Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

When Li Zhi woke up, he felt an indescribable bitter taste in his mouth.

It wasn't the pungent bitterness of Coptis chinensis, nor the astringent taste of medicinal dregs; it was a... kind of taste, like rusty iron slowly melting on the tip of the tongue, slightly fishy and numbing, spreading from the back of the tongue all the way to the back of the throat, even the breath had a strange taste. He lay on the bed with his eyes closed, too lazy to even move his little finger. His mind was like two fighting opera troupes, the gongs and drums deafening, making his temples throb. One memory was his own: thirty years old, an online writer, living in a tin-roofed shack on the top floor of an urban village, like a sauna in summer and an icebox in winter, his bank account balance always hovering in the three digits, just last night he was worried about his new book not getting a hundred clicks, and then suddenly everything went black and he lost consciousness.

Another memory belongs to the original owner of this body, also named Li Zhi, but a genuine ancient prince. The seventh prince of the Li Dynasty, his mother was Liu, the eldest daughter of the Su family, a prominent merchant family in Jiangnan. It is said that she married into the palace with immense wealth, but somehow offended the emperor and remained out of favor. The original owner lived like a shadow in the palace, bowing and scraping to everyone. He would only smile foolishly when others stole his snacks, and would do whatever he was asked to do. When it came to literature, his teacher called him a block of wood; when it came to martial arts, his master said he couldn't even hold a sword properly. At twenty years old, his cultivation was still hovering around the third level of Qi Refining, even inferior to some of the old eunuchs in the palace. The other princes, the lowest being the fifth prince, were already at the Golden Core stage, while he couldn't even be bothered to carry their shoes.

This lingering bitterness stemmed from a chilling secret deep within the original owner's memory—a slow-acting poison. Colorless and odorless, it seeped into his food every day, gradually seeping into his internal organs. It wouldn't kill him instantly, but it would slowly weaken him, causing his spirit to wane, until finally, like a lamp that had run out of oil, it silently went out on some deserted night.

"How ruthless," Li Zhi cursed inwardly, his voice hoarse as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper. He didn't even need to guess to know that there were at least eight or ten people in the palace who wanted him dead. A useless piece of trash with no background, no power, yet occupying the position of a prince—why keep him alive?

Just as his mind was in turmoil, wondering whether to play dead or pretend to be stupid, a crisp voice suddenly rang in his mind, like a WeChat notification: "Ding! The Lie Down System has been activated."

Li Zhi froze, almost thinking he was hallucinating from the poison. A system?! A transmigrator's cheat code?! He was so excited he almost jumped out of bed, but thankfully his remaining rationality held him back.

"Host: Li Zhi. Current cultivation level: Qi Refining Level 3. Physique: Mortal. Bloodline: Mortal. Cultivation Technique: None. System Function: For every day you lie still, your cultivation level increases by one year. You can receive a monthly reward once a month. Rewards include, but are not limited to, cultivation techniques, pills, Saint-level physique, Saint-level bloodline, cultivation technique learning experience pills, etc. Current number of days lying still: 0. Monthly reward countdown: 30 days."

A barrage of information flooded his mind like a live stream. Li Zhi pinched his thigh hard—ouch! It was true! He almost burst out laughing. Lying down for a day, his cultivation level increased by a year? If he lay down for a year and 365 days, wouldn't he gain 365 years' worth of cultivation? Nascent Soul, Void Refinement, Body Integration, Great Ascension… wouldn't he become the best in the world just by lying down? There were even monthly rewards: a Saint-level physique! A Saint-level bloodline! This was practically winning the lottery and getting a free seaside villa as a bonus!

He forced a smile down his face and continued to pretend to be asleep with his eyes closed. The original owner of this body was an idiot; if he suddenly became energetic now, he might be mistaken for a monster and dealt with immediately. He had to take it slow, step by step, and first play the role of the idiot convincingly.

He rolled over, deliberately covered his head with the blanket, and made muffled "mmm" sounds, pretending that he was still asleep.

With a creak, the door opened. A young palace maid in a light green palace dress entered, carrying a wooden basin filled with steaming water. She walked lightly to the bedside and softly called out, "Your Highness, it's time to get up. The sun's already high in the sky."

Li Zhi remained motionless, like a stone.

The palace maid called out a few more times, "Your Highness? Your Highness?" Seeing that he still didn't respond, she sighed softly, placed the basin of water on the dressing table next to her, and tiptoed out.

A moment later, another set of footsteps approached, this time even lighter, with a slight rustling sound of fabric rubbing together. A gentle female voice rang out, tinged with barely perceptible weariness: "Zhi'er, get up. Your mother brought you your favorite osmanthus cake."

Li Zhi's heart skipped a beat. This was the original owner's mother, Lady Liu. He slowly peeked out from under the covers, squinting his eyes and pretending to have just woken up.

Standing beside the bed was a woman dressed in a light blue palace gown, about thirty-five or thirty-six years old. Her hair was simply styled in a bun, adorned only with a single jade hairpin. Her features were exquisite; she must have been a beauty in her youth. However, fine lines had appeared at the corners of her eyes, and her complexion was somewhat pale. Her gaze was gentle, like a lake in spring, but beneath that gentleness lay a deep weariness and helplessness, like a sigh from someone whose back had been bent low by life.

"Mother." Li Zhi sat up, rubbed his eyes, and spoke in a hoarse voice, trying his best to imitate the original owner's silly tone.

Madam Liu placed the food box on the table, opened it, and inside was a plate of plump, white osmanthus cakes, sprinkled with golden osmanthus blossoms, their sweet aroma immediately filling the air. She walked to the bedside, reached out, and gently stroked Li Zhi's head. Her hand was soft and slightly cool. "Did you sleep well last night? Did you have any nightmares?"

"Okay, no nightmares." Li Zhi grinned, revealing a silly smile.

Looking at him, Lady Liu's gaze became even more complex. Li Zhi could sense the affection, pity, and a hint of... a secret expectation and a deeper fear in her eyes. He knew that the original owner wasn't actually stupid; it was just that Lady Liu had taught him from a young age that in this palace, being foolish was the only way to survive. Being clever meant being drawn into the struggles, meant danger, even death. She sighed softly, picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, and held it to his lips: "Eat, it's made by your mother, fresh out of the oven."

Li Zhi opened his mouth and took a bite. The osmanthus cake was very sweet; the soft, chewy glutinous rice mixed with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus blossoms was almost cloyingly sweet. But he knew that this was one of the few warm and sweet things his mother could give him. In this cold palace, this little bit of sweetness was the glimmer of light that kept the original owner of this body alive.

He chewed slowly, and looking at the few gray hairs that had quietly grown at Liu's temples, he felt a pang of sadness. This adopted mother hadn't had an easy life either.

After finishing two pieces of osmanthus cake, Lady Liu gave him a few more instructions: "Be obedient in the palace" and "Don't cause trouble," before getting up to leave. Her steps were somewhat heavy as she walked away.

Li Zhi lay back down on the bed, closed his eyes, and began to study the system. He concentrated, and sure enough, a semi-transparent panel appeared in his mind, like a game interface.

"Lying Down System. Current lying down time: 0 days. Power level will be calculated at this time tomorrow. It is recommended that the host maintain a lying down state and avoid strenuous exercise, cultivation, and combat. The purer the lying down state, the better the power level increase effect."

Below is a line of smaller print explaining: "Determining a lying-down state: remaining still, relaxing the mind and body, avoiding actively thinking about complex issues, and reducing reactions to external stimuli."

Li Zhi clicked his tongue. One day of lying down, and his power increased by a year. This was practically tailor-made for him! In his past life, he was the type who would rather sit than stand, and lie down than sit. But he couldn't really eat, drink, and relieve himself in bed, could he? That would be too disgusting. The system said, "The purer the lying-down state, the better," so he needed to minimize unnecessary activity.

"Someone come here!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

A young eunuch hurried in, dressed in gray cloth, head bowed, his face full of flattery: "Your Highness, what are your orders?" This was the young eunuch in charge of his daily life, named Xiao Luzi.

Li Zhi cleared his throat, trying to make his tone sound assertive: "I want to eat in bed. From now on, all three meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—must be brought to my bedside so I can eat in bed."

Xiao Luzi paused for a moment, then looked up, his face full of surprise: "Your Highness, this...this is not quite in accordance with the rules, is it? It's fine for us servants to help you wash and dress, but to eat in bed...if the censor finds out, he might impeach you."

"Rules?" Li Zhi glared at him, trying to mimic the original owner's occasional blustering but ultimately cowardly manner when he lost his temper. "I am a prince, and what I say is the rule! Just go when I tell you to go, why all the nonsense! Do you want a beating?"

Xiao Luzi trembled with fright and quickly kowtowed, "Yes, yes, yes, this servant will go and arrange it right away! This servant will go right away!" After saying that, he scrambled out of the room.

Li Zhi nodded in satisfaction and lay down again. He still had thirty days until he could collect his monthly reward; he needed to plan carefully. A Saint-level physique? A Saint-level bloodline? Or a cultivation technique? In his past life, when he wrote novels, he most envied those protagonists who started with heaven-defying physiques—things like the Chaos Physique or the Primordial Physique—cultivating at a rocket-like speed. Now he had a chance too!

"System, what are the options for monthly rewards? Can I specify one?" he asked in his mind.

The system's voice quickly sounded: "Rewards are randomly drawn. The host cannot specify which rewards to receive. However, the host can accumulate reward attempts and claim them all at once. The more attempts you accumulate, the higher the probability of obtaining a high-quality reward."

Li Zhi's eyes lit up. Save it up? That's a great idea! Save it up for a year or two, then collect a huge reward all at once! Ideally, it would be a reward that could elevate him to the top in one fell swoop!

"The host is advised to plan accordingly. Failure to claim rewards for an extended period may affect the host's survival. The host's current cultivation level is too low, and the host is in a dangerous environment," the system coldly reminded.

Li Zhi's heart skipped a beat. Right, he was still just a weakling at the third level of Qi Refining, poisoned and vulnerable to being silently killed any day. He needed to improve his strength first, at least to cure the poison and have the ability to protect himself.

"System, can the poison in my body be cured?"

"It can be resolved. The host can obtain antidote pills through monthly rewards, or improve their power by lying down to expel the poison on their own."

"Lying down can increase your power and also ward off poison?"

"After your skill level increases, your true essence will be enhanced, allowing you to expel toxins from your body on its own. However, this will take some time."

Li Zhi nodded. He'd lie down for now and build up his internal energy. He closed his eyes and continued to pretend to be asleep. After all, lying down was cultivation anyway, so why not?

In the days that followed, Li Zhi began his unwavering life of lying down.

He wakes up naturally every day, usually when the sun is high in the sky. Xiao Luzi brings him warm water to wash his face and hands, then brings breakfast to his bed. Breakfast is usually millet porridge, a few side dishes, and a basket of steamed buns. He leans against the headboard and eats slowly. After he finishes eating, Xiao Luzi tidies him up, and he lies back down, either closing his eyes to rest (actually studying the system), or staring blankly out the window at the small patch of sky, listening to the occasional birdsong from the yard, or turning over to find a more comfortable position.

He wouldn't go to the Imperial Study; when his teacher sent someone to summon him, he would say he had a headache. He wouldn't go to the Martial Arts Grounds; when his master sent someone to urge him, he would say his legs hurt. When there was a banquet in the palace and a eunuch came to deliver the imperial decree, he would say he had a stomachache. In short, he would only say one thing: he wouldn't go.

As time went on, people in the palace began to gossip about it.

"Have you heard? The Seventh Prince has become even more foolish. He lies in bed all day and won't even get out of bed!"

"You bet! They used to at least come out and soak up some sun, but now they look like living dead!"

"I think he knows he has no hope, so he's just giving up."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Don't let Consort Liu hear you!"

These whispers inevitably reached Li Zhi's ears, but he paid them no heed. Foolish? The more foolish the better! The more foolish he was, the less others would take him seriously, and the safer he would be.

Liu had visited him several times, each time bringing snacks or soup. Seeing that he was really lying in bed all day, her eyes reddened, and she hesitated to speak.

"Mother, I'm fine," Li Zhi would always say with a silly grin. "It's comfortable lying down, I don't want to move."

Lady Liu looked at him, her lips moved, but in the end she just sighed and patted his head: "As long as you're happy. If you feel unwell anywhere, be sure to tell your mother."

She knew that her son might not really want to lie down; he was just using this method to carefully survive in this cannibalistic palace. As his mother, she couldn't help him much; she could only silently bring him some food and watch him continue to "become stupid."

Li Zhi remained in bed like that for a whole month, without fail. During that month, he hardly left the bed, except to go to the toilet and occasionally move around a little in the room.

That morning, he had just woken up, and before Xiao Luzi could even come in, the system notification sounded in his mind: "Ding! Host has accumulated thirty days of inactivity. Cultivation power has increased by thirty years. Current cultivation level: Qi Refining Level 3 → Mid-Foundation Establishment. Monthly reward has been credited. Claim it?"

Li Zhi felt a surge of excitement! It's here! Thirty years of cultivation! He jumped directly from the third level of Qi Refining to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment! This speed is simply incredible!

"Claim it!" he shouted in his mind without hesitation.

"Rewards are being drawn... Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Saint-level physique 'Chaotic Saint Body', Saint-level bloodline 'Ancestral Dragon Bloodline', one experience pill for learning cultivation techniques from the first to the ninth tier, one top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, and one top-grade Qi Cultivation Pill."

boom!

Li Zhi felt as if he had been struck by lightning! The Chaos Sacred Body! The Ancestral Dragon Bloodline! This… this was a heaven-defying setting he wouldn't have dared to write in his previous life's novels! The Chaos Sacred Body was said to be impervious to all magic, with cultivation speed increasing by leaps and bounds; the Ancestral Dragon Bloodline was a divine beast bloodline, possessing immense strength and inherent dragon might! And there were also cultivation technique learning experience pills, allowing him to directly learn techniques without the need for painstaking comprehension!

He resisted the urge to jump out of bed, closed his eyes, and focused on accepting the rewards.

First came the Chaotic Holy Body and the Ancestral Dragon Bloodline. An indescribable warm current surged from his dantian to his limbs and bones, as if he were soaking in a hot spring, or as if countless tiny electric currents were stimulating his pores. He could clearly feel his bones making slight "crackling" sounds, as if they were being reorganized and becoming harder; his meridians were also being widened and becoming more resilient; his blood was surging in his veins, as if a small dragon was awakening and roaring within them!

Faint golden lines, like dragon scales or some kind of mysterious runes, appeared on his skin, flashing by in an instant. A surge of powerful life force erupted from his body, and his face, which had been somewhat pale due to poisoning, instantly became rosy, and his eyes became brighter and more spirited.