Xu Lei leaned in, kissing the female devotee on the neck from behind.
"Mmm..." The female devotee's body shifted languidly as a low, cat-like moan escaped her lips.
Then, as a faint white mist drifted through the air, the dazed look in her eyes slowly gave way to surging desire.
Before entering the Almsgiving Room, the devotee's mind was perfectly clear.
Under these conditions, the whole experience was like a long dream to the female devotees.
This allowed them to return home and resume their normal lives.
「A dozen or so days later.」
Over the past dozen or so days, Xu Lei and the young female devotee had been intimate almost every night.
Of course, the woman herself had no idea who she was with.
But with only Xu Lei involved, she still hadn't conceived.
That night, the female devotee returned to the Almsgiving Room.
Xu Lei entered through a small side door as well.
He saw the female devotee wearing only a sensual dudou and a pair of silk shorts that resembled underwear. Her long, smooth, lustrous black hair was unbound, revealing fair, tender skin. She unreservedly displayed her long, elegant legs and slender arms.
As soon as Xu Lei appeared, the woman's beautiful eyes turned to him.
Xu Lei slowly walked toward her.
Neither of them said a word.
Instead, she began to gently sway her pale, slender waist—one a man could encircle with his hands.
She moved on her own into a seductive pose, lying prone on the bed.
Faint moonlight streamed in from the window, reflecting off her body in a soft, rounded glow that highlighted her curves.
But at that moment, Xu Lei couldn't help but think:
'I'm not sterile, am I? We've been at this for over a dozen days, how is she not pregnant yet?
I heard this devotee had a physician check her.
She's in perfect health.
So why hasn't she conceived?
Is it me? Am I the one who can't?
Am I just like her husband? All looks but no substance?
Handsome on the outside, but actually sterile?
What do I do if I really can't have children?
Doesn't that mean I won't be able to use my reincarnation ability?
Whatever. I'll just keep trying. Maybe she'll get pregnant soon enough.'
"Hmm?" Seeing that Xu Lei hadn't moved, the woman let out a questioning hum. She turned her head to look at him, not understanding why he hadn't begun.
Xu Lei looked back at her.
He looked at her fair, tender body, imagined the silky feeling of her skin beneath his fingers, and took in the faint, alluring fragrance that emanated from her.
A wave of desire washed over Xu Lei.
He was a young man in the prime of his life, after all.
How could he possibly resist such temptation?
And so, with a low groan, Xu Lei embraced the woman once more.
「Another half a month passed.」
One day, a flash of light appeared before Xu Lei's eyes.
The text from the Ten Thousand Lives Book had appeared again.
Most of it was the same as before.
But one line was different.
[Current Number of Descendants: 1]
That line had previously displayed a 0.
Seeing this, Xu Lei couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
He knew the female devotee must have conceived.
Although two other female devotees had come seeking to have a child, those couples weren't very attractive.
Qi De hadn't allowed Xu Lei to attend to them.
He had assigned those cases to other disciples.
"I've finally accomplished my meritorious deed."
Xu Lei thought joyfully. 'Looks like I'm not sterile after all.'
「Three days later.」
That day, the female devotee came to the temple in broad daylight. She was wearing light makeup and fine Brocade Clothing, with a golden hairpin in her hair and Jade Pendants dangling from her ears.
Accompanying her was her handsome young husband, who was also dressed in Brocade Clothing and wore a beaming smile.
The couple had come to give thanks for their answered prayers.
Their wish for a child had been granted.
Her husband even made a hefty donation to the temple.
Meanwhile, Xu Lei was sweeping fallen leaves in the plaza outside the main hall.
The ordinary Monks at the temple had to take turns with chores.
Today, it happened to be Xu Lei's turn to sweep, along with another young Monk.
Seeing the radiant smiles on the faces of both the female devotee and her husband, Xu Lei's feelings became somewhat complicated.
It was true; the female devotee had stopped visiting after her morning sickness began.
Naturally, there was no love between Xu Lei and the woman.
After all, they were strangers in their daily lives.
Still, they had slept together for over a month.
And sleeping together for that long had inevitably fostered a different kind of feeling.
And Xu Lei had to admit, the young woman had an absolutely incredible figure.
The pleasure had been truly indescribable.
Of course, Xu Lei knew that it was all like a long dream.
If he grew attached to these carnal pleasures, he would be betraying his original purpose.
Only by stopping now could this act be considered a meritorious deed.
As the female devotee passed by Xu Lei, she kept her eyes fixed forward.
She didn't spare him a single glance.
So, Xu Lei didn't look at her either.
He just lowered his head and focused on his sweeping.
'I wonder if my first child in this world—the one in her belly—is a boy or a girl,' Xu Lei thought to himself. 'The Ten Thousand Lives Book only shows the count, not the gender.
But judging by her husband, their family seems well-off, and he seems well-spoken too.
My child should have a good life.
I have nothing to worry about.
She'll go back to her life.
And I'll continue being Zen Master Bu Zhong.
After all, if I want to ensure my reincarnation ability works...
...one child isn't going to be enough.'
Half an hour later, after he finished sweeping, Xu Lei was practicing his fist forms in an open area just outside one of the temple courtyards.
It was a style of Martial Arts he had learned at Longyuan Temple.
Of course, over the past month or so, Xu Lei had come to understand that the Martial Arts of this world didn't involve anything Extraordinary.
It was similar to the history of Earth, where so-called masters of the Martial Arts were merely physically strong and robust.
The so-called mighty battlefield generals were just incredibly strong, like Zhao Zilong or Li Yuanba.
They possessed no Extraordinary abilities.
They didn't even have Inner Strength.
Still, the Martial Arts taught at the temple were a good way to keep one's body in shape.
According to the temple's Martial Monks, with persistent and dedicated practice over a long time, one could become strong and swift, capable of taking on several opponents at once.
After all, everyone was just an ordinary person.
Someone with years of specialized training would naturally have an advantage.
Of course, Xu Lei had no delusions of becoming a peerless master who could roam the world at will.
He engaged in Martial Arts Training for the simple reason of strengthening his body.
After all, good physical health was crucial for his duties as Zen Master Bu Zhong.
Besides, over the past month, he'd had to meet with the female devotee every night, so he made sure to exercise during the day.
But just as Xu Lei was working up a good sweat, he suddenly felt someone's eyes on him.
He stopped his movements and turned his head. To his surprise, he saw a pair of beautiful eyes staring at him—they belonged to the young female devotee.