Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 223 Hong Kong

As night deepened, and after the incessant chatter of Tom and Mike had passed away, the villa finally returned to tranquility.

Lin Yan returned to the living room, where Lin Gang and Elder Dan seemed to have been waiting for him for some time.

Lin Gang stepped forward and respectfully asked, "Young Master, with the Lunar New Year approaching, are we... spending it here in New York this year?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yan shook his head almost without hesitation: "No need. New York may be nice, but it's not home. I still want to go home for the New Year."

He walked to the window, gazing at the New York nightscape, his mind drifting to images of families in northern China setting off firecrackers and making dumplings. "I plan to ask the school for a week's leave. We'll go back to Hong Kong first to see Jiaming and Wenbin, and check on their businesses and situation there. Then, we'll go back to Beijing for the Lunar New Year this year."

He turned around and clearly gave instructions: "I will personally explain the specific itinerary and arrangements to Lin Yi and Lin San, and have them make preparations in Hong Kong and Beijing in advance." He looked at Charles, who was standing to the side, "Charles, you are in charge of looking after the house this time. Elder Dan, please take good care of Tang Bingyuan's health. I'll bring you New Year's gifts when I return."

Charles and Old Man Dan bowed slightly: "Understood, young master. Please rest assured."

Finally, Lin Yan said to Lin Gang and Wang Yuling, "Lin Gang, Yuling, get ready. This time, we're flying back to Hong Kong on our swords."

January 22nd, Friday, was the day of the school basketball team tryouts. When Tom and Mike found Lin Yan in the hallway, he was leisurely tidying up his locker.

"Lin!" Tom rushed forward, his voice urgent. "What are you still doing here? Coach Carter is waiting in the gym; the selection process is about to begin!"

Lin Yan calmly closed the cabinet door and said to the two of them, "I've spoken to Coach Carter. I told him that with my skill level, participating in the selection process would be a waste of my time."

"Huh?" Mike was taken aback. "So... what are you going to do next?"

"That's exactly what I was going to tell you," Lin Yan said, looking at the two of them. "I'm going back to my hometown for the next week and I need to ask for leave from school."

"Going back to your hometown?" Tom asked immediately with concern. "Lin, has something happened at home? Why do you suddenly have to leave for a week?"

Seeing the genuine worry on his two friends' faces, Lin Yan couldn't help but smile. He shook his head and said, "Don't worry, it's nothing. I just need to rush back to celebrate our Chinese Christmas."

"Chinese Christmas?" Tom and Mike asked in unison, their faces full of confusion. "Didn't Christmas just pass by not long ago?"

"Not that Christmas," Lin Yan said with a smile and gesture, "It's our Lunar New Year, called Spring Festival. For us Chinese, it's the most important festival of the year. Just like you have to be with your family for Christmas, I also have to go back."

"Wow," Mike exclaimed, suddenly realizing, "like a super big family party?"

"More important than that," Lin Yan nodded, "is the day of reunion and welcoming a new beginning."

"So," Lin Yan patted the two on the shoulders, "don't slack off this week while I'm gone. Go to the gym every afternoon to have lessons with Coach Holt as usual. I'll talk to him. When I get back, I'll be checking on your progress."

"Don't worry, Lin!" Tom patted his chest to assure him, "We'll definitely practice hard! But..." He smiled slyly, "Your 'Chinese Christmas' sounds really cool! Does it include Santa Claus and presents?"

Lin Yan was amused: "There's no Santa Claus, but we have the story of the 'Nian Beast,' and we get red envelopes too. I'll tell you the details when I get back. Now, you should go to the gym; don't keep the coach waiting."

Watching Tom and Mike run off while discussing "Chinese Christmas," Lin Yan smiled, turned around, and headed towards the administration building. He needed to process his leave application for that week.

The Upper East Side of New York City was chilly under the cover of night. Lin Yan stood on the terrace of his villa. With a thought, Xiao Qi, the butler Lin Gang, and the cook Wang Yuling beside him transformed into three streaks of light and were absorbed into the space within his body.

"It's time to go back," he muttered to himself, and with a flash of sword light, he quietly disappeared into the night sky.

Spiritual energy surged within him, propelling him ever higher. The city beneath his feet quickly shrank into a dazzling chessboard outlined by lights. Skyscrapers became specks of light, rivers became bands of darkness, until everything blurred beneath the clouds. He stabilized at ten thousand meters in the air, speeding northwest along his predetermined flight path.

A spiritual energy shield formed an invisible barrier around him, completely isolating him from the extreme cold of minus fifty degrees Celsius and the deadly thin air. The only sound he could hear was the faint whistling of himself cutting through the air.

He unleashed his divine sense, which, like an invisible, infinitely extending radar network, covered the airspace within a radius of dozens of miles. The outlines of the mountains below, the disturbances of the air currents in the distance, and even the occasional flocks of large migratory birds flying by were all clearly reflected in his mind, ensuring that he would not lose his way on this long journey.

Originally, it was a sleeping town on the North American continent and a winding coastline reflected in the snow and ice.

Then, the earth was gradually covered by an endless expanse of white—the wild snowfields and frozen lakes of Canada, reflecting a cool, clear light under the moon.

As he flew over the Arctic Circle, the scene reached a certain extreme. It wasn't pitch black night, but rather enveloped in a grand, ever-changing aurora borealis. Green and purple veils of light danced across the sky, below which lay seemingly timeless glaciers and a sea of ​​broken ice floes—a breathtaking spectacle, yet also a desolate one that chilled the heart.

Passing through this forbidden zone of life, the vast Siberian coniferous forest stretched before him. Even in the darkness, his powerful eyesight allowed him to discern the deep, seemingly endless expanse of dark green forest, like the earth's fur, covering the rolling mountains and plains.

After flying for several hours, even with his Foundation Establishment Stage 9 cultivation, Lin Yan felt a slight fatigue from the continuous depletion of his spiritual energy. He took out a top-grade Spirit Recovery Pill from his spatial storage and put it in his mouth. The pill instantly transformed into a pure, warm torrent, flowing into his limbs and bones, rapidly replenishing his depleted spiritual energy and restoring him to his peak condition.

As the distant horizon began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, he knew that the land of China was almost within reach. Beneath his feet lay the continuous mountain range of China, its silhouette a silent yet majestic one in the pre-dawn darkness.

Finally, after nearly seven hours of continuous flight, a unique sea appeared beneath the clouds ahead—the South China Sea. And along the shores of this sea, a long, narrow peninsula and several islands began to emerge.

Hong Kong, we've arrived.