to shift the blame is truly unrivaled. You courted death, and now you blame me?"

Lang Jiuchuan remained impassive. "We share the same fate; we rise and fall together. As a tiger, have a bit more vision. What’s the harm in sharing a little more?"

That sounded familiar. What was it she had said when she first countered me?

Just as Jiang Che was thinking of throwing those words back at her, Lang Jiuchuan gave it no chance to counterattack. "What is wrong with you? Why do you reek of ill omens?"

"Huh?"

Jiang Che instinctively checked its side. Did it really? However, her interruption reminded it of something else.

"While I was stealing ash—no, collecting incense ash—at Ci’en Temple, I overheard something. I think you could resolve it and earn some merit to mend your body."

"Oh?"

Jiang Che crouched on her shoulder. "Shen Qinghe, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review in Wujing, has a young son named Shen Peng who seems to have been possessed by a malevolent spirit. He is currently recuperating at Ci’en Temple to avoid the miasma."

Lang Jiuchuan replied, "Since Ci’en Temple is a place of Buddha with its doors wide open to all, surely they can handle a mere case of possession."

"They really can’t. Even while staying at the temple, his vitality continues to drain away. I saw him; he’s as thin as a bamboo pole, as if his life force is being sucked dry. I hear the Shen family is pulling strings to get the Three Great Profound Clans to intervene."

Lang Jiuchuan’s interest was piqued. "The Three Great Profound Clans?"

"You don't know? Those are the three families with hereditary Daoist roots: Gong, Rong, and Feng," Jiang Che said, relaying what it had heard from the old ginkgo tree over the past year. "Do you think that just because Buddhism and Taoism exist in this mortal realm, everyone can slay demons and exorcise spirits? If the spiritual energy here were truly as abundant as you think, I wouldn't have failed my tribulation and nearly lost my consciousness while trying to transform into a divine beast."

The Great Dan Kingdom did possess spiritual energy, but it was far from the richness of the celestial realm. In the secular world, energy was sparse. For monks or Taoists to reach a high realm was incredibly difficult, first due to the lack of energy, and second, due to a lack of enlightenment.

The Three Great Profound Clans were called "Profound" because their ancestors had once produced Taoist masters and possessed "Dao roots." Once those roots were inherited, their enlightenment was profound, allowing them to grasp Buddhist or Taoist principles much faster than ordinary practitioners.

Because of this generational inheritance, these families possessed deep resources—rare, unpublished Buddhist scriptures, secret Taoist manuals, heart-cultivation techniques, medicinal formulas, and magical artifacts—treasures that outsiders could not buy for any price.

If one were to speak of the prestige of the noble houses and high officials of the Great Dan Kingdom, they paled in comparison to these three clans. If they dared, they could stir up winds and rain to throw the world into chaos. Not to mention their mysterious arts; if you offended them, they could secretly cast a curse to ruin your entire family—who could withstand that?

That is why the saying goes: better to offend a noble house than a Profound Clan. You cannot win against them, and you cannot afford the gamble. The Profound Clans carried an aura of supremacy because they had the capital for such arrogance.

Lang Jiuchuan frowned, feeling inexplicably irritated. "If that is the case, do they just walk all over everyone in this world?"

"Not quite. Though they are arrogant, do you think Dao roots are like cabbage that anyone can have? They aren't even as good as I am," Jiang Che scoffed. "Take the Rong family, for instance. I hear that out of hundreds in their clan, only one Dao root remains, and it’s already fading. If that root breaks, the Rong family likely won't be able to hold onto their ancestors' legacy anymore."

"So, even though they hoard those Taoist resources, not everyone can actually cultivate?"

Jiang Che nodded. "That is the case, but having one or two is enough to establish their status. And those with such bloodlines, even if their enlightenment isn't as sharp as those with true Dao roots, still possess some aptitude, as cultivating the Dao is also about cultivating the mind. As for those with true Dao roots, they are the treasures of their clans, which is why the three families intermarry to ensure the next generation produces them. Especially those with the roots—they are strictly forbidden from marrying outside the Profound Clans to avoid diluting the bloodline."

Lang Jiuchuan let out a sneer, clearly unimpressed.

"Furthermore, the Three Great Profound Clans dare not act with total impunity, not just because not everyone is born with a Dao root, but because there is another clan that stands above them."

Lang Jiuchuan was stunned. Another clan?

"Actually, it's not quite right to say there are three; there are four. The Tantai Imperial Clan also possesses inherited Dao roots," Jiang Che said. "The mysterious State Preceptor of the Dan Kingdom and the Guardian Saintess both hail from the Imperial Clan."

*Buzz.*

A sudden, sharp pain pierced Lang Jiuchuan’s head. She let out a muffled groan and crouched to the ground, clutching her head.