Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

"Okay, all done." He Damin stood up and stretched his arms and legs. "The first batch will be a thousand souls. They are all Chinese, talents from all walks of life. They will be sent to various places on the Xuan Tian Continent, some rich and some poor, carrying the memories of their previous lives, to live again here."

Chen Xueru grabbed his hand and asked with some concern, "Brother Damin, do you think they'll have trouble adjusting after they arrive? This place is completely different from Earth, and there are cultivators and stuff like that."

"They'll definitely find it hard to adapt at first," He Damin smiled and squeezed her hand. "But it's okay. They have memories from their past lives, they're intelligent, and they have abilities. They'll adapt slowly, and they'll grow up gradually. When they grow up, they'll be the pillars of this world."

"Then...how long will it take them to grow up?"

"It's gone by so fast, just over a decade or so, it's been over in the blink of an eye."

Chen Xueru nodded, feeling much more at ease.

In the days that followed, He Damin would make a daily trip to the underworld to screen souls and arrange their reincarnation. He even built a special passage so that souls from China could be directly reincarnated into the Xuan Tian Continent, saving them from having to compete with other souls. He also placed seals on those souls, so that their memories of their past lives would gradually unlock when they reached the age of eighteen.

Chen Xueru wasn't idle either. She retrieved the materials she had brought from Earth and began organizing China's history, culture, technology, and various systems. She meticulously categorized everything—the *Records of the Grand Historian*, the *Zizhi Tongjian*, Tang and Song poetry, the Four Great Inventions, the prefecture-county system, the imperial examination system—preparing to teach these things to the children she had reincarnated when they grew up. She also took out paper and pen and drew a map of the Xuan Tian Continent, marking this and drawing that, planning where to build the capital, where to establish provinces, and where to station troops.

"Brother Damin, look!" Chen Xueru ran over that day with a piece of paper covered in writing. "What should we name our first country?"

He Damin took the paper, looked at the several alternative names written on it, and said without thinking, "Let's call it Huaxia."

"China?" Chen Xueru blinked. "Isn't that a bit too direct?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" He Damin handed the paper back to her, his tone resolute. "China is China, no matter which world it's in, it's still China!"

Chen Xueru looked at his serious expression and chuckled. "Okay, let's call it Huaxia!"

Three months later, the first batch of Chinese souls who had been sent to the Xuan Tian Continent were born one after another. They were widely distributed; some were born into wealthy and noble families, enjoying a life of luxury from birth; some were born into ordinary families, working in the fields with their parents; and some were lucky enough to be born into a sect, able to be exposed to cultivation from a young age. These little ones all had memories of their previous lives in their minds, but they couldn't express them. They could only blink their big eyes and silently observe this new world that was completely different from Earth.

He Damin and Chen Xueru didn't disturb them, just watched from a distance. Every day, He Damin would use his divine sense to scan the area, checking how the children were doing and if they had encountered any danger. Chen Xueru continued organizing her data, and occasionally she would join He Damin in guessing which child would amount to something great in the future.

"Brother Damin, look at this!" Chen Xueru ran over again with her little notebook, pointing to a name on it. "This soul was a mayor in his past life, with a wealth of management experience. Let's reincarnate him into a duke's family; he'll definitely be able to govern the country perfectly if he becomes prime minister!"

He Damin leaned over to take a look and nodded. "Okay, it's settled then."

"And this one," Chen Xueru pointed to another name, "was a general in his past life, someone who fought in battles! Let him be reborn into a military family, so he can become a marshal and protect his country!"

"Okay, sure."

"This guy was a master architect in his past life, capable of designing all sorts of skyscrapers! If we reborn him into a family of craftsmen, and put him in charge of building the capital city, he'd definitely build something beautiful and sturdy!"

"good."

They selected and arranged for each soul one by one. He Damin used his power as the Lord of the Underworld to provide the best conditions for reincarnation for these key souls. They would grow faster than ordinary children, be smarter, and learn things quickly. They were just waiting to grow up and make great strides, becoming pillars of this new world.

Time flies by. In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed.

Those Chinese souls who were reincarnated ten years ago have now grown into teenagers. Some are cultivating under their masters in sects, wielding sword energy with considerable skill; some are studying with elders in their families, reciting Chinese classics compiled by Chen Xueru with swaying heads; others have been less fortunate, experiencing family misfortunes and wandering the world, but they haven't forgotten to secretly study and train their bodies. At this time, the seals on their bodies begin to loosen, and memories of their past lives flood their minds like a tide. They slowly begin to remember who they are, what Earth is like, and what they did in their past lives.

He Damin and Chen Xueru didn't disturb them. They stood atop the misty mountaintop, watching from afar. They watched the boy who was a special forces soldier in his past life, secretly practicing combat skills in the mountains, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's; they watched the girl who was a doctor in her past life, following the village's old herbalist up the mountain to collect herbs, memorizing the names and effects of the herbs clearly; they watched the boy who was an engineer in his past life, building a small waterwheel model out of wood and stone, which spun happily by the stream.

"Brother Damin, look over there!" Chen Xueru pointed to a mountain peak in the distance, where a boy dressed in coarse cloth was clumsily hacking at a large rock in front of him with a rusty iron sword. His movements were awkward, his forehead was covered in sweat, and his arms were trembling, but his eyes shone brightly, revealing a spirit of never giving up.

"Who is that?" He Damin narrowed his eyes and scanned the area with his divine sense.

"Oh, him?" Chen Xueru flipped through the small notebook in her hand. "In his previous life, he was a special forces soldier named Wang Lei. He was reincarnated into a military family in a small town, but unfortunately, his father sacrificed himself in a battle against a monster last year, and the family fell into poverty. But this kid is quite ambitious; he secretly trains on his own."

He Damin looked at the boy, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Not bad, he's got good potential. When he's a bit older, let him train in the army; he'll surely amount to something great in the future."

Chen Xueru laughed too: "I knew it, the people we picked can't be wrong."

They stood atop the mountain, gazing into the distance. A sea of ​​clouds churned beneath their feet, like a turbulent ocean. The wind whispered past their ears, carrying the fragrance of mountain flowers and grasses, and a faint, elusive hope.

"Brother Damin," Chen Xueru suddenly spoke, her voice very soft, "what do you think the world will be like in a few hundred years?"

He Damin pondered for a moment, then gazed at the distant horizon. "It will become China. There will be a powerful nation, a sound system, a splendid culture, and an unbroken lineage. Cultivators and mortals can coexist peacefully, and technology and immortal arts can combine. Perhaps… it will be even better than our original China."

"Yes!" Chen Xueru nodded vigorously, her eyes shining with anticipation. "It definitely will!"

He Damin tightened his grip on her hand, and the two smiled at each other. Sunlight pierced through the clouds, bathing them in its warmth.

"Then let's work together to make it that way."

"good!"

In the distance, the boy named Wang Lei once again raised his heavy iron sword and slammed it down on the rock in front of him. A muffled "thud" resounded, and sparks flew everywhere. Although he was panting heavily, a stubborn smile appeared on his face.

A new China is quietly sprouting on this land. He Damin and Chen Xueru are the most patient sowers. They know that the road is still long, but as long as they watch these children grow up little by little and pass on the flame of China, it will all be worthwhile.

The wind on the mountaintop continued to blow. The thatched roof of the Taoist temple swayed gently in the wind. Deep within the sea of ​​clouds, new life seemed to be quietly gestating. The story of China was just beginning on this unfamiliar Xuan Tian continent. Iron sword clumsily cleaved at a large rock before him. His movements were awkward, his forehead was covered in sweat, and his arms trembled, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light, revealing an indomitable spirit.

"Who is that?" He Damin narrowed his eyes and scanned the area with his divine sense.

"Oh, him?" Chen Xueru flipped through her notebook. "In his past life, he was a special forces soldier named Wang Lei. He was reincarnated into a military family in a small town, but unfortunately, his father died fighting a monster last year, and the family fell into poverty. However, this kid is quite ambitious; he secretly trains on his own."

He Damin looked at the boy, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Not bad, he's got good potential. Once he's a bit older, let him train in the army; he'll definitely amount to something."

Chen Xueru laughed too: "I knew it! The people we picked were perfect."

They stood atop the mountain, gazing into the distance. A sea of ​​clouds churned beneath their feet, like a turbulent ocean. The wind whispered past their ears, carrying the fragrance of mountain flowers and grasses, and a faint, elusive hope.

"Brother Damin," Chen Xueru suddenly spoke, her voice very soft, "what do you think the world will be like in a few hundred years?"

He Damin pondered for a moment, then gazed at the distant horizon. "It will become China. There will be a powerful nation, a sound system, a splendid culture, and an unbroken lineage. Cultivators and mortals can coexist peacefully, and technology and immortal arts can blend together. Perhaps… it will be even better than our original China."

"Yes!" Chen Xueru nodded vigorously, her eyes shining with anticipation. "It definitely will!"

He Damin tightened his grip on her hand, and the two smiled at each other. Sunlight pierced through the clouds, bathing them in its warmth.

"Then let's work together to make it that way."

"it is good!"

In the distance, the boy named Wang Lei once again raised his heavy iron sword and slammed it down on the rock in front of him. A muffled "thud" resounded, and sparks flew everywhere. Although he was panting heavily, a stubborn smile appeared on his face.