Courtyard House: Starting in 1938, kill enemies and loot equipment.

The night in Beiping was even more gloomy than the daytime. When Zhou Ye returned from the black market, there were no pedestrians in the alley. Only the lanterns of the police station swayed in the distance. In the dim light, many homeless vagrants huddled against the walls, their low sobs mingling with the cold wind, exuding a bone-chilling desolation.

Back in the east wing, Xiaocao was already fast asleep, her breathing even. Zhou Ye sat at the table, his fingertips tracing the herbs on it, his mind replaying the scenes from the streets that day—the plight of Qin Huairu's family, the arrogance of the thugs, the cowardice of the passersby, the greed of the grain merchants, and the tyranny of the mutinous soldiers. He had thought that by guarding the courtyard and lying low until 1949, he could live a peaceful life, but today's events had jolted him awake: this chaotic world was like a pile of loose sand; when the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. If he only passively defended himself, even with his Golden Core cultivation, he could hardly protect those around him at all times. With the underworld running rampant and order collapsing, not only would ordinary people suffer, but those lurking antique dealers might also collude with the underworld, taking advantage of the chaos to covet national treasures. At that time, he would be attacked from both sides, and his situation would only become more dangerous.

"Instead of passively defending, it's better to take the initiative." Zhou Ye's eyes darkened as he made his decision. His Golden Core cultivation couldn't be revealed, but he could use this extraordinary strength to secretly integrate the underworld forces in Beiping, establishing rules and defining boundaries. He wanted these chaotic forces to become a buffer for maintaining underground order, rather than a malignant tumor that oppressed the people and aided and abetted evil. He wasn't building a local gang to dominate, but a secretive organization that could restrain chaos and protect the weak, with only three core principles: no bullying of civilians, no involvement in cultural relic smuggling, and no collusion with rebel armies to bring disaster to the country.

The next morning, Zhou Ye examined Xiulan's pulse and prepared herbal medicine as usual. However, in the afternoon, he quietly left the courtyard under the pretext of buying rare herbs. Instead of taking the bustling streets, he turned into the most chaotic shantytown in southern Beiping—a place where underworld forces were deeply entrenched, with dozens of gangs of all sizes, fighting for territory and extortion being commonplace, and also the easiest place to break into a situation.

Zhou Ye concealed his aura, his spiritual sense spreading like an invisible net, quietly enveloping the entire shantytown. He quickly ascertained the power distribution here: the two largest forces were: one was a gang led by "Scarface Qiang," which controlled the black market trade in the shantytown, and its subordinates were mostly desperate thugs who not only extorted money from vendors but also often colluded with rebel soldiers to resell goods; the other was a gang led by "Old Ma," whose members were mostly destitute people with nowhere else to turn. Although they also occupied a few street corners to collect meager profits, they rarely bullied ordinary people and even occasionally helped homeless people, making them one of the few people in the underworld with a moral compass.

Zhou Ye decided to make an example of Scarface Qiang first, to deter others. Following the direction of his spiritual sense, he found Scarface Qiang's stronghold—an abandoned granary. Four burly men guarded the entrance, each with a short knife at their waist. Zhou Ye didn't force his way in, but waited quietly in the shadows behind the granary wall until evening. Scarface Qiang returned with several men, escorting a peddler. The peddler was beaten black and blue, and most of his grain had been stolen.

"You ungrateful wretch, dare not pay protection money?" Scarface kicked the vendor, his scarred face contorted with a sneer. "Dare to talk back again, and I'll break your legs!"

Just then, Zhou Ye slowly stepped out of the shadows, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable air of authority: "Stop."

Scarface Qiang and his men were taken aback. Seeing Zhou Ye alone and dressed plainly, they immediately sneered, "Where did this brat come from, daring to interfere in our business? Are you tired of living?"

Without a word, Zhou Ye moved with lightning speed, leaving only a blur. Before Scarface Qiang's men could react, Zhou Ye was already in front of them. With a few precise grappling moves, he dislocated their joints, eliciting screams of agony. Scarface Qiang, both shocked and enraged, drew his short knife and lunged at Zhou Ye, his eyes filled with malice.

Zhou Ye sidestepped the blade, his fingertip lightly tapping Scarface Qiang's wrist. Scarface Qiang felt a numbness in his wrist, and the short knife clattered to the ground. Zhou Ye then seized the opportunity to grab Scarface Qiang's neck, pinning him against the wall with just the right amount of force—enough to prevent him from escaping but not enough to kill him. "I don't care if you occupy territory and make a meager living, but bullying the common people and colluding with rebel soldiers—that path is no longer viable."

Scarface was being choked and couldn't breathe, his face turning red, his eyes filled with fear: "Who...who are you? What do you want?"

"Who I am is unimportant." Zhou Ye released his grip, and Scarface Qiang collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. "From today onwards, the rules of the South City shantytown have changed: no extortion of civilian vendors, no resale of military supplies, and no involvement in the smuggling of cultural relics. Your men are only allowed to maintain order in their own territory. If they dare to cross the line, I will cripple them."

Scarface Qiang, still shaken, watched Zhou Ye's elusive movements and dared not resist any longer, nodding repeatedly, "Yes, yes, yes! I'll do whatever you say! I won't dare to do it again!"

Zhou Ye then coldly swept his gaze over the other injured subordinates: "Return the stolen goods to their owner, and apologize to the vendor. If I hear of you committing any more evil deeds in the future, you will face the consequences."

The henchmen quickly did as they were told, helping the vendor up, returning the grain, and muttering apologies. Zhou Ye watched the vendor's grateful departing figure, then turned to Scarface Qiang: "Within three days, summon all the leaders of the small gangs in the South City here. I have something to say. If even one is missing, or if anyone dares not to come, you know what will happen."

Scarface Qiang repeatedly agreed, not daring to be negligent in the slightest. Zhou Ye didn't linger any longer, turning and disappearing into the twilight, leaving Man Cang's men looking at each other, filled with awe and fear.

After leaving the shantytown, Zhou Ye went to Old Ma's territory. Old Ma was distributing steamed buns to some homeless people at the street corner. When he saw Zhou Ye approaching, a hint of wariness flashed in his eyes. Zhou Ye didn't make a move, but went straight to the point: "Old Master Ma, I know you're a man of principle, and you don't want to see Beiping City descend into complete chaos."

Old Ma put down his cornbread and looked Zhou Ye up and down: "Young man, I've heard about what happened with Scarface Qiang. What are you planning to do?"

"Establish a 'Security Council' to restrain all underworld forces and protect the peace of this region." Zhou Ye's tone was sincere. "No bullying of the people, no smuggling of cultural relics, and no collusion with rebel soldiers—these are three ironclad rules. Those who abide by the rules, I will ensure the stability of their territory; those who violate the rules, I will never tolerate. Old Master Ma, I know you have high prestige, and I would like to ask you to step forward and help me integrate the various forces."

Old Ma pondered for a moment, a flicker of emotion crossing his eyes. He had spent most of his life in the underworld, witnessing the bitterness of violence and feeling the pangs of hardship for ordinary people, yet he had always been powerless to change anything. Now, Zhou Ye possessed both the power and the will—precisely the turning point he had been longing for. "Alright! I'll trust you this once!" Old Ma slapped his thigh. "As long as the people can have a few days of peace, I, Old Ma, will risk everything!"

In the following days, Zhou Ye remained a gentle craftsman in the courtyard during the day, but at night he transformed into the mysterious founder of the "Guardian Society," summoning various gang leaders to an abandoned granary. He didn't show himself, only having Scarface Qiang and Old Ma convey the rules, supplemented by spiritual monitoring to ensure that each leader signed a pledge to abide by the ironclad rules. For a few unruly gangs that secretly caused trouble, Zhou Ye personally intervened, crippling their leaders and disbanding their groups. His ruthless methods completely subdued the other gangs.

Soon, the underground order in Beiping quietly changed. Street extortion decreased, black market transactions became more orderly, and even gang members actively helped maintain order at street corners and provide relief to homeless people. The neighbors in the courtyard also noticed the changes. When He Daqing went to buy goods, he was no longer harassed by thugs; when Guifen went to buy vegetables, the prices from the vendors were much fairer.

"It seems like things are much more peaceful in Beiping lately," Yi Zhonghai remarked as he sunbathed in the courtyard.

He Daqing nodded: "Yes, we used to get ripped off when we bought goods, but now those thugs are all well-behaved. I heard that some kind of 'Security Association' has appeared in the city and is in charge of these underworld figures. It's really strange."

Zhou Ye, who was tidying up herbs, smiled faintly upon hearing this: "In chaotic times, there are always people who want to abide by the rules. That's good, everyone can live a more peaceful life."

No one knew that this mysterious "Shou'an Society" was created by this seemingly ordinary young man beside them. In the dead of night, Zhou Ye stood by the window of the east wing, his spiritual senses sweeping over the entire city of Beiping, sensing the gradual stabilization of the underground order, and he breathed a slight sigh of relief. He knew this was only the first step. The existence of the "Shou'an Society" not only provided a small haven for the people, but also built a hidden barrier for him to protect national treasures and remain hidden until 1949.

But he also knew that the tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease. Those restrained underworld forces might not truly submit, and the threats from antique dealers and mutinous soldiers had never disappeared. His game had only just begun, and the days to come would still be full of challenges. Yet Zhou Ye's gaze grew increasingly resolute. His Golden Core cultivation had given him not only power, but also the confidence to protect. In this chaotic game of chess, he would use darkness as his pawn, defense as his offense, to protect the everyday life around him, and to protect the cultural heritage of his homeland, patiently awaiting the dawn.