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

A tall, slender figure emerged from the shadows of the courtyard wall.

His frosty-colored robe accentuated his cool and aloof expression, and a broken sword hung at his waist. Gu Qinghan's frosty eyes shone brightly in the darkness.

He exuded an aura of untainted purity, so much so that even the Bodhi leaf that landed on his shoulder couldn't stay still and was repelled by his sword intent.

His gaze fell on Fan Chenxin's hand, which was holding Jiang Yining's wrist.

The sword was drawn half an inch from its sheath, causing all the leaves of the Bodhi tree to tremble.

"Uncle of the Ice Cube!"

Wu Bao leaped up from under the eaves, its illusory fox tail standing upright in a ball.

Gu Qinghan's gaze was fixed on Fan Chenxin's hands.

"Ningning, you're injured, why didn't you tell me?"

Jiang Yining withdrew her wrist, and Fan Chenxin's Buddhist light broke in mid-air, scattering golden fragments all over the ground.

"How did you get in?"

"The formation of this Great Thunderclap Temple is too simple; it can't stop a sword from someone at the Dao Inquiry Realm."

Gu Qinghan walked to the Bodhi tree and stood beside Jiang Yining, facing Fan Chenxin three steps away.

"You have trespassed into the sacred Buddhist sanctuary."

Fan Chenxin stood up, the Buddha light receding into his palm.

"In the pure land of Buddhism, you, a Buddhist disciple, are alone in the residence of a woman late at night, skin to skin, holding hands and taking her pulse."

"Is this the purity of Buddhism?"

"This humble monk's actions are based on medical principles..."

"medical knowledge?"

Gu Qinghan turned her head and looked Fan Chenxin up and down with her frosty eyes.

"This humble monk is healing the female benefactor's wounds."

"Then let me ask you, Master, if no one else is present tonight, how long do you intend to stay here?"

Fan Chenxin was speechless.

He had debated scriptures for a hundred years and had never lost an argument, but now he was not facing a debate on scriptural meaning, but a man's naked declaration of territory to another man.

For the first time, he realized that Buddhist logic was completely useless when he was trapped by worldly love.

"Her injuries are none of your concern, Buddha."

Gu Qinghan raised his hand, his fingertips touching Jiang Yining's shoulder, and a wisp of pure Yang true energy flowed over it, directly probing into her meridians.

He frowned.

"How could the backlash from the meridians be so severe?"

He withdrew his hand and looked at Fan Chenxin: "Master, why didn't you let us in at first? Did you have other ulterior motives?"

Gu Qinghan.

Jiang Yining coughed lightly: "Don't talk nonsense."

The medicine pot on the stove was bubbling, and the sound of the boiling medicine became muffled under the suppression of the two breaths. The leaves of the Bodhi tree were pressed against the branches, and not a single one dared to fall.

Fan Chenxin looked at the man in front of her. He was a sword cultivator at the early stage of the Dao Inquiry Realm, with a pure Yang body, and his sword intent was filled with an undisguised possessiveness.

He recalled reaching out to brush Jiang Yining's stray hairs last night, and then seeing another man standing openly beside her, asserting his territory.

"What is the relationship between you and Benefactor Jiang?"

Gu Qinghan did not answer the question.

He looked down at Jiang Yining, who was sitting on a stool. The firelight reflected on her profile, and the neckline of her plain white dress was slightly open, revealing a section of her fair neck.

"Ningning."

Jiang Yining tilted her head, looking puzzled.

The firelight illuminated the profiles of two people, one standing and one sitting, separated by a small stool.

"He is a Buddhist disciple, not an outsider."

"A Buddhist disciple?"

Gu Qinghan savored the name on her tongue.

"A Buddhist monk who stayed up all night to take a woman's pulse."

"Gu Qinghan, are you jealous?"

"I am stating the facts."

Fan Chenxin twirled the prayer beads in her hand.

He observed the undercurrent between the man and woman in front of him, his lips moved but he ultimately remained silent.

Jiang Yining stood up, supporting herself on a stool, but her body swayed slightly as she straightened up.

She grabbed the stone table next to her for support.

Gu Qinghan flashed to her side, grabbed her arm with one hand, and placed the other hand on her lower back, channeling a wisp of pure yang true energy into her palm.

His brows furrowed.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"It's worth it for the Five Treasures."

"worth?"

Gu Qinghan's grip tightened slightly: "If you risk your life, who will protect her?"

Jiang Yining didn't answer, but leaned against the stone table to catch her breath.

Gu Qinghan shifted his gaze from her pale face to Fan Chenxin.

That gaze held nothing but judgment.

Gu Qinghan stopped looking at him.

"How long will it take for the medicine in the medicine bottle to last?"

Jiang Yining looked down at the white steam rising from the mouth of the jar.

"Almost there, just two more turns."

Gu Qinghan stirred the medicine with one hand while keeping his other hand on her wrist, continuously channeling pure Yang energy into her.

Jiang Yining's complexion gradually warmed up, and his tense shoulders relaxed.

But the fire in my chest burned even brighter.

She hid her injury from him; she wouldn't let anyone else touch her, but that Buddhist monk did.

He chased after her all the way and saw that the moon-white monk's robe and her plain white dress almost blended together under the Bodhi tree.

Gu Qinghan lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the side of Jiang Yining's neck that was exposed when she looked up at him.

Her fair skin glowed warmly in the firelight.

He swallowed hard. "Ningning, don't move."

"what?"

"Let me check for any hidden injuries in your meridians."

"Didn't you already check?"

"There's still one place we haven't explored."

Before Jiang Yining could speak, Gu Qinghan had already lowered his head.

His thin lips pressed against her neck, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine.

Then he took a bite.

It wasn't a light touch; it was a heavy bite with a punitive undertone.

Pure Yang energy flowed in through the lips and teeth, and the scorching spiritual power stirred up a soft, hissing sound on the surface of the skin.

A red mark emerged from the side of her neck. It wasn't an ordinary bruise; it was a sword-shaped spirit mark, glowing with a dark red light and embedded in her skin.

Jiang Yining gasped, her fingers gripping his shoulder, her nails digging into the fabric.

"Gu Qinghan!"

"Just bear with it."

His voice was muffled in the crook of her neck, his lips still pressing against the mark.

"To seal the hidden injury with pure Yang True Essence, a mark must be left as a guide."

"You need to bite to leave a mark?"

"The most direct way to transmit sword intent into the body is through verbal communication."

What nonsense! Jiang Yining had never heard of this before, but with Fan Chenxin still by her side, she had to give Gu Qinghan, her man, some face.

Under the eaves, Wu Bao covered his eyes, his fox tail peeking out from between his fingers and swaying secretly.

Three steps away, Fan Chenxin stood still.

The newly strung Bodhi prayer beads on his wrist broke again, the 108 beads rolling off his wrist and scattering in all directions on the bluestone ground, the golden Buddha light turning into a shower of stars.

Two strings of Bodhi prayer beads broke within a few days!

Fan Chenxin could no longer deceive herself; her heart could no longer find peace because of this woman named Jiang Yining.

Gu Qinghan raised her head, a trace of blood on the corner of her lips, her frosty eyes shining surprisingly brightly in the darkness.

He looked at the look of astonishment and shock on Fan Chenxin's pale face, and slowly wiped the blood from his lips with his thumb.

"Master, the prayer beads in your temple are of poor quality. How come they break so easily?"

"If we are too poor, we can donate ten times the amount of silver, since we have used your temple's most precious treasure."

"you!"