Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

On the afternoon of the 22nd day of the first lunar month, the sun wasn't particularly warm, lazily spreading across the crisscrossing alleyways of Beijing. He Damin emerged from a newly opened secondhand bookstore near Zhengyangmen, two recently acquired, yellowed Qing Dynasty county gazetteers tucked under his arm. He strolled leisurely towards Nanluoguxiang, his steps unhurried, his mind like the sharpest radar, already detecting a subtle, lingering presence behind him.

The aura was peculiar. It carried a vibrant and sharp energy that seemed out of place in this era and this city, even with a faint, peculiar scent reminiscent of sandalwood mixed with the crispness of some kind of herbaceous plant. Not to mention the tinkling, tinkling of bells all along the way, crisp yet rhythmic, seemingly intentional yet perfectly natural—in the relatively quiet alley, the sound was like lanterns in the dark, brightly announcing the presence of the follower.

A barely perceptible smile flickered across He Damin's lips. He deliberately turned into a narrower, quieter, almost deserted dead-end alley. The towering blue brick walls blocked most of the sunlight, and withered leaves and broken tiles were scattered on the ground. At the end of the alley was the long-abandoned back door of a house, the wooden door tightly shut, and cobwebs hanging on the rusted door knocker.

He stopped in the middle of the alley, turned around, and faced the empty path he had come from. His voice was calm and even, yet it echoed clearly in the narrow space:

"Come out. You've been following me all this way, aren't you tired?"

A few seconds after the words were spoken, the light and shadow at the alley entrance flickered slightly. A figure glided in gracefully, standing against the light in the slightly brighter spot at the alley entrance.

He Damin's gaze fell on the newcomer, and even though he was a man of great experience, a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes.

This was a young woman, no more than twenty years old, judging by her appearance. What was most striking was her attire—underneath, she wore a tight-fitting sweater, seemingly made of fine dark brown wool, outlining her slender figure; over it, a neatly tailored, dark brown suede short leather vest, the leather glossy; below, a pair of matching tight leather trousers, hugging her long, straight legs; and on her feet, a pair of ankle-high lace-up black leather boots, polished to a shine. This outfit exuded a sense of competence and dashing style, even… a touch of something out of place in 1952, almost “modern” or belonging to a specific profession (like a knight or hunter), creating a stark contrast with the drab alleyway background and the bulky cotton-padded coats and trousers of the passersby.

The woman was exceptionally beautiful. Not the bright and alluring beauty of Chen Xueru, but a beauty with a touch of heroism, clear and delicate features, and fair, radiant skin. Her long, jet-black hair was tied in a high ponytail, revealing a smooth, full forehead. At this moment, her clear yet sharp, hawk-like eyes were unabashedly, scrutinizing and wary, fixed intently on He Damin.

But what attracted He Damin's attention even more was the silver bell on her left wrist, which made a clear "ding-a-ling" sound with her slightest movement. The bell was not large, but its workmanship was exceptionally exquisite, and its surface seemed to be engraved with extremely fine runes, which shimmered with a faint spiritual light in the dim light.

"Besides," He Damin's gaze swept over the bell, his tone still calm, "when you were following people, didn't you take this thing off? It's been ringing the whole way."

Upon hearing this, the woman showed no embarrassment; instead, she slightly raised her chin, her gaze becoming even more scrutinizing. She spoke clearly, her voice like a bell, crisp and clear, with a slight northern accent:

"First, tell me who you are. Or rather, what exactly are you?"

He Damin raised an eyebrow slightly.

Before he could answer, the woman continued, her words quickening and carrying a resolute tone: "You exude a chilling aura, the lingering presence of a malevolent spirit almost tangible! This is not the aura of a living person! Tell me, did you possess this young man's body? Get out of his body now! Otherwise, I'll make you vanish into thin air!"

Possession? A chilling aura? He Damin was slightly taken aback. Then it dawned on him. Yes, he carried the Soul Refining Banner, his Yin spirit connected to the banner, and within the Yin Yin space, he had even begun to construct a projection of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, absorbing, refining, and guiding countless amounts of soul energy daily. Although he had long since concealed his aura to the extreme, the deep Yin energy fluctuations originating from the essence of the soul and involving the authority of reincarnation might be as conspicuous as a lighthouse in the night for some cultivators specializing in this path. This woman clearly mistook him for an old ghost, a vicious evil spirit, possessing a living person's body.

"You must have heard of us, right?" Seeing his silence, the woman assumed she'd been exposed, and her tone became even more stern. "The Ma family of Northeast China, exorcising demons and suppressing evil, upholding righteousness and warding off filth! My name is Ma Xiaoling. Now that I've caught you in the act, don't even think about harming anyone again!"

The Ma family of Northeast China? He Damin understood immediately. They were indeed one of those reclusive cultivation families. Rumor had it that the Ma family of Northeast China worshipped five great immortals (fox, weasel, white fox, willow, and gray spirit), and were skilled in summoning spirits, exorcising evil with talismans, and tracking ghosts. They were on par with the Maoshan and Longhushan sects in the south, enjoying extremely high prestige among the northern populace, though they rarely appeared in public. He never expected that he would be targeted by the Ma family in a hutong in Beijing, leading to this misunderstanding.

His divine sense had already silently swept over Ma Xiaoling's entire body. She had reached the Perfected Stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation! Only one step away from Refining Spirit and Returning to Emptiness. In this era of nascent Dharma Decline, when the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was scarce, to cultivate to such a level at this age was absolutely a testament to exceptional talent and profound lineage. The magical power surging within her was pure and vibrant, carrying a freshness reminiscent of nature in the mountains and forests, and a majestic righteousness of an ancient covenant. It was completely different from his Tai Chi Yin Yang and Soul Banner Reincarnation Path, yet there was a subtle sense of mutual generation and restraint between them.

He Damin himself had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage (a major realm above Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation), far surpassing the scope of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation. However, as he had sensed before, at this bottleneck in his cultivation, mere accumulation and comprehension always seemed to fall short of that final step. Perhaps… he needed a battle of equal strength, one that could squeeze out all his potential, to stimulate him? Did he need immense external pressure to help forge that final perfection?

The Ma Xiaoling before me is at the peak of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, with solid cultivation, unique inheritance, and awe-inspiring righteousness. She is also full of "misunderstandings" and fighting spirit towards me... Isn't she the best "sharpening stone"?

An idea took shape in his mind in the blink of an eye.

He offered no explanation, nor did he unleash the oppressive aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator to intimidate his opponent. That would defeat the purpose of using him as a "sharpening stone." He needed a real, suspenseful battle that would force him to concentrate fully.

"The Ma family of Northeast China... I've heard a little about them." He Damin finally spoke, his voice still calm, even carrying a barely perceptible, almost inviting tone. "Miss Ma, is it? You say I have ghostly energy, that I've possessed someone... so be it. This is a place where mortals live, so I can't do anything here, and I don't want to disturb the innocent."

He looked up, his gaze seemingly piercing through the high alley walls, looking towards the distant western horizon.

"Since you have doubts and are confident in the Ma family's methods... would you dare to come with me to a quiet place for a 'good talk'?"

Ma Xiaoling's phoenix eyes narrowed: "What tricks are you trying to pull? I'm not afraid of you anywhere!"

"Then, follow me." Before He Damin finished speaking, without moving, an invisible force suddenly rose around him! There was no fierce wind, no dazzling light, only the dust and withered leaves beneath his feet were slightly brushed aside. The next moment, he seemed to lose his weight, as if gently lifted by an invisible force. His robes fluttered slightly, and he was already three feet off the ground. Then, he transformed into a faint shadow that was barely visible to the naked eye, and sped towards the rooftops of the alley and the continuous rows of courtyard houses! His speed seemed slow, but it carried a mysterious power that seemed to shrink the distance to an inch. In the blink of an eye, he had already reached the rooftops in the distance, and in another flash, he was already heading far away towards the western outskirts of the city.

Soaring through the air! Not relying on magical treasures, but purely using one's own vast true essence to interact with the energy of heaven and earth, achieving short-distance, high-speed flight! This is an ability that only those at the late stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation or even higher can possess, and to do it so effortlessly is something that ordinary ghosts could not do!

Ma Xiaoling's pupils contracted slightly, her shock deepening. This "ghost" was likely far more powerful than she had anticipated! But the Ma family members were known for their courage and never backed down when facing evil. Though startled, she remained calm and coldly snorted, "Trying to run?!"

With a slender hand reaching to her waist, a clear, crisp sword hum rang out! A simple, ancient longsword, about three feet long, with a narrow blade, gleaming faintly with a bluish light, and its hilt wrapped in dark red silk threads, was now in her grasp. She ran her left hand along the blade, uttered a low shout, and the sword's hum intensified before flying from her hand, hovering about a foot in front of her, its bluish light blazing brightly.

Ma Xiaoling leaped and landed lightly on the enlarged sword. The sword light supported her, causing her to sink slightly before transforming into a streak of azure light that shot into the sky, chasing after the direction where He Damin had disappeared! The sound of it cutting through the air was faint yet sharp, and in the blink of an eye, it vanished into the western horizon.

Silence returned to the alley, with only the dust stirred up by the two men's energy slowly settling down. It was as if the brief confrontation and astonishing escape had been nothing but an illusion.

High in the sky, the wind howled. He Damin deliberately controlled his speed, keeping it at a level that Ma Xiaoling could barely keep up with on her sword. He didn't need a flying sword; the fusion of his own true essence and the energy of heaven and earth was enough to support this high-speed flight. His figure appeared and disappeared below the clouds, like a soaring eagle.

A hundred feet behind her, Ma Xiaoling, her feet planted on a green sword, its blade gleaming, cut through the fierce airflow, her grip tightening. Still reeling from the shock, she was now on high alert. This "ghost" could not only fly using its own energy, but it was also incredibly fast, its aura solid and vast—it didn't seem like an ordinary possessed wandering spirit. It seemed more like a highly cultivated…person? But what about that impenetrable "ghostly aura"? Contradictory, so contradictory! But regardless, now that she had caught up, she had to find out. If it truly was a menace, she would risk sacrificing her life essence to summon the immortals and suppress it!

The two flew one after the other across the skies above Beijing, heading west towards the depths of the Taihang Mountains, a range of peaks and valleys resembling the spine of a giant dragon. Cities, villages, and fields receded rapidly below, becoming blurred patches of color. On the horizon, the outline of the Taihang Mountains grew increasingly clear, their majestic peaks and layered ridges appearing a deep, almost black, dark blue in the afternoon sun, like a slumbering ancient beast.

He Damin's target was the remote depths of the Taihang Mountains. There, the energy of heaven and earth was relatively pure (though thin), and the space was open, making it perfect for a desperate fight. Sensing the relentless, sharp sword light and aura behind him, the true essence within his body seemed to be subtly activating, and his long-dormant fighting spirit began to ignite like a spark.

Perhaps the opportunity for a breakthrough lies in this pursuit sparked by a misunderstanding and the upcoming battle.

Ma Xiaoling, the outstanding successor of the Ma family in Northeast China, was completely unaware that she had been used as a top-level "sharpening stone." She simply pursed her lips and pushed her sword speed to the limit. The bell on her wrist stopped ringing during the high-speed flight, but the fighting spirit and determination to exorcise evil she exuded were clearer than the sound of the bell.

Two figures streaked across the sky, disappearing into the vast embrace of the Taihang Mountains.