Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

The sound of footsteps in the back room made Lin Feng subconsciously hold his breath.

The voice was steady, each step measured as if it had been measured with a ruler, neither too fast nor too slow, yet carrying an indescribable sense of pressure.

Lin Feng even felt that as the footsteps approached, the light in the room dimmed a bit—even though the daylight outside the window was still bright.

The curtain was lifted.

The first to come out was the old shopkeeper. He stood to the side, bowed slightly, and had a complex expression on his face that Lin Feng couldn't understand—respect and fear.

Then, a person walked out from behind the curtain.

Lin Feng's first reaction was, "This person is so... efficient."

He looked to be in his early thirties, not particularly tall, but with a posture as upright as a javelin.

He was dressed in a dark blue cloth robe, the style of which was as ordinary as could be, and the fabric looked like ordinary cotton. But when he wore it, he inexplicably gave off a clean and neat feeling.

The clothes fit perfectly, with the cuffs and trouser legs neatly gathered, and there wasn't a single unnecessary wrinkle on the entire garment.

His face was rather thin, with slightly prominent cheekbones, thick black eyebrows, and small eyes, but his gaze was so sharp that Lin Feng dared not look directly at him—when that gaze swept over him, Lin Feng felt as if he had been lightly pricked by a needle; it didn't hurt, but he felt uneasy all over.

His nose was straight, his lips were pursed, and the corners of his mouth drooped naturally. His face was expressionless, yet for some reason, it gave people the feeling that he was not someone to mess with.

What's most striking is the way he stood there.

There was no deliberate effort to puff out one's chest or raise one's head, but the spine was naturally straight. There was no deliberate attempt to strike a pose, but the feet were shoulder-width apart, and the person stood steadily and firmly.

His hands hung naturally at his sides, his fingers long and slender with distinct knuckles.

He stood there casually, yet he gave off the feeling that he could act at any moment, or stop at any moment, like a sharp blade sheathed in an ordinary scabbard, but the blade was not an ordinary blade.

A strange thought suddenly popped into Lin Feng's mind: this person looks a bit like his father.

I'm not talking about his appearance, but rather that... indescribable feeling. Dad spends all day lounging in his rocking chair, while this man stands ramrod straight.

Dad always had a smile on his face, while this person was expressionless.

But now Lin Feng felt that they all had something about them, something that made him realize that these people were not simple.

"You were looking for me?"

The man spoke, his voice not loud, but each word was pronounced clearly, carrying a peculiar, metallic quality.

It's not that it's unpleasant to listen to, it's just... unusual.

Lin Feng snapped out of his daze and quickly nodded, "I...I'm looking for Uncle Qinglong. My father sent me."

As he spoke, he took out the slip of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and carefully placed it on the counter.

The note still bore those two words: Lin Feng. The handwriting was crooked and distorted, like an earthworm crawling.

The man's gaze fell on the note, he looked at it for two seconds, and then looked up at Lin Feng.

His gaze was still sharp, but it seemed to hold something else, as if he were confirming something.

"I am the Azure Dragon."

He paused, then added,

"Your father told me to wait for you here."

His tone was very calm, but Lin Feng noticed that when he said "your father," there was a very subtle, almost imperceptible pause in his voice... as if he didn't know what to use to address him and finally chose the most neutral one.

"Hello, Uncle Qinglong."

Lin Feng greeted him respectfully, but his heart was pounding. This man looked to be only in his early thirties. Was calling him "uncle" a bit too old?

But since Dad says to call me that, I'll call you that.

Qinglong nodded in response.

He walked behind the counter, and the shopkeeper hurriedly offered to move a chair, but Qinglong waved his hand and pulled over a stool himself to sit down.

He sat down nimbly, his back still straight, his hands naturally resting on his knees.

"How is your father?" he asked, as if going through the motions.

"It's fine," Lin Feng answered honestly, "I just like lying around all day."

The corner of Qinglong's mouth seemed to twitch slightly?

Lin Feng thought he was seeing things, but when he looked again, Qinglong's face still had that expressionless look.

"He sent you to see me. What does he want?"

Qinglong asked again, this time even more directly.

Lin Feng repeated his father's words: "Dad said that when we get to Yuanyang County, we should find Uncle Qinglong and tell him that he will... will take care of me."

He originally wanted to say that he would arrange the follow-up matters, but when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he felt that something was not right. This person did not seem like someone who could arrange anything.

Although he had a strong presence, his clothes and appearance were too ordinary, even more ordinary than Mo Wen.

Qinglong remained silent for a moment.

The silence was long, so long that Lin Feng began to feel uneasy, wondering if he had said something wrong.

He secretly glanced at Qinglong and found that Qinglong was frowning slightly, as if he was thinking about some difficult problem.

"You've been traveling all this way," Qinglong finally spoke, "to Qingyang County?"

"Yes, go to Qingyang Academy to study." Lin Feng nodded quickly.

"How many people?"

"Five, plus Uncle-Master Mo Wen, that makes six."

"Mo Wen?" Qinglong repeated the name, his gaze turning towards the doorway.

Mo Wen was still standing outside the door, his back to the room, but when Qinglong looked over, it was as if he had eyes in the back of his head, and he turned his head slightly to the side.

Their eyes met briefly in the air, without sparks or hostility, more like... a look of confirmation of identity.

"Is that the one who escorted you?" Qinglong asked.

"Yes, he is Master Lin's junior brother."

Qinglong nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

He remained silent for a while, then tapped his fingers lightly on his knee. The movement was very light, but Lin Feng noticed that the rhythm of his tapping was peculiar, three short taps followed by one long one, like some kind of code. However, he stopped after tapping twice, as if he had realized something.

"In that case," Qinglong finally made his decision, "I will travel with you."

Lin Feng was stunned: "Huh?"

"I have an agreement with your father."

Qinglong's tone was flat, as if he were stating a fact.

"We'll escort you to Qingyang County. Now that you're here, I'll go with you."

He spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, but Lin Feng felt that something was off.

This person doesn't seem like someone who goes out often? Although he has a strong presence, the brief silence just now and the tapping of his fingers made Lin Feng feel that this person didn't seem very skilled at escorting children to school.

"But..." Lin Feng hesitated for a moment.

"Uncle Mo has already..."

"One more person means one more person to look after," Qinglong interrupted him, his tone still calm.

"Since your father entrusted me with this task, I will naturally fulfill my responsibilities."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Lin Feng's face, his eyes sharp and focused, causing Lin Feng to swallow back what he was about to say.

"Then... should I go and tell Uncle Mo?" Lin Feng asked tentatively.

"No need, I'll go and tell them."

Qinglong stood up, his movements swift and decisive.

"You rest here for now, I'll be back for dinner."

After he finished speaking, he walked straight towards the door.

As they passed the counter, the shopkeeper called out to Old Chen, opening his mouth as if to say something, but Qinglong glanced at him, and Old Chen immediately shut his mouth, bowing and stepping aside.

Qinglong walked to the door and said something to Mo Wen.

The two walked into the alley and began to talk in hushed tones.

Lin Feng couldn't hear what they were saying, he could only see their profiles, and Mo Wen still had a gentle look on his face.

After talking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Qinglong returned.

"It's settled," he said to Lin Feng.

"You'll stay here for the next couple of days. The rooms upstairs have been prepared; Old Chen will show you there."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and went into the back room without waiting for Lin Feng's response.

The figure was tall and slender, and quickly disappeared behind the curtain.

Lin Feng stood there, somewhat bewildered.

That's it... all done?

This Uncle Qinglong is so decisive in his words and actions that it takes people a while to catch him off guard.

Moreover, his "I'm in charge" attitude, though not forceful, was something that left no room for argument.

The innkeeper, Old Chen, came over with a smile on his face: "Young master, please come upstairs."

Lin Feng followed him upstairs.

The stairs creaked, and at the end of the second-floor corridor was a room. Pushing open the door, the room was clean and tidy, with a bed, table, and chairs. The window faced south, so the light was excellent.

"Young master, please rest first," Old Chen said.

"I'll come up and call you when dinner is ready."

"Um..." Lin Feng hesitated for a moment.

"Uncle Qinglong...has he always lived here?"

Old Chen's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal: "Lord Qinglong only arrived two days ago. He stayed here as soon as he arrived, saying he was waiting for someone."

"Waiting for someone? Waiting for us?"

"I...I don't know," Old Chen said vaguely.

"The adult only said he was waiting for someone, but didn't say who."

Lin Feng nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

After Old Chen left, he sat on the edge of the bed, took out the note his father had given him from his pocket, and looked at it again.

The note still bore those two words: Lin Feng.

The handwriting is still crooked.

But for some reason, Lin Feng suddenly felt that the two characters his father wrote were ugly and strange.

There seemed to be some kind of pattern hidden in those crooked and twisted strokes that he couldn't understand.

But upon closer inspection, it just looks like an ordinary ugly character.

He shook his head and put the note away. He then touched the jade pendant on his chest; it was warm.

The small porcelain bottle in her arms was still there, containing "candy beans." The booklet of "Breaking the Void Fist" was also there.

He carefully kept everything his father gave him.

And then there's this Uncle Azure Dragon who suddenly appeared...

Lin Feng walked to the window and opened it.

The osmanthus trees in the backyard are in full bloom, their fragrance so strong it's almost cloying.

Further away, the rooftops of the county town rise in layers, their edges gilded by the setting sun.

He saw Qinglong come out of the back hall and stand in the courtyard.

He didn't look at the flowers or the sky; he just stood there, hands behind his back, eyes fixed straight ahead, as if... familiarizing himself with the surroundings?

Yes, it's about getting familiar with the environment.

Lin Feng noticed that Qinglong's gaze slowly and carefully swept over every corner of the courtyard—the water vat in the corner, the tiles on the wall, the bluestone slabs on the ground, and even the trunks of the osmanthus trees.

He looked at it very carefully, as if he were taking notes.

After watching for a while, Qinglong suddenly raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and then slowly clenched his fist.

His fist was clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white and the veins bulged slightly. He held this position for a few breaths, then loosened it, then clenched it again, repeating this several times.

Finally, he let out a soft breath. Lin Feng was too far away to hear the sound, but he could see his shoulders rise and fall slightly.

Then Qinglong turned around, looked up, and met Lin Feng's gaze as he peered out from behind the window.

Lin Feng was startled and instinctively wanted to shrink back, but Qinglong had already nodded at him. His face was still expressionless, but his eyes seemed to have softened a little?

Just a tiny bit.

Qinglong turned around and went back into the house.

Lin Feng closed the window and sat back down on the bed.

With the scene still replaying in his mind, Qinglong stood in the courtyard, clenching and unclenching his fist.

He recalled what his Uncle-Master Mo Wen had said about the realms of cultivation, the eerie shadow from last night, and the black sword and copper bell.

Could this Uncle Azure Dragon also be... a cultivator?

This thought made Lin Feng's heart beat a little faster.

He touched the jade pendant on his chest, and then touched the small porcelain bottle in his arms.

If Uncle Qinglong is a cultivator, then does the fact that Father sent him to escort us mean... this journey is truly not peaceful?

Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened.

The lights came on in the post station.

The sound of the shopkeeper, Old Chen, greeting customers could be heard downstairs, although there weren't many customers.

The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen in the backyard—the smell of ordinary vegetables and rice.

Everything was normal.

But Lin Feng knew that from today onwards, his journey would include a person named Qinglong.

A person who stands like a gun, has eyes like knives, speaks and acts decisively, seems unfamiliar with everything yet seems capable of handling anything.

He lay down on the bed, put his hands behind his head, and looked at the beams on the roof.

Dad, what kind of "uncle" did you find for me?

As he pondered, his eyelids grew heavy.

In his hazy state, he seemed to hear Qinglong and the shopkeeper, Old Chen, talking intermittently downstairs:

"Sir, this money..."

"Keep it."

"The dry rations and water bags needed for the journey..."

"You decide what to do."

"And a map, showing the road from here to Qingyang County..."

"I've seen it."

"But sir, you've only been here two days, and this map..."

"I memorized it after reading it only once."

The conversation stopped.

Then came a long silence.

Then Qinglong's voice rang out again, softly but clearly:

"Old Chen."

"exist."

"Do I look...like someone who would be good with children?"

"Uh... this..."

"Just say it."

"I am a little... inexperienced. Sir, you've never taken care of children before, have you?"

"no."

"Then you..."

"If you don't know how, learn it."

The conversation ends here.

Lin Feng's lips curled slightly as he slept.