Courtyard House: Home Alone

Before leaving, he had two last important things to do—first, to collect enough bullets (bullets fired from pistols and rifles).

In addition, he needed to clean up any traces. He couldn't leave any clues that might expose him.

He first extinguished the campfire in the cave completely, then covered the ashes with soil to ensure there were no visible signs of burning. Next, he sealed the cave entrance with a large stone.

Then, they went to the shooting range, took out the guns and bullets from the storage space, and began to load and fire methodically. "Bang bang bang..." The muffled gunshots rang out in the mountain forest in the early morning, startling a few early birds.

He didn't stop, mechanically and precisely repeating the actions: loading bullets, pulling the trigger, collecting the bullet, loading again, firing again. Sweat streamed down his face, soaking his clothes, but he didn't care, his eyes focused and determined.

Every gunshot meant another reusable bullet had been added to the static warehouse. He needed to stockpile as many of these "silent killers" as possible, just in case he needed them after returning to the city.

The Japanese consulate is heavily guarded, and future operations will inevitably be fraught with danger. The more prepared we are, the greater our chances of success will be.

After an unknown amount of time, the sun had already begun to set in the west, and the mist in the forest had long since dissipated.

Lin Yifan felt his mental energy was greatly depleted, and his head was a little dizzy. Sigh! He hadn't considered everything thoroughly and had overlooked the importance of mental energy. But looking at the warheads floating in the stationary warehouse, he felt a sense of satisfaction.

A rough estimate suggests there are at least a thousand rounds, enough to handle the intense fighting ahead. He stopped firing, cleaned all the guns thoroughly, carefully maintained them, and then stored them away in his storage space.

Next, the shooting area must be cleared. All spent shell casings scattered on the ground must be collected; not a single one can be left behind.

He unleashed his mental energy, meticulously scanning every inch of the land to ensure nothing was missed. He also carefully used a machete to smooth the surface of the trees hit by bullets, trying to make the bullet marks less noticeable.

After doing all this, he checked the areas he had been in over the past few days again to make sure he hadn't left any footprints or other items that might reveal his identity.

With everything ready, Lin Yifan took one last look at the mountain forest where he had spent six days. This place had witnessed his rapid improvement in strength and had also rewarded him handsomely.

He took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, and his eyes sharpened.

"Damn you, I'm back," he murmured to himself, then turned and resolutely walked down the mountain.

His steps were steady and firm, and his figure gradually disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.

This time, he was no longer just a novice trainee, but someone armed with secret weapons and brimming with passion, ready to unleash a new storm in the heart of the enemy.

Before nightfall, Lin Yifan returned to Andingmen, where the puppet troops and Japanese soldiers were inspecting the city gate.

Everyone who enters or leaves the city.

He straightened his clothes, trying to look no different from ordinary people coming to the city, and then mingled in the crowd, head down, slowly moving forward with the flow of people.

He could clearly smell the mixture of cheap tobacco and sweat on the puppet soldiers, as well as the distinctive smell of leather and engine oil on the Japanese soldiers.

The smell made his stomach churn, but he managed to suppress it.

When it was his turn to be inspected, a burly puppet soldier sized him up and asked gruffly, "Kid! What are you doing here? Where are you from?"

Lin Yifan had already prepared his answer in his mind. He raised his head, a perfectly measured, honest smile on his face, and replied, "Boss, I'm from the city. I'm visiting relatives in the countryside."

The puppet soldier glanced at Lin Yifan's faded coarse cloth clothes and muddy cloth shoes, but didn't seem to notice anything unusual.

A Japanese soldier nearby asked in broken Chinese, "Clear the way, clear the way." Seeing this, the puppet troops waved impatiently, "Get lost, get out of the way! Hurry up and get into the city, don't block the way!"

Lin Yifan breathed a sigh of relief, his face still bearing that honest smile. He quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, boss," before striding through the city gate and disappearing into the bustling crowd inside the city.

Upon entering Andingmen, the scene inside the city was strikingly different from the tranquility outside. Shops lined both sides of the street, and although many of the storefronts appeared somewhat old, there were still many pedestrians coming and going.

However, a sense of oppression permeated the air, and occasionally one could see Japanese soldiers and puppet troops in yellow uniforms patrolling the streets.

From time to time, one could also see traitors in plainclothes, guns at their waists, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily, adding a touch of grimness to what should have been a lively street.

Lin Yifan dared not linger. He kept his head down, trying to avoid the patrolling Japanese soldiers and puppet troops, and deliberately chose to travel through narrow alleys. He was quite familiar with this area, and soon he returned to Nanluoguxiang after many twists and turns.

Standing at the entrance of the courtyard house, he didn't go in immediately. Instead, he first used his spiritual power to survey the courtyard and carefully observed the surrounding environment. After confirming that there was nothing unusual, he gently knocked on the gate. Grandpa Zhang's voice came from behind the door, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Uncle Zhang, it's Yifan, I'm back," Lin Yifan replied in a low voice.

The door creaked open, revealing Grandpa Zhang's wrinkled face. Upon seeing Lin Yifan, Grandpa Zhang was taken aback at first, then his face lit up with surprise. But he quickly looked around warily, pulled Lin Yifan inside, and swiftly closed the gate.

"Where have you been these past few days, you silly child? I was so worried about you!"

Grandpa Zhang lowered his voice, his tone reproachful but his eyes full of concern, "The city hasn't been peaceful lately, the Japanese are cracking down hard. You're just a kid, don't wander around outside."

Lin Yifan felt a warmth in his heart, knowing that Grandpa Zhang genuinely cared about him.

He forced a smile and explained, "Uncle Zhang, I went to stay with a distant relative in the countryside for a few days. I wanted to check if my parents had gone, and also ask them to help me find out. Don't worry, I'm fine."

Grandpa Zhang looked at him with some skepticism, but didn't ask any further questions. He just sighed, "It's good that you're back. Come on in, it's chilly outside."

Lin Yifan nodded and walked towards the backyard. The yard was quiet; everyone was having dinner at their own homes.

He returned to his room in the backyard, closed the door, and only then did his tense nerves finally relax.

A wave of intense fatigue instantly washed over him. He immediately entered his spatial dimension, drank a few sips of spiritual spring water, and lay down on the bed, falling into a deep sleep without even taking off his clothes. The intense training and mental exertion of the past few days had already pushed him to his limit.