After everyone was reborn, I was strictly disciplined.

"It was the brother inside the ring who told me to do this."

As he spoke, he gently waved his little hand, gesturing for He Anyao to take a closer look at the ring.

He Anyao's gaze instantly fell on the ring, her brows furrowed tightly, and a hint of doubt and wariness flashed in her eyes.

She clearly remembered that this ring was He Chenyu's personal possession, the only keepsake left to her child by his deceased biological mother.

He Chenyu usually cherished this treasure and never let it out of his sight. How did it suddenly end up in Xie Xingran's hands?

What made her heart clench even more was the "brother in the ring" that Xie Xingran mentioned.

Who exactly is this person?

A terrifying thought flashed into He Anyao's mind, sending a chill down her spine.

Could it be that some wicked cultivator resides within this ring, taking advantage of the child's ignorance to secretly lure and abduct her grandson?

It's not impossible.

In the Cangxuan Continent, there are far too many such rumors and precedents.

Some cultivators with profound cultivation who are nearing the end of their lifespan or who have met with unforeseen circumstances often extract a wisp of their remnant soul in advance and nurture it in objects containing spiritual energy, such as jade pendants or jade rings, in order to avoid the fate of their soul being scattered.

They conceal their whereabouts and silently wait for the right opportunity. Once they encounter a suitable candidate with exceptional talent and a pure soul, they will seize the opportunity to possess the body and talent of the other person and restart their own cultivation path.

Could it be that the "brother" Xie Xingran mentioned is also such a remnant soul?

His approach to Ranran was not out of any goodwill or to help her, but rather because he coveted Ranran's once-in-a-millennium extraordinary talent and wanted to possess the child's body for himself.

In an instant, countless chaotic thoughts intertwined in He Anyao's mind, and vigilance and worry overwhelmed her like a tide.

She stared intently at the seemingly ordinary yet strangely mysterious ring, the eagerness in her eyes gradually replaced by solemnity and vigilance, and the aura around her subtly tightened.

He Anyao forced herself to calm down, keeping her tone as even as possible, afraid of upsetting her bewildered grandson or alerting any unknown cultivators who might be inside the ring.

"Ranran," she said softly, "that brother you mentioned, is he... able to come out and see Grandma now?"

He Anyao's expression grew increasingly grave. She silently placed her hands behind her back, a faint spiritual energy gathering in her palms as she quietly began to circulate her internal energy technique. Zhou

The spiritual energy within is like a lurking beast, ready to strike at any moment.

If the unknown cultivator hiding in the ring dares to show himself, she will not hesitate to take action and subdue him. Even if it costs her all, she will never allow anyone to harm her grandson in the slightest.

No matter who the person in the ring is, or what their purpose is, as long as they dare to mess with Ranran or harm a single hair on her head, He Anyao will fight them to the death.

Xie Xingran blinked her big, dark eyes, feigning complete ignorance, and gently shook her head, her voice soft and sweet: "I don't know, Grandma. Maybe I should ask my brother?"

As he spoke, he raised the ring in his palm high, brought it to his lips, and called out to it softly and affectionately over and over again.

"Brother, brother, are you still there? Can you come out for a moment? Ranran's grandmother needs to see you."

In fact, from the very beginning, Xie Xingran never intended to expose Xie Ciwen to He Anyao and the others.

Xie Ciwen is his second brother. He is the only person he can completely trust and rely on after he transmigrated to this world. He is also the last trump card he keeps hidden in his hand and will never use it lightly unless absolutely necessary.

Whether from the perspective of blood ties or Xie Ciwen's formidable strength, Xie Ciwen is his strongest support and the source of his greatest confidence in this unfamiliar world.

But he never expected that He Anyao would question him so seriously because of that madman He Chenyu.

Judging from He Anyao's expression at this moment, she clearly values ​​He Chenyu very much.

He knew that if he openly admitted that he had taken the initiative to drive He Chenyu away, then the impression He Anyao had of him as a well-behaved, sensible, and kind-hearted person would definitely be shattered.

In the past, if the entire Xie family had gathered around him, he wouldn't have cared about He Anyao and the others' attitudes towards him, much less whether they had feelings for him.

But now things are different; Xie Jinghan has appeared.

His adoptive father, who disliked, hated, and rejected him from the moment he was born.

Xie Jinghan is his enemy, so Xie Xingran cannot accept that He Anyao and the others will become like Xie Jinghan, or simply stand on Xie Jinghan's side and join him in opposing and ostracizing him.

In that case, he would be missing out on so many treasures!

Therefore, he had to find a way to get He Anyao and the others to stand on his side and become his helpers, not obstacles.

But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't come up with a perfect way to cover up the fact that he had driven He Chenyu away.

After all, many servants in the manor had seen it all. He was the one who personally went to find He Chenyu, and he was the one who personally ordered the guards to throw He Chenyu out.

Xie Xingran knew in his heart that no matter how much He Anyao loved and doted on him, she still had her own bottom line.

She could tolerate herself bullying servants like Lu Chengyuan, but she would never tolerate her grandson bullying her family, especially a mentally ill person who couldn't take care of himself.

Furthermore, he had just kicked Xie Jinghan, his biological father, out. If He Anyao were to find out that he had also kicked He Chenyu out, then the obedient and sensible image he had maintained for so long would inevitably have an irreparable rift in He Anyao's heart.

Left with no other choice, Xie Xingran made up her mind and offered up her second brother, Xie Ciwen, without hesitation.

My second brother is so smart and meticulous. As long as he shows up, he will surely understand my intentions, help me cover up this lie, dispel He Anyao's doubts, and even help me win He Anyao's trust.

More importantly, he wasn't worried at all that Xie Ciwen would get hurt.

His second brother was incredibly powerful, able to completely suppress even a reborn chosen one like Jiang Huaijin, a feat unmatched by anyone.

Moreover, the second brother was brought to this world by the system and resided in this ring, turning what was originally He Chenyu's cheat code into his own.

Following the usual tropes in novels, a soul residing in an object must have an extraordinary origin and background, and its strength is certainly no less than before.

That's why he dared to entrust this matter to Xie Ciwen with such confidence.

Xie Xingran's voice, soft yet clear, entered the ring again and again.

The once silent ring gradually emitted a faint yet warm white light, and the strange patterns on the ring's surface also slowly lit up, flowing with a faint spiritual energy.

Inside the ring, Xie Ciwen was in a deep sleep, nourishing his soul.

Hearing Xie Xingran's urgent call, he slowly awoke from his deep sleep. A wisp of consciousness spread out, and he instantly became aware of the situation outside and immediately understood Xie Xingran's true intention in calling him out.

He sighed softly, his tone tinged with helplessness, but even more so with indulgence and pampering for his younger brother.

Well then, since this little guy has asked him for a favor, as the second brother, he naturally has no reason not to help.

The next second, the white light on the ring suddenly became brighter, and a gentle stream of air slowly emanated from the ring, condensing and transforming in the air, gradually forming a tall figure.

The figure was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, the hem of which fluttered in the wind. His long hair reached his waist, his face was handsome and refined, and his temperament was gentle and jade-like. He was surrounded by a faint spiritual aura, and he exuded an unhurried elegance and composure.

Xie Ciwen landed slowly on the ground, his gaze calmly meeting He Anyao's wary expression and tense aura. Without the slightest panic, he bowed slightly and gracefully performed a standard ancient salute to He Anyao, his posture respectful yet not servile.

After straightening up, he spoke, his voice gentle and warm like the clinking of jade stones, "My name is Ci Wen, the first Valley Master of Yunyin Valley. I apologize for disturbing you, Madam."