Nonsense! How could my adopted son be a villain?

"We can't live here anymore. Why don't we pack our things and move to a cave for the time being?"

Xu Lingguang thought the previous cave was pretty good; although the environment was a bit poor, at least it was safe.

He was actually a little puzzled as to why Sangzhi would choose to return to the thatched hut even though there was a safer cave available, risking being caught by the hook.

However, he soon learned the answer—

Sangzhi stood silently before the ruins of the thatched hut, her shoulders trembling slightly.

This is a very stubborn child; even when he cries, he does so quietly.

Tears welled up from her wide-open eyes, silently dripping onto the ground, a silent sorrow.

This may not be an ordinary thatched hut; it is at least very important to Sangzhi.

Xu Lingguang didn't know how to comfort the cub who was crying silently. After thinking for a moment, he picked up the still intact dried meat scattered in the ruins, patted it, carefully blew away the dust, and handed it to Sangzhi: "Don't cry. Let's put away the things that can be used first. The foundation is still there, and we can rebuild it."

Sangzhi took the dried meat and hugged it to her chest, choking back tears as she said, "Things are different now."

"This is the house my parents built." It's also the only thing his parents left him.

So even though he knew he would be attacked by the hook at any time if he lived here, he couldn't bear to leave. He would sneak back to stay for a while every now and then, trying his best to keep the house as it was.

But just like his parents leaving him one after another, this dilapidated thatched hut eventually collapsed.

It did not die from the wind and sun, but rather from being defeated by the sharp claws.

Just like his parents.

Clutching the piece of dried meat she had been reluctant to eat, Sangzhi's eyes hardened: "I'm going to get my revenge..."

His black eyes were bloodshot and red, his face was gradually covered by gray-brown fur, and his hands turned into not-so-sharp beast claws. He muttered to himself as he limped forward, following the marks left by the hook.

Xu Lingguang noticed that his expression had clearly changed and reached out to pull him, but was slapped away by his claw.

But he was still an immature brat, not fast enough, and his claws weren't sharp enough. Xu Lingguang easily grabbed his claws and frowned, saying, "You're going to your death."

Even a group of scorpion hooks would only allow him to flee in a sorry state, let alone a wounded little brat like him.

Sangzhi gritted her teeth and remained silent, the tears in her eyes already dried, leaving only indescribable sorrow.

Afraid that he would break free, Xu Lingguang pulled him close and held him tightly: "Going now is suicide. Not only will you not be able to avenge yourself, but you'll also have to provide food for Jie Gou. Your parents didn't raise you to be food for those strange birds, did they?"

The words "father and mother" struck a nerve with Sangzhi, and he suddenly buried his face in Xu Lingguang's arms and burst into tears, crying, "My father and mother died long ago, I have no father and mother anymore."

He cried so bitterly that his thin back trembled, as if he were trying to release all his fear and grievances.

Xu Lingguang sighed, unsure how to comfort him. The grief of losing parents cannot be easily soothed with just a few words.

He could only gently pat the cub's back.

Sangzhi cried for a long time before finally stopping with a sob.

He hasn't cried since his parents died.

He wouldn't have burst into tears in a stranger's arms if he hadn't witnessed his only home being trampled upon.

After regaining his composure, he bit his lip somewhat embarrassedly, his large ears twitching slightly as he hid them behind his back: "I'm not usually this prone to crying."

Fearing that Xu Lingguang would continue to press him, he quickly changed the subject: "Let's go back to the cave first. It's too close to the nest of the Hook, it's not safe here."

After wiping away her tears, she went to the ruins and picked out any usable belongings, carrying them in her arms as she limped forward with her head down.

After taking a couple of steps, seeing that Xu Lingguang hadn't followed, he stopped and turned back, awkwardly asking, "Are you coming or not? If not, I'm leaving."

"Come on, wait for me."

Xu Lingguang stepped forward, stroked his short, fluffy hair, took some of the things from his arms, and before he could protest, said, "Let's go."

The two returned to the cave.

Having gone through this ordeal together, Sangzhi was no longer wary of him. Although the little brat was still a bit awkward, he answered all of Xu Lingguang's questions truthfully.

According to Sangzhi, this area is called Fengqiu.

Further ahead from Fengqiu is the village where Sangzhi lives, called Sangjiazhuang.

Before the invention of the Jie Gou, Sangjiazhuang lived a peaceful and secluded life.

Until one day, these winged, poisonous hooks fell from the sky, almost wiping out the entire Sangjia Village.

The villagers, who had finally managed to escape, were forced to leave Fengqiu and rebuild their homes in more distant places.

However, only Fengqiu in this area has fertile land and abundant game.

The Sangzhi clan makes a living by hunting, and in order to support their families, they have to risk going into Fengqiu to hunt.

If you're lucky, you can hunt your prey and return home safely. If you're unlucky, you'll either become food for the hook or be scratched and poisoned by the hook, eventually dying from exhaustion and pain.

“My father was scratched by a hook while hunting. This poison can be transmitted to others. There is a rule in the village that no one who has been poisoned can stay in the village. My mother did not want to abandon my father, so she moved to Fengqiu with my father and me.”

The hooks are too dangerous, so for safety reasons, the tribe always hunts together with all the able-bodied men.

That way, even if you encounter danger, you won't be completely helpless.

But the expelled people were alone and vulnerable, and in order to survive, they could only carefully search for food on the outskirts of Fengqiu.

“Originally, Jie Gou’s territory wasn’t this big. My father settled down with my mother and me on the outskirts of Fengqiu.”

“But since last year, the number of hooked fish has increased, and their territory has also expanded.”

Before the family even realized it, their hard-earned little home was attacked by swarms of hooks.

"My father and mother were caught in the shackles while protecting me..."

Sangzhi's voice choked, becoming dejected: "They originally wanted to send me back to the village, but I'm too useless to run."

Not only did it implicate his parents, but his calf was also scratched by the hook.

He had no way to go back.

"So you've been hiding in this cave all year?"

The cave wasn't very big, and Xu Lingguang had previously thought it was a refuge cave dug by Sangzhi's parents. But now, after hearing Sangzhi's words, he realized that Sangzhi had actually dug it herself.

He was injured by the hook and could no longer return to the village. He was also reluctant to abandon the thatched hut that his parents had worked so hard to build, so he dug a hole on the outskirts of Fengqiu and lived alone for a year.