"Master!"
Upon seeing the person before him, clad in a green robe with a streak of white hair at his temple,
It was none other than Qinglan Shangren. Ji Shiyou hurriedly rose and knelt to pay his respects.
His heart, however, was filled with unease, unsure when Qinglan Shangren had arrived.
Had he discovered that Ji Shiyou had outwardly obeyed but inwardly protected the lives of Mingyue's family?
"Rebellious disciple!"
Qinglan Shangren's chest heaved, and he struck Ji Shiyou across the face.
A clear palm print immediately appeared on Ji Shiyou's face.
His body swayed and he fell to the ground.
Yet, he quickly got up and knelt properly once more.
He remained silent, his eyes stubbornly fixed on Qinglan Shangren.
He did not believe he was wrong. Not causing Mingyue sorrow was the purpose of his existence.
For Mingyue, he would defy the world, including Qinglan Shangren.
He would do so even if it meant breaking his vows.
If, at this moment, Qinglan Shangren dared to harm Mingyue,
He would not hesitate to turn against his master and attack Qinglan Shangren.
Though kneeling, Ji Shiyou secretly mobilized his cultivation, preparing to strike.
"You truly do not cherish your own body, failing to heed my instructions to sever all emotional attachments.
Is Mingyue so important? You must understand that love will be your downfall.
I made you consume the 'Shi Qing' (噬情) only to make you stronger.
This way, you can bear your mission and restore the prosperous Xuan Dynasty."
Qinglan Shangren's face was filled with anguish as he pointed at Ji Shiyou and berated him.
He displayed a demeanor of disappointment, as if a teacher frustrated by a student's lack of progress. Ji Shiyou's heart eased.
It seemed his master was unaware that he had secretly saved Mingyue's family.
His master was merely angry that he still harbored feelings for Mingyue and had not achieved emotional detachment.
However, he still did not understand what his master meant by "prosperous Xuan Dynasty" and how it related to him.
"You do not understand my words, do you?
The time is now ripe, and there are things you ought to know.
Rise, and I shall tell you."
Qinglan Shangren looked at Ji Shiyou, sighed,
Pulled him up from the ground, and sat down in a chair himself.
"Do you know why I traveled thousands of miles to the Wu Man Kingdom to find you?
And why, after taking you as my disciple, I spent five years with you, teaching you my skills?"
Qinglan Shangren's gaze grew distant, as if reminiscing about the past.
Ji Shiyou, of course, did not know and shook his head blankly.
But he instinctively felt that Qinglan Shangren's tone suggested he was about to reveal a secret.
"Because you are the orphaned heir of the Xuan royal family. Your father was the Crown Prince of Xuan.
You are the most legitimate successor to Xuan. Had it not been for the coup d'état back then,
Which led to the fall of the Xuan Dynasty, your father would have been the sole emperor of the Xuan continent.
This continent would have eventually belonged to you."
Qinglan Shangren's words left Ji Shiyou stunned into silence.
Through Qinglan Shangren's explanation, he learned of his lineage.
During the Xuan coup, the royal family was massacred.
Everyone believed the Xuan royal bloodline had been extinguished.
But this was not the case. The Crown Prince, under the arrangement of the Imperial Tutor, escaped death.
At the time, the Crown Prince's personal guard disguised himself as the Crown Prince and died in his stead.
Under the protection of the Xuan Imperial Tutor, Qinglan Shangren, he fled to the Tian Lang tribe.
Qinglan Shangren hailed from Tian Lang and was the sworn brother of the then chieftain of the Tian Lang tribe.
To protect the Crown Prince, he supported his brother in establishing the Tian Lang Kingdom.
His plan was well-conceived: to use the Tian Lang Kingdom as a base to help the Crown Prince restore his dynasty.
However, the Tian Lang Kingdom was originally just a tribe, its national strength inferior to Wu Man, and even more so to Lang Yue.
It was the weakest of the three kingdoms. If the Emperor of Lang Yue knew that the Tian Lang Kingdom was founded by the Xuan Crown Prince,
He would undoubtedly pursue the matter relentlessly, launching an invasion to eradicate the threat.
Therefore, Qinglan Shangren established the kingdom under his brother's name, which was merely a smokescreen.
It was meant to deceive the Lang Yue Emperor and buy time for the Crown Prince's restoration.
After nearly ten years of Qinglan Shangren's efforts, the Tian Lang Kingdom had amassed troops and provisions, its national strength growing.
In terms of both finances and military power, it could now rival Lang Yue and Wu Man, possessing the strength to contend.
Just as Qinglan Shangren was sharpening his blade, preparing to declare the Xuan Crown Prince's name,
Launch an attack on Lang Yue, conquer Wu Man, and restore the Xuan Dynasty,
Something he never expected happened: the Xuan Crown Prince no longer wished to restore his dynasty.
The Xuan Crown Prince shared a similar disposition with his father, the last Xuan Emperor.
Rather than cowardly, it was a lack of ambition.
His ten years in the Tian Lang Kingdom had made him even more detached from worldly desires.
Most importantly, in his seclusion, he had met a woman he loved.
When he was the Crown Prince, he disliked royal life.
Ten years of reclusive living had further distanced him from fame and fortune, solidifying his resolve.
He believed that compared to restoring his dynasty, living a simple life in the countryside,
Spending his days with the woman he loved, was the life he truly desired.
Meanwhile, Qinglan Shangren's brother had been the Emperor of Tian Lang for ten years.
He was unwilling to relinquish the power and status he held.
If the Xuan Dynasty were successfully restored, what would become of him?
Would he still be an emperor, still enjoy his current privileges?
Clearly not. He would be reduced to his original state, a tribal chief.
Or perhaps a subject of the Xuan Crown Prince. He was unwilling.
One was detached from worldly desires and unwilling to restore his dynasty.
The other was unwilling to give up his current status and sought to prevent the restoration.
Thus, they reached a tacit understanding and decided to fulfill each other's desires.
With the help of the Tian Lang Emperor, the Xuan Crown Prince fled with the Crown Princess.
However, an accident occurred during their escape.
To save the pregnant Crown Princess, the Xuan Crown Prince died.
The Crown Princess, under shock, gave birth to a son and then bled profusely, following the Crown Prince in death.
By the time Qinglan Shangren arrived, he found only two corpses and a newborn infant.
He could only bury the Crown Prince and his consort and take the infant with him.
With the Crown Prince's accidental death during his escape, Qinglan Shangren investigated.
He had a fierce argument with his brother, and they parted on bad terms.
Simultaneously, Qinglan Shangren's plan to attack Lang Yue and restore the Xuan Dynasty
Was met with collective opposition from the entire court, forcing him to shelve it.
He then devised a unique plan. He took the newborn Ji Shiyou and traveled to Lang Yue.
After infiltrating the imperial palace, he swapped the newborn prince of the Lang Yue Emperor with Ji Shiyou.
He left Ji Shiyou in the Lang Yue imperial palace and then killed the swapped prince, returning to the Tian Lang Kingdom.
This was a hidden move he had orchestrated, also to protect Ji Shiyou.
He knew well that if Ji Shiyou remained in the Tian Lang Kingdom, his brother, for his own purposes,
Would never allow Ji Shiyou to grow up safely and would surely kill him to eliminate any future trouble.
If Ji Shiyou were dead, there would be no reason to restore the dynasty.
By leaving Ji Shiyou behind, he also freed himself to reclaim control of the Tian Lang Kingdom.
The Tian Lang Kingdom was established for the purpose of restoration; it was the secret force he had prepared for the next Xuan Emperor.
It must never be used for other purposes or exploited by others.
A year later, the Tian Lang Emperor died of a sudden illness.
Qinglan Shangren supported his six-year-old nephew, Rao Di Sha, to the throne, making him the second Emperor of Tian Lang.
At that time, many ministers in the Tian Lang Kingdom were executed for various crimes, and the Tian Lang Kingdom underwent a change of power.
The nation was in turmoil, and everyone lived in fear. With the young ruler, Qinglan Shangren acted as regent.
It took several years for him to bring the Tian Lang Kingdom back on track.
Only when the new Emperor grew up and could handle state affairs independently
Did Qinglan Shangren have the time to search for Ji Shiyou and teach him all the skills required to be an emperor.
"Master, I have something to say, though I don't know if I should."
Having learned of his lineage and the experiences of his birth parents, Ji Shiyou could not help but speak.