Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

Less than two miles outside the town, the dirt road narrows by half.

The neat rows of fields on both sides were replaced by undulating barren slopes covered with waist-high withered grass. When the wind blew, it rustled and whispered like countless people.

The sun was fully up, golden and bright, but not very warm.

The autumn sun is thin, like a veil, covering the world. It is bright, but when it shines on you, you still feel a chill seeping into your bones.

Mo Wen walked at the very front, his steps neither hurried nor slow, the hem of his gray robe swaying gently with each step, his rhythm as steady as if measured with a ruler.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his back ramrod straight, looking more like an old woodcutter who had spent years walking mountain paths than a man in his fifties.

Five children followed behind, lined up in a row.

Lin Feng followed closely behind Mo Wen, trying his best to keep up with his pace.

Zhang Kai walked silently beside Lin Feng, occasionally tapping the ground with the hard wooden stick in his hand, making a dull "thud" sound.

Li Qianqian was the third to walk, her face tense, one hand gripping the bundle strap tightly, the other hand constantly touching the two silk flowers on her head, as if afraid they would be blown askew by the wind.

Zhao Mingxuan walked behind Li Qianqian with a blank expression on his face, only occasionally glancing ahead with a scrutinizing look in his eyes.

Chen Jing'an walked at the back, her steps as light as a cat's, her eyes fixed on the road beneath her feet, yet seemingly not seeing anything at all.

At first, no one spoke.

Only the sounds of footsteps, wind, and rustling dry grass mingled together, repeating monotonously.

After walking for about half an hour, we rounded a small hill and suddenly the view opened up before us.

A vast valley unfolds, with villages in the distance and wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys. Further away, mountains rise and fall, layer upon layer, their color gradually changing from deep green to light blue, finally merging into a hazy expanse on the horizon.

"Wow—" Lin Feng couldn't help but let out a low exclamation.

The farthest mountain he had ever seen in his life was the one behind Hexi Town.

The endless, seemingly limitless mountain range before him suddenly stirred something within him.

Wow... the world really is this big.

Zhang Kai also stopped in his tracks, tightening his grip on the wooden stick.

Li Qianqian stood on tiptoe, her little face full of curiosity.

Even Zhao Mingxuan was slightly moved, his gaze lingering on the distant mountains.

Only Chen Jing'an remained with her head down, staring at her toes.

Mo Wen stopped, turned around, looked at the expressions on the children's faces, and smiled: "This is nothing. When you get to Qingyang County and see the city walls, the streets, and the pavilions, you'll know what 'great' really means."

He walked to a large rock by the roadside, smoothed by wind and rain, sat down, and patted the rock beside him: "Take a break and have a drink of water."

The children, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, quickly put down their bags and found places to sit down.

Lin Feng took out a water pouch from his bundle and handed it to Mo Wen: "Uncle Mo, please have some water."

Mo Wen took it without ceremony, tilted his head back and drank two mouthfuls, then handed it back to Lin Feng.

His gaze swept over the children, finally settling on Lin Feng's face: "You're Lin Feng, the Lin family's son?"

"Yes." Lin Feng nodded.

He then looked at Zhang Kai: "Zhang family lad? Your father is Zhang the Hunter?"

"Hmm," Zhang Kai replied in a muffled voice.

"He's a good fighter. I went into the mountains with him once when I was young. He has a keen eye and a steady hand."

Mo Wen seemed to be recalling something, "How much of what you learned from him?"

Zhang Kai thought for a moment: "Fifty percent."

"Fifty percent?" Mo Wen raised an eyebrow.

"You're not young anymore. In a few years, you'll surpass me."

He opened his mouth but didn't say anything; only the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Mo Wen asked Li Qianqian a few more questions about her family, and the girl answered them one by one, her voice soft but clear and organized.

When it was Zhao Mingxuan's turn, Mo Wen merely glanced at him and nodded: "From the Zhao family? Not bad."

I didn't ask any more questions.

Finally, it's Chen Jing'an.

Mo Wen looked at him for a long time before slowly saying, "Young man of the Chen family, stay close to me on this journey."

Chen Jing'an raised her head, her empty eyes meeting Mo Wen's gaze, and softly hummed in agreement.

After resting for a quarter of an hour, Mo Wen stood up and said, "Let's go. We need to get to Sanlipo, which is forty li away, before dark. There's a dilapidated temple there where we can rest."

The children picked up their bags again and set off on their journey.

This time, the atmosphere was more relaxed.

Perhaps it was the fact that they had left the familiar town, or perhaps it was the expansive scenery that broadened their horizons, or perhaps it was Mo Wen's friendly questions that brought them closer, but the children gradually opened up and started talking.

"Uncle Mo,"

Lin Feng quickened his pace and walked alongside Mo Wen.

"Are you really Master Lin's junior brother?"

"Genuine or genuine."

Mo Wen smiled.

"However, my junior brother is a good-for-nothing. He didn't pursue a scholarly path. When he was young, he liked to travel around. Later, as he got older, he did odd jobs outside. This time, it was my senior brother who entrusted me to come and pick you up."

"Have you been to many places?" Lin Feng's eyes lit up.

"I suppose so." Mo Wen gazed into the distance.

"I've traveled through all five provinces of the Great Yan Dynasty and the two provinces of the Great Yuan Dynasty."

"Da Yan? Da Yuan?"

Lin Feng was stunned.

"What is that?"

Not only him, but Zhang Kai, Li Qianqian, and even Zhao Mingxuan all perked up their ears.

Hexi Town is so small that terms like "dynasty" and "prefecture" are as foreign to them as a book written in heaven.

Mo Wen glanced at them, his steps unwavering, and his voice rang out calmly, as if he were telling an ancient story:

"The land beneath our feet is called Zhongting. Zhongting is divided into seven states—Yunhai, Yangui, Lanyue, Shuofeng, Xinglan, Xuanyuan, and Qinglan."

With each name he uttered, he would extend a finger, the withered finger gleaming bronze in the autumn sun.

"The first five states, Yunhai, Yangui, Lanyue, Shuofeng, and Xinglan, are under the jurisdiction of the Great Yan Dynasty. The latter two states, Xuanyuan and Qinglan, are under the jurisdiction of the Great Yuan Dynasty."

Mo Wen paused for a moment, then said, "Our Hexi Town is located within the territory of Yunhai Prefecture, the southernmost part of the Great Yan Dynasty."

The children listened intently.

These names, like a huge, unfamiliar scroll, slowly unfolded before them.

"The Great Yan Dynasty occupies the south and is currently at its zenith, with a strong national power. Its capital is Yanjing in Lanyue Prefecture. The Great Yuan Dynasty is in the north, and in recent years... it has become somewhat weak."

Mo Wen spoke in a calm tone, as if he were saying that the weather was nice today, "but even a starved camel is bigger than a horse, its foundation is still there."

"Then... what about Qingyang County?" Lin Feng asked.

"Yunhai Prefecture is divided into five counties, from south to north: Nanling, Qingyang, Yunzhong, Beichuan, and Dongping."

Mo Wen replied, "Hexi Town belongs to Nanling County. We are now heading to Qingyang City, the capital of Qingyang County. Qingyang Academy is located in the city."

"What about Bailu Academy?"

This time, the question was asked of Zhao Mingxuan, his voice filled with barely concealed urgency.

"White Deer Academy..."

Mo Wen glanced at him, his gaze deepening.

"In Qinglan Prefecture of the Great Yuan Dynasty, at the northernmost part of the central court. It's another two or three thousand li from Qingyang County."

"Two or three thousand miles..." Li Qianqian exclaimed softly, "How long would that take?"

"If it's a normal journey, it would take at least several months. If you travel by car or boat, it's faster."

Mo Wendao

"But that's not something to think about now. First, go to Qingyang Academy, pass the exam, and get a letter of recommendation. Only then will you be qualified to take the entrance exam at Bailu Academy."

He stopped, turned around, and looked at the five children: "This journey is over four hundred li. It will take us eleven or twelve days to walk. Nobody knows what we will encounter along the way. I am only responsible for getting you safely to Qingyang City. As for whether you can enter the academy, and which academy you can enter, that depends on your own abilities."

The children all fell silent.

More than 400 li, on foot, day and night... These numbers weighed on their hearts like stones.

Only Chen Jing'an continued walking quietly, as if she hadn't heard anything.

The sun gradually climbed higher and then slowly slanted westward.

The road is getting harder and harder to travel.

Sometimes it's a hillside covered with gravel, sometimes it's a muddy depression, and sometimes there's no road at all, so you have to push through waist-high weeds to get through.

The children's legs gradually became heavy, and their breathing became labored.

Li Qianqian's face turned pale, and she bit her lips tightly, but she didn't utter a sound of being tired.

Sweat beaded on Zhao Mingxuan's forehead, his brocade robe stained with grass clippings and mud, and his face was grim, but he gritted his teeth and followed.

Lin Feng and Zhang Kai were in better shape, since they spent most of their time running around in the mountains and had plenty of stamina.

But the burden on my back is getting heavier and heavier, like a small mountain.

Only Mo Wen remained steady in his steps, his gray robe spotless, without a speck of dust on it.

He walked at the front, stopping occasionally to wait for the children, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding scenery with a calm expression, as if he were strolling through his own backyard.

As dusk approached and the sun began to graze the western mountain peaks, they finally climbed a ridge.

Mo Wen stood on the beam and pointed ahead: "Look, Sanlipo."

The children, panting heavily, looked up.

Ahead was a gentle slope, with a few crooked trees growing sparsely on it. Their leaves had all fallen, and their bare branches stretched out menacingly in the twilight.

At the top of the slope, the outline of a building could be vaguely seen. It was dark, dilapidated, and half of its roof had collapsed, making it look like a wounded giant beast lying there.

"Is that where we'll stay tonight?" Li Qianqian's voice trembled.

"Mm." Mo Wen nodded.

"An abandoned mountain temple is better than sleeping in the open."

He was the first to walk down the slope.

The children looked at each other and saw weariness and a hint of unease in each other's eyes, but they still followed.

Only when you get closer can you see how dilapidated the temple is.

The wall had long since collapsed, leaving only a few sections of broken walls covered with withered vines.

Only one temple door remained, hanging crookedly, creaking and groaning in the wind.

The place above the door where there should have been a plaque is now empty, with only a few rusted iron nails remaining.

The courtyard was overgrown with knee-high weeds, and a narrow path worn into the middle led to the main hall.

The doors and windows of the main hall were gone, leaving it dark and gaping like an open mouth.

The statues of gods enshrined in the temple had long since lost their heads, and their bodies were also incomplete, covered in dust and bird droppings.

As dusk settled, the last rays of sunlight peeked through the holes in the broken roof, casting blurry patches of light on the ground.

The wind rushed in through the broken doors and windows, swirling in the empty hall and making a howling sound, like someone was crying.

"Right...right here?" Li Qianqian was on the verge of tears.

"Just make do for one night."

Mo Wen entered the main hall and glanced around.

"Clean up a clean place, start a fire, and cook."

He spoke calmly, as if the dilapidated temple in front of him was no different from the school in Hexi Town.

The children had no choice but to put down their bags and start packing.

Lin Feng and Zhang Kai went outside the hall to pick up some dry branches. Li Qianqian took out a piece of oilcloth from her bundle and spread it on the ground. Zhao Mingxuan frowned and kicked away the broken stones and tiles on the ground.

Chen Jing'an stood quietly in the corner, watching the deepening night outside the hall, motionless.

The fire was started.

The dry branches crackled, and orange flames leaped up, dispelling some of the cold and darkness in the hall.

The light and shadow flickered on the dilapidated walls, making the mottled murals and broken statues appear even more eerie in the firelight.

Mo Wen took out a small iron pot and a water bag from his bundle, and put them on the fire to boil water.

The water boiled, so he grabbed a handful of rice and threw it in, then tore off a few pieces of dried meat and cooked them together.

Soon, the aroma of porridge mixed with the scent of meat wafted out, creating a sense of warmth in the dilapidated temple.

The children sat around the fire, holding the rough earthenware bowls that Mo Wen had given them, and sipped the hot porridge.

The porridge was thin and the dried meat was hard, but the warmth of it warmed me up, dispelling the chill and soothing my tired body and tense nerves.

"Uncle Mo,"

After finishing his porridge, Lin Feng felt energized, and his curiosity resurfaced. "You've traveled to so many places, have you encountered... anything strange?"

He asked vaguely, but the children all understood and looked at Mo Wen.

Mo Wen was poking at the fire with a branch when he heard this. He looked up, and the firelight reflected on his face, revealing the deep and shallow wrinkles. His eyes looked somewhat deep in the flickering firelight.

"Something strange?"

He chuckled. "I've traveled all over the country, seen it all. There's the time I heard a woman crying at night while traveling, only to turn around and find it was a desolate grave. There's the time I encountered a thick fog in the mountains, walked for three days, and ended up back where I started. There's the time I stayed at an inn, heard voices coming from the next room in the middle of the night, and when I asked around at dawn, I found out that the room had been empty for years..."

His tone was calm, as if he were talking about neighborhood gossip, but what he said sent chills down the spines of the children.

Li Qianqian moved closer to Lin Feng, and Zhao Mingxuan clenched his fists, his body tense even when he opened them.

Only Chen Jing'an remained sitting quietly, her eyes fixed on the fire, as if she hadn't heard anything.

"However,"

Mo Wen abruptly changed the subject, a different meaning creeping into his smile.

"The strangest thing isn't these things, it's the people."

"A person?" Lin Feng asked, puzzled.

"yes."

Mo Wen put down the branch and leaned against the half-broken pillar behind him.

"Some people appear kind and gentle on the surface, but secretly they can be ruthless and cruel. Some people look fierce and menacing, but they can still help those in need. Some people live in luxury, but their hearts are more desolate than this dilapidated temple. Some people are penniless, but they live more peacefully than anyone else."

His gaze swept over the children: "The world you will see in the future will not only be mountains and rivers, towering buildings and cities, but also all kinds of people. Remember, when judging people, don't look at their faces, look at their hearts. And don't trust your eyes too much, sometimes what your eyes see may not be the truth."

This was said in a somewhat cryptic way, and the children seemed to understand but not quite. Lin Feng scratched his head, wanting to ask something more, but Mo Wen waved his hand: "It's getting late, go to sleep. We have to travel tomorrow."

He pointed to the oilcloth spread out beside the fire: "You sleep here. I'll keep watch."

"Keeping watch?"

Zhao Mingxuan couldn't help but ask, "Uncle-Master Mo, aren't you going to sleep?"

"I'm getting old, so I need less sleep."

Mo Wen said calmly,

"Besides, in this desolate wilderness, someone has to stay awake."

The children stopped talking, huddled together on the oilcloth, and lay down fully clothed.

After a long day of travel, I was exhausted. Despite the hard ground beneath me and the dilapidated and gloomy temples around me, fatigue quickly overwhelmed me, and my eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Before lying down, Lin Feng touched the jade pendant on his chest again; it was warm and comforting.

He glanced at Zhang Kai beside him; Zhang Kai had already closed his eyes and was breathing steadily.

On the other side, Li Qianqian curled up, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.

Zhao Mingxuan stood with his back to the fire, motionless.

Chen Jing'an lay on the far side, facing out of the hall, her eyes slightly open in the darkness, seemingly looking at something.

The fire crackled and flickered.

Mo Wen sat by the fire, leaning against a pillar, with his eyes closed, as if he were asleep.

But in his dazed state, Lin Feng felt that Uncle Mo's eyes seemed... never completely closed.

Night completely swallowed the dilapidated temple.

Only that fire stubbornly burned, creating a small, faint orange-red glow in the boundless darkness.