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

On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, the air in Guangzhou was already filled with the festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year.

At seven o'clock in the morning, when Chen Yu opened the window of the guesthouse, he was attracted by the scene on the street—along Changdi Road, rows of red lanterns were hung under the eaves of the arcade buildings, and several old craftsmen were climbing bamboo ladders to paste gold leaf "Fu" characters on the lantern covers. The teahouse across the street had opened early, and steam rose from the steamers, with the aroma of rice noodle rolls, shrimp dumplings, and siu mai wafting across the river.

"System, check-in for today." Chen Yu took a deep breath of the air, which carried the scents of tea, snacks, and river water.

[Ding! Japanese visa successfully obtained]

[Received: 2 jin of meat coupons from Guangdong Province, 1 jin of sugar coupons, a small book on the principles of basic energy conversion, and 25 yuan in cash]

Energy conversion principles... Chen Yu's eyes lit up slightly, and he immediately put it into use. Basic knowledge of energy conversion efficiency, energy storage technology, and transmission losses flooded his mind, perfectly complementing the design concept of the Spirit Gathering Array.

At 8:00 a.m. sharp, he arrived at the Guangzhou Shipyard laboratory. The second batch of "soft jade rubber" samples, refined the previous night, were already laid out on the table. The test data was surprising: the tensile strength was three times that of ordinary rubber, and the seawater corrosion resistance was improved by five times, fully meeting the shock absorption requirements of the "Nanhai" ship.

"Engineer Chen, your formula is amazing!" Engineer Li's hands were trembling as he held the test report. "We conducted three sets of comparative tests overnight, and the data is stable! The factory manager said we'll start mass production today and install it on the ship next week!"

"There are a few details to pay attention to during installation," Chen Yu noted on the drawings. "The thickness of the buffer layer should be controlled at 15 millimeters; if it's too thick, it will affect the structural strength. The connecting bolts must be made of stainless steel; ordinary carbon steel won't last more than three months."

"Understood! I'll personally oversee it!" Engineer Li said excitedly. "Engineer Chen, you've solved a major problem that our factory hasn't been able to solve for three years! Once the 'Nanhai' successfully completes its sea trials, I'll treat you to the best restaurant in Guangzhou!"

Chen Yu smiled and turned to another worktable. There were experimental materials for China Resources Company's special anti-corrosion coating on it—several imported epoxy resins, titanium dioxide, and a small can of rare polytetrafluoroethylene powder.

"These imported materials must be very expensive, right?" Chen Yu asked.

"It's not just expensive, it requires foreign exchange certificates!" Engineer Li lowered his voice. "China Resources Company has prepaid five thousand US dollars in foreign exchange, specifically for this purpose. Chief Engineer Zhang instructed that this task can only succeed, not fail."

Chen Yu nodded and began preparing the experimental formula. He activated his full spiritual vision, observing the compatibility of various materials at the microscopic level. He discovered that while the imported epoxy resin had good performance, it exhibited a slight repulsion with the Chinese-made curing agent—a phenomenon caused by differences in molecular structure, undetectable by ordinary testing methods.

"We need an intermediary..." Chen Yu pondered. The "Harmonizing Liquid" recorded in *The True Explanation of Xuanzhen Refining*, extracted from several herbs, could improve the compatibility of different materials. But those herbs might not be available in Guangzhou...

He made a list: Panax notoginseng, licorice, peppermint, borneol... all common Chinese medicinal herbs.

"Mr. Li, please help me find these medicinal herbs, and I need the best quality ones."

"Medicinal herbs? Do you need medicinal herbs to make an anti-corrosion coating?" Engineer Li looked puzzled.

"Auxiliary materials to improve performance." Chen Yu didn't elaborate further.

Around noon, the medicinal herbs were ready. Chen Yu set up a small distillation apparatus in a corner of the laboratory and extracted the essence according to the method in the True Explanation of Refining Weapons. This process required precise temperature control, so he adjusted the flame of the alcohol lamp while using spiritual energy to nourish the medicinal liquid.

Two hours later, a small bottle of pale green "mixing solution" was obtained. After being added to the epoxy resin mixture, the previously repulsive molecules could be seen under the Spirit Eye technique to begin to arrange themselves in an orderly manner, and the compatibility was greatly improved.

"It's done." Chen Yu breathed a sigh of relief. The next step was to produce the first batch of anti-corrosion coating samples according to the optimized formula.

At 3 p.m., the prototype was completed. Five steel plates, each coated with a different thickness, were placed in a specially made corrosion test tank—the tank contained a mixed solution simulating chemical raw materials, with pH values ​​ranging from 2 to 12, covering acid and alkali corrosion.

"How long will it take to get the results?" Chief Engineer Zhang came to the laboratory to check in person.

"Normally it takes a month, but I have a way to speed up the testing." Chen Yu took out an "accelerated corrosion talisman"—this was an improvement on the anti-corrosion talisman that could accelerate the corrosion reaction. Of course, he would publicly call it a "special catalytic testing method."

The talisman was placed in the test tank, and the solution began to boil slightly. Under the influence of the spiritual eye technique, the corrosion process was accelerated tenfold. An hour later, the samples were taken out for testing: of the five steel plates, three were perfect, and two showed slight corrosion under extreme acid and alkaline conditions, but still far exceeded the requirements of China Resources Company.

"This...this is it already done?" Chief Engineer Zhang exclaimed in disbelief. "A typical corrosion test takes at least a month!"

"The accelerated testing involves a rather complex principle," Chen Yu said vaguely, "but the data is reliable. I recommend using formula number three, with a coating thickness of 0.3 millimeters, which offers the best overall performance."

"Okay! I'll do as you say!" Chief Engineer Zhang decided. "I'll notify China Resources Company immediately. They have representatives in Guangzhou who can come to the factory tomorrow to see the results!"

It was already evening when Chen Yu left the shipyard. Instead of going straight back to the guesthouse, he went to Guangxiao Temple. The monk Huijue was meditating by the ancient well; upon seeing him, he smiled and rose.

"You've come at the perfect time, Benefactor Chen. I've just brewed some aged tangerine peel Pu'er tea."

The two sat on a stone bench by the well. Chen Yu explained his purpose—to set up a spirit-gathering array in the ancient well to provide energy for the communication artifact.

"Please feel free to ask what you need," Huijue said readily. "There are a few lay Buddhists in the temple who understand architecture and can help."

"I need twelve green bamboo stalks, at least three years old; thirty-six pebbles, all the same size; and some cinnabar and tung oil," Chen Yu listed. "In addition, setting up the formation will take three days, during which time no one can disturb us."

"They're right behind Qingzhu Temple; I've had someone cut them down. There are plenty of pebbles along the Pearl River. As for cinnabar and tung oil... the temple uses them frequently for rituals, so we have a good stock." Huijue paused. "However, benefactor, I have a question: will setting up this formation change the feng shui of this place?"

"No," Chen Yu affirmed. "The Spirit Gathering Array only gathers the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; it won't disrupt the original layout. On the contrary, the vegetation will flourish even more due to the nourishment from the spiritual energy."

"That's good." Huijue nodded. "Although Buddhism and Taoism have different origins, they both emphasize following the natural order. Please make yourself at home."

That night, Chen Yu stayed at Guangxiao Temple. Huijue arranged a quiet meditation room for him, with an ancient well right outside the window.

On the morning of the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, all the materials were prepared. Chen Yu began to set up the formation. According to the calculations of the Zhou Tian Star Chart, the Spirit Gathering Formation used the ancient well as its core. Twelve green bamboo poles were inserted into the ground according to the twelve earthly branches, and each bamboo pole was decorated with cinnabar runes. Thirty-six pebbles were arranged in three concentric circles, twelve pebbles in each layer, corresponding to the thirty-six Heavenly Generals.

This is a delicate task. The depth and angle at which each bamboo stalk is buried in the ground are crucial; the placement and orientation of each pebble must be precise; and the runes must be drawn flawlessly, otherwise the formation will fail.

Chen Yu worked from dawn till dusk to complete the basic setup. When the last rune was drawn, the air around the ancient well became noticeably fresher, and even the well water seemed clearer.

"It's taking shape." Chen Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Tomorrow, we'll inject spiritual energy to activate it, and the day after tomorrow, we'll adjust and balance it."

That evening, he continued his research on improving the communication device in his meditation room. With the spirit-gathering array as an energy base, the communication distance could be greatly increased. However, how to stably transmit energy to the mobile terminal remained a challenge.

"Perhaps I could use 'spiritual threads'..." Chen Yu recalled a technique from the True Explanation of Weapon Refining: solidifying spiritual energy to form a conductive medium similar to optical fibers. However, this requires the cultivation level of the Golden Core stage, which he is still far from achieving.

"Then let's use a compromise." He changed his approach: to create a "spiritual energy storage device," similar to a power bank. Once fully charged by the spirit-gathering array, it could be carried around to power a small communication terminal. Although the capacity was limited, it was enough for short-term communication.

On the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, Chen Yu spent the entire day by the ancient well adjusting the array. After injecting spiritual energy to activate it, the spirit-gathering array began to operate. Visibly, a small vortex of spiritual energy formed above the well opening, and the surrounding vegetation became lusher at a visible speed.

"The effect is better than expected." Chen Yu measured the spiritual energy concentration. "This level of spiritual energy is enough to support ten array plates working simultaneously."

He set up the first communication array plate by the well—a copper disc one foot in diameter, its surface engraved with runes, with a small fragment of spirit stone embedded in the center as the activation core. Once the array plate was connected, the indicator light turned green.

"Chen Minghui, test." Chen Yu commanded telepathically.

"Received, Master," replied the fake man number seven, located at the Liwan District office. "Signal clarity... is three times better than before! Where are you now?"

"Kwangkyo Temple. How far is it?"

"The straight-line distance is approximately eight kilometers. Signal strength...is almost non-existent!"

Success! With the blessing of the Spirit Gathering Array, both the transmission distance and signal quality have been greatly improved!

Chen Yu then tested the psionic energy storage device—a palm-sized jade box with energy storage runes engraved inside. After charging the jade box next to the array plate for one hour, it could independently power a small communication terminal for three hours.

"Although the battery life is limited, it's enough." Chen Yu put away the jade box with satisfaction.

As evening fell, the monk Huijue arrived at the ancient well. Sensing the rich spiritual energy around him, he exclaimed, "Benefactor Chen, your methods are truly remarkable. After this formation was set up, even when I meditate, I feel my mind is clearer."

"You flatter me, Master," Chen Yu said modestly. "By the way, there's something I'd like to ask you. Do you know anything about the specific activities of the 'Dragon Seeking Society' in Guangzhou?"

Huijue's expression turned serious: "I was just about to tell you about this. Yesterday, a disciple reported seeing several suspicious people at the Liwan Antique Market, inquiring about things like 'Taoist ritual implements' and 'ancient jade talismans.' From the description, they seemed to be members of the Dragon Seeking Society."

What are their distinguishing features?

"The leader was an elderly man in his fifties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a suit, speaking Mandarin with a Shanghai accent. He was accompanied by two young men, both skilled in martial arts." Huijue paused, "I heard them mention a term... 'Nine Dragons Treasure Map'."

The Nine Dragons Treasure Map! Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that the Dragon Seeking Society had already obtained specific clues about the Xuanzhen Cave?

"Master, please have me keep an eye on things, but don't alert them."

"I understand."

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Chen Yu returned to the shipyard. The representative from China Resources Company had already arrived—a man around forty years old, wearing a gray Zhongshan suit, glasses, with a refined demeanor but sharp eyes.

"Comrade Chen Yu, hello. I am Wang Licheng from the Technology Department of China Resources Company." The man took the initiative to shake hands, speaking standard Mandarin. "I heard about your achievements in Shanghai, but I didn't expect you to give us another surprise in Guangzhou."

"Comrade Wang, you flatter me. It's all part of my job." Chen Yu led him on a tour of the laboratory, showing him the test results of the anti-corrosion coating.

Wang Licheng observed very carefully, asking questions from time to time. Chen Yu noticed that he only asked key questions, clearly demonstrating his technical expertise.

"Comrade Chen, what is the principle behind this accelerated testing method?" Wang Licheng asked, pointing to the corrosion test tank.

"We use electrochemical catalysis to accelerate the corrosion reaction." Chen Yu was well-prepared and presented a set of theories that sounded very professional. "It involves parameters such as electrode potential and ion mobility, which are quite complex."

Wang Licheng nodded, not delving into the details, and instead asked, "How feasible is the mass production of this coating? What would the cost be?"

"Mass production is possible, but specialized equipment is required. The cost..." Chen Yu quickly calculated, "It's about fifteen yuan per square meter, and it will be 30% more expensive if imported raw materials are used."

"Fifteen yuan..." Wang Licheng pondered. "Similar products in Hong Kong cost thirty Hong Kong dollars, which is about twelve yuan, but their performance is only 70% of yours. It's competitive!"

He immediately approved the order: "The first order is for 5,000 square meters. Also..." He lowered his voice, "Comrade Chen, there's a private client in Hong Kong who wants to order a higher-performance coating; the price can be doubled. Are you interested?"

A private client? Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat: "What are their requirements?"

"Bulletproof, fireproof, and corrosion-resistant—all three protections in one." Wang Licheng's voice lowered further. "The other party is willing to pay in US dollars in cash, not through the company account. Of course, this is a private collaboration, depending on Comrade Chen's personal wishes."

Chen Yu understood. This was a gray area business, but the profits were tempting, and... it might connect him with special connections in Hong Kong.

"I need to think about it."

"Of course, no rush." ​​Wang Licheng handed over a business card. "My temporary phone number in Guangzhou is on it. Just give me a reply within three days."

After seeing Wang Licheng off, Chen Yu fell into deep thought. This kind of private cooperation was risky, but it also presented an opportunity. If the other party was an influential figure in Hong Kong, perhaps they could help him find out information about the Xuanzhen Cave...

"Master, there's new information," Pseudo-Man No. 7 suddenly reported. "The Dragon Seeking Society bought a batch of ancient books at the Liwan Market, including a copy of 'The Records of Kowloon Mountains and Rivers.' Our people followed them and found that they are staying at the Victory Hotel in Shamian."

Shamian is Guangzhou's embassy district and upscale hotel area. The fact that the Dragon Seeking Society could stay there indicates that they have a powerful background.

"Continue to monitor, but be careful. Those people may have guns."

"clear."

On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, the streets of Guangzhou became even more lively. Every household began to put up Spring Festival couplets and hang lanterns, and the flower markets also opened—the area around Jiaoyu Road and Xihu Road was filled with peach blossoms, kumquats, daffodils, and all kinds of New Year flowers, with crowds thronging the streets and the air filled with the fragrance of flowers.

The shipyard closed for the holiday half a day early, and Chief Engineer Zhang personally delivered New Year's gifts to Chen Yu: a box of chicken biscuits, a box of wife cakes, a preserved duck, and a bag of tangerines.

"Xiao Chen, how about spending the Spring Festival in Guangzhou? A few of the single guys from the factory can get together and have a reunion dinner!"

"Thank you, Chief Engineer Zhang, but I already have arrangements," Chen Yu politely declined. He planned to spend the New Year at Guangxiao Temple and take the opportunity to perfect the Spirit Gathering Array.

On New Year's Eve, a light drizzle fell in Guangzhou. Chen Yu wrote a letter to Qin Huairu from his meditation room; it was the last letter before the Spring Festival. He wrote about the flower market in Guangzhou, the ancient well at Guangxiao Temple, the progress of the shipyard... He concluded by writing: "...It's drizzling in Guangzhou right now, while it must be snowing heavily in Beijing. Though we are thousands of miles apart, our hearts are together. When spring arrives and the flowers bloom, I will definitely return home for a family reunion. Don't worry about me. Yu."

After writing the letter, he braved the rain to go to the post office and mail it. On his way back to the temple, he saw many families already reunited, and laughter and the aroma of food wafted from the arcades.

The monk Huijue invited him to a vegetarian meal. The New Year's Eve vegetarian feast at the temple was very lavish: vegetarian dishes, vegetarian goose, taro with braised pork, black moss and dried oysters... Although it was all vegetarian, it was exquisitely prepared and delicious.

"Benefactor Chen, please try this 'Abundance Every Year' dish." Huijue pointed to a plate of "fish" made of tofu and seaweed. "This is a specialty of the temple's master chef, and it has a good meaning."

"Thank you, Master." Chen Yu took a bite and found it to be delicious.

During the meal, Huijue spoke of the history of Guangxiao Temple, mentioning that the Sixth Patriarch Huineng received his precepts there, and that Su Dongpo and Wen Tianxiang had left behind poems there. Chen Yu listened quietly, feeling the cultural heritage of this ancient temple with a history of over a thousand years.

After the vegetarian feast, the temple rang its New Year's Eve bell. Amidst the melodious chimes, Chen Yu returned to his meditation room and retrieved his communication array disk and psionic storage device.

Tonight, he will conduct an experiment: using the powerful spiritual energy of the Spirit Gathering Array, he will attempt to transmit a message across thousands of miles.

The array plate connected, and spiritual energy surged in. Chen Yu formed a hand seal, sealing his thoughts and blessings into the wave of spiritual energy: "Huai Ru, Happy Chinese New Year. I'm at Guangxiao Temple in Guangzhou, and everything is fine. Stay safe with the child. Wait for me to come home."

The spiritual energy surged into the night sky and disappeared into the rain.

He didn't know if the message could travel thousands of miles to Beijing. But he knew that some things could be conveyed without magic.

Outside the window, fireworks occasionally light up the night sky over Guangzhou—those are set off by a few families who can afford it.

Chen Yu stood quietly, gazing northward.

At this moment, he missed home more than ever.

But the journey continues.

The spirit-gathering array is complete, the communication artifact is about to break through, the mission in Hong Kong awaits, and the secrets of the Xuanzhen Cave await to be revealed...

This Spring Festival, though lonely, was fulfilling.

Night has fallen, and the rain has stopped.

The New Year is drawing ever closer.