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

He stood quietly beneath the moon gate, dressed in dark clothes, almost blending into the night. His face was expressionless, but he looked at Yan Bugui with those eerily calm eyes.

"Teacher Yan, where are you going in the middle of the night?"

Xie Weihong spoke, her voice not loud, but clear and piercing in the quiet night.

Yan Bugui shuddered, instinctively clutching the cloth bundle in his arms even tighter. He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Wei...Wei Hong...why aren't you asleep either?"

"I need to use the restroom," Xie Weihong said, taking two steps forward. "But Teacher Yan, is that why you're heading out in the middle of the night with a bag?"

"No...no..." Yan Bugui took a step back. "I just...it was stuffy inside, so I came out for some fresh air..."

"Breathable?" Xie Weihong raised an eyebrow, her gaze falling on the bulging cloth bag in Yan Bugui's arms. "Breathable while carrying a bag? Teacher Yan's habit is quite peculiar."

Yan Bugui's heart pounded with alarm. He clutched the cloth bag tightly, his voice hoarse: "Just...just a few personal belongings..."

"Oh?" Xie Weihong took two more steps forward, less than three meters away from Yan Bugui. "Can I take a look?"

"No!" Yan Bugui blurted out, his voice so sharp it startled even himself. He quickly tried to salvage the situation, "I mean... they're just personal items, nothing special..."

Xie Weihong didn't speak, but just looked at him quietly. Her gaze was calm and unwavering, yet it made Yan Bugui feel as if he had been stripped naked and thrown into the freezing cold, chilling him to the bone.

Time passed by, and each second felt like a year.

Yan Bugui's underwear was soaked with cold sweat. His mind raced, trying to come up with excuses, but each one seemed weak and ineffective. All he wanted now was to leave this place, to get away from this monstrous young man.

"Um... Wei Hong, if there's nothing else, I'll head back to my room now..."

As Yan Bugui spoke, he turned to try and walk past Xie Weihong.

But Xie Weihong stretched out a hand and blocked his way.

"Teacher Yan, don't be in such a hurry to leave." Xie Weihong's voice carried a hint of amusement. "What good stuff is in your bag...? Why are you holding it so tightly?"

Yan Bugui's heart sank to the bottom. He knew he couldn't escape tonight.

"Really...it's nothing..." He still wanted to make one last attempt.

Xie Weihong stopped talking and stepped forward, reaching out to grab the cloth bag.

Yan Bugui instinctively tried to dodge, but his movements were as slow as a snail in Xie Weihong's eyes. Xie Weihong's hand easily grasped the corner of the cloth bag and gently tugged it.

"Sizzle!"

The cloth bag was torn open.

The contents inside fell out with a "whoosh".

Stacks of neatly bundled banknotes lay scattered on the ground like autumn leaves. Ten-yuan notes, five-yuan notes, one-yuan notes... glistened alluringly in the moonlight.

Yan Bugui was completely dumbfounded.

That money was the two thousand yuan he had taken from the hole in the wall of Sesame Alley.

Yan Bugui's mind was in chaos. He looked at the money on the ground, then at Xie Weihong, opened his mouth, but couldn't make a sound.

It’s over.

It's all over.

He couldn't say where he got such a large sum of money.

Xie Weihong squatted down, picked up a wad of money, weighed it in her hand, then looked up at Yan Bugui with a look of sudden realization.

"Hey, Teacher Yan, did you... find some money?"

Yan Bugui was taken aback.

Xie Weihong continued, her tone filled with exaggerated surprise: "So much money! Teacher Yan, you're so lucky! You just went out for some fresh air in the middle of the night and found so much money! It must be several thousand yuan, right?"

Yan Bugui opened his mouth, unsure how to respond.

Xie Weihong stood up, dusted off her hands, and said with a smile, "But Teacher Yan, you can't keep this found money for yourself. You have to hand it over to the authorities; that's the rule."

As he spoke, he bent down and picked up the stacks of money from the ground, wrapping them again in the rag: "Here's what we'll do, I'll have Director Duan come over tomorrow to register this money and hand it over to the state. Of course, Teacher Yan's honesty in returning the lost money deserves praise, and we'll apply for a banner for you and give you a reward of ten or eight yuan, what do you think?"

Yan Bugui was completely stunned by what he heard.

Hand it over to the state? A banner? A reward of ten or eight yuan?

That's over two thousand yuan! It's the hard-earned money he's saved up for most of his life!

"No...no..." Yan Bugui finally found his voice. He pointed at the bag of money, his voice trembling, "This money...this money is mine..."

"You found it." Xie Weihong interrupted him, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "Teacher Yan, I know what you're trying to say. Are you trying to say that this money is yours? But you're just a primary school teacher, and your monthly salary is only about thirty yuan. Where did you get so much money? If you say it's yours, then there's a big problem. So much money, with an unknown source, needs to be thoroughly investigated."

Xie Weihong looked at Yan Bugui meaningfully as she spoke: "Teacher Yan, do you want to be seen as a model of honesty and integrity, or as a typical example of corruption?"

Yan Bugui's words were stuck in his throat.

He got it.

Xie Weihong was setting a trap for him. If he admitted the money was his, he would have to explain its source, but which of his sources could be brought to light? If they really investigated, Yan Bugui wouldn't have enough heads to lose.

But if he found the money... then all the savings he painstakingly accumulated over most of his life just vanished for nothing.

Yan Bugui felt his heart bleeding. He stared at the bag of money, his eyes reddening. It was his life! He had saved it up little by little, like an ant carrying grains of rice!

"I...I..." Yan Bugui's voice trembled.

Xie Weihong patted his shoulder, her tone "sincere": "Teacher Yan, I know you're heartbroken. But you have to think carefully, is money more important, or your life? If the money is of dubious origin, you could lose your head. But if you found it, that's honesty and integrity, it's an honor."

Yan Bugui froze.

Xie Weihong straightened up and smiled, "Alright, it's too late today, Teacher Yan, go back to your room and rest. I'll keep this money for you for now, and give it to Director Duan when he comes tomorrow. Don't worry, you'll definitely get the banner and the reward."

After saying that, Xie Weihong hugged the bag of money and turned to walk towards the backyard.

Yan Bugui stood there blankly, watching Xie Weihong's figure disappear behind the moon gate. He felt as if all his strength had been drained, and he slumped softly to the ground.

The money is gone.

He saved up most of his life's money, and it's all gone just like that.

The moonlight shone on his pale face, reflecting his empty, desperate eyes. He sat on the ground for a long, long time, until the night wind chilled him to the bone, before struggling to his feet and walking dejectedly to the front yard.

With every step I take, my heart aches.

More than two thousand yuan... just gone like that...

Back in the east wing, Yan Bugui slumped onto the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), staring blankly out the window. The night was still deep, but his world had completely collapsed.

But... he had other hiding places for his money!

The location in Sesame Alley was just one of them; he had three other hiding places outside! Although each location didn't hold as much money as this one, it still added up to nearly a thousand yuan!

With this thousand yuan, he can still run!

Thinking of this, a glimmer of hope rekindled in Yan Bugui's lifeless eyes. Yes, tomorrow night, once things calmed down, he would withdraw the money from the other places. Then he would immediately leave the capital and flee far away.

Xie Weihong, do you think you've won? You only got a portion of my money! I, Yan Bugui, have been scheming for most of my life, how could I possibly put all my eggs in one basket?

Yan Bugui thought viciously to himself, as if this would alleviate some of the pain of losing his money. He even started planning to be more careful when he went to withdraw the money tomorrow, to take a longer route, and to make sure that no one was following him...

Meanwhile, in the main house in the backyard.

Xie Weihong casually tossed the large bag of money onto the table, a playful smile on her face.

In my mind, the system's notification sounds were already ringing out incessantly:

[Warning! The most treasured possession of the ninth-tier demon "Iron Abacus Spirit" has been stolen!]

[Target's mental state has been severely damaged! Resentment level has surged!]

[Judgment: The host has successfully carried out a "psychological" punishment on the "iron-fisted schemer"!]

[Damage level assessment in progress...]

[Assessment Complete: S-Rank! Deep Psychological Blow!]

[Reward calculation in progress...]

[Received: 150 Corrosion Crystals]

[Received: Body Tempering Elixir × 8]

[Received: Tier 5 Talisman Material Pack x3]

[Obtained: Advanced Formation Analysis]

He walked to the window and looked towards the east wing of the front yard. A light was still on there, its dim yellow glow flickering in the night, much like the owner's uncertain state of mind.

"Teacher Yan, this is just the beginning," Xie Weihong murmured to herself, a cold smile curving her lips. "I'll find all the places you've hidden your money, one by one. I'll hand over your life savings to the country bit by bit."

"After all, returning lost property is a virtue, isn't it?"