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

Xie Weihong returned to the courtyard house at three o'clock in the afternoon.

Sunlight streamed obliquely into the courtyard, turning the blue brick floor white. No one was in the front yard, but a familiar groaning sound came from the middle yard.

He walked over and took a look, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, He Yuzhu, and Xu Damao were doing push-ups on the ground. Two plainclothes officers stood beside them, counting with expressionless faces.

"Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine..."

Yi Zhonghai was trembling all over, and the bandage on his chest was soaked with blood again. With each effort he made, he gasped for breath like a broken bellows.

Liu Haizhong's injured leg dragged on the ground, his whole body was crooked and his face was purplish-red.

He Yuzhu and Xu Damao were in an even worse situation. Both of them had their right legs ruined and could only kneel on their left knees, barely supporting themselves with their arms. Each time they did this, it was like being pulled out of the water.

"One hundred." The plainclothes officer called out, "Five-minute break, next group."

The four people collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, like four dying fish.

Yi Zhonghai turned over and saw Xie Weihong standing under the moon gate. The relief he had felt from completing a set vanished instantly, replaced by fear and resentment.

Xie Weihong ignored him and turned to walk towards the backyard.

Just as I reached the center of the courtyard, a commotion suddenly broke out at the gate.

"The old lady is back! Quick, be careful!"

Several medical staff in white coats carried in a stretcher, on which lay a thin, deaf old woman.

Her eyes were closed, as if she were asleep. Her white hair was sparse, and the wrinkles on her face resembled dry, cracked tree bark. She was covered with a thin blanket, revealing her withered, brittle hands.

Two nurses followed behind, carrying large and small bags of medicine.

When Yi Zhonghai saw the stretcher, his eyes lit up.

He struggled to his feet and staggered towards her, exclaiming, "Grandma! You're finally back!"

Liu Haizhong, He Yuzhu, and Xu Damao also got up and surrounded the stretcher, their faces full of excitement.

The deaf old woman opened her eyes, her cloudy pupils darted around, and when she saw that it was them, a smile appeared on her lips.

"Where's the pillar?" she asked, her voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping.

He Yuzhu squeezed to the front: "Grandma, I'm here!"

The deaf old woman looked at him, her gaze lingering on his face for a few seconds before moving down to his injuries—bandages, bruises, and dirt from kneeling on the ground.

Her expression changed.

"What happened?" She tried to sit up, and the nurse next to her quickly helped her. "Who did this?"

He Yuzhu opened his mouth but didn't dare to speak, only glancing at Xie Weihong with his eyes.

The deaf old woman followed his gaze and saw Xie Weihong standing under the moon gate.

Her brows furrowed.

"That Xie family brat?" she sneered. "I've only been in the hospital for a few days, and you already dare to bully Zhu Zi?"

Xie Weihong didn't speak, she just looked at her.

The deaf old lady asked the nurse to help her stand up. Leaning on her cane, she walked shakily to Xie Weihong and looked up—though even looking up, she could only see Xie Weihong's chest.

"I'm asking you a question!" She tapped the ground with her cane. "Did you hit the pillar?"

Xie Weihong looked down at her, her gaze calm.

"Yes."

The deaf old woman was stunned for a moment. She hadn't expected Xie Weihong to admit it so readily.

"What right did you have to hit him?"

"Training," Xie Weihong said. "This is training arranged by the organization."

"Bullshit!" The deaf old woman slammed her cane into the ground. "What kind of training could beat someone like this? I watched Zhu Zi grow up. He's always been honest and well-behaved; he never utters a sound even if anyone bullies him. What right do you, an outsider, have to lay a hand on him?"

She became more and more agitated as she spoke, her cane thumping loudly on the ground.

"I've lived in this courtyard for decades, and I've never seen you so heartless! What did Zhu Zi do to you that you would hit him so hard?"

Yi Zhonghai chimed in, "The old lady is right! Xie Weihong is settling a personal score! We're all old and in poor health, and he's forcing us to do push-ups—isn't that trying to kill us?"

Liu Haizhong nodded in agreement: "Yes, ma'am, you must stand up for us!"

He Yuzhu squeezed out two tears: "Grandma, look at my legs, I'm afraid they're useless..."

When the deaf old woman saw He Yuzhu's leg, her face contorted with heartache. She grabbed He Yuzhu's hand and patted it, saying, "Don't be afraid, Zhuzi, Grandma's here. No one can bully you!"

She turned around, pointed her cane at Xie Weihong, her fingers trembling.

"Hey Xie, I'm telling you right now—you'd better stop this lousy training right now, and you're not allowed to lay a finger on Zhu Zi again! Otherwise, I'll risk my life to sue you! I want to see if there's any place in this world where justice prevails!"

As she spoke, she slammed her cane into the ground again.

Yi Zhonghai and the others stood behind her, their faces beaming with pride.

Yes, that's it! Now that the old lady has stepped in, what can Xie Weihong do? Does he dare to hit an old woman? Does he dare to hit an eighty-year-old woman?

If he dares to lay a hand on someone, that would be disrespectful to the elderly and bullying the lonely and widowed. If word gets out, his reputation will be ruined!

If he doesn't dare to take action, then he has to listen to the old lady, and then they will be saved!

Yi Zhonghai's eyes gleamed, and a slight smile even appeared on his lips.

Xie Weihong looked down at the deaf old lady, then at the people behind her.

Then he laughed.

A very faint smile, almost imperceptible.

"Are you done talking?"

The deaf old woman was taken aback: "What?"

"I asked you if you're done talking." Xie Weihong's voice was calm. "If you're done, move aside. I need to go back and rest."

The deaf old woman's face turned red with anger: "You—you dare talk to me like that?!"

She raised her cane, aimed it at Xie Weihong's head, and smashed it down hard.

With this, she used all her strength, and her cane whistled down.

Yi Zhonghai and the others' eyes lit up.

Hit him! Hit him! If you hit him, Xie Weihong will be accused of assaulting an old man if he fights back, and he will be beaten for nothing if he doesn't fight back—either way, they will win!

The cane fell to the ground.

Xie Weihong raised her hand.

It's not a block, it's a fan.

He slapped her across the face.

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound exploded in the courtyard.

The deaf old woman was thrown sideways as if she had been hit by a truck, and landed on the ground two meters away.

The cane flew out of his hand and landed on the ground with a thud.

She lay on the ground, half of her face swelling up rapidly, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Yi Zhonghai's smile froze on his face.

His mouth was agape, and his chin almost dropped.

He Yuzhu shuddered and subconsciously took a step back.

Xu Damao's legs went weak, and he had to hold onto the wall to avoid falling.

The courtyard was eerily quiet.

The deaf old woman struggled to get up, but as soon as her hands touched the ground, they went limp again. She lay on the ground, looking up at Xie Weihong as if she were a monster.

"You...you dare hit me..."

Xie Weihong walked up to her and looked down at her.

His gaze was as calm as if he were looking at a stone.

"Using your age to act superior?" he said. "That won't work on me."

The deaf old woman's lips trembled; she wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

Xie Weihong turned around and looked at Yi Zhonghai and the others.

When he looked at them, all of them took a step back.

"Keep training," he said. "That set doesn't count, do it again."

Yi Zhonghai's face turned pale. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but when he met Xie Weihong's eyes, he couldn't utter a single word.

Two plainclothes officers approached: "What are you standing there for? Lie down!"

Yi Zhonghai shuddered and slowly lay back down on the ground.

Liu Haizhong, He Yuzhu, and Xu Damao also lay down.

"one two three……"

The counting sounded again.

The deaf old woman was still lying on the ground, and no one dared to help her up. The medical staff stood by, looking at each other, none of them daring to move.

Xie Weihong walked over to her and squatted down.

The deaf old woman trembled and instinctively shrank back.

"What...what do you want to do?"

Xie Weihong looked at her, her tone indifferent.

"You wanted to sue me? Go ahead and sue me," he said. "Perfect, let the higher-ups investigate what you've been doing in this facility all these years. Protecting Yi Zhonghai, helping to bully the orphans of martyrs, how much you've embezzled—you know it all too well."

The deaf old woman's face turned even paler.

Xie Weihong stood up and patted off non-existent dust from her hands.

"Take her back to the hospital," he told the medical staff. "Take good care of her. Once she's recovered, bring her back for training."

Medical staff rushed forward and lifted the deaf elderly woman onto a stretcher.

As the deaf old woman was lifted up, she finally came to her senses and began to struggle: "Let me go! I don't want to go back! Pillar! Pillar, save me!"

He Yuzhu lay on the ground, not daring to lift his head.

"Pillar!!"

The stretcher was carried out of the courtyard gate, and her shouts grew farther and farther away, finally disappearing at the entrance of the alley.

Only the counting of one, two, three, four, and the occasional groan remained in the courtyard.

Yi Zhonghai lay on the ground, each push-up causing excruciating pain in his chest, like being stabbed with a knife. But he dared not stop. The scene from just moments ago replayed in his mind—Xie Weihong slapping the deaf old woman away like a fly.

It's not that he's afraid to hit old people.

He doesn't care about anything at all.

Yi Zhonghai's last shred of hope was shattered.

[Ding! The ninth-tier demon "Hypocritical Elder" has been detected and has received its first punishment!]

[Target state: Physical trauma, psychological shock, and complete collapse of authority]

[Judgment: The host has successfully dealt a devastating blow to the "hypocritical elder"—his status has been destroyed.]

[Damage level assessment in progress...]

[Assessment complete: Grade S!]

[Reward calculation in progress...]

[Received: 300 Corrosion Crystals]

[Received: Body Tempering Elixir × 30]

[Acquired: Special Technology - High-Sensitivity Electromagnetic Detection Array (Complete Industrial Blueprints)]

[Technology Description: This technology can be used in fields such as deep mineral exploration, underground engineering detection, and geological disaster early warning, with a sensitivity an order of magnitude higher than the current international advanced level.]

Xie Weihong stood there, a slight smile playing on her lips.

He walked to the moon gate and glanced back at the four people lying on the ground in the courtyard.

"I'll do an extra set today," he said. "I can only rest after I finish that."

Yi Zhonghai's vision went black, and he fainted.

No one dared to stop.

---

One hour later.

Xie Weihong sat in the backyard house, flipping through the new technology data provided by the system.

High-sensitivity electromagnetic detection array—this technology perfectly complements previous deep mineral exploration. One is responsible for prospecting, and the other for precise location; together, they can double exploration efficiency.

He closed the documents and looked up out the window.

As dusk fell, the courtyard quieted down. Those people had already been taken to the hospital and would be brought back early tomorrow morning to continue training.

He recalled the deaf old woman's distorted face and the final despair in Yi Zhonghai's eyes.

The abuse of birds must not be stopped.

Footsteps could be heard outside the window.

Duan Chengyi pushed open the door and came in, holding a document in his hand.

"Wei Hong, the hospital called about the deaf old lady."

Xie Weihong looked at him.

Duan Chengyi gave a wry smile: "She's very emotionally unstable. She kept shouting 'Zhu Zi, save me!' and even said she was going to sue you. The hospital gave her a sedative, and she's asleep now."

Xie Weihong nodded.

"What did they say?"

Duan Chengyi handed him the document.

Xie Weihong flipped through the documents without saying a word.

Duan Chengyi continued, "During her hospitalization, our people discovered some things—she was also involved in the planned supplies incident from over a decade ago. Although she wasn't directly involved, she knew about it but didn't report it and even helped cover it up."

He paused, looking at Xie Weihong.

"Director Lu means that this person is still somewhat useful, so we'll keep him around for now. We can 'discipline' him whenever you need him."

Xie Weihong closed the document and handed it back to him.

"Then keep it."

Duan Chengyi nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Will today's incident... affect your reputation? After all, she's an elderly woman in her eighties; if word gets out..."

Xie Weihong glanced at him.

Do you think I care about my reputation?

Duan Chengyi was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

"Too."

He turned to leave, but then remembered something and stopped.

"By the way, the second batch of trainees will arrive the day after tomorrow. Three hundred people, all carefully selected. Director Lu asked you if we need to bring back the first batch of twelve to be instructors?"

Xie Weihong thought for a moment.

"Reassign them back. Let them train the new students; I'll keep an eye on things."

"it is good."

Duan Chengyi pushed open the door and went out.

The room fell silent again.

Xie Weihong stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the increasingly dark sky outside.

The deaf old lady, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, He Yuzhu, Xu Damao, Jia Zhangshi, Banggeng...

These names flashed through his mind one by one.

They are all demons.

He's the one who wants to torture them.

The more brutally he is tortured, the stronger he becomes, and the more hope the survivors of the Corrupted Spirit Continent will have.

He withdrew his gaze, turned back to the bedside, and sat down cross-legged.

As he circulated his breath, the power within his body began to flow slowly again.

Peak of the fourth tier, just one step away from the fifth tier.

almost.

---

Early the next morning.

As soon as Xie Weihong stepped out of the room, she saw several people already standing in the courtyard.

Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, He Yuzhu, and Xu Damao were all present. There was also one more person beside them—a deaf old lady.

She sat in a wheelchair, being pushed by a nurse. Half of her face was still swollen and bruised, and her eyes were so swollen that they were only slits.

But her eyes looked different than yesterday.

There was no arrogance, no anger, only fear.

When she saw Xie Weihong come out, she trembled and instinctively shrank back.

Yi Zhonghai and the others also lowered their heads, not daring to breathe loudly.

Duan Chengyi stood to the side and nodded to Xie Weihong.

Xie Weihong walked up to them, her gaze sweeping over each of their faces.

Finally, it stopped on the deaf old lady.

"You're back?"

The deaf old woman's lips trembled; she wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

Xie Weihong smiled.

"Now that you're back, train hard," he said. "You're older, so you can do less. But you can't stop training."

The deaf old woman's face turned even paler.

Yi Zhonghai and the others exchanged glances, and they all saw despair in each other's eyes.

Even the old lady couldn't save them.

Who else can save them?

nobody.

Xie Weihong turned around and walked towards the moon gate.

As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and said something without turning his head.

"Today's training volume is doubled."

A collective gasp came from behind me.

Xie Weihong smiled and walked out.

Behind them, a new day of training began.