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

August 25th, 7:00 AM.

The train slowly pulled into Beijing Station. Chen Yu stood at the train door with his simple luggage, looking at the familiar platform outside the window, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him. After being away for more than a month, he was no longer the same Chen Yu.

His cultivation at the Foundation Establishment stage brought about a qualitative change in him, both inside and out. Although he still looked like a young man in his mid-twenties, his temperament was as deep as an abyss and his eyes as gentle as jade. When he walked in a crowd, people would involuntarily take a second look.

"Mr. Chen, we've arrived." Su Zhiqing's voice came from behind.

She eventually followed him. In her words, "I want to see with my own eyes the courtyard house where you live, and see what kind of woman Qin Huairu is that you can't forget."

Chen Yu did not refuse. Su Zhiqing had helped him so much these past few days, and it was only right and proper that he bring her to Beijing to see the world.

The two stepped out of the station. September in Beijing was already a bit chilly; the sky was azure, and the sun shone brightly. In the station square, people held up signs to welcome passengers, breakfast vendors hawked their wares, and rickshaw drivers solicited business—everything felt so familiar.

"This is Beijing," Su Zhiqing took a deep breath. "It's quieter than I expected."

"Once we get to the alley, you'll see what real excitement is," Chen Yu said with a smile.

The two hailed a tricycle and headed straight for Nanluoguxiang.

The tricycle weaved through the alleyways and finally stopped in front of the courtyard house. Chen Yu paid the fare, picked up his luggage, and pushed open the door to enter.

In the front yard, Uncle Yan Bugui was squatting by his door tending to the potted plants. Hearing the noise, he looked up, paused for a few seconds, and then recognized him: "Little Chen?! You're back!"

"Uncle, it's been a long time," Chen Yu greeted with a smile.

Yan Bugui put down his trowel and leaned over to look him up and down: "Wow, you've changed quite a bit since you went out! You look healthier and more energetic! And this is...?"

"My friend, Ms. Su, is from Hong Kong."

"From Hong Kong?" Yan Bugui's eyes lit up, and he greeted her warmly, "Hello, Miss Su! Please come in, please come in!"

The three walked inside, talking as they went. In the courtyard, He Yuzhu was washing vegetables at the tap. Hearing the noise, he looked up and almost dropped the vegetables: "Chen Yu! You're finally back!"

He dropped the groceries, strode over, and hugged Chen Yu tightly: "I missed you so much! I hadn't heard from you for over a month, I thought something had happened to you!"

"Brother Zhu, I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?" Chen Yu patted him on the shoulder.

He Yuzhu released him, looked at Su Zhiqing, and his eyes lit up again: "And this is...?"

"My friend, Su Zhiqing."

"Hello, Miss Su!" He Yuzhu extended his hand warmly, then, realizing his hand was wet, wiped it on his clothes before shaking it. "Welcome, welcome!"

Su Zhiqing smiled and nodded: "Hello, Master He, I've heard so much about you."

"I've heard so much about you?" He Yuzhu scratched his head. "What's my name?"

Everyone laughed.

Just then, the sound of a door opening came from the Jia family's side. Chen Yu turned his head and met Qin Huairu's gaze.

She stood at the door, holding a basin in her hand, wearing a faded floral top, her hair simply wrapped in a headscarf, her face showing some fatigue, but her eyes flashed with an amazing light the moment she saw Chen Yu.

"Huai Ru," Chen Yu called softly.

The basin in Qin Huairu's hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," spilling water everywhere, but she didn't care. She quickly walked over, stood in front of Chen Yu, looked up at him, and her eyes instantly reddened.

"You...you're back..." Her voice trembled.

"You're back." Chen Yu took her hand. "I'm sorry I made you worry."

Qin Huairu shook her head, tears finally falling: "It's good that you're back...it's good that you're back..."

Su Zhiqing watched quietly from the side, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes—a mixture of relief, blessings, and a faint sense of loss.

Seeing this, He Yuzhu quickly smoothed things over: "Oh dear, what are you standing there for? Come inside and talk! Miss Su has come from afar, we must treat her well!"

The group entered Chen Yu's small room. The room had been uninhabited for over a month, covered in a thin layer of dust, but it was still usable after a little cleaning. Qin Huairu busied herself wiping the table and pouring water; Su Zhiqing offered to help, but Qin Huairu absolutely refused.

"Miss Su is a guest, please have a seat." Qin Huairu said, then secretly glanced at Su Zhiqing—this woman was well-dressed and had an outstanding temperament; she was clearly not an ordinary person. What was her relationship with Chen Yu...?

Chen Yu saw through her thoughts and took the initiative to explain, "Huai Ru, Miss Su is an antique appraiser in Hong Kong. She helped me a lot when I went to Hong Kong on business this time. We can be considered... business partners."

Qin Huairu nodded, feeling slightly relieved, but her woman's intuition told her that the way Miss Su looked at Chen Yu was more than just a business partner.

However, she didn't say anything, but just smiled and invited Su Zhiqing to drink tea.

He Yuzhu leaned closer: "Xiao Chen, you must have had a very fruitful trip to Hong Kong, right?"

"It's alright." Chen Yu took out a few boxes of pastries from his luggage. "I brought some Hong Kong specialties for everyone. We'll distribute them later."

"Oh dear, I can't accept this!" He Yuzhu said politely, but had already taken the money from her.

Just then, Jia Zhangshi's voice came from outside: "Oh, Chen Yu is back? And he brought guests? All these bags and packages, he must have struck it rich!"

Chen Yu turned his head and saw Jia Zhangshi standing at the door with a fake smile on her face, her eyes darting around as she looked at the things in the room.

"Hello, Aunt Jia," Chen Yu replied casually.

"What's so good about it? Things aren't going well for my family lately," Jia Zhangshi said, pursing her lips. "Dongxu's wife is making a fuss about going back to her parents' home again, and Banggeng needs money for school. Life's tough for us. Chen Yu, now that you're successful, you should help out your old neighbors."

Chen Yu sneered inwardly. This old hag is still the same as always.

"Aunt Jia is joking. I'm just an ordinary worker. How could I possibly help others?"

Madam Jia was about to say something when Qin Huairu stopped her: "Mom, they just got back, don't disturb their rest."

Madam Jia glared at her daughter and left in a huff.

Su Zhiqing, who had been watching closely, whispered, "Is this the one you were talking about?"

Chen Yu nodded: "A typical courtyard house character."

Su Zhiqing smiled and didn't say anything more.

At noon, He Yuzhu prepared a feast to welcome Chen Yu. His third uncle, Yan Bugui, also joined in, bringing a bottle of his prized Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor). Everyone sat together, eating and chatting in a lively atmosphere.

After dinner, Chen Yu took Su Zhiqing for a walk through the alleyways, explaining the layout of the courtyard houses and the stories of the neighbors. Su Zhiqing listened with great interest, asking questions from time to time.

"Is that Jia Zhangshi really as you described?"

"It's even worse than that."

"Qin Huairu must be having a hard time under her, right?"

"So I need to get Huai Ru out as soon as possible," Chen Yu said. "The paperwork for the house in front of the gate is almost done. Once I've settled in, I'll let her move in."

Su Zhiqing looked at him and suddenly asked, "Mr. Chen, when do you plan to marry her?"

Chen Yu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled: "Soon. Wait until I finish taking care of the last few things."

"What is it?"

"The Temple of Vulcan will not let this go." Chen Yu's smile faded. "I must be prepared and not let them threaten Huai Ru's safety."

Su Zhiqing nodded, seemingly lost in thought.

In the evening, Chen Yu went to the subdistrict office to see Director Wang.

"Xiao Chen is back!" Director Wang greeted him warmly. "The paperwork for the house near the front gate is done, the homeowner has signed it, and we're just waiting for you to transfer the ownership."

"Thank you, Director Wang." Chen Yu took the documents and handed over an envelope. "This is just a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it."

Director Wang declined at first, but then accepted it. She lowered her voice: "Xiao Chen, I heard you made a fortune in Hong Kong this time?"

"No, that's not true. I just did some small business," Chen Yu said with a smile.

"Don't be modest!" Director Wang laughed. "By the way, you can't let Qin Huairu down. She's been looking forward to your return every day for the past month, and she's lost weight."

"I know. Once my house is finished, I'll officially marry her."

After leaving the neighborhood office, Chen Yu went to Qianmen. The small courtyard had been almost completely renovated; new doors and windows had been installed, the walls had been repainted, and some flowers and plants had been planted in the yard, making it much cleaner and tidier than before.

He stood in the courtyard, pondering his next move.

The matter of the Vulcan Temple is not over yet, but there shouldn't be any major moves in the short term. His Foundation Establishment stage strength gives him the confidence to face any challenge, but he cannot be careless—his opponent also has experts at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

"I need to improve my strength as soon as possible," Chen Yu thought to himself. He still had five Nine-Turn Golden Pills left, which he could continue to take, but after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, the effects of the pills would weaken, requiring better cultivation resources and techniques.

The Five Elements Spiritual Pearls in the cave are a huge treasure, but they are too far away to visit at any time.

"System, is there any way?" he asked in his mind.

[Ding! The system has detected that the host has successfully established a foundation. The system shop is now open.]

[The shop offers the following items for exchange: cultivation techniques, elixirs, magical artifacts, spirit stones, and spiritual materials. These require daily check-in points.]

Current points: 1250 (earned through cumulative check-ins)

Chen Yu's eyes lit up. The system shop! How come I didn't notice it before?

He browsed the online store list, which was dazzling with variety:

The Foundation Building Chapter of the Tai Xuan Zhen Jing: 800 points

Spirit Stone (Low Grade): 100 points/piece

Peiyuan Pill (for Foundation Establishment stage cultivation): 200 points/bottle

Beginner Flying Sword: 500 points

Advanced Five Elements Escape Techniques: 600 points

……

Without hesitation, Chen Yu first exchanged the Foundation Establishment Chapter of the "Tai Xuan Zhen Jing" and two bottles of Pei Yuan Pills, spending 1200 points.

The Foundation Building Chapter of the Tai Xuan Zhen Jing has been released.

[Two Peiyuan Pills have been distributed]

He took out the cultivation manual jade slip, pressed it to his forehead, and a flood of information rushed into his mind—cultivation methods for the Foundation Establishment stage, techniques for using various supernatural abilities, and initial guidance for breaking through to the Golden Core stage…

"Golden Core stage..." Chen Yu murmured. Above Foundation Establishment lies the Golden Core. Above the Golden Core lies the Nascent Soul. The path of cultivation is long and endless.

But he was not afraid. With the system, the grotto-heaven, the Four Symbols ritual artifacts, and the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, he was confident that he could go even further.

It was already dark when they returned to the courtyard house. Chen Yu went to the Jia family's house to find Qin Huairu. The two sat under the old locust tree in the courtyard, looking at the stars in the sky.

"Huai Ru, the house in front of the gate is ready," Chen Yu said softly. "You can move in next month."

Qin Huairu trembled: "Me...me alone?"

"I'll be alone for now. Once I'm done with this busy period, I'll spend every day with you." Chen Yu held her hand. "Don't worry, it won't be long."

Qin Huairu was silent for a moment, then gently leaned on his shoulder: "I'll wait for you."

The moonlight, like water, bathed the two young people. A few barks of dogs drifted from afar, and occasionally someone walked by in the alley.

A warm feeling welled up in Chen Yu's heart. No matter how dangerous the outside world was, no matter how powerful the Temple of Fire was, as long as there was this moment of peace, it was all worth it.

He was determined to protect the person in front of him, protect this small courtyard house, and protect everyone he cared about.

No matter how difficult the road ahead, we will not hesitate.