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

This kiss was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a boiling oil pan, or throwing a spark into a dry woodpile.

Bai Ze froze completely.

His hands, which had been wielding knives and killing people for years, were now at a loss for what to do, and could only hang there dumbly in mid-air.

The girl's lips were soft, with a faint sweetness and a hint of warmth.

That was a taste he never dared to dream of.

"Ningning..."

Bai Ze called out indistinctly, his voice trembling violently.

Jiang Yining acted on impulse, only realizing what she had done after kissing him.

Her cheeks burned, and just as she was about to pull away, a large hand suddenly grabbed the back of her head.

"Don't run away."

Bai Ze's voice carried a chillingly aggressive quality.

If he was a wronged big dog just now, he has now revealed the fangs of a wolf.

Bai Ze took the initiative and lowered his head to kiss him back fiercely.

His kisses were rough and wild, like those of a soldier, conquering and leaving no room for retreat.

"Well……"

Jiang Yining weakly pressed her hands against his chest, trying to push him away a little.

But this amount of strength was like a pushover to Bai Ze.

He simply bent down, used his arms to lift Jiang Yining up in his arms.

She walked a few steps to the bedside and lay down in the soft bedding.

"Ningning..."

Bai Ze buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"I just want to die here with you..."

He was being coquettish, but his hands were anything but hesitant.

Large hands with calluses.

Back, sneaking past the front.

Jiang Yining trembled: "Bai Ze..."

Her gaze fell on his face; he had sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, a high nose bridge, and strong features—he was an exceptionally handsome man.

My gaze drifted down, and there were eight-pack abs...

Bai Ze looked down at the woman's fair cheeks, which flushed slightly, like peach blossoms in the snow.

This time, he was no longer impatient, but instead showed a heart-warming gentleness and patience.

"Bai Ze..." Jiang Yining's voice rose.

She had to admit that this man, who usually seemed a bit silly, had an amazing talent in this area.

Or rather, it's the instinct of male creatures.

The curtains were drawn, concealing the enchanting atmosphere of the room.

Only the candlelight cast their shadows on the wall, making it seem as if a wonderful shadow play was being performed.

I don't know how much time passed.

Bai Ze propped himself up, his forehead covered in sweat.

Jiang Yining's long hair was disheveled, her face was as beautiful as a peach blossom, and a few crystal tears still clung to the corners of her eyes. Her appearance was so... it could have killed him.

"Ningning, call my name."

He commanded in a hoarse voice, sweat dripping down his sharply defined jawline, landing right on her chest, burning her and making her flinch.

"Bai... Bai Ze..."

"wrong."

Bai Ze bit her earlobe with some dissatisfaction.

"Call me husband."

Jiang Yining felt so ashamed she wanted to die. Why was this man so fixated on this title, just like that blind man Chu Sikong?

"Don't call me..."

"Not calling?"

Bai Ze chuckled mischievously, "Dust."

"ah--!"

Jiang Yining gasped in surprise, her fingernails digging deep into his strong back muscles.

"Should we call out or not?"

He interrogated me as he went, acting like an insatiable robber.

"Husband... my lord..."

Jiang Yining finally gave in, her voice barely audible.

That cry of "Husband" completely shattered Bai Ze's last line of defense.

Jade White fascinated him; he sat there mysteriously, talking over her, about the mortal world.

This night was destined to be long.

Meanwhile, in the adjacent side room.

Chu Sikong sat quietly in the darkness, his exceptional hearing allowing him to hear everything clearly.

At this moment, deep finger marks had been dug into the hard bedpost.

"Idiot dog."

He muttered a curse under his breath, his voice full of bitterness.

But soon, he let go, a self-deprecating bitter smile on his face.

"Fine... consider this your last meal before you're executed."

Normally, he would have rushed over long ago.

But tonight, he held back.

……

The next morning.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the dew outside the window had not yet dried.

Jiang Yining was awakened by a chill. She groggily reached out and touched the side, finding it icy cold.

The seat next to me was already empty.

She woke up with a start and sat up.

The room had been tidied up, and the banknotes and land deeds that had been scattered all over the floor last night were now neatly stacked next to the pillow.

There was a slip of paper on the table, with several large characters written on it in a flamboyant and distinctive style, clearly the work of Bai Ze:

Honey, wait for me to come back. The money is yours, and so is I.

Those two simple sentences brought tears to Jiang Yining's eyes.

She grabbed the note and pressed it to her chest, where the sound of his heartbeat from the previous night seemed to still linger.

"Fool."

She muttered a curse under her breath, but a bitter smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

At this moment, at the city gate.

The army has been assembled, banners fluttering and warhorses neighing.

Bai Ze, clad in gleaming silver armor, rode a tall, imposing horse.

He was still the same imposing and awe-inspiring General Protector of the Nation, his face showing no trace of the tenderness of the previous night, only a chilling and ruthless expression.

"Set off!"

He glanced back in that direction one last time.

That's the direction of the Chu residence.

"Wait until I get back."

He silently vowed to himself, "When the time comes, I'll take you back, even if it means forcing you."

Bai Ze spurred his horse and galloped away.

There was no turning back.

Because they dare not.

On the city wall, two figures stood side by side.

"I'm gone."

Ji Lingxiao stood with his hands behind his back, the morning breeze ruffling his robes, making him appear exceptionally aloof.

"This journey will likely be fraught with peril, with only a nine out of ten chance of survival."

This is a trap deliberately set by Ye Wuhen; it is bound to be fraught with danger.

"A scourge can last for a thousand years."

Chu Sikong turned his face toward the direction Bai Ze had left.

"That stupid dog is tough; it won't die."

……

On the third day after Bai Ze left, a cold snap rain fell in the capital.

The rain, mixed with sand and dust blown in from the north, stung people's faces, like someone silently mourning.

The gates of the Chu residence were violently forced open; it wasn't the Imperial Guards who arrived, but only one person.

Eunuch Li, holding a bright yellow oil-paper umbrella, smiled so much that his face was full of wrinkles. Behind him was that familiar, luxurious carriage that was nauseatingly extravagant.

"Madam Chu, His Majesty said that he has been having severe nightmares these past few days, and he can't sleep without your medicine."

Eunuch Li's shrill voice sounded particularly jarring in the rain.

"His Majesty also said that if he does not see you before dark, he will have no choice but to have someone remove the 'Loyalty and Righteousness Passed Down Through Generations' plaque from the Chu family, and by the way... invite the Second Young Master Chu to the Dali Temple for a cup of tea."

This is blatant kidnapping.

Jiang Yining knew she couldn't resist, so she had already calmed down the two men inside.

"Let's go."

The carriage wheels rolled over the bluestone slabs with a dull thud.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the floor heating system was scalding hot.

Ye Wuhen, barefoot and wearing a loose red robe, was idly playing with crickets.

Hearing footsteps, he turned around.

"Ningning!"

Ye Wuhen dropped the priceless cricket jar, ran over barefoot, and tackled Jiang Yining to the ground on the thick carpet.

"You're finally back."

He buried his face in Jiang Yining's neck and took a deep breath, like an addict finally smelling poppies.

"I knew it; if I wanted it, there was nothing I couldn't have."

Jiang Yining was so overwhelmed by his weight that she could hardly breathe. Just as she was about to push him away, Ye Wuhen bit her earlobe hard.

"This time, I'm going to weld the cage shut."

He chuckled softly, his voice filled with a morbid possessiveness.

"No one can take you away from me again."