'How is this possible?!' His Spirit Sea had been completely corroded away in that vicious battle years ago, leaving it a barren, lifeless sea.
'For all these years, not a single shred of spiritual power had ever appeared!'
But when he carefully probed it, there was nothing there.
'Was it just an illusion...'
Lu Tingyan tightened his grip on his chopsticks, the light in his eyes gradually fading.
The food in his mouth, however, was unexpectedly fragrant and delicious. He had never tasted anything so exquisite.
He picked up another piece of lotus leaf chicken, and after he ate it, another wisp of spiritual power coursed through his Spirit Sea.
!!
'He couldn't have been mistaken. It really was spiritual power!'
'What was going on?'
Lu Tingyan's sharp gaze fell on the food. 'Could it be thanks to these dishes?'
He surreptitiously glanced at Bai Su, who was sitting diagonally across from him.
Bai Su didn't need to look his way to know what was happening; the system was helping her scan Lu Tingyan's physical condition.
The food he had eaten was enough for her Healing Ability to take effect.
The children were equally shocked.
'The food is even more delicious than yesterday's!'
At their young age, they had never tasted anything this good. They immediately forgot about the imposing presence of Lu Tingyan beside them and began to wolf down their food.
The Little Wolf even found a moment to steal a glance at Bai Su.
She was just sitting there calmly, eating elegantly and quietly.
'He'd noticed it since yesterday. This woman is strange. The way she eats is different, her tone of voice is different, her eyes are different—the entire impression she gives off is different.'
Before, this woman had been gloomy and vicious, constantly wanting to whip them. She was always filthy and reeked of a foul stench.
But starting yesterday, this woman was like a completely different person. Not only had she lost her former sharp-tongued, harsh demeanor, but her words and actions were completely different from before.
She wore clean clothes, her hair was washed, and the strange smell was gone.
The Little Wolf recalled the memory of this woman viciously pulling on his wolf tail, and a savage glint flashed in his eyes.
'No matter what, today is our only chance to get rid of this evil woman. Even if the food is this good, I will absolutely not go soft!'
With that thought, he couldn't help but rub his left eye, which was covered by a scar.
For some reason, since yesterday, his eye and his tail had been faintly itching, and it wasn't an easy itch to scratch.
Bai Xue, who was looking for an opportunity to speak, saw the Little Wolf rub his eye and quickly asked, "Are you not feeling well? I see you're all covered in injuries..."
The Little Wolf put down his bowl and chopsticks, putting on a pitiful expression. "Big Sister, can you help us? The director is very strict. We have to get beaten every time just to get food, and Little Tiger even had a fever yesterday."
Seeing her chance, Bai Xue quickly pressed, "What's going on? Are you really being abused?"
She glared at Bai Su. "Sister, how could you do this? All these years, I thought you had turned over a new leaf, but instead, you've only gotten worse! You'll never change!"
"How can you be so cruel?"
Bai Xue's expression was one of outrage as she began listing the original owner's past misdeeds one by one, eager to slander her to her heart's content.
The Little Wolf was inwardly speechless. Seeing that the woman was getting more and more sidetracked, he had to cut in to remind her, "Big Sister, what about us?"
Bai Xue looked at the Little Wolf, her face a mask of righteousness. "Don't worry, we'll find you a new orphanage. Several still have openings. There's a special shelter for feline Beastmen, a shelter for canine Beastmen..."
Hearing they were going to be separated, the two little Cat Beastmen quickly tugged on the wolf cub's sleeve. "Brother Pup."
A sharp glint flashed in the Little Wolf's eyes, his mind racing.
'His plan was to get this director thrown out and replaced with one who was responsible and good to them, not for them to be split up and sent away!'
'They couldn't leave. If they did, the other Little Beastmen who had been sold off would never find their way back home.'
Bai Xue turned to Lu Tingyan. "Major General Lu, I'll have to trouble you to take my sister into custody at the Federation Bureau..."
She impatiently called in the Bai family's bodyguards from outside, and they moved to surround the entire living room.
But no one was willing to touch Bai Su, this shockingly large female.
Bai Su calmly finished her meal and set down her bowl and chopsticks. "You say I abuse people. Where's the proof? All you know how to do is shout with that grating voice of yours. Do you think this is some market squabble, where whoever's loudest is right?"
Bai Xue's face turned livid from the retort. 'I've underestimated this bitch!'
'She used to be such a timid pushover, but now she's so viciously sharp-tongued.'
In front of Lu Tingyan, Bai Xue suppressed her anger, her face showing a perfectly calculated expression of helplessness and condemnation. "Sister, stop trying to argue your way out of this. They're covered in wounds, how can you still deny it?"
Bai Su crossed her arms. "I told you to show me proof. Or do you not understand plain speech?"
Bai Xue retorted with self-righteous indignation, "The Federation will naturally investigate for proof! Go to the bureau and submit to questioning!"
The bodyguards closed in, about to advance on her.
Bai Su's cold gaze swept over the men as she considered whether she should borrow a small self-defense item from the system on credit.
Beside her, Lu Tingyan suddenly spoke up. "Then let's examine their injuries. If Bai Su was the one who hit them, the wounds will show evidence."
Hearing this, the Little Wolf's pupils contracted sharply.
He was too young, after all. Having grown up in an orphanage, he was unworldly and had no idea that outside technology could determine the cause of a wound.
Lu Tingyan extended his long, white-gloved fingers and beckoned toward the door.
Since he had spoken, the Bai family's bodyguards didn't dare disobey and had no choice but to step aside.
Two people in Federation police uniforms walked in carrying an instrument and began scanning the Little Beastmen.
Panic flared in the Little Wolf's heart, and he instinctively tried to dodge.
Suddenly, he keenly felt an extremely dangerous gaze fall upon him.
The Little Wolf looked up and met Lu Tingyan's sharp, icy gaze.
His body stiffened instantly, and he felt as if all his thoughts were laid bare before the man, with nowhere to hide.
The officer respectfully presented the data to Lu Tingyan. "Reporting, Major General Lu. The injury report shows that the wounds were all self-inflicted. We detected no traces of Bai Su's involvement."
Bai Xue's eyes widened. "How is that possible? Is your instrument broken?!"
The little cat cub and Little Tiger both looked guilty and quickly hid behind the Little Wolf.
'It was all because the director gave them that delicious porridge yesterday that their injuries had inexplicably healed.'
'No injuries meant no evidence.'
'That's why they had hit themselves, to leave some wounds...'
The Little Wolf watched the officer and Lu Tingyan warily.
Bai Xue started shouting anxiously, "This is impossible! Sister, did you pull some kind of trick?"
"You deliberately forced them to hit themselves to satisfy your twisted, sadistic desires, didn't you?!"
Bai Su looked at her as if she were an idiot.
Lu Tingyan withdrew his gaze from the children. "This farce ends now. Let's go."
Unresigned, Bai Xue grabbed Lu Tingyan. "Major General Lu! Please investigate further! Search this orphanage, there might be criminal evidence! My sister, she really..."
"Enough!" Lu Tingyan brushed her hand away, his eyes filled with frost. "Miss Bai, I have no time to play these scheming games with you."
Lu Tingyan led his entourage to the car.
Helpless, Bai Xue shot Bai Su a dark glare before turning to leave as well.
Before leaving, Lu Tingyan lowered the car window. His gaze fell on Bai Su, and a profound, meaningful look flashed in his eyes.