Nonsense! How could my adopted son be a villain?

Hearing Xu Lingguang ask this, Youyu became even more embarrassed. He lowered his head and said softly, "It's my fault for not taking good care of them."

Before leaving, Xu Lingguang prepared a lot of easily stored food for the cubs, but since no one was watching them, they ate several meals a day. The food that was supposed to last for ten days was gone in just a few days.

After they've eaten everything, the cubs won't have to hunt for themselves.

At first, things were fine. The cubs thought Xu Lingguang would be home soon, and they figured eating wild food for a few days would be a novel experience. But Xu Lingguang returned much later than expected. The cubs waited and waited, and soon they were sighing and complaining, and they were starting to look chubby.

With both adults out of the house, Youyu considered herself the only adult in the family. Seeing the little ones looking listless and dejected, she thought about cooking for them.

He usually assisted Xu Lingguang and had a good memory, so he remembered some of the steps.

She thought she would try cooking and make a delicious meal for the cubs, but she never expected that something that Xu Lingguang did so easily and effortlessly would be so difficult for her.

Yu was immediately stuck on the first step: starting a fire.

The thick smoke was too choking, and the donkeys and chickens in the yard couldn't stand it, so they all broke away and escaped. The young ones naturally couldn't let them go, so they chased after them, which is what Xu Lingguang saw when he returned.

Xu Lingguang's lips twitched after he finished speaking.

But seeing Youyu's dejected look, he couldn't bear to laugh at him, so he patted him on the shoulder and said, "You're still a little kid yourself, how can you blame yourself?"

He glanced around the yard, looked at the stove still billowing smoke, and, against his conscience, praised, "Look, you've already started a fire, haven't you? It's quite good for your first time. Many people don't even know how to start a fire."

Youyu looked up at him in disbelief. Xu Lingguang held the cubs in his arms, walked over and pulled out a few pieces of damp wood, saying, "We've just started a fire. I brought some roasted mutton, a specialty of Lihuo City. Heat it up and have some first. After you've eaten, we can clean up the house."

The roasted mutton in Li Huo City is very different from ordinary mutton; it is made from the fine-wool spirit sheep unique to Li Huo City.

The meat is exceptionally tender, without any gamey smell, and has a subtle milky aroma. After being grilled, the edges of the lamb fat become crispy, while the lamb inside melts in your mouth. In addition to being extremely delicious, it also contains a gentle yet abundant spiritual energy, making it an ideal ingredient for cultivators.

After trying it once, Xu Lingguang bought several slaughtered fine-wool spirit sheep from the shop. The roasted mutton was a free gift from the shop, which Xu Lingguang put in his Sumeru Ring and brought back with him.

The cubs' eyes lit up when they heard there was something delicious to eat.

Yu Rong clung tightly to Xu Lingguang's arm, swallowed hard, and said, "I want to eat lots and lots of food!"

Xu Lingguang pinched his wet nose and said, "Don't worry, I bought a lot, you won't go hungry."

Roasted mutton only needs to be lightly grilled over a fire.

Xu Lingguang was roasting mutton in front of the stove. The cubs didn't go to the table to wait, but instead gathered around him and watched eagerly. As Xu Lingguang roasted the mutton, he used a knife to cut a few slices for them to taste.

The cubs devoured the food, munching away with gusto.

Even the most reserved Youyu, perhaps because he hadn't had a decent meal in a long time, was no longer as refined in his eating manners as before.

Once the roasted mutton was ready and served, the cubs ate without even lifting their heads.

Seeing that they were enjoying their meal, Xu Lingguang ate a few bites himself and then went to herd the donkey and chickens back from outside the yard.

The three chickens obediently returned to their coop, the donkey was tied to the tree, and the knocked-over chairs and furniture were righted, making the house look somewhat presentable.

While tidying up, Xu Lingguang glanced at the cubs and couldn't help but ask, "Isn't your eldest brother in the clan territory?"

He really couldn't understand how Lan Jian, the older brother, was raising the cubs. Before he came, the cubs didn't look like stray animals.

Yu Rong's cheeks were stuffed full, and he mumbled something, which Xu Lingguang couldn't hear.

Yun Feng said, "My eldest brother also went out and only came back two days ago."

Yu Rong muttered unhappily, "He came back and locked himself in his room and didn't come out. I didn't even see him, and he didn't bring us any gifts!"

Zhaoling chirped to express her dissatisfaction.

It really isn't in Ailao Mountain?

No wonder no one cares about how those kids are living like this.

Xu Lingguang thought to himself that it would be better to take the kids with him next time he went out.

Otherwise, Xu Lingguang was afraid that one day when he went out and came back, he would see the cubs gnawing on tree bark.

Listening to the little ones' grumbling complaints, Youyu finally spoke up for his elder brother: "Big brother seems to be in a bad mood. He went into seclusion after returning. Perhaps something happened."

He could tell that his older brother seemed to be injured, but he didn't show it so as not to worry the younger ones.

Few people could harm his elder brother. However, every time his elder brother returned from the Land of No Return, he would go into seclusion for a few days. Youyu actually suspected that he might have gone to the Land of No Return again.

However, these things are not suitable to be said in front of the cubs.

Hearing him say that, Xu Lingguang's dissatisfaction turned into worry. What could make the dignified Chenghuang in a bad mood?

Xu Lingguang thought for a moment and decided to go see him after tidying up the house.

After the cubs finished eating, Xu Lingguang began to tidy up the house and organize the things he had brought back from Fengling City and Lihuo City.

The cubs, full and refreshed, were eager to help Xu Lingguang. Xu Lingguang distributed the gifts he had brought back to them and then coaxed them to go to the yard to collect leaves.

He then opened Liuzhu's storage bag to take a look.

He had forgotten about it while he was busy in Fengling City, and only found the storage bag that Liuzhu had given him when he was tidying up his things just now.

Liu Zhu said it was compensation for detaining him. Xu Lingguang originally thought it was just some small things like spirit stones or spirit medicine, but when he saw dozens of Sumeru Rings inside, he realized that something seemed wrong.

He casually picked up a Sumeru Ring, tried to infuse it with spiritual power to open it, and was immediately blinded by the light of the spirit stones inside.

Xu Lingguang: ? ? ?

Xu Lingguang: !!!

He slowly opened his mouth wide, picked up another Sumeru Ring, opened it, and then slowly exhaled. Fortunately, this time it didn't glow; it wasn't a spirit stone.

But when he opened the box, which was filled to the brim, and discovered that it contained elixirs, his mouth, which had just closed, opened again.

So many spiritual herbs are no cheaper than the spirit stones in that Sumeru Ring from before.

Xu Lingguang's heart pounded, feeling as if he had been hit by a pie falling from the sky and was completely disoriented.

After clutching his heart for a while to catch his breath, he continued to examine the remaining Sumeru Rings.

Spirit stones, spirit stones, elixirs...

There were nearly thirty Sumeru rings, each containing either spirit stones or elixirs.

Xu Lingguang's heart raced and his mouth went dry as he watched, so he poured himself a glass of cold water to calm his nerves.

This was hardly a small compensation; he suspected that Liuzhu had given him his entire inheritance.

The unexpected gift was so generous that he felt it was too hot to handle.

He had dreamed of a windfall, but when the money actually came into his hands, he became somewhat uneasy.

He and Liu Zhu had only met once, and they were not related. Why did Liu Zhu give him all of his inheritance?

Xu Lingguang couldn't understand it. He picked up the last Sumeru Ring to check it and found that there were neither spirit stones nor spirit medicines inside. Surprisingly, he felt a sense of relief.

The last Sumeru Ring contained only a token and a memory bead.