Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

The mornings in Hexi Town are always filled with the crisp scent of grass and trees, mixed with the rhythmic clanging of blacksmiths in the distance, slowly waking the sleeping town.

Lin Feng quickly put on the clean blue cloth jacket that Aunt Yao had prepared for him, ate his rice porridge and pickled vegetables in a few bites, grabbed his schoolbag—a sturdy cloth bag sewn by Shi Yao from coarse fabric, containing pens, ink, paper, and books—and shouted to Lin Tian, ​​who was watering the grapevines in the yard, "Dad! I'm going to school!"

"Okay, keep an eye on the road, don't trample Aunt Chen's vegetable seedlings."

Lin Tian didn't even look up, focusing intently on dealing with an overgrown grapevine, wondering if he should prune it.

"Okay!"

Lin Feng responded and dashed out of the courtyard gate like a little colt.

Outside the courtyard gate, Ao Xiaohei was already waiting there.

He was still the same young man in black, so handsome it was almost blinding. Leaning against the door frame with a blade of grass between his teeth, he lazily straightened up when he saw Lin Feng come out: "Hey, college student, you're up early today."

"Uncle Xiao Hei! Hurry up, hurry up! The teacher said yesterday that there will be a test on the 'Thousand Character Classic' dictation today, I need to go and take another look!"

Lin Feng grabbed Ao Xiaohei's sleeve and dragged him outside.

"Dictation? What's so difficult about that?"

As Ao Xiaohei was being dragged along, he still couldn't stop bragging.

"Back in my day, your Uncle Hei... never mind, you wouldn't believe me anyway. Come on, let me take you to the school gate."

The two walked one after the other in the alley paved with bluestone slabs.

The first rays of dawn fell upon the mottled walls and the damp stone slabs.

The men who got up early to fetch water, the women who opened the door to sweep and clean, the old men who squatted comfortably at the door... all greeted Lin Feng and Ao Xiaohei with smiles.

"Is Lin going to school?"

"Little Black up so early too?"

"Feng'er, slow down, don't fall!"

The lively atmosphere of the small town is palpable, simple yet heartwarming.

Lin Feng responded while continuing to walk.

Soon they arrived at the ancient tree in the center of the town. The school was located in a small courtyard with blue bricks not far behind the ancient tree.

"We're here. Go inside."

Ao Xiaohei stopped outside the school gate, picked at his ear, and said, "I'll go to Yuelaiju to see if Fatty Qian got any fresh river shrimp this morning. I'll have Aunt Yao fry shrimp cakes for you for lunch."

"Great!" Lin Feng's eyes lit up, he licked his lips, turned around and ran into the schoolyard.

There are already more than a dozen children in the school, ranging in age from seven or eight to thirteen or fourteen, all of whom are from the town.

Upon seeing Lin Feng enter, several familiar friends exchanged knowing glances and greetings.

Lin Feng found his spot—an old desk by the window—sat down, and quickly pulled out the "Thousand Character Classic" to cram for the exam.

Before long, Master Lin, dressed in a faded blue robe and holding a book, slowly walked in.

The classroom immediately fell silent.

Master Lin's gentle gaze swept over the students, lingering briefly on Lin Feng. Seeing him engrossed in his studies, the corners of his mouth curved almost imperceptibly.

"Today, we will first test your memorization of the Thousand Character Classic. Prepare your writing materials."

A slight commotion and sighs arose in the classroom. Lin Feng took a deep breath and gripped his pen tightly.

The examination process was a bit of a struggle for Lin Feng. He could recognize characters fairly well, but his handwriting was a bit crooked and slow.

However, I managed to finish most of it, albeit with some stumbles and errors.

Master Lin walked by on his rounds, glanced at his paper, said nothing, but lightly tapped a misspelled character with his ruler before walking away.

Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he had passed this hurdle.

After the examination was completed, Master Lin began to explain a passage from the Analects.

His voice was clear and calm, drawing on classical allusions and explaining complex concepts in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

At first, Lin Feng was thinking about the fried shrimp cakes for lunch, but he gradually became engrossed in the teacher's story.

The Master spoke not only of words, but also of principles of conduct. Although Lin Feng only half understood some of what he said, he still felt that it made sense.

The morning's classes ended with the sound of students reading aloud. As school was about to end, Teacher Lin called out to Lin Feng.

"Raymond Lam".

"Master." Lin Feng quickly stopped.

"Although there were some mistakes in today's dictation, it was an improvement over last month. This shows that you put your heart into it."

Master Lin said gently,

"The key to learning lies in perseverance and reflection. It's good that you're usually lively and active, but you also need to concentrate when you're reading."

"I understand," Lin Feng replied respectfully. He both respected and feared Master Lin.

Master Lin nodded, took out a thin, yellowed handwritten booklet from his sleeve, and handed it to Lin Feng: "This book is what I copied in my spare time. It contains some maxims and aphorisms from ancient sages about setting goals and practicing diligently, with a few annotations. Take it back. You don't have to force yourself to memorize it. Just browse through it in your spare time, and you may gain something from it."

Lin Feng took the booklet with both hands, feeling its slight weight and its faint scent of ink, along with an indescribable calming atmosphere.

"Thank you, Master, for bestowing this book!"

"Go ahead," Master Lin waved his hand.

Lin Feng carefully put the booklet into his schoolbag before excitedly running out of the school.

Sure enough, Ao Xiaohei was waiting outside the courtyard, carrying a small bamboo basket covered with a damp cloth, from which the faint aroma of fried food wafted out.

"Hehe, got it! Fatty Qian got some big, fresh shrimp, and your Aunt Yao's cooking is superb, fried them to a golden brown and crispy perfection!" Ao Xiaohei proudly shook the basket.

Lin Feng cheered, leaned in and took a deep breath, his face full of ecstasy.

The two walked arm in arm, mainly Ao Xiaohei leading Lin Feng home. When they passed Brother Chen's house, Lin Feng saw Chen Jing'an sitting alone on the doorstep, her hands supporting her chin, staring blankly at the sky.

The ten-year-old boy had delicate features, but his eyes were unusually quiet, even somewhat empty, making him stand out from the other children running around, laughing and playing.

"Jing'an!" Lin Feng called out.

Chen Jing'an slowly turned her head to look at Lin Feng, a very faint smile on her face: "Brother Feng." Her voice was also soft.

"Staring blankly again? Come on, let's go to my house. My Uncle Xiao Hei got some fried shrimp cakes, they smell amazing!" Lin Feng invited enthusiastically.

Chen Jing'an shook his head, his voice still soft: "No, Brother Feng. My mother told me to watch the fire; there's porridge cooking in the pot." He pointed to the smoke rising from the chimney in the yard.

"Oh, okay then." Lin Feng was a little disappointed, but still said, "I'll call you next time there's something good to eat!"

"Hmm." Chen Jing'an nodded, then turned back to look at the sky.

Lin Feng and Ao Xiaohei continued walking forward.

Ao Xiaohei glanced back at Chen Jing'an, his eyes thoughtful, and muttered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "This little guy... his 'Jing' scent is getting stronger and stronger, almost as strong as that old well. Interesting..."

"Huh?" Lin Feng didn't hear clearly.

"It's nothing, they just said your little brother Jing'an is like a quiet, reserved person," Ao Xiaohei changed the subject.

"Hurry home, the shrimp cakes won't be crispy when they get cold!"

"Yes! Let's go, let's go!"

The two quickened their pace.

No one noticed that at the school gate, Master Lin did not immediately return. Instead, he stood there, his gaze passing over the playing children and the wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys, and over the layers of houses. His eyes reflected Chen Jing'an's lonely and quiet little figure, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly before turning into a barely audible sigh.

……

Lunchtime at the Lin family courtyard.

The fried shrimp cakes were indeed crispy and fragrant. Raymond Lam ate them with his hands covered in oil, praising them highly.

Shi Yao smiled and wiped his hands, then served him a bowl of vegetable and tofu soup.

Lin Tian ate slowly and deliberately, occasionally asking about Lin Feng Academy.

"The Master even gave me a book!" Lin Feng proudly presented the handwritten booklet.

Lin Tian took it and flipped through it casually.

The handwriting on the booklet was neat and powerful, and the content was indeed some inspirational maxims and simple annotations, but between the lines there was a faint, upright and peaceful air of righteousness.

Wearing or reading this for a long time can have a calming and soothing effect. Master Lin certainly put his heart into it.

"Yes, this is from the Master. Keep it safe and take a look when you have time." Lin Tian handed the booklet back.

"I know!" Lin Feng carefully put the booklet back into his schoolbag.

After lunch, Lin Feng was told by Shi Yao to take a nap.

Lin Tian returned to the rocking chair and closed his eyes to rest.

Ao Xiaohei came over, transformed into a mini black dragon, and coiled around the armrest of the rocking chair.

"Boss," he transmitted his voice, "that kid from the Chen family is acting strangely. The aura of stillness on his body is resonating more and more strongly with the sealing laws of Hexi Town. I suspect that he might be a natural array spirit embryo, or a law-affinity being, that this Dragon Soul Array has nurtured over the years."

Lin Tian didn't even open his eyes: "So what?"

"It's nothing special, I just find it strange." Ao Xiaohei flicked its tail.

"This kind of physique is extremely rare, appearing only once in ten thousand years. If one were to embark on the path of cultivation, especially practicing techniques that align with the laws of stillness, calmness, and sealing, their progress would be phenomenal. However, it seems that Brother Chen and his wife are completely unaware of this, and no one in town understands it either. What a pity..."

"Let nature take its course," Lin Tian said calmly.

Everyone has their own destiny. You can't force it.

"Too."

Ao Xiaohei muttered,

"But boss, don't you think that big thing at the bottom of the well has been a bit too quiet lately? I can't even feel it turning over anymore."

Lin Tian finally opened his eyes and glanced at him: "Isn't quiet enough? Do you only feel comfortable when you make some noise?"

"So what if he's dead! Why make such a fuss!"

"No, that's not it..."

Ao Xiaohei shrank his neck. "I just feel... like the calm before the storm?"

Lin Tian didn't reply, his gaze fixed on the outside of the courtyard wall, as if he could see through the layers of houses to the huge ancient tree and the deep well beneath it.

Is it quiet?

maybe.

But beneath this quiet surface, Hexi Town itself is the biggest secret.

Chen Jing'an's unusual behavior, the silence of the Ancient Well Dragon Soul, and the individual thoughts of the seal keepers...

This pool of water has never truly been calm.

It's only temporary, maintained by a delicate balance.

Lin Feng's snoring could be faintly heard from inside the room, even and sweet.

Shi Yao hummed a song softly in the kitchen as she washed the dishes.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the grape leaves, casting dappled patterns that danced on Lin Tian's face.

He closed his eyes again, a slight smile curving his lips.

who cares.

there is always a solution to a problem.

My son is growing up healthy, my underlings are capable, my system points are steadily increasing, and the braised pork and fried shrimp cakes taste pretty good...

We can still get by.

As for the future?

Let's talk about it later.