Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

On the vast grassland at the anode of the small world, a strange scene is unfolding.

Nearly 1,500 Japanese warhorses stood silently, their coats glossy and their bodies robust. They didn't graze, didn't move, and didn't even flick their tails to swat away flies like ordinary horses—because there were no flies in this little world. These horses simply stood quietly, their heads slightly lowered, as if deep in thought, or perhaps waiting.

He Damin's consciousness hovered in mid-air, looking at the silent herd of horses, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

For the past three days, he has barely rested. Apart from the necessary meditation to restore his soul power, he has devoted all his time to this massive and meticulous project—reincarnating each of these warhorses one by one.

The process was more difficult than he had imagined. Although he had the experience from the previous seven successful cases, the consumption of soul power and the precision requirements brought about by large-scale operations almost made his soul essence feel overdrawn and painful.

On the first day, he processed two hundred warhorse souls. He guided the warhorse souls from the Soul Refining Banner, then selected relatively matching ones from the chosen warrior remnants. Using the rudimentary "fusion force field" at the edge of the Beast Path Cave, he forcibly imprinted the two together. The success rate was only about 30%. Many warrior remnants completely collapsed during this process, and the warhorse souls also became chaotic, ultimately only able to be recycled and refined by the Soul Refining Banner.

By the end of the second day, he had improved his method. Instead of pursuing perfect fusion, he adopted a simpler "master-slave imprint"—using the core obsession of the warrior's remnant soul as the primary element and the instincts of the warhorse's soul as secondary, stamping the former onto the latter's consciousness base like a seal. The resulting "soul-forged souls" had lower intelligence and more fragmented memories, but increased stability, achieving a 50% success rate. The trade-off was that these warhorse souls had weaker autonomy, resembling more of living tools implanted with simple commands.

By the third day, he was already adept at completing the "reincarnation" of a warhorse within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. With a light touch of his finger on the horse's forehead, a wisp of soul power probed in, stripping away the original beast soul, and then guiding a pre-prepared "soul-forged soul" from the Soul Refining Banner, injecting it into the horse. The horse's body would tremble violently for a moment, its eyes initially losing their luster, then regaining a light different from before—no longer a purely animalistic gaze, but containing something indescribable.

At this moment, the 1,500 warhorses standing on the grassland are all creations of "reincarnation". Among them, the most intelligent is equivalent to a twelve or thirteen-year-old human child, and the least intelligent is only five or six years old. But without exception, they all "understand human speech".

He Damin landed on the ground and walked towards the herd of horses.

A tall, chestnut-colored warhorse raised its head and looked at him. This horse was one of the seven that had been successfully raised early on, and it was relatively intelligent. He Damin remembered that its spirit originated from a twenty-year-old Eighth Route Army cavalryman whose last thought before sacrificing his life was, "My horse...take good care of it..."

"Come here," He Damin said softly.

The chestnut horse strode over without hesitation, its steps steady. It stopped in front of him, lowered its head, and gently nuzzled his hand with its nose. This gesture retained the horse's instinctive affection while also carrying a deliberate, submissive meaning.

"Lie down."

The chestnut horse bent its front knees and slowly lay down on the ground, its movements as precise as those of a well-trained military dog.

"stand up."

The horse immediately stood up.

"To the left."

The horse's body turned ninety degrees.

"Charging stance."

The chestnut horse pawed the ground with its front hooves, lowered its head, and tensed its muscles, assuming a posture ready to charge at any moment—this was not a natural reaction of the horse, but rather the physical memory of cavalry tactical maneuvers.

He Damin then tried several more complex commands: "Go and fetch that stone," "Find the horse with the white star on its forehead in the herd and stand next to it," "Pretend to be injured and fall to the ground"...

The chestnut horse did as instructed. Although some of its movements appeared clumsy due to the limitations of its physical structure, its accuracy in understanding intentions and executing commands far surpassed that of any warhorse that had undergone long-term training.

He then randomly tested dozens more horses. The results were astonishing—all the "reincarnated" warhorses could understand basic human language commands. Those with higher intelligence could even understand simple tactical commands, such as "cover the flanks," "feign a retreat," and "wait for a signal."

This is no ordinary horse. It is a biological weapon with the soul of a warrior, capable of understanding human intentions and executing complex commands.

He Damin stood there, silent for a long time.

He initially only wanted to conduct experiments to verify the possibility of the power of reincarnation. But now, what he holds in his hands is a force capable of changing the nature of local warfare. 1,500 "Soul-Forged Iron Cavalry," if entrusted to someone who knows how to wield them...

He thought of Li Yunlong.

The Independent Regiment suffered heavy casualties in the battle of Ping'an County, but Li Yunlong will definitely rise again like weeds. With these warhorses, along with their matching muskets and sabers, the Independent Regiment can completely build a truly powerful cavalry force. No, not just a cavalry force—these horses themselves are the most loyal, fearless, and intelligent "warriors."

More importantly, He Damin needs to free up his hands to do more important things.

In the past few days, his main spirit occasionally left his body to investigate, discovering that the Japanese activities in the Taiyuan direction were unusually frequent. The Battle of Ping'an County had clearly shaken the entire Japanese forces in Shanxi, and Yoshio Shinotsuka was mobilizing troops, preparing for a large-scale retaliation. Meanwhile, Taiyuan, as the Japanese stronghold in Shanxi, not only stockpiled massive amounts of supplies but also housed a complete arsenal, power plant, and machinery factory…

He Damin had little interest in wealth, but he had an almost instinctive desire for "equipment" and "resources," especially machines capable of producing weapons, ammunition, and even more complex industrial goods. If he could acquire the core equipment of the Taiyuan Arsenal, it would be of immeasurable value to the development of his small world and to his future potential for "self-sufficiency."

Moreover, he remembered that in the original storyline, the Japanese North China Area Army Commander, that old Japanese man named Okamura Yasuji, would soon be inspecting Taiyuan. That was a big fish—not only was his soul of high quality, but more importantly, he would definitely be carrying a large number of classified documents, maps, battle plans, and possibly even intelligence about the higher-level strategic intentions of the Japanese.

These are all more valuable than staying in northwestern Shanxi to launch sporadic attacks on small groups of Japanese soldiers.

"It's time to go see Li Yunlong again," He Damin muttered to himself.

Three days later, in a secluded valley behind Black Cloud Ridge.

Li Yunlong arrived at the appointed time with a platoon of guards. His face still bore the weariness and vicissitudes of the battle of Ping'an County, with deep bags under his eyes, but his eyes were still sharp as knives.

"Mr. He, it's been a long time." Li Yunlong clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute, his tone more solemn than last time. The supplies in Ping'an County, especially the machine tools and equipment, were of great help to the Independent Regiment. Although they ultimately had to abandon the county, the goods they transported were enough for the Independent Regiment to live quite "well" for the next six months.

"Commander Li, how have you been?" He Damin emerged from behind a boulder, still dressed in his ordinary gray clothes, his face expressionless.

"Mr. He, is this another business opportunity with Mr. Li?" Li Yunlong asked directly. He no longer had any doubts about He Damin's "business"—the mysterious figure always brought out solid, high-quality goods.

"That's right." He Damin nodded. "I have a warhorse that I'd like to get rid of."

"Warhorses?" Li Yunlong's eyes lit up, then he frowned. "How many? What quality? Mr. He should know that raising horses consumes more grain than raising people."

"Fifteen hundred horses. All of them are adult Japanese warhorses, plump and strong," He Damin said calmly. "In addition, there are eight hundred muskets, fifteen hundred sabers, and a complete set of saddles, stirrups, and reins."

Li Yunlong gasped.

1,500 warhorses! That's enough to form a cavalry regiment! No, according to the Eighth Route Army's standards, that's at least two cavalry battalions! Add to that the accompanying weapons…

"Mr. He... have you taken over the Japanese horse farm?" Li Yunlong's voice trembled slightly.

"More or less." He Damin didn't elaborate. "These horses are a bit special; you'll need some time to get used to them after you take them in."

"Special? How so?" Li Yunlong asked warily. He didn't want to take on a herd of sick or mad horses.

He Damin did not answer, but turned around and whistled into the depths of the valley.

The next moment, Li Yunlong and the soldiers of the guard platoon witnessed a scene they would never forget.

First, a dozen or so warhorses emerged from the bend in the valley, their steps orderly, like soldiers in formation. They did not neigh or run away, but walked straight behind He Damin, automatically forming two lines, and then stopped in unison, heads held high.

Then came the second batch, the third batch... The warhorses surged out like a tide, yet remained orderly, with not a single one straying from the ranks or trampling its companions. They automatically formed square formations of about a hundred horses each, neatly arranged in the valley.

Within a quarter of an hour, 1,500 warhorses appeared, filling the entire valley. Sunlight shone on their gleaming backs, reflecting a breathtaking glow.

Li Yunlong opened his mouth wide, unable to speak for a long time.

He wasn't unfamiliar with warhorses. He had witnessed cavalry charges. But such a quiet, orderly, and... "disciplined" herd of horses was something he had never seen before in his life.

It doesn't look like a herd of horses; it looks more like a disciplined army.

"Commander Li can give it a try," He Damin said.

Li Yunlong swallowed hard and walked to the nearest black horse. It was a typical Japanese horse, over 1.5 meters tall at the shoulder, with smooth muscle lines, and its eyes… wait, those eyes?

Li Yunlong stared into the horse's eyes. There was a kind of "focus" in those eyes that he had never seen in a horse before, as if it were waiting for his command.

"Squat down?" Li Yunlong asked tentatively.

The black horse bent its front knees and slowly lay down.

"stand up."

The dark horse has risen.

"Spin around."

The dark horse spun around in place.

"Go, bring the water bag over there."

The black horse trotted to a spot a dozen meters away, bent down, picked up a leather water pouch, trotted back, and placed the pouch at Li Yunlong's feet.

Li Yunlong's hands trembled slightly. The guards behind him were all dumbfounded.

"These...these horses...are all like this?" Li Yunlong's voice was dry.

"That's how it is." He Damin nodded. "They can understand basic human language and comprehend simple tactical commands. The more intelligent ones are equivalent to twelve or thirteen-year-old children; the less intelligent ones are at the level of five or six-year-olds. You can think of them as... soldiers who can't speak."

Li Yunlong stood still, his mind racing.

The value of these horses transcends that of ordinary warhorses. They require no lengthy training, no dedicated grooms—they understand commands, cooperate, and execute tactical maneuvers on their own. If a cavalry unit were formed, the training period could be shortened tenfold! No, these are no ordinary cavalrymen; these are…

"Mr. He, these horses... what happened to them...?" Li Yunlong wanted to ask, but didn't know how to ask.

"That's not important," He Damin interrupted him. "What's important is whether you want it or not."

"Yes! Of course I want it!" Li Yunlong said without hesitation. "How much?"

"Same as always, antiques or..." He Damin paused, "...IOU."

Li Yunlong was stunned: "An IOU?"

"Yes. You should know the total value of these warhorses and weapons. I don't need the goods now; you can write me an IOU and repay me in the future with something of equal value—it could be more antiques, intelligence, or anything else I'm interested in."

He Damin didn't actually care what Li Yunlong used to repay him. What he valued was maintaining contact with Li Yunlong. This commander, who could always stir up trouble, could bring him more "opportunities" in the future. Moreover, using an IOU was like tying a thread to Li Yunlong.

Li Yunlong's eyes darted around, and he quickly made a plan in his mind.

IOU? That's a good deal! Right now, the Independent Regiment desperately needs these heavy weapons. As for repaying the debt later… we'll deal with that later! Anyway, we can always find the antiques Mr. He wants if we look hard enough. If all else fails, we can always pay him back after we win a battle and capture some good stuff from the Japanese.

"Alright! IOU it!" Li Yunlong slapped his thigh. "But Mr. He, this amount..."

"Each warhorse costs three hundred silver dollars, each musket eighty, each saber twenty, and each set of saddlery fifty," He Damin recited a string of figures. "Total..."

He did the mental calculation: "525,000 silver dollars."

Li Yunlong's legs went weak, and he almost sat down on the ground.

Five hundred and twenty-five thousand silver dollars! Even if you sold Li Yunlong, he wouldn't be worth that much!

"Mr. He, this...this is too much..."

"You can pay it back in installments," He Damin said. "Pay a portion each year until it's paid off. Interest... will be waived."

Li Yunlong gritted his teeth. 525,000 silver dollars sounded terrifying, but spread out over a year… Now that the Independent Regiment had the supplies from Ping'an County, and with a few victories and the capture of gold, silver, and antiques within the next year, they should be able to scrape together some. More importantly, with those 1,500 divine horses, how much would the Independent Regiment's fighting power skyrocket? The victories they could win and the spoils they could seize would far exceed that amount!

"Let's do it!" Li Yunlong gritted his teeth. "Get me paper and pen!"

The guard quickly took out paper and pen from his backpack. Li Yunlong squatted on a large rock and wrote an IOU in crooked handwriting:

"I hereby owe Mr. He Damin 1,500 warhorses, 800 rifles, 1,500 sabers, and a complete set of saddles, valued at 525,000 silver dollars. From this date onward, I shall repay no less than 50,000 silver dollars or equivalent goods annually until the debt is fully repaid. Written by: Li Yunlong, Commander of the Independent Regiment of the 386th Brigade, 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army. March 28, 1942."

After writing it down, Li Yunlong bit his thumb and pressed a bloody handprint over his name.

He Damin took the IOU, glanced at it, nodded, and put it in his pocket.

"The horses will follow you back on their own. Don't frighten them on the way; just speak to them normally and give them commands," He Damin instructed. "Also, these horses have slightly higher food requirements than ordinary horses, so be careful with their food supply."

"Understood! Understood!" Li Yunlong nodded repeatedly, his eyes already glued to the quietly standing herd of horses.

"Then, the transaction is complete." He Damin turned around. "Commander Li, until we meet again."

"Mr. He, are you leaving now?" Li Yunlong asked.

"I have other things to do," He Damin said. "Next time we meet, I hope you'll have used these 'warriors' effectively."

After saying that, he moved swiftly and disappeared into the dense forest in a few leaps.

Standing in the valley, Li Yunlong looked at the neatly arranged herd of horses before him, then at the astronomical IOU in his hand, and suddenly grinned.

"Damn, it's worth it! Absolutely worth it!"

He walked up to the chestnut horse, patted its neck, and said, "Buddy, from now on, follow me, Old Li, and we'll fight the Japanese together!"

The chestnut horse lowered its head and gently rubbed against his hand.

At that moment, Li Yunlong had a strange feeling—this horse seemed to really understand him, and a glint of "acknowledgment" flashed in its eyes.

"Attention, all horses!" Li Yunlong turned and shouted to the herd, "Destination: Independent Regiment's camp! Move out!"

Fifteen hundred warhorses turned around in unison, took off, and followed behind Li Yunlong like a flowing torrent of steel, heading deep into the mountains.

At this moment, He Damin had already headed north.

His target was Taiyuan.

There are fatter fish, more precious equipment, and more powerful souls there.

In the shadow of Taiyuan, a "harvest" targeting the heart of the Japanese army, beyond the imagination of ordinary people, is about to begin.