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

The bronze doors of the Ministry of Justice's prison gleamed eerily in the rain.

Chu Jinglan dismounted, the hem of his black royal robe leaving a trail of water in the puddles.

He did not show his token and walked straight to the gate.

"Your Highness Regent, please wait! This is..."

Before the gatekeeper could finish speaking, Chu Jinglan's gaze had already fallen on him. That gaze was devoid of warmth, yet it made the gatekeeper feel an inexplicable pressure, making it difficult for him to breathe.

"Open the door."

Chu Jinglan only said two words.

The captain's face flushed slightly, and the jailer next to him, seeing this, hurriedly pulled open the heavy door bolt.

A pungent smell of blood mixed with musty odor wafted over.

Chu Jinglan didn't look at the captain again and strode into the dark passageway. Wherever he went, the jailers bowed their heads and knelt on the ground, not daring to look up and meet the regent's cold gaze.

The deepest part of the water dungeon, waist-deep sewage, exuded a chill.

Jiang Yining was chained to the wall, her thin undergarment torn in several places, revealing some red marks on her shoulders and arms.

She lowered her head, her wet hair clung to her face, and her body seemed to be trembling slightly.

"Snap!"

The brass lock on the prison door snapped in response.

Chu Jinglan stepped into the sewage, the water rippling outwards, reaching above his knees.

Hearing the noise, Jiang Yining slowly raised her head. Her eyes no longer had their usual brilliance, and her lips were pale from the cold.

Chu Jinglan felt a tightness in his chest, as if something was blocking his way.

He stepped forward, broke the iron chain on her wrist, then took off his cloak, which was still warm from his body, and lifted her from the cold wall, wrapping her in his arms.

"Uncle..." In his arms, she seemed to regain a bit of her senses, her teeth chattering as she softly called out.

"Don't be afraid."

Chu Jinglan picked her up, turned around, and left, his voice devoid of any emotion.

After leaving the Ministry of Justice, he carried the person onto the carriage. Instead of returning to his residence, he ordered the driver to head out of the city.

As night deepened, torrential rain poured down, leaving many roads flooded.

The carriage struggled to move forward and eventually stopped in front of an abandoned mountain temple.

Inside the temple, Chu Jinglan lit a fire.

The flickering firelight illuminated his sharply defined profile.

Jiang Yining lay on the ground covered with dry grass, her fever seemingly rising even higher, occasionally uttering incoherent murmurs.

Her wet clothes clung to her body.

"Cold...so cold..." She curled up, seemingly moving unconsciously toward the fire.

Chu Jinglan had his back to her, casting a long shadow on the wall.

He should find a doctor immediately, or take her back to a safe place to live.

I heard a faint rustling sound of fabric behind me.

"Uncle..."

The sound was very soft, like a feather.

Chu Jinglan paused slightly and turned around.

Jiang Yining had already sat up. Perhaps feeling hot, she pulled open her soaked collar, revealing a patch of skin illuminated by the firelight.

Those hazy eyes stared straight at him, as if pleading for something.

She reached out her hand to him, her body swaying slightly.

"Help me."

The outside world, in reality.

Inside the quiet room of Tianxiang Tower, Chu Shuwen had already been ejected from the painting and collapsed to the ground unconscious.

The landscape painting, suspended in mid-air, was now fluctuating violently, and the mountains and rivers on it were becoming blurred.

Chu Jinglan, who was sitting cross-legged in front of the painting, trembled slightly. A trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth and dripped onto the floor in front of him.

A faint blush rose to his face, his breathing became somewhat rapid, and beneath his tightly closed eyelids, his eyeballs were rolling rapidly, as if he were experiencing some kind of extreme struggle.

Inside the dilapidated temple.

That phrase, "Save me," was like a spark that ignited certain suppressed emotions within Chu Jinglan.

He threw away the fire poker in his hand, took a few steps to stand in front of her, and his tall figure completely enveloped her in shadow.

He knelt on one knee, placed one hand on the back of her head, and lifted her chin with the other, forcing her to look at him.

His voice was a little hoarse, "Do you know who I am?"

Jiang Yining seemed not to understand; she seemed to only know that the man in front of her had the warmth she needed.

She climbed onto his neck, her cool lips clumsily pressing against the corner of his mouth.

"I want... I want you..."

A clap of thunder boomed, and a bolt of lightning ripped through the night sky, briefly illuminating the figures intertwined before the altar.

The clay statue of the deity has a mottled face and a compassionate expression as it gazes at everything at its feet.

Chu Jinglan absentmindedly picked her up and placed her on the cold stone altar.

A suppressed gasp was swallowed up by him.

Rainwater leaked down the dilapidated roof, hitting the two men's burning skin and creating a cloud of white steam that rose in the firelight.

The dark royal robe slipped to the ground, piling up her plain white, wet clothes.

Jiang Yining's cries were soft, mingling with the booming thunder, like a frightened young animal...

After an unknown amount of time, the thunder gradually subsided, and the rain lessened.

Chu Jinglan finally stopped moving.

He looked at the person beneath him who had already fallen into a deep sleep.

There were still glistening tears in the corners of her eyes, and her long eyelashes cast a fragile shadow in the firelight.

He raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears and raindrops from her face with his calloused fingertips.

The movements were gentler than ever before.

His royal robes and her clothes lay scattered haphazardly on the cold ground, soaked by the leaking rain.

He ultimately crossed that line.

Looking at the defenseless sleeping face in his arms, Chu Jinglan felt not regret, but a firm and clear desire to protect her behind him.

He picked her up, wrapped her in his equally tattered cloak, and let her lean against him.

He lowered his head and placed a light kiss on her forehead.

From now on, she may only belong to him.

A cold thought flashed through his mind: he would not allow anyone to harm her in the slightest.

Even if it's Chu Shuwen, it won't work.