Nonsense! How could my adopted son be a villain?

Song Nan lay prone on the mountaintop for ten days before he could finally move freely.

However, he could only control his body shape, but still could not transform into human form. At least he no longer had to endure the wind and sun on the mountaintop.

Xu Lingguang carried the much smaller Song Nan back to the courtyard and said, "There isn't enough space in the house to draw a spirit-gathering array for you, so you'll have to stay in the courtyard for now."

Song Nanchu was very cooperative. He nodded and said softly, "Thank you, Master."

Xu Lingguang was very satisfied with this. Song Nanchu finally showed some respect for his teacher. Although he had thrown half a bag of spirit stones into the water, at least he heard a sound.

Song Nan settled down in the courtyard.

Under the big tree in the yard was the cubs' usual playhouse, while on the opposite side was Song Nanchu's temporary accommodation.

Previously, Xu Lingguang did not allow the cubs to go up the mountain with him. Now that the cubs have finally seen Song Nanchu in person, they all curiously gathered around him and stared at him.

Xu Lingguang didn't explain the origins of the cubs to Song Nanchu, but Song Nanchu had seen the giant Chenghuang before and naturally recognized the two cubs at a glance. However, he vaguely sensed that Xu Lingguang didn't want to talk about it, so he pretended not to recognize them, lazily glanced at the curious cubs, and continued to lie in the spirit-gathering array.

The cubs, on the other hand, were quite lively, especially Yu Rong, who had never left the Ailao Mountains and was very curious about all creatures different from himself. Seeing that Song Nan ignored them, he boldly reached out his paw and touched the tail covered in scales, then let out a surprised "Wow!"

He craned his neck and struck up a conversation with Song Nan: "Are you a Qilin?"

He had heard from his elder brother that the Qilin clan was covered in black scales. Perhaps because he himself had a body covered in yellowish fur and was neither majestic nor imposing, Yu Rong longed for the Qilin with its scales.

Song Nan glanced at him and thought the young Chenghuang seemed rather dim-witted and unsophisticated. He lazily flicked his tail and said, "No."

"Then what are you?"

Yu Rong stretched his neck longer and longer, eager to touch those smooth, hard scales again.

Song Nan casually flicked his tail in front of him again, and Yu Rong touched it as he wished, squinting his eyes with satisfaction: "My elder brother said that only Qilin have a body full of scales."

“Besides the Qilin, there are many other races in this world that also have scales,” Song Nanchu said.

Yu Rong was very curious when she first heard this: "What other races are there?"

Besides him, the other three cubs also unknowingly moved closer.

Song Nan kept everyone in suspense for a while, and seeing the little ones staring at him expectantly, he slowly began to describe the scaly races...

When Xu Lingguang came out of the house, he saw four little cubs surrounding Song Nanchu, listening to him tell stories. His voice was low, but it sounded very gentle. Even though the original form of the serpent was still very ferocious and vicious after it shrank, Xu Lingguang looked at the tail swaying leisurely behind him and felt that if he were to become human, the expression on his face would definitely be very gentle.

It's not the kind of feigned appearance as before, but a tenderness that seeps out from the very core.

With Song Nan helping to soothe the cubs, Xu Lingguang used the freed-up time to refine pills.

Having already refined a considerable number of Spirit Nourishing Pills, he then attempted to refine Qi-Replenishing Pills and Bone-Growing Pills. Both were first-grade pills designed for cultivators below the Transcendent Realm. Having already practiced refining many Spirit Nourishing Pills, Xu Lingguang found refining these two types very easy, and from the second batch onwards, they were all full of pills.

By the fifth batch, he was able to refine nine high-grade pills.

Xu Lingguang couldn't help but feel a little smug about the result. However, because his failure with the Rejuvenation Pill was so disastrous, he only shrugged off slightly before immediately regaining his composure, afraid that he would become too complacent and fail again.

This time, he chose the Crimson Sun Pill, a second-grade elixir, to refine.

The Crimson Sun Pill is a type of pill specifically for fire-attribute cultivators. It helps them enhance their internal Yang energy, which is more conducive to cultivation.

This kind of elixir is extremely yang and strong, making it relatively difficult to refine. If one is not careful, it is easy to cause an explosion in the furnace. Xu Lingguang chose to refine the Crimson Sun Pill only after careful consideration.

Most cultivators have a main direction of cultivation, which can be basically divided according to the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Among the five elements, the power of fire, Yangyan, is the most powerful. There are relatively many cultivation methods for it, and it is easier to get started. Therefore, many cultivators focus on this direction, especially among those with lower cultivation levels, there are a particularly large number of fire-attribute cultivators.

Therefore, the Crimson Sun Pill is very popular among cultivators at lower levels. Although its price is not as high as the Rejuvenation Pill, the amount needed is extremely large.

If one can master the use of this elixir, it can become a stable source of income in the future.

Furthermore, there are even higher-grade pills that complement the Crimson Sun Pill, except that the main ingredient is replaced with higher-quality medicinal herbs. If he can master the Crimson Sun Pill, it will be easier for him to refine higher-grade pills in the future.

With this in mind, Xu Lingguang became even more careful during the refining process.

Compared to his ease with first-grade pills, second-grade pills were somewhat difficult for him; to be precise, his current poor health limited his performance. However, Xu Lingguang had at least refined a Rejuvenation Pill before, even though second-grade pills were not simple, he managed to refine one.

The first batch successfully refined six Crimson Sun Pills: three high-grade, two medium-grade, and one low-grade.

Xu Lingguang looked at each one with delight before carefully storing them in a small porcelain bottle. He planned to take these to Qianjin Tower to exchange them for shiny spirit stones later.

He refined five batches in a row until he vaguely felt that his body had reached its limit, at which point he stopped to rest.

Only then did he belatedly realize that it was already dark; he had been so engrossed in alchemy that he had forgotten about dinner.

The courtyard was quiet. Xu Lingguang looked around and found that the cubs were sleeping around Song Nanchu. Song Nanchu's tail was slightly curved, and the four cubs were huddled together, sleeping with their heads resting on his tail.

Xu Lingguang tiptoed over and carried the cubs back to their nest.

Song Nanchu, who had been taking a nap with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them. Looking at the serene smile on his face, she asked softly, "You really don't remember anything from before?"

Although it was a question, he didn't actually need Xu Lingguang's answer.

When Song Nan first brought him back to this small wooden house, he was still unsure and unable to accept Xu Lingguang's changes. The hatred suppressed in his heart had not yet been vented, but the enemy in front of him had forgotten the past and seemed to have become a different person.

Xu Lingguang saved him, but he couldn't bring himself to continue seeking revenge, nor could he let go of the past. So he gave him a vague reminder and then left.

When he left, he had already made up his mind that he would never see Xu Lingguang again.

The sect leader of Qingyu Sect, Xu Lingguang, is dead. As long as he doesn't reappear, he can be regarded as no longer existing in the world.

But fate played a cruel trick on him, and Xu Lingguang saved him once again.

In fact, he had already regained his senses during the tribulation. When Xu Lingguang looked at him through the torrential rain, he also saw Xu Lingguang. He never expected that Xu Lingguang would risk his life to save him again.

As he lay dying on the damp, cold mountaintop, he heard Xu Lingguang say, "This seems to be my eldest disciple, but I'm not quite sure, so I came to check." He then realized that the young man before him was indeed not the same person as the Qingyu Sect Master.

Even though he has the exact same appearance.

Xu Lingguang felt his expression was a bit strange, scratched his face, sat down cross-legged and said, "I already said that I really don't remember, but none of you believe me."

Song Nanchu smiled and said, "Now I believe you."

His gaze then shifted to Xu Lingguang's abdomen: "Do you want to know how you died?"

Xu Lingguang paused slightly, then hesitated: "If it's convenient for you to tell me, I'll listen."

In truth, he had a vague suspicion that the original owner's death was related to his three disciples. After all, the three disciples always acted strangely towards him. When he first transmigrated, he hadn't quite come to his senses, but after thinking about it carefully, he noticed various oddities.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have given up living in the big house of the Qingyu Sect and run to the desolate mountains and wilderness in the first place.

"The most serious injury to your inner body was inflicted by Zhou Fuying."

Song Nanchu slowly said, "Of the three of us, the one who most wants you dead is Zhou Fuying."