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

In late November, the mornings at Jiangnan Shipyard were shrouded in the damp, cold mist of the Huangpu River.

Chen Yu stood on the deck of the "Dongfeng" cargo ship at Pier No. 3, holding a data logbook that had just been completed during testing. The renovation project was in its fourth week, and the core component of the semi-automatic loading and unloading system—the gantry crane rails—had been installed and was undergoing precision testing.

"Xiao Chen, look at this data." Section Chief Sun pointed to the measurement value in the logbook, "The track straightness error is 0.8 millimeters, which exceeds the design requirement of 0.5 millimeters."

Chen Yu bent down to inspect the track joint. Under his spiritual vision, he could clearly see a slight misalignment between the two track sections, caused by welding heat deformation. Conventionally, it would require disassembly and readjustment, delaying the project by at least three days.

"Section Chief Sun, I have a solution." Chen Yu took out a palm-sized copper clamp from his toolbox. This was a "fine-tuning locator" that he had made himself by combining his knowledge of weapon forging. "By applying reverse stress with this clamp and combining it with local heating, we can correct the position without disassembling it."

"Can it really work?" Section Chief Sun asked, half-believing.

"Give it a try."

Chen Yu clamped the fixture at the misaligned point of the track and adjusted the screws to apply pressure. At the same time, he had the welder use a gas welding torch to locally heat a specific area on the back of the track—this is the "thermal stress balance method" recorded in "The True Explanation of Xuanzhen Refining Weapons," which guides the redistribution of internal stress in the metal by precisely controlling the heating point and temperature.

During the heating process, Chen Yu's palms appeared to be casually placed on the track, but he was actually quietly injecting a trace of spiritual energy to help the metal lattice rearrange.

Twenty minutes later, the clamp was removed and the measurement was taken again.

"0.3 millimeters!" the surveyor exclaimed. "Perfectly meets the requirements!"

Section Chief Sun patted Chen Yu on the shoulder forcefully: "Amazing! Chen, where did you learn this amazing skill?"

"I saw it in foreign technical documents; it's called 'stress correction technology'," Chen Yu said, already prepared. "It requires precise calculation of the heating points and temperatures; even a slight difference won't work."

"Genius! A true genius!" Section Chief Sun exclaimed. "Xiao Chen, your anti-corrosion coating, temperature control, and this... the knowledge in your head is enough for our shipyard to digest for three years!"

Chen Yu offered a few modest words, but in his heart he was thinking about how to systematize and theorize these technologies, turning them into a process that could be widely applied. Relying solely on manual labor would limit production output; he needed to find a way to industrialize production.

This book was first published on 2009.com, providing you with a reading experience free of errors and disordered chapters.

At lunchtime in the canteen, Wang Zhiqiang found him with his lunchbox: "Chen Yu, I heard you showed off your skills again this morning? Now the whole shipyard knows you, you've single-handedly carried the reputation of the Shanghai Machinery Plant's training class!"

"Mr. Wang is joking. It's the result of everyone's hard work."

"Don't be modest," Wang Zhiqiang said in a low voice. "I heard that the shipyard's chief engineer has already submitted a report to the ministry, requesting special approval for you to be a 'ministerial-level technical advisor,' enjoying the same benefits as a senior engineer. A monthly stipend of eighty yuan, plus a single dormitory room!"

Eighty yuan! That's more than the salary of the chief engineer at the Beijing Steel Rolling Mill!

Chen Yu was startled, but quickly calmed down. The better the compensation, the greater the responsibility, and the more people would pay attention to him. This was both an opportunity and a risk.

"Is the news accurate?"

"Xiao Liu from the shipyard office said it himself; he's in charge of writing the reports," Wang Zhiqiang said enviously. "Chen Yu, you're destined for great things!"

In the afternoon, Chen Yu was summoned to the shipyard's office building. The chief engineer's office was on the second floor. Pushing open the heavy wooden door, he found three people sitting inside: Zhao Jianguo, the shipyard's chief engineer; Zhou, the chief engineer of the Shanghai Machinery Plant; and a middle-aged cadre he didn't recognize wearing glasses.

"Xiao Chen is here, please have a seat." Chief Engineer Zhao greeted him warmly. "Let me introduce you. This is Director Li from the Science and Technology Department of the Ministry. He's here specifically to learn about your technological innovations."

Director Li, around fifty years old, had a serious face but curious eyes: "Comrade Chen Yu, I've read the report submitted by the shipyard. Your 'new anti-corrosion coating,' 'precise temperature control process,' and 'stress correction technology' are all very valuable. Could you explain the technical principles in detail?"

Chen Yu took a deep breath and began his explanation. He had already prepared a complete theoretical framework: the anti-corrosion coating is based on "micro-nano structure surface modification," forming a dense oxide layer on the metal surface through special chemical treatment; the temperature control process is a combination of "zoned heating and closed-loop control"; and stress correction is the application of the "thermodynamic equilibrium principle"...

He tried his best to use language that was understandable in this era, avoiding any jargon about cultivation. His explanations were interspersed with data, charts, and samples he had made himself.

Director Li listened attentively, taking notes from time to time. Chief Engineer Zhou and Chief Engineer Zhao looked proud—Chen Yu was, after all, one of their people.

"Solid theory and practical technology," Director Li commented after listening. "Comrade Chen Yu, did you develop these technologies independently?"

"I figured it out myself, based on my work at the Beijing Steel Rolling Mill and by combining it with foreign literature," Chen Yu replied cautiously. "I also thank the Shanghai Machinery Plant and Jiangnan Shipyard for providing the practical platform."

"Not taking credit for yourself, not being arrogant, very good." Director Li nodded. "The Ministry has decided to formally appoint you as a 'Special Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Shipbuilding Industry' for a one-year term, with a monthly stipend of eighty yuan and a special research grant of five hundred yuan per year. At the same time, a 'Special Process Research Group' will be established, with you as the deputy group leader, affiliated with Jiangnan Shipyard, but you can provide technical support nationwide."

Chen Yu was stunned. This treatment... far exceeded his expectations!

"Director Li, I'm still studying at the Shanghai Machinery Factory, and my original workplace..."

"It's all been coordinated," Chief Engineer Zhou replied. "Section Chief Li from the Beijing Steel Rolling Mill replied with full support. As for the Shanghai Machinery Plant, your training will continue as usual, but you can arrange your time flexibly. In fact, your work at the shipyard is the best practical learning opportunity."

"Then... I'll gladly accept your offer." Chen Yu no longer declined.

"There's another task." Director Li took a document from his briefcase. "Next March, the Guangzhou Shipyard will begin construction on a new passenger ship, and it will require your corrosion prevention and stress control technology. You'll need to go to Guangzhou for two months to provide support. Any problems?"

Guangzhou! Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. That's the mainland city closest to Hong Kong!

"No problem, I'll follow the organization's arrangements!"

As Chen Yu left the office building, dusk was approaching. Walking along Shipyard Avenue, his mind was racing. His identity as a technical consultant, his mission in Guangzhou, and... the Xuanzhen Cave in Hong Kong. Everything seemed to be connecting.

"Brother Chen Yu!" A familiar voice came from behind.

Chen Yu turned around and saw Tie Xiong. He was wearing ordinary blue overalls and looked like an ordinary worker, but his eyes were sharp and his steps were steady.

"Brother Tie? What's wrong...?"

"Let's go find a place to talk," Tie Xiong winked.

The two arrived at a small teahouse outside the shipyard. It was afternoon, and the teahouse was nearly empty; the owner was dozing behind the counter. Tie Xiong asked for a private room and closed the door.

"Brother Chen, I heard you've been promoted?" Tie Xiong said with a smile, "A ministerial-level technical advisor, that's impressive!"

"Brother Tie is well-informed," Chen Yu said calmly. "What do you need me for?"

"Two things," Tie Xiong said solemnly. "First, the reply from the main branch has arrived. Regarding your matter, the main branch held a grand meeting and finally decided to recognize you as the successor of Xuanzhenzi. According to the rules of the Hongmen, you are considered half one of us. The matter in Beijing is wiped clean."

This surprised Chen Yu: "What are the conditions?"

"There were no explicit conditions, but the main branch hopes you can come to Hong Kong. There are some old matters concerning Senior Xuanzhenzi that need your assistance in investigating." Tie Xiong paused, "Of course, it's not mandatory, it's up to you."

"What's the second thing?"

"Second..." Tie Xiong lowered his voice, "We discovered that besides the Hongmen, there's another force investigating Xuanzhenzi's lineage. Those people... aren't from the martial arts world."

"official?"

"It's more complicated." Tie Xiong shook his head. "There are people from the mainland and overseas, and they seem to be related to academic institutions. We found traces of them near Longhua Temple. Those people were carrying professional equipment, like an archaeological team, but not quite."

Chen Yu frowned. The legacy of Xuanzhen Daoist had actually attracted multiple forces?

"Does Brother Tie know their purpose?"

"I don't know, but it's definitely related to what Xuanzhenzi left behind," Tie Xiong said. "Brother Chen, your current status is special. You are both the department's technical advisor and Xuanzhenzi's successor, so everyone will be watching you. Be careful."

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Tie," Chen Yu said sincerely. "By the way, what about Monk Huiming..."

"That high monk is unfathomable." Tie Xiong's expression was solemn. "We tried to probe him, but we couldn't see through him at all. He should know a lot of inside information, but he doesn't seem to have any hostility. I suggest you visit him when you have time."

The two chatted for a while longer, and Tie Xiong left his contact information before departing. Chen Yu sat alone in the teahouse, pondering this information.

By the time Chen Yu returned to the shipyard's guesthouse, it was completely dark. Just as he was about to enter, the receptionist called out to him, "Engineer Chen, there's a telegram for you, urgent."

The telegram came from Beijing and contained only one line: "Wife is well and the pregnancy is stable, don't worry. Section Chief Li instructed: Focus on your work, the organization will take care of your family. Also, the Jia family has moved out of the courtyard house, and the Xu house has been allocated to you, pending your return."

The Jia family moved out? Xu Damao's house was allocated to him? Chen Yu was overjoyed. This meant that after returning to Beijing, he would have two houses! A small courtyard house in Beixinqiao, and a side room in a traditional courtyard house!

He immediately returned to his room and wrote a letter to Qin Huairu, inquiring about the details. After finishing the letter, he also wrote a thank-you letter to Section Chief Li.

Only after doing all this did he enter the small world to cultivate.

I've already cultivated the Qi Refining stage of the "Mysterious Great Dao Scripture" to the late third level, just one step away from the fourth. However, this bottleneck is harder to overcome than I imagined, requiring a more concentrated spiritual energy environment.

He took out the Zhou Tian Star Compass and infused it with spiritual energy. The compass slowly rotated, the stars shone, and he deduced an improved version of the spirit-gathering array—by placing the array's core in water, the efficiency could be increased by 50% with the help of water vapor.

"Perfect, let's give it a try." Chen Yu set up the array next to the spirit spring. He used the spirit spring as the array's core, placed eight spirit stones obtained from the Dragon Flower Palace around it (although most of the spiritual energy had been lost, they were still usable), and then added specific runes.

As the formation took shape, the spiritual energy of the entire small world began to converge towards the spiritual spring, its concentration visibly increasing. Chen Yu sat cross-legged within the formation, circulating his cultivation technique, and spiritual energy surged into his body like a tide.

Three hours later, the bottleneck loosened; five hours later, with a soft "crack," a certain acupoint in the body was opened, and the speed of spiritual energy circulation increased sharply!

Fourth level of Qi Refining, done!

Chen Yu opened his eyes, feeling the surging spiritual energy within his body. His spiritual sense range expanded from twelve zhang to fifteen zhang, and his control over the spiritual energy became much more precise. More importantly, after breaking through to the fourth level, he could learn several new spells recorded in the *Mysterious True Dao Scripture*: Wind Control Technique, Basic Sword Control Technique, and... Communication Technique!

Communication technology! Chen Yu's eyes lit up. If he learned this, he could contact Qin Huairu remotely!

He immediately flipped through the cultivation manual. The principle of the communication technique was to seal sound or text within spiritual energy, send it through a special method, and the recipient would unseal it using the corresponding method. The most basic communication technique had an effective range of ten miles, which could increase as cultivation level improved.

"Ten miles... that's definitely not enough to travel from Shanghai to Beijing, but at least it'll allow us to stay connected within the same city." Chen Yu began practicing.

The key to this spell was the encoding and decoding of spiritual energy. It took him two full hours (about an hour and a half outside) to successfully seal the phrase "Peace and Do Not Worry" into the ball of spiritual energy. The ball of spiritual energy was only the size of a soybean, shimmering with a faint light.

"If we could create a fixed communication device..." Chen Yu thought of the principle behind telephones. Perhaps it could be combined with modern electronic technology to create an ultra-long-distance communication device?

This idea excited him. If successful, it would be a revolutionary technological breakthrough!

When he exited the small world, it was only 10 PM in real time. Chen Yu was wide awake and took out paper and pen to start sketching out a communication artifact.

The core components are two: a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter converts sound into spiritual energy fluctuations, and the receiver converts these fluctuations back into sound. A relay amplification device, similar to a signal tower, is needed in between...

He didn't stop drawing until 1 a.m. The sketches were rough, but the ideas were clear. To realize this vision, a deep integration of knowledge from electronics, materials science, and weapon crafting was required.

"Take it one step at a time." Chen Yu put away the sketch.

The next day was Saturday, a day off from the training course. Chen Yu decided to visit the monk Huiming at Longhua Temple.

Longhua Temple wasn't very popular; religious activities were restricted in those days, and only some elderly believers came to offer incense. Chen Yu found Huiming in the pagoda courtyard, where he was sweeping fallen leaves.

"You've arrived, benefactor." Huiming put down the broom, clasped his hands together, and said, "This old monk knew you would come."

"Does Master know why I've come here?"

"For the sake of inheritance, for the sake of cause and effect, for the sake of the future." Huiming smiled, "Please follow me, benefactor."

The two arrived at a secluded meditation room behind the temple. The room was simple, with a bed, a table, and a chair. On the wall hung a calligraphy scroll that read: "Originally there is nothing, so where can dust settle?"

Huiming brewed tea; it was ordinary green tea, but the aroma was delicate and elegant.

"Have you received the entire inheritance of Senior Xuanzhenzi?" Huiming asked bluntly.

Chen Yu nodded: "I wouldn't dare to hide it, yes."

"Very well, very well." Huiming nodded. "Three hundred years of waiting have finally come to an end. Do you know why my lineage has been guarding this place?"

"Please enlighten me, Master."

"At the end of the Ming Dynasty, when the Qing army entered the pass, the senior Xuanzhenzi migrated south from the north and passed through Longhua Temple. He was an old friend of the abbot of our temple at that time," Huiming slowly recounted. "He secluded himself here for three years, leaving behind magical artifacts for subduing demons and some of his legacy, which he entrusted to our temple for protection, awaiting a destined person. In exchange, he helped our temple set up a protective formation, allowing the temple to be preserved in the chaos of the world."

"So, the lineage of my master..."

"I am both a keeper of the tower and a keeper of my promise," Huiming said. "Now that the lineage has been passed on, my mission is complete, and I can now cultivate in peace."

Chen Yu stood up and bowed respectfully: "Thank you, Master and all the predecessors of your temple for your protection."

"No need to thank me, this is all due to karma." Huiming helped him up. "Benefactor, I have a word to offer: the legacy of Senior Xuanzhenzi is not only about personal cultivation, but also about a period of history. In his cave in Hong Kong, he hides some secrets from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, perhaps... related to the Imperial Seal of the State."

The Imperial Seal of the State! Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. That was a legendary national treasure!

"Master means..."

"This old monk is merely speculating," Huiming shook his head. "When Senior Xuanzhenzi moved south from Beijing, he took some palace items with him. What exactly they were can only be found out by entering the cave."

Chen Yu fell into deep thought. If it really was the Imperial Seal of the State, then things were complicated.

"There's one more thing," Huiming said gravely. "Besides the Hongmen, there are also people from the 'Dragon Seeking Society' searching for Xuanzhenzi's legacy. Those people... are ruthless and unscrupulous. You must be careful."

"The Dragon-Seeking Society?"

"An overseas Chinese organization specializes in searching for Chinese cultural relics and treasures and transporting them overseas." Huiming's eyes flashed with disgust. "They use the guise of protecting cultural relics, but in reality, they are engaging in cultural plunder. I suspect that those people who are exploring the Longhua Pagoda with instruments are members of the Dragon-Seeking Society."

Chen Yu noted the name down. It seemed that the road ahead held not only opportunities but also many more challenges.

It was already afternoon when Chen Yu left Longhua Temple. He rode his bicycle back to the city, his mind processing all the information: his identity as a technical advisor to the ministry, the Hongmen's recognition, Monk Huiming's warning, the threat from the Dragon Seeking Society, and the secret of the Hong Kong cave...

When he reached the Suzhou River, a sudden idea struck him: perhaps the experiment with the communication device could begin here?

He stopped the car and took out an ordinary pocket watch—a find he'd made at a flea market. Following his design, he engraved tiny communication runes inside the watch case and added a small fragment of a spirit stone as its energy source.

After it was made, he infused it with spiritual energy to activate it. A point of light appeared on the pocket watch dial, representing the status of the communication artifact.

"Let's try making a pair first." Chen Yu then made another one.

That evening, he found the imposter Chen Mingyuan and handed him a communication device: "Test sample, effective range ten miles. You take one, I'll take one, and we'll test the communication effect."

"Yes, Master."

The test results were encouraging: within a range of ten miles, voice information could be transmitted clearly, although the sound quality was poor, it was still understandable. Beyond ten miles, the signal rapidly weakened.

"It still needs improvement..." Chen Yu recorded the data.

But in any case, this is a good start.

Night had fallen. Chen Yu stood by the window of the guesthouse, gazing northwards. In one hand he held Qin Huairu's photograph, and in the other, he held a newly made communication artifact.

One day, he will create a communication device that can travel thousands of miles, allowing him to hear his family's voices at any time.

One day, he will uncover all the secrets of Xuanzhen Daoren and find the truth in the Hong Kong cave.

Someday...

Outside the window, the lights of Shanghai gradually went out.

A new dawn is being brewed.