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

April 26th, 5:00 AM.

Chen Yu finished his cultivation in the small world, and his cultivation at the eighth level of Qi Refining had been stabilized. He could clearly feel the qualitative change in the spiritual power within his body—if the spiritual power at the seventh level of Qi Refining was like a stream, it was now as abundant as a small river, surging and flowing through his meridians with a faint rumbling sound.

When Chen Yu exited the small world, dawn was just breaking in the real world. Qin Huairu was still fast asleep, and little Chen An turned over in his cradle, making a soft whimper. Chen Yu quietly got up and went to the window.

The courtyard was quiet in the early morning. He Yuzhu's snoring came from the east wing, the roosters raised by Yan Bugui in the front yard crowed, and the jujube trees in the middle yard rustled in the morning breeze. Everything seemed ordinary, but Chen Yu knew that the undercurrents had never ceased.

"Master, after the man in black left last night, he circled the area three times before finally entering a courtyard in Dongsi Hutong. There were five cultivators in that courtyard, the strongest being at the seventh level of Qi Refining." The voice of Pseudo-Man No. 1 echoed in his mind.

"Continue to monitor them, but don't get close. Find out who those people are and what their purpose is."

"Yes. Also, at five o'clock this morning, three cars drove out of the Ministry of Public Security compound and headed this way."

Ministry of Public Security? Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. The investigation had begun, and faster than he had anticipated.

He quickly got dressed, went to the kitchen to cook millet porridge, and steamed a few cornbread buns. When Qin Huairu got up, breakfast was already ready.

"Why are you up so early today?" Qin Huairu rubbed her eyes.

"There's something important today." Chen Yu shoveled a bowl of porridge and handed it to her. "There's a project at the factory that needs to be reviewed, and someone might come to our house to investigate. If anyone asks, just say that I've been taking care of you guys at home besides going to work lately, and I haven't gone anywhere else."

"I understand." Qin Huairu nodded, a look of worry in her eyes. "Will it be very troublesome?"

"No, it's just routine." Chen Yu tried to keep his tone light.

At eight o'clock in the morning, Chen Yu arrived at the steel rolling mill on time. In the production department office, Liu Yuhua was already there, organizing documents.

"Chen Yu, Director Li wants you to go to his office as soon as you arrive." She looked up, her expression somewhat serious. "The investigation team has arrived."

Chen Yu took a deep breath and straightened his collar: "Okay."

There were three people sitting in the factory director's office. Besides Director Li, there were two strangers—an elderly man in his fifties with gray hair, wearing a gray Zhongshan suit, and with a serious expression; and a middle-aged man in his early forties wearing black-rimmed glasses, holding a notebook in his hand.

"Xiao Chen, these two are comrades from the review team of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense," Director Li introduced. "Director Zhang and Officer Wang."

"Hello Director Zhang, hello Officer Wang," Chen Yu greeted politely.

Director Zhang looked him up and down, his gaze sharp: "Comrade Chen Yu, please sit down. We have a few questions we need to ask you."

Chen Yu sat down opposite him, his hands on his knees, looking completely at ease.

"First, your family background." Officer Wang opened his notebook. "Your file shows you are an orphan of a martyr, and your parents died in the Korean War. Is this true?"

"It's true. After my parents passed away, I was raised by relatives in my hometown in Northeast China. I came to Beijing to stay with relatives last year, but they have passed away. The neighborhood committee arranged for me to live in a courtyard house."

"Who are your relatives? Why are they no longer here?"

"My distant cousin, Chen Jianguo, used to be a worker in Qianmen Street. He had already passed away from illness when I arrived in Beijing."

These were all authentic information recorded by the subdistrict office, and Chen Yu answered them fluently.

Director Zhang suddenly asked, "Have you been to Hong Kong?"

Chen Yu's heart tightened, but his face remained calm: "Yes, it took four months, from the end of last year to the beginning of this year."

"What are you going to do?"

"My parents had a comrade-in-arms in Hong Kong. Before he passed away, he asked me to go and visit him. When I got there, I found that the elder had already passed away, leaving only some belongings." This was a story Chen Yu had prepared in advance. "I did odd jobs there and earned some money for the trip back."

"What kind of odd jobs?"

"I worked as a porter at the docks, and later helped out at a pharmacy. I know some medicinal herbs and can identify them."

As Officer Wang took notes, he then asked, "During your time in Hong Kong, did you have any contact with any suspicious individuals?"

"No. I spend most of my time working at the pharmacy and stay at a guesthouse near the dock at night. I rarely go out."

"Has anyone contacted you, or given you anything?"

"no."

A few seconds of silence filled the office. Director Zhang stared into Chen Yu's eyes, and Chen Yu met his gaze calmly. His Qi Refining Level 8 cultivation allowed him to perfectly control his heartbeat and breathing; even if he was nervous inside, his outward appearance showed no flaws.

"Okay, we have a basic understanding of your family background." Director Zhang finally spoke. "Next question: have you been researching ancient architecture lately?"

"They've arrived." Chen Yu was wary, but his tone remained calm: "Yes, I'm interested in ancient architecture. Since coming to Beijing, I've visited the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, and several ancient temples in the Western Hills. I feel that these ancient buildings embody the culture and wisdom of our nation."

"Just a hobby?"

"Yes. I borrowed a few related books from the factory library and I read them from time to time."

"Did you find anything unusual in the ancient temple?"

"No. I just visited and took a few photos." Chen Yu pulled out a small photo album from his pocket—this was specially prepared to deal with the investigation, and it contained photos of him at various scenic spots, spanning several months.

Director Zhang took the photo album and flipped through it. In the photos, Chen Yu stood in front of various ancient buildings, smiling naturally. There were indeed a few photos taken at Jietai Temple in late March, unrelated to what happened last night.

"You understand feng shui?" Director Zhang suddenly asked.

"I know a little bit. I studied with an old Taoist priest in the village for a few days when I was a kid," Chen Yu said succinctly. "But it was all superficial, mainly some common sense about home layout."

The interrogation lasted an hour. Director Zhang and Officer Wang asked a variety of questions, from family background to social connections, from work performance to ideological trends. Chen Yu's answers were all logical and flawless.

Finally, Director Zhang closed his notebook: "Comrade Chen Yu, we understand your basic situation. Defense projects are related to national security, and strict review is necessary. We hope you can understand."

"I understand."

"We may try to contact you again in the next few days, or visit your home. Please keep your communication channels open."

"OK."

When Chen Yu emerged from the factory manager's office, his back was soaked with sweat. Although he appeared calm on the surface, he was under immense pressure facing this level of scrutiny.

Back in the production department, Liu Yuhua asked with concern, "How did it go?"

"It's alright, they just asked about the basics." Chen Yu poured himself a glass of water. "Sister Liu, this project is really strict."

"Of course, it's a defense project," Liu Yuhua said in a low voice. "But since Director Li recommended you, it means you're capable. Perform well; this is an opportunity."

At noon, Chen Yu didn't go to the cafeteria; instead, he ate a cornbread bun in his office. He needed some quiet time to think about how to proceed.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Director Zhang and Secretary Wang arrived at the courtyard house as expected. They came in a black sedan, which attracted the attention of many neighbors when it was parked at the entrance of the alley.

"Oh, the Chen family has a distinguished guest!" Uncle Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses, his eyes lighting up.

Yi Zhonghai also came out of the house and saw the license plate of the car. His expression changed slightly—it was a government vehicle.

Chen Yu received a notice to go home early and greet the review team in the courtyard.

"Director Zhang, Officer Wang, this is my home." He pushed open the door.

Director Zhang nodded, walked into the room, and scanned every corner. The room was small, but it was clean and tidy. Landscape paintings hung on the walls, several books were on the table, and the quilt on the bed was neatly folded.

Qin Huairu stood to the side, holding little Chen An, looking somewhat nervous.

"Who is this...?"

"My wife is Qin Huairu, and our child is Chen An," Chen Yu introduced.

"Hello, Comrade Qin." Director Zhang nodded, then turned to the bookshelf. "Are all these books yours?"

"Most of them are, some were borrowed from the factory library."

Director Zhang pulled out several books, all of which were technical books and books on ancient architecture. He then looked at the notebook on the table, which contained Chen Yu's work notes and learning reflections, with neat handwriting and detailed content.

What do you usually do in the evenings?

"I read books, spend time with my kids, and occasionally play chess with the neighbors," Chen Yu replied. "I've been learning Russian lately, thinking I might be able to use it someday."

"Russian?" Director Zhang was somewhat surprised.

"Yes, the factory has some Soviet technical documents, and knowing Russian will help you learn them better."

Wang, the clerk, took notes in his notebook. Director Zhang then walked around the room again, looking at the kitchen and the storage room, but found nothing unusual.

"How is your relationship with your husband?" This question came as a surprise.

"Very good." Chen Yu held Qin Huairu's hand. "Huairu married me from the countryside and suffered hardships with me. I am very grateful to her."

Qin Huairu blushed and lowered her head.

The review team stayed in the courtyard for half an hour, asking several neighbors questions, mainly about Chen Yu's usual behavior. He Yuzhu patted his chest and said, "Little Chen is a good comrade! He's hardworking, warm-hearted, and always helps anyone in the courtyard who's in trouble!"

Yi Zhonghai also said, "Although Comrade Chen Yu is young, he is steady and reliable, and his family is a model family in our institute."

Yan Bugui went on to rave about Chen: "Xiao Chen is the pride of our institute! A key technical worker, filial to his elders, and a good neighbor..."

Only Jia Zhangshi, when questioned by the investigation team, replied sarcastically, "They're cadres, how would we know anything about their affairs..."

Director Zhang glanced at her but didn't say anything.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the inspection team left. As the car drove out of the alley, the people in the courtyard gathered around.

"Xiao Chen, what's going on?" Yi Zhonghai asked.

"There's a project at the factory that needs reviewing; it's just a routine matter," Chen Yu said, trying to downplay it.

"Oh, that's great news!" Yan Bugui's eyes lit up. "A project that gets to be reviewed must be extraordinary! Xiao Chen, you're going to get a promotion!"

Chen Yu smiled wryly: "Uncle, it's just a regular inspection, don't overthink it."

Back inside, Qin Huairu finally breathed a sigh of relief: "I was so scared...they asked so many detailed questions."

"It's normal procedure." Chen Yu patted her shoulder. "It's alright."

But he knew the matter wasn't over yet. Although the investigation team had left, the threat from the Heavenly Alliance remained.

At nine o'clock at night, Chen Yu was reading in his room when he suddenly sensed something—someone had climbed over the wall and come in!

It wasn't the man in black, but another unfamiliar presence, around the fifth level of Qi Refining. The person landed silently in the courtyard and headed straight for Chen Yu's window.

Chen Yu immediately became alert and placed his hand on the Demon-Slaying Sword. But the person did not enter the window; he merely lingered outside for a moment before tossing in a small piece of paper.

The crumpled paper fell to the ground silently. Chen Yu waited until the person left before picking it up and unfolding it. There was only one line of text on the paper:

"At midnight tomorrow, a person will arrive at Qionghua Island in the North Sea. It concerns the Seven Star Key."

There was no signature. The handwriting was messy and it was written with the left hand.

Chen Yu frowned. Who was this? Someone from the Heavenly Dao Alliance? Or some other force? Why did they arrange to meet on Qionghua Island in the North Sea?

"Fake Man Number One, who was that person just now?"

"Master, he's a stranger, but not from the Heavenly Dao Alliance. We followed him for a while, and he entered a courtyard near Xidan. There lives an old Taoist priest there, the one who was monitoring the Jia family last time."

An old Taoist priest? Chen Yu recalled that the imposter had previously reported that an old Taoist priest was monitoring the Jia family.

Who is this old Taoist priest? Why is he interested in the Seven Star Key? And why did he approach him?

Chen Yu burned the note, his mind filled with doubts. This old Taoist priest didn't seem to be an enemy; otherwise, he could have attacked directly. But he couldn't completely trust him either.

To go or not to go?

He thought for a moment and decided to go. But he wanted to be fully prepared.

"Master," he called to Jingxu, "you will accompany me to the North Sea tomorrow night. But you will not show yourself; you will wait for me in the shadows."

"Did someone ask you out?"

"Yes, it's about the Seven Star Key." Chen Yu explained about the note.

Jingxu pondered, "Old Taoist priest... could it be the one from Qingyun Temple? I've heard of him. There's a reclusive old Taoist priest in Beijing with the Taoist name 'Xuanji.' He's said to have profound cultivation, but he rarely shows himself."

"Xuanji..." Chen Yu noted the name down. "Whoever it is, we'll find out when we meet tomorrow."

At 11 p.m., Chen Yu was about to rest when he suddenly heard a scream from the courtyard!

It's Jia Zhangshi's voice!

Chen Yu rushed out of the room and saw Jia Zhangshi slumped at her doorstep, her face deathly pale, pointing to a corner of the yard: "There's...there's a ghost! A dark shadow! It floated by!"

The other neighbors in the courtyard were also alerted and came out one after another. He Yuzhu shone his flashlight into the corner, but there was nothing there.

"Aunt Jia, are you seeing things?" He Yuzhu said.

"No! I really saw it! A dark shadow, drifting by!" Jia Zhangshi trembled all over.

Chen Yu extended his spiritual sense and indeed sensed a faint evil aura, but it quickly dissipated. Was it the man in black? Or one of the old Taoist priest's men?

He walked to the corner, where there was a small clump of black ash on the ground, like the marks left by burning talisman paper.

"It might be a stray cat," Yi Zhonghai said, trying to smooth things over. "Sister-in-law, go back to sleep. Don't scare yourself."

Jia Zhangshi was helped back into the house, but no one in the courtyard could sleep. Chen Yu returned to the house, his face grave.

That wisp of ash...is it some kind of tracking symbol? Or a warning?

He checked his windows and doors and found nothing unusual. But he was even more vigilant.

That night, no one in the courtyard slept peacefully.

But Chen Yu knew that even greater storms were yet to come.

Tomorrow night's rendezvous in Beihai will unveil more secrets.

The moon outside the window is starting to get full again.