Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

Raymond Lam was shaken awake.

It wasn't a gentle rocking; it was the kind of rocking where I'd throw you off the bed if you didn't wake up.

He opened his eyes groggily, his vision was dim, and he could only barely make out that it was the ceiling of the inn room.

"Get up."

The voice was deep; it belonged to Qinglong.

Lin Feng struggled to sit up, his head throbbing as if it were about to split open, and his stomach churning.

He rubbed his temples, looking blankly at Qinglong standing by the bed: "Uncle Qinglong... what... what happened to me?"

"He's been poisoned."

Qinglong's words were concise and to the point.

"The restrictions are lifted now. Get dressed and get ready to leave."

"Poisoning?"

Lin Feng's mind wasn't fully clear yet.

"What poison? Last night's food?"

"Hmm." Qinglong had already turned around to call Chen Jing'an.

Chen Jing'an also woke up, sat on the bed, and quietly looked at Qinglong.

His eyes were still vacant, but Lin Feng felt that something was different, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The two quickly dressed and packed their bags.

Qinglong stood at the door, his back to them, looking at the dim sky outside the corridor.

After they finished tidying up, Qinglong pushed open the door: "Let's go downstairs."

Mo Wen was already in the lobby downstairs.

He stood at the doorway, hands behind his back, looking outside.

Zhang Kai, Li Qianqian, and Zhao Mingxuan also woke up, their faces pale, clearly still recovering from the aftereffects of the poisoning.

"Uncle-Master Mo..." Lin Feng walked over, "Last night..."

"Let's get going."

Mo Wen interrupted him, her tone gentle, "We'll talk about it on the way."

The group left the inn.

The sky was not yet fully bright; there was only a faint glimmer of dawn on the eastern horizon, while most of the sky remained a deep blue.

The wind was cold, carrying the dampness of dew, and its touch on my face made me feel a bit more awake.

At the entrance of the inn, Qinglong was the last to emerge.

Then, out of everyone's sight, he conjured a small flame between his fingers, flicked it inwards with his middle finger and thumb.

Then he turned to the crowd and said, "Let's go."

Everyone silently followed, continuing north along the dirt road.

"The proprietress and the waiter..."

"He's dead."

Two words, light and airy, devoid of any emotion.

Lin Feng felt a tightness in his chest upon hearing this.

He recalled the landlady's warm smile and the waiter's attentive service last night... Dead?

"Why, why?" he asked.

"A rip-off," Qinglong said.

"They specifically robbed and killed travelers, taking their money and then murdering them."

He didn't mention the doxxing or the Shadow Pavilion.

There are some things that are better left unsaid for children.

Lin Feng remained silent.

Looking at the backs of the few companions ahead.

Zhang Kai walked the steadyest, but his brows were furrowed, clearly processing what had just happened. Li Qianqian's face was pale, and she gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with one hand. Zhao Mingxuan's face was grim, and his lips were pressed tightly together, as if he was suppressing something. Chen Jing'an... remained as quiet as ever, her steps as light as a cat's, revealing no emotion.

After walking for a while, Lin Feng couldn't help but ask again, "Uncle Qinglong, are you alright?"

"I eat very little," Qinglong replied perfunctorily.

Lin Feng knew he was just giving a perfunctory answer, but he didn't ask any more questions.

He recalled the words that Master Yu Yuan had shouted in his mind last night.

"There's something in the dish..."

Looking back now, the old man did realize something was wrong, but he didn't have time to finish speaking.

"Hey kid, you're awake?"

Master Yu Yuan's voice rang out at the opportune moment, tinged with schadenfreude.

"Did you sleep well last night? The dose of sleeping pills was enough for you to sleep until noon. If it weren't for your uncle's skill, you'd probably be in the pot by now."

Lin Feng ignored him.

The group walked in silence, and no one spoke.

The morning breeze was cool and felt a bit piercing on my face.

The line of pale white on the horizon gradually spread, turning into a light blue, and then tinged with a touch of golden red.

They walked for about a mile.

Lin Feng took a few steps and looked back at the way he came.

They were already far from the inn, and could only be seen as a blurry black dot standing by the desolate roadside.

In the dim light of dawn, the black dot appeared particularly lonely.

He saw a wisp of black smoke rising from the direction of the inn.

The black smoke was very thin, almost invisible against the pale blue sky of early morning.

But soon, the smoke thickened and rose, billowing upwards like a giant black python, twisting and soaring into the sky.

Immediately afterwards, flames appeared.

First it was a small fire, then a large fire, and finally the entire inn was on fire.

The raging fire leaped in the morning light, reddening half the sky.

Even from this distance, you could see the towering flames and hear the faint crackling sounds.

Lin Feng stopped in his tracks.

The others also stopped and looked back.

Li Qianqian covered her mouth as she opened it wide, Zhao Mingxuan's eyes widened, and Chen Jing'an... Chen Jing'an watched quietly, her eyes still empty, but Lin Feng noticed that his pupils, reflecting the flickering firelight, had an indescribable color.

"Inn……"

Zhang Kai murmured.

"Burn it clean"

Qinglong said calmly, "A place like this is only a nuisance if left untouched."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and continued walking forward.

Mo Wen turned around and said softly, "Let's go, it's almost dawn."

The group continued on their way, and none of them looked back.

But after walking a while, Lin Feng couldn't help but look back again.

The inn had been burned into a giant fireball, raging across the desolate wilderness.

Thick black smoke billowed straight into the sky.

As the morning light grew brighter, the firelight appeared particularly dazzling, and also particularly... desolate.

He suddenly remembered the landlady's warm smile, the waiter's attentive greetings, and the steaming hot food from last night.

all fake.

It was all to take their lives.

He shivered.

"Kid, scared?"

The voice of Master Yu Yuan echoed in his mind, this time unusually serious.

That's just how the world is. There are plenty of people who smile to your face but stab you in the back. You'll have to be more careful in the future.

Lin Feng hummed in agreement and said nothing more.

He quickened his pace to catch up with the group.

It was completely light.

The sun peeked out from behind the mountains in the east, its golden rays bathing the earth.

Dewdrops clung to the roadside weeds, sparkling in the sunlight.

Birdsong drifted from afar, clear and melodious.

A new day begins.

But the inn burning in the morning light was like a thorn stuck in Lin Feng's heart.

He knew that there were some things he would never forget.