Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

After discovering the dragon in the river, Lin Tian's desire to "explore" Hexi Town became even stronger.

Now, looking at every mountain and gully around the town, he feels that something extraordinary might be hidden inside.

He had been to the dense forest behind the mountain before, but he only wandered around the edge, chopped some firewood, and came back.

That time, he caught a glimpse of a dark cave entrance in the distance, half-hidden by vines and weeds. He felt it was eerie and didn't dare to go in.

Now that his cultivation and control have greatly improved, and he has discovered the dragon, he has become increasingly bold.

That day, he entrusted Lin Feng to the kind-hearted Mrs. Chen next door to look after him for a while, and under the pretext of "going to the back mountain to chop some good firewood," he wandered off to the back mountain alone.

As we walked deeper into the familiar woodland, the trees grew taller and the light became increasingly dim.

The air was filled with the scent of earth and decaying leaves, and the occasional calls of unidentified birds added to the tranquility and mystery.

Soon, he arrived at the cave again.

The entrance was larger than he remembered, about two people tall, and the inside was pitch black, as if it could swallow up all light.

Approaching the cave entrance, one can feel a faint chill seeping out, and the surrounding vegetation is sparser and shorter than in other places.

Lin Tian stood at the cave entrance and hesitated for a moment.

Reason told him that it was best not to wander into such an unusual place.

But his curiosity, like a kitten's claws, kept tickling his heart.

He first picked up a stone and threw it in forcefully.

The sound of the rolling stones echoed in the cave, growing farther and farther away until it finally disappeared, without triggering any obvious mechanisms or disturbing any wild animals.

He then focused his mind and carefully probed the cave with the pitiful divine consciousness that had been suppressed by the Heavenly Human Realm.

When one's consciousness enters a cave, it is as if one is plunged into a thick darkness, and the range of perception is greatly compressed.

He could only see about ten meters from the cave entrance, where there were jagged rocks and the ground was damp.

Further in, everything became blurry, as if some force was hindering the exploration.

But within this blur, he vaguely sensed a trace of... extremely faint, yet highly potent, energy fluctuation imbued with an ancient aura.

This fluctuation was completely different from the Heavenly Gang True Power and Qi and Blood Power within his body; it was more ancient, pure, and even carried a trace of... deathly stillness.

"What exactly is in this cave?" Lin Tian frowned.

This feeling isn't like there's a living thing; it's more like some ancient relic, or... something sealed away.

He stood still, weighing the pros and cons.

Go in?

The risks are unknown; there may be opportunities, but there's also the possibility of major misfortune.

Not going in?

He was unwilling to accept it, and the cave was right on the edge of the town. If there was any danger inside, it would be a hidden danger sooner or later.

Ultimately, the cautious—fear of death—took the upper hand.

"Never mind, my life is more important." Lin Tian patted his chest.

"Let's wait until we're stronger, or let the commander-in-chief come back to scout things out before making a decision."

He turned around decisively and left the cave that had given him an unsettling feeling without any hesitation.

It's safer to go back and take the kids out to get some sun.

Back at Brother Chen's house to pick up Lin Feng, the little guy was eating candy given to him by Aunt Chen, his face covered in candy stains. When he saw Lin Tian, ​​he mumbled "Daddy" and opened his drool-covered little hands to hug him.

Lin Tian smiled as he picked up his son, thanked Aunt Chen, and the gloom he felt from the cave instantly vanished.

Ancient gods, dragons, and mysterious caves are nothing compared to the realness of this soft, fragrant little one in my arms.

Life continued on in this uneventful way.

Lin Tian spends his days taking care of the child, strolling around, familiarizing himself with his powers, and occasionally using his mental link to communicate with the little dark shadow crow who is traveling far away, in order to obtain the latest information.

Judging from the information provided by Xiao Hei and the system's organizational interface, the Bad Guys are developing at a very rapid pace.

Under Yuan Tiangang's leadership, the Bad Guys were no longer limited to intelligence gathering and began to get involved in some gray-area businesses, such as controlling part of the canal transport, operating underground banks, and even taking over some regional "security" business.

These not only brought in substantial funds, but also woven a vast and complex network of relationships.

[Organization: Bad Guys (Growth Phase)]

Leader: Yuan Tiangang (Loyalty 100%)

[Current Members: 581/? ? ? (Core Members + External Informants + External Forces)]

[Development Status: Has controlled most of the underworld in two states, with an intelligence network covering the seven eastern states of Central Court. Has established covert contacts with some local officials and peripheral sects. Possesses abundant resources to support large-scale operations.]

Lin Tian felt a sense of satisfaction watching the Bad Guys grow like a snowball.

It's like he's playing a strategy game, lying at home with the game running in the background while his underlings have almost cleared the entire map.

"This is the right way to do it!" he exclaimed, feeding Lin Feng a spoonful of his newly researched "fish and vegetable puree".

Lin Feng can now clumsily feed himself with a small spoon, and although he gets food all over his face and body, his progress is clearly visible.

"Wuyou, grow up quickly," Lin Tian said with a smile as he wiped his son's face with a cloth.

"When you get a little older, Dad will hand over these bad guys to you to manage, and then Dad can finally relax."

Lin Feng lifted his little face, which was covered in vegetable paste, grinned, revealing a few tiny teeth, and called out in a childish voice, "Daddy... lie... flat!"

"Hey! Right! Lie down!" Lin Tian was overjoyed, taking this as his son's support and understanding.

As the sun sets, wisps of smoke rise again from the chimneys in the courtyard.

Lin Tian held his son, who was full and yawning, and gently patted his back while watching the magnificent sunset on the horizon.

Hexi Town remained peaceful, with ancient trees, ancient wells, a drunken herbalist, a teacher, a blacksmith, and a monk selling goods... everything was as usual.

But Lin Tian knew that there were already turbulent undercurrents beneath the surface.

The rise of the Bad Guys, the spying of external forces, the dragons in the river, the strange caves in the mountains, and those unfathomable guardians of the seals... all of this...

But so what?

Lin Tian's cultivation and control have greatly improved, his troops are strong and well-equipped, and he has a system by his side.

He's just waiting for the right opportunity.

Then... in the eye of the wind, he continued to lie peacefully on his flat.

"Time for bed, worry-free." He hummed an off-key lullaby as he carried his son into the house.

On the windowsill, a black figure, almost blending into the shadows, silently descended. Its scarlet eyes flickered; it was Xiao Hei, returning from reconnaissance.

It tilted its head, looking at the warm light inside the house, before disappearing back into the darkness, fulfilling its duty to monitor the town.

Night deepened.

The town of Hexi lies shrouded in a great secret, while some people keep their eyes wide open in the shadows.