Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

Gradually, some clues began to become clear.

First, regarding the aftermath of the "Fengtai Incident." From the recollections of the headquarters staff and the Special Higher Police chief, He Damin confirmed that the three consecutive "total annihilation" incidents and the mysterious disappearance of supplies had caused a severe shock and deep panic within the Japanese high command. A narrative that "an indescribable supernatural force is targeting the Imperial Army" began to spread, with some radical officers even proposing a temporary retreat of outposts around Beiping (Beijing) to concentrate forces on defending major cities. However, the powerful faction, led by Kasahara Yukio and Matsui Takuro, tended to characterize the incident as a "terrorist attack by an unknown Chinese sorcery group," demanding increased search and retaliation efforts.

Secondly, regarding Yoshiko Kawashima's movements, He Damin gleaned more concrete clues from the recollections of a major in the Tianjin Military Police and the manager of Dongxinglou:

Yoshiko Kawashima has indeed been residing in Tianjin recently, using Dongxinglou Restaurant as her main base of operations. On the surface, she is one of the "behind-the-scenes owners" of this high-class restaurant, but in reality, she uses it for intelligence exchange, recruitment, and secret meetings. She has gathered a group of extraordinary individuals around her—including a down-on-his-luck Onmyoji recruited from Japan, a bribed folk sorcerer from North China, and even a sorcerer allegedly from Southeast Asia. These people form a secret "Supernatural Events Investigation Team," directly responsible to Yoshiko Kawashima.

More importantly, He Damin gleaned a crucial piece of information from the major's memories: three nights later, Yoshiko Kawashima would personally listen to the investigation team's report on "the recent abnormal energy fluctuations in Beijing and Tianjin" in a secret underground room of Dongxing Building, and might deploy the next step in the trapping plan against the "suspected perpetrator."

"Finally, I've been waiting for you." He Damin closed the notebook in his mind, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

On the third night, the fourth night… more clones successfully infiltrated, and the intelligence network expanded further. By the fifth night, thirty-seven of the fifty clones had found suitable hosts and settled stably. Their hosts were spread throughout key Japanese military and political departments in Beiping and Tianjin, forming an invisible net that enveloped the enemy's core.

He Damin even unexpectedly obtained a top-secret map of the distribution of arsenals in North China and a list of guarding troops through a clone that was parasitic on the head of the logistics section of the North China Area Army. This intelligence would be priceless for any anti-Japanese armed force.

But what He Damin was most concerned about at that moment was Yoshiko Kawashima.

He mobilized all his clones residing in Tianjin, especially those connected to Dongxinglou, to gather every detail about the secret meeting three days later: the list of attendees, the exact location of the secret room, the guard arrangements, and any possible entourage of Yoshiko Kawashima...

Information is constantly being gathered.

Meeting Location: Underground in the backyard of Dongxing Building, in a specially modified secret room said to be equipped with an "exorcism array". The entrance is hidden behind a secret door in the kitchen storage room.

Expected attendees: Yoshiko Kawashima herself, her two bodyguards (who are suspected to be masters of ancient Japanese martial arts), five core members of the investigation team (two Onmyoji, two Chinese sorcerers, and one Southeast Asian sorcerer), and two scribes responsible for recording.

Guarding forces: On the ground, there are about twenty sentries, both overt and covert, at Dongxing Building, all of whom are close confidants of Yoshiko Kawashima; at the entrance to the underground secret chamber, there are "shikigami" or "ghost servants" placed by two members of the investigation team; inside the secret chamber, there is said to be a "restriction" set up by a master at the request of Yoshiko Kawashima, which can warn of and prevent spirits from intruding.

"The defenses are formidable... but they are not invincible." He Damin carefully analyzed each piece of information.

The opponent's defensive focus was clearly on preventing "spirit attacks" and "evil infiltration." This is normal, given that the characteristics of the "Fengtai incident" were closer to the supernatural. But they probably didn't expect that He Damin's plan this time would employ the most "simple and unadorned" physical infiltration and physical assassination—using his mastery of martial arts as a Grandmaster of Internal Energy, combined with the unpredictable nature of the Tai Chi Space, and the absolute restraint of the Soul Refining Banner against spirit-type guardians.

"The key is how to enter the underground chamber without alerting the surface guards," He Damin pondered. Infiltrating through the kitchen is the most direct route, but it's crowded and intrusive. Perhaps… we could utilize some aspect of Dongxinglou's daily operations?

He recalled information that a clone had read from the memories of the manager of Dongxinglou: whenever there was an important banquet or meeting, Dongxinglou would order a batch of high-end Western pastries, coffee and red wine from the famous "Qishilin" Western restaurant in Tianjin, which would be delivered an hour before the meeting started, and then inspected by a special person and sent to the backyard.

"Delivery channels..." He Damin had a plan in mind.

For the next two days, he worked at Fengzeyuan as usual during the day, and at night he closely monitored any developments in Tianjin through his clone network, while further refining his action plan.

He needed a suitable "outfit" to blend into the food delivery team; he needed to figure out the specific delivery time, handover process, and inspection details; he needed to plan the order of action after entering the secret room—his primary target was Yoshiko Kawashima, followed by her bodyguards and the "investigation experts," and he had to kill them all without leaving any survivors.

Inside the Tai Chi Space, He Damin began preparing the necessary items: a set of uniforms that resembled those of a waiter at the "Kishlin" restaurant (manifested based on details from his clone's memories), a specially made multi-layered food delivery box (the upper layer held real snacks, while the lower layer had a hidden compartment for concealing weapons), and several small props for different opponents.

The Soul Refining Banner trembled slightly within the spiritual sea, seemingly sensing the impending carnage. Even after its third advancement, it had yet to fully unleash its power in actual combat. The souls of Onmyoji and sorcerers would surely be far more "delicious" than those of ordinary soldiers, wouldn't they?

Finally, the morning of the meeting day arrived.

He Damin asked Master Wang for leave, explaining that "relatives from my hometown are visiting, and I need to go to Tianjin to visit them for a day." Master Wang readily agreed and even reminded him to be careful on the road.

He returned to the courtyard house and said the same thing to He Daqing and Lü Bingxin. His older brother gave him a few yuan, and his sister-in-law made him some pancakes to eat on the road. Little Yuzhu hugged his leg and said in a childish voice, "Uncle, come back soon and bring me a sugar figurine."

He Damin patted his nephew's head and smiled in agreement. As he turned to leave, his eyes had returned to their usual cold indifference.

He didn't head directly to Tianjin, but instead wandered around Beiping (Beijing) several times. The coolness of the cobblestones beneath his feet seeped through his shoes, and the faint sounds of the city's bustling activity filled his ears. His eyes warily scanned every street corner, and only after confirming no one was following him did he turn into a quiet, dead-end alley. The musty smell of walls mingled with the dusty odor, and with a thought, he vanished into thin air as if merging into ink, stepping into the Tai Chi space.

The thatched hut in the Anode Space exuded a faint scent of pine. He changed into the replica waiter's uniform, his fingertips tracing the texture of the coarse cloth. Opening the hidden compartment of the carrying box, the cold glint of a dagger illuminated his eyes, the sharp touch of flying needles pricking his fingertips. Several specially made exorcising talismans and blazing fire talismans had rough edges, their cinnabar talismans radiating a barely perceptible burning heat. He concentrated his energy, and the projection of the Soul Refining Banner gradually condensed in his palm. Cold soul power flowed beneath his skin, ready to burst forth at any moment.

"Everything is ready," he murmured to himself, his voice echoing softly in the hut.

Through the spatial barrier, the light and sounds of the outside world came in a blur, but he accurately sensed the time—the late afternoon. The scent of the back alley of Dongxinglou in the Japanese Concession of Tianjin flowed in through the spatial passage, the damp air mixed with the greasy smell of food. He locked onto a deserted corner, and his figure flashed like a ghost, appearing silently in the world. Now, He Damin, wherever his divided soul stepped, his physical body could instantly arrive using the Taiji Space.

Before me lay a slightly narrow alleyway, with towering blue brick walls, and the air was filled with the aroma of food and a faint smell of coal smoke. In the distance, the faint sounds of rickshaw bells and vendors' cries could be heard. The afternoon in Tianjin had a different kind of bustle from that in Beijing, a blend of everyday life and colonial atmosphere.

He Damin straightened his collar, picked up the delivery box, and wore a well-trained, slightly humble, professional expression. He strode towards the back door of Dongxinglou.

The setting sun cast a long shadow over him. Behind him, an invisible shadow seemed to move with him—those were the soul clones scattered in thirty-seven enemy nests in Beijing and Tianjin, all holding their breath and providing the main soul with final intelligence support and distant early warning for this crucial operation.

The prelude to the hunt for the "Oriental Witch" quietly unfolds in the dark alleys beneath the glitz and glamour of Tianjin.