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

The long-distance bus bumped along the potholed dirt road for five hours before finally arriving in Tianjin's old city at 1 p.m.

Chen Yu got off the bus with the crowd. His disguised face was unremarkable. He wore a worn gray Zhongshan suit and carried a canvas bag, looking like an ordinary clerk on a business trip. But his spiritual eye technique had been quietly activated, and he could see every detail within a fifteen-zhang range.

The area outside Tianjin Railway Station was bustling with noise. Tricycle drivers called out to attract passengers, vendors pushed carts selling jianbing (Chinese crepes), and several people wearing red armbands were maintaining order. The air was filled with the smells of coal smoke, the aroma of fried food, and the unique moisture of the Haihe River.

"System, check-in for today," Chen Yu silently read aloud. Although he was in Tianjin, the check-in system was not restricted by location.

[Ding! Japanese visa successfully obtained]

[Received: 5 jin of national grain coupons, 3 jin of Tianjin local grain coupons, a small basic dialect imitation skills experience pack, and 8 yuan in cash]

Dialect imitation skills? Perfect timing! Chen Yu immediately put them to use, his mind flooded with the basic pronunciation, common vocabulary, and intonation characteristics of Tianjin dialect. Although he couldn't reach the level of a native speaker, simple communication was no problem.

He first found a state-run hotel and checked into a single room using a letter of introduction. The room was small, with only a bed, a table, and a chair, but it was very clean. Chen Yu put down his luggage and took out the two spirit-patterned pocket watches from his bag.

Under the sunlight of Tianjin's old city, the patterns on the back of the pocket watch appeared even clearer. The pattern extending from the two watches pointed towards the back mountain of Biyun Temple, but the third indentation remained blank. Chen Yu could sense that the third pocket watch was in this city, and not far away—there seemed to be a faint connection between the pocket watches.

"Pseudo-human number two, how's the situation on your end?" Chen Yu asked through mental communication.

"Master, we have arrived near Lion Alley. The Fucha family's old residence is deep in the alley, a two-courtyard house, but it looks very dilapidated. There is a red paper with 'This house is for sale' posted on the door."

Are there any suspicious people around?

"Not yet. But there's a shoe repair stall at the entrance of the alley. The stall owner is very wary; he might be keeping watch."

Chen Yu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Don't go in yet, wait for me. Meet me at the alley entrance at three o'clock this afternoon."

"Yes."

After hanging up, Chen Yu took out some things from his bag: a small packet of hemostatic and tissue-regenerating powder, two Qi-nourishing pills, and a small piece cut from the century-old wild ginseng—this was a "sincere gift" prepared for the Fucha family.

He changed into a dark blue cadre uniform, put on a cap, and checked the disguise in the mirror. The middle-aged man in the mirror had a kind face and gentle eyes, looking like a staff member of a cultural institution.

At 2:30 p.m., Chen Yu arrived near Shizi Hutong. This is the core area of ​​Tianjin's old city, where old houses with blue bricks and gray tiles stand side by side, the alleys are narrow and winding, and the ground is paved with uneven bluestone slabs. Many houses still have exquisitely carved brick carvings on their lintels, although most of them are now dilapidated, one can still imagine their former prosperity.

The shoe repair stall was located at the entrance of the alley. The stall owner was a thin, fifty-something-year-old man who was mending a cloth shoe. Chen Yuling scanned the stall with her eyes and noticed that the old man's shoe-mending movements were very skilled, but his eyes kept glancing into the depths of the alley. There was a faint metallic glint in the toolbox on his right—it wasn't a shoe repair tool.

"Sir, I'm asking about someone." Chen Yu spoke in his newly learned Tianjin dialect, which was still a bit awkward, but enough to fool the questioner.

The old man looked up and sized him up: "Who are you looking for?"

"I heard the Fucha family lives at No. 7, Lion Alley?"

The old man's eyes flashed: "The Fucha family? What business do you have with them?"

"I heard some old items are up for sale, so I came to take a look," Chen Yu said frankly. "I'm a purchasing agent at the Beijing Antique Shop, and I have a letter of introduction."

As he spoke, he pulled out a fake letter of introduction that he had prepared in advance. Although it could not withstand close scrutiny, it was enough to fool most people.

The old man glanced at the letter of introduction, then at Chen Yu, and finally nodded: "Go inside, the house with the peeling paint on the sign is it. But Old Master Fucha has a strange temper, so be careful."

"Thank you, sir."

Chen Yu entered the alley, his spiritual senses fully activated. He could sense several gazes coming from behind the surrounding windows—this alley was no ordinary place, and the residents were all very wary.

The gate to courtyard number seven was indeed dilapidated; the vermilion lacquer on the main door was severely faded, and the bronze door knockers were rusted. There should have been a plaque above the door, but now only two nail holes remained. Chen Yu stepped forward and knocked; the bronze knockers made a dull thud against the wooden door.

After waiting for about a minute, the door opened a crack, revealing an old face. The old man was over seventy years old, with a full head of white hair, but his eyes were bright. He was wearing a faded long gown, and his demeanor was out of place in this dilapidated courtyard.

"Who are you looking for?" the old man asked in a hoarse voice.

"Old Master Fucha?" Chen Yu bowed slightly. "My surname is Chen, and I come from Beijing. I am a descendant of Xuanzhen, and my three traditions are unified."

The old man's pupils suddenly contracted, and after a few seconds of silence, he slowly opened the door: "Come in and talk."

The courtyard was larger than it appeared from the outside, a two-section structure, but most of the side rooms were dilapidated, and weeds grew rampant in the yard; only the main house was relatively tidy. The old man led Chen Yu into the house, which was simply furnished but very clean. Several pieces of porcelain were displayed on an antique shelf against the wall; although covered in dust, their antique shapes indicated they were not ordinary items.

"Sit." The old man sat down first in a grand chair. "You say you are a descendant of Xuanzhen? How can you prove it?"

Chen Yu took out the two spirit-patterned pocket watches from his pocket and placed them on the table: "I obtained these by chance. I heard that you have a third one, so I came to ask for it."

The old man's breathing quickened noticeably when he saw the pocket watch. His hands trembled as he picked one up, examined it closely against the light, and ran his fingers along the patterns on the back of the watch, tears welling in his eyes.

"Sixty years...a full sixty years..." the old man murmured to himself. "Before my father died, he said that one day someone would come to me with the other two pocket watches and ask me to hand over the third one...I thought I would never see that day again..."

Chen Yu waited quietly. He could sense that the old man was emotional, but his eyes were clear and not feigning.

After a long while, the old man calmed down and gently placed the pocket watch back on the table: "Young man, do you know what these three pocket watches represent?"

"This junior knows a little about it; it is the key to unlocking the secret vault of the Xuanzhen Daoist."

"It's not just about the key." The old man shook his head. "It's about responsibility. Before he passed away, the Taoist Xuanzhen left behind the following instructions: 'On the day the three symbols are unified, the lineage will be reborn. Those who receive the lineage must carry on his will, protect the Taoist tradition, and help all living beings.'"

He looked at Chen Yu, his eyes sharp: "Can you do it?"

Chen Yu met his gaze: "This junior dares not presume to claim the responsibility of saving the world, but I will certainly not allow the legacy to fall into the hands of evil. Elder Fucha, there are people collecting these three pocket watches with impure motives. If they obtain them, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"You're from the Hongmen, aren't you?" the old man sneered. "I've known for a while that someone was asking about the pocket watch. Last month, someone even tried to buy it by force, but I kicked them out."

"That's right. The leader is a Hong Kong businessman surnamed Li."

The old man nodded, stood up, and went into the inner room. A moment later, he brought out a sandalwood box. Opening the box, a pocket watch with a spiritual pattern lay quietly on a red silk lining. When the three pocket watches were placed together, the patterns on their backs simultaneously glowed faintly, projecting a complete topographical map into the air!

The map shows rolling hills, temples, and pavilions, precisely depicting the detailed topography of Xiangshan Biyun Temple and its back mountain! At a certain point on the back mountain, a clear entrance symbol is marked, with a line of smaller characters next to it: "On the Double Ninth Festival of the Bingxu year, when the moon is full, the three symbols unite, and the cave entrance opens by itself."

The Double Ninth Festival of the Bingxu Year...that's this year! Only 23 days left!

"See?" The old man pointed to the map. "On the night of the Double Ninth Festival, when the three pocket watches reunite at the entrance to the secret vault, the cave door will open. Too early or too late won't work."

Chen Yu memorized every detail of the map. With the aid of his Spiritual Eye Technique, he had an unparalleled memory.

The old man pushed the third pocket watch towards Chen Yu: "Take it. My father said that anyone who can find you by collecting two pocket watches is a destined person. I hope you will not fail this tradition."

"I will do my best." Chen Yu solemnly accepted the gift, then took out the century-old wild ginseng from his bag. "Sir, this is a small token of my appreciation. Wild ginseng nourishes qi and replenishes vital energy; please keep it to improve your health."

The old man took the ginseng, his eyes lighting up: "A hundred-year-old ginseng! This is incredibly valuable..."

"Of course. Also," Chen Yu lowered his voice, "the Hongmen people might come again, so you'd better find somewhere else to stay for a while. If needed, I can make arrangements."

The old man thought for a moment: "I have a distant relative in Jinghai, I can go and stay there for a while. This house... should be sold."

The transaction was complete, and Chen Yu didn't linger. He carefully put away the three pocket watches, said goodbye, and left. As he walked out of courtyard number seven, he clearly felt the old man at the shoe repair stall staring at his retreating figure.

Back at the hotel, Chen Yu immediately contacted Fake Man No. 2: "I've got this sorted out. Go to the train station right now and buy two tickets for tomorrow morning back to Beijing. Then find a place to transform back into Zhao Tieying, and then transform back again tonight."

"Yes, Master. There's something going on—the old man at the shoe repair stall went to another courtyard deep in the alley after you left. I suspect he went to deliver a message."

"Understood. Proceed according to plan, and be careful."

After hanging up, Chen Yu fell into deep thought. The old man at the shoe repair stall was indeed suspicious; he was likely one of Boss Li's men, or some other local power. He couldn't stay in Tianjin any longer; he had to leave as soon as possible.

He checked the three pocket watches, and after confirming they were correct, he put two of them into his small world—the safest place. He kept the third one on his person, just in case.

As evening fell, Chen Yu arrived at Nanshi Food Street, a famous food street in Tianjin, intending to buy some Tianjin specialties to take back with him. He picked out a few items, such as fried dough twists, Zhang's fried bean curd, and Zhang's nuts, and also bought Qin Huairu a "Goubuli" signboard—although he couldn't take the steamed buns back, the signboard could serve as a souvenir.

As he was strolling around, his spiritual sense suddenly detected two unfriendly gazes. Chen Yu remained calm and continued walking forward, stopping in front of a sugar painting stall. Taking advantage of the opportunity to choose a sugar painting, he saw his pursuers reflected in the copper basin of the stall—two young men in work clothes with fierce eyes and bulging waistbands, clearly carrying weapons.

"I'm being watched." Chen Yu thought warily. Were they working for Boss Li, or the local black market?

He paid for a sugar painting and turned to walk towards the crowd. Nanshi Street was bustling at night, with numerous vendors and throngs of pedestrians. Chen Yu weaved through the crowd, changing direction several times, but his pursuer remained close.

"Looks like a professional," Chen Yu thought to himself. He came to a fork in the road; to the left was a brightly lit commercial street, and to the right was a dimly lit alley. After a moment's thought, he chose the right.

The alley was narrow, lined with old houses, with occasional windows letting out dim light. Chen Yu quickened his pace, and the footsteps of his pursuers behind him quickened as well.

As I walked to the middle of the alley, a figure suddenly appeared and blocked my way—it was the old man from the shoe repair stall! He held a short knife in his hand, which gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

"Boy, hand over the pocket watch." The old man's voice was icy. "The Fucha family's property is not something you should take."

Chen Yu stopped, and two young men caught up from behind, forming a three-way encirclement.

"Whose people are you?" Chen Yu asked calmly.

"You don't need to know." The old man took a step closer. "The pocket watch, or your life."

Chen Yu sighed: "Then there's nothing to discuss."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly moved! His physical abilities at the second level of Qi Refining erupted, and with the aid of the Lightness Technique, his speed was like a ghost! In a flash, he was in front of the young man on the left, his right hand forming a sword-like gesture, aiming for the other's ribs!

The young man was shocked, but it was too late to dodge. Chen Yu's fingers precisely struck the pressure point, and the young man groaned and collapsed to the ground.

Another young man threw a punch, the force of which was clearly impressive, indicating he had some training. Chen Yu neither dodged nor evaded, blocking with his left hand and striking his opponent's abdomen with his right fist. This punch used only thirty percent of his strength, but the young man still bent over like a shrimp and fell to the ground, unable to get up.

The whole process took less than three seconds!

The old man's face changed drastically; he knew he'd kicked a hornet's nest and turned to run. Chen Yu caught up in a flash, grabbed his wrist, and twisted it, sending the short knife clattering to the ground.

"Can we talk now?" Chen Yu asked calmly, but he increased the pressure on his hands.

The old man, trembling with pain, broke out in a cold sweat: "I'll talk, I'll talk! It's...it's someone from 'Black Third Master' of Tianjin! He heard the Fucha family has treasure, so he sent us to keep an eye on them..."

"Who is Black Third Master?"

"The gang leader in the Nanshi area specializes in collecting old items..." the old man spilled the beans, "He heard that a Hong Kong businessman from Beijing was collecting pocket watches, offering five hundred dollars apiece, so he tried to snatch them away..."

Chen Yu understood. Boss Li also had informants in Tianjin, and the news had leaked; local forces wanted a piece of the pie.

"Where is Black Third Master now?"

"At...at the Yuqing Pool Bathhouse..."

Chen Yu released his grip: "Go back and tell Master Hei that I took the pocket watch. If he wants it, he should come to Beijing to find me. Remember my name—Chen Yu."

After saying that, he turned and left the alley, leaving behind three figures lying on the ground.

Back at the hostel, Chen Yu immediately packed his luggage. He couldn't stay in Tianjin anymore; Black Third Master's men would be looking for him soon. He checked out, rushed to the train station, and bought a standing ticket for that night using his letter of introduction—although there was no seat, it would allow him to leave Tianjin sooner.

At nine o'clock in the evening, the train slowly pulled away from Tianjin Station. Chen Yu stood at the connecting area between the carriages, watching the lights recede into the distance outside the window, and breathed a sigh of relief.

The three pocket watches were finally collected, and the complete map of the secret vault was revealed. Next, it was time to return to Beijing and prepare for the trip to Fragrant Hills on the night of the Double Ninth Festival.

But he knew the real test was just beginning. Boss Li wouldn't give up easily, Third Master Hei might chase him to Beijing, and Xu Damao was still lingering in Fragrant Hills... and he himself had to make all the necessary preparations within twenty-three days.

The train sped through the night, the sound of its wheels hitting the rails rhythmic and powerful.

Chen Yu closed his eyes and entered the small world to cultivate. With time flowing at 1.2 times the normal speed, he wanted to seize every minute and second to improve his strength.

Because the night of the Double Ninth Festival, when the moon is full, will be a tough battle.

The victor will inherit the power to change their destiny.