Courtyard House: Starting with handing over the keys, the state helps me abuse birds.

After returning to the courtyard house, Xie Weihong secluded herself and devoted herself to cultivation.

For three whole days and nights, he absorbed all the Spirit-Eating Crystals rewarded by the system. Combined with the Bone-Eating Body Refining Technique, his cultivation level soared like a rocket. Mid-stage of Tier 2, Late-stage of Tier 2, Peak of Tier 2…

Each breakthrough was accompanied by the strange phenomenon of bones and muscles resonating and blood surging, but fortunately the doors and windows were tightly closed and no one in the courtyard noticed anything unusual.

Late on the third night, Xie Weihong sat cross-legged on the bed, his hands forming a mudra, and a faint golden light emanated from his body.

The internal energy sea within his body surged, and the internal energy that was originally like a stream gradually gathered into a river, and then from the river into a lake—boom!

A deafening roar, audible only to him, exploded in his mind.

The barrier shattered, and the realm was broken!

[System Notification: Congratulations, host, on breaking through to the third tier!]

[Comprehensive physical enhancement: Bone density increased by 300%, muscle strength increased by 500%, and skin resilience increased by 800%]

[New Ability: Basic Invulnerability - Allows brief attacks with firearms and other common kinetic weapons]

[Divine sense range expanded to thirty meters]

Xie Weihong opened his eyes, a golden light seemingly swirling in his pupils before fading away. He slowly stood up, picked up a pair of scissors from the table, and forcefully stabbed himself in the arm.

"clang!"

A metallic clang rang out, the scissors tip bent, leaving only a white mark on the arm's skin, without even breaking the skin.

"A third-tier golden body, truly extraordinary," Xie Weihong murmured to herself, a look of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.

Just as he was preparing to continue consolidating his cultivation, he heard familiar footsteps outside the courtyard.

A sweep of divine sense revealed that Duan Chengyi was leading two young policemen towards the backyard. All three had unusually solemn expressions, especially Duan Chengyi, whose brows were furrowed and whose steps were heavy.

Xie Weihong straightened her clothes and opened the door herself.

"Officer Wang, so early?" He looked at the three people who had just entered the Intermediate People's Court.

Duan Chengyi looked up and saw Xie Weihong standing at the door, his steps faltering slightly. For some reason, he felt that Xie Weihong was different today—her posture seemed more upright, her eyes more profound, and she exuded an indescribable aura.

"Comrade Xie Weihong, there's been significant progress." Duan Chengyi stepped forward quickly, his voice low. "Would it be convenient to come inside and talk?"

"Please come in."

The four men entered the house, with two young policemen standing guard at the door. Duan Chengyi did not sit down, but stood in the center of the room, took a deep breath, and slowly said, "We found a diary in Yan Bugui's house. Inside... it records the truth about your parents' murder."

Xie Weihong's eyes narrowed.

"Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui, and the deaf old lady who has passed away—the four of them conspired together." Duan Chengyi emphasized each word. "Back then, your parents discovered evidence of their smuggling of planned materials at the factory and were preparing to report them. They struck first, tampering with your parents' work during their mission and creating an 'accident'."

The air inside the room seemed to freeze.

"It's all written very clearly in the diary," Duan Chengyi continued, "The time, place, methods, and distribution of spoils... the evidence is irrefutable. Yi Zhonghai was the mastermind, Liu Haizhong was responsible for creating false records in the factory, Yan Bugui was responsible for bookkeeping and balancing the accounts, and the deaf old lady used her connections to gather information and smooth things over."

Xie Weihong remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "Therefore, my parents' deaths were never accidents."

"Never," Duan Chengyi shook his head emphatically. "They were trying to silence us."

"The compensation..."

"The compensation money was just a convenient cover-up." Duan Chengyi's voice was filled with suppressed anger. "They killed a martyr and then embezzled the compensation money that the martyr risked his life for. These people... are worse than animals!"

The two young policemen at the entrance clenched their fists, their eyes burning with anger.

Xie Weihong closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, her eyes were icy cold: "How will they be sentenced?"

"Death penalty." Duan Chengyi said decisively. "At least Yi Zhonghai will definitely be sentenced to death. Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui will at least receive life imprisonment. We have already reported to the branch bureau and are processing the arrest procedures. The arrests will be formally made by tomorrow at the latest."

Xie Weihong nodded, then changed the subject: "Officer Wang, I have a request."

"you say."

"Before the formal arrest, could we... not lock them up?" Xie Weihong said slowly. "What I mean is, let them stay in the compound temporarily under residential surveillance."

Duan Chengyi was stunned, then his expression changed: "No! Absolutely not!"

Why?

"Why?" Duan Chengyi raised his voice. "These people are murderers! The killers who killed your parents! If we leave them in the hospital, what will happen to your safety? Comrade Xie Weihong, I know you hate them, but we must act according to the law, not let our emotions get the better of us!"

"I'm not acting on emotion," Xie Weihong said calmly. "Besides... there's something I must confess."

Duan Chengyi frowned: "What is it?"

Xie Weihong took a deep breath and decided to reveal part of the truth. For the sake of his subsequent plans, he needed to let the national level know some clues.

"Officer Wang, do you know why I suddenly became such a good fighter?" Xie Weihong looked directly into Duan Chengyi's eyes. "Do you know why I could break a rope with my bare hands and take down five strong men all by myself?"

He walked to the table and picked up the bent pair of scissors.

"Watch closely."

Hold the blade of the scissors with your left hand and the handle with your right hand, then slowly apply force with both hands—

"Squeak..."

A piercing metallic clanging sound rang out.

To the astonishment of Duan Chengyi and the two young policemen, Xie Weihong actually straightened the iron scissors with her bare hands, then bent them further, and finally snapped them in two with a "crack"!

At the fracture, the metal appears jagged, as if torn apart by immense force.

But it's not over yet.

Xie Weihong threw the two pieces of scissors on the table, then pulled out a wooden stick as thick as an arm from under the bed and held both ends with her hands.

"Snap!"

The stick snapped in two, and all the wood fibers at the break point shattered.

"This..." Duan Chengyi's eyes widened, and the two young policemen subconsciously took a half step back.

"That's not all," Xie Weihong said, suddenly punching the wall.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, a shallow fist-shaped mark appeared on the brick wall. The brick surface shattered, and cracks spread like a spider web.

Duan Chengyi gasped. He looked at Xie Weihong with a complex expression—shock, doubt, and a hint of…worry.

"Comrade Xie Weihong," Duan Chengyi tried to keep his voice steady, "You...have you been under too much pressure lately?"

Xie Weihong was taken aback.

Duan Chengyi took a step forward, his tone softening: "I understand you. Anyone would be devastated by the sudden revelation of the truth about their parents' murder. Sometimes, people experience... unusual reactions after being subjected to great stress. For example, they might suddenly become stronger, or have unrealistic thoughts popping into their heads."

Xie Weihong understood that Duan Chengyi did not believe his explanation at all, but instead thought that he had been overstimulated and had a mental breakdown.

"Officer Wang, I'm not crazy," Xie Weihong said earnestly. "What I'm saying is true. When I punish those who harmed my parents, my body becomes stronger, and I get technological inspirations."

He walked to the bedside, pulled out a tin box from under the bed, and took out the manuscript of "High-Purity Special Steel Smelting": "For example, this technical data suddenly took shape in my mind after I beat up Yi Zhonghai. This technology can increase steelmaking efficiency by three times and reduce energy consumption by half."

Duan Chengyi took the manuscript and quickly glanced at it. The densely packed formulas and charts on the paper looked very professional, but he couldn't understand them. He looked up, his eyes filled with even more worry as he looked at Xie Weihong.

"Comrade Xie Weihong," Duan Chengyi said carefully, "I understand how you feel right now. But... you said that punishing evil people can lead to the acquisition of technology, that... that doesn't conform to common sense."

"I know it's hard to believe," Xie Weihong insisted, "but it's true. And the reason I'm telling you this is for the sake of the country. My parents were martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country, and I am a descendant of martyrs. If I can really use this special ability to contribute to the country, then I must do it."

Duan Chengyi felt a pang of sadness as he looked at the almost obsessive determination in Xie Weihong's eyes.

This child has suffered so much. His parents were murdered, his compensation was embezzled, and he was left alone for seventeen years. Now that the truth has come out, he can't bear the blow and has developed these delusions…

"Officer Wang, please take these technical documents back and have the experts verify them." Xie Weihong pushed the manuscript in front of Duan Chengyi. "If the verification is successful, please consider my request and let those beasts stay in the yard for the time being. I need them, and the country needs the technology they provide."

Duan Chengyi stared silently at the manuscript. Reason told him that all of this was Xie Weihong's delusion after being traumatized. But looking at the earnest eyes of the young man before him, he couldn't bear to expose him directly.

Maybe...maybe this child just needs time to accept reality.

"Alright." Duan Chengyi finally nodded, his tone as gentle as possible. "I will take this manuscript back. As for your request... I need to report to my superiors."

He decided to use delaying tactics. He was almost certain that it was something Xie Weihong had imagined, but in order to calm Xie Weihong down, he had no choice but to agree first to avoid further agitation.

We'll guide the child gently later.

"Thank you, Officer Wang." Xie Weihong breathed a sigh of relief. "Also, I have a technical document on precision machine tools in my mind. Once this document passes verification, I will organize it and submit it."

"Okay, okay," Duan Chengyi agreed, "You should rest well first and not think too much. We'll talk about everything after the test results come out."

He put the manuscript into his briefcase and wrote down his office phone number: "This is my number. Call me anytime if you need anything. Remember, your health is the most important thing. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

Xie Weihong took the note and sensed the reassuring tone in Duan Chengyi's words, but said nothing more. He knew that words alone were useless; they had to wait for the verification results.

After seeing the police off, Xie Weihong closed the door, leaned against it, and gave a bitter smile.

Xie Weihong shook her head. Indeed, such an unconventional explanation was hard to believe. But it didn't matter; everything would change once the experts verified the manuscript's technical value.

At that time, Duan Chengyi will understand—he's not crazy, what he said is true.