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

The voice, carrying a hint of uncertain surprise, clearly pierced Jiang Yining's ears amidst the noisy black market.

She paused for a moment, but did not turn around.

The Myriad Spirits Divine Tree within the dantian, however, emitted an emotion of irritation and disgust as the owner of that voice approached.

It was as if a noble being had caught the scent of something filthy.

A young cultivator dressed in a cloud-patterned brocade robe quickly squeezed through the crowd and stood in front of the stall.

He was dressed in fine clothes and had a handsome face, which made him completely out of place in this filthy underground cave.

When he finally saw the outline of Jiang Yining's face, which was mostly hidden by a gray hood, his breath caught in his throat, and he even thought he was seeing things.

The timid, ordinary fiancée in my memory could never be reconciled with the tall, elegant, and aloof woman before me.

This contrast left him in turmoil, unsure how to react.

Regret intertwined with a strange emotion, giving his voice a slightly unusual quality that he himself might not have been aware of.

"Jiang Yining...is it really you?"

Chu Shuwen's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"How did you... end up in a place like this?"

His words contained the astonishment of a reunion, but even more so, the scrutiny and pity of someone of high birth looking down on someone in dire straits.

Jiang Yining finally turned around slowly.

She took off her hood.

A beautiful face was presented in the dim light of the crystal, but there was a hint of aloofness in her eyes.

She did not respond to Chu Shuwen's question.

A pair of clear, black and white eyes scanned him indifferently from head to toe with the gaze one would give a stranger.

Then, her lips twitched, but the smile lacked warmth.

"Young master," she spoke softly, her voice clear and crisp, "do we know each other?"

Chu Shuwen was so taken aback by her question that he felt a lump in his throat.

His handsome face flushed red.

The memory of being jilted resurfaced in Chu Shuwen's mind, and now, being treated this way by her, he felt a surge of anger rush to his head.

As the pride of the dynasty, he was publicly humiliated in this way by a woman he had once abandoned.

"you!"

He was about to have an attack.

Chu Jinglan, who had been standing by and watching everything with a smile, finally made a move.

He stepped forward and adjusted the elegant gold-rimmed glasses on his nose.

The lenses reflected the shimmering light of the crystals, obscuring the emotions in his eyes.

"Writing must be done with utmost respect."

His voice was gentle, with a calming power, yet it seemed to carry an undeniable weight.

Chu Shuwen's anger was suppressed by these words.

He then realized that his uncle was still beside him.

He immediately bowed, his posture respectful.

"Yes, Uncle."

Chu Jinglan's gaze passed over Chu Shuwen and landed on Jiang Yining.

It was a scrutinizing gaze, but it was well concealed by his gentle demeanor.

Like a patient hunter observing a prey that has intruded into his territory, seemingly assessing its value.

"This must be the Miss Jiang you often mention...?"

Chu Shuwen looked somewhat embarrassed and replied in a low voice, "Yes, Uncle. She is Jiang Yining."

Uncle.

When these two words reached Jiang Yining's ears, she immediately began to make a decision.

It turned out to be the case.

The Chu family of the human race, the legendary imperial tutor who, as a half-saint, held the dynasty's fortune for a thousand years and was even treated with the respect due to the current human emperor, was actually this gentle and seemingly harmless scholar.

The Myriad Spirits Divine Tree within his dantian swayed even more violently, conveying an intense longing.

That aura, which seemed to be related to imperial power, was a rare source of nourishment for it.

Jiang Yining's gaze towards Chu Jinglan subtly changed.

It was no longer a sense of vigilance against danger, but rather like examining a rare and precious medicinal herb, pondering how to harvest it.

Chu Shuwen had lost face in front of his uncle and was eager to regain it.

His gaze shifted downwards, and he noticed that there was a silent child standing beside Jiang Yining's legs.

The child looked to be about three years old, dressed in ordinary cloth clothes, his little face was tense, and his expression was indifferent to a child.

Chu Shuwen felt contempt; she had been living on the streets and even had a child. He seemed to have found a way to embarrass her, and a mocking smile appeared on his face.

"It's been so many years, and you... even have a child now?"

Jiang Lei, who had remained silent until now, slowly raised his head when he sensed the man's undisguised malice towards his mother.

A pair of unfocused, vertically shaped, purplish-gold pupils were coldly locked onto Chu Shuwen's face.

There was no childlike innocence in his eyes; instead, it seemed as if he were looking down at something insignificant, carrying a deep-seated contempt.

The feeling was like an ancient being, disturbed by the noise on the ground, inadvertently casting a glance.

With just one glance, Chu Shuwen felt a void in his heart. All the family background and talent he was so proud of seemed to have become a joke in that one look.

Why is he looking at me like that? He... he seems to have read my mind.

Under such gazes, he felt as if he were naked, and very uncomfortable.

A sudden chill made him involuntarily take half a step back, and his face paled.

Chu Jinglan took in all of this.

He watched as his usually proud and arrogant nephew was forced to back down by a single glance from a three-year-old child.

The smile on his lips seemed to have deepened.

This kid is interesting.

He stepped forward again, subtly separating Chu Shuwen and Jiang Yining from their mother and child. This seemingly ordinary action naturally shielded Jiang Yining to his side and blocked Chu Shuwen's view.

"It was my fault for not disciplining them properly, which disturbed the young lady and... your son."

Chu Jinglan spoke apologetically, his tone sounding very sincere.

"I have offended you in many ways today."

His gaze lingered on Jiang Lei for a moment, his eyes filled with a hint of inquiry, yet also with a sense of complete control.

A child who could unsettle Chu Shuwen, who was about to form his nascent soul.

A woman whose body was imbued with Ji Lingxiao's sword intent.

This mother and son were even more interesting than he had imagined.

He pushed up his glasses, his eyes gleaming behind the lenses, a plan already taking shape in his mind.

"To express my apologies, I wonder if I might have the honor of inviting Miss Jiang and your son for a chat?"

Chu Jinglan extended the invitation in a gentle and refined manner.

"Consider it an apology on behalf of my good-for-nothing nephew."