Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

London, July 1956.

In late summer London, a faint dampness lingered in the air. The Thames, like a languid python, meandered through this ancient yet bustling city. The water was a murky gray-green, and occasionally a black barge would pass by, making a dull churning sound, stirring up ripples, and releasing a faint, complex smell mixed with aquatic plants and industrial fumes.

On the riverbank, an unassuming Victorian building stands quietly. Nestled among several similar buildings, it is utterly inconspicuous, like a taciturn old gentleman, hidden in the crowd. Deep green ivy climbs its exterior walls, its roots clinging tightly to the mottled red bricks, as if trying to devour the building. The large windows, their glass not polished to a shine, are perpetually shrouded in heavy velvet curtains, revealing a dark interior from the outside, exuding an air of mystery that keeps strangers at bay. Only the occasional passerby, drawn by its peculiar ivy-covered appearance, glances at it curiously before being swept away by the hurried flow of people, quickly disappearing around the corner, leaving the building to continue its silence.

No one knows that this is the headquarters of the "Shield Council," the core organization of European supernatural organizations. Like a secret heart hidden in the veins of the city, it beats silently, monitoring anomalies throughout Europe and even the world.

Passing through heavy oak doors and several hidden identity verification and energy barriers, the elevator silently transported people to the third basement level. There were no windows here, the air was filled with a faint, cold smell of disinfectant mixed with metal, the walls were smooth gray stone, and the lights were a stark white, offering no warmth whatsoever.

In a windowless conference room, thirteen people sat around a huge, polished black round table. The table was carved from a single piece of rare obsidian, its surface cool and subtly radiating energy. They came from various European countries, men and women, young and old. Seated at the head of the table was an elderly man with silver-white hair, wearing a well-tailored dark gray suit. His skin resembled dried tree bark, but his eyes were sharp as a hawk's. To his left was a tall, burly man with a full beard, wearing a leather jacket, his arms revealing bulging muscles, his eyes rugged yet wary. To his right was a gentle, middle-aged woman with gold-rimmed glasses, dressed in an elegant beige suit, her long fingers lightly tapping the table. The others also had distinct characteristics; some wore ancient robes, others dressed like ordinary merchants, but without exception, each of them possessed a light in their eyes that transcended the ordinary—a light of strength, wisdom, and the dignity accumulated over the years.

In the center of the round table, a huge holographic projection floated. The projection emitted a soft blue light, casting flickering shadows on the thirteen faces. On the projection, the bustling free port of Hong Kong in the Far East was clearly displayed. The image was incredibly detailed; the shimmering waters of Victoria Harbour, the towering skyscrapers of Central, and the bustling streets of Kowloon were all vividly portrayed. One could even see the hurried figures of pedestrians on the street and hear the faint sounds of ship horns and vehicles.

"Gentlemen," the silver-haired elder sitting in the main seat spoke, his voice deep and authoritative, like two heavy stones gently colliding, carrying an undeniable power, "a week ago, our monitoring stations in the Far East detected several abnormal energy fluctuations."

He extended his withered fingers and pressed a hidden remote control on the table. The Hong Kong map on the projector immediately zoomed in, and several striking red dots flashed, marking the precise location where the anomaly had occurred.

"First point, Central, Jardine Matheson Building," the old man calmly reported the data, "Energy fluctuation intensity, level 7.3."

A slight commotion arose in the conference room, and someone frowned slightly. Level 7.3—this was a level that was enough to warrant high alert.

"The second location is Kowloon City, the Wo Shing Wo triad. Energy fluctuation intensity: level 6.8."

"The third location, Wan Chai, Lockhart Road. Energy fluctuation intensity, level 5.1."

As the numbers were announced one by one, the atmosphere in the meeting room grew increasingly tense.

Finally, the old man's finger stopped on the highest mountain peak in Hong Kong on the map.

"Peak of Victoria Peak, exact location unknown. Energy fluctuation intensity..." He paused, a barely perceptible fluctuation appearing in his voice for the first time, "Level 9.2."

"hiss--"

A collective gasp filled the conference room. The sound was exceptionally clear in the enclosed space, carrying an undisguised shock and disbelief.

Level 9.2!

This number exploded like a bombshell in everyone's hearts. It was one of the highest-level energy fluctuations detected in the Far East in the nearly one hundred years since the Holy Shield Council was founded. It was almost equivalent to a small elemental tide, or the power of a top archmage unleashing a forbidden spell at full strength!

"This is impossible!" The burly man with a full beard slammed his hand on the table, the obsidian surface making a dull thud. He stood up abruptly, his tall figure almost touching the ceiling, and said in a gruff voice, "The spiritual energy of the Far East was sealed by that enormous invisible barrier back in 1949! The century-old pact between the Purple Star Emperor and the Human Emperor clearly restricts the manifestation of all high-level extraordinary powers in the mortal world. How could there be a fluctuation of level 9.2? There must be something wrong with this data!" His voice was loud and clear, filled with strong doubt and a hint of offended anger.

The silver-haired old man slowly shook his head, his white eyebrows furrowing into a deep frown. "The data has undergone triple verification and is error-free. The head of the monitoring station has vouched for it with his reputation."

"That's precisely the problem." The old man's gaze swept over everyone present, his eyes sharp as knives. "According to that contract, the cultivation level of Eastern cultivators is suppressed to below the Foundation Establishment stage, and the energy fluctuations they can exhibit should theoretically not exceed level 3. But this level 9.2 fluctuation..."

He paused again, his tone becoming unusually serious: "Either the contract has a loophole we don't know about; or... someone, or some kind of being, has broken through the contract's limitations."

A deathly silence fell over the conference room. The air seemed to freeze, cold and heavy. Only the blue light emanating from the holographic projection flickered silently on everyone's faces.

Breaking the contract's limitations?

This thought weighed heavily on everyone's hearts. What did it mean? It meant that the being's cultivation level was at least at the Golden Core stage, possibly even the Nascent Soul stage, or higher! According to the 1949 contract, all cultivators above the Golden Core stage should have completely retired, entering secret realms or blessed lands, and were no longer allowed to interfere in the affairs of the mortal world.

"We must send someone to investigate!" The middle-aged woman with gold-rimmed glasses pushed up her glasses, her clear voice breaking the silence. "An anomaly of this magnitude has appeared in the Far East. If we let it go unchecked, who knows what even bigger crisis it will trigger? It's a magnitude 9.2, enough to easily destroy half of Hong Kong!" Her face was filled with anxiety.

"Send someone?" The burly man with a thick beard sneered, a hint of mockery in his voice. "Send whom? You? Or me?" He strode to the wall, where a huge map of Europe hung, but it was actually just a disguised wall with no windows. He slammed his fist on the wall, making a loud "bang."

"The Far East is the territory of Eastern cultivators! How many ancient families and reclusive sects with thousands of years of history are entrenched in that land? If we Western superhumans appear there, especially during such a sensitive time, it will be seen as a blatant provocation! Those old monsters from the East, do you think they will reason with you? Once a conflict breaks out, it will be a full-scale war between two supernatural worlds! Can you bear the consequences, Agnes?" He turned around and glared at the middle-aged woman.

Agnes wanted to argue, but the silver-haired old man raised his hand to stop her.