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

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the cold wind of Beiping still carried a frosty chill, but smoke was already rising from the chimneys of the courtyard houses. Taking advantage of the lingering morning mist, Zhou Ye quietly summoned Zhao Hu, Old Ma, and Scarface Qiang to a side room in the east wing, where he solemnly devised a plan to rescue them.

"Xiao An, the orderly who was detained by the secret agents yesterday, is a righteous man who sacrificed himself to protect the underground party. We must not let him die in vain." Zhou Ye tapped the table with his fingertip, drawing a simple map of the Sun family compound. "Three days later, the Sun family will send people to the black market in the south of the city to purchase rice and flour. Old Ma, you will use the excuse of the Security Association investigating smuggled salt and regulating merchants to lead your brothers to surround the side gate of the Sun family compound and make a commotion to distract the secret agents at the front gate."

Old Ma nodded in agreement: "Don't worry, Mr. Zhou, I'll make sure the scene is perfect and draws all the spies' attention!"

"Scarface Qiang, you take two brothers who are at the late stage of Qi Refining and stand guard outside the back wall of the Sun residence to provide backup. After I bring Xiao An out, I will immediately escort our people to our outpost in the suburbs for concealment."

"Understood!" Scarface patted his chest, his voice firm and resolute.

Zhou Ye then looked at Zhao Hu: "You will come with me to sneak into the woodshed of the Sun residence and be responsible for the outer perimeter security. If there is any disturbance, immediately signal the alarm."

The three accepted the order and went their separate ways to prepare. Zhou Ye turned and went back into the house, where Xiao Cao was waiting for him with warm water prepared from the spiritual spring. The girl's eyes were full of concern: "Brother, little An will be alright, right?"

"Yes, we will." Zhou Ye patted her head. "With us here, we will never let good people suffer."

Xiao Cao nodded and quietly condensed a wisp of azure spiritual energy onto the handkerchief: "Brother, take this with you. When we find Xiao An, put it on his chest to protect his vital energy."

She is currently at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, and the spiritual energy of the "Azure Origin Spiritual Heart Technique" is best at healing injuries and protecting the heart, which can come in handy.

Zhou Ye took the handkerchief, a surge of warmth welling up in his heart. His younger sister had long since grown into a kind-hearted and responsible person amidst the chaos of the world.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and as planned, the area outside the Sun residence in the western part of Beiping became noisy.

Old Ma, along with his men from the Security Guard, carried a sign to inspect merchants and loudly questioned them at the side gate. The commotion instantly attracted the attention of most of the secret agents. The agents at the front gate all gathered to watch the spectacle, leaving most of the guards inside the mansion empty.

The time has come!

Zhou Ye and Zhao Hu flashed into the backyard of the Sun family mansion, using the shadows of the courtyard wall as cover. Zhou Ye spread out his spiritual sense and instantly locked onto the location of the woodshed—Xiao An was curled up in the corner of the woodpile, covered in wounds, her face as pale as paper, her breath weak, but she still gritted her teeth, showing no sign of yielding.

Zhou Ye strode forward and pushed open the woodshed door. Xiao An looked up in surprise, his eyes filled with wariness, but the moment he saw Zhou Ye clearly, a hint of doubt flashed in the boy's eyes—it was the person whose voice had echoed in his mind that day, protecting his heart meridian!

"Don't speak, I'll take you away." Zhou Ye said in a low voice, pressing the spiritual handkerchief that Xiao Cao had prepared against Xiao An's chest. The gentle spiritual energy of the golden core flowed into the handkerchief, instantly stabilizing the boy's collapsing life force.

Xiao An's lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something, but Zhou Ye gently pressed his hand down. Zhou Ye picked up the boy and, along with Zhao Hu, silently slipped out of the back wall of the Sun residence. Scarface Qiang had already prepared a carriage. After the group got in, they rode at full speed towards their hidden outpost on the outskirts of the city. Half an hour later, they took a detour back to the courtyard house.

At this time, all the neighbors in the courtyard had gone out, and the courtyard was quiet and deserted. Zhou Ye settled Xiao An on the soft couch in the east wing, and Xiao Cao immediately stepped forward and circulated the "Azure Yuan Spirit Heart Technique" to slowly transfer the pure Azure Yuan spiritual energy into Xiao An's body.

As spiritual energy entered her body, Xiao An's wounds healed at a visible speed, and her pale face gradually regained color. Before long, she slowly opened her eyes.

He propped himself up, trying to sit up, and immediately tried to get out of bed to kowtow, his voice hoarse but utterly sincere: "My benefactor! Thank you so much for saving my life! I have no way to repay you, I am willing to serve you like a slave for the rest of my life!"

Although he did not know Zhou Ye's identity, he knew that the person in front of him had saved his life. If it weren't for Zhou Ye, he would have already died a miserable death under the torture of the secret agents.

Zhou Ye quickly helped him up: "You don't need to perform such a grand ceremony. You risked your life to protect others; you are a true man of honor and righteousness. It is only right that I save you."

Xiao An's eyes reddened, and she choked out, "I don't understand any grand principles, I only know that Mr. Lin is a good person. He treated me like a brother, and I can't hurt him. My benefactor saved my life, so I'll follow him for the rest of my life!"

The boy's eyes were clear, full of sincerity and loyalty, without a trace of pretense. Zhou Ye's heart stirred slightly; Xiao An was kind-hearted, loyal, and righteous—truly someone he could entrust with his life.

"Alright." Zhou Ye agreed in a deep voice. "From now on, you will stay by my side. I will protect you and hope that you will join me in protecting the good people and our country in this chaotic world."

After saying that, Zhou Ye lightly touched Xiao An's brow with his fingertip, transmitting the basic Qi Refining Technique into his sea of ​​consciousness: "This is my ancestral Qi Refining Technique. You should cultivate it diligently. It will not only strengthen your body but also give you the ability to protect yourself in the future. I see that you have good aptitude. As long as you cultivate diligently, you will soon be able to enter the Qi Refining Realm."

The warm incantation of the cultivation technique flooded into Xiao An's mind. Overwhelmed with surprise and joy, Xiao An knelt down with a thud and kowtowed three times: "Master! Your disciple Xiao An swears to follow you to the death, with no second thoughts!"

Although he was young, he knew that this was an incredible opportunity. His benefactor had not only saved his life but also taught him unparalleled martial arts techniques. This kindness was heavier than a mountain.

Zhou Ye helped him up and said gently, "No need to call me Master, just call me Mr. Zhou. From now on, you can live in the courtyard, rest and recuperate, and cultivate in peace. This is your home."

Little Grass smiled and came over, offering a piece of pastry: "Little An, you'll be with us from now on. I'll teach you how to hide your scent so no one can tell!"

Xiao An took the pastries, and looking at the gentle Zhou Ye and the obedient Xiao Cao, his eyes welled up with tears again. In this dark and chaotic world, he finally had a home, and people he could rely on.

Footsteps of neighbors returning home could be heard outside the courtyard. Zhou Ye instructed Xiao An to conceal his aura and hide his cultivation technique. Then, he led Xiao Cao out of the room and, as usual, accompanied the deaf old lady to bask in the sun and helped Xiu Lan pick vegetables.

The deaf old lady looked towards the east wing, then at Zhou Ye, her eyes full of understanding. She gently patted his hand and whispered, "Well done. A family that accumulates good deeds will surely have abundant blessings."

Zhou Ye smiled and looked out the window at the gradually warming sunlight.

In his past life, the nameless orderly turned into dust of history, dying with resentment; in this life, he personally saved the loyal servant, passed on his skills to him, and gave him the warmth of a family.

The regrets of history have been made up for; the nameless loyal souls have finally met a peaceful end.

As night deepened, in the east wing, Xiao An circulated his qi according to the basic qi-refining technique. A wisp of spiritual energy flowed through his body, officially embarking on the path of cultivation.

Zhou Ye sat cross-legged, his golden core slowly rotating, his spiritual sense enveloping the entire courtyard.

He knew that the undercurrents in Beiping were still turbulent, and Zhang Huai'an's conspiracies and the agents' searches never stopped. But he had a loyal confidant like Xiao'an by his side, Xiao Cao by his side, and loyal brothers accompanying him.

Even if the road ahead is fraught with storms and darkness, he will surely protect these ordinary yet great souls, guard this small courtyard, and wait until the dawn breaks and the mountains and rivers are safe and sound.