Many children, many blessings: Stealing the offspring of powerful figures to cultivate immortality.

Old Madam Jiang stretched out her deeply furrowed hands, her movements trembling slightly.

She carefully took the tiny baby from Jiang Yining's arms.

The baby didn't cry; it simply opened its unique, purplish-gold eyes and curiously examined the white-haired old man before it.

"Good boy...good boy..."

The old woman's cloudy eyes filled with tears. She held her great-grandson and slowly turned around to face the rows of cold memorial tablets in the ancestral hall.

Those memorial tablets represent the glory that generations of men in the Jiang family earned with their lives, and they are also an unhealable scar in the hearts of all the orphans and widows in this mansion today.

She took a deep breath and slammed her cane heavily on the bluestone slab.

"Everyone in the Jiang family, heed my command!"

All the surviving female members of the Jiang family in the ancestral hall straightened their backs and looked solemnly at the main seat.

Old Madam Jiang lifted the child high, her voice echoing in the empty ancestral hall.

"From this day forward, Jiang Yining shall be the new patriarch of the Jiang clan."

"His son, Jiang Lei, is the young master of my Jiang clan."

"This is the hope of my Jiang family, and Heaven's mercy upon our entire family of loyal martyrs. Do any of you have any objections?"

objection?

They witnessed the massacre firsthand and saw how Jiang Yining transformed from a cripple into a butterfly in dire straits, successfully establishing her foundation and giving birth to a "divine child" capable of summoning heavenly lightning.

The next moment, led by Aunt Jiang, all the women of the Jiang family knelt down in unison.

The hard stone slabs made a dull thud, and their movements were perfectly synchronized.

"We pay our respects to the clan leader! We pay our respects to the young master!"

"I am willing to obey the clan chief's orders, even at the cost of my life!"

The sounds converged into a torrent, dispelling the gloom that had shrouded the Jiang family for many days.

On each tear-streaked face, the flame of hope burned brightly.

Jiang Yining did not help them up, and calmly accepted their kneeling.

This is the power she fought for with her life, and it is also a necessary means to protect these people.

Any humility or weakness is an invitation to death.

Jiang Yining's gentleness has been replaced by an aura of authority that makes people afraid to look directly at her.

She walked down the steps and stood in front of the crowd.

"Get up, everyone."

Everyone stood up as instructed, but kept their heads down, not daring to meet her gaze.

Second Aunt.

"Yes!" Aunt Jiang replied quickly.

"Recall all the loyal and reliable servants you dismissed from your household to avoid trouble, and double their wages."

Jiang Yining paused for a moment: "From now on, the Jiang family will only support loyal people, not useless ones."

"Yes, clan chief."

Aunt Jiang immediately understood Jiang Yining's meaning: this was about rebuilding internal order and trust.

Jiang Yining then looked at Aunt Jiang, who was still injured but stood straight, her eyes filled with high fighting spirit.

Third Aunt.

"Chieftain, please give your orders!"

"After dawn, immediately seize all the properties of the Blood Fiend Sect and the City Lord's Mansion."

"Shops, mines, spirit fields—everything that can be sold should be converted into spirit stones. For anything that cannot be sold, send people to take over. Show no mercy to those who resist."

If she doesn't take the bite, someone else will.

Aunt Jiang's eyes lit up instantly; she had been waiting for this day for far too long.

That was the pleasure of revenge.

"Yes, sir! I guarantee they'll scrape off three layers of the land!"

One order after another was issued in an orderly manner, from repairing the mansion to treating the wounded and guarding against external threats.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the chaotic Jiang family was restored to order.

The women, who were initially filled with anxiety, found their places under clear instructions, and their panic was replaced by busyness.

three days later.

The Jiang family mansion has been completely renovated. The bloodstains on the ground have been cleaned up and the damaged walls have been repaired.

The main hall was brightly lit.

"Chief, everything has been counted."

Aunt Jiang placed a storage ring and a dozen thick account books on the table in front of Jiang Yining, her breathing becoming rapid with excitement.

"The Blood Fiend Sect and the City Lord's Mansion's savings accumulated over a century are all here."

"There are over seven million low-grade spirit stones alone, three hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones, and all kinds of magical artifacts, pills, and materials, filling three warehouses."

Everyone in the hall, including the seasoned Madam Jiang, couldn't help but gasp in shock.

Seven million low-grade spirit stones are enough to buy almost half of Qingyun City.

Even at its peak, the Jiang family's entire fortune amounted to no more than one-tenth of this figure.

Get rich overnight.

However, Jiang Yining simply flipped through the account books calmly, her face showing no emotion.

This amount of money is nothing compared to the tip of the iceberg in Ji Lingxiao's storage ring.

Her perspective had already been elevated to a terrifying level by that man, without her even realizing it.

"Very good." She closed the ledger.

"Money is a good thing, but it can also be a death sentence."

Jiang Yining's words instantly cooled down the joyful atmosphere that had just risen in the hall.

"To others, the Jiang family is now just a child holding a mountain of gold."

"All the players at this table in Qingyun City are dead. Soon, new wolves will come sniffing around."

Her gaze fell on Jiang Lei, who was being held in Aunt Jiang's arms and blowing bubbles.

"Ray is our trump card, but also our biggest weakness. He needs time to grow, and during this growth process, someone must protect him."

Madam Jiang's heart tightened: "Ning'er, you mean...?"

"We need to invite a god back."

Jiang Yining tapped her fingers lightly on the table.

"A cultivator who is at least in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage will serve as a guest elder of our Jiang family."

The suggestion caused a stir among those present.

Hire a cultivator in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage?

Which of those powerful figures isn't a local tyrant? How could they possibly be willing to serve as bodyguards for a family?

"Clan leader, I'm afraid..." Aunt Jiang looked troubled.

"If you pay enough, there's no one you can't hire."

Jiang Yining interrupted her: "I've found a suitable candidate these past few days."

She took out a portrait and laid it on the table. The portrait depicted a female cultivator in blue robes with a cool and aloof demeanor.

"Mei Qiyun, a rogue cultivator, is at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment. She offended a certain sect thirty years ago and has been living in Qingyun City ever since."

"This person has superb swordsmanship, a gentle nature, and often helps the people in the city. Most importantly, she once had a child."

"The higher a cultivator's cultivation level, the harder it is for them to have offspring. Mei Qiyun has lost a child, so she should have more empathy for the child."

Jiang Yining's arrangement left everyone speechless.

While they were still reeling from the sudden windfall, she had already figured out how to use it to solve the next crisis.

That afternoon, Jiang Yining met Mei Qiyun in a dilapidated teahouse in the west of the city.

"Who are you?"

Mei Qiyun sized up Jiang Yining, and when she realized that the other party was also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, her eyes turned wary.

Then she saw the child in the other person's arms, and the child's fair and adorable appearance softened her gaze.

"Senior Mei, I am Jiang Yining, the head of the Jiang family. I would like to ask you to become an elder of the Jiang family and protect my son."

Without saying a word, Jiang Yining pushed a heavy storage bag over.

Mei Qiyun took the storage bag and saw a Breakthrough Pill inside, which was exactly what she needed.

She looked the child over.

"This child was only born, and he's already at the first level of Qi Refining?!"

How much talent must one have to be born to enter the realm?

Back then, it took me a whole year to successfully cultivate qi after I entered the realm of ordinary people.

"My son is born with a swordsman's spirit. I know your swordsmanship is superb, and you will definitely like this disciple."

At this moment, Jiang Lei seemed to sense something, opened his eyes, and looked curiously at the woman in front of him.

"Eeya?"

The baby's innocent smile stirred Mei Qiyun's heart, reminding her of her own child who had been murdered.

This child in front of me is also exceptionally talented; he's sure to be the envy of others in the future.

"Okay, I agree to join the Jiang family."

Jiang Yining smiled slightly, relieved to have found a bodyguard and a teacher, meaning she wouldn't have to worry about her child's upbringing for the time being.

She still has a lot to do.

The changes that have occurred in Qingyun City will inevitably attract the attention of other forces.

To hold on, we need to become stronger!