Seeing the barely contained joy on his grandson’s face, Lu Qing frowned deeply. “Hold back your excitement. Don’t let outsiders notice anything unusual.” Especially that officer named Du, who seemed to have sensed something and had been keeping a close watch on the Lu family since yesterday.

Lu Xingyao immediately restrained his smile, but his curious eyes remained fixed on the item in his grandfather’s hand. “Grandfather, what is this?”

Just as Lu Qing was about to respond, he suddenly realized that the warm patch he had placed on his waist was actually starting to heat up! A continuous flow of warmth spread through him, and his eyes widened in astonishment, his mouth slightly agape as words stuck in his throat…

My goodness!

This is incredible! How could such a miraculous item exist in the world? No, no, no! This is a gift from the ancestor, something beyond this world.

Gu Xingzhao watched Lu Qing’s reaction with curiosity. Could it be… that the warm patch was starting to work?

Lu Xingyao, puzzled, waved his hand in front of his grandfather’s face. “Grandfather?”

Lu Qing, suppressing his excitement, tore open another warm patch and stuck it on his grandson, but he didn’t explain its purpose.

Lu Xingyao was full of questions: “???”

“Grandfather, what is this for?”

Lu Qing simply replied, “You’ll understand soon.”

Lu Xingyao could only wait patiently, wondering why his grandfather was being so mysterious.

After a while, a wave of heat swept over him. His eyes widened in shock: “!!!”

Excitedly, he waved his hand, pointing first at himself and then at the warm patches on the ground. His face flushed with excitement. “Grandfather! This thing heats up! It’s so warm!”

This is unbelievable! Could this be divine magic?

Lu Qing smiled deeply, satisfied with his grandson’s reaction. See? It’s not just me who’s amazed. The divine gifts from the ancestor are truly miraculous. Anyone would have the same reaction.

Curiosity surged within Lu Xingyao. He wanted to examine the item on his body more closely, but he was afraid that taking it off might make it stop working. His mind was torn, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to remove it. Instead, he pressed it against his clothes more firmly, trying to keep the divine magic close, afraid it might escape.

“Grandfather, the item the ancestor bestowed upon us is truly extraordinary. I’m not cold at all anymore.”

The key was that this thing had adhesive properties—it stuck firmly to his clothes without falling off, making it both convenient and effective.

His eyes stayed fixed on his grandfather, but his peripheral vision kept glancing at the other family members, who were all equally curious but trying not to make it too obvious.

Gu Xingzhao watched their reactions with a sense of satisfaction. Progress has its benefits—having these items can really help ward off the cold.

“Lu Qing, distribute the items among your family as you see fit. I’ve also left a few small knives in the basket for you to use for self-defense.”

“Remember not to stick the warm patches directly onto your skin, as they can cause burns. Always place them over clothing. The heat lasts for a maximum of four hours, so don’t worry about using them sparingly. I’ll bring more if you run out.”

The gratitude in Lu Qing’s heart was beyond words. His respect and appreciation for Gu Xingzhao filled his entire being: “I understand, Ancestor. Thank you for bringing us so many things tonight.”

If he could see where the ancestor was, he would have knelt down and bowed to show the depth of his feelings.

“You don’t need to thank me as long as I bear the title of your ancestor,” Gu Xingzhao said, looking around to ensure there was nothing else that needed her attention. She yawned, “It’s late, so I’ll take my leave. I’ll check on you again tomorrow. If you need anything, just call me.”

After Gu Xingzhao left, Lu Qing instructed his grandson to distribute the items among the family members. There was no need for further explanation—after half a month together and the recent lightning strikes, everyone had seen enough to understand.

Lu Xingyao’s sleepiness vanished immediately. He eagerly grabbed a dozen warm patches and ran off to give them to his relatives, showing each one how to use them.

As he watched their expressions shift from curiosity and confusion to shock, Lu Xingyao couldn’t help but feel incredibly proud.

Those who hadn’t yet received theirs were anxious, but they didn’t dare move, afraid of drawing attention to the Lu family. They could only wait patiently, their eyes burning with anticipation. They wondered what miraculous items the divine ancestor had bestowed this time.

Whatever it was, it couldn’t be better than the soft, light, and warm clothes they were already wearing!

When it was finally their turn, they placed the warm patches on their bodies. As the warmth spread, their expressions shifted to one of astonishment, their mouths hanging open in disbelief: “!!!”

My goodness! Is this truly a gift from the divine ancestor? A small patch, yet it warms the entire body—how miraculous!

Could this be divine magic?

Some couldn’t resist peeling off the patches to examine them, only to conclude that it must be some kind of divine magic!The Lu family members were now all warm and toasty. Although they were excited, they were careful not to show it too much, fearing that the guards and other prisoners might notice. They carefully wrapped themselves in the light blankets, secretly rejoicing.

Song Shi was too shocked to speak, glancing at her husband.

At that moment, Lu Zhou had his hand on the warm patch stuck to his body, feeling the warmth in his palm. He was both amazed and overjoyed, finally fully convinced of the ancestor’s divine intervention.

For decades, he had never believed in ghosts or gods and had never worshiped any deities or ancestors. Now, he felt a deep sense of guilt: Would the ancestor blame him for this?Lu Yang gave all his warm patches to his wife and daughter, patting his chest to show that he had enough fat to withstand the cold. The blanket was enough for him, especially since the divine ancestor’s thermal clothing was incredibly effective—it fit perfectly and was extremely comfortable!

Beside him, Xu Shi held her daughter tightly, her eyes filled with tears. If her parents, far away in the capital, knew that they had something to keep them warm, they might not worry so much. The thought of her parents brought tears to her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away, not wanting anyone to notice.

As the night deepened, the Lu family’s emotions ran high. The Liu family, who were camped next to them, sensed something was different and couldn’t help but look over, curious if the divine ancestor had descended again to help the Lu family.

Lu Qing even had Lu Xingyao send a warm patch to Shunyu. Shunyu looked at these unfamiliar items and remembered the rumors she had heard over the past two days, saying that a divine being had descended to protect the Lu family.

Sitting in the carriage, hugging herself tightly, she thought of Caihe, and her eyes reddened again… Caihe was so kind—had she gone to heaven to become a divine being too?

But if there are gods in this world, why do they allow evil people to continue their wicked deeds, and even…

As she thought of the person in the palace, someone both familiar and strange, Shunyu clenched her small hands into fists, biting her lips until they bled, tasting the metallic tang. Her heart was full of grief and anger, yet she had no outlet for it. Tears fell from her cheeks onto her knees.

“Brother… how cruel you are.”

…

That night, after taking a bath and preparing for bed, Gu Xingzhao was just lying down when the system alerts began ringing incessantly…