Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

The days that followed were like a dream for Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight.

They were taken to a secluded hideout and received initial treatment.

The healing potions they provided were extremely effective, far superior to the low-grade ones they could access in the "Shadow Pavilion".

After their injuries stabilized, they were required to learn the basic rules and communication methods of gangsters.

The person in charge of teaching them was a squad leader who called himself "Jia Qi," and his cultivation level was surprisingly at the Grandmaster level!

Although their attitude was cold, there was no disdain; everything was done according to the rules, which made them feel a long-lost sense of normalcy.

They were no longer required to carry out those dubious assassination missions that might go against their conscience.

Instead, they were assigned some peripheral reconnaissance and surveillance work, with clear targets and detailed information.

More importantly, for the first time, they received "contribution points" based on their task completion rate, and used these contribution points to exchange for real cultivation resources—low-grade spirit stones—through channels within the organization!

There is also a low-grade Xuan-level martial art suitable for the brothers to use together, called "Shadow Twin Technique"!

Holding the cool yet pure spiritual stone, and looking at the profound cultivation technique incantation, Ying Qi's hands trembled slightly.

It's been five years!

Despite risking his life in the "Shadow Pavilion," he never even managed to touch a single complete low-grade spirit stone!

Cultivation techniques? Don't even think about it!

Here, after completing just a few relatively safe peripheral missions, they obtained what they had always dreamed of!

"Brother..." Yingba looked at the spirit stone in his hand, his voice choked with emotion.

"Have we...have we really encountered a turning point?"

Ying Qi nodded heavily, his eyes also welling up with tears. He patted his younger brother's uninjured shoulder forcefully.

"Keep it up! These scoundrels...maybe they really are different!"

The "Good" token that saved them from dire straits was carefully kept close to Yingqi's body.

It was no longer just a token, but more like the beginning of a faith, a ray of light piercing through their five years of gloomy life.

They began to eagerly learn new techniques, work hard to complete tasks, and accumulate contribution points little by little to exchange for resources to improve themselves.

Although the road ahead remains unknown, at least they have seen hope and felt a sense of dignity as "human beings" rather than "tools".

……

Lin Tian's courtyard in Hexi Town.

"Daddy! Daddy! Look!" Lin Feng excitedly ran to Lin Tian, ​​holding up one of his "masterpieces"—a piece of scrap paper covered with crooked circles and lines.

Lin Tian took a look and commented with great seriousness, "Hmm... the brushstrokes are fluid and powerful, the artistic conception is profound, the potential of an abstract master! Not bad, not bad!"

Lin Feng didn't quite understand what he was saying, but he knew his father was praising him, so he jumped for joy.

Shi Yao watched the two lovable father and son from the side and couldn't help but chuckle.

At this moment, a fluctuation came from the mental connection between Lin Tian and Xiao Hei.

His expression shifted slightly, and he said to Shi Yao, "I'll take Wuyou out for a walk."

Holding his son, Lin Tian strolled around seemingly casually, but his direction was towards the back mountain.

He stopped when he was still some distance from the cave.

Little Black landed silently on his shoulder.

"How is it?" Lin Tian asked telepathically.

Xiao Hei delivered a message.

For the past few days, it has been closely monitoring the cave.

The friction marks on the stone remained unchanged, with no new changes.

The ancient, desolate energy fluctuations within the cave remained in an extremely faint state of "activity," neither increasing nor decreasing.

During that time, no person or animal approached the area.

Lin Tian squinted, looking at the deep cave entrance.

For more than nine months, the things in this cave, or rather the cave itself, have been like a silent bystander, coldly watching everything in the town.

What exactly is it hiding? And what is its connection to the dragon soul seal underground?

What does that "activity" mean?

He had a hunch that the secrets of this cave were probably no less significant than those of the dead dragon underground.

"Keep an eye on it."

Lin Tian gave Xiao Hei instructions.

"Tell me if there's anything unusual, even the slightest sound of a leaf falling."

Little Black obeyed the order and disappeared back into the shadows.

Lin Tian, ​​holding his son, didn't linger any longer and turned to walk back.

"Daddy, the hole...it's dark..."

Lin Feng leaned on his shoulder, looked at the cave in the distance, and whispered.

"Yeah, it's dark, so we're not going in."

Lin Tian patted his son on the back.

"When Wuyou grows up and becomes really, really amazing, let's go exploring again, okay?"

"Okay!" Lin Feng nodded vigorously, his little face full of anticipation.

Lin Tian smiled, but his heart was far from as relaxed as it appeared.

The Bad Guys made great strides outside, constantly absorbing blood like Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight who were disillusioned with the original order, and their power expanded like a snowball.

The town of Hexi appears peaceful on the surface, but it harbors a dragon, a mysterious fetus, a strange cave, and several powerful figures who are either guarding or trapped within it.

The undercurrents, both internal and external, seem to be converging towards a certain critical point at a slow but unstoppable pace.

Although he was determined to lie down and watch the show, he still had to make sure the stage didn't collapse, otherwise it wouldn't be fun if it hit him and his son.

"We need to find a way to send some more supplies to the commander-in-chief."

Lin Tian stroked his chin, looked at the 5,000 lying-flat points on the system panel, and began to think about what he could exchange for that would be more helpful to the overall development of the Bad Guys.

After all, the better his underlings do, the more secure he, this salted fish, can be.

He understands this principle.