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

August 10th, 3 PM.

The train pulled into Kunming Station. Chen Yu got off the train with his luggage, and a wave of heat hit him on the platform—August in Yunnan was even more humid than in Hong Kong, but the air carried the unique freshness of the mountains and forests.

Su Zhiqing followed behind him, dressed in light cotton and linen clothes, wearing a sun hat and sunglasses, looking like a Southeast Asian Chinese tourist. She looked around and said, "Kunming is cooler than I expected."

"The altitude is high," Chen Yu said. "Let's find a place to stay for the night and leave tomorrow."

The two found a state-run hotel near the station and booked two rooms. The rooms were simple but clean, and the sheets smelled of sunshine. Chen Yu put down his luggage and went to the front desk to make a phone call—to Gu Wenyuan's contact person in Kunming.

The voice on the other end of the phone was that of a middle-aged man with a heavy Yunnan accent: "Mr. Chen? Mr. Gu has already spoken to you. I'll send a car to take you to Tengchong tomorrow; it'll take seven or eight hours. Get some rest tonight."

"Thank you. May I ask your name?"

"My surname is Zhao, Zhao Dezhu, and I work at the Provincial Museum. See you tomorrow."

After dinner, Chen Yu and Su Zhiqing took a walk on the street. Kunming's nights are cooler than its days, and there were quite a few pedestrians on the street. Women in ethnic costumes were selling roasted rice cakes, and the air was filled with the aroma of chili peppers and charcoal.

Su Zhiqing bought two roasted rice cakes and handed one to Chen Yu: "Try it, it's a Yunnan specialty."

Chen Yu took a bite; it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, the aroma of chili peppers exploding in his mouth: "Not bad."

The two walked and talked. Su Zhiqing recounted her past experiences researching in Northwest China, enduring wind and rain, sometimes even having to outwit and outmaneuver tomb raiders. As Chen Yu listened, he gained a new understanding of this seemingly frail woman.

"Aren't you afraid to travel to those places alone?"

"What's the use of being afraid?" Su Zhiqing smiled. "My grandfather said that a scholar must have dirt on his feet. Those precious things won't be delivered to you by themselves."

Chen Yu nodded. He agreed with those words.

The next morning, Zhao Dezhu's car arrived at the hotel entrance on time. It was a green Jeep with the words "Yunnan Provincial Museum" printed on it. Zhao Dezhu was in his early forties, with dark skin and a bright white smile.

"Mr. Chen, Ms. Su, please get in the car," he greeted warmly. "The ride will be bumpy, so hold on tight."

The jeep drove out of Kunming, heading west. The road grew narrower and narrower, turning from asphalt to gravel, then to dirt. The scenery outside the window changed from city to farmland, then to mountains and forests. The further west it went, the higher the mountains became, and the denser the forests grew.

As Zhao Dezhu drove, he explained, "Tengchong is located on the western border of Yunnan, close to Myanmar. The climate there is hot and humid, and the area is rich in resources; the jade business is very famous. The Fire God Temple you're looking for is at the foot of Daying Mountain. It's an old temple, and its incense is still quite strong."

"Has Master Zhao been there?" Su Zhiqing asked.

"I've been there a few times. The abbot of that temple is surnamed Zhou, he's over seventy years old, and he's a very nice person. There's an underground palace in the temple, which was sealed off during the Republic of China era. It's said that it houses the 'true body of the Fire God,' and outsiders aren't allowed to enter."

"The true form of the God of Fire?" Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat.

"Legend has it that it was left behind by an ancient high monk after his death, but no one has ever seen it," Zhao Dezhu said. "If you want to go, I can talk to Abbot Zhou on your behalf."

"Thank you, Master Zhao."

After a seven-hour drive, they finally arrived in Tengchong County at dusk. The county town was small but bustling, with stalls selling jade everywhere and ethnic minority women carrying bamboo baskets on their backs. Zhao Dezhu led them to the county government guesthouse—the conditions were much better than the one in Kunming, with hot water and electric fans.

"I'll take you to Reshuitang Village first thing tomorrow morning," Zhao Dezhu said. "Get a good rest tonight."

After dinner, Chen Yu meditated cross-legged in his room. The spiritual energy in Yunnan was different from that in Hong Kong; it was closer to nature, carrying the scent of mountains and forests. He absorbed and refined it, feeling his cultivation level improve slightly.

As night deepened, the chirping of insects drifted in from outside the window, rising and falling like a natural symphony.

August 12th, 7:00 AM.

The jeep left Tengchong County and headed south. The road became increasingly difficult to travel, with dense forests on both sides and a few bamboo houses occasionally in sight. After about two hours, a village appeared ahead, with dozens of households. Most of the houses had earthen walls and tiled roofs. At the entrance of the village stood a stone tablet with three large characters engraved on it—"Hot Water Pond".

"We've arrived." Zhao Dezhu stopped the car. "The Fire God Temple is at the entrance of the village; it's the one with the white walls."

Chen Yu got out of the car and looked at the temple. The temple was not large, with white walls and blue tiles, nestled among several large banyan trees. The temple gate was made of wood and painted dark red. A plaque hung above the gate with the five characters "Fire Virtue Star Lord Shrine" written in an ancient style, as if it were a relic from the Ming or Qing Dynasty.

The temple gate was half-open, revealing the courtyard inside. In the courtyard stood an old locust tree, beneath which sat a stone incense burner, burning incense and emitting wisps of smoke.

Zhao Dezhu stepped forward and knocked on the door: "Is Abbot Zhou in?"

A moment later, an old monk emerged. He wore a grey robe, his hair and beard were white, and his face was thin, but his eyes were bright. Seeing Zhao Dezhu, he smiled slightly: "Benefactor Zhao has arrived? Please come in."

The group followed him into the temple. The courtyard was very clean, and in the main hall was a statue of a deity—red-faced, with a long beard, holding a fire wheel, none other than the Fire God. In front of the statue was an incense table with several oil lamps on it, their flames flickering.

"Abbot Zhou, these two are guests from Hong Kong. They want to see the underground palace in our temple," Zhao Dezhu said, getting straight to the point.

Abbot Zhou looked at Chen Yu and Su Zhiqing, his gaze lingering on them for a moment, before slowly saying, "The underground palace has been sealed for sixty years, and outsiders are never allowed to enter. Why do you two wish to see it?"

Chen Yu was prepared. He took out a rubbing of the silk book from the rolled-up iron tube in his pocket. This was something he had prepared before his departure, and it had Su Mingyuan's seal on it.

"Abbot Zhou, this was left to me by an elder of mine. He studied the Four Symbols ritual vessels during his lifetime and said that the Azure Dragon Cauldron was eventually found in the underground palace of your temple."

Abbot Zhou took the rubbing, examined it carefully for a moment, and his expression changed slightly. He raised his head, his gaze towards Chen Yu becoming profound: "Su Mingyuan... is he a descendant of Benefactor Su?"

"It was indeed my ancestor." Su Zhiqing stepped forward. "Abbot Zhou, do you know my ancestor?"

Abbot Zhou remained silent for a long time before sighing, "Sixty years ago, Benefactor Su came here. I was only ten years old then, a novice monk in the temple."

He turned and walked towards the side door of the main hall: "Come with me."

The group followed him through the side gate to the backyard. The backyard was small, containing only a woodshed and a well. Abbot Zhou walked to the well and pressed a few times on the well rim. A stone slab beside the well slowly moved aside, revealing a downward stone staircase.

"This is the entrance to the underground palace," Abbot Zhou said. "For sixty years, no one but me has ever gone in."

Chen Yu looked at the stone steps, which were dark and bottomless. He probed them with his spiritual sense and could detect a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy below—very ancient and very weak, but definitely the aura of a cultivator.

"Abbot Zhou, we'd like to go down and take a look."

"Alright," Abbot Zhou nodded, "but I must warn you beforehand that the underground palace is dangerous. No one has been inside for sixty years, and nobody knows what's inside. Be careful."

Chen Yu took out the prepared flashlights, handed one to Su Zhiqing, and took one for himself. He also took out a few Qingxin San and Zhixue Shengji San pills and gave them to Su Zhiqing.

"Let's go."

The two descended the stone steps. The steps were narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time, with rough, moss-covered rock walls on either side. After descending about thirty or forty steps, a stone gate appeared ahead.

The stone door was half-open, with a faint light shining through the crack. Chen Yu pushed open the stone door, revealing a stone chamber about twenty square meters in size. In the center stood a stone table with a bronze tripod on it.

The cauldron was over a foot tall, with three legs and two handles. Its body was engraved with a blue dragon pattern, which gleamed with a faint green light in the darkness—it was rusted bronze, but it could also be the light of residual spiritual energy.

"The Azure Dragon Cauldron!" Su Zhiqing exclaimed.

Chen Yu approached for a closer look. With his spiritual eye activated, the runic structure inside the cauldron was clearly visible—far more complex than the Vermilion Bird Bronze Lamp, at least a five-layered nested array, exuding an ancient and majestic aura.

However, there is a crack on the body of the cauldron, extending from the mouth to the belly, as if it had been struck by a heavy object. There are signs of repair at the crack, but the workmanship is rough, just like the repair of the Vermilion Bird Bronze Lamp.

"Back then, Benefactor Su came specifically to see this cauldron," Abbot Zhou's voice came from behind. "He said it was the foremost of the Four Symbols ritual vessels, of great importance. He also left behind a message—"

"What did you say?"

"The Azure Dragon is incomplete, the White Tiger is nowhere to be found, the Black Tortoise emerges from the sea, and the Vermilion Bird awaits its master. The Four Symbols are incomplete; they should not be opened lightly."

Chen Yu silently recited this in his heart. This was a warning to those who would follow—the Azure Dragon Cauldron was damaged, the White Tiger Cong was missing, the Black Tortoise Armor was lost overseas, and although the Vermilion Bird Lamp Mirror had been found, the mirror itself was missing. The four elements were not in harmony; forcibly activating it would be dangerous.

"Abbot Zhou, may we take this cauldron with us?"

Abbot Zhou remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "Back then, Benefactor Su asked the same question. My master said that this cauldron has been guarding this place for six hundred years, connected to the earth's veins. Moving it rashly might cause unforeseen changes. But if it's for gathering the four elements to complete its mission..."

He paused, then looked at Chen Yu: "Does the benefactor know the method of repair?"

"I know some."

"Then repair it here. After the repair, the connection between the cauldron and the earth's veins will be severed, and you can take it away."

Chen Yu looked at the Azure Dragon Cauldron. Repairing it would require time and materials, but this was an underground palace with rudimentary conditions.

"I need obsidian powder, and... some tools."

Abbot Zhou nodded: "The temple has incense burners, and the ashes contain obsidian. Although they are not pure, they are better than nothing. As for tools, I can have them borrowed from the village."

Su Zhiqing said, "I'm going back to the county town to buy some necessities."

"I'll go with you," Zhao Dezhu said.

After the two left, Chen Yu sat cross-legged in front of the Azure Dragon Cauldron, probing his spiritual sense to carefully study the rune structure on the cauldron's body. It had five nested layers, several times more complex than the Vermilion Bird Bronze Lamp, but the repair principle was the same—using spiritual power as a needle and fire as a guide, he traced the original patterns.

However, there was more than one damaged area, and the cracks ran through multiple layers of runes, making repairs extremely difficult.

"It will take time," Chen Yu thought to himself, "at least three days."

He closed his eyes and began to mentally rehearse the repair plan.

The underground palace was silent, with only the Azure Dragon Cauldron on the stone table gleaming faintly in the darkness, as if waiting, waiting for the first person in a thousand years to truly understand it.