Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

When they returned to Fengyue Inn, Qinglong had already come back.

He was sitting by the window in the lobby, with a cup of tea in front of him.

The tea hadn't been touched much and had already gone cold.

When Lin Feng walked in, Qinglong turned his head and glanced at him.

"Finished shopping?"

Qinglong asked, his tone calm.

"Um."

Lin Feng sat down opposite him, hesitated for a moment, then took out the silver ring from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"Uncle Qinglong, I found this on the street."

Azure Dragon's gaze fell on the ring.

He looked at it for two seconds, then reached out and picked it up, weighed it in his hand, and examined it against the light.

"Where did you find it?" he asked.

"In an alley."

Lin Feng briefly recounted what he had just witnessed, omitting the specifics of the argument between the couple, only saying that the two had argued and the man had thrown away his ring.

After listening, Qinglong didn't say anything, but simply rubbed the ring face with his fingers.

His fingers were long and slender, with calluses on the pads, and made a soft rustling sound when he rubbed the ring.

"Do you know that person?" Lin Feng asked.

His name is Zhao Yan.

Qinglong paused, then looked up at Lin Feng: "Zhao Yan?"

"Yes, that's what the woman called him."

Qinglong remained silent for a moment, then placed the ring back on the table.

"Zhao Yan, the eldest son of the Zhao family in Yuanyang County."

"The Zhao family?"

"One of the three great families in Yuanyang County".

Qinglong's tone was flat, as if he were reciting a memorized text, "He's in the medicinal herb business, has a solid financial foundation, and some connections in Qingyang County."

Lin Feng nodded, then asked, "What's Zhao Yan like...?"

Qinglong glanced at him, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Three years ago, Zhao Yan was a well-known genius in Yuanyang County.

Azure Dragon spoke slowly,

"At thirteen, he was at the ninth level of the Acquired Realm, just one step away from the Innate Realm. At that time, the Zhao family was incredibly prestigious, and everyone said that the Zhao family was going to produce an extraordinary figure. Even the big shots in the county town sent people to pay attention to him."

He paused, picked up his teacup, and took a sip of the cold tea.

"But that same year, for some unknown reason, Zhao Yan's cultivation level began to decline. It got lower year by year, and now it has fallen to the third level of the Acquired Realm."

Lin Feng was stunned.

Will the ninth level of the day after tomorrow fall to the third level of the day after tomorrow?

How hard must it have fallen?

Moreover, one's cultivation level can actually drop?

Uncle Mo Wen didn't say that.

"Why did it fall?" he couldn't help but ask.

"I don't know." Qinglong shook his head.

"The Zhao family has consulted many experts, but none of them could explain what was wrong. Some said he had gone mad from practicing his martial arts, some said he had been poisoned, and others said he had offended someone and was cursed. But there was no evidence."

He put down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly on the table: "In the past three years, Zhao Yan has gone from a genius to a laughing stock. Those who used to fawn over the Zhao family now keep their distance. Even his fiancée, to whom he was betrothed since childhood, the woman you see today, the personal disciple of the Linglan Sect Master, has severed ties with him."

Lin Feng felt a little uneasy.

He remembered the way Zhao Yan smashed the wall, and the anger and despair in his roar.

"Then... what about this ring?" He pointed to the silver ring on the table. "Should we return it to him?"

"You want to pay it back?" Qinglong asked back.

"Well, it belongs to someone else after all."

Qinglong looked at him for a while and nodded: "The Zhao family is in the east of the city, in their largest house. You can go there tomorrow."

"Isn't Uncle Qinglong coming along?"

"It's inconvenient for me to show my face," Qinglong said directly.

Lin Feng thought about it and felt it made sense.

Uncle Qinglong doesn't look like an ordinary person. If we go with him, it might cause trouble.

"Then I'll go by myself tomorrow," he said.

Qinglong grunted and stood up: "Dinner is ready, let's go eat."

Old Chen cooked dinner: three dishes and a soup, simple but delicious.

Lin Feng ate heartily, but his mind was still preoccupied with Zhao Yan.

When he returned to his room after dinner, he put the silver ring on with him.

At night, Lin Feng lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

The sound of the night watchman's gong came from outside the window, "Bang—bang—", it was the second watch of the night.

Moonlight filtered through the window paper, casting blurry shadows on the ground.

The room was quiet, with only the sound of his own breathing.

His mind was a mess.

He thought of Zhao Yan, that proud woman, and the matter of his cultivation level dropping.

I thought about the cultivation realm that Uncle Mo Wen spoke of, and about the Zhao family's past that Uncle Qinglong told me.

He turned over and looked at the silver ring on the table.

The ring gleamed softly in the moonlight, lying there quietly like a silent secret.

Lin Feng suddenly realized that this ring might not be just an ordinary ring.

When Zhao Yan threw it away, he said, "It's all your fault. What are you anyway?" If it was just an ordinary ring, why would he say that?

He sat up, got out of bed, walked to the table, picked up the ring, and examined it closely in the moonlight.

It was still the same, smooth, plain, without any patterns.

It feels cold and heavy to the touch.

After looking at it for a long time, I still couldn't figure it out.

Lin Feng was somewhat disappointed and was about to put the ring back when suddenly—

The ring bounced slightly.

It was so slight that Lin Feng thought it was his imagination.

He paused for a moment, placed the ring in his palm, and brought it close to his eyes to look at it.

The ring lay there quietly, motionless.

It was indeed an illusion.

Lin Feng shook his head, realizing he was overthinking things. Just as he was about to turn around and go back to bed, the ring jumped again.

This time he saw it clearly: the ring really moved! It trembled slightly in his palm, as if it had a life of its own!

Lin Feng's hand trembled, and the ring fell onto the table.

He took two steps back, his eyes fixed on the ring.

The ring rolled half a circle on the table and then stopped.

Then, a faint white light emanated from the ring, growing brighter and brighter until it finally coalesced into a human shape.

It was a semi-transparent old man who looked to be in his sixties or seventies.

His hair and beard were white, and his face was covered with wrinkles, but his eyes were bright, as if they held two small flames.

He was dressed in a loose white Taoist robe embroidered with cloud patterns, looking like a hermit, if not for his strange appearance.

A legless, floating, illusory figure.

The old man floated above the table, looked down at his semi-transparent body, then at Lin Feng, stroked his beard, and began to speak.

His voice was loud and clear, full of energy, not at all like an old man, much less a ghost.

"Huh? That's strange."

The old man floated up to Lin Feng and leaned in to look closely, his nose almost touching Lin Feng's face.

Lin Feng was so frightened that his whole body stiffened. He tried to shout, but found that he couldn't make a sound. It was as if his mouth was sealed by something, and he could only make muffled noises.

"Don't shout, don't shout."

The old man waved his hand.

"I'm not a bad person. It's just strange, when I was asleep before, the aura wasn't yours, how did it change?"

He circled Lin Feng once, looking him up and down, clicking his tongue in amazement: "His physical constitution is a bit lacking, and he's a bit old... Oh well, what's done is done."

He floated back to the table and sat cross-legged in the air. Although his translucent body didn't need to sit at all, this posture made him look more like a human.

"Young man," the old man said with a smile, looking at Lin Feng, "how about you become my apprentice from now on?"

Raymond Lam: "Waaaaah! Waaaaah!"

"Oh, sorry, I forgot you can't speak yet." The old man slapped his forehead and pointed at Lin Feng.

Lin Feng felt a release from his grip, and he could speak again. He immediately jumped back a large step, his back against the wall, his voice trembling: "W-what are you?"

"thing?"

The old man raised his eyebrows.

"I'm nothing! Bah, bah, bah, I am something... no, that's not right either!"

He coughed twice, then resumed his dignified and otherworldly demeanor: "Listen up, young man! I am the renowned Jade Origin True Man from five hundred years ago, a seventh-grade alchemist, known as the Venerable of Alchemy! How about that, impressive, right?"

Lin Feng's mind was buzzing.

Five hundred years ago? A seventh-grade alchemist? A venerable alchemist? What on earth is this?

"This ring isn't mine."

Lin Feng forced himself to calm down and pointed to the ring on the table.

"It belongs to someone else; I found it. I don't want to become an apprentice; you... you should find someone else."

"Someone else's?"

Master Yu Yuan was taken aback. He floated over to the ring and looked at it. "Oh, you mean that kid from before? That kid has good talent, but his temperament is too bad. He complains about everything and doesn't deserve to be my successor. You are better than him."

"I won't take it!" Lin Feng shook his head firmly. "I'm returning the ring!"

"Give it back?"

Master Yu Yuan smiled.

"You think he still wants it? Didn't you hear what he said when he threw the ring away? He hates this ring to death, and you're going to give it back?"

Lin Feng was speechless.

So,

Master Yu Yuan floated back to him and patiently guided him.

"This ring is yours now. Become my apprentice, and I'll teach you alchemy and martial arts. I guarantee you'll live a life of luxury from now on. How about it?"

"Not very good." Lin Feng shook his head again. "I'm going to study at Qingyang Academy, so I don't have time to learn alchemy."

"read?"

Master Yu Yuan scoffed.

"Is studying better than alchemy? One pill can make a celestial elixir, instantly boosting cultivation, increasing lifespan, and bringing beauties to your arms..."

"I don't need beautiful women throwing themselves at me."

Lin Feng said,

"I just want to study hard, and I'll think about the future later."

"Rotten wood cannot be carved!" Master Yu Yuan was so angry that his beard stood on end.

"Do you know how many people want to become my apprentice? Five hundred years ago, the sect leaders and elders of those major sects lined up to beg me to refine pills! Now I'm giving you this opportunity, and you still don't cherish it?"

"You don't cherish it," Lin Feng said bluntly.

Master Yu Yuan glared at him, and he glared back at Master Yu Yuan. One old, one young, one illusory, one real, they just stared at each other like that.

After staring for a long time, Master Yu Yuan suddenly sighed.

"Alright, alright, I won't force you." He waved his hand.

"But you can keep the ring for now. If you ever change your mind later, you can always come to me."

"I don't want to," Lin Feng said.

"I'll return it to Zhao Yan tomorrow."

"You'll pay me back?" Master Yu Yuan laughed.

"Don't believe me? Then go and try it. I bet he won't want it."

Lin Feng remained silent.

He wasn't really sure himself.

The way Zhao Yan threw the ring made it seem like he truly hated it.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore."

Master Yu Yuan changed the subject.

"What's your name? Where are you from?"

Lin Feng hesitated for a moment, then said, "Lin Feng is from Hexi Town."

"Hexi Town? Not bad, not bad!"

Master Yu Yuan stroked his beard.

"Judging from your appearance, this must be your first time traveling so far from home. Where are you going?"

Qingyang Academy

"The academy..."

Master Yu Yuan nodded.

"Alright, it's good to read and understand things. But kid, let me tell you, in this world, just reading isn't enough. You need to have strength and ability, otherwise you'll end up like Zhao Yan today, being thrown away as soon as you want."

Lin Feng remained silent.

Although this is hard to hear, it seems to make sense.

So,

Taking the opportunity, Master Yu Yuan again offered his advice.

"If you become my apprentice, I will teach you real skills and guarantee that you will never be looked down upon again."

"I will not become an apprentice."

Lin Feng reiterated his previous statement.

"I'm going to sleep now, you...you may leave."

After he finished speaking, without waiting for Master Yu Yuan's reaction, he climbed onto the bed and covered his head with the blanket.

Master Yu Yuan floated by the bedside, looked at Lin Feng wrapped up like a silkworm cocoon, and shook his head.

"Stubborn boy."

He muttered something, then transformed into a beam of white light and disappeared back into the ring.

The room returned to silence.

Lin Feng hid under the covers, his heart pounding like a drum.

He waited for a while, and only after confirming that there was no movement did he quietly peek out.

He stared at the ring for a long time, then finally sighed and closed his eyes.

Tomorrow, I'll go to the Zhao family and return the ring.