Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

That afternoon, Lin Feng woke up.

He was awakened by the light.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling directly on my face, warm and pleasant, though a little dazzling.

He frowned, trying to roll over to get away, but his body felt heavy, like being weighed down by a thick quilt.

wrong.

He suddenly opened his eyes.

The Heaven-Burning Technique!

Jade slip!

He sat up abruptly, the movement was so sudden that his vision went black and he almost fell back down.

He gripped the edge of the bed, took a couple of breaths, and then frantically reached for his chest.

No!

He was stunned.

He touched her again: inside her sleeves, at her waist, under her pillow, and in the blankets.

nothing.

His face turned pale.

Just then, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: a storage ring.

This was given to him by his master.

He quickly closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the void in his right hand.

The space is small, square, and looks like an empty house.

Several items were floating inside: a small bag of dried food, a few taels of silver, a change of clothes, the short knife given to him by Qinglong, and...

The crimson jade slip lay quietly in the corner.

There was also a calligraphy brush next to it.

An ordinary calligraphy brush, made of bamboo and sheep hair, old and worn, with a faded red string tied to the handle.

Lin Feng was stunned.

Where did this calligraphy brush come from?

He doesn't remember letting that thing go.

But he didn't have time to think about it in detail.

The fact that the jade slip is still here is a great blessing.

He let out a long breath, and slumped back onto the bed like a deflated balloon.

In the distance, I could hear the faint sounds of bustling street life outside the window: the cries of a candied hawthorn vendor, the sound of a horse-drawn carriage wheel rolling over the bluestone slabs, and someone chopping filling, tap tap tap, tap tap tap.

The sunlight was still so warm, shining on the blankets and on my face.

Lin Feng stared blankly at the roof beam.

This seems to be the room where he stayed at Wang Fugui's house.

But he remembered very clearly that night, the man with the wine gourd, those mesmerizing eyes, and the hand that reached into his arms.

I remember my master possessing me, I remember the magic that filled the sky, I remember the snap of his fingers, I remember that punch.

I remember being stuck in the mountain wall, my whole body aching so much that I couldn't move.

I remember that man in black.

I remember that before I passed out, the two of them started fighting. Who was that person...?

"Bang!"

The door was pushed open.

Lin Feng was so startled that he almost rolled off the bed.

"Brother Lin!"

Wang Fugui rushed in, his face full of excitement.

He was wearing a brand-new brocade robe, and his hair was slicked back and shiny, but he had dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept well for several nights.

"You're finally awake!"

He rushed to the bedside, taking three steps at a time, and looked Lin Feng up and down.

"You scared me to death! I thought something had happened to you!"

Lin Feng opened his mouth, his mind still a little foggy: "Brother Wang..."

"You said you went back to your room to sleep that night, saying you were sleepy, and then you've been sleeping ever since!"

Wang Fugui counted on his fingers.

"One day, two days, three days, four days, five days! Five whole days! That day you said you were sleepy and went back to your room to sleep, but afterwards you couldn't wake up no matter how much you called, it was like you were dead, it scared me to death!"

five days?

Lin Feng was stunned.

He remembered that he had wandered around the streets alone that night after the auction ended.

I remember encountering that man on the road who was carrying a gourd of wine and wearing a straw hat.

I remember those fights.

And now.

In the middle... and then she fell asleep?

Five days have passed?

"I've consulted several doctors."

Wang Fugui was still rambling on.

"Everyone said he wasn't sick, just asleep. I said, 'Who sleeps for five days straight?' They said he was just too tired and his body would heal itself. I didn't believe them, so I asked a cultivator to come and check. The cultivator also said he was fine, just asleep. Only then did I feel relieved..."

Lin Feng listened, but his mind was in complete turmoil.

He slept for five days?

It looks like he was knocked unconscious.

He was beaten so badly, his meridians were all broken, and his internal organs were damaged. How could he possibly recover after just five days of sleep?

He looked down at his hands.

My hands are fine.

No wounds, no scars.

He moved his arms and legs again.

It doesn't hurt.

It doesn't hurt at all.

He simply scrambled to his feet, stood on the ground, and jumped a couple of times.

"Hey, don't—"

Wang Fugui wanted to help him up, but Lin Feng had already finished jumping.

Nothing.

My legs are fine, my back is fine, my whole body is fine.

He clenched his fist.

A powerful force surged through his limbs and bones, heavy and warm, much stronger than before he lost consciousness.

The feeling is different. Before, I would be out of breath after running ten miles, but now I feel like I can run five hundred miles without stopping.

He internally examined his meridians.

The meridians have also healed, gleaming with a golden luster, and are thicker and more resilient than before the coma.

He has a lot of energy.

the day after tomorrow……

How many layers will there be the day after tomorrow?

He didn't know. But it definitely wasn't a double.

He clenched his fist, feeling an urge to find some stones to try and smash them with a single punch.

"Brother Lin?" Wang Fugui looked at him cautiously. "Are you... alright?"

Lin Feng snapped out of his daze and looked at him.

"Brother Wang," he asked.

"Did I really just go back to my room and sleep for five days?"

"That's right!" Wang Fugui nodded.

"Absolutely true! I swear!"

Lin Feng stared into his eyes.

His eyes were sincere, without any evasion or guilt.

It doesn't seem like a lie.

But if it's true... then what happened that night was just a dream?

He recalled the countless spells, the punch, and the pain of being embedded in the mountain wall.

Those feelings were so real, so real that even now, thinking about them still makes my chest tighten slightly.

Not a dream.

Absolutely not.

He touched the silver ring on the ring finger of his left hand—his master's ring.

The ring is still there.

He called out in his mind again, "Master? Master? Are you there?"

no respond.

He called out several more times, but still nothing.

The silver ring sat quietly on the base of her finger, as if nothing had happened.

Lin Feng remained silent.

Wang Fugui continued to ramble on, recounting the events that had transpired in Yanjing these past few days: the Qinglan Sect and the Tiandao Sect had arranged a fight, and the city patrol had arrested several people.

A new restaurant opened in the east of the city, selling a wine called "Drunken Immortal Brew." It's ridiculously expensive, but business is booming. His father wrote to him, telling him to stay put and not cause any trouble...

Lin Feng listened, nodding occasionally.

But my thoughts wandered far away.

Master is asleep.

What happened that night is true.

But why did my injuries heal on their own? And why did my cultivation level even improve?

And that calligraphy brush... I don't think it was here before?

He remembered the man in black, and the last face he saw.

Never seen it before.

A fight broke out.

Who's winning?

How did I get back? And why is everything alright?

……

He dared not think any further.

"Brother Lin?" Wang Fugui's voice brought him back to reality.

"Are you hungry? Shall I have someone get you something to eat?"

Lin Feng rubbed his stomach; he was indeed a little hungry.

"Okay," he said.

"Thank you, Brother Wang."

Wang Fugui laughed: "Don't be so polite with me! You wait here, I'll go to the kitchen and tell them!"

He turned and ran out.

Lin Feng walked to the window and opened it.

The sunlight suddenly flooded in, warm and pleasant, making people squint.

Outside the window is a small courtyard with several osmanthus trees, their leaves lush and green.

There was a stone table under the tree, where several servants were picking vegetables, chatting and laughing.

The sky was very blue, without a single cloud.

He took a deep breath and smelled the fragrance of osmanthus flowers, as well as the aroma of food.

The feeling of being alive.

very nice.

The next morning, Lin Feng bid farewell to Wang Fugui.

Wang Fugui tried his best to persuade him to stay: "Brother Lin, stay a few more days! You're not in a hurry anyway! I'll have someone show you around Yanjing; there are so many places you haven't been to yet!"

Lin Feng shook his head: "No, I have to go."

"Then wait a few days before leaving? You just woke up..."

"Brother Wang," Lin Feng smiled.

"I really have to go."

Wang Fugui looked at him and sighed, "Alright, I won't stop you. But remember, if you need anything in the future, feel free to come to me. I, Wang Fugui, may not be able to say much else, but I still have some influence in Yanjing."

He pulled a money pouch from his pocket and handed it to Lin Feng: "Take this, use it on the road."

Lin Feng declined, saying, "Brother Wang, this..."

"Don't be so polite with me!" Wang Fugui glared.

"I spent a lot of money on doctors during the five days you were asleep. You're not letting me earn it back? Here you go!"

Lin Feng was both amused and exasperated, and had no choice but to accept it.

The two said goodbye at the entrance of the house.

Wang Fugui saw him off at the door and then accompanied him a little further, all the way to the street corner.

Lin Feng told him to go back, but he refused, so he escorted him to the city gate.

Passing through the incredibly bustling streets of Yanjing,

When they reached the city gate, Wang Fugui finally stopped.

He looked at Lin Feng and suddenly said seriously, "Brother Lin, you are a person with great opportunities. I can see that."

Lin Feng was stunned.

"I knew it when you bid 90 million taels at the auction that night."

Wang Fugui said,

"You are unlike anyone I've ever met."

He paused, then patted Lin Feng on the shoulder.

"Take care. Go far away. If you become successful in the future, don't forget your brother."

Lin Feng felt a warmth in his heart and nodded emphatically, "Yes!"

He turned and walked out of the city gate.

After taking a few steps, he turned back.

Wang Fugui was still standing at the city gate, waving at him.

The sunlight shone on him, making his brocade robe gleam.

Raymond Lam also waved.

Then he turned around and kept walking.

The official road stretches out from the north gate of Yanjing, extending into the unseen distance.

The road was a dirt road, compacted by carts and horses, and felt hard underfoot.

On both sides of the road are harvested rice paddies, with rice stubble sticking out and a flock of sparrows hopping around on them.

In the distance, rolling hills rise and fall like a reclining camel.

Lin Feng carried a small cloth bag on his back, but most of his belongings were actually in his right-hand storage ring; the bag was just for show as he walked alone.

The sun was strong, but it felt good.

The wind blew in from the north, cool and carrying the scent of earth and hay.

He walked slowly, looking around as he went.

Occasionally, a caravan would pass by, the wheels of the carriages creaking and groaning, the drivers shouting to the animals, and the sounds of women laughing and children crying coming from inside the carriages.

Occasionally, a cultivator would fly by on a sword, disappearing into the clouds with a whoosh, leaving a long trail of spiritual energy.

Occasionally, there are also lone travelers like him, riding horses or walking, exchanging glances and nods as they pass each other, and then going their separate ways.

Lin Feng walked for one day, two days, three days.

They travel during the day and find a sheltered place to sleep at night, build a fire, roast some dry food, and then cultivate.

He tried to practice the "Burning Heaven Technique" but found it very difficult. Without his master's guidance, he couldn't understand many things.

He tried calling out to his master many times, but there was no response.

The ring is still the same ring, quiet and still.

On the fifth night, he camped out on a hillside.

The moon was very round, shining brightly on the hillside.

He leaned against a rock, staring blankly at the moon.

He remembered what happened that night.

Those fights, that punch, that man in black.

He touched the calligraphy brush in his storage ring.

This pen looks ordinary... Who put it there?

When did this extra pen appear?

He didn't understand.

The sixth day, the seventh day.

The afternoon of the eighth day.

The sun is setting in the west, so it's not so hot anymore.

As Lin Feng walked, he saw smoke rising from chimneys in the distance.

He quickened his pace.

As we got closer, we saw that it was a village.

It's not a big place, just a dozen or so households, living in mud-brick houses with thatched roofs, scattered sparsely at the foot of the mountain.

There is an old locust tree at the entrance of the village. It is very thick and it takes several people to hug it.

There was a well under the tree, and several women were gathered around it, drawing water to wash clothes and chattering amongst themselves.

It's a village that looks quite normal.

Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief.

We can find lodging tonight; we won't have to sleep outdoors.

He was about to walk towards the village entrance.

Sudden!

"Help—!"

A scream came from the village.

Female voice.

Very sharp, very rapid.

Lin Feng paused in his steps.

Then came several more screams, a man's rough curses, and the sound of something being smashed.

The women washing clothes at the village entrance dropped their work and ran, shouting, "Bandits! Bandits are coming!"

Mountain bandits?

Lin Feng subconsciously touched the short knife at his waist; it was empty.

The knife was in his storage ring. With a thought, the knife appeared in his hand.

He gripped the knife tightly and ran towards the village.

It wasn't that I was particularly interested in saving people.

I didn't even think about it.

My legs moved on their own.