Courtyard House: My Time Travel is a Bit Too Strong

With a light tap of her fingertip, a palm-sized iron box quietly appeared on the stone table.

Lin Quan saw everything that happened in the mirror space.

Aside from ordinary items like gold and silver, even though he knew the box contained zombie crystal cores, he never reached out to lift the lid.

"Look, these are the crystal cores we traded for food with other awakened individuals."

When Qiao Jingjing talks about exchanging grain for crystal cores today, she still feels like she's walking on clouds, her feet feeling unsteady.

I never imagined things would turn out like that!

She never expected that the few bags of coarse grains she brought would be so heavy in that collapsing world that they could crush a person's sanity.

If she hadn't been skilled enough and had a commanding presence, those Awakened Ones who surrounded her would probably have immediately torn off all pretense of civility and resorted to force to seize her.

After listening to her story, Lin Quan remained silent for a moment before letting out a soft sigh:

"I thought I had seen the horror of it all... but I was too naive."

"For those who have awakened, with zombies roaming the streets, crystal cores are like pebbles that can be picked up at will."

"But rice, flour, salt—these things don't regenerate; they just diminish day by day, until the bags are empty and there's not even a crumb left."

The post-apocalyptic world where Qiao Jingjing lives is far more complex than simply 90% of humanity being reduced to the walking dead.

Wild dogs grew fangs, old trees split open with bloody gashes, and even the wind carried the smell of decay.

What was once a vast expanse of fertile land has long since become a parched, barren wasteland after being irrigated by toxic rain; even a chopstick stuck in it would emit smoke.

The few remaining arable plots of land had long been firmly held in the hands of warlords and sects.

Even so, the harvest still can't keep up with the people eating it—the more they plant, the thinner the soil becomes; the more they guard it, the emptier it gets.

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Quan's gaze darkened, and he stared at Qiao Jingjing, his tone suddenly becoming tense:

"When making transactions in the future, keep your eyes open and your ears perked up."

"At the slightest sign of trouble, immediately activate the time-space mirror and retreat—your safety is more important than anything else."

Qiao Jingjing listened without replying, but simply met his gaze and nodded gently.

Before Lin Quan could speak again, she had already reached out and lifted the lid of the wooden box on the table.

"There are a total of one hundred crystal cores, sixteen of which are level two, and the rest are all level one."

"Divide them equally, fifty to each."

Before she finished speaking, her mind stirred slightly, and her spiritual energy spread out in wisps—

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

One hundred crystal cores rose into the air in unison, leaving behind faint streaks of light, and hovered steadily in mid-air.

The distinction between Level 1 and Level 2 is clear-cut, with no more and no less, fitting perfectly, and fifty per person.

"this……"

Lin Quan had just opened his mouth when Qiao Jingjing looked up and said, "The rules were set long ago."

"If you really care about our friendship, then don't push it away."

Before she finished speaking, she flicked her fingertips, and the remaining fifty crystal cores instantly transformed into streams of light, disappearing into the mirror space in the blink of an eye.

"I'm going to sleep now."

After saying that, she turned and left, her steps quick and decisive, the door slamming shut behind her.

Only when the door slammed shut did the crystal core floating in front of Lin Quan slowly sink down, making a soft tinkling sound, and pile up on the stone table.

He stared at the closed door, a silent smile playing on his lips. With a flick of his wrist, he collected all the crystal cores into his storage ring.

Back in his room, with a thought, a white crystal core the size of a pigeon egg appeared in his palm.

Lin Quan didn't hesitate at all and swallowed it.

Swah——

The moment the crystal entered his stomach, a warm, moist current exploded out, gushing forth from his stomach...

Compared to the searing pain that tore at your bones the first time you took it, this time the warmth was long and gentle, like spring water, flowing over your limbs and bones, seeping into every inch of your bones and muscles.

My pores opened up, my veins trembled slightly, as if I had been basking in the warm sun all day, feeling both tingly and numb, and my whole body felt soothed.

Even more strangely, as the heat flow repeatedly washed over him, tiny sparks of electricity flickered and crackled beneath his skin, as if the dormant energy of thunder was just beginning to awaken.

Time slips by unnoticed...

As the last trace of warmth was completely dissipated, the moon's shadow outside the window had shifted three inches—a full hour had passed.

Lin Quan glanced at the hourglass in the corner of the wall. Far from feeling tired, he was clear-headed and his eyes shone brightly.

"Each level-one crystal core adds at least fifty pounds of real strength..."

"Even his control over lightning has subtly improved..."

Crackling, crackling, crackling...

Before the whisper was finished, Lin Quan raised his hand and focused his mind. Suddenly, a ball of leaping silver-white electric arcs appeared in his palm, crackling and radiating a dazzling light.

He carefully observed the surging changes within his body, then took out another crystal core, flicked it with his fingertip, and swallowed it. Warm air flowed down his throat like a stream, and his limbs and bones began to feel slightly warm—he unconsciously sank into that surging warmth, completely oblivious to everything else.

A night passed quietly in this quiet meditation!

As dawn broke, when Lin Quan pushed open the door and stepped out into the courtyard, he showed no signs of fatigue; instead, his eyes were bright and his steps were brisk.

"All four level-one crystal cores have been refined..."

"Judging solely from the strength of his muscles and bones, he has probably already easily surpassed 500 jin!"

Before he finished speaking, he was already stretching his muscles in the courtyard, his punches and kicks were swift and powerful, and his strength was surging as he moved.

Unfortunately, despite the explosive increase in both strength and physique, he had no skills to rely on.

Of the surge in combat power, only about 20% can actually be utilized – that's already the limit.

"I need to find a martial art as soon as possible and start practicing it diligently..."

"I don't ask for complete release, but at least I want this body to obey my commands!"

Once he made up his mind, he didn't hesitate any longer. He turned around and went to the kitchen, where he efficiently washed the rice and started the fire.

Before long, a pot of thick millet porridge and several plates of refreshing side dishes were neatly arranged on the table.

Just then, Qiao Jingjing finished washing up and appeared at the door looking refreshed.

Lin Quan looked up and saw her, his lips immediately curving into a warm smile: "The food just came out of the pot, and you're already here."

The moment their eyes met, both of them were startled—the subtle transformation emanating from each other was unmistakable.

After a night of arduous training, Lin Quan's strength nearly doubled; even Qiao Jingjing, who had already entered the second stage of awakening, had her aura subtly thicken by more than 10%.

"As expected, as long as there are enough crystal cores, advancement isn't that difficult..."

"At least for now, it's the most direct and satisfying way to climb the ladder!"

The two finished their breakfast in silence. Qiao Jingjing opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally swallowed back the words that were stuck in his throat.

Lin Quan, however, seeing her get up to leave, her brows furrowed slightly, hesitant to speak, finally couldn't help but say:

"Be careful in everything you do; survival comes first."

"Um."

She answered softly, her figure rippling like water before suddenly disappearing into the dim light of the Time Mirror.

Lin Quan stood still, gazing at the air that was still rippling slightly. He remained silent for a few breaths before slowly withdrawing his gaze, a barely perceptible trace of concern flashing across his brow.

After tidying up briefly, he immediately went out and headed straight for the military control commission's headquarters.

That's right, it was the Military Control Commission!

At this time, the city was governed neither by the neighborhood committees of later generations nor by the street offices, but by the iron-fisted and pragmatic military control commission.

In the early days of the new China, with everything in ruins and waiting to be rebuilt, the city still retained a rugged, semi-military character.

Upon arrival, Lin Quan, familiar with the place, went straight to the office on the east side of the second floor of a small gray-walled building.

Boom, boom, boom...