Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

Time flies like an arrow; it's over in the blink of an eye.

In the blink of an eye, another half month has quietly passed in Lin Tian's cycle of taking care of the child, strolling around, and lying down.

In the past two weeks, Lin Tian has met with the town's youngest "master"—Master Lin—significantly more often.

Sometimes, under the ancient trees in the early morning, Lin Tian would hold Lin Feng, who had just woken up and was still a bit grumpy, and watch the old people play chess. Meanwhile, Master Lin would stroll and read by the well with a book in his hand. When their eyes met, they would nod to each other.

Sometimes it was in the afternoon alley, Lin Tian would lead his stumbling, toddler son on "patrol," while Master Lin would be returning home from school, dressed in a simple blue robe. The two would brush past each other and exchange a few words.

"Mr. Lin, is get out of class over?"

"Hmm, so young friend Lin brought Wuyou out for a walk again?"

"Yeah, this kid can't stay still."

The conversations were as simple as plain water, but as they happened more often, the initial awkwardness gradually faded away.

Lin Tian could sense that this young Confucian scholar did not seem to have any ill intentions towards him, and even carried a hint of barely perceptible curiosity and inquiry.

That afternoon, the sun was shining brightly, and Lin Tian took Lin Feng for a stroll under the ancient tree.

Lin Feng is now full of enthusiasm for walking. He shook off Lin Tian's hand and waddled under the tree like a little duck, chasing after a butterfly that was dancing gracefully.

Master Lin had arrived under the tree at some point. Looking at Lin Feng's innocent and carefree appearance, a faint smile appeared on his usually aloof face.

A gentle breeze blew by, the ancient trees swayed, and a leaf with clear veins and a vibrant green color twirled and drifted down, landing on Lin Feng's head.

Xiao Linfeng's attention was drawn to the leaf. He stopped and tilted his head back, looking at it curiously.

Just then, Master Lin casually raised his hand, and the falling leaf seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, its trajectory changed lightly, and it landed steadily and precisely in Lin Feng's outstretched, chubby little hand.

The little guy grabbed the leaf, paused for a moment, then happily babbled and waved his little hands as if he had obtained some amazing treasure.

Lin Tian, ​​who was watching closely from the side, had a sudden thought.

He knew that this ancient tree was extraordinary. As part of the core of the seal, how could a single leaf of it be an ordinary thing?

"Haha, thank you so much, Mr. Lin!" Lin Tian quickly stepped forward, thanking him on behalf of his son while his eyes gleamed as he looked at the leaf.

He rubbed his hands together and tentatively asked, "Um... Mr. Lin, these leaves... look quite unique, don't you think... I could have one to study?"

His mind was racing with calculations: This thing might contain some kind of righteous energy or the essence of heaven and earth; soaking it in water and drinking it could improve one's cultivation, or using it as a bookmark could help one comprehend the Dao.

Upon hearing this, Master Lin turned his head, his clear and deep eyes looking at Lin Tian. A half-smile appeared on his lips as he slowly shook his head: "This leaf is destined for your son. Forcing it would only make things worse."

After saying that, he nodded slightly to Lin Tian, ​​then turned around, his blue robe fluttering, and left unhurriedly.

Lin Tian was left standing there dumbfounded, holding his son who was still playing with leaves.

"Tsk, stingy..." Lin Tian muttered under his breath.

He carefully took the leaf from his son's hand. It was slightly cool to the touch and had a delicate texture, as if it were not a plant but some kind of warm and smooth jade.

He could vaguely sense a faint, neutral, and peaceful energy contained within it.

"Alright, it'll be the same for my son." Lin Tian was in a good mood, happily putting away the leaves, preparing to go back and find a brocade pouch or a clean cloth to wrap them up as a talisman for his son.

"Don't worry, this is a good thing. Keep it safe and don't lose it." He pinched his son's little nose.

Lin Feng was only focused on playing with his father's clothes and paid no attention to the leaf that had lost interest in him.

Aside from some progress in his relationship with Master Lin, another important activity Lin Tian has been engaged in over the past two weeks has been "supplement diplomacy."

Every few days, he would exchange some high-quality, nourishing items from the system shop, such as red dates, longan, and top-quality honey (costing a small amount of lying points), and send them to Brother Chen's house.

Ostensibly, it's to nourish the pregnant woman's body, but in reality, it's also a chance to chat casually and get closer to her.

"Uncle Chen, Aunt Chen, I'm here again." Lin Tian was carrying a small paper bag containing several plump, round, top-quality red dates.

"These red dates are for Aunt Chen to soak in water and drink; they'll help replenish her qi and blood."

Mr. and Mrs. Chen were naturally extremely grateful.

Aunt Chen's complexion was indeed much better than before, with a rosy glow on her face, and she smiled more often.

Lin Tian held Lin Feng in his arms and sat in the Chen family's courtyard, listening to Brother Chen tell stories of strange tales he had heard while traveling around the country in his youth, most of which were just boasting. He also listened to Aunt Chen ramble on about her various feelings during her pregnancy and her expectations for her future child.

"Lin boy, you don't know how well-behaved Jing'an is. She rarely causes me any trouble." Aunt Chen stroked her slightly protruding belly, her face beaming with happiness.

"Sometimes, it feels like he's listening to us. When I'm talking about something I'm happy about, he'll even move slightly."

Lin Tian smiled and agreed, but in his heart he was once again certain that the fetus in Aunt Chen's womb did indeed have some subtle connection with the environment of this small town.

That cool and tranquil aura seemed even more pronounced than before.

This feeling of being part of ordinary people's homes and hearing their simple joys and sorrows made Lin Tian feel very at ease.

This made him feel that he was not just a passerby or a player in this world, but a person who truly lived here.

His points were slowly and steadily accumulating in these seemingly trivial daily routines, moving towards the next 500 points.

The Bad Guys organization continued its rapid expansion, with Xiao Hei occasionally sending back messages about something lurking in the vicinity, but no one daring to approach.

On the Wang family's side, the mysterious group seemed to have calmed down and didn't make any big moves.

Everything seemed so peaceful.

But Lin Tian knew that whether it was Master Lin's meaningful refusal, the unusual fetus in Aunt Chen's womb, or the young dragon in the river that had no cultivation but was full of spirituality, they were all reminding him of the astonishing undercurrents hidden beneath the calm surface of the lake.

He was like a fisherman sitting by a lake, seemingly dozing off, but in reality, he always held the fishing rod in his hand, feeling every slight tremor underwater.

-

Life continued to roll by in the daily routine of being a stay-at-home dad.

Lin Feng's language skills have experienced a small breakthrough.

Besides clearly saying "Dad," he can now vaguely say "Mom" (though he doesn't know who the person is), and words like "eat," "hug," and "walk." More importantly, he has begun to try to use his own unique "baby talk" combined with gestures to express more complex needs.

This was tough on Lin Tian.

"Ah-ba! Da-da! Yi-ya-ha!" Lin Feng waved his little fists, pointing at the chirping sparrows outside the window, his expression excited.

Lin Tian looked completely bewildered: "You want to eat birds?"

Lin Feng shook his head violently and continued, "Pfft! Crack!"

Lin Tian tentatively asked, "Want to go out and see the quacking ducks?"

Lin Feng pouted, looking like he was about to cry.

Finally, after a difficult period of communication where they couldn't understand each other, Lin Tiancai finally figured out that the little guy wanted to use the toy wooden fork his father had made for him to fork the fruit off the tree...

"Son, did you import this language system from some other world? The encryption level is a bit too high!" Lin Tian slumped in his chair, feeling even more tired than if he had fought a Celestial Realm expert.

He had to be on his guard and try his best to decipher his son's encrypted communications, a process filled with hilarious misunderstandings and sudden realizations.

Sometimes he thinks his son is a genius, and sometimes he thinks he's just making a fuss and amusing himself.

This "baby language training" made his control over his own power more refined—after all, he had to be constantly on guard, lest he accidentally crush something due to a misunderstanding.

Besides taking care of his child, he also conducted more in-depth research on the system's online store.

Lying down and accumulating points is slow, so he has to figure out how to use his limited points wisely.

He realized he had overlooked a category in the mall—[Household Goods].

The place has a wide variety of items at low prices, and most items only require 1 to 10 minutes to lie down.

such as

[Never-wearing embroidery needle (1 point)], [Self-cleaning cloth (3 points)], [Consistently flavorful low-grade glutinous rice (5 points/jin)], [Powerful stain-removing soap (2 points)], etc.

Lin Tian's lips twitched as he looked at these things.

This system truly provides comprehensive services for "lying flat," even trying to save him from housework.

He tried redeeming a bar of "Super Stain Remover Soap".

When you receive the product, it's just an ordinary-looking white soap with a faint soapberry scent.

He used it to wash Lin Feng's clothes, which were covered in vegetable juice and mud, and the effect was amazing. The stains disappeared instantly, and the washed clothes were exceptionally soft and fluffy.

"This is good stuff!" Lin Tian's eyes lit up.

This thing is much better than the soapberries in town, and it saves a lot of effort.

He exchanged another pound of [low-grade spirit rice with a consistent taste].

The cooked rice was crystal clear, with a faint spiritual quality and an indescribable sweetness. Xiao Linfeng ate half a bowl more than usual.

Although this little bit of spiritual energy was of no use to his cultivation, the taste was really good.

Lin Tian felt as if he had opened the door to a new world.

He started using his spare points to redeem these little gadgets that improve his quality of life.

【Automatic Constant Temperature Baby Bottle (10 points)】—From now on, I will never have to worry about the milk being too hot or too cold when warming it for my son.

【Durable and shockproof children's clothing material (8 points/foot)】-Aunt Chen helped make two new outfits for Raymond Lam, and they were indeed much more durable.

【Sedative and Sleep-Aid Sachet (5 points)】- Hanging it by the bedside, Xiao Linfeng did sleep more soundly at night.

These seemingly insignificant little things have genuinely improved his efficiency in taking care of his child and his comfort level.

Lin Tian was having a blast, feeling that he had found the right way to use the system's shop—improve his life first, then talk about fighting and killing.

He even redeemed one

I dripped the [Basic Spirit Plant Culture Solution (15 points)] onto the few half-dead wild vegetables in the yard, hoping to see if I could grow some spirit vegetables to eat myself.

The next day, the wild vegetables looked noticeably fresher, with thick, glossy green leaves.

"Tsk, looks like I have a knack for farming?" Lin Tian stroked his chin, considering whether he should start a small vegetable garden in the yard to achieve self-sufficiency in vegetables, further reduce living costs, and fit the "lying down" theme.

Of course, he didn't completely forget about the important matter.

Every day, I still routinely "introspect" on the two techniques that have reached a high level of mastery and the one that has reached a minor level of mastery, feeling the surging power within my body that I can control like an extension of my own arm (although it is suppressed), and the slow but definitely increasing blood and qi.

He would occasionally take out the leaf that Master Lin had given him and play with it. The wisp of neutral and peaceful energy was still weak and stable, and it seemed to have a calming effect on Lin Feng. When the little guy played with the leaf, he would be exceptionally quiet.

Calm, fulfilling, even a little... mundane.

This is Lin Tian's current life.

He was like a hamster meticulously tending to his little nest, accumulating supplies little by little to improve his living experience, seemingly indifferent to the storms and hardships outside.

Only he himself knew that he was constantly monitoring the movements of the Bad Guys and the outside situation through Xiao Hei and the system interface.

He also clearly remembered the little dragon in the river, the mysterious cave in the back mountain, and the several big shots in the town, each with their own agendas.

He is waiting.

Waiting for the right opportunity.

Anyway, he's ready.

In the manner of a seasoned salted fish.