Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

He Damin always smiled and said, "I haven't lost weight, I've just gotten a tan." He would give her all the rare treasures and elixirs he brought back, then sit with her in the yard for a while, listening to her tell stories about her family: whose child had broken through a barrier, whose family had a new baby, whose harvest was good...

"How long are you staying this time?" Chen Xueru always asked cautiously.

"A few days," He Damin's voice lowered, "I'll leave tomorrow."

Chen Xueru lowered her head and stopped talking, silently peeling sunflower seeds for him. She knew that He Damin had a bigger world in his heart, and she couldn't stop him, nor should she.

"Xue Ru," He Damin grasped her hand; her hand was rough, a mark of years of hard work, "I'll come back after I finish my studies. I'll never leave again."

"Okay." Chen Xueru looked up, her eyes bright. "I'll wait for you."

Every time they parted, Chen Xueru would still stand under the pomegranate tree at the courtyard gate, watching He Damin's figure disappear into the sea of ​​clouds. She no longer cried, but just watched quietly, sometimes for most of the day. That pomegranate tree, along with the years, grew from a sapling into a large, leafy tree, bearing bright red fruit every year.

Three hundred years passed in the blink of an eye. He Damin traveled to every corner of the Xuan Tian Continent. He went to the deepest desert, where yellow sand filled the sky and even divine sense could not extend very far; he went to the coldest snow mountain, where ice and snow covered the land and even Nascent Soul stage cultivators could be frozen; he went to the most dangerous abyss, where demonic energy was dense and powerful demons were everywhere; he went to the farthest island, where there were talking fishmen and giant turtles that could carry people flying.

He visited countless masters, some of whom were reclusive old monsters, and others were renowned sect leaders; he learned from countless sects, some of whom were righteous giants, and others were demonic tyrants; he purchased countless secret manuals, some of which were priceless ancient inheritances, and others were inconspicuous but profound mortal records.

He transformed from a complete novice in the arts of cultivation into a master of them all. Alchemy, weapon crafting, formations, talismans, spiritual plants, beast taming, divination, restrictions, mechanisms, puppets... he mastered all thirty-six arts, reaching the level of an Imperial Tutor in every single one. The teaching materials in his Yin-Yang space filled an entire room; each one was handwritten by him, every word imbued with his painstaking effort.

On the final day, He Damin stood on the shore of the Endless Sea. He wore a faded blue Taoist robe, carried the canvas bag he had used for three hundred years, his hair was casually tied back, and his face bore the marks of time. Behind him lay the vast and boundless Xuan Tian Continent; before him, the turbulent and endless sea. Mist shrouded the sea, stretching as far as the eye could see. What lay beyond the sea, he neither knew nor wanted to know.

"It's time to go home," he said softly, his voice carrying a hint of weariness and a touch of anticipation.

He raised his hand and gently tore at the void, the space splitting open like a sheet of paper, revealing a hazy, gray passage behind. He stepped into the crack, his figure disappearing within.

When he emerged, he was already standing above the valley. Three hundred years had passed, and the valley had changed drastically. The small courtyard of yesteryear was long gone, replaced by a vast complex of buildings. Blue bricks and gray tiles, upturned eaves, arranged in a pleasing, staggered pattern, resembled a small town. The most striking feature was still the pomegranate tree. It had grown into a towering giant, its canopy blocking out the sun, almost obscuring half the valley, its branches laden with bright red fruit, like clusters of burning flames.

Beneath the tree, Chen Xueru sat on a stone bench, a book in her hand, slowly turning the pages. She wore an elegant light purple dress, her hair still tied up with a wooden hairpin, now adorned with a few small pearls. Her hair was still as black, her skin as white, and her late-stage Golden Core cultivation made her appear to be only in her early thirties. But her eyes were deeper than they had been three hundred years ago, filled with the composure and wisdom that time had bestowed upon them.

He Damin took a deep breath, and with a sway of his body, landed in front of her.

Chen Xueru looked up and saw him. The book in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud." She was stunned for a moment, her eyes slowly widening, and then a gentle smile bloomed on her face, like a lotus flower in full bloom.

"You're back?" Her voice was soft, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

"You're back." He Damin smiled, put down his canvas bag, and walked up to her.

"Not leaving?" A hint of anticipation flashed in Chen Xueru's eyes.

"I'm not leaving." He Damin squatted down, picked up the book from the ground, placed it on the stone table, and then took her hand. Her hand was still so warm, only softer than he remembered.

Chen Xueru stood up, reached out, and gently touched his face. His skin was a little rough, carrying the scent of the sea breeze. "You've lost weight."

He Damin took her hand and placed it against his cheek, feeling the warmth of her palm. "I haven't lost weight. I just... missed you."

Chen Xueru's eyes suddenly reddened, and glistening tears welled up, but stubbornly refused to fall. She leaned on his shoulder, listening to his steady, strong heartbeat; that sound reassured her more than any elixir. "Brother Damin, it's been three hundred years."

"Mmm." He Damin gently patted her back, feeling her slight trembling.

"The children have all grown up."

"Um."

"They all have children now."

"Um."

"The He family now has over three thousand members."

He Damin paused for a moment, then looked up, somewhat incredulous: "Over three thousand?"

Chen Xueru raised her head, a proud smile on her face: "When you left, the He family only had a few dozen people. Three hundred years, dozens of generations. Now, this place is a small town." She took his hand, walked to the courtyard gate, and pointed outside, "Look."

He Damin looked in the direction she pointed, and sure enough, the valley was filled with houses, their blue bricks and gray tiles standing side by side, and a wide bluestone path stretched from the valley entrance into its depths. Pedestrians came and went on the street; some carried loads on shoulder poles, some pushed carts, and several children in open-crotch pants chased and played, their clear laughter ringing out. In the distant fields, people were working, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, filling the air with the aroma of food and a faint, ethereal fragrance.

"Do they all cultivate?" He Damin asked.

"Most of them cultivate," Chen Xueru said with a smile, "but some don't, living ordinary lives—doing business, farming, teaching. The He family's descendants do all sorts of things; it's quite good."

He Damin nodded, a warm feeling welling up inside him. "What about the various arts of cultivation? Are there any people learning them?"

"Yes." Chen Xueru's eyes lit up, and she pulled him into the house. "I've passed down all the teaching materials you wrote. Alchemy, weapon crafting, formations, talismans... people are learning them all. Although they can't compare to you, the Imperial Tutor, they're still top-notch in this world."

He Damin followed her into the room, where rows of bookshelves were filled with various books, mostly copies of the textbooks he had compiled years ago. He casually picked up a copy of "Detailed Explanation of the Classic of Alchemy," opened it, and saw it was covered with annotations, new insights, and case studies. He smiled with satisfaction: "That's good."

They settled down in the valley. He Damin no longer needed to travel around. Every day, he would meditate, refine elixirs, forge weapons, draw talismans, and set up formations in the courtyard, integrating what he had learned over three hundred years. Occasionally, he would give lectures to the younger generation of the He family, teaching them the various arts of cultivation. His lectures were very popular; every time he lectured, the courtyard was packed with people, from teenagers to white-haired elders, all listening with great interest.

Chen Xueru still enjoyed gardening, raising fish, and managing household chores. She kept the entire He family in perfect order, and everyone in the clan respectfully called her "Ancestor." Her cultivation had reached the peak of the Golden Core stage, just one step away from the Nascent Soul stage. He Damin specially refined a top-grade Breakthrough Pill for her. After taking it, she secluded herself for three months and successfully broke through to the Nascent Soul stage.

"Brother Damin, I've reached the Nascent Soul stage!" On the day she emerged from seclusion, she wore a brand-new red dress and was as happy as a child, jumping and skipping around in the courtyard.

He Damin looked at her and said with a smile, "Not bad. With a few hundred more years of cultivation, you can reach the Nascent Soul stage."

"Now that I've reached the Divine Realm, where will you take me to play?" Chen Xueru threw herself into his arms and asked, tilting her head up.

"Go wherever you want." He Damin hugged her and kissed her forehead. "This world is vast; we've only explored a small part of it."

Chen Xueru leaned against him, smiling contentedly: "Then you have to keep your word."

"must."

One evening, He Damin and Chen Xueru sat under the pomegranate tree, looking at the stars in the sky. The moonlight was bright, shining on the leaves and giving them a silvery-white glow. Occasionally, a few ripe pomegranates would fall down with a "plop" sound.

"Brother Damin, do you regret it?" Chen Xueru suddenly asked, her voice very soft.

"Regret what?" He Damin turned his head and looked at her.

"I regret leaving Earth back then, I regret coming into this world." A hint of confusion lingered in Chen Xueru's eyes.

He Damin thought for a moment, then shook his head: "No regrets. If I had stayed on Earth, my cultivation would have reached its peak long ago; the Nascent Soul stage would have been my limit. Coming to this world gave me higher aspirations. The Tribulation Transcending stage is not the end. There's ascension, and there's the Immortal Realm."

Chen Xueru looked up at him: "You want to ascend?"

"It's only a matter of time," He Damin smiled, "but not now. The He family hasn't established itself yet; I can't leave."

"How long will that take?"

"Maybe a few hundred years, maybe a few thousand years." He Damin held her hand. "No rush. We have time."

Chen Xueru leaned on his shoulder, no longer speaking. A breeze blew, carrying the fragrance of flowers and the sweet scent of pomegranates. In the distant valley, lights twinkled, and occasionally a dog barked or a child laughed. The younger generation of the He family lived their lives, generation after generation, thriving and multiplying.

He Damin gazed at the stars, his three-hundred-year journey flashing through his mind. He had been to countless places, met countless people, and learned countless skills. He became the Pill Emperor, the Weapon Emperor, the Array Emperor, the Talisman Emperor... His textbooks filled a room, and his disciples were scattered throughout this world. He had done what he wanted to do and learned what he wanted to learn.

Now, all he wants is to stay by Chen Xueru's side, to watch the flowers bloom and fade, to watch the clouds drift and gather, and to watch the descendants of the He family thrive and multiply in this valley.

"Xueru."

"Um?"

"Tomorrow, let's go see the Endless Sea."

"What are you looking at?"

"Go see the dragons. Three hundred years ago, I made a pact with the Dragon Emperor. Now let's go see how they're doing."

"good."

They sat under the pomegranate tree, watching the moon slowly rise, its light bathing the entire valley and their shoulders. Peaceful times, tranquil life—this was perhaps the best of times.