Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

He paused, his gaze becoming distant: "Moreover, this is her own karma. The unresolved matters on the Taihang Mountains three years ago were settled in Hong Kong three years later. For her path of cultivation, this may be a rare trial."

Ma Tianxing's lips moved, as if he wanted to argue, but he met Xuan Yuanche's deep gaze, and the words he was about to say were swallowed back. He knew that Xuan Yuanche's decisions were never easily changed, and what he said did indeed make sense. Xiao Ling's cultivation had stagnated over the years due to her inner turmoil; perhaps she really needed such an opportunity. He remained silent for a long time, finally slumping down and slowly nodding: "...Yes, I will obey the patriarch's orders."

Three days later, in Hong Kong.

At the end of the runway at Kai Tak Airport, a DC-4 passenger plane from Taipei was slowly landing. The enormous roar made the air tremble, and the tires screeched as they touched the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

The hatch opened, and Ma Xiaoling stepped out with the flow of people. She wore a simple white dress, the hem swaying gently with her steps, and carried a small canvas bag, looking like a female college student just out for a holiday. But in her clear eyes, there was a wariness beyond her years and a hint of barely perceptible expectation.

A wave of humid, salty air hit her face, clinging stickily to her skin, causing her, accustomed to the dry climate of the north, to furrow her brow slightly. The sun was blinding, and the sky was a pristine, clear blue, a stark contrast to the Kunlun Mountains. In the distance, Victoria Harbour shimmered, with massive ships floating on its surface like toys.

Three years ago, on the summit of Taihang Mountain, that breathtaking battle remained vivid in my mind. The nine destructive bolts of lightning that tore through the heavens and earth, the silver flying saucer that suddenly appeared, radiating a cold metallic luster, and the man standing at the center of the tribulation, his aura as deep as the abyss—He Damin.

She would never forget that name, the name that first filled her with a sense of powerlessness and curiosity. Upon returning, she perused all the Ma family's records and inquired with every elder in the clan, yet she remained unable to ascertain the man's origins. He seemed to have appeared out of thin air, possessing cultivation and power that did not belong to this era.

Now, unusual energy fluctuations have appeared in Hong Kong, and according to the intelligence from Kunlun Ruins, the aura of those fluctuations is somewhat similar to the aura of the lightning tribulation left on the top of Taihang Mountain three years ago.

Is it him?

Ma Xiaoling took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in her heart, and stepped out of the airport terminal.

Whether it is true or not, she wants to see it with her own eyes.

I hailed a yellow taxi outside the airport. The driver was a talkative middle-aged man speaking Cantonese-accented Mandarin. As the car drove along Nathan Road, the bustling street scene outside the window was completely different from that of the mainland. Skyscrapers stood side by side, colorful neon signs flashed incessantly, pedestrians in cheongsams and suits thronged the streets, rickshaws, bicycles, and black cars weaved through the narrow lanes, and the sounds of horns, hawkers' cries, and music mingled together, creating a noisy yet vibrant torrent.

But Ma Xiaoling's gaze kept drifting towards the lush green mountain in the distance—the summit of Taiping Mountain.

That is the source of energy fluctuations.

"Miss, is this your first time in Hong Kong?" The driver glanced at the pretty female passenger in the rearview mirror, his tone enthusiastic. "Are you going to Victoria Peak? The night view there is amazing; lots of foreigners love to go!"

Ma Xiaoling smiled slightly and said nothing.

The driver continued, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings: "But things haven't been peaceful in Hong Kong lately. It's all over the newspapers every day; lots of important people have gotten into trouble. The magistrates of British trading companies, gang leaders, and even a few foreign officials—they're all dead!" He lowered his voice, speaking mysteriously, "Some say it's retribution, that those foreign devils and triads have oppressed us Chinese for too long; others say it's divine retribution; and still others have even more outlandish rumors..."

He paused, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "They say it's haunted!"

Ma Xiaoling's eyelid twitched almost imperceptibly: "Haunted?"

"Yes! Absolutely!" the driver exclaimed excitedly, spitting as he spoke. "A friend of mine works at Jardine Matheson. He secretly told me that the night their boss died, the whole building suddenly lost power, and it was pitch black. When they found him the next day, he was sitting upright in his office chair, still smiling! The coroner said it was cardiac arrest, he died of fright. But guess what? There were dozens of wet footprints on the office floor! All barefoot, small, like women's footprints! They stretched from the doorway all the way to the boss's chair, and then disappeared! Isn't that eerie?"

Ma Xiaoling's expression turned serious.

A woman's footprints? Cardiac arrest? A smiling face?

This doesn't sound like a typical physical attack; it sounds more like... an attack that directly targets the soul. Similar sinister spells are recorded in the Ma family's ancient texts, but to be able to do it so silently and leave a trace on the energy monitor is definitely not something an ordinary evil spirit could do.

The taxi continued forward, passing through the bustling Causeway Bay, heading towards Victoria Peak. The road gradually became steeper, and the buildings on both sides changed from high-rise buildings to low-rise villas and dense woods.

Ma Xiaoling leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and slowly circulated her faint internal energy, her consciousness spreading out silently like a spider web.

In an instant, a familiar yet unfamiliar aura, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirred ripples in her consciousness.

The aura was deep and cold, carrying a chill that seemed to freeze the soul, yet it also faintly contained a trace of indescribable fluctuations belonging to the laws of reincarnation.

It's him!

Ma Xiaoling suddenly opened her eyes, a look of shock and confusion flashing in her clear pupils.

It really is him! He Damin!

He's really here!

Three years ago, she was ordered by her master to chase after him all over the mountains to "act on behalf of Heaven" and eliminate demons. Three years later, she chased after him to Hong Kong, but this time she became an investigator in Kunlun Market. Her purpose was no longer to eliminate demons, but... to understand him.

Fate is a truly wondrous thing.

The taxi stopped at an inconspicuous intersection at the foot of Victoria Peak.

"Miss, the road ahead is too narrow for the car to go any further. You'll have to walk up yourself," the driver said, pointing to the winding stone steps ahead.

Ma Xiaoling paid the fare, opened the car door, and got out. The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The air was filled with the fresh scents of grass, earth, and trees, a world apart from the hustle and bustle below.

She looked up at the lush forest atop the mountain, her gaze sharp as an eagle's. From the summit, the outlines of several villas of varying styles could be vaguely seen. One of them, a white villa hidden deep within the dense forest, was the source of that familiar aura.

She took a deep breath, straightened her skirt, and stepped onto the stone steps leading to the top of the mountain.

This time, she will take a good look at that mysterious man and see who he really is.