Courtyard House: Home Alone

The gates of the Tang residence remained solemn and dignified, but the bustling activity of years past had faded, replaced by a palpable sense of impending doom. Lin Yifan walked to the gate and gently knocked on the door knocker.

Soon, the door was opened a crack, and an old butler peeked out, eyeing Lin Yifan warily.

When the old butler recognized Lin Yifan's slightly youthful yet remarkably composed face, he was first taken aback, then his face lit up with surprise and excitement. He quickly opened the door: "Young...Young Master? You're finally back! Please come in, please come in! Master...he's been thinking of you!"

Lin Yifan nodded slightly and stepped inside. The courtyard was quiet, and several apprentices were silently cleaning. When they saw Lin Yifan enter, they all stopped what they were doing and looked at him with complex expressions, including awe, gratitude, and a hint of barely perceptible curiosity.

The old butler trotted ahead to lead the way, constantly calling out, "Master, Master! The young master is here! The young master has come to see you!"

Old Master Tang was pacing back and forth in his study, his brow furrowed, clearly troubled by something.

Upon hearing the old butler's voice, he abruptly stopped, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, and quickly strode towards the door to greet him.

"Young Master!" Grandpa Tang exclaimed excitedly when he saw Lin Yifan, and quickly stepped forward to grab Lin Yifan's hand.

His hands trembled slightly, and his eyes were a little red. "You're finally back! I was so worried about you! It's chaotic outside, and you're just a child..."

"Grandpa Tang, I'm sorry to have worried you. I'm fine." Lin Yifan felt the warmth of the old man's hand and his genuine care, which warmed his heart and softened his voice.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!"

Grandpa Tang patted Lin Yifan's hand, carefully examining him. Seeing that although he looked a little travel-worn, he was in good spirits, and his anxiety subsided. "Quickly, come inside, come inside!"

The two arrived at the study, where the old butler served tea and then discreetly withdrew, carefully closing the door behind him.

"Young master, it's been several days since the New Year, and now there's a lot of talk outside saying that the Japanese devils are coming to Beiping again in the next couple of days."

Didn't you see? Those damned traitors, lackeys, and puppet troops are starting to act up again. I still have some supplies left over from before the New Year, so I'll have to hide them for now.

I'm afraid they'll search the house. If they do, almost every poor family in Beiping will have Japanese military supplies. Then... sigh!

You didn't leave me your address, so I had to send my apprentices out to inquire around and ask you. What should we do now?

"It's a good thing you came today, otherwise I would have felt like I had a huge stone weighing on my heart, and I wouldn't have been able to eat or sleep."

Grandpa Tang picked up his teacup, took a sip, sighed heavily, and looked worried.

"Those traitors and puppet troops, relying on the Japanese for support, have started to run rampant again."

A few days ago, someone from Zhang the butcher's family in the south of the city was arrested by the puppet police just for saying "Japanese devils are bastards." He hasn't been released yet, and we don't know if he's dead or alive... When will this ever end?!

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his cloudy eyes turning bloodshot. "I've lived most of my life, and I've never seen such a cowardly world! To watch my compatriots suffer helplessly, the pain in my heart is worse than being cut by a knife!"

"Grandpa Tang, I've come to see you today for these matters. First, I have good news for you: the Japanese can't come, at least not in the short term."

I ambushed their reinforcements outside the city, wiping out not only their 20th Division but also taking care of that old devil Okamura Yasuji.

Lin Yifan spoke calmly, as if he had only done a trivial thing.

"Wh...what?!" Old Master Tang was so shocked that he stood up abruptly from his chair. The teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter" and shattered. The tea splashed onto his robes, but he was completely unaware.

His eyes widened, staring intently at Lin Yifan. "Young master, what...what did you say? You...you took care of Okamura Neiji? The 20th Division too..."

Throughout China, Okamura Yasuji's name was synonymous with a terrifying demon. Although Old Master Tang rarely left his home, he was well aware of Okamura's stature.

As for the 20th Division, that was an elite unit of the Japanese army, well-equipped and with formidable combat power. Lin Yifan actually claimed he single-handedly handled these two monumental tasks? This was simply beyond Old Master Tang's wildest imagination.

Seeing the shocked look on Grandpa Tang's face, Lin Yifan nodded and said with certainty, "Yes, Grandpa Tang. Okamura Yasuji has been brought to justice, the 20th Division has been wiped out by me, and the Tanaka Regiment that came to reinforce from Tianjin has also been defeated and fled back to Tianjin."

In the short term, the Japanese troops outside Beiping are incapable of launching a large-scale offensive.

He paused for a moment, then continued, "So, the thing you're worried about—the Japanese coming to Beiping again soon—is unlikely to happen, at least not in the near future. Without the Japanese's strong support, those traitors and puppet troops should have their arrogance properly curbed."

Grandpa Tang stood there dumbfounded for a long time before he came to his senses. The shock on his face slowly turned into excitement and unbelievable ecstasy.

His lips trembled, tears streaming down his face. "Good...good! Good! Heaven has eyes! Heaven has eyes! Young master, you...you are truly the savior of the people of Beiping! That old dog Okamura Yasuji deserved to die! The Tanaka Regiment, they deserved it!"

He paced back and forth in his study, his hands clasped together, repeatedly chanting, "Great, great... Now, the people of Beiping can finally breathe a sigh of relief!"

Lin Yifan quietly looked at Old Master Tang, and only spoke after Old Master Tang's emotions had calmed down a bit: "Old Master Tang, although the Japanese can't come for the time being, the traitors, collaborators, and Japanese spies in the city are the most pressing problems that need to be solved right now. They're like a bone-deep infection; they can't be left unchecked."

Old Master Tang took a deep breath, nodded heavily, and his eyes became firm: "Young master is right! These scoundrels usually bully others and prey on the people. They should have been dealt with long ago!"

But...we don't have any soldiers. How can we fight them? Those puppet policemen aren't very good at fighting, but they have guns. And then there are those traitors; they might even have Japanese intelligence backing them up."

"Old man, what I need is not for you to charge into battle, what I need is intelligence."