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

August 8th, 9:00 AM.

The banquet hall on the second floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong is completely different today than it is in the past.

The central display stand in the hall has been removed, replaced by neatly arranged, deep red velvet chairs fanning out towards the main stage. A mahogany auction table sits on the stage, behind which stands Christie's gold logo. Large projection screens on either side will simultaneously display details of the auction items.

When Chen Yu entered the hall, quite a few people had already arrived. The men were mostly dressed in suits and ties, while the women wore cheongsams and skirts, chatting quietly in twos and threes. The air was filled with the scent of perfume, cigars, and a subtle tension.

His seat was in the third row, near the aisle—a seat Gu Wenyuan had specially arranged for, offering a good view and easy access. Su Zhiqing sat to his right, wearing a moon-white cheongsam today, her hair styled in an updo, revealing her slender neck. Gu Wenyuan sat in the first row, conversing with the elderly man next to him; he was another renowned collector from Hong Kong.

Chen Yu scanned the entire room, his gaze lingering on several key figures:

Liu Zhenbang sat in the fifth row by the window, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, his expression calm, but his eyes occasionally glancing towards the entrance. Beside him sat two men in dark suits, the same scarred-faced henchmen Su Zhiqing had mentioned yesterday—one tall and thin, the other short and stocky, both with professionally cold expressions.

He Shutang's men sat in the seventh row. The leader was a bald man in his thirties with a hideous scar on his neck and a fierce look in his eyes. Behind him sat three other men, all of them strong and burly, clearly thugs.

In addition, there were some familiar faces: Christie's specialist John Carter moved through the crowd, exchanging pleasantries with important clients; several plainclothes police officers sat scattered around, maintaining order; and there were a few other capable-looking men whose identities were unclear, possibly Li Guoan's men.

At 9:30, the auctioneer walked onto the stage. He was a British man in his fifties, with gray hair, wearing an elegant three-piece suit and gold-rimmed glasses. He was William Thompson, Christie's Hong Kong's chief auctioneer.

"Ladies and gentlemen, good morning." Thompson's voice was deep and pleasant, with a typical British accent. "Welcome to Christie's Hong Kong Summer Auction 1963. Today we have eighty-seven lots, covering a wide range of categories including porcelain, jade, paintings and calligraphy, and miscellaneous items. I hope you all find something you like."

He paused, then smiled and said, "As is customary, please refrain from making noise during the auction and raise your paddles to indicate your participation. Each bid must be at least the minimum increment. Now, the auction begins."

The first item was a Ming dynasty blue-and-white porcelain plum vase with a lotus scroll design, starting at HK$12,000. Bidding quickly ensued, with several buyers taking turns raising their paddles, and it ultimately sold for HK$23,000.

Next came several jade artifacts and calligraphy and paintings, and the atmosphere grew increasingly lively. Chen Yu remained silent, observing without raising his paddle. He noticed that Liu Zhenbang and He Shutang's men also didn't make a move—their goal was clear: the final, grand finale.

Time ticked by. Each time an item was auctioned, Chen Yu ticked it off in the catalog. When he reached the sixty-third item, he checked his watch—2:15 PM. There was still about an hour and a half before the Vermilion Bird Bronze Lamp was ready to be displayed.

During halftime, Su Zhiqing came over and handed him a glass of water: "Are you nervous?"

"It's alright." Chen Yu took the water. "Any news from Liu Zhenbang?"

"No, he's been sitting still the whole time. But the two people next to him went out for a bit and came back five minutes later."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know. Maybe they're in contact with someone outside."

Chen Yu frowned. Did Scarface's team have backup outside?

The atmosphere changed noticeably in the second half. The quality of the items increased, and the competition intensified. A Qianlong famille rose vase with a hundred deer design started at 30,000 yuan and rose to 80,000 yuan before being sold to a wealthy businessman from Southeast Asia. A landscape painting by Zhang Daqian fetched a high price of 50,000 yuan.

As the hammer fell on the seventy-eighth lot, Thompson cleared his throat: "Ladies and gentlemen, next up is one of today's final lots, lot L-087, the Tang Dynasty Vermilion Bird Bronze Lamp."

The atmosphere in the room tensed up.

A photograph of the bronze lamp appeared on the projection screen, showcasing its details from various angles. Thompson began his introduction: "This lamp is 28.5 centimeters tall, weighs 3.2 kilograms, and is made of high-quality bronze with natural red spots and green rust. Scientific testing has confirmed it to be a ritual vessel used in the Tang Dynasty imperial court. The lamp oil formula contains special mineral components, allowing it to burn continuously for seven days. Starting bid: HK$80,000. Each bid must be at least HK$5,000."

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone in the first row held up a sign: "Eighty-five thousand."

He was a middle-aged man I didn't recognize.

"Ninety thousand." In the seventh row, He Shutang's bald subordinate held up a sign.

"Ninety-five thousand." In the fifth row, the person next to Liu Zhenbang held up a sign.

The competition began. Prices rose in turn, quickly surpassing 120,000.

Gu Wenyuan remained motionless. He was waiting, waiting for his true adversary to emerge.

When the count reached 130,000, the middle-aged man in the first row withdrew. When it reached 140,000, two more withdrew. Only Liu Zhenbang and He Shutang's people remained, still raising their placards.

"145,000." - Bald man's subordinate.

"150,000." Liu Zhenbang personally raised the sign, his voice calm.

"155,000." The bald man's men pressed on relentlessly.

All eyes were on the two men. Chen Yu noticed that the scarred-faced henchman next to Liu Zhenbang had a cold look in his eyes, and his right hand was always in his pocket—where a weapon might be.

"160,000." Liu Zhenbang raised his sign again.

The bald man hesitated for a moment, then glanced back at his companion. The companion nodded slightly.

"165,000." The bald man gritted his teeth and raised the sign.

Liu Zhenbang smiled slightly and was about to raise his sign again when someone suddenly raised their sign first—it was Gu Wenyuan!

"170,000."

The entire audience erupted in uproar. Old Master Gu had made his move!

The bald man's expression changed. Liu Zhenbang also frowned and looked at Gu Wenyuan. Gu Wenyuan remained calm, as if 170,000 was just a small amount.

"One hundred and seventy-five thousand," Liu Zhenbang continued to follow up.

"180,000." Gu Wenyuan said calmly.

"185,000." Liu Zhenbang.

"190,000." Gu Wenyuan.

"195,000." Liu Zhenbang's voice was starting to tighten.

Thompson looked at Gu Wenyuan. Gu Wenyuan raised his hand: "Two hundred thousand."

This was the upper limit agreed upon between him and Chen Yu. If it was exceeded, Chen Yu would take over.

Liu Zhenbang was silent for a few seconds, then raised his sign again: "Two hundred and five thousand."

Gu Wenyuan slowly lowered his hand and stopped raising the sign.

All eyes turned to Chen Yu.

Chen Yu calmly held up his card: "Two hundred and one thousand."

Liu Zhenbang suddenly turned his head, his gaze piercing Chen Yu like a knife. Chen Yu looked back at him, expressionless.

"Two hundred and fifty thousand." Liu Zhenbang held up the sign.

"Two hundred and twenty thousand," Chen Yu immediately followed up.

"Two hundred and twenty-five thousand." Sweat was already beading on Liu Zhenbang's forehead.

"Two hundred and thirty thousand." Chen Yu said calmly, as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.

Liu Zhenbang's hand froze in mid-air, not raised. His tall, thin, scarred subordinate whispered something, and Liu Zhenbang's expression changed before he finally slowly lowered his hand.

Thompson surveyed the room: "Two hundred and thirty thousand, any higher bids? Two hundred and thirty thousand, first time... Two hundred and thirty thousand, second time... Two hundred and thirty thousand, third time—sold! Congratulations, sir!"

The gavel fell, and the Vermilion Bird Bronze Lamp belonged to Chen Yu.

A polite round of applause filled the room. Chen Yu stood up, nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and appeared composed. But inwardly, he was extremely wary—he sensed at least four pairs of eyes fixed on him with chilling intent. Liu Zhenbang, Scarface's henchman, Baldy's henchman, and one… a strange man sitting in the corner, in his fifties, with an ordinary face but unfathomable eyes.

"Who is that person?" Chen Yu asked in a low voice to Su Zhiqing, who was walking over.

Su Zhiqing followed his gaze, her expression changing slightly: "I don't know him, but... I sensed a strong fluctuation of spiritual energy emanating from him."

After the auction, Chen Yu went through the formalities under the guidance of staff. HK$230,000 was not a small sum, but with the financial support of the Chen Group and the funding from Huang Wenyuan, it was more than enough.

Payment, signature, handover. When the copper lamp was packed into a specially made wooden box and handed to him, Chen Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But the real challenge has only just begun.

As I left the banquet hall, Liu Zhenbang approached me. He wore a professional smile, but his eyes were cold: "Mr. Chen, congratulations. I really like this lamp."

"Thank you," Chen Yu said, neither humble nor arrogant.

"I wonder if Mr. Chen is willing to part with it? I'll offer 250,000."

"Sorry, I also have a hobby of collecting."

Liu Zhenbang stared at him for a few seconds, nodded, and said, "Good luck then." He then turned and left.

The two men followed behind him. As they passed Chen Yu, the taller, thinner one whispered something—his voice was very soft, but Chen Yu heard it clearly: "Someone will collect the things."

A naked threat.

Chen Yu remained expressionless as he carried the wooden box and left the hotel. Gu Wenyuan's car was already waiting at the door; the driver was a man in his forties with sharp eyes, clearly a trained martial artist.

"Mr. Chen, Mr. Gu asked me to take you to the warehouse."

In the car, Chen Yu made a phone call to Li Guoan, using a short, coded message: "Goods picked up, ready for delivery."

"Understood, be careful on the road."

The car drove into Kowloon and stopped in a secluded industrial area. The warehouse was large, surrounded by high walls and barbed wire, with guards at the entrance. Gu Wenyuan was already waiting inside, along with Su Zhiqing and several technicians in white coats.

"Mr. Chen, thank you for your hard work." Gu Wenyuan personally took the wooden box and placed it on the worktable.

The wooden box was opened, and the Vermilion Bird bronze lamp gleamed with a warm luster under the light. Gu Wenyuan put on white gloves, carefully took it out, and placed it on the worktable covered with velvet.

"So beautiful..." he murmured.

Technicians began various tests: X-rays, spectral analysis, carbon-14 dating... Chen Yu, meanwhile, activated his spiritual eye technique to carefully observe the spiritual energy structure inside the bronze lamp.

As seen in the preview: the runes of the Fire Gathering Spirit Array show signs of repair, and three key nodes are damaged, significantly reducing the array's effectiveness. However, the core components are still intact, and with repair, some of its functions can be restored.

"How is it?" Su Zhiqing asked as she walked over.

"It's genuine, but it has flaws." Chen Yu pointed to the inside of the lamp base, "Here, here, and here, there are traces of repair. The ancient restoration was crude, affecting the integrity of the artifact."

"Can it be repaired?"

"We need someone who understands runes." Chen Yu looked at her. "Is there any record of the repair method in your grandfather's file?"

Su Zhiqing thought for a moment, then took out the notebook from her bag and flipped through a few pages: "Yes! My grandfather recorded a technique called 'Fire-Mending Heaven Technique,' which is specifically for repairing fire-type magical artifacts."

She handed the notebook to Chen Yu. Several pages were filled with incantations and rune drawing methods written in neat small regular script.

Chen Yu read it carefully, and gradually a plan formed in his mind. This "Fire-Fire-Mending Heaven Technique" had something in common with the "Tai Xuan True Scripture" he cultivated. It used spiritual power as needles and runes as threads to repair the damaged nodes of the formation.

"We need obsidian powder," Chen Yu said. "We'll need it for repairs."

"I'll have someone prepare it," Gu Wenyuan said. "Hong Kong has obsidian, though in small quantities, but enough."

After the technicians completed their inspection, they confirmed that the bronze lamp's material and age were correct. Gu Wenyuan ordered his men to carefully put the bronze lamp away and lock it in the safe at the deepest part of the warehouse.

"Mr. Chen, please stay here tonight," Gu Wenyuan said. "The warehouse has a rest room; the conditions are basic, but it's safe. We can discuss it together tomorrow."

Chen Yu nodded. He really couldn't leave tonight—Scarface and He Shutang's men were definitely waiting outside.

After dinner, Chen Yu surveyed the area around the warehouse. His spiritual sense spread out, covering a radius of thirty feet. There were indeed people watching outside the warehouse—at least three groups, each in a different location. But they didn't approach; they simply kept watch from a distance.

"Waiting for an opportunity," Chen Yu thought to himself. They wouldn't make a move in the warehouse; security there was too tight. But as soon as he left the warehouse area, he would be attacked immediately.

Back in the rest room, Chen Yu sat cross-legged and began to cultivate. The spiritual energy inside the warehouse was thin, but he wasn't in a hurry. The real battle was yet to come.

At 11 p.m., the phone rang.

"Mr. Chen, this is Li Guoan." His voice was low. "Our people have found out that Scarface will be making a move tonight. They've brought ten men from Kowloon Walled City, fully equipped, ready to strike when you leave the warehouse."

"Ten people?"

"Yes, there are two more cultivators—including Liu Zhenbang. He Shutang's men are also outside, but they won't join forces with Scarface; they want to reap the benefits."

"Where are the police?"

"Someone made a call; there's a 'security vacuum' in the warehouse district tonight," Li Guoan said in a deep voice. "They want to keep things under wraps to avoid escalating the situation."

I understand. Tonight, this place will be the battlefield.

Chen Yu hung up the phone, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

There were ten people, two of whom were cultivators. He Shutang's men were also watching them intently from the sidelines.

But he has a trump card.

With a thought, the figures of Pseudo-humans No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 appeared in the small world. They had been cultivating with Chen Yu for many days and were stronger than ordinary pseudo-humans.

"Master, what are your orders?"

"There's going to be a tough battle tonight," Chen Yu said in a deep voice. "The three of you, lie in ambush around the warehouse. Wait for my signal, then strike together."

"Yes."

After arranging the decoys, Chen Yu took out his protective jade pendant and put it on. Hemostatic and tissue-regenerating powder, calming powder, and qi-nourishing pills were all at hand. His miniature camera was also ready—everything tonight would be recorded.

At one o'clock in the morning, faint footsteps could be heard outside the warehouse.

Chen Yu used his spiritual sense to probe and discovered that six people had already reached the base of the wall. They were dressed in black night clothes, moved nimbly, and each held a short knife or a short stick—no guns, indicating they wanted to keep a low profile.

Four more people were waiting in the distance. Further away, He Shutang's men were lurking in the shadows, waiting to see what would happen.

Chen Yu silently arrived at the corner of the warehouse, activating his concealment technique to its maximum, making him seem to blend into the darkness.

The first group of men in black scaled the wall and entered. The moment they landed, Chen Yu moved—

He appeared like a ghost, striking the first man in black on the back of the neck with a palm strike. The man collapsed to the ground without even uttering a sound.

The second man in black reacted and thrust his dagger at Chen Yu. Chen Yu dodged to the side, snatched the knife, and struck the man unconscious with a backhand blow.

But the third signal had already been given—a sharp whistle pierced the night sky!

Upon hearing the signal, the people outside the warehouse stopped hiding and rushed in!

Chen Yu remained calm, and his three fake humans, number one, two, and three, emerged from the shadows and engaged the men in black in combat. The fake humans felt no pain, were impervious to injury, and possessed astonishing fighting power, instantly taking down all three.

Chen Yu then charged directly at the last man in black—the tall, thin, scarred subordinate, a cultivator!

The two clashed in the darkness. The tall, thin man's cultivation was around the fifth level of the Qi Refining stage, and his moves were ruthless, each aimed at a vital point. However, Chen Yu's seventh-level cultivation overwhelmed him, and after three moves, he struck the tall, thin man in the chest with a palm strike, sending him flying backward, coughing up blood.

"Retreat!" Liu Zhenbang's voice came from afar. Seeing that the situation was not good, the remaining men in black helped the wounded and retreated in a hurry.

Seeing Scarface retreat, He Shutang's men also quietly disappeared.

The battle was over in less than five minutes.

Chen Yu inspected the battlefield and found that he had taken down seven people, two of whom were cultivators. He ordered the fake men to drag them to a corner of the warehouse and tie them up with ropes. Then he called Li Guoan.

"Director Li, we've caught the man. Come and close the net."

Half an hour later, several cars without license plates arrived, and several sharp-looking men got out and took all the men in black away. The leader, a middle-aged man, nodded to Chen Yu: "Mr. Chen, thank you for your hard work. These people will be properly 'questioned'."

Chen Yu watched them leave, finally feeling relieved.

He won tonight.

But Chen Yu knew that the real battle had only just begun.

Scarface won't give up easily, and He Shutang will come back for more. He must unravel the secret of the bronze lamp and find the true location of the Four Symbols Ritual Vessels before they do.

Back in the lounge, Chen Yu sat cross-legged and looked out the window.

As dawn breaks, a new day is about to begin.

And this game has only just entered the middle stage.