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

On the morning of July 8th, when Chen Yu opened his eyes in the small world, he was still holding the fragment of obsidian in his palm. After watching the battle last night, he had barely slept, spending the entire night studying this mineral from the cultivation world.

The fragment was only the size of a fingernail, completely black, but when held up to the light, dark red patterns appeared inside, resembling solidified magma. Under the power of spiritual vision, pure fire elemental energy could be seen flowing within the fragment. Although it was slowly dissipating due to its shattering, the remaining energy was still considerable.

"Firestone..." Chen Yu murmured to himself, recalling the conversation between the scarred man and the old man in the Taoist robe last night. Judging from their struggle, this ore should be considered a relatively precious material in the cultivation world.

He tried to infuse a wisp of spiritual energy into the fragment. The fragment trembled slightly, and the dark red patterns on its surface lit up, radiating a gentle heat. As more spiritual energy was poured in, the fragment grew hotter and hotter, until finally it floated in his palm, slowly rotating like a tiny dark red sun.

"Such pure fire elemental energy," Chen Yu exclaimed. How powerful would the energy be if it were a complete piece of fire obsidian? No wonder Scarface wanted to collect ten pieces and gather them all by the end of the month—it must be for some important formation or refining.

He carefully stopped injecting spiritual energy, and the fragments slowly fell, their temperature gradually decreasing. This ore was very stable and wouldn't explode out of control due to spiritual energy activation, making it an ideal material for fire-based materials.

Chen Yu placed the fragment beside the spiritual spring, wanting to see if the water-elemental spiritual energy would affect it. A strange thing happened—as the fragment approached the spring, the dark red light on its surface fluctuated slightly, as if it had resonated with the spring's spiritual energy. Water and fire, mutually restraining yet mutually generating.

"Perhaps it can be used to refine elixirs or magical artifacts that combine water and fire elements," Chen Yu thought to himself. However, his crafting skills were still very low at the moment; he could only refine some simple talismans at most, and he couldn't make complex magical artifacts yet.

When Chen Yu exited the small world, it was already broad daylight outside. The July morning in Guangzhou was still sultry, and the sounds of the bustling city—hawking, bicycle bells, and children's laughter—came from outside the window. Chen Yu opened the window and saw He Yuzhu helping He Jianjun move things downstairs; the two were chatting and laughing.

"It seems Brother Zhu has really adapted," Chen Yu thought to himself. Good, with He Yuzhu staying in Guangzhou, he'll have a reliable place to stay when he comes to the South in the future.

After washing up and coming downstairs, He Yuzhu said excitedly, "Chen Yu, I've made up my mind, I'm staying! I sent a telegram to Beijing yesterday, asking my wife to start the procedures for taking a leave of absence without pay. Once things are stable here, I'll bring them over."

"Have you thought it through?"

"I've made up my mind!" He Yuzhu's eyes lit up. "I've worked in the steel rolling mill for over ten years, and every day is the same. Here, there are new things happening every day. It's interesting!"

He Jianjun laughed and said, "My cousin is capable. Yesterday, several guests praised his Northern Chinese dishes and said they would come again next time."

Chen Yu nodded, not saying much. Everyone has their own choices, as long as they don't regret them.

After breakfast, Chen Yu brought the ancient books to Xuanhu Hall again. Huang Wenyuan was taking a patient's pulse. When he saw Chen Yu arrive, he nodded and indicated that he should wait a moment.

Chen Yu sat down in the waiting area to observe Huang Wenyuan's treatment. The old traditional Chinese medicine doctor was focused when examining patients, meticulously performing the four diagnostic methods of observation, listening, questioning, and palpation. When writing prescriptions, his handwriting was swift and powerful, the characters on the prescriptions neat and strong. As each patient left, he would give a few words of advice, his tone gentle yet exuding unquestionable authority.

"This is a true healer," Chen Yu thought with admiration. Cultivators possess extraordinary abilities, but ordinary people like Huang Wenyuan, relying on decades of accumulated medical skills and experience, also heal the sick and save lives, and are equally worthy of respect.

An hour later, Huang Wenyuan finished seeing the last patient and gestured for his young apprentice to close the door.

"Comrade Chen, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Huang Wenyuan wiped his hands. "Did you figure out anything from those books yesterday?"

Chen Yu took out "Records of Strange Things from the South China Sea" and turned to the page on obsidian: "Dr. Huang, you said that obsidian is just an ordinary stone, but after checking some information, it seems that it's not that simple."

"Oh?" Huang Wenyuan pushed up his glasses. "Tell me about it."

"I found some geological data that says this kind of stone is only produced in specific veins and the conditions for its formation are very demanding," Chen Yu said, half-jokingly. "Moreover, there are records that the ancients used it to make special utensils, such as ritual vessels for sacrifices, and... containers for alchemy."

"Alchemy?" Huang Wenyuan laughed. "Comrade Chen, you actually believe in this?"

"It's not about belief, it's about research," Chen Yu said earnestly. "Although much of the alchemy practiced by ancient alchemists was superstition, there were some scientific principles involved. For example, using minerals in alchemy might have been an exploration of chemical reactions. Obsidian is heat-resistant and doesn't melt when burned, making it an excellent material for experiments."

That makes sense, and Huang Wenyuan nodded: "What you say makes sense. However, I don't know much about mineralogy, so I can't be of much help to you."

"You've already helped a lot." Chen Yu closed the book. "Dr. Huang, I'd like to ask you another question—do you think the 'Qi' theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine can be combined with modern science?"

This question clearly piqued Huang Wenyuan's interest. His eyes lit up: "I've been thinking about this for many years! Come, sit down and tell me slowly."

The two sat down again, and Huang Wenyuan brewed a pot of fresh tea.

"Traditional Chinese medicine talks about 'qi and blood,' 'meridians,' and 'yin-yang balance,'" Huang Wenyuan said slowly. "Western medicine says this is metaphysics, unscientific. But in my fifty years of medical practice, I've personally witnessed too many cases that Western medicine couldn't explain, but which were cured by traditional Chinese medicine. Tell me, why is that?"

"Perhaps it's because the human body is so complex that it exceeds the current scientific understanding," Chen Yu said. "Just like hundreds of years ago, people didn't know about bacteria or viruses, but experienced doctors could still treat certain infectious diseases."

"Well said!" Huang Wenyuan slammed his hand on the table. "Traditional Chinese medicine is the wisdom accumulated over thousands of years. Perhaps we cannot fully explain it with science now, but that does not mean we can deny it. Just like this cup of tea—" He raised his teacup, "We know it quenches thirst and refreshes the mind, but the ancients did not know exactly what components in the tea leaves were effective, but that did not stop them from drinking tea."

Chen Yu seemed thoughtful: "Then do you think it's possible to study the theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine using modern methods? For example, using instruments to detect meridians and using data to analyze prescriptions?"

"It's difficult, but worth trying," Huang Wenyuan sighed. "When I was in Hong Kong, I discussed this with some Western medicine friends. They were interested, but lacked people who understood both traditional Chinese medicine and modern science. Comrade Chen, if you really want to do research in this area, I can introduce you to someone."

"Thank you, Dr. Huang," Chen Yu said sincerely. This connection would be very valuable to his future plans.

The two chatted for over an hour, discussing everything from traditional Chinese medicine to Hong Kong, from medicine to life. Huang Wenyuan was a learned man, not only proficient in medicine but also possessing unique insights into history, culture, and society. Chen Yu learned a great deal from him.

As he was leaving, Huang Wenyuan suddenly said, "Comrade Chen, I'm going to Hong Kong tomorrow to take care of some clinic matters. I'll be back in about a week. In the meantime, you can travel around Guangzhou more. Oh, by the way—" He took out a small notebook from his drawer, "This is a compilation of commonly used Cantonese words and phrases. Since you want to learn, take a look."

Chen Yu took the notebook, opened it, and saw that it contained neatly written comparisons of Cantonese and Mandarin, along with pronunciation annotations, showing great care.

Thank you so much!

"Don't mention it," Huang Wenyuan smiled. "To learn a language, you need to listen and speak a lot. At He Ji Restaurant, chat with the customers more often, and you'll improve quickly."

It was noon when they returned to He Ji Restaurant. The restaurant was packed with customers, and He Yuzhu and He Jianjun were extremely busy. Chen Yu rolled up his sleeves to help serve dishes and clear tables, while also practicing the few Cantonese phrases he had just learned.

"Thank you."

Eat slowly.

"How much?"

Although his pronunciation was a bit stiff, the customers were very friendly and would even correct him. An elderly woman who frequented the restaurant smiled and said, "Young man, are you from the North? You're learning Cantonese quite quickly!"

At 2 PM, the customer flow gradually thinned out. Chen Yu, holding the notebook Huang Wenyuan had given him, sat behind the counter and studied diligently. Cantonese and Mandarin are very different, not only in pronunciation but also in grammar and vocabulary. For example, the Mandarin word for "eat" is "食饭" in Cantonese; "drink water" is "饮水"; and "go shopping" is "行街"...

After finishing his work, He Jianjun came over to look and asked, "Brother Chen, are you really going to learn Cantonese?"

"Hmm, we might need it later."

"Then let me teach you a few practical phrases." He Jianjun became interested, "'Are you kidding me?', 'Excuse me', 'Let's have tea sometime'..."

Chen Yu took careful notes. He discovered that Cantonese has many vivid and expressive expressions, such as "一頭雾水" (completely confused), "拍拖" (dating), and "醒目" (clever and quick-witted). Learning a language is not only about learning a tool for communication, but also about understanding a culture.

As evening fell, Chen Yu, under the pretext of taking a walk, returned to the abandoned factory area where he had watched the battle the previous night. The factory area was even more dilapidated during the day, overgrown with weeds, with broken walls and ruins, and only a few homeless people cooking over a fire in a corner.

Chen Yu spread his spiritual sense, carefully examining the battlefield of last night's battle. The array marks on the ground had been destroyed, but some clues were still discernible—the patterns were drawn with cinnabar and some kind of mineral powder, now blurred and indistinct from being trampled. He found several broken array flags in the grass; they were ordinary yellow cloths, but the runes drawn on them with blood were no longer effective.

"Qingcheng Sect's formation..." Chen Yu studied the fragments of the formation flag. The runes were meticulously drawn, with smooth strokes and a faint water elemental energy. It seemed that the old man in the Taoist robe was skilled in water or wood elemental magic, using the formation to mobilize the power of the fire obsidian, but it was countered by the scarred man's Netherworld Banner.

He looked around again and found charred marks at the base of a wall, as if it had been scorched by a high-temperature flame. There were also a few drops of dried, dark red liquid on the ground—blood! Someone had been injured last night!

Chen Yu crouched down and carefully examined the bloodstains with his spiritual eye technique. Faint fluctuations of spiritual energy remained within the bloodstains, belonging to two different types of spiritual energy—one gentle and mellow (likely the old man's), and the other cold and malevolent (likely the scarred man's). It seemed the battle last night was more intense than it appeared, and both men were injured.

As they were investigating, their spiritual senses suddenly issued a warning—someone was coming!

Chen Yu quickly dodged behind a broken wall and activated his Concealing Breath Technique at full power.

Two men arrived, both dressed like ordinary people, but their steps were light and their eyes sharp. One was in his thirties, wearing blue overalls; the other was in his forties, wearing a gray Zhongshan suit. The two stopped at the site of the fight from the previous night and looked around.

"This is it," the man in overalls said in a low voice. "There was quite a commotion last night; it alerted the police."

"Did you find anything?" asked the man in the Zhongshan suit.

"No, it's all been cleaned up." The man in overalls paused. "But senior brother, I heard that the Yinshan Sect and the Qingcheng Sect fought last night over a batch of fire obsidian."

"Obsidian?" The man in the Zhongshan suit narrowed his eyes. "This stuff is quite rare. Do you know who won?"

"I don't know, they both ran away. But the goods should have been taken by the Yinshan Sect."

The man in the Zhongshan suit paused for a moment, then said, "Continue the investigation. The appearance of obsidian in Guangzhou is no small matter. It might be related to that cave in southern Yunnan."

The two searched for a while longer but found no further clues before leaving.

Chen Yu heard everything clearly from behind the wall. Sure enough, the obsidian was related to the ancient cultivator's cave in Yunnan! Moreover, judging from the tone of these two, they should be disciples of some sect, investigating this matter.

After they had gone some distance, Chen Yu quietly left. This trip hadn't been in vain; he had obtained crucial information: Fire Obsidian was indeed an important resource in the cultivation world, and it was directly related to the Yunnan Cave Abode. All the major sects were paying attention, and some had even sent people to investigate.

Back at Ho Kee Restaurant that evening, Chen Yu continued studying Cantonese. He discovered that language learning also helped train his spiritual awareness—memorizing so many unfamiliar pronunciations and words required intense concentration, which was a good way to train spiritual control.

After a long day, He Yuzhu collapsed into a chair, exhausted: "My God, this is much more tiring than the steel rolling mill. Standing for more than ten hours a day, my legs are numb."

"Making money is never easy, it's always tiring." He Jianjun handed him a cup of iced tea. "Cousin, I calculated today's revenue, it's 30% more than usual! Your Northern cuisine is popular!"

He Yuzhu then smiled: "That's alright, it wasn't a waste of time."

Chen Yu looked at the two of them, a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, mixed feelings) running through his heart. Ordinary people are like this, struggling to make a living, working hard for their families. Though it's tough, it's fulfilling. Cultivators, on the other hand, pursue transcendence, seemingly carefree, but in reality, they face far more complex struggles and dangers.

There are two paths, neither superior nor inferior, only choices to be made.

In the stillness of the night, Chen Yu entered his small world to continue his study of the Fire Obsidian fragments. This time, he had a new idea—since water and fire elemental energies could resonate, could he use spiritual spring water to temper the Fire Obsidian and improve its quality?

Without further ado, he placed the fragment in a jade bowl and poured in spiritual spring water. Upon contact with the water, the dark red light on the fragment's surface fluctuated more noticeably, as if it were breathing. Chen Yu used his spiritual eye technique to observe carefully and discovered that the fragment's internal structure was slowly changing—some impurities were being washed away by the spiritual spring water, making the fire elemental energy purer.

"It works!" Chen Yu exclaimed in surprise. Although the changes were slow, there was definitely improvement.

He estimated that if the fragments were soaked in the spiritual spring water for a month, their quality would improve by one grade. If it were a complete piece of obsidian, the improvement would be even more significant.

"This shows the importance of cultivation resources," Chen Yu remarked. The difference in cultivation speed between having resources and not having them is like night and day. No wonder those sects are vying for Fire Obsidian; for cultivators practicing fire-element techniques, it's an accelerator.

Before leaving the small world, Chen Yu checked the herb garden. The ginseng, astragalus, and angelica were all growing well, and the second batch would be ready for harvest soon. The purple-gold grass had grown to a foot tall and had bloomed new flowers. After watering it with spiritual spring water, the spiritual energy in the herb garden became even more concentrated.

Lying in bed, Chen Yu began to plan his next trip.

Huang Wenyuan went to Hong Kong and will return in a week. During this week, he can continue his investigation into the obsidian in Guangzhou and further his Cantonese learning. He Yuzhu has decided to stay, and Huang can help him settle in.

Then I'll return to Beijing to complete the follow-up work on the "Microscopic Observation Project" and accumulate the capital needed for my trip to Hong Kong. The trip to Hong Kong can't be rushed; I need to be fully prepared—funds, connections, language skills, residency…everything must be in place.

My cultivation can't be neglected. My Qi Refining Stage 8 is stable; I need to start aiming for the 9th. I still have a few Body Tempering Pills left, and the Fire Obsidian fragments can also aid my cultivation. If everything goes smoothly, I should be able to break through to the 9th stage before the end of the year.

Lost in thought, Chen Yu fell asleep.

In his dream, he saw the skyscrapers of Hong Kong, the deep mountains and ancient caves of southern Yunnan, and the gray bricks and tiles of traditional courtyard houses... These images intertwined to form a complex and wonderful picture of life.

Outside the window, Guangzhou's nightlife gradually subsided.

But Chen Yu's journey has only just begun to enter its most exciting chapter.