In the courtyard of the Baroque family mansion, Hogg was lying on a chair flipping through an extremely thick book carefully.

  "Lord Hogarth, dinner is served." A maid approached and said respectfully.

  Since Butler Hilly took Little Worton to the Aubrey Empire, there was no servant in the entire Baroque family. Hog was at least the head of the Dragon Blood Warrior Family and couldn't do the work of a servant himself. So Hog gritted his teeth and hired a maid.

  "Oh." Hogg closed the book in his hand and glanced at the maid beside him, also sighing inwardly, "Fortunately, those nobles know that my son is now a genius magician at Ernst Academy, and are willing to lend me gold coins. Otherwise, life would be even more difficult."

  "With the current tax rate of Wushan Town, it's barely enough to pay for the kingdom's taxes and the salary of the guards." Hog thought that even if he sold everything that could be sold when the family business was passed down to him, he would still feel stifled.

  Luckily...

  He had two sons, two great sons.

  "Lin Lei is now a 5th-level magician and will be graduating soon. At that time, the family can be handed over to him, and I can also do what I have always wanted to do."

  Hogarth got up and walked towards the living room, suddenly -

  "Hogarth-sama, Hogarth-sama." Hillman's voice echoed from afar.

  Hog looked puzzled towards the gate of the mansion, and in a moment, Hillman stepped forward, accompanied by a sturdy young man beside him.

  The smile on young Hog's face immediately bloomed, and he laughed as he came up: "Lin Lei, you're back! Haha, it's really great, this is a big surprise!"

  "Agatha, prepare a sumptuous dinner." Hog patted Lin Lei's shoulder warmly. "Good kid, you've caught up with me in height. By the way, aren't you usually back at the end of the year? What's going on this time?"

  Lin Lei gave a mysterious smile: "Dad, I'll tell you after dinner."

  "So mysterious?" Hogg deliberately furrowed his brow.

  Hillman smiled beside him: "Lord Hogg, Lin Lei told me that he has prepared a mysterious gift for you. I asked him, but he didn't say."

  "Uncle Hillman." Lin Lei frowned at Hillman.

  "Alright, I won't say it, I won't say it." Hillman burst out laughing.

  As night fell, the earth was plunged into darkness, and several candles were burning in the living room of the Baruk family, illuminating the entire room. After finishing dinner, the servant Agatha cleaned up the table, and only when Lin Lei and Hog were left in the hall did Lin Lei put his package in front of his father.

  "What's this?" Hogg looked at Lin Lei in confusion.

  "Wait a minute." Lin Lei got up and closed the living room door. Hogg couldn't help but laugh: "So mysterious? Still need to close the door."

  Lin Lei sat down confidently: "Father, open this package."

  "I'd like to see what's inside." Hogg curiously opened the package, only to find a large bag inside. The mouth of the bag was tightly tied, and it was stuffed with a large number of crystal cores.

  Hog touched the big bag, puzzled and said: "Such a big bag, it doesn't look like gold coins, could it be broken stones?" Hog couldn't figure it out, while saying that, Hog opened the bag.

  The bag was opened——

  Flowers and greenery, various magic crystal nuclei of five colors and six colors emit dazzling colorful light, Hogg's eyes are also blinded by flowers, this full big bag of various magic crystal nuclei, Hogg has never seen it in his life.

  "Is this the Magic Crystal Core?" Hog's eyes widened in shock as he stared at Lin Lei, and then swallowed hard. He had seen the Magic Crystal Core before, but never so many of them. So many Magic Crystal Cores were too visually shocking.

  Lin Lei nodded and said, "Yes, almost all of the contents in this bag are magic crystal nuclei. Only a dozen or so are magic crystal stones. According to the book's records of the value of magic crystal nuclei, these should be worth over 700,000 gold coins."

  "Over 70,000 gold coins?" Hogg felt his heart skip a beat.

  These years Hogg has been troubled by money, now if he is asked to take out 500 gold coins, Hogg will probably have to go borrow money. His difficulties can be imagined.

  More than 700,000 gold coins!

  What a concept? More than 700,000 gold coins, enough to support the entire Baroque family for over a hundred years.

  "Of course, the more than 70,000 gold coins are just a number calculated according to the price recorded in the book. The price recorded in the book is still from the past, and today's price should be slightly higher. I estimate that it can sell for around 80,000 gold coins." Lin Lei replied honestly.

  Hog looked at the pile of sparkling crystal nuclei in front of him, feeling as if he was dreaming, his whole person had a kind of floating feeling.

  "Hoo! Hoo!"

  Hog took several deep breaths before barely calming down.

  "Lin Lei, where did you get these magic crystal cores?" Hogg suddenly reacted, staring at Lin Lei, "Did you go to the Magic Beast Mountains?"

  Lin Lei nodded: "Yes, father, these magic crystal nuclei were all obtained from the Magic Beast Mountain Range."

  "You, you..." Hogg said with some annoyance, "the Magic Beast Mountains are the most perilous place on the entire continent. Entering them is a big deal, how could you just go in without discussing it with me? Do you know how much danger lies within?"

  As soon as he finished speaking, Hogg couldn't help but laugh at himself.

  Lin Lei has been in there before, of course he knows how dangerous it is inside.

  Hog looked at Lin Lei, who was hanging his head in silence with a "serious listening to scolding" expression, and couldn't help but shake his head and sigh: "Lin Lei, it's not that your father wants to scold you. You need to know that you are now the genius magician of Ernst Academy, and your future achievements will be boundless. The heavy responsibility of our Baruk family will fall on your shoulders. After all, your younger brother is still young, and who knows how long it will take for him to become a true Dragon Blood Warrior. You carry my hopes, the hopes of our Baruk family, so you can't take your life lightly."

  Lin Lei didn't dare make a sound.

  "Take off your shirt and let me see if you're hurt." Hogg said suddenly.

  Take off your shirt?

  Lin Lei hesitated, wearing clothes that others couldn't see, but Lin Lei himself was clearly aware of the dense and terrifying scars on his body.

  "Take it off." Hogg's brow furrowed.

  Lin Lei hesitated for a moment, and finally took off his short shirt, revealing his robust upper body. On that robust upper body, there were also dense scars, including several that were life-threatening!

  Seeing the terrifying scars on Lin Lei's body, Huo Ge felt his heart tremble.

  Hog's hands trembled as he slowly reached out to touch Lin Lei's chest and the nearly fatal wounds on his abdomen. Seeing these wounds, Hog felt a pang in his heart. His own son had suffered so much hardship, how did he manage to come back from the brink of death? Hog didn't dare think about it.

  "Lin Lei, you..." Hogan choked.

  "Dad, I'm fine," Lin Lei immediately comforted him.

  Hog looked at the pile of magic crystal nuclei beside him, which represented enormous wealth, and then looked at the terrifying scars on Lin Lei's body that resembled intertwined tree roots. Hog's whole body trembled slightly.

  He hates!

  Hate myself for being incompetent and useless!

  Taking a deep breath, Hogg looked up at the sky silently, then said in a low voice: "Lin Lei, you've been traveling all day and must be tired. Go get some rest early."

  "Yes, Father."

  Lin Lei quietly left, leaving only Huo Ge sitting silently in the candlelit living room...