Nonsense! How could my adopted son be a villain?

Having made up his mind, Xu Lingguang rested for a night at the Qingyu Sect and set off at dawn the next day.

Yu Yun and Zhou Fuying accompanied them.

This was the first time Xu Lingguang had felt so at ease since he transmigrated.

Although he couldn't go back for the time being, it was as if a hazy veil had suddenly been removed from his eyes, giving him a clearer sense of the world and some simple plans.

Xu Lingguang had a great sense of direction; he had memorized the route he had taken yesterday and easily led Zhou Fuying and Yu Yun back the way they came.

To be on the safe side, Zhou Fuying and Yu Yun did not set foot in the Ailao Mountains. The three agreed that if Xu Lingguang had any needs in the future, they would meet here after sending a message.

Zhou Fuying and Yu Yun noted down the location and watched Xu Lingguang walk briskly into the Ailao Mountains.

Yu Yun suddenly recalled the day she roasted a rabbit with him. At that time, Xu Lingguang also looked very happy. His eyes, which were slightly drooping at the corners, were sparkling and looked harmless and bright, making it easy for people to feel good about him.

She could hardly recall what those eyes looked like when they were filled with calculation and malice.

Yu Yun's eyes flickered slightly, and she called out to Xu Lingguang, reminding him, "The legend of Ailao Mountain is true. The cultivator who chased you last time died under the claws of Chenghuang after entering Ailao Mountain."

As for why Xu Lingguang was unharmed, she didn't know the reason and could only attribute it to his good luck.

But a person's luck is always limited, and Xu Lingguang can't be so lucky forever.

It turned out that the first two people who chased him were dead. Xu Lingguang was stunned for a moment: "When did this happen?"

"Right after you rolled down the hillside."

Xu Lingguang recalled that he lost consciousness after rolling down the hillside, and at that time he may have just missed the legendary Chenghuang.

The two cultivators who were chasing him died, but he survived.

Xu Lingguang joked, "Could it be that this Chenghuang is a righteous official who acts on behalf of Heaven, and only kills bad guys?"

In Yu Yun's eyes, the original Xu Lingguang was not a good person. As for the one in front of her... it was hard to say for the time being. Therefore, she simply told Xu Lingguang what she knew: "The prohibition of Ailao Mountain seems to apply to cultivators. In the past, I have heard that some ordinary people have mistakenly entered Ailao Mountain, gotten lost in the deep mountains, and then inexplicably walked out. However, these are just some rumors and cannot be verified."

Perhaps Xu Lingguang didn't die from Chenghuang's claws because he had lost all his cultivation and was no different from an ordinary person.

Xu Lingguang carefully memorized this information: "I understand, thank you."

Yu Yun smiled slightly at him, her smile bright and genuine, without any feigned weakness.

Xu Lingguang waved to the two men with his back to them and strode into the depths of the forest.

Xu Lingguang returned briskly to the place where Song Nanchu was settled, but did not find the person who should have been there.

As he frowned, pondering where to look for the person, a cold, slender snake body dangled from the dense branches above. Song Nanchu, for some reason, transformed back into his original form, his triangular head hanging upside down towards Xu Lingguang, his forked tongue flicking out as he spoke: "I'm here, it's too hot on the ground."

His condition seemed slightly better than before, but only slightly. Xu Lingguang noticed that his body was like a limp rope draped over a branch, and to prevent it from slipping off, the snake's tail had even wrapped around the branch several times.

However, it seemed to have little strength left. Its slender body, which should have been tightly coiled, was loosely coiled, and the end of its tail slid down weakly, occasionally pulling back to prevent itself from sliding down completely.

Xu Lingguang: "..."

He took a step back, slightly adjusting to Song Nanchu's new appearance, and said, "I sent a message back to Qingyu Sect and to Yu Yun and Zhou Fuying, but Yu Yun said that there are demons waiting to capture you at Qingyu Sect, and it's best not to go back until you've fully recovered."

Upon hearing the words "demon race," Song Nanchu's pupils contracted to a thin line, and his body tensed up.

Xu Lingguang didn't delve into the matter, but quickly changed the subject: "I'm planning to build a house in the mountains. I've already found a place. If you're able, could you help me out? After all, you'll probably be living here for a while."

*

Xu Lingguang had already chosen two locations. After comparing them, he selected the second location, which was slightly higher, flatter, and more open.

The flat area was large enough, with wild vegetables and fruits growing all around, and a small stream flowing through the slightly lower part of the land. It was rich in resources and very suitable for settling down.

Xu Lingguang decided on a location and then moved there with Song Nan.

Although Song Nanchu could move, he could only hang himself on a tree branch with a rope. Xu Lingguang had no choice but to make a simple support with vines and branches, let him climb on it, and then drag him slowly.

Building a house from scratch is no easy task. Xu Lingguang was weak and sickly, and Song Nan was also sick and unable to help much. For the first ten days or so, he slowly cut down trees, cleared weeds, and dug the foundation. At night, he would find a tree and lie down fully clothed.

Fortunately, there were ingredients in the Sumeru Ring, saving time and effort in searching for food.

Half a month later, Xu Lingguang finally prepared the necessary beams and pillars, and dug the foundation. He began to eagerly prepare the framework.

The thickest and heaviest pieces of wood were placed in the sunken foundation. Since there were no nails, Xu Lingguang could only figure out how to use mortise and tenon joints to fix them in place, and then twist the dried vines into thick ropes to reinforce them.

After securing the three pillars, he was still missing a rope, so he threw a bundle of dried vines in front of Song Nan and casually instructed, "Twist the rope to make it sturdy. I'll go get some stones to weigh down the foundation before filling it with soil. If the foundation isn't solid, it'll easily be blown down in the wind and rain."

He muttered to himself as he walked away to move the rubble, leaving Song Nanchu staring at a bundle of vines in front of him.

A short while later, Xu Lingguang returned, drenched in sweat, carrying two stones. Seeing that he hadn't started working yet, he urged him impatiently, "If you can't do the physical labor, then forget it. You can at least make ropes, right?"

He glanced at Song Nanchu from head to toe, and although he didn't say anything, the reproach in his eyes was very strong.

Why is it that everyone else is a terminally ill patient, but you're so delicate and useless?

Song Nanchu: "..."

He tensed his jaw, picked up the vine, and, recalling Xu Lingguang's movements, clumsily twisted the rope.

It wasn't that he was deliberately refusing to help these days; it was just that his condition was extremely unstable. His weakness, which usually lasted only three or four days, had lasted for more than half a month this time. He was now unable to fully transform back into human form; he either reverted to his original form or became a half-human, half-snake.

At first, he was unhappy because he hated his half-human, half-snake appearance, and spent his days hanging himself on a tree branch pretending to be dead.

But after Xu Lingguang started building the house, he would often order him around with a sense of entitlement. Being half-human and half-snake was much more convenient than his original form. He went from being unwilling at the beginning to being completely used to his appearance now.

After Song Nan finished twisting a rope, he saw Xu Lingguang throwing stones and filling soil into the foundation.

He had gotten a bit tanned these days, and his once deathly pale skin had regained some color. His eyes were bright and alert, making him look like a young man in his early twenties. Although I've seen him many times these days, Song Nan still gets a sudden jolt every time he appears.

After he stared at him for a while, Xu Lingguang noticed and looked up at him, then reached out his hand: "Throw the rope to me."

Song Nan threw the rope to him, and Xu Lingguang caught it nimbly and went to reinforce the last corner of the foundation a second time.

After Song Nan finished the series of actions naturally, he paused for a moment, narrowed his eyes, and patted his tail with some anxiety, feeling that he had been too unguarded against Xu Lingguang lately.

The person in front of them was Xu Lingguang. Even though they had lost their memories, they shouldn't be so close.