Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

He Damin stood suspended above the misty valley, his robes fluttering in the mountain wind. Beneath his feet lay a new world he had painstakingly created with his own supernatural powers—the Huaxia Valley of the Xuantian Continent. At this moment, this land was beginning to take shape as a home, with crisscrossing paths and houses scattered about in a pleasing arrangement. Wisps of smoke rose from several chimneys, swirling into a warm, hazy mist in the morning light. He took one last, deep look at this land that held his hopes for the future, his gaze filled with a hint of reluctance, but even more so with unwavering determination.

Her gaze shifted downwards, landing on her familiar courtyard. Chen Xueru was leading several children in practicing martial arts under the recently transplanted pomegranate tree. Sunlight filtered through the sparse branches, casting dappled patterns that warmly bathed them, gilding them with a soft golden edge. The youngest, Xiaohua, with her two pigtails and pink practice clothes, looked like a clumsy little penguin, her every move awkward and unsteady, making the slightly older children beside her giggle. Chen Xueru was incredibly patient, tirelessly squatting down, holding Xiaohua's chubby little hand, and gently correcting her posture, her voice as gentle as a spring stream: "Yes, bend your knees a little more, make your punches more powerful... like Mommy..."

Seeing this heartwarming scene, He Damin's tightly pressed lips unconsciously curved into a slight smile, a hint of warmth flashing in his eyes. He knew that this place held his concerns and his responsibilities. But now, he had more important things to accomplish. With a soft sigh, he withdrew his gaze, resolutely turned, and faced the empty void before him.

His cultivation at the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage had already surpassed the boundaries of the mortal realm, enough to shake the barriers of space. The spiritual power within his body surged like a vast ocean, and his divine sense was highly concentrated. He slowly extended his right hand, his five fingers spread wide, and gently drew a line in the void before him.

"Sizzle—"

A soft, yet soul-cracking sound rang out, and the space before them split open like a brocade ripped by a sharp blade, revealing an irregular crack. Within the crack, not the expected light, but a profound and chilling endless darkness. Occasionally, brilliant streaks of light flashed like lightning within the darkness—these were raging spatial turbulences, containing terrifying power capable of instantly shredding a mountain. An ordinary person caught in such a blast would be torn to shreds in an instant, leaving not even a trace of their soul.

But He Damin showed no fear. His physical body, tempered countless times, was already comparable to a celestial artifact; his soul was as solid as steel, exceptionally stable. He took a deep breath, as if inhaling the essence of mountains, rivers, sun, and moon, and his eyes became even sharper. Then, he took a step forward, his figure disappearing into the spatial rift.

The spatial rift behind them seemed to have a life of its own, rapidly contracting and closing until it disappeared completely, as if it had never existed.

He Damin found himself in a vast, boundless void. All around him was pure darkness; there was no up, down, left, or right, no passage of time, only endless nothingness. Occasionally, in the far distance, faint points of starlight would twinkle—not the stars seen from Earth, but light from other distant worlds, weak yet resolute. He closed his eyes, his mind sinking into his sea of ​​consciousness, beginning to sense the blue planet he so longed for—Earth, his homeland, his roots.

His vast divine sense, like an invisible net, instantly traversed unimaginable distances, piercing through layers of spatial barriers, searching the endless void. It was a connection originating from the depths of his soul, unbreakable no matter how far apart they were. He didn't know how much time had passed—perhaps a moment, perhaps eternity—before his divine sense finally detected that familiar coordinate, that blue planet radiating a unique life force in the void.

Locking onto his target, He Damin no longer hesitated. He exerted force with his feet and took a step forward. In this spatial turbulence, his speed had already surpassed the speed of light, truly achieving a thousand miles in one step, or even ten thousand miles in one step. The surrounding darkness and flowing light rushed backward, forming blurry afterimages.

He didn't know how many layers of space he had traversed, or how much time he had passed, but finally, a familiar, warm light appeared ahead. It was the light reflected from Earth's atmosphere, carrying the breath of life and the scent of home. He Damin's heart leaped with joy, and he reached out again, gently drawing a line across the space where the light resided. Another spatial rift appeared, and he stepped out without hesitation.

He felt solid ground beneath his feet, and the air was filled with a familiar dampness and a slightly salty scent. He opened his eyes and found himself standing on familiar land.

Hong Kong, Victoria Peak. In the courtyard of his own villa. Before him stood the old pomegranate tree that had been there since he left home. Time seemed to have been exceptionally kind to it; the trunk was thicker than he remembered, its gnarled branches stretching out in all directions, its lush foliage almost shading half the courtyard. It was early summer, and the pomegranate flowers were in full bloom, clusters and bunches of bright red blossoms, like burning flames, swaying gently in the breeze and releasing a faint, sweet fragrance.

He Damin took a deep breath. The air was filled with the salty smell of the sea, the fragrance of the earth, the fresh scent of flowers and grass, and... the smell of home. This smell finally allowed the tension in his heart, which had been taut for countless years, to slowly relax.

"dad?"

A slightly hesitant, yet somewhat incredulous voice came from behind.

He Damin's heart skipped a beat, and he slowly turned around. There stood Yuan Jing at the villa's entrance. She wore an elegant white dress, her long, black hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall, and she held a steaming cup of coffee in her hand. The moment she saw He Damin, she froze, her hand trembling slightly, almost spilling the coffee.

"Dad! You...you're back!" After a brief moment of stunned silence, a wave of overwhelming joy washed over Yuan Jing. She no longer cared about the coffee in her hand, slamming the cup down on the stone table beside her. Then, like a little girl, she rushed towards He Damin, hugging him tightly. Tears streamed down her face like broken pearls, soaking the front of He Damin's shirt.

"Waaah... Dad... You're finally back... I thought..." Yuan Jing choked up, unable to finish her sentence.

He Damin reached out and gently patted her back, feeling the warmth of his daughter's body and her slight trembling. A surge of indescribable sorrow and tenderness welled up in his heart. "Alright, Xiaojing, don't cry. Daddy's back, isn't he?" His voice was slightly hoarse, but full of comforting power.

Yuan Jing cried for a while before slowly raising her head. Her eyes were swollen and red like walnuts, and tears still clung to her face. She looked at He Damin, her eyes filled with filial piety and longing. Then, remembering something, she quickly asked, "Dad, where's Mom? Why didn't she come back with you?"

"Your mother... she still has some things to take care of and can't leave for the time being." He Damin wiped away her tears and said calmly, "Come on, let's go inside and talk."

He took Yuan Jing's hand and led her into the villa. In the living room, Yuan An was sitting on the large sofa, a stack of documents spread out in front of him, seemingly handling company affairs. Hearing the noise at the door, he habitually looked up, but when he saw He Damin's figure, he froze, as if struck by lightning. The pen in his hand fell onto the documents with a "clatter," the ink spreading slightly.

A few seconds later, Yuan An suddenly realized what was happening, his face lighting up with wild joy. He practically jumped off the sofa, rushed over in a few strides, and hugged He Damin tightly, his voice trembling with excitement: "Dad! It really is you! Why did you suddenly come back? You didn't even call ahead so we could have picked you up!"

He Damin was held tightly by his two children, feeling their real body temperature and excited emotions, and a long-lost smile appeared on his face. "Silly boy, now that Dad is back, do I still need to call?" He patted Yuan An on the back and said half-jokingly, "I tore through space to come back, so I couldn't get through to him even if I wanted to."

Yuan An paused for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Dad, you're still so humorous! All these years, you haven't changed a bit." He clearly thought his father was joking and didn't take it seriously. After all, tearing through space sounded like a myth.

He Damin didn't explain, just smiled. He sat down on the sofa, looking at the two children with loving eyes. Yuan Jing had lost some weight, her chin appearing sharper, but her eyes were bright and capable; Yuan An had also matured a lot, his brows showing more composure and responsibility, though there seemed to be faint wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. But in any case, they were both in good spirits, which made He Damin very gratified.

"What about the other children? Are they all alright?" He Damin asked, his tone full of concern.

Yuan Jing sat down next to him, took his arm, and answered eagerly, "Everything's fine! Brother Yuanping is teaching at Cambridge University in England. He called recently to say that one of his graduate students won some international award, and he's so proud of it! Sister Yuanning and I run the TV station together, and now our station's ratings are among the best in Hong Kong! Yuanqing and Yuankang started their own internet company in the US, and I heard it's doing quite well. They even raised a lot of funding recently!"

She chattered on and on, telling He Damin about her younger siblings' recent situations in detail, her face beaming with pride as an older sister.

He Damin listened attentively, nodding occasionally and interjecting a few words to ask about the specifics. Hearing that the children were all making good progress, he finally felt relieved.

"Dad, how long do you plan to stay this time?" Yuan Jing nestled beside him, holding his hand tightly, reluctant to let go, as if her father would disappear again if she let go.

"Stay for a few days," He Damin said after a moment's thought. "There are some things I need to take care of."

"What's wrong? Do you need our help?" Yuan An asked immediately, his face showing eagerness.

He Damin glanced at him and slowly said, "Go to Japan."

"Japan?" Yuan An's smile vanished instantly, his brows furrowing slightly. "What are you going there for? Dad, have you forgotten what happened back then..." He seemed to recall some unpleasant past events, his tone becoming somewhat grave.

He Damin waved his hand, interrupting him. "There are some things that need to be taken care of. Don't ask." He didn't want the children to know too much about the cultivation world, or rather, about his power. Some secrets are safer for them the less they know.

Yuan Jing noticed her father didn't want to talk much, so she quickly smoothed things over: "Dad, you must be tired and hungry after your journey back, right? I'll make you some food! What would you like to eat? I remember your favorite dishes are braised pork belly and sweet and sour pork ribs!"

"Okay, okay, all good." He Damin nodded with a smile. "Dad loves everything you make."

Yuan Jing immediately stood up happily, turned around and went into the kitchen. Only He Damin and his son Yuan An remained in the living room.

Yuan An sat down opposite He Damin again, his gaze fixed intently on him, filled with curiosity and inquiry. "Dad," he hesitated for a moment before speaking, "I feel... you seem to have gotten younger?"

Upon hearing this, He Damin touched his face and smiled, "Really? Maybe I've just been in a good mood lately."

"It's not just that I'm in a good mood," Yuan An said confidently, "You look... younger than me! Your skin is smoother than mine, without a single wrinkle. Dad, do you have some beauty secrets? Please teach me!"

He Damin laughed heartily: "There's no secret, it's just about keeping a calm mind and exercising more. You, you just sit in the office all day and worry too much, that's why you look old."

Yuan An scratched his head and smiled. Although his father spoke casually, he felt that something incredible had happened to his father. His temperament and his eyes were completely different from before, as if they had become unfathomable after countless years of sedimentation.

The father and son chatted for a long time, from the children's childhood anecdotes to the company's current business development and the changes in Hong Kong over the years. He Damin listened most of the time, occasionally offering his own opinions. His heart was as calm as an ancient well, yet he felt incredibly warm because of this long-lost family affection. This is home. No matter how far you go or how long you're away, as long as you come back, there will be a hot meal, family to keep you company, and that unbreakable bond.

As evening fell, Yuan Jing, having spent half the day busy in the kitchen, finally presented a table laden with a sumptuous feast. Steaming hot braised pork belly, glistening with color, rich yet not greasy; steamed sea bass, its flesh tender and the broth delicious; sweet and sour pork ribs, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside; stir-fried garlic greens, vibrant green and refreshing; and finally, a large bowl of hot and sour soup, tangy and spicy, appetizing and heartwarming. All of these were He Damin's favorite dishes back then.