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

That heartbroken cry of "heartless man!" resounded like a thunderclap on the rocky hill where the stench of blood had not yet dissipated.

The air freezes.

Hu Wei and his fox clan guards halted their blades mid-air as they slashed at the bandits.

The trembling Black Wind bandits forgot to beg for mercy and stared wide-eyed, scanning back and forth between their leader and the white-robed immortal.

Even the Jiang family members who survived the ordeal forgot to say thank you, their mouths agape, their faces filled with disbelief.

The grim atmosphere of the battlefield was instantly replaced by an atmosphere so thick it was almost palpable, filled with gossip.

Jiang Yining sat steadily on Bai Ze's broad back, holding Jiang Lei, who was watching with great interest, in her arms, a mischievous smile on her lips.

"Oh, Sword Master, you're quite the ladies' man."

She looked at Ji Lingxiao with a smile: "Is this also one of your 'academic discussions'? Your scope of discussion is quite broad, you don't even spare the mountain king."

Bai Ze was so happy he almost lost his composure as a demon emperor. He suppressed his laughter and secretly poked Jiang Yining with the tip of his tail, his golden eyes full of schadenfreude.

See? I knew that ice-cold face of his was no good!

The temperature around Ji Lingxiao suddenly dropped, and the long sword hanging under his feet emitted a low hum, with sharp sword energy spreading out, making people's cheeks sting.

"I don't know her."

But at this moment, Hong Niangzi seemed to be infused with boundless courage, ignoring the murderous aura that was about to tear her apart.

She threw away the whip in her hand, wiped away non-existent tears with her heavily made-up sleeve, pointed her orchid finger at Ji Lingxiao, and began a tearful accusation.

"Don't think that just because you're pretending not to know me, I won't dare to speak up!"

The matchmaker's eyes were bloodshot, and she looked just like a wife who had been abandoned.

"Back then, I was just an innocent and carefree mortal girl who was unfortunately injured by a monster while gathering herbs in the mountains. It was you!"

"You descended like a god, slaying that monster with a single sword strike and saving me!"

"I fell in love with you at first sight, and I told you I was willing to give myself to you and serve you for life! But what did you say?!"

Everyone present pricked up their ears.

How so?

What did the Sword Master say?

After a long while, Hong Niangzi was still sobbing, "My love—"

"Cough cough—"

"Pfft..."

……

A group of people were shaking on their shoulders.

Ji Lingxiao's face was as black as the bottom of a pot: "I have saved countless lives, and you—"

Who is the subtext?

Under everyone's gaze, Ji Lingxiao could only desperately try to remember.

He finally remembered.

Ji Lingxiao looked coldly at Hong Niangzi: "I remember now."

The matchmaker's face lit up with joy, and she was about to get up and pour out her heart.

Then Ji Lingxiao said expressionlessly, "Back then you said you wanted to repay a debt of gratitude, but I said you were too ugly and would slow down my sword-drawing speed, so I told you to get lost."

"puff--"

Bai Ze couldn't help but burst out laughing.

His enormous fox body trembled violently, almost throwing Jiang Yining off his back.

"Hahahaha...affects...the speed of drawing the sword?"

Bai Ze laughed so hard that his nine tails danced wildly behind him, like a burst of fireworks.

"Ji Lingxiao, I only learned today that you actually had such a reason!"

Ji Lingxiao gave him a cold glance, his long sword humming as he considered whether to kill this gloating fox first.

Jiang Yining couldn't help but chuckle as she looked down at the heavily made-up, stout-waisted Red Lady.

This reason is indeed unique, hurtful, and... typical of Ji Lingxiao.

The expression on Hong Niangzi's face froze.

That was the greatest humiliation she had ever suffered in her life, and she never expected that this man would add insult to injury in front of hundreds of people.

"That's because you're shy!"

Hong Niangzi, embarrassed and angry, tried her best to save face.

"If you didn't like me, why did you save me back then? A life-saving grace should be repaid with marriage; that's what's written in storybooks!"

"That was just something I did on the spur of the moment," Ji Lingxiao corrected.

The matchmaker's chest heaved with anger, and she brought up another issue.

"Just a few months ago, you were afflicted with the Heavenly Demon's Love Poison and your life hung by a thread. It was me!"

"I risked my life to cure you, disregarding my own innocence! But I only went to gather some fruit for you to eat, and when I returned, you had vanished without a trace!"

As she spoke, Hong Niangzi solemnly touched her flat stomach, her face displaying a sorrowful yet somewhat holy expression.

Just then.

Jiang Lei, who had been watching the show from Jiang Yining's arms, suddenly struggled to stand up.

The little guy had a chubby face and looked at Ji Lingxiao with an extremely serious expression.

"So this is the kind of person you are."

Ji Lingxiao was stunned, and most of the killing intent on his body dissipated instantly.

"I am not."

"That's a lie."

Jiang Lei pointed to Hong Niangzi below, who was crying with snot and tears streaming down her face.

"That auntie was crying so hard, you must have bullied her."

Although the little guy is clever, he is only three years old and has the mental capacity to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

In his simplistic worldview, a man who makes a woman cry is a bad guy.

Jiang Lei threw the small wooden sword he had been gripping tightly onto the ground.

"I'm not going to learn swordsmanship anymore."

The little guy turned around angrily and hugged Jiang Yining's neck.

"I won't learn swordsmanship from that scumbag. I want to learn talisman drawing from my mother, or magic tricks from Uncle Bai."

This statement is sharper than any sword.

Ji Lingxiao's figure suddenly swayed.

He looked at that small face that was so similar to his own, and at the aloofness in those clear eyes. It felt as if a huge rock had hit his chest, making him feel both suffocated and in pain, and he couldn't utter a single word.

He wanted to explain, but what could he explain to a three-year-old child, to that past that had been infinitely exaggerated and distorted?

Could it be that he just casually saved someone and left without even seeing what the person looked like?

That would only make them seem more ruthless.

"Jiang Lei!"

Ji Lingxiao gritted his teeth: "Your father didn't..."

"I won't listen! I won't listen!"

Jiang Lei buried his head in Jiang Yining's arms and covered his ears with his two little hands.

"My mother said that explaining is just covering up, and covering up means it actually happened!"

Jiang Yining: "..."

My dear son, there's no need for you to recite your mother's words so fluently at times like this.

Looking at Ji Lingxiao's face, which looked like it was about to crack, Jiang Yining tried hard to suppress the smile on her lips.

Should.

Serves you right for always acting aloof.

Seeing this, the matchmaker below rolled her eyes.

This child is Ji Lingxiao's son? How is that possible?!

A powerful figure with such cultivation level would not easily have children.

Perhaps he's an adopted son!

Hong Niangzi steeled her heart and decided to take drastic measures.

"Waaaah... Hime-rou, even if you don't acknowledge me, do you not even acknowledge our child?"