Courtyard Check-in: Starting with a Small World of Cultivation

June 25th, 7:00 AM.

Chen Yu stood under the grape trellis in the central courtyard of the siheyuan (traditional courtyard house), holding a watering can. He appeared to be watering the flowers, but in reality, his spiritual sense swept across the entire courtyard like ripples on water. After several days of observation and analysis, he had gained a clearer understanding of the situation in the courtyard.

At the Jia family's door, Zhang Xiulan was packing Banggeng's schoolbag. Banggeng was going to school today for his final exams, and his little face was full of nervousness. Since Jia Dongxu was arrested, the child had become much quieter, but his grades had miraculously improved—perhaps the absence of his father's doting and his grandmother's indulgence had taught him a sense of responsibility.

"Bang Geng, be careful during the exam, and double-check your work after you're done," Zhang Xiulan instructed.

"Hmm." Banggeng responded, picked up his schoolbag, paused when he walked up to Chen Yu, and said in a low voice, "Uncle Chen, the medicine you gave me yesterday... I slept very well last night and didn't have any nightmares."

Chen Yu put down the kettle and patted his head: "That's good. Focus on the exam and don't think too much."

Banggeng nodded and left. Zhang Xiulan watched her son's retreating figure, her eyes reddening again, but she quickly wiped them away and turned to start washing clothes.

Argumentation erupted from the backyard; it was Liu Haizhong's house. His second aunt was sobbing again, her voice low, but Chen Yu heard it clearly: "...Guangtian's girlfriend's family heard about our situation and says they want to reconsider the marriage! Old Liu, what a mess you've made!"

"Shut up!" Liu Haizhong growled. "If you cry again, get out!"

Chen Yu shook his head. Liu Haizhong's mental state was dangerous; he was like a taut string, ready to snap at any moment. Yesterday, the second fake man reported that Liu Haizhong had secretly met with Xu Damao's wife, Lou Xiao'e. The two talked for half an hour on a park bench, the content of which was unclear, but Liu Haizhong left with a livid face.

"System, check-in for today," Chen Yu silently read aloud.

[Ding! Japanese visa successfully obtained]

[Received: Half a pound of meat coupons, 2 industrial vouchers, a small basic pharmacology knowledge pack, and 3 yuan in cash]

Advanced pharmacology knowledge? Perfect. Chen Yu immediately used it, and his mind flooded with more knowledge about drug compatibility, processing techniques, and dosage control. As his understanding of traditional Chinese medicine and pharmacology deepened, he increasingly felt that there were many similarities between modern medicine and ancient alchemy, only expressed differently.

At 8:30 a.m., Chen Yu arrived at the research institute on time. Today, the "Microscopic Observation Project" training entered its second phase—the development of defect classification standards. In the meeting room, all six members were present, each with a thick stack of observation records in front of them.

"Over the past three days, we have observed a total of 120 samples and recorded more than 500 defects." Chen Yu stood in front of the podium, where a classification framework had already been drawn on the blackboard. "Today, our task is to summarize these defects into several major categories and formulate scoring standards."

He turned around and wrote several keywords on the whiteboard: "size defects", "shape defects", "component defects", and "location defects".

"I suggest classifying it into these four categories," Chen Yu explained. "Size refers to the size and depth of the defect; morphology refers to the shape and edge characteristics of the defect; composition refers to the material changes in the defect area; and location refers to the distribution of the defect in the sample."

Su Hongmei raised her hand: "I agree with this classification, but how should the scoring criteria be determined? For example, for pores of the same size, the degree of influence will definitely be different depending on whether they are in a key position or at the edge."

"Good question." Chen Yu nodded. "Therefore, we need two dimensions for scoring: the severity of the defect itself and the criticality of the defect's location. The final score is derived by combining the two."

For the next three hours, the project team engaged in intense discussions. Old Zhou offered many professional suggestions, Wang Jianguo added considerations regarding engineering applications, and Li Fang was responsible for recording and organizing the information. By noon, a preliminary draft of the "Material Defect Classification and Scoring Standards" had been completed.

During lunch break, Lin Zhenhua called Chen Yu to his office, closed the door, and looked serious.

"Xiao Chen, there's something I need to tell you," Lin Zhenhua said in a low voice. "The people from the district court came this morning and brought a summons."

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat: "A summons?"

"This isn't for you, it's for the institute." Lin Zhenhua took a piece of paper out of the drawer. "The case of Jia Dongxu, Yan Bugui, and Xu Damao's cultural relic smuggling will be publicly heard at nine o'clock the day after tomorrow. The court requires our institute to provide proof of your work performance, and... we may need you to appear in court to testify."

Chen Yu took the summons and glanced at it. It was indeed that case. The summons listed more than a dozen witnesses, and his name was seventh, with the note "Witness (to testify about the defendant's social relationships and daily conduct)".

"Testify?" Chen Yu frowned. "I'm just their neighbor, we don't have any deep relationship."

"The court probably wants to know about their behavior in daily life, whether there's anything unusual," Lin Zhenhua sighed. "This case has a big impact; I heard it involves quite a few people, and the higher-ups are taking it very seriously. Xiao Chen, just tell the truth when you go there, don't be nervous."

"I understand." Chen Yu nodded. "Engineer Lin, will this affect the project?"

"Probably not, you're a witness, not a suspect." Lin Zhenhua patted him on the shoulder. "But be careful lately. I heard those two people who were asking about you came again yesterday and sat in the personnel department for half an hour."

The Heavenly Alliance is still investigating! Alarm bells were ringing in Chen Yu's mind.

In the afternoon, Chen Yu finished work early and went to the neighborhood office. He wanted to understand the specific details of the case so he could prepare in advance.

As soon as Director Wang from the neighborhood office saw him, he sighed, "Little Chen, you've come at the right time. That case in your compound is really... it involves far too many people. Not just your compound, but people from three neighboring compounds are involved. A total of eight people have been arrested!"

"Eight?" Chen Yu exclaimed in surprise. "That many?"

"They were all gradually dragged down by Yan Bugui over the years," Director Wang shook his head. "His ledger keeps a very clear record of which year, month, who sold what, and how much money they received. The police can easily find out the truth when they investigate."

"So... how long will Jia Dongxu be sentenced to?"

"It's hard to say exactly, but I heard he's an accomplice and has a good attitude towards admitting his guilt, so he might get three to five years." Director Wang paused, "But Yan Bugui, he's the principal offender and a state employee who knowingly broke the law, so he'll get at least ten years."

Chen Yu remained silent. This outcome was a disaster for the Jia family, but for the stolen cultural relics, it might be justice delayed.

"By the way, Xiao Chen," Director Wang said, remembering something, "there's a lot of panic in your hospital right now. As a young man, you need to take the lead in stabilizing the situation. Especially keep an eye on that kid from the Jia family, make sure he doesn't go astray."

"I will."

After leaving the neighborhood office, Chen Yu didn't go straight back to the courtyard house. He took a detour to the Xinhua Bookstore and bought a book titled "Common Sense of Criminal Procedure Law." Since he was going to testify in court, he needed to understand the basic procedures.

When he got home, it wasn't dark yet. Qin Huairu was cooking in the kitchen. Seeing that Chen Yu had bought a book, she asked curiously, "Why did you decide to read this?"

"I need to appear in court to testify the day after tomorrow," Chen Yu explained simply.

Qin Huairu's expression changed: "Testify? Isn't that dangerous? I've heard that criminals retaliate against witnesses..."

"No, it will be a public trial with many witnesses," Chen Yu reassured her. "Besides, I'm just testifying about their daily conduct; it doesn't involve any core facts of the case."

That being said, Chen Yu knew in his heart that this case involved too many people, and there was no guarantee that there wouldn't be any culprits who had slipped through the net and harbored resentment. He needed to make some preparations in advance.

After dinner, Chen Yu entered the small world.

Several days later, the medicinal herb garden had begun to take shape. Nourished by the spiritual spring water and the spirit-gathering array, the ginseng, astragalus, angelica, and other herbs were growing remarkably well. Plants that would normally take one or two years to reach medicinal standards were now showing the appearance of two or three years old in just half a month.

What surprised Chen Yu even more was that the wild herbs he transplanted from Xishan underwent a mutation under the nourishment of spiritual energy!

An ordinary honeysuckle blooms with flowers that are both gold and silver, and the petals have a faint spiritual glow. A Bupleurum chinense plant has roots as thick as small radishes, and when cut open, a pale yellow spiritual liquid seeps out from the cut surface. And the Purple Gold Grass, which was almost withered, has now been revitalized, sprouting new branches and leaves.

"These can already be considered low-grade spiritual herbs." Chen Yu carefully picked some leaves and flowers, preparing to try refining new pills.

The *Tai Xuan Zhen Jing* records a "Body Tempering Pill" that strengthens the physical body, with significant effects on cultivators in the Qi Refining stage. Its main ingredients are ginseng and astragalus root that are over ten years old, supplemented with several common herbs. He currently possesses spiritualized ginseng and astragalus root from his herb garden, equivalent to three years of medicinal growth; their medicinal effects should be comparable to ten-year-old ordinary herbs.

Without further ado, Chen Yu took out the bronze alchemy furnace, lit the Earth Fire Talisman, and began refining.

This alchemy process went more smoothly than ever before. The spiritualized medicinal herbs themselves contained a faint spiritual energy, and when they fused in the alchemy furnace, the fragrance they emitted was imbued with spiritual light. Although the Water Spirit Pearl was concealed by layers of cover, the invisible water-elemental spiritual energy it emitted permeated the entire small world, making the alchemy environment more stable.

An hour and a half later, the pills were complete. The moment the furnace was opened, six brown pills the size of longan flew out, each with faint cloud patterns on its surface and radiating a powerful medicinal energy.

[Successfully Refined: Body Tempering Pill (Good)]

[Effects: Strengthens the body, improves bone and muscle strength, and slightly enhances blood circulation]

[Quality: Good (Uses spiritualized medicinal materials, retains 75% of the medicinal efficacy)]

Excellent quality! Moreover, the medicinal efficacy is retained at 75%, which is higher than any previous batch of pills!

Chen Yu swallowed a pill. As soon as it entered his stomach, it transformed into a scorching torrent that surged through his limbs and bones. He could clearly feel his muscle fibers trembling slightly, and his bones making subtle crackling sounds, as if he were undergoing a forging process from the inside out.

Half an hour later, the medicine was fully absorbed. Chen Yu got up and stretched, feeling much lighter. He threw a punch, which even made a sound as it cut through the air. He picked up a stone, squeezed it hard, and clear fingerprints appeared on the stone!

"Such a powerful effect!" Chen Yu exclaimed in surprise. The effect of this Body Tempering Pill was equivalent to half a month of his usual body tempering training. If he continued to take it, his physical strength would soon reach a new level.

He carefully put away the remaining five pills. These pills shouldn't be taken in excess; one every three days is the limit, otherwise the body won't be able to handle it.

When Chen Yu exited the small world, it was already late at night. Just as he was about to rest, his spiritual sense suddenly detected unusual activity in the courtyard—someone had climbed over the wall!

It wasn't a thief; the person moved very lightly and landed silently, clearly someone with martial arts skills. But it wasn't a cultivator either, as there was no fluctuation of spiritual energy on their body.

Chen Yu silently moved to the window and activated his Spiritual Eye Technique. In the moonlight, a tall, thin, dark figure was crouching outside the Jia family's window, stuffing something into the crack. After stuffing it in, the person quickly climbed over the wall and left; the whole process took less than a minute.

After everyone had gone far away, Chen Yu went out to check. There was a folded note slipped under the Jia family's window. He used his spiritual power to remove it, unfolded it, and read only one line: "Don't say anything carelessly at the court hearing the day after tomorrow, or your son won't be safe."

A threatening letter! It's aimed at Zhang Xiulan!

Chen Yu's eyes turned cold. Was this an attempt to threaten a witness into not testifying? It seemed the case was more complex than he had imagined.

Without alerting the Jia family, he returned to his house and took out a talisman—a "tracking talisman" recorded in the *Tai Xuan Zhen Jing*, which could be attached to an object to track people who had come into contact with it. He folded the talisman into the shape of a small bird and blew on it.

The paper bird came to life, its wings fluttering lightly as it flew away, following the lingering scent on the paper. Chen Yu followed the paper bird, scaling the wall to escape.

The paper bird flew through the night, passing through several alleys, and finally landed outside a small courtyard. The courtyard was near Gulou East Street, the very rendezvous point that the traitor had previously reported—No. 47 Gulou East Street!

Chen Yu hid in the shadows and probed the courtyard with his spiritual sense. There were three people inside, talking in hushed tones.

"...The letter has been sent. If that woman knows what's good for her, she'll know what to say."

"What if she tells the truth?"

"Then let her regret it. We've figured out her son's route to and from school every day; let's find an opportunity..."

The rest of the sentence was left unsaid, but the meaning was clear.

Chen Yu's eyes were icy. These people were actually trying to threaten witnesses with children in order to escape legal punishment. He couldn't let them succeed.

He left quietly, without alerting the enemy. Upon returning to the courtyard, he immediately contacted the three spies, number one, two, and three, using special methods.

"Starting tomorrow, the three of you will take turns secretly protecting Banggeng to and from school. If anyone tries to harm the child, stop them immediately, but do so discreetly and do not expose yourselves."

"Yes, Master."

"In addition, find out the identities, backgrounds, and whether there are any other accomplices of the three people in the courtyard at No. 47 Gulou East Street."

"clear."

With everything arranged, Chen Yu felt slightly relieved. But he knew this was only a temporary solution. The real problem lay in the trial the day after tomorrow, and in those who were trying to escape punishment.

The next morning, Chen Yu went to the research institute as usual. But this time he was more cautious, keeping his spiritual sense constantly extended. Sure enough, on the rooftop of the residential building opposite the research institute, the man and woman from the Heavenly Dao Alliance were still monitoring them.

The two seemed a little anxious today, glancing at their watches frequently.

"Senior brother, they're pressing us hard in Yunnan. The alliance requires us to depart no later than tomorrow," the woman whispered.

"We haven't figured this out yet..." the man frowned.

"The investigation is almost complete. Chen Yu is an excellent worker with simple social connections and no unusual activity patterns. Although there is some overlap in the timeline of the Kunming Lake incident, there is no direct evidence."

"His observation methods..."

"It might just be a natural talent, or they might have received special training. Senior brother, the alliance rules state that we can't touch ordinary people without solid evidence. We've already wasted too much time."

The man was silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Alright, we'll set off tomorrow. But leave a mark; if he really is a cultivator, he'll eventually give himself away."

Chen Yu heard everything clearly in his office and felt a sense of relief. The Heavenly Alliance was leaving; he was safe for the time being. But they wanted to leave a mark? What kind of mark?

In the afternoon, Chen Yu left work early. Instead of going home, he went to the police station to report the threatening behavior at No. 47 Gulou East Street as a "knowledgeable member of the public." He didn't give specific details, only mentioning that "someone attempted to threaten witnesses, which may involve a criminal case."

The police officers who received them took the matter very seriously, recorded the situation in detail, and said they would send someone to investigate immediately.

After finishing all this, Chen Yu returned to the courtyard house. Zhang Xiulan was waiting for him at the door, her face pale.

"Xiaoyu, I...I received a letter..." She handed over a slip of paper with trembling hands; it was the threatening letter from last night.

Chen Yu took it and comforted her, "Aunt Zhang, don't be afraid. I've already called the police, and they'll handle it. I've arranged for someone to secretly protect Bang Geng these next few days, so he'll be fine."

"They called the police? Really?" Hope ignited in Zhang Xiulan's eyes.

"Yes. At the court hearing the day after tomorrow, just say what you need to say and don't be influenced by threats. Otherwise, those people will only become more aggressive."

"I...I understand." Zhang Xiulan wiped away her tears. "Xiaoyu, thank you. If it weren't for you..."

"Don't say that, it's just what neighbors should do."

During dinner, Qin Huairu heard about the threatening letter and was also worried: "Chen Yu, how about letting Bang Geng stay at our house for the next few days? He can stay with Xiao Dang and they can look after each other."

Chen Yu thought for a moment and shook his head: "No need, I've already made arrangements. Besides, having them stay here would only alert them."

As night deepened, Chen Yu entered the small world again. The trial was tomorrow, after which the Heavenly Dao Alliance members would leave, but they would leave a mark. He needed to prepare in advance.

After cultivating for two hours, Chen Yu exited the small world. Instead of sleeping, he took out a blank jade slip and began recording his experiences and insights from this period—a good habit he had learned from Zhou Wenyuan's jade slip. The path of cultivation is long; more recording and summarizing are essential for a more stable journey.

When he finished writing, he put down his pen and looked out the window.

Will tomorrow's court hearing bring an end to this?

Will the turmoil in the courtyard houses be quelled as a result?

Will the crises on the path of spiritual practice be temporarily resolved?

he does not know.

But he knew that no matter what lay ahead, he would keep going.

With the determination to protect, the perseverance to seek the truth, and the responsibility to this land and these people.

The night was deep, and the starlight gradually brightened.

And dawn is quietly approaching.