Lei Yunyun was momentarily stunned, then she understood. She held Xie Yuan’s hand gently and comforted her softly:  

“Yuan Yuan, don’t overthink this. Matters of offspring depend on fate; rushing won’t help. Besides, from what I see, Pingcan treats you like a precious treasure—so delicate he fears it might melt in his mouth, so careful he worries it might fall from his hands. He would never harbor resentment over this.”  

Xie Yuan shook her head, her eyes slightly reddening. “I know my husband’s feelings for me run deep, but… it’s been two years since I married into the Li family, and there’s still no sign of a child. I feel guilty toward him, and guilty toward the Li family.”  

She took a deep breath, as if making a firm decision, then lifted her head and looked at Lei Yunyun with determined eyes: “Sister Yunyun, I want to take a concubine for my husband.”  

Lei Yunyun was so shocked she nearly knocked over her teacup. “Are you crazy?! Why take a concubine out of the blue? What if the concubine bears the eldest son…”  

“I know, but I can’t selfishly let my husband’s bloodline end.”  

Xie Yuan seemed to be convincing herself. “I’ve heard that Miss Zhao Sisi is virtuous and grateful. If we could bring her into the family, it would not only solve her predicament and give her and her sister a support system, but also… it would help the Li family continue its lineage. It’s a win-win.”  

Lei Yunyun looked at her quietly, speechless for a long while.  

She simply could not understand how this seemingly peaceful and indifferent woman could harbor such resolute determination inside.  

“Have you… really thought it through?”  

“Yes.”  

Xie Yuan nodded and revealed a slight, relieved smile. “As long as the Li family prospers and my husband’s heart is with me, what suffering I endure is nothing.”  

She always remembered the “three rules” agreed upon when they married.  

This path was chosen by herself, with no regrets or complaints.  

..........  

That night.  

Li Pingcan returned to his room and immediately noticed something off about his wife’s expression.  

She attended to his washing with her usual gentle care, but her eyes held a complex emotion he could not decipher.  

“Yuan Yuan, is something troubling you?” Li Pingcan took her hand and asked softly.  

Xie Yuan was silent for a moment, then raised her head to look straight into his eyes and said slowly and clearly, “Husband, I want to take a concubine for you.”  

Li Pingcan was stunned.  

“What did you say?” He almost thought he misheard.  

“Husband,” Xie Yuan’s eyes reddened, her voice choked with emotion, “We have been married for two years, yet I have not borne you a son or daughter. I cannot selfishly delay your legacy and the Li family’s continuation.”  

She took a deep breath and continued, “Today I heard that you saved Miss Zhao Sisi of the Zhao family. Miss Zhao is graceful and honorable, her family pure, and she owes you her life. I think… she is a suitable choice.”  

Li Pingcan’s heart swirled with complicated feelings.  

As a Druid, he indeed needed many descendants to plant more bloodline trees and gain experience points. With the increasing busyness, he gradually lost the focus to maintain such a huge number of trees.  

Therefore, “more children, more blessings” was imperative.  

But over the years, he still had time to wait and wanted to give his wife, Xiong Hui, the dignity she deserved.  

He pulled her tightly into his arms and sighed, “Matters of offspring depend on fate. Have you ever blamed him?”  

The Li family leaned against his chest, unable to hold back tears, which poured down uncontrollably.  

How could she want to share her husband with another woman?  

But…  

“Husband, my mind is made up.”  

She lifted her head, her gaze growing even firmer. “This is not only for the Li family, but also for me. If you have only me by your side, my heart will never find peace.”  

Li Pingcan was about to say more, but Xie Yuan gave him no chance and turned to leave the room.  

Zhao Family Courtyard.  

When the steward matron of the Li family arrived with a generous bride price, politely and respectfully stating their intentions, Zhao Sisi was completely stunned.  

She stood there dazed, her mind blank.  

The third young master of the Li family… wanted to take her as a concubine?  

That celestial-like figure, the savior who quietly reached out to rescue her and her sister from despair…  

She instinctively wanted to refuse. Though her family had fallen on hard times, she was still the daughter of a reputable family. How could she become someone’s concubine?  

But when her gaze landed on her sister Zhao Qingqing, who was happily eating a packet of preserved fruit and finally looked a little healthier, the refusal words wouldn’t come out.  

She thought of her gambling-addicted brother who could come back to harass them at any time.  

She thought of her sister’s frail body and the doctor’s words: “She must be well cared for, precious herbs to prolong her life.”  

Marrying into the Li family as the concubine of their benefactor…  

Perhaps this was the best future for her and her sister.  

“Miss Zhao, our third young master said,” the steward matron smiled upon seeing her change in expression and added, “If you agree, your sister Miss Qingqing will also be treated like a daughter by the Li family and cared for well. No one will ever bully you two again.”  

These words became the last straw that broke the camel’s back.  

Zhao Sisi’s eyes reddened. “Sisi… Sisi agrees.”  

Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s, but her cheeks blushed like the evening glow in the sky.  

.............  

When the news broke, the happiest was Zhao Lei.  

He thought his sister had just gotten unbelievably lucky, climbing to a high position, and as the big brother-in-law, wouldn’t he also rise with her?  

He dressed himself up and boldly went to the Li family’s martial arts hall in Flat Peach Town, demanding to see Li Pingcan, speaking arrogantly as if he were already part of the family.  

“Have your steward come out! I am your third young master’s big brother-in-law!”  

Sun Zheng, who was supervising disciples practicing martial arts inside the hall, frowned and stepped out upon hearing this.  

Sun Zheng was one of the orphans Li Pingfu had taken in. Because of his steady temperament and outstanding talent, Li Pingfu greatly favored him. In the past two years, he had perfected the Black Tiger Technique and was already a skilled practitioner in the Divine Execution Realm.  

Seeing the unruly Zhao Lei, Sun Zheng said coldly, “No loud noises inside the martial hall. Speak if you have something; otherwise, leave.”  

“Hey! That bastard dares to talk to you like that?” Xie Yuan, relying on her “little brother-in-law” status, pointed at Zhao Lei and cursed, “If you believe him, get your brother-in-law to tear down that lousy martial hall of his!”  

A cold light flashed in Sun Zheng’s eyes. He respected his master’s family above all and would never allow troublemakers to cause chaos here.  

Without further words, he moved quickly forward.  

Zhao Lei suddenly saw stars as a steel-like hand clamped his neck and lifted him off the ground with one hand.  

“Y-You let me go…” Zhao Lei kicked wildly, his face instantly swelling red as raw liver.  

Sun Zheng flicked his arm like throwing trash, hurling Zhao Lei out of the martial hall’s main door, making him fall flat on his face.  

“Come making noise here again, and I’ll break your dog legs!” Sun Zheng’s voice was as cold as iron, carrying a deep killing intent.  

Frightened by this ruthless action, Zhao Lei scrambled away and never dared to cause trouble again.  

Sun Zheng’s decisive move earned the respect of the disciples inside, who trained even more diligently afterward.  

............  

Wedding Night.  

Li Pingcan looked at Zhao Sisi, shy and infinitely beautiful under the candlelight, but sighed softly in his heart.  

Sensing his gaze, Zhao Sisi blushed and said, “Your concubine will assist you in changing clothes…”  

Li Pingcan held her wrist and suddenly asked, “Are you a descendant of that sect cultivator?”  

Zhao Sisi was stunned, her face turning pale, but she dared not hide the truth. “My grandfather was the concubine’s son of my great-great-grandfather…” Because of the disgrace, though she was included in the family records, she was not counted among that cultivator’s lineage.  

Li Pingcan did not expect such an unexpected gain.  

Zhao Sisi was indeed a descendant of immortals. The bloodline she would bear could increase the chance of spiritual roots being born.  

He gently took her hand and said softly, “From now on, you are part of the Li family. Settle in with peace of mind. I will take care of everything.”  

Zhao Sisi felt the warmth in his palm, and the last bit of unease and hesitation in her heart finally vanished. She raised her head and shyly nodded to meet his gaze.  

Outside the window, moonlight flowed like water, silent and peaceful.  

The matter of Li Pingcan taking a concubine caused no great disturbance after all. The Zhao family had long declined, and Zhao Sisi, as a lone daughter, becoming a concubine of the Li family was seen by the world as an immense blessing.  

Zhao Sisi’s temperament was gentle and grateful. She regarded Xie Yuan as an elder sister and served her carefully. The rear courtyard remained harmonious, which saved Li Pingcan a lot of worry.  

Three months passed like sand slipping through fingers, quietly and swiftly.  

Under the nourishment of the Druid training site, the Li family mansion became more and more vibrant and elegant. The few ordinary peach trees in the rear courtyard sprouted a few tender pink buds, attracting bees and butterflies to linger.  

The first to notice this strange change was Xie Yuan.  

At first, she only felt the air in her home was especially fresh, and the little gloom in her heart caused by her husband taking a concubine dissipated quite a bit.  

Gradually, she discovered even more miraculous things.  

One day, while she was in the pavilion, a gentle breeze passed by, and she could clearly “hear” whispers carried by the wind.  

They were not human words but a purer rhythm from nature itself, as if telling secrets about how plants grow.  

She was stunned and raised her head. The flowers and plants in the courtyard seemed to come alive in her eyes.  

The orchid she loved most gently swayed its leaves, as if coquettishly teasing her; the green vines in the corner seemed to stretch their branches toward her, conveying a sense of closeness and dependence.  

“Is… this an illusion?”  

Xie Yuan rubbed her eyes, uncertain and suspicious, thinking she might be overthinking and imagining things.  

That night, she had a dream—a misty fairyland where a small, pure white dragon affectionately circled around her. The dragon’s mouth held a glowing immortal herb, which it gently placed on her abdomen.  

She woke suddenly from the dream, feeling a warm sensation in her belly and a deep sense of peace and reassurance.  

Until this day.  

The Li family doctor was performing the routine safety pulse check on the entire family. When it was Xie Yuan’s turn, the old doctor paused, stroking his whiskers with a smile, and respectfully cupped his hands toward Lady Qin and Li Rongzhou.  

“Congratulations, congratulations!” the old doctor said with a smile. “Third Madam has a pregnancy pulse! The pulse is steady and powerful, like a coiled dragon resting on a pearl. The vitality of the fetus is so vigorous, in all my years of medical practice, I have never seen the like!”  

Upon hearing this, the entire Li family main hall erupted.  

Lady Qin was stunned at first, then cried tears of joy, grabbing Xie Yuan’s hand, too excited to speak. Li Rongzhou’s usually steady expression disappeared, replaced by a face full of happiness.  

“Really?”  

Joyful tears welled up in Xie Yuan’s eyes as if afraid this was a dream. The pressure of having no offspring in the past two years had haunted her like a nightmare. Now this heavy stone pressing on her heart was finally lifted.  

“That’s wonderful!” She cried with joy, burying her head in her husband’s embrace, pouring out long-suppressed grievances and happiness.  

Li Pingcan held his wife tightly, his heart equally turbulent.  

...........  

County Government Office, Study Room.  

Magistrate Liang had been frowning for a full half hour.  

On the desk before him lay a jade official seal carved with mountain and river patterns.  

This seal, called the Yunshui Mirror, was granted together with the county magistrate appointment by the Great Yu Dynasty. It symbolized official authority and could monitor the county’s destiny flow and earth veins.  

At this moment, the spiritual light on the Yunshui Mirror representing the county’s destiny remained bright, but its flow had a subtle change that made him feel extremely uneasy.  

“This is wrong, very wrong.”  

Magistrate Liang muttered to himself, eyes full of confusion and irritation.  

In the past three years, Yunshui County had favorable weather, population growth, and success in demon extermination. Logically, the official destiny bonus he received should have increased steadily.  

But in reality, the power of destiny he could feel had a faint, elusive stagnation.  

It felt as if… the streams that should have all flowed into his “main lake” had been partially intercepted midstream by an unseen, newly appeared “deep pool.”  

Yet sometimes it seemed like mere paranoia.  

He activated the Yunshui Mirror and repeatedly investigated the county’s earth veins. There were no signs of demon corruption or theft. Everything appeared perfectly normal.  

But the more normal it seemed, the more abnormal it was!  

“Who is it? Who is secretly tampering?”  

Magistrate Liang had many suspects: the fallen Zhao family, the Wang family, even the Li family.  

But in these three years, the Li family brothers had been models of “law-abiding.” Li Pingfu had become a hardworking martial man, Li Ping’an a humble clerk handling documents, and the entire Li family had become very low-key.  

He had people secretly watching for a long time but found no abnormalities.  

Compared to the Li family, he was even more suspicious of the cultivator Zhao family.  

“Could it be that I’m overthinking?”  

Magistrate Liang shook his head, rejecting the thought. He had always been confident in his instincts as a cultivator.  

There must be secrets in Yunshui County he did not know.  

“Old Wu.” He spoke softly to the empty room.  

A shadow appeared silently behind him like a ghost.  

“My lord.” Old Wu’s voice was hoarse and dry.  

“Investigate.”  

A flash of ruthlessness passed through Magistrate Liang’s eyes. “Turn Yunshui County upside down! Whether people, objects, or land, leave no anomaly unchecked!”  

“Yes.”  

Old Wu’s figure merged back into the shadows and disappeared.  

............  

Ten months of pregnancy, one day of delivery.  

When Xie Yuan was helped into the delivery room, a strange phenomenon appeared in the Li family mansion.  

The peach trees in the rear courtyard, which had long passed their blooming period, suddenly burst into full bloom with a sea of pink flowers. Birds unknown from where settled on the eaves, chirping crisp and melodious songs.  

This strange sight filled the Li family with wonder and joy.  

Inside the delivery room.  

Xie Yuan’s complexion was rosy, and the delivery went extremely smoothly. Unlike ordinary women who endured heart-wrenching pain, she only felt a warm sensation inside guiding her.  

“Wah!”  

A loud, clear cry echoed throughout the courtyard.  

Li Pingcan’s first child was born.  

When the midwife carried out the baby with a face full of joy, everyone was stunned by the scene before their eyes.  

The tiny infant’s skin was fairer than snow, with a spot of vermilion on the forehead, and eyes as clear as the purest gem. Not only did the baby lack the usual wrinkled look, but also carried an indescribable aura of spiritual energy.  

Even more miraculous, the flowers and plants in the courtyard all grew eagerly toward the baby’s direction.  

This child could actually draw upon the power of the surrounding flora!  

Magistrate Liang stepped forward, receiving the child from the midwife. A strange feeling of bloodline connection surged in his heart.  

He vaguely sensed that within this great lifeform was a power sharing the same origin as his own, but purer—Lei Yunyun’s power. He was naturally able to communicate with nature; truly a “Child of Nature.”  

The moment he held the child, a dazzling light burst forth in his mind.  

[Your bloodline descendant is born, strengthening the power of the Druid training site.]  

[You have comprehended a new skill: Bloodline Inheritance.]  

[Bloodline Inheritance: You may choose one Druid ability you possess (such as Animal Speech, Enhanced Resistance, etc.) and permanently imprint it as a bloodline mark onto a designated family descendant. This descendant will be born with this ability and will develop and strengthen it through growth and cultivation. Each descendant can receive only one bloodline inheritance, and the inherited ability has initial adaptability.]  

Li Pingcan’s heart jumped wildly!  

Bloodline Inheritance!  

This was the ultimate divine skill tailor-made for him to establish a Druid cultivation family!  

He looked at his curious child waving little hands, and a plan slowly formed in his mind.  

He would select the most suitable bloodline inheritance for each of his children, making them independent and powerful Druids!  

He would forge the entire Li family into an unprecedented Druid cultivation clan, living in harmony with nature and mastering the realm of dreams!  

“Child, Father will give you a name.”  

Li Pingcan lowered his head, looked at his son in his arms, and smiled tenderly.  

“You shall be called… Li Mengze.  

‘Meng’ means dream; ‘Ze’ means benefiting all beings.  

This is his hope for the child and the entire family’s future—no longer satisfied with guarding just this small piece of Yunshui County.  

His vision pierced through the courtyard and gazed toward the endless distance!