Nonsense! How could my adopted son be a villain?

Xu Lingguang first went to fetch the oxcart hidden in the bamboo forest, and then followed Wuyao back to the thatched hut.

When he arrived at the destination, he realized why he had been searching for days in the bamboo forest without finding anyone—Wu Yao's thatched hut was actually hidden in an illusion.

Thinking about the twists and turns he had made in finding the person, Xu Lingguang muttered to himself, "This bamboo forest is deserted, why do they need to create another illusion?"

Wuyao glanced at him and said, "If I don't set up an illusion to stop people, my thatched hut will be trampled to pieces." He shook his head helplessly and said, "There are so many people in this world who are about to die. How can I save them all? Moving here to this bamboo forest is just to find peace and quiet."

Xu Lingguang thought about it and realized it made sense. Then, remembering that he was the one who had come to disturb their peace, he asked somewhat embarrassedly, "Is it because of me that you need to move to a different place?"

"You sure know how to flatter yourself, kid." Wuyou chuckled. "The fact that you bumped into me this time means we're destined to meet. If you had come a few days earlier, I wouldn't be here. If you had come a few days later, I might have already left. But you came at just the right time, which means you weren't meant to die."

Xu Lingguang chuckled: "A person can't be unlucky forever."

Wuyao laughed at his words, his snow-white beard twitching: "You're quite open-minded."

Xu Lingguang eagerly brought him a chair and invited him to sit down in the main room: "Please don't hesitate to tell me what you need me to do."

Wuyao was a straightforward person. He tossed him a booklet and said, "According to this booklet, count all the herbs in my room that correspond to these herbs, and then categorize and store them in these Sumeru Rings. The rest of the time, apart from being responsible for three meals a day and cleaning, you can go and have fun."

Holding the brick-thick roster, Xu Lingguang thought to himself that it would be a stretch to count and organize so many medicinal herbs in half a month, let alone have time to play.

However, since Wu Yao had given him three Rejuvenation Pills for nothing, and he only needed to spend a little more time, he still came out ahead. Therefore, he did the job willingly and without complaint, respectfully saying, "Okay, I will count them carefully. As for the three meals, what kind of taste do you like? Do you have any favorite dishes? My cooking skills are pretty good, and I will try my best to make them for you."

Without hesitation, Wuyao ordered four or five dishes.

"The kitchen is right next door. Someone will bring the ingredients over later. You can start organizing the medicinal herbs now."

Xu Lingguang agreed and carried the brick-like roster to the pharmacy in the back to check and count it.

This thatched hut may not look big, but it is actually quite remarkable. Take the pharmacy, for example. Before entering, Xu Lingguang thought it would be similar to the traditional Chinese medicine shops he had seen in Qingyu City. But after entering, he found that the traditional Chinese medicine shops were nothing compared to the pharmacy without medicine.

The pharmacy's four walls, including the central open space, were filled with shelves containing all sorts of boxes and porcelain bottles, as well as some strange and unidentifiable items. Xu Lingguang was dazzled by the sight.

Fortunately, although these medicinal herbs were a jumbled mess, at least they all had names, so Xu Lingguang, a complete novice, wasn't entirely clueless.

He is a patient and calm person, so apart from being a little flustered at first, he quickly found the knack and became more efficient.

Xu Lingguang was focused on taking inventory in the pharmacy, unaware that Wuyao was watching him from outside.

Besides common medicinal herbs, the pharmacy also has many rare and precious herbs. Ordinary people would be too busy to concentrate on the tedious organization, but just seeing the room full of priceless items would excite them for a long time. They might not necessarily covet them, but they would always be curious to look around and touch them.

Xu Lingguang, however, did not. After figuring out the layout of the pharmacy, he began to check and count the items against the register, and then put them into his storage ring according to their categories. As for the items being counted, whether they were ordinary medicinal herbs or rare treasures, he did not give them a second glance except when checking them.

At first, he was very slow, but after a while, he got the hang of it and gradually increased his speed.

He didn't notice that when he completely calmed his mind, a thin layer of spiritual mist slowly rose around him. This pharmacy had long stored all kinds of rare and precious herbs and contained countless complex spirit-gathering formations. The spiritual energy inside was hundreds of times more abundant than outside, which was very helpful for cultivators' cultivation.

An ordinary cultivator would have noticed it as soon as they entered, but Xu Lingguang was clearly unaware of it.

He was focused and diligent in completing the tasks assigned to him.

Wuyao shook his head, walked to the recliner in the front yard, sat down, and squinted, saying, "He's a good prospect, what a pity..."

Unfortunately, he didn't finish his sentence.

Just as the villagers delivered the necessary ingredients, he shouted loudly towards the pharmacy, "The vegetables have arrived. Don't rush, start cooking."

Xu Lingguang's concentration was broken by the shout, and he replied, "Yes, I'll be right there."

He had been busy all afternoon, but strangely enough, when he came out of the pharmacy, he didn't feel tired. On the contrary, he felt energetic, as if he had slept for ten hours without dreaming.

Because he was full of energy, he put a lot of effort into making a variety of dishes for this meal. When the five dishes were served, Wu Yao came as soon as he smelled the aroma.

Without waiting for Xu Lingguang to call him, he picked up his chopsticks and tasted each item one by one, saying with satisfaction, "Good, very good."

Seeing that he was satisfied, Xu Lingguang felt more at ease. He took out half a pot of fruit wine from his Sumeru Ring: "This is fruit wine I brewed with wild fruits from the mountains. It's sweet and sour, appetizing and refreshing. Please try it."

Wu Yao poured himself a cup, drank it, and immediately praised it highly.

He sat down to eat with a satisfied smile, and gestured for Xu Lingguang to sit down and eat with him as well: "If it were a hundred years earlier, I would definitely have taken you as my last disciple."

Xu Lingguang did not understand the significance of Wuyao's closed-door disciple. He took it as a joke made by Wuyao in a moment of joy and did not take it seriously. Therefore, he replied with a smile, "It's not too late now."

Wuyao paused with his chopsticks, then snorted, "We have no master-disciple relationship, and I swore a hundred years ago that I would never take on another disciple."

Seeing that he was not in a good mood when he mentioned taking on a disciple, Xu Lingguang quickly poured him some wine and changed the subject: "Even if you don't take me on as a disciple, you are still my savior. If you have any requests in the future, as long as it is within my power, just say so."

Wuyao chuckled: "You're quite the talker, kid. Try to stay alive first. Don't let me, this old man, die before you're reincarnated."