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

July 26th, night.

The courtyard was stuffy and windless, with each household keeping their doors and windows open to cool off. Chen Yu sat cross-legged in his room, with the scroll he had obtained from the Xishan Taoist Temple spread out in front of him, a copy of the bamboo slips given to him by Huang Wenyuan, and several ancient books borrowed from the library—modern annotated versions of "Yunji Qiqian" and "Baopuzi Neipian".

The glow of the kerosene lamp danced on the paper, casting the ancient characters on and off. Chen Yu had been studying it for three days, combining his own cultivation experience with the knowledge provided by the system, and had gained a deeper understanding of the "Fire Refining Technique".

Obsidian, referred to in ancient texts as "the essence of fire" or "earth fire crystal," is a mineral formed from the condensation of fire-elemental spiritual energy within the earth's veins. Its nature is intense and pure, requiring specific methods to "tame" it before it can be used for weapon crafting. The "Method of Wind" recorded in the silk manuscript is actually a method of channeling fire-elemental spiritual energy through wind-based runes to prevent it from running rampant and harming people.

The core of refining the "Li Huo Jian" lies in the purification of "Huo Yao Jing Jin" - which is similar to the alloy refining of Factory 903. However, the ancients used talisman arrays and alchemical fire, while modern people use high-temperature furnaces and special catalysts.

"If we could combine the two methods..." Chen Yu picked up his pen and sketched a diagram in his notebook: a modern furnace provides a high-temperature environment, and a rune array stabilizes the flow of spiritual energy, which might greatly improve the yield and quality of the finished product.

But this requires experimentation, which he currently lacks. The laboratory at Factory 903 would be suitable, but it involves cultivation methods, and proposing it rashly would only arouse suspicion.

"We'll talk about Hong Kong later." Chen Yu closed his notebook. His immediate priority was to improve his strength. The bottleneck at the seventh level of Qi Refining had loosened for several days; tonight was the perfect opportunity to break through.

He first checked the doors and windows, making sure they were closed, then used his spiritual sense to survey the surroundings—the courtyard was very quiet. The Jia family had already turned off their lights, Xu Damao's house was dark (Lou Xiao'e had gone back to her parents' home), He Yuzhu's house was snoring, and there was a faint radio sound coming from Uncle San's house.

Safety.

Chen Yu entered the small world. Beside the spiritual spring, the second batch of Purple Gold Grass had bloomed, the three pale gold flowers radiating a richer spiritual energy than before. He carefully picked the three flowers, then took out a Qi-Nourishing Pill he had refined last time, and returned to reality.

He sat cross-legged and first took the Qi-Nourishing Pill. The warm medicinal power dissolved, flowing like a warm current through his limbs and bones. Chen Yu circulated the *Tai Xuan Zhen Jing*, guiding the spiritual energy along his meridians. After three major cycles, his physical condition reached its peak.

He picked up a purple-gold flower and put it in his mouth. The petals melted instantly upon entering his mouth, transforming into a cool and pure spiritual energy that rushed straight to his dantian!

"Now!"

Chen Yu circulated his cultivation technique with all his might, fusing the spiritual energy with his own spiritual power to break through the invisible barrier. The sixth to seventh level of the Qi Refining stage was a minor hurdle; once broken through, both the total amount and purity of his spiritual power would increase by 30%, and the range of his spiritual sense would expand to thirty feet.

Within his dantian, the qi vortex spun violently, and a drop of liquid spiritual energy gradually condensed at its center—a sign of the mid-stage of Qi Refining! As this drop of liquid spiritual energy took shape, the bottleneck shattered instantly!

[Breakthrough in the Tai Xuan True Scripture to the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage]

Total spiritual energy increased by 35%

[The range of spiritual awareness has been expanded to thirty zhang.]

[Unlock basic spell: Conceal Breath (Beginner)]

A system notification sounded in his mind. Chen Yu slowly finished his practice and exhaled a breath of stale air. The stale air was pale gray and lingered in the air for a moment before dissipating—a sign that impurities in his body were being further expelled.

He felt the changes within his body. His spiritual energy flowed more smoothly, like a stream turning into a river; his spiritual sense expanded, and the entire courtyard and even the two surrounding alleys were within his perception range, and he could even clearly hear the rustling of mice in the corner.

The newly unlocked Concealment Technique is even more practical. With a thought, one's aura instantly conceals itself, reducing one's presence to a minimum. If someone were to pass by the door at that moment, unless they simply push the door open and come in, they wouldn't even notice anyone inside.

"Excellent spell." Chen Yu was satisfied. This spell, combined with reconnaissance skills, was practically a godsend for stealth and reconnaissance.

He looked out the window; the night was deep, just past midnight. The breakthrough had taken about an hour, and it was still not two in the morning.

"Perfect timing to explore Huai Shu Hutong." Chen Yu changed into dark clothes, activated his concealment technique to the maximum, and silently climbed out of the window.

Under the probe of spiritual sense, everything in the courtyard was clearly "seen": in the Third Uncle's room, Yan Bugui was snoring, his hand still resting on the abacus; He Yuzhu turned over, muttering in his sleep, "Qin Huairu... I didn't steal her..."; in the Jia family, Bang Geng was grinding his teeth, Jia Zhangshi was snoring, and Jia Dongxu and Zhang Xiulan were sleeping in separate beds, separated by a curtain...

Chen Yu vaulted over the courtyard wall like a cat, landing silently. Under the Concealing Breath Technique, even his footsteps were almost invisible. He moved swiftly along the shadows of the alley, his thirty-zhang range of spiritual sense allowing him to avoid the occasional night owl and patrol personnel.

Huai Shu Hutong is about four miles from Nanluoguxiang, and Chen Yu arrived in less than fifteen minutes. He stopped at the entrance of the hutong and first probed the courtyard of No. 17 with his spiritual sense.

someone!

In the east room's bedroom, a middle-aged man lay asleep on the bed, his breathing even. The light was on in the west room's workshop, but no one was there. Some miscellaneous items were piled up in the yard, and a few pieces of raw obsidian ore remained in the corner.

Chen Yu didn't rush in. He went around to the back of the courtyard, where there was a narrow alleyway piled with clutter. He chose a spot, locked his spiritual sense onto the man inside, and waited patiently.

He used a concealment technique to completely hide his aura, even lowering his body temperature to match the surrounding environment. He stood silently in the shadows like a stone.

Time ticked by. It was three in the morning, the time when people are in their deepest sleep. The man in the courtyard turned over and continued sleeping.

At four in the morning, a rooster crowed in the distance. Dawn was approaching.

Just when Chen Yu thought he wouldn't get anything tonight, footsteps came from the alley entrance!

It was light, but rhythmic, with almost identical intervals between each step—it was the work of a trained person!

Chen Yu held his breath, locking his spiritual sense onto the alley entrance. A figure appeared at the alley entrance, of medium build, wearing ordinary work clothes, carrying a cloth bag in his hand.

The man walked to door number 17, and instead of knocking, he rhythmically knocked on the door knocker: three short knocks followed by one long knock, a pause, and then two more short knocks.

There was movement inside the door soon. The man in the east room got up, went to the door, and responded with the same code: one long and two short.

The door opened, and the person slipped inside.

Chen Yu used his spiritual sense to investigate thoroughly and heard the conversation inside the courtyard clearly.

"Old Zhou, the goods have arrived." The man's voice was low and hoarse.

"How much?" asked the man in the courtyard—who should be "Zhou".

"Twenty catties of crude ore, five catties of semi-finished product." The man placed the cloth bag on the ground and opened it. Inside were obsidian ore of varying sizes, and several pieces of metal that had been partially refined, gleaming with a dark red luster.

"How's the quality?"

"The mine is newly opened on the north slope of Xishan Mountain, and the content is higher than last time. The semi-finished products are from Hebei, but the process is not good, so they need to be refined again."

"Okay, put it in the west room. I'll give you the money tomorrow."

The two men carried the ore into the west room. Chen Yu took the opportunity to use his spiritual eye technique to observe the newcomers—around forty years old, with an ordinary face, but thick calluses on the web of his right hand, a result of long-term use of guns or tools. His left leg had a slight difficulty walking, as if it were an old injury.

After unloading the goods, the two talked quietly in the yard.

"What did Brother Dao say?" Old Zhou asked.

"Speed ​​things up," the man said. "We've received a letter from Hong Kong; we absolutely must get that item from the August auction. We can add more money if needed, but the item cannot be lost."

"An auction..." Old Zhou pondered, "How much foreign exchange would that cost?"

"You don't need to worry about that, Brother Dao has his own way. Just focus on refining what needs to be refined, and the goods need to be shipped out before the end of next month."

"Time is too tight!"

"We have to get it done, even if it's urgent. Brother Dao said that if this succeeds, it'll be enough for us to live on for ten years."

The two exchanged a few more words before leaving. Old Zhou closed the door and went back to his room to continue sleeping.

Chen Yu waited in the alley for another half hour, and only left quietly after confirming it was safe. By the time he returned to the courtyard house, it was already dawn. He climbed through the window, closed it, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Tonight's gains were enormous: we confirmed Lao Zhou's identity and responsibilities—he is the "weapon refiner" of Scarface's team, responsible for the refining and preliminary processing of obsidian; we learned that the Hong Kong auction in August was indeed one of Scarface's targets; and we also learned that they have a much larger plan involving large sums of money and cross-border operations.

"The Scarface team is more professional than I expected," Chen Yu thought to himself. With mineral resources, processing facilities, sales channels, and cross-border connections, this was no longer an ordinary cultural relic theft gang, but an organized criminal group.

He took out his notebook and recorded what he had seen that night: Old Zhou's physical characteristics, details of the visitor's appearance, key information from the conversation, and the origin of the obsidian ore (a new mine on the north slope of Xishan)...

By the time I finished writing, it was already broad daylight. The sounds of doors opening, water splashing, and coughing echoed from the courtyard; a new day had begun in the traditional courtyard house.

Chen Yu changed into clean clothes and went out to wash up. He Yuzhu was fetching water in the yard. Seeing him, he smiled and said, "Little Chen, up so early? I heard you're going to Hong Kong?"

News travels fast. Chen Yu didn't deny it: "Yeah, it's something business."

"Hong Kong is great! A glamorous capitalist world!" He Yuzhu leaned closer. "I heard the buildings there are taller than here, and women wear skirts that show their thighs! Don't go astray and forget about our Qin Huairu!"

"Brother Zhu is joking," Chen Yu shook his head.

Just then, Qin Huairu came out of the Jia family's house carrying a basin. Her complexion had improved a lot recently, and her face had become rosy. When she saw Chen Yu, her eyes lit up, but because there were many people in the courtyard, she only nodded.

Chen Yu took the initiative to walk over: "Huai Ru, I was just about to look for you. I have to go on a long trip and will be back at the beginning of next month."

Qin Huairu's hand trembled, and the water in the basin almost spilled: "Where...where are you going?"

"I'm going to Hong Kong to discuss a business deal. I'll be back soon." Chen Yu lowered his voice. "Take care of yourself at home. If you need anything, contact Brother Zhu or Uncle San."

"I...I understand." Qin Huairu lowered her head. "You...you be careful."

Chen Yu noticed the worry in her eyes and said gently, "Don't worry, it will take at most half a month."

He was genuinely worried about Qin Huairu. She was three months pregnant, and although she wasn't showing yet, her pregnancy symptoms were becoming more pronounced, and lately she couldn't stand the smell of cooking oil. The Jia family was poor, and their nutrition was inadequate. Chen Yu had secretly slipped her money and ration coupons several times, but she always hesitated to spend them, saying she wanted to save them for the baby.

"Now that I'm back from Hong Kong, I need to find a way to improve her life," Chen Yu resolved. They couldn't stay in the courtyard house any longer; once the trip to Hong Kong was over, he would start looking for a new house and move out.

In the morning, Chen Yu went to the subdistrict office to see Director Wang, told him about his business trip, and also inquired about housing.

"Xiao Chen, now that you're in a better position, it's time to move to a bigger house." Director Wang flipped through his notebook. "However, housing is scarce in this area... But I have some news. There's a detached house for sale near Qianmen. The owner is in a hurry for money, and the price is right, although the house is a bit old."

"The front gate? Where exactly is it?"

"On Dashilan West Street, there's a small courtyard with three main rooms facing north and two side rooms, plus a small yard. The owner is asking for 3,500 yuan, but you can negotiate it down to around 3,200 yuan."

Three thousand two hundred thousand was a huge sum of money in those days, but Chen Yu could afford it. He also had tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars in his Hong Kong account, which would be enough to exchange for RMB.

"Director Wang, could you please arrange a meeting with the landlord so I can finalize the deal before I leave?"

"Okay! I'll contact them right away!"

After leaving the street office, Chen Yu went to the steel rolling mill. He had already handed over his work in the production department to Liu Yuhua, but he still had some personal belongings to pick up.

Liu Yuhua was in her office when she saw him arrive. She stood up and said, "Chen Yu, I was just about to look for you. Section Chief Li said that this business trip of yours is considered official, and the factory will reimburse your travel expenses. Here is the letter of introduction and the advance payment."

She handed me an envelope containing a letter of introduction and two hundred yuan.

"Thank you, Sister Liu."

"Don't mention it." Liu Yuhua paused for a moment. "Be careful in Hong Kong... I have a cousin who does business there. If you need any help, you can contact him."

She wrote down an address and phone number: Wing Cheong Trading Company, Mong Kok, Kowloon, Lam Wing Cheong.

Chen Yu accepted the gift and sincerely thanked her. Although Liu Yuhua was usually quiet, she was sincere and had helped him a lot at work these past few months.

"Oh, by the way," Liu Yuhua lowered her voice, "the factory security department asked me to tell you that if you discover anything suspicious while you're out, you can report it through special channels. They've prepared this for you."

She handed me a small metal box containing a fountain pen, but the cap had a tiny mechanism that, when unscrewed, revealed a small paper roll slot—a simple secret writing tool.

"The instructions are inside," Liu Yuhua said. "Don't use it unless absolutely necessary."

Chen Yu understood. The matter at Factory 903 wasn't over yet, and the security department wanted him to continue monitoring clues related to the obsidian.

After leaving the steel rolling mill, Chen Yu went to a department store. Hong Kong's climate is hot and humid, so he needed to prepare some light clothing. In addition, he bought some nutritional supplements—malted milk powder, milk powder, and red dates—and asked He Yuzhu to give them to Qin Huairu.

In the afternoon, Chen Yu went to Qianmen to look at houses. The courtyard was indeed old, with broken tiles and doors and windows that needed repair, but the location was good, quiet despite being in a busy area. The courtyard was square and had an old locust tree. The owner was an elderly gentleman in his sixties, whose son urgently needed money abroad, so he was in a hurry to sell.

Chen Yu carefully inspected the house structure and used his spiritual eye technique to examine the foundation and walls—there were no major problems, and the house could be lived in for decades after the repairs.

"Two thousand eight hundred, I'll pay in full at once," Chen Yu countered.

"Three thousand! That's the lowest I can go!"

"Two thousand nine. Your house needs repairs, it will cost at least two hundred."

"……make a deal!"

The two signed a simple agreement, and Chen Yu paid a deposit of 500 yuan, agreeing to complete the transfer procedures after returning from Hong Kong.

It was already evening when Chen Yu left the homeowner's house. Walking along the bustling streets of Dashilan, looking at the old buildings and passersby on both sides, he suddenly felt as if he had been transported to another world.

It's been over a year since he transmigrated to this world. From a poor boy in a courtyard house to a steel mill technician, and now the chairman of the Chen Group, the road has been far from easy. And now, he's about to take an even more important step—towards Hong Kong, and then to a wider world.

But the road ahead is not smooth. Scarface's team, mysterious magical artifacts, state secrets, transnational crime... these shadows intertwine, threatening to engulf him at any moment.

"When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it." Chen Yu clenched his fist. His cultivation at the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage gave him confidence, while the system and the small world were his trump cards. He had to succeed in his trip to Hong Kong.

Back at the courtyard house, it was already dusk. Chen Yu packed his luggage: documents, cash, a change of clothes, essential medicines, and a few items for self-defense—one bottle each of hemostatic and tissue-regenerating powder, calming powder, and qi-nourishing pills, and carefully wore the protective jade pendant close to his body.

Finally, he wrapped the scroll and the copper coins in oiled paper and hid them in a hidden compartment of the box. These were important clues that might come in handy in Hong Kong.

In the stillness of the night, Chen Yu entered the small world again. Beside the spiritual spring, the purple-gold grass had sprouted new buds. He watered it with the spiritual spring water and checked the growth of the other medicinal herbs.

"I'll go to Hong Kong this time and see if I can get my hands on some rare medicinal herbs or spiritual materials," he thought. As a free port, Hong Kong gathers things from all over the world; perhaps it has resources for spiritual practice.

Exiting the small world, Chen Yu sat cross-legged to cultivate and consolidate his cultivation at the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage. With the Concealing Breath Technique activated, he seemed to merge with the darkness.

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water.

Tomorrow, he will board a train heading south.

Meanwhile, the neon lights of Hong Kong were already faintly shimmering in the distance.