Nonsense! How could my adopted son be a villain?

Xu Lingguang prepared plenty of ingredients in his Sumeru Ring, rented an oxcart, and set off at a leisurely pace.

Zhou Fuying spoke vaguely, only saying that he was living in seclusion in the bamboo forest more than a hundred miles east of Qingyu City, but whether this east was due east, southeast or northeast was something Xu Lingguang had to figure out for himself.

Fortunately, he had brought enough food and water, and he wasn't in a hurry. He walked and asked along the way, and after three days he finally found the bamboo forest.

This bamboo forest was unexpectedly large, as vast and boundless as a green sea. Xu Lingguang drove the oxcart to the edge of the bamboo forest and could almost immediately recognize that this was the bamboo forest where Elder Wuyao lived in seclusion.

The bamboo forest is so dense that it blocks out the sun, covering a vast area. The swaying bamboo shadows are filled with the cool scent of bamboo.

There didn't seem to be any main roads inside, making it inconvenient to drive an oxcart. After thinking it over, Xu Lingguang drove the oxcart to a deeper part of the bamboo forest and hid it to prevent it from being stolen by passersby before carefully beginning to explore the bamboo forest.

He figured that since he was going to live in seclusion, he would need a house or something, which shouldn't be too hard to find.

As a result, he wandered around the bamboo forest all day, but did not see any habitable houses until dark. Instead, he saw several bamboo vipers with their tongues out. If Xu Lingguang hadn't been sharp-eyed, he would have been bitten by several of them, and his old wounds would have been healed before he was injured again.

After dark, the bamboo forest was pitch black, and the chirping of insects amplified the eerie atmosphere. It was no longer safe to wander around. For safety's sake, Xu Lingguang found a spacious area, lit a fire, cut down a few bamboo stalks, sharpened them, stuck them in the ground in a circle, tied ropes to them, and hung bells on them, making a makeshift defensive fence. Although it was rudimentary, it was better than nothing.

After making the arrangements, Xu Lingguang finally rested. He took out the marinated chicken from his storage ring, skewered it with bamboo sticks, and slowly roasted it over the fire.

Perhaps it was the warmth of the firelight that eased Xu Lingguang's anxiety somewhat, and his attention was drawn to the sizzling aroma of the roast chicken, making even the dark and gloomy bamboo forest seem less eerie.

After eating and drinking his fill, Xu Lingguang crawled into his homemade sleeping bag and had a good night's sleep. He was well-rested and continued his search the next day.

Whether it was bad luck or Zhou Fuying's faulty information, Xu Lingguang hadn't found any houses to live in for three days. He did encounter two men and women who came to cut bamboo. They were villagers from the area and said that the bamboo forest was very large. They didn't dare to go too deep into it and had never heard of anyone living there. They advised Xu Lingguang to go back early to avoid getting lost and losing his life in the bamboo forest.

Xu Lingguang could only manage a bitter smile.

Even if he doesn't lose his life in the bamboo forest, he won't live long if he can't find a doctor to cure his illness.

By the fourth day, he had fully adapted to the outdoor life in the bamboo forest, sleeping under the open sky. Apart from life and death, nothing else mattered. He considered it and felt that Zhou Fuying would not deliberately deceive him. He had brought enough food this time and could stay here for another ten days, so he decided not to leave in a hurry.

Isn't this how it often goes in novels and TV dramas? The protagonist goes to find a reclusive master, who initially avoids him, only showing up after the protagonist visits his humble abode three times to demonstrate his sincerity.

Although he wasn't the main character, he really needed to show his sincerity in seeking medical treatment at this moment.

So he earnestly explained his purpose to the empty bamboo forest, bowed to the four directions, and continued to explore the bamboo forest, thinking that if the Elder Wuyao was moved by his sincerity, he might be willing to meet him.

Moreover, even if we can't find Elder Wuyao, the fresh air in this bamboo forest is perfect for camping.

Xu Lingguang comforted himself with this thought and decided to have a good lunch.

He set up a makeshift stove, took out a clay pot, and prepared to stew some chicken soup to nourish himself, and then roast a rabbit.

When the rabbit was halfway roasted, an old man carrying bamboo passed by. Seeing him alone in the bamboo grove, the old man seemed a little surprised and asked, "Young man, what are you doing in this grove?"

These words were very similar to those of the villagers he had met before.

Xu Lingguang thought that the old man had lived a long life and seen a lot, and might be able to find out some information, so he smiled and invited the other man to sit down: "I came to look for someone, but I couldn't find him, so I stayed in the bamboo forest for the time being."

The old man didn't stand on ceremony. He sat down next to him, took the chicken soup the old man offered, smelled it, and then eagerly took a sip, praising, "Excellent cooking skills."

Then he asked, "This bamboo forest is deserted, only the villagers from nearby occasionally come to cut bamboo. Who are you looking for?"

Xu Lingguang took a sip of chicken soup from the bowl, then used a dagger to slice the golden-brown roasted rabbit onto a plate: "I'm looking for Elder Wuyao. Have you heard of him? I have a friend who said he lives in seclusion here and has superb medical skills that can bring the dead back to life. I thought I'd come here to ask him for help, but I haven't been able to find him since I arrived."

He cut the sliced ​​rabbit meat in two, pushed one piece in front of the old man, and ate the other slowly, looking very satisfied with the taste, his eyes squinting with contentment as he ate.

The old man glanced at him, casually picked up a piece of rabbit meat, popped it into his mouth, chewed it, and said, "Delicious. I've never heard of this person. There are so many doctors in the city, why don't you go and see one?"

Xu Lingguang said, "My illness is generally incurable by ordinary doctors, so I have to find him. If I can't find him, I can only leave it to fate and wait to die."

He said he was "waiting to die," but there was no fear on his face; he ate quite happily.

The old man sized him up for a while, then suddenly said, "You're not just waiting to die, you're already dead. If a dead person comes back to life, their soul may remain, but the decay of their body is inevitable. Even if you find no cure, you won't be able to recover."

Xu Lingguang shuddered in fright, a mouthful of chicken soup stuck in his throat, and he stared at the old man with horrified eyes.

He gave up and waited passively for a rabbit to come to him, never expecting that the rabbit would actually come to him.

The old man in front of him could tell at a glance that he had come back from the dead; who else could it be but Wu Yao?

Xu Lingguang was both surprised and delighted. He swallowed hard before finding his voice: "Since you've figured it out, I won't hide it from you anymore. This wasn't my intention; it was just a coincidence..."

He put down his bowl and sighed, "I... have no other choice but to try to survive."

Taking advantage of the situation, Wuyao snatched the remaining rabbit meat from his bowl, waved his hand, and said, "I don't care about those things, but I really can't cure your problem. Your soul and body are incompatible, and your unstable soul is causing your body to reject it and weaken further. If you want to prolong your life, you need to temper your soul to strengthen its control over your body, and you need to find spiritual pills to slow down your body's decline. Once your soul is strong enough to completely control your body, these problems will naturally disappear."

Xu Lingguang's eyes lit up: "Well, it's not like there's no way at all." He humbly asked, "What kind of miraculous medicine can slow down the decline of the body?"

Wuyao glanced at him and said, "You're quite open-minded."

Seeing Xu Lingguang looking at him with shining eyes, he didn't keep him in suspense any longer and said, "The elixirs that slow down the decline of the body are nothing more than life-extending substances. The most powerful one is naturally Chenghuang Horn. It is said that it can extend the life of those in the Tongxuan Realm. However, Chenghuang is an ancient god, and its effectiveness has not been verified."

"Next is the Jade Unicorn Toe, which has the effect of prolonging life, but since it only appears in legends, its effects have not been verified."

“…” Xu Lingguang paused for a moment: “Isn’t there one that’s not the kind that’s easy to find in legends?”

Wu Yao glanced at him with displeasure: "Do you think it's so simple for cultivators to prolong their lives? There are quite a few life-extending pills, but they are all priceless and hard to find. A single pill can cause countless people to fight over it. The easiest one to obtain is the Rejuvenation Pill, which can be refined by alchemists above the Divine Integration Realm. However, its life-extending effect is greatly reduced, and it has no effect on those above the Divine Treasure Realm. But it can be used to delay your life for a while in your case, but you should take at least one high-grade Rejuvenation Pill a month."

"Where can we buy this Rejuvenating Pill?"

Wuyao took out a bottle from his pocket and said, "I have three high-grade Rejuvenation Pills here..."

Xu Lingguang nodded, waiting for his "but".

No Medicine: "But I can't give it to you for free..."

Xu Lingguang nodded quickly: "Of course, of course. You name your price, and I certainly won't take it for nothing."

Wu Yao said, “I will be leaving the Green Bamboo Forest in half a month. During this half month, you will be responsible for all my daily needs. These three pills will be your payment.” He threw the porcelain bottle into Xu Lingguang’s arms. “As for the future, you will have to find a way to buy them yourself. I don’t have any more here.”

Xu Lingguang caught the porcelain bottle, still a little dazed, and said hesitantly, "Isn't this taking advantage of you too much...?"

Wuyao waved his hand: "Stop talking nonsense and come with me. I happen to have a bunch of medicinal herbs that need to be sorted out. Come and help me."

Xu Lingguang thought to himself that he had finally met a benefactor who helped him, and that God had finally done something for him.

Wu Yao clearly didn't care about the three Rejuvenation Pills, and Xu Lingguang wasn't one to be pretentious. He quickly put away the porcelain bottle, packed his things, and followed after them.