Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

The next morning, Lin Feng was awakened by the sounds of vendors hawking their wares outside his window.

"Soy milk—hot soy milk—"

"Freshly baked flatbread—"

"Sweet fermented rice wine—sweet fermented rice wine—"

The voices were louder and louder, drilling straight into the ears.

Lin Feng groggily opened his eyes. Sunlight was already seeping in through the cracks in the window, casting a golden band of light on the floor.

He lay on the bed in a daze for a while before he remembered that he was at the pleasure quarters in Yuanyang County, not on his own hard bed in Hexi Town.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

I didn't sleep well last night. The bed was too hard, the pillow was too high, and the blanket had a faint musty smell. Although it was washed very clean, it just didn't smell like home.

He got dressed and opened the window.

The sounds from the market were clearer.

The alley downstairs has become lively.

An old man selling soy milk pushed a wooden cart, the large iron bucket on it steaming. A woman selling steamed buns carried a bamboo basket covered with a white cloth, under which were freshly baked buns, golden brown and looking delicious.

There was also a peddler carrying a load of various goods on both ends of his pole, with bells jingling.

Further away, towards the main street, the noise was deafening, like a pot boiling over.

When Lin Feng finished washing up and came downstairs, the shopkeeper, Old Chen, was behind the counter working on his abacus. Seeing him come down, he asked with a smile, "Young master, you're awake? Breakfast is being kept warm in the kitchen; it's porridge, pickled vegetables, and two steamed buns."

"Thank you, Uncle Chen," Lin Feng said. "Where's Uncle Qinglong?"

"Lord Qinglong went out early this morning, saying he had some business to attend to and would be back before noon."

Old Chen put down his abacus. "Young master, would you like to go out for a stroll?"

Lin Feng nodded: "I'd like to see the county town."

"That would be great."

Old Chen took a small cloth bag from under the counter and handed it to Lin Feng.

"This was instructed by Lord Qinglong to be given to the young master for pocket money. The county town is different from the town; if you need to buy something, do so. Don't be stingy."

Lin Feng took the cloth bag; it felt heavy in his hand, filled with copper coins. He hesitated for a moment: "This…"

"Take it," Old Chen said with a smile.

"The master said that since this is the young master's first time traveling far from home, he should have some money on him."

Lin Feng accepted the gift, thanked him, and tucked it into his pocket. He walked to the door, then turned back and asked, "Uncle Chen, is the Ping'an Inn where Uncle Mo and the others are staying far from here?"

"It's not far. Just turn right when you go out, and walk two blocks," Old Chen said.

"Is the young master going to find them?"

"Hmm, let's see if they're up yet."

"That's perfect, it's on my way."

Lin Feng walked out of the post station and merged into the crowd on the street.

Yuanyang County this morning looks quite different from what I saw yesterday evening.

Yesterday was exhausting, exciting, and dazzling.

Today, however, it is full of vitality and bustling with activity.

The shops on both sides of the street have already opened, and the shop assistants are cleaning the storefronts, removing the door panels, and displaying the goods.

The breakfast stalls were crowded with people. The aroma of soy milk, fried dough sticks, and meaty buns mingled together, making everyone's stomachs rumble.

Lin Feng walked and looked around, his eyes couldn't take it all in.

There were so many shops, and all of this seemed novel to Lin Feng.

There are also these shops in Hexi Town, but not as many, and not as lively.

The blacksmith shop in town only works for three days and closes for two. The cloth shop only sells a few kinds of coarse cloth, and the doctor in the pharmacy only knows a few prescriptions for headaches and fevers.

But this place is different—there are seven or eight kinds of breakfast alone, the blacksmith's shop is full of forged farm tools and knives, the cloth shop has countless patterns of silk, and the pharmacy's counter is full of medicine cabinets of all sizes, with the names of medicines pasted on each drawer, densely packed.

This is the county town.

A strange emotion welled up in Lin Feng's heart.

It was like opening the door to a new world, behind which lay endless possibilities, but it also made people feel a little uneasy. In such a big world, could a kid from a small town like him really manage to navigate it?

He shook his head, dismissing the thought. His father had said that boys should go out and explore. Now that he was out there, he couldn't be afraid.

Following Old Chen's instructions, he turned right, walked two streets, and sure enough, he saw the sign for Ping An Inn.

The inn door was open, and he peeked inside. He didn't see Uncle Mo and the others, but he did see a waiter wiping a table.

"Are you looking for someone, sir?" the waiter asked, looking up.

"I'm looking for Mr. Mo Wen, and a few children," Lin Feng said.

"Oh, they went out early this morning," the waiter said.

"The old gentleman took the children to the county town, saying he wanted to buy some things for the journey."

Lin Feng was somewhat disappointed, but also relieved—it seemed everyone was doing well.

He thanked the waiter and turned to walk back.

Since everyone else has gone out, he can wander around by himself.

He strolled slowly along the main street, looking around. He stopped to look at a stall selling clay figurines for a while; the figurines were beautifully sculpted. The stall owner, a thin old man, saw Lin Feng engrossed in the figurine and asked with a smile, "Young man, want to buy one? Three coins."

Lin Feng touched the copper coin in his pocket, hesitated for a moment, and then shook his head.

The money was given to me by Uncle Qinglong, so I can't spend it recklessly.

He walked on and saw a sugar painting stall.

The old craftsman scooped a spoonful of syrup, flicked his wrist slightly, and quickly drew a dragon on the stone slab. In no time, he had drawn a golden dragon that glistened in the sunlight.

The children watching applauded and cheered, and Lin Feng was also engrossed in watching.

Just as I was engrossed in watching, I suddenly heard a sound coming from the alley next door.

The voices were not loud, but they were clear; it was a man and a woman talking.

Lin Feng hadn't paid any attention at first, but one of the woman's words caught his ear and made him stop in his tracks.

"...Zhao Yan, we're not a good match now."

The voice was cold, with a condescending tone.

Lin Feng subconsciously turned his head and looked at the alley on his left.

The alley is narrow, with high walls on both sides, so sunlight can only reach half of it.

Two people, a man and a woman, stood at the base of the wall, both dressed in gorgeous clothes, clearly not from ordinary families.

The boy was about seventeen or eighteen years old, tall and slender, wearing a royal blue brocade robe, with a jade belt around his waist, and his hair was tied up with a jade crown.

He was quite handsome, but at this moment his face was pale, his lips were tightly pressed together, and his eyes were fixed on the woman opposite him.

The woman was about the same age as him, wearing a light red silk skirt with intricate embroidery on the hem that shimmered in the sunlight.

She wore a gold hairpin in her hair and pearls on her earlobes. She was beautiful, but there was an air of arrogance in her eyes. Her chin was slightly raised, and she looked at people as if they were ants on the ground.

"Not suitable?"

The man named Zhao Yan's voice trembled slightly.

"Three years ago you said that once I broke through to the Innate Realm, then..."

"Three years ago is three years ago."

The woman interrupted him, her tone cold, "I have now been accepted as a personal disciple by the Sect Master of Linglan Sect. And you? Zhao Yan, you are only at the third level of the Acquired Realm."

She paused, a mocking smile playing on her lips: "We're no longer from the same world. Farewell."

After saying that, she turned and left, her skirt billowing in an arc, like a blooming flower, or a sharp knife.

Zhao Yan stood still, motionless.

The sunlight only shone on half of his body, while the other half was shrouded in shadow, as if he had been cleaved in two.

Lin Feng saw that he clenched his fists, his knuckles turned white, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged out.

He stood there for a long time.

So long that even the sunlight in the alley shifted slightly.

Then, he suddenly raised his right hand and slammed his fist hard against the wall.

"Bang!"

The sound was muffled, and a few specks of dust fell from the wall. Zhao Yan's hand immediately broke open and bled.

But he seemed not to feel the pain; he just kept his head down, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Lin Feng stood at the alley entrance, caught in a dilemma.

He wanted to leave, but felt it wouldn't be right to leave now. He wanted to go over, but didn't know what to say.

Just as he hesitated, Zhao Yan suddenly made a move.

He raised his left hand and looked at a ring on his ring finger.

It was a very ordinary-looking silver ring, with a smooth surface and no patterns.

Zhao Yan stared at it for a few seconds, then suddenly pulled it off and threw it hard on the ground.

"It's all your fault!" he growled, his voice hoarse.

"It's all your fault! What kind of thing are you?!"

The ring rolled a few times on the ground and came to rest against the wall, gleaming faintly in the sunlight.

Zhao Yan stood there for a while longer, then walked away without looking back.

His steps were unsteady, his figure swayed in the light at the alley entrance, and then disappeared into the crowd.

The alleyway returned to silence.

Lin Feng waited for a while, and only after confirming that Zhao Yan would not return did he slowly walk in.

He walked to the base of the wall, bent down, and picked up the ring.

The ring felt cool to the touch and was heavy, heavier than it looked.

The ring face was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting Lin Feng's blurry face.

He looked at it over and over, but couldn't see anything special about it—it was just an ordinary silver ring, without even a pattern.

He looked up at the alley entrance, but Zhao Yan was nowhere to be seen.

What should we do?

Lin Feng held the ring, looking somewhat troubled.

The owner lost something, and he found it; he should return it.

But the person is already gone, where can we find them?

He thought for a moment, then put the ring in his pocket. He'd keep it for now, and return it if he ever came across it again.

Stepping out of the alley, the street was still bustling.

The old man selling sugar paintings has finished painting a rabbit.

The children gathered around, their eyes sparkling.

Everything was just as it had been before, as if what had happened in that dark alley was merely a hallucination for Lin Feng.

But the cold ring in his pocket reminded him that it wasn't an illusion.

Lin Feng suddenly lost interest in shopping. He turned around and walked back, his steps quickening compared to when he came.