When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

Xie Qingying coldly scrutinized Ji Ran.

The young crown prince, who had been basking in the admiration and awe of most people in the world for many years, should have been full of vigor and outstanding demeanor. However, in Xie Qingying's eyes, the person in front of her was like a withered tree with internal decay, an empty shell without a soul.

Ji Ran rested her cheek on her hand, accustomed to Xie Qingying's gaze, her emotions remaining completely calm.

"Since birth, I have been the crown prince of the Southern Cang royal family. For many years, I have maintained the balance between the various factions, handled state affairs, governed the people's livelihood, and done everything perfectly to bring blessings to the people. I have never slackened for a single day."

"It was I who discovered the effects of the Thousand-Condensed Cold Iron, saving countless cultivators' lives on the day of the Heavenly Origin Gathering, quelling the great chaos, and eliminating a scourge for the people. Looking at the emperors of all dynasties, or comparing myself to my mediocre and incompetent father... I believe I have done a good job."

Ji Ran remained indifferent.

"Even so, Valley Master Xie still thinks I've done something wrong?"

"..."

Xie Qingying did not expect that the usually taciturn Crown Prince would suddenly say such a thing, but how could they possibly have a heart-to-heart talk about their thoughts?

His brows were furrowed.

In the past, the relationship between the Eastern Palace and Medicine King Valley has always been harmonious.

Xie Qingying had seen the Crown Prince, who was still a child, many times when Ji Ran was young.

At that time, Xie Qingying also thought that this young Crown Prince was gentle and refined, polite, of noble birth and had a rare humility. She even regretted it more than once in private. How harsh Heaven was on Ji Ran. It generously bestowed upon him a unique spiritual root, but cruelly deprived him of a healthy body.

However, he never expected that the frail child he had once treated and cared for would grow into a cold-blooded crown prince who would not hesitate to imprison his benefactor and arbitrarily exploit his siblings in order to achieve his goals.

Otherwise, how could Xie Qingying, with her cultivation and experience, be so unprepared for Ji Ran and imprisoned here by him?

Xie Qingying felt that her kindness was not worth it, and a hint of anger flashed across her face.

"Ji Ran, don't forget how many innocent people you've harmed to sit comfortably in this position now! When I treated you back then, you weren't like this now..."

"They are innocent, but am I not innocent too?"

Ji Ran interrupted Xie Qingying. He twitched the corners of his mouth and actually smiled, but the smile looked extremely strange.

Back then? Which back then?

Recalling the past, Ji Ran remembered it all clearly; he was only a little over old enough to remember things. He remembered that his mother was always melancholy, and every time she saw him, although her attitude was gentle, her eyes would always well up with an uncontrollable sadness.

At that time, Ji Ran didn't understand why her mother was sad. Later, she overheard the palace servants whispering:

"Alas, the Empress still cannot overcome the pain of losing her child. The Third Prince is truly unfortunate."

"Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince's spiritual root was too domineering, absorbing all the nutrients and occupying all the space for survival even in the womb, which is why the Third Prince..."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! How can you say such things? His Highness is inside!"

"I just feel sorry for them. They're twins from the same mother, one born a chosen one, while the other..."

That very night, Ji Ran ran back to the East Palace. It turned out that every time his mother saw him, she was reminiscing about his twin brother who had died young at birth, all through his own face. At that time, he didn't understand what "absorbing nutrients" meant; he only vaguely knew that his mother was so sad because of him.

Ji Ran tried to reduce the frequency of entering his mother's palace, improve himself, and do his best to fulfill the duties of a crown prince.

His elder sister, Ji Fuyao, who was five years older than him, became a role model that Ji Ran could look up to and admire.

Ji Fuyao is too outstanding. It seems that she was born with all the beautiful words in the world. She is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and has excellent aptitude for cultivation and physique. She is both dignified and approachable in her dealings with others. She is loved by the palace servants and praised by the court officials. She speaks in a gentle voice, just like her mother.

Every time Ji Fuyao praised such a perfect Ji Ran, Ji Ran would secretly be happy for days under the covers.

Whenever he had the chance, he would try to find an excuse to follow his elder sister, tiptoeing to watch Ji Fuyao practice swordsmanship, sneaking into her study to read, and imitating her every word and action.

Then, one day, his father said to him:

"You are the future emperor of Nancang, yet you constantly use a woman as a role model. What kind of decorum is this? Do you have even the slightest bit of imperial demeanor?"

From a young age, the emperor had always been very strict with him. When he said these words now, his tone was full of undisguised disappointment. After hearing this, Ji Ran was restless for several days, always feeling that he had done something wrong again.

He had no choice but to obey his father's orders and intentionally distance himself from Ji Fuyao.

Soon, Ji Cheng'an's birth injected new blood into the Southern Cang royal family, and the entire palace was filled with joy at the arrival of the fourth prince. The emperor was happy, and the empress also showed a rare smile. Ji Fuyao's attention naturally shifted to her newborn brother.

Compared to her second brother, who was frail and sickly and naturally sensitive, her fourth brother, who would giggle and jump into her arms, was naturally more endearing.

Ji Cheng'an didn't have to do anything; he easily obtained everything Ji Ran longed for.

The change came unexpectedly.

When the Empress passed away, the funeral bells tolled throughout the capital, and overnight, the city was draped in mournful white cloth. Everyone whispered among themselves that with the Empress gone, the Southern Cang royal family was likely to face a major upheaval.

Overwhelmed with grief, Ji Ran's already frail health deteriorated rapidly during this period. He coughed up blood and had a persistent high fever, teetering on the brink of death several times. Even the medical practitioners were helpless, and in the end, he was hastily sent to a quiet and secluded Zen temple deep within the imperial city.

Most of the time, he lay in a daze in the Spirit Gathering Healing Array, occasionally hearing intermittent conversations—his father's voice, the palace servants' voices, and another… a deep voice.

"When the spiritual root and physical body are incompatible, the backlash becomes increasingly severe... Replacing the spiritual root requires extreme caution... Especially for blood relatives..."

"I know. Cheng'an is still young, his constitution is not yet fully developed, and he is the perfect vessel. We just need to follow the procedures of that time..."

A container? A replacement for the spiritual root?

What does it mean to... transfer the Heavenly Spiritual Root to the fourth brother?

The terrifying implication gleaned from those few words filled Ji Ran with growing unease. Was he about to be abandoned by his father? Just because he was about to die, would his father be so ruthless as to dig out his Heavenly Spirit Root and send it into Ji Cheng'an's dantian? How could this be?

That was his spiritual root!

His heart was in turmoil with fear, but just then, an incomparably powerful spiritual energy flowed into his body, and another voice, as loud as a bell, rang out, "This is not a good idea. Hand him over to me."

His master saved his life.

Once you enter the Great Dao, it's like a dragon entering the sea.

After becoming an apprentice, Ji Ran's last lingering hope for family, his resentment at injustice, and his confusion about fate all vanished under the guidance of the Three Phases Venerable. Enduring unimaginable backlash, he devoted all his energy and time to endless cultivation and building his power, quickly making a name for himself in the cultivation world and gaining fame.

The Crown Prince's rapid growth finally made the Emperor, who sat on the dragon throne, wary.

One day, the emperor summoned him to the imperial study. It was on this day that Ji Ran finally learned the truth about the Heavenly Spiritual Root within him.

—It was I who exchanged his life for your present.

Xie Qingying said in a cold tone, "I don't understand. Your Highness, why don't you elaborate? Where exactly are you innocent?"

Ji Ran stopped speaking.

Recalling the past always makes one feel nauseous.

The Crown Prince had already lost his composure by saying those words on a whim. He didn't need anyone's understanding or sympathy, nor did he need Xie Qingying's moral judgment based on a doctor's benevolence.

There is no right or wrong before an emperor.

Every decision made by oneself is flawless, regardless of the process, and needs no judgment from others. The pieces on the chessboard have no right to question the player's moves, and the world has no right to question whether he is "wrong".

In this life, we either treat others as pawns or are treated as pawns by others.

He wasn't the one who suggested changing his spiritual root, but he was the one who bore the consequences.

Does he intend to generously relinquish his spiritual root and the imperial power he is about to obtain as soon as Chu Xianlan returns?

Impossible.

Over the years, he has endured the pain of backlash, mental exhaustion, numerous illnesses, and the criticism of the world, sparing no effort to gradually tip the scales of fate in his favor... Now, how can Ji Ran tolerate ending up with nothing before he is about to reap the fruits of victory?

Ji Ran stood up and smiled slightly, "Thank you, Valley Master. You've worked hard today, thank you very much."

This smile made the faint mole on the tip of his nose stand out even more, and his handsome features exuded a gentlemanly demeanor, completely dispelling the gloomy expression he had just had.

Soon after, the Crown Prince departed gracefully, leaving Xie Qingying sitting in the courtyard for a long time, unable to recover from her shock.

Every time Xie Qingying faced the Crown Prince, he inevitably felt terrible, but even so, his medical instincts still made him notice a problem with the other man.

In the past, every time he took Ji Ran's pulse, Ji Ran was so weak that he was almost on his deathbed. Several times, he doubted that Ji Ran would last much longer.

but……

Why is it that today, upon seeing the Crown Prince, his health seems to be... much better than before?