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

Let's rewind to when Jiang Yining and the others returned from the desolate abyss.

Qingqiu Fox Kingdom, Council Hall.

Several elders were checking the spirit stone expenses for the month with worried expressions when suddenly the hall door was kicked open with a "bang".

A gust of wind swept in, knocking several scrolls of bamboo slips off the table.

Bai Ze, beaming with pride, strode to the head seat and plopped down, his nine large tails swaying so loudly they almost left afterimages.

"Second Elder, give me that military command token you have."

Bai Ze stretched out his hand, speaking with righteous indignation: "Go to the storeroom and pick out a few more magical treasures that can ward off evil spirits and protect the house, the kind with the strongest defensive capabilities."

The second elder, who was adjusting the abacus, trembled, and several beads almost flew out of his hand.

He looked up, his wrinkled old face filled with vigilance, clutching the storage bag at his waist tightly.

"Your Majesty, what are you going to do now?"

The second elder's beard trembled: "You just emptied half of the storeroom and gave it away. Now even rats that go in have to come out with tears in their eyes. What kind of protective treasure do you have left?"

Stop complaining about being poor.

Bai Ze rolled his eyes at him: "Where are those ten-thousand-year-old black tortoise shells that were presented as tribute last time? And bring me the water-repelling pearls that were sent from below."

"By the way, Third Elder."

Bai Ze turned to the Third Elder, who was drinking tea on the other side: "Take a team of elites to pick up the Jiang family. The list and address are here."

He casually tossed a jade slip over.

The Third Elder caught it in a flurry of activity, and after scanning it with his divine sense, his face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Pick them up? Pick them up where? Are we in Qingqiu going to pay for their food and lodging?"

"Your Majesty, how can we afford to support humans with their families if we bring them to Qingqiu?"

"No! Absolutely not!"

The Grand Elder, who had remained silent until now, pounded his cane with a loud thud, lamenting, "Your Majesty, humans are cunning and greedy; they are not of our kind, and their hearts are surely different!"

"It would be one thing if you brought that woman back alone to repay a debt of gratitude, but now you're bringing her entire family along! This is like inviting a wolf into the house!"

"that is!"

The Second Elder, no longer hesitant to hold back, jumped up to chime in: "Qingqiu has always been isolated from the world. If a few hundred humans were to infiltrate and create chaos, how would we explain it to the demons below?"

"Besides, that woman took so many of our treasures as soon as she arrived, and now she wants to bring our people here to eat and drink for free. She's clearly trying to take advantage of you!"

The elders became increasingly agitated as they spoke, surrounding Bai Ze in the middle, as if they were about to launch a collective attack.

The smile on Bai Ze's face gradually disappeared.

Looking at this group of old men who usually haggled over a few spirit stones, he felt a surge of anger.

"Are you done talking?"

Bai Ze spoke coldly, and the oppressive aura of a demon emperor swept through the hall for a moment.

The elders paused, and although they shut their mouths, their faces were still full of dissatisfaction.

"Do you think I'm too stupid, or too bad about her?"

Bai Ze stood up and looked down at them: "She didn't choose a valley rich in spiritual energy, nor a plain with beautiful scenery."

The second elder pursed his lips and muttered under his breath, "Could it be that she chose a villa next to the palace?"

Bai Ze proudly raised its tail: "She chose the Desolate Abyss."

The hall fell silent instantly.

The storage bag that the Second Elder was holding fell to the ground with a "thud".

The Third Elder's mouth was so wide open that an egg could fit inside.

Even the most composed elder dropped his cane.

"Where?" The Second Elder rubbed his ear, wondering if he had misheard. "Your Majesty, could you please repeat that?"

"The Desolate Abyss".

Bai Ze repeated, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "It's that barren abyss where no grass grows and where the three races meet."

The elders looked at each other, each seeing a look of disbelief in the other's eyes.

"This...how is this possible?"

The Third Elder was the first to react, shaking his head repeatedly: "A place like the Desolate Abyss is resource-depleted and chaotic. Why would she choose that place? Is she crazy or stupid?"

"She's neither crazy nor stupid."

Bai Ze recalled Jiang Yining's expression when she stood on the cloud and said those words, and a soft light flashed in his eyes: "She's not as bad as you think."

The elders fell silent.

This was completely beyond their comprehension.

In their minds, the human woman would surely take advantage of the life-saving grace to make exorbitant demands, wanting to occupy a place in the best location in Qingqiu, and perhaps even plotting more.

But now...

A desolate abyss?

That's a place where demons exile criminals!

"Your Majesty, you...you didn't hear me wrong, did you?"

The Second Elder picked up the storage bag and asked cautiously, "Is she just being polite to you?"

Do I look like I'm joking?

Bai Ze glared at him irritably: "Third brother, when you take people to pick them up, take a group of craftsmen with you as well."

"Clear that area and build them a batch of habitable houses first."

"You all have no objections to this, right? It's just that we used our wasteland in Qingqiu."

The Third Elder held the jade slip, his brows furrowed, pacing back and forth in the hall.

His narrow, fox-like eyes gleamed, and his mind was racing with calculations.

Something's not right.

The Third Elder suddenly stopped and slapped his thigh: "Something's not right!"

Bai Ze frowned: "What's wrong?"

"Your Majesty, this is absolutely that woman's scheme!"

The Third Elder, with an expression that seemed to see through everything, pointed at the jade slip and analyzed, "This is the most insidious move in human military strategy—retreating to advance!"

"Think about it, if that human woman directly asked for a good place, we would definitely object."

"She deliberately chose the worst abyss, putting on an act of 'I don't take advantage, I'm independent, I'm aloof.'"

"Doesn't that make you feel especially guilty? Don't you think she's particularly special? Don't you want to give her even more good things?"

Bai Ze was taken aback.

Believe it or not, he actually had that feeling.

Seeing Bai Ze's expression soften, the Third Elder became even more enthusiastic: "This is a classic case of playing hard to get! She's casting a long line to catch a big fish, Your Majesty!"

"Once she settles down in the wasteland, she can play the victim a bit, and you'll definitely soften your heart. Then you'll have to send all sorts of resources there, won't you?"

"Hmph, I've already done all that!"

Upon hearing this, the other elders immediately understood.

"So that's how it is! I almost got scammed!"

"Humans are indeed cunning and treacherous; they'll even resort to such a self-inflicted injury ruse!"

"Your Majesty, you mustn't fall for her tricks! This woman is far too cunning; she has grand ambitions!"

Bai Ze listened to their cacophony of analyses and felt a headache coming on.

He slammed his hand on the table, somewhat annoyed: "Enough! This is what you call judging others by your own petty standards!"

"Am I really that bad at judging people?"

The three elders snorted mockingly, which angered Bai Zeteng so much that he instantly reverted to his original form.