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

"Young Master Lou's hospitality is too much for me to refuse."

Jiang Yining stood in the corridor on the top floor of Yunhe Inn, holding the five treasures. She looked up at the rows of mahogany boxes outside the door. The high-grade beast meat wrapped in fire fox fur was still steaming. The jade box was piled with blood ginseng and red vine grass. The sandalwood box in the very center was held in Lou Xiaotian's arms, without even a hint of handing it over to a servant.

Lou Xiaotian had changed into a purple and gold cloud-patterned robe today, with warm jade and golden bells hanging at his waist. His hair was also tied up neatly. However, his slender hands still had mud marks left from turning the soil last night, indicating that he only remembered to tidy himself up before leaving.

"These things are worthless, Miss Jiang can take them to nourish her body."

As soon as he finished speaking, fearing that Jiang Yining might misunderstand him as being disrespectful, he hurriedly handed the sandalwood box in his arms forward.

"This is the most important thing I prepared for you."

Jiang Yining raised her hand to catch the box. As her fingertips touched the warm wood grain, she sensed the thick, uncontrollable aura of blood inside.

"A sixth-tier Blood Spirit Mushroom?"

Lou Xiaotian's ears burned when he saw that she recognized him.

"Miss Jiang really knows pharmacology."

He lifted the lid of the box, and inside was a blood-red Ganoderma lucidum with fine golden patterns on its cap and dewdrops hanging between its roots.

"This Blood Spirit Mushroom cannot be swallowed directly. It must first be soaked in hot spring water for two hours, then simmered in the blood of beasts of the third rank or higher, and finally served in a snow jade cup."

He paused here, glanced at Jiang Yining, and seeing that she wasn't impatient, immediately continued.

"If the meridians have been damaged, only half a piece can be used the first time. Don't throw away the remaining roots; you can grind them into powder and mix them into animal milk to nourish the child's bones."

Wu Bao perched on Jiang Yining's shoulder, bringing its nose close to the box and sniffing.

"Mommy, this mushroom smells delicious."

Lou Xiaotian immediately squatted down, not even caring that his luxurious clothes were covered in dust from the corridor.

"It's not an ordinary mushroom."

He looked into Wu Bao's heterochromatic eyes and spoke in an exceptionally gentle tone.

"This stuff can replenish qi and blood, but children shouldn't eat too much of it. I'll go to the park and pick out a docile red-antlered deer, then get its milk for you to cook."

Wu Bao tilted his head and looked him over.

"Do you know how to boil milk?"

Lou Xiaotian was taken aback by the question, then nodded solemnly.

"meeting."

Jiang Yining looked down at the blood-red lingzhi in the box, a slight smile appearing on her lips.

"Young Master Lou, what do you hope to get in return for such an expensive gift?"

Lou Xiaotian was talking to Wu Bao when he heard this, and he stopped moving the hem of his robe that he was holding.

"I'm not changing anything."

Seeing that Jiang Yining was only looking at him, he added another sentence.

"Miss Jiang is staying at Yunhe Inn, so she is my guest, Lou Xiaotian. It is only right that I deliver medicine to her when she is in need."

Jiang Yining closed the box and handed it to the inn's maid behind her.

"I'll accept the gift first, and the bill will be in my name."

Lou Xiaotian raised his head.

"Miss Jiang, there's no need to calculate things so clearly with me."

"I never take things from others for free."

Jiang Yining moved the five treasures to her other arm, her tone still gentle.

"If there's anything you need me to do, please just say so. If not, consider this Blood Spirit Mushroom as a favor I owe you."

"I don't want you to owe me a favor."

Lou Xiaotian spoke so quickly that the servants carrying the boxes all lowered their heads.

He noticed everyone's reaction, his ears turned even redder, but he still forced himself to look at Jiang Yining.

"I just think it's inconvenient for you to have a child with you."

"The Lou family owns many properties, and the Beast Fighting Tournament is a mixed bag of people. If anyone causes you trouble, you can mention my name."

Before Jiang Yining could answer, a dull thud came from the end of the corridor as a wooden barrel fell to the ground.

Fan Chenxin carried two buckets of water from the backyard. His coarse robe was mostly soaked by the water vapor, and his broad shoulders and back were stretched into neat lines.

Fan Chenxin placed the empty bucket against the wall and turned to take the sandalwood box from Jiang Yining's hand.

Jiang Yining did not give it to him.

Fan Chenxin's hand hovered in mid-air, her gaze falling on the box before shifting to Lou Xiaotian's face.

Lou Xiaotian finally caught his breath and frowned as he looked at the man covered in sweat.

"You are merely Miss Jiang's bodyguard; isn't your behavior far too impolite?"

Fan Chenxin did not speak.

He stood beside Jiang Yining, his soaked sleeves hanging down his sides, his palms clenched tightly.

Jiang Yining raised her hand to tidy up the stray hairs beside Wu Bao's fox ears before looking at Lou Xiaotian and speaking.

"I have accepted the gift. I will be going into seclusion soon, so it is not convenient for me to keep guests today."

Lou Xiaotian looked at her, wanting to say that he could stand guard outside, but then he saw Wu Bao yawning sleepily on her shoulder, so he had to swallow his words.

"Then I'll come again tomorrow."

"No need for tomorrow either."

Jiang Yining handed the box containing the sixth-tier Blood Spirit Mushroom to Fan Chenxin.

"When I need your help, Young Master, I will send someone to find you at the front desk of Yunhe Inn."

Lou Xiaotian stood there for a long while before nodding.

"it is good."

As he turned around, his shoes left a trail of wet watermarks. His purple and gold robes were still dazzling in the morning light, but his back view revealed a hint of dishevelment.

Wu Bao nestled on Jiang Yining's shoulder and asked softly.

"Mommy, is Uncle Flower Planting unhappy?"

Jiang Yining pinched her chubby cheeks.

"His shoes just got wet."

Fan Chenxin stood by the door, holding the sandalwood box. She waited until Lou Xiaotian and the group of servants left before closing the door.

The wooden door slammed against the frame, causing the animal bone wind chimes hanging on the wall to rattle wildly.

As soon as Jiang Yining placed the five treasures on the soft couch, her back was pressed against the door panel.

Fan Chenxin rested one hand on her ear, while holding the sandalwood box in the other, his brows furrowed with a deep melancholy.

"You accepted his gift."

Jiang Yining looked up at him.

"So what do you want me to do? Kick them out in front of everyone in the inn?"

Fan Chenxin didn't reply, the box in his hand creaking loudly as he squeezed it.

"If Lou Xiaotian can run a six-story inn in Tianhuang City and raise hundreds of exotic beasts, he must have a lot of connections."

Jiang Yining raised her hand and covered the back of his hand that was holding the box; her palm was warm and soft.

"We've just entered Tianhuang City, and what we lack is information and resources, not making another enemy."

"You can use me."

Fan Chenxin stared at her.

"I'll hunt for you, I'll scout ahead for you, I'll kill for you."

"I know."

Jiang Yining slowly ran her fingertips across the back of his hand.

"But you can't always see yourself as a knife that only hurts people."

Fan Chenxin's breathing became a little erratic, but she did not loosen her grip.

"Are you afraid I'll cause trouble?"

I'm afraid you'll get hurt.

After Jiang Yining finished speaking, she saw his tense shoulders and back slowly relax.

Fan Chenxin raised her hand and placed the sandalwood box on the table. Then she grasped Jiang Yining's waist and pulled her closer to her.

"You always use those kinds of words to coax me."

"I'm telling the truth."

"You also said some nice things about Huyan Lie."

"That was to trade for animal meat and fur."

"You smiled at Lou Xiaotian too."

"That's for the Blood Spirit Mushroom."

Fan Chenxin stared at her, his lips pressed together until they turned white.

"And what about me?"

Jiang Yining did not answer immediately.

She raised her hand to wipe the water droplets from his forehead and tucked his wet hair behind his ear.

"You are April's savior, and the one who shielded me from the chains of the gods."

"You are different from them here."

Fan Chenxin's hand holding her waist slowly tightened.

"What's different?"

Jiang Yining looked up at him.

"When someone gives me something, I need to calculate its value."

"The fate you gave me is beyond my comprehension."

Fan Chen let out a suppressed breath. He lowered his head and approached Jiang Yining's neck, his nose brushing against the strands of hair that had fallen beside her ear.

"Stop being so nice to others."

"I know what I'm doing."

I don't believe it.

After he finished speaking, he suddenly bit his fingertip.

Fresh blood gushed from her fingertips. Fan Chenxin pressed the warm blood onto Jiang Yining's collarbone, while holding her shoulder with her other hand, preventing her from moving away.

Jiang Yining frowned.

"The Heart of the Brahma".

"Don't move."

He whispered a Buddhist protective mantra, and with his fingertip drew a dark red line on her snow-white skin. The blood color spread along her collarbone and finally condensed into a half-open lotus seal.

Jiang Yining reached out to touch it, but Fan Chenxin grabbed her wrist.

"Don't wipe it."

"What are you doing?"

"Leave a mark."

Fan Chenxin pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes filled with an unyielding stubbornness.

"When Lou Xiaotian looks at you again, he should know that you have someone by your side."

Jiang Yining looked at the blood-red lotus mark on his collarbone and raised her hand to push his chest.

Fan Chenxin stared at her for a long time, then suddenly lowered his head and kissed the bloodstain on her collarbone.

"You always manage to make me reluctant to get angry with you."

Jiang Yining pushed him away slightly.

"Since you can't bear to part with it, then go and give April a hot blood lingzhi soup."

Fan Chenxin remained unmoved, trapping her between the door and himself, his voice deep and resonant.

"Ning'er, don't leave me."