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

Jiang Yining sat cross-legged on the futon, and Wu Bao slept soundly with his head resting on her knees.

The Divine Tree of Myriad Spirits slowly rotated in the dantian, absorbing the Buddhist light seeping in through the window cracks and transforming it into pure chaotic life force to repair the meridians.

At 11:45 AM, a muffled sound came from the direction of the Merit Pool on the back mountain.

The Buddha's light trembled violently for a moment.

Jiang Yining opened her eyes, but didn't move; she just listened intently.

The chanting in the distance stopped.

The sound of the wooden fish stopped, replaced by hurried footsteps that came from the direction of the back mountain all the way to the gate of the side courtyard.

The footsteps stopped outside the courtyard gate.

Jiang Yining picked up Wubao, tucked the blanket around her, and got up to open the door.

The door opened a crack.

Fan Chenxin stood outside the door.

The monk's white robe was mostly soaked, as if he had climbed straight up from the pool of merit.

The cinnabar between her brows was darker than usual, and her lips were pale.

The golden alms bowl in his hand contained half a bowl of golden water from the pool of merit.

"donor."

Fan Chenxin's voice was hoarse.

"Is something the master needs in the middle of the night?"

Jiang Yining leaned against the door frame, her purple-gold eyes sweeping over him from head to toe.

"This humble monk has come to deliver the water from the pool for the second baptism."

Fan Chenxin handed over the alms bowl, his gaze falling on Wu Bao's peaceful sleeping face.

"Advance?"

"It's ahead of schedule."

Jiang Yining did not accept the alms bowl.

"Didn't they say we had to wait during the day?"

Fan Chenxin's fingers tightened slightly, causing the golden liquid in the alms bowl to slosh.

"This humble monk judges that the residual poison of the divine realm's laws has begun to loosen under the continuous purification of the Buddha's light. If we take advantage of this moment to accelerate the baptism, we can shorten the treatment process."

Jiang Yining glanced at him.

"So, Master, you stayed up all night to come and deliver water?"

Fan Chenxin did not answer.

His gaze shifted from Wu Bao to Jiang Yining's shoulders, which were wrapped in a fleece blanket.

The night wind blew in from outside the courtyard wall, ruffling her loose hair.

"You are dressed lightly, and the night air is cool. Please come inside and we will talk."

After saying this, Fan Chenxin paused for a moment.

Jiang Yining raised an eyebrow.

"Is the master concerned about what I'm wearing?"

Fan Chenxin's ears turned red, and she took a half step back.

"This humble monk is merely reminding you to take care of your health. The baptism requires the cooperation of your vital essence. If you catch a cold, it will affect the output of chaotic life force..."

"Alright."

Jiang Yining reached out and took the bowl.

Their fingertips touched the back of his hand as they crossed.

Fan Chenxin's hand was icy cold, but she pulled it back as if she had been burned.

The bowl almost slipped from my hand.

Jiang Yining steadied the bowl and glanced down at the golden water inside.

"Did you fetch this water yourself?"

"nature."

"Is the Merit Pool left unlocked late at night?"

Fan Chenxin remained silent for a moment.

"This humble monk has the authority."

Jiang Yining smiled slightly, but didn't expose him.

She placed the alms bowl on the low table by the door and looked back to see Fan Chenxin still standing there.

"Is there anything else, Master?"

Fan Chenxin opened her mouth.

"What you said during the day, benefactor, I have pondered for a long time."

Jiang Yining leaned back against the door frame, waiting for him to continue.

"The benefactor said that without the experience of love, desire, anger, and delusion, the so-called great love that severs the seven emotions and six desires is just empty talk."

Fan Chenxin lowered his voice, as if he were repeating a scripture that had tormented him all day.

"This humble monk wishes to ask you, benefactor, what is desire?"

Jiang Yining almost burst out laughing.

This Buddhist disciple, who had practiced Buddhism for a hundred years, even had to consult outsiders about the word "love and desire."

"Does the master truly not understand, or is he trying to test me?"

"This humble monk never tests anyone."

"Then I'd like to ask the master a question."

Jiang Yining took a step forward, crossed the threshold, and stood in the courtyard.

The moonlight shone on her plain white dress, and the wooden hairpin in her hair reflected a cold light.

"Your prayer beads broke today in the Merit Pool."

Fan Chenxin's breath hitched.

"You're up in the middle of the night tonight, going to the Merit Pool to fetch water."

Jiang Yining's voice was soft, as if she were stating a fact.

"When you saw that I was dressed lightly, your first reaction wasn't Buddhist etiquette, but to tell me to come inside so I wouldn't catch a cold."

She paused for a moment.

"Master, if this isn't lust, what is it?"

Fan Chenxin's lips moved, but she didn't make a sound for a long time.

The large clock on the back hill suddenly started ringing by itself.

The deep, resonant sound of the bell pierced the night sky and echoed throughout the entire Great Thunder Temple.

This bell does not ring during the day; it only rings automatically when a high-ranking monk in the temple loses his composure.

It rang tonight.

Moreover, the sound was longer and deeper than the one during the day.

One by one, the lamps in the monks' quarters inside the temple were lit up.

Fan Chenxin's face turned completely pale.

"It rang again."

Jiang Yining tilted her head and listened to the sound of the bell.

"Master, is your clock broken? It rings once during the day and again at night."

"It's not that Zhong is bad."

Fan Chenxin's voice was dry.

"That was because Zhongling knew the situation inside the temple and sounded the alarm on his own."

Fan Chenxin remained silent.

Jiang Yining looked at him, her purple-gold eyes filled with a mixture of amusement and mockery.

"Master, if one is distracted while saving people, Buddha will deduct merit from one's deeds. If one stays up late at night discussing lust with someone, will Buddha deduct merit from one's deeds?"

Fan Chenxin took a step back, his moon-white monk's robe trembling slightly in the moonlight.

"This humble monk takes his leave."

He turned to leave, his steps quickening slightly compared to when he arrived.

"etc."

Jiang Yining called out to him.

Fan Chenxin stopped in her tracks, but didn't turn around.

"I forgot to take the alms bowl."

Jiang Yining picked up the purple-gold alms bowl from the low table and walked behind him.

"Don't forget to leave the master's alms bowl in a place where you shouldn't be."

She placed the alms bowl into his hands.

Fan Chenxin took the alms bowl, her fingertips touching the cold metal, but she felt the skin on her palm that she had touched was burning hot.

"donor."

"Um?"

"This humble monk will not be coming to the side courtyard tomorrow."

Jiang Yining raised an eyebrow.

"What about baptism?"

"This humble monk will deliver the pool water to the front hall, where it will be handed over by the guest monk."

"what ever."

Jiang Yining turned and walked into the house, but stopped at the door.

"master."

Fan Chenxin remained standing in the same spot, the moonlight shining on his stiff back.

"Your prayer beads broke, but Buddha didn't deduct your merits."

"But if you can't find the beads for your rosary tomorrow, don't blame me for not warning you."

Fan Chenxin looked down at her empty wrist.

She carefully kept the three Bodhi beads.

The courtyard gate closed, and Jiang Yining leaned against the door, glancing down at Wubao.

The little girl was sleeping soundly, with nine illusory fox tails swaying gently in the plush blanket.

"baby."

Jiang Yining said softly, "Your mother just shielded you from a Buddha."

Wu Bao didn't wake up, but mumbled something and snuggled closer to her.

The footsteps outside the side courtyard gradually faded into the distance.

Fan Chenxin walked very fast, the hem of his moon-white monk's robe flashing and disappearing around the corner.

Jiang Yining lowered her head and took out the three Bodhi prayer beads from her sleeve.

Golden merit and aspiration power flowed slowly within the bead.

"nice one."

She put the Buddhist prayer beads into her storage ring and ran her fingertips across the center of Wu Bao's forehead.

"Go to sleep, you'll get better soon."

Outside the courtyard wall, the bell of the Great Thunder Temple finally stopped ringing.

But behind that tightly closed side hall door, the sound of the wooden fish drum continued all night long.