Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

"Clang!"

Two crisp sounds of blades being drawn almost merged into one! Two gleaming flashes of light, like lightning cleaving the night, appeared from the left and right, cutting through the air with a sharp whistling sound, blocking all of He Damin's paths of advance. The blades sliced ​​through the air, emitting a piercing shriek, demonstrating extremely profound swordsmanship and rich experience in killing.

But He Damin was even faster! In the instant the blades were about to strike, his body twisted and folded in an incredible way, defying the laws of physics, like a boneless snake, and slid through the almost seamless gap between the two blades!

This dodge was extremely dangerous. The cold blade almost grazed his ribs, and the force of the wind it generated stung his skin.

In the instant he dodged the blades, He Damin's hands shot out like two venomous snakes emerging from their holes. His index and middle fingers met with pinpoint accuracy, striking the "Shenmen" acupoints on the wrists of the two ninjas wielding their swords!

"Snap! Snap!"

Two barely audible cracking sounds, like withered branches snapping in winter. With a surge of hidden force, the wrists of the two ninjas shattered instantly! Before they could even react, their longswords clattered to the ground. The intense pain caused a flash of horror in their eyes, and they instinctively tried to retreat, attempting to use ninjutsu like "Hidden Mist" or "Substitution Jutsu."

But He Damin's attacks were relentless, giving them no chance whatsoever! After shattering their wrists, he pushed forward with both palms, as if slamming into two collapsing walls.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two muffled thuds, like heavy hammers striking broken leather. The two ninjas felt an overwhelming force surge through them, their breastbones feeling as if they had been slammed by a charging bull, excruciating pain instantly engulfing their bodies. They coughed up mouthfuls of scalding blood, their bodies flying backward like kites with broken strings, crashing heavily against the cold, damp wall behind them with a dull thud before slowly sliding down. When they landed, their eyes had lost all their light, and they were lifeless, dead on the spot.

From the moment He Damin launched his attack to the deaths of the two ninja masters, only a breath had passed. It was as fast as an illusion.

Without pausing, He Damin took a half-step forward with his left foot, followed by his right foot, and delivered a swift and decisive side kick, striking the hidden door behind the pickle jar.

"Boom!"

The hidden door was made of wood. Although it was coated with tung oil and reinforced with iron bars, it couldn't withstand a single kick from a Grandmaster of Internal Strength in a fit of rage. Amidst flying sawdust, the hidden door opened with a thud, revealing a deep, dark staircase leading downwards. He Damin's figure didn't pause for a moment, like a nimble night owl, disappearing into the shadows of the staircase.

The staircase was narrow and deep, its walls constructed of rough stone slabs, interspersed with dim oil lamps. The leaping flames cast long and short shadows on the mottled walls, like ghostly apparitions. A complex odor filled the air: the rich scent of sandalwood, the pungent smell of burning sulfur, a faint stench of blood, and a subtle, almost imperceptible, foul odor reminiscent of a wild animal's lair—a cacophony of unsettling, eerie smells that assaulted the nostrils.

He Damin's spiritual sense, like the most sensitive tentacles, had already discerned the structure of the secret chamber below and the distribution of people. His steps were light and steady, each step landing precisely on the edge of the steps, avoiding any potential trigger traps, without making any unnecessary noise.

The secret room wasn't large, about fifty square meters. A long, dark purple conference table sat in the center, its surface covered with a dark green cloth. Yoshiko Kawashima sat at the head of the table, dressed in a sharp men's suit, her hair meticulously combed, revealing a smooth forehead and a sharply defined profile. Her face appeared somewhat pale under the oil lamplight, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, a cold beauty tinged with a subtle, almost imperceptible, allure.

To her left sat two Onmyoji dressed in traditional hunting robes, one old and one young. The older one had white hair and beard, his face covered in wrinkles, his eyes cloudy yet occasionally flashing with a sharp light; the younger one had an arrogant expression and tightly pursed lips. To her right was a dark-skinned, short, stout Southeast Asian sorcerer, around whose neck hung a necklace made of human finger bones and animal teeth, emanating a foul, fishy odor.

Beside him stood two Chinese sorcerers dressed in blue Taoist robes, but with sinister eyes. Each wore rings inlaid with unidentified gemstones on their fingers, making them appear unlike proper Taoist practitioners. At the end of the conference table, two scribes were bowing their heads, nervously taking notes, the pens scratching across the paper.

Behind Yoshiko Kawashima stood two other figures, like guardian deities. One was tall and burly, dressed in a black martial arts uniform with a white belt around his waist. His temples bulged high, like two walnuts, and his hands were calloused and calloused, clearly indicating a martial arts master skilled in external martial arts. The other was short and stocky, dressed in a tight-fitting black nightsuit. His face was covered with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of eyes that gleamed coldly. Six short blades of various shapes were tucked into his waistband. His aura was erratic, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment, yet carrying a deadly danger before it was extinguished. He was likely a ninja master skilled in assassination.

The loud bang of He Damin kicking open the hidden door, and the faint clanging of a knife falling, shattered the "harmony" of the secret room like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.

The seven people in the secret room stood up almost simultaneously! Their movements were perfectly synchronized and filled with vigilance.

"Enemy attack!" The elderly Onmyoji reacted the fastest, his withered fingers forming a complex hand seal in front of his chest with a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye. He chanted incantations, uttering low and strange syllables. Instantly, an invisible wave spread out, forming a faintly visible, rippling spiritual energy barrier at the entrance of the secret chamber, emitting a pale earthy yellow halo and carrying an aura of weight and stability.

But it was too late.

He Damin's figure swept into the secret chamber like a whirlwind! His movements were faster than the limits of human vision, leaving behind blurry afterimages. He didn't waste any words, nor did he even glance at the powerful guards around him; his target was as clear as the North Star in the night—directly targeting Kawashima Yoshiko!

"Baka! Protect Miss Yoshiko!" The martial arts master roared, his voice booming so loudly that it made the oil lamp flame flicker. He stepped into the "Eight Extremes" stance, his body like an iron tower blocking Yoshiko's path. His arm muscles bulged, instantly swelling to the size of steel, and with a fierce and unparalleled "Iron Mountain Lean," accompanied by a deafening roar that tore through the air, he slammed into He Damin!

This lean was imbued with all his physical strength, so powerful and heavy that it seemed capable of smashing through a wall!

He Damin's eyes narrowed, but he neither flinched nor dodged. His right foot was firmly planted on the ground, as if rooted to the spot. His right fist was clenched tightly, the skin on his knuckles slightly taut, turning white from the force. His spine, like a dormant dragon, suddenly rose, emitting a series of subtle cracking sounds. The power in his entire body started from the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of his foot, flowing along his calves, thighs, waist, abdomen, and back, converging at his right fist. A simple yet powerful "Crushing Fist" strike met his opponent's iron arm head-on!

"boom!"

Their fists clashed with a deafening roar, like two red-hot iron blocks violently colliding! A violent shockwave emanated from the two men, causing the robes of those around them to flutter wildly, and overturning documents and oil lamps on the table.

The ferocious grin on the expert's face froze instantly, replaced by incredulous horror. He felt a terrifying, spiraling force, with unstoppable penetrating power, easily pierce through his thirty years of honed external martial arts, a skill powerful enough to withstand bullets, and surge wildly into his body along his arm! That force was incomparably domineering; wherever it passed, meridians were severed, and his internal organs felt as if they were about to be crushed!

"Pfft—!" He could no longer hold back, spitting out a mouthful of black blood mixed with fragments of internal organs. His body was thrown backward as if hit by a speeding train, crashing heavily into the stone wall behind him. With a loud "boom," a shallow crater was punched into the wall, and stone chips fell in a shower. He slowly slid to the ground, his chest caved in, his breath gone, clearly beyond saving.

One move, and he killed the master of external martial arts!

"Kill!" Just then, the ninja master who had been lurking in the shadows like a ghost moved! He made no sound, leaving a faint black afterimage in his place, and appeared to the side and behind He Damin.

The six short blades at his waist shot out simultaneously at an incredible angle, like six black lightning bolts, sealing off all of He Damin's escape routes! The blades were cold and sharp, carrying a strong stench of blood and a deadly blue light, moving with extreme speed, reaching He Damin's back almost the instant they were struck!

Without turning his head, He Damin pivoted on his left foot, his body spinning like a top! His right leg swept out horizontally, creating a whistling wind that tore through the air with a sharp whistling sound!

"Twelve Tan Legs - Lotus Leaf Swaying in the Wind!"

The shadowy legs overlapped in layers, like blooming lotus flowers, completely enveloping the six poisoned blades.

"Ding ding ding ding ding!"

The clanging of metal against metal rang out rapidly, like a torrential downpour hitting banana leaves. The ninja master felt as if every strike had hit cotton, or as if he had crashed into an impenetrable wall. His opponent's leg speed was so fast that it dazzled him. With each collision, a subtle yet extremely penetrating force traveled through the blade, making his hands go numb and his arms ache.