Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

The sun was gradually setting in the west, almost completely disappearing behind the mountains.

I've walked since this morning, and I estimate I've covered about forty li (approximately 20 kilometers).

Lin Feng's legs started to ache, and the soles of his feet were also a little sore from being rubbed.

He glanced at the others—Zhang Kai was alright, after all, he was a hunter's child, often running around in the mountains, so he had plenty of stamina. Li Qianqian's face was a little pale, but she gritted her teeth and didn't complain of being tired.

Sweat beaded on Zhao Mingxuan's forehead, and the back of his brocade robe was soaked, but he still tried his best to straighten his back, not wanting to appear inferior to others.

Chen Jing'an remained quiet, her steps as light as a cat's, showing no signs of fatigue.

Mo Wen, walking at the very front, maintained a steady pace, his gray robe barely dusty.

The Azure Dragon, walking at the very back, still looked as leisurely as ever, with his hands behind his head and the weeds he held in his mouth being replaced one after another.

"Let's see if we can find a place to stay; we'll make do for tonight."

Don't ask about turning back.

Sure enough, after walking for another half an hour, the outline of a building appeared at the bend in the road ahead.

"Hey, looks like I'm in luck tonight. I won't have to sleep in the middle of nowhere," Qinglong joked.

It was an inn.

It stood alone by the roadside, surrounded by weeds and rocks, with the nearest village two or three miles away.

The inn was a two-story wooden structure, looking quite old, with blackened walls and several missing roof tiles. A faded flag hung at the entrance, bearing three blurred characters: "The Wanderer's Journey."

It was much smaller and more dilapidated than the inns in the county town.

It was getting late, with a lingering red glow in the western sky, but the eastern sky was already dark.

The inn was lit, its dim yellow light shining through the paper windows, standing out prominently in the twilight.

All around was silent.

There were no insects chirping, no birds singing, and even the wind was quieter.

Only that inn stood there all alone.

Lin Feng felt a chill run down his spine.

He remembered the dilapidated temple from the previous night, and the creeping darkness.

The inn in front of us, though lit up, felt... even worse than that dilapidated temple.

At least the dilapidated temple was obviously dilapidated, while this inn was dilapidated in a way that was more concealed.

"I'll stay here tonight."

Mo Wen said calmly, as if he were talking about eating rice tonight.

Azure Dragon's voice came from behind: "Hmm."

It was just one word, but Lin Feng sensed something different about it.

The group arrived at the entrance of the inn.

The door was ajar, and light shone through the crack.

Qinglong stepped forward and knocked on the door.

"Tap, tap, tap."

The sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet twilight.

After a short while, the door opened a crack, and a waiter peeked out.

He was a young man in his early twenties, thin, with a slightly yellowish complexion, and small but bright eyes.

When he first peeked out, he looked puzzled and serious, but when he saw the group of people outside the door, his eyes lit up and a smile spread across his face.

"Sir! Looking for a room?" He opened the door halfway and greeted them warmly, "Please come in, please come in!"

The group entered the inn.

The lobby wasn't large, with four or five square tables, all of which were very clean.

The counter was at the back, and a woman in her thirties was sitting behind it, mending something with her head down.

She looked up when she heard the noise, and when she saw so many people, a smile appeared on her face.

The woman was of ordinary appearance, but she was well-groomed, with her hair neatly combed and her clothes clean.

She put down her needlework and stood up: "Are you guests staying at the inn?"

"Hmm!" Qinglong said.

Five rooms.

"Okay!"

The woman smiled broadly.

"There are five empty rooms upstairs! Waiter, please take us up!"

The waiter quickly led everyone upstairs.

The stairs were narrow and creaked when you stepped on them.

The second floor is a long, narrow corridor with three rooms on each side.

The waiter pushed open the doors to five of the rooms. Each room was similar: a bed, a table, and two chairs. The furnishings were simple, but the rooms were clean.

"Please rest, esteemed guests. Do not hesitate to ask for anything you need!" The waiter said with a bow and scrape before going downstairs.

When assigning rooms, Mo Wen said, "I'll take one room, Mr. Qinglong will take one, Miss Li will have a private room, Lin Feng and Chen Jing'an will share a room, and Zhao Mingxuan and Zhang Kai will share a room. How does that sound?"

Nobody objected.

Lin Feng and Chen Jing'an entered the innermost room. The room was small, with two beds placed side by side, separated by less than two steps.

The window faces south, but outside is the inn's backyard, which is pitch black and you can't see anything.

Lin Feng put down his bag and sat on the edge of the bed.

Chen Jing'an also put down her bag and sat on another bed, quietly looking at the darkness outside the window.

"Jing'an," Lin Feng said, "Are you tired?"

"Brother Feng, I'm not very tired," Chen Jing'an shook her head and then fell silent.

Lin Feng is used to it.

He took out a water pouch from his bundle, took two sips, and then handed it to Chen Jing'an.

Chen Jing'an took it, took a small sip, and then handed it back.

The two of them sat there quietly.

After a while, a woman's voice came from downstairs: "Guests! The food is ready, please come down and eat!"

When Raymond Lam and Chen Jing'an came downstairs, the others were already seated in the lobby.

Two square tables were pushed together, and on the tables were several dishes: a pot of stewed cabbage, a plate of scrambled eggs, a plate of pickled vegetables, and a large bowl of rice.

Although simple, it's steaming hot and looks very appetizing.

"Please make do with this, it's a rural area, there's not much good food."

The woman smiled and said, "Then I'll have the waiter bring another jar of wine."

"This is homemade rice wine, just to help you gentlemen relax."

She was referring to Mo Wen and Qinglong.

Mo Wen smiled and said, "Thank you, boss lady."

Qinglong didn't speak, he just nodded.

Everyone began to eat.

After a long day of travel, everyone was starving. Even Zhao Mingxuan didn't complain and ate heartily.

The dishes were simple, but they tasted good. The cabbage was stewed until tender, the eggs were fried until fragrant, and the pickled vegetables were perfect with rice.

Everyone then began to eat heartily.

As Lin Feng was eating, he suddenly felt his head getting heavy.

He thought he was just tired and didn't pay attention.

But soon, the drowsiness intensified, and my eyelids began to droop.

He shook his head, trying to clear his head, but saw Zhao Mingxuan across from him sway, and then with a thud, he fell face down on the table.

"Zhao Mingxuan?"

Lin Feng wanted to call him, but his tongue was a little unresponsive.

Then, he saw Zhang Kai sway and then lie down.

Then it was Li Qianqian's turn. The little girl didn't even utter a sound before slumping softly into the chair.

Mo Wen and Qinglong were still drinking.

Suddenly, the two of them also fell to the ground, and the wine bowls in their hands crashed to the ground and shattered in two.

Lin Feng wanted to say something, but everything went black before his eyes, and he collapsed to the ground.

Before losing consciousness, he heard the voice of Master Yu Yuan in his mind, urgent and clear: "Boy! There's something in the food..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Feng knew nothing more.