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

The morning sun shone into the courtyard, and the central courtyard was already full of people.

Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, He Yuzhu, and Xu Damao, four wounded men, stood in a row, their faces pale and their eyes vacant.

Next to her was an elderly deaf woman in a wheelchair, half of her face was swollen and bruised, and her eyes were so swollen that they were only slits.

Two more have joined: Jia Zhangshi and Banggeng.

Jia Zhangshi had just come out of the hospital, her chubby face still showing a sickly paleness.

She stood at the end of the line, head down, not daring to look at anyone. Banggeng stood beside her, an eleven or twelve-year-old boy with a gloomy expression that shouldn't be on his face for his age.

His eyes were fixed on Xie Weihong, like a young wolf, unable to hide his hatred.

Duan Chengyi stood at the front of the group, holding a folder in his hand, and read out today's training schedule with a blank expression.

"Today's training program: push-ups, sit-ups, frog jumps, and squats. 100 reps per set for each person, four sets in total."

Yi Zhonghai's legs buckled and he almost fell.

Liu Haizhong spoke up directly: "Director Duan... Director Duan, with our injuries... we really can't do that much..."

He pointed to his leg, which was in a cast, and then to Yi Zhonghai, whose chest was wrapped in bandages: "Look at us like this, let alone a hundred, even ten would be hard to find..."

Duan Chengyi glanced at him but didn't say anything.

Liu Haizhong wanted to say something more, but Yi Zhonghai grabbed him. Yi Zhonghai shook his head at him, his eyes full of despair—don't say anything, it's no use.

Xie Weihong walked in through the moon gate.

Everyone lowered their heads at the same time.

He walked to the front of the line, his gaze sweeping across everyone's face. Finally, it settled on the deaf old woman.

"The old lady is here too?"

The deaf old woman trembled, her lips quivering, unable to speak. She instinctively covered the side of her face that had been hit yesterday with her hand, and bruises were visible between her fingers.

Xie Weihong nodded: "Since you're here, practice hard. You're older, so you can do fewer. Do twenty reps per set."

The deaf old woman's face turned even paler.

Twenty push-ups.

She's over eighty years old, her bones are all brittle, and she needs help to walk. Twenty push-ups? What's the difference between that and taking her life?

But she dared not refute it.

That slap yesterday shattered all her arrogance.

"Training begins," Duan Chengyi announced.

---

The first exercise: push-ups.

Yi Zhonghai was the first to lie down.

His chest was wrapped in thick bandages, and there were still traces of blood seeping from the previous day on the bandages.

He braced himself with his hands on the ground, and after just one push, a tearing pain shot through his chest. He gritted his teeth, managed to push himself up for a second push, but then everything went black, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Get up," the plainclothes officer next to him said coldly.

Yi Zhonghai struggled to his feet, his hands supporting him on the ground once more. His arms were shaking, his legs were shaking, his whole body was shaking.

On the third, fourth, and fifth attempts, he collapsed again on the sixth, panting heavily on the ground like a dying fish.

"Six," the plainclothes officer counted. "Continue."

Yi Zhonghai's eyes reddened.

He's over sixty years old this year and has been a "highly respected" old man in the courtyard house all his life. When has he ever suffered like this?

But he still got up.

Because he knew that if he didn't get up, things would only get worse.

Liu Haizhong's situation was even worse. His injured leg couldn't support his body at all, and he would collapse to the ground as soon as he lay down. He tried several times, but each time he failed, and finally he lay on the ground, unable to get up no matter what he did.

"Zero in the bangs," the plainclothes officer counted. "Continue."

Liu Haizhong lay on the ground pretending to be dead, remaining motionless.

The plainclothes officer stepped forward, squatted down, and whispered in his ear, "If you don't get up now, you're not getting up today. You'll stay lying down until tomorrow morning."

Liu Haizhong shuddered and struggled to stand up again.

Jia Zhangshi suffered the most.

She was fat, weighing at least 180 pounds, and usually panted even when walking. Now, lying on the ground, she looked like a mountain of flesh. She had only managed to prop herself up halfway when her arms started shaking violently, her face turned purplish-red, and she fell straight to the ground, making the ground tremble.

"Jia Zhangshi, zero."

She lay on the ground, groaning and unable to get up.

It was the deaf old lady's turn.

She was helped off the wheelchair by the nurse and lay shakily on the ground. Her two withered arms supported her, and she trembled like a leaf in the wind.

"One." The plainclothes officer began counting.

The deaf old woman gritted her teeth and sank down a little. Her arms couldn't support her body at all; her so-called "one" was just her knees on the ground and her body leaning forward.

"two."

She sank further, her arms went limp, and she collapsed to the ground, unable to get up again.

"Madam, please continue," the plainclothes officer said.

The deaf old woman lay on the ground, panting, tears streaming down her face.

"I...I can't do it anymore...I really can't do it anymore..."

She tried to hold on, but her arms went limp as soon as she tried. She tried again, and they went limp again. After four or five attempts, she gave up completely and lay on the ground, sobbing.

"I really can't do it... I'm over eighty... You can't treat me like this..."

Xie Weihong walked over and looked down at her.

The deaf old woman trembled all over, thinking he was about to hit her again. Instinctively, she covered her head and curled up into a ball, like a frightened mouse.

Xie Weihong only looked at her for a few seconds before saying, "Get up."

The deaf old lady was taken aback.

"Not doing it anymore?" She couldn't believe it, and looked up, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes.

Xie Weihong nodded: "I won't do it anymore."

The deaf old woman felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She quickly asked the nurse to help her up and back into her wheelchair. She gasped for breath, wiping away her tears, a sense of relief welling up inside her—it seemed he was still afraid, afraid of exhausting her to death, afraid of taking responsibility.

She was even a little smug.

So what if she's powerful? She's over eighty, the most senior person in this courtyard. He might dare slap her, but would he dare to really torture her to death? No.

Yi Zhonghai and the others also witnessed this scene. They exchanged a glance, a complex light flashing in their eyes—could it be that the old lady really could intimidate him?

But the next sentence plunged the deaf old lady into hell.

"Since you can't finish the rest," Xie Weihong said, looking at He Yuzhu, "then let Sha Zhu finish it for you."

The deaf old woman's expression froze instantly.

"What...what did you say?"

Xie Weihong ignored her and said to He Yuzhu, "The old lady still needs 98 push-ups. Adding your 400, that makes a total of 498. You can rest after you finish them."

He Yuzhu's face was deathly pale. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a word. He looked down at his crippled right leg, then at the ever-growing bloodstain on his chest, feeling as if his bones had been removed.

Four hundred and ninety-eight.

He can barely do forty anymore.

The deaf old woman stood up from her wheelchair as if she had gone mad and lunged at Xie Weihong.

"You can't do this! Pillar is injured! He'll die!"

Two plainclothes officers stepped forward and grabbed her.

Xie Weihong turned around and looked at her.

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

"You're worried about the cost?" he said. "Then make more yourself. If you do them for him, he'll have to do fewer."

The deaf old lady was stunned.

She made it herself?

She can't even do two, how could she possibly do them for Zhu Zi?

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

Xie Weihong turned around and walked towards the moon gate.

Behind me, the counting sounded.

"He Yuzhu, 498, begin."

He Yuzhu lay down and did one.

"one."

His face contorted.

"two."

Blood seeped from the bandages.

"three."

He lay on the ground, panting heavily.

"Four."

He struggled to sit up, then collapsed again.

The deaf old woman trembled all over, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"The pillar... the pillar..."

He Yuzhu looked up at her, his eyes filled with pain, resentment, and a complex mix of emotions.

That was something she had never seen in Zhu Zi's eyes before—complaint.

He resented her.

He resented that she was old, that she was useless, and that she was a burden to him.

The deaf old woman felt as if her heart had been ripped out.

She never married and treated Zhuzi like her own grandson. From a young age, she protected him, doted on him, and never let him suffer any injustice. She covered for him when he got into trouble, protected him when he fought, and spoke up for him when he bullied others.

But now, she can only watch helplessly as he is punished because of her, and suffers the punishment in her place.

"I'll do it!" she suddenly shouted, her voice as shrill as an owl's. "I'll do it for him! I'll do it!"

She struggled to get off the wheelchair, but her arms were as limp as noodles, unable to support her body. She fell to the ground, got up, fell again, and got up again.

The nurses rushed to help her, but she pushed them away.

"Leave me alone! I'll do it for Zhu Zi!"

She lay on the ground, hands on the ground, trying to do a push-up.

As soon as he exerted force, his arm went limp, and he collapsed to the ground.

Keep going, then give in.

Keep going, then give in.

She tried more than ten times, but couldn't get up even once. In the end, she collapsed to the ground and burst into tears.

"I can't get up... I really can't get up... Pillar... Grandma is useless... Grandma is so sorry..."

Xie Weihong stood under the moon gate, looking at her.

"It's too late," he said.

The deaf old woman looked up at him, her eyes filled with hatred.

"You beast...you beast..."

Xie Weihong ignored her.

He walked over to He Yuzhu, squatted down, and looked at his pale face.

"How many are left?"

The plainclothes officer replied, "I just reached fifty."

Xie Weihong nodded, stood up, and said to He Yuzhu, "Take your time, no rush. Finish it."

Tears welled up in He Yuzhu's eyes.

It wasn't the pain, it was despair.

Four hundred and ninety-eight.

Will he be able to finish it in his lifetime?

---

One hour later.

When He Yuzhu reached 150 reps, he was completely out of it. He lay on the ground, mechanically pushing himself up, lying down, pushing himself up, lying down. Each push-up felt like he had used up all his strength, and each fall felt like he would never get up again.

His face was ashen, sweat mixed with blood streaming down his face, making him look as if he had just been pulled from the water. The bloodstains on the ground were spreading, and no one around dared to look.

The deaf old woman was crying so hard she couldn't speak.

She sat in her wheelchair, staring intently at He Yuzhu. With each move he made, her heart clenched. Her tears had dried, her eyes were swollen and red like two peaches, and she kept murmuring, "Zhuzi...Zhuzi..."

After doing two hundred repetitions, He Yuzhu collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.

"Continue," the plainclothes officer said.

He Yuzhu struggled to sit up, then fell down again. He sat up, then fell down. He sat up, then fell down.

His consciousness began to blur, and all he could see were stars. He didn't know how he finished, only that the last few dozen were done entirely on instinct.

"Two hundred and ninety-eight, two hundred and ninety-nine, three hundred..."

When he had done 350, he collapsed again and could not get up.

The plainclothes officer stepped forward, squatted down to check on his condition, and then turned to look at Xie Weihong.

Xie Weihong nodded.

"Take it away."

Medical staff came forward and lifted He Yuzhu onto a stretcher. His body was limp like a lump of mud, his eyes were half-open and half-closed, and he was muttering something.

The deaf old woman rushed forward and clung tightly to the stretcher, refusing to let go.

"Zhu Zi! Zhu Zi, wake up! Look at Grandma!"

He Yuzhu's eyes flickered as he looked at her.

His eyes were empty, devoid of anything.

Then he closed his eyes and fainted.

"Pillar--!"

The deaf elderly woman was forcibly pulled apart by two nurses. She struggled, cried out, and her fingernails scratched harshly on the stretcher.

The stretcher was carried out of the courtyard gate, and her shouts grew fainter and fainter.

"Pillar!!!"

The courtyard fell silent.

The deaf old woman slumped to the ground, staring in the direction the stretcher had disappeared, her whole being seemingly stripped of its bones. Her eyes were vacant, her face expressionless, only tears still streaming silently down her cheeks.

[Ding! Detected that the ninth-tier demon "Hypocritical Elder" has suffered severe mental trauma!]

[Target state: Self-blame, guilt, heartbreak, and near mental breakdown]

[Judgment: The host has successfully carried out a morally reprehensible punishment on the "hypocritical elder"—the pain of collective punishment]

[Damage level assessment in progress...]

[Assessment Complete: SS Level!]

[Reward calculation in progress...]

[Received: 500 Corrosion Crystals]

[Received: Body Tempering Elixir × 80]

[Received: 10 Body Refinement Pills (Consuming these pills will greatly enhance physical fitness)]

[Received: Qi-Inducing Pill x5 (can help beginners sense Qi more quickly)]

[Received: Qi Gathering Pill x3 (can help peak Tier 1 break through to Tier 2)]

Xie Weihong listened to the notification in her mind and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

The rewards for psychological harm are indeed more substantial than those for physical harm.

He looked at the other people in the courtyard.

Yi Zhonghai lay on the ground, trembling all over, whether from exhaustion or fear, it was hard to tell. He stole a glance at Xie Weihong, only to meet her calm eyes, and quickly lowered his head in fright.

Liu Haizhong had already fainted and was carried to the side. Xu Damao was also gritting his teeth and trying to hold on, but he was clearly nearing his limit.

Jia Zhangshi lay on the ground, unable to get up, only groaning. Her eyes were fixed on the stick, afraid he would cause more trouble.

Banggeng stood aside and actually finished his share. He looked up at Xie Weihong, his eyes filled with hatred, not fear.

The hatred was so intense it couldn't be dissolved, like a burning fire.

Xie Weihong walked up to him.

Banggeng instinctively took a step back.

"You're quite capable," Xie Weihong said.

Banggeng gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Xie Weihong nodded: "Since we can do it, let's do more. Add another hundred."

Banggeng's face instantly turned red.

"Why should I?! I've already finished!"

Xie Weihong looked at him calmly.

"Because I'm the captain."

Bang Geng stared intently at him, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. His chest heaved violently, like a small, enraged beast.

Jia Zhangshi was so frightened that she rushed over and hugged Banggeng's leg.

"Bang Geng! No! Don't talk back to him! Mom, please!"

Banggeng glanced down at her, then looked up at Xie Weihong.

"You little brat, you want to hit me?" Xie Weihong laughed. "Come on, try."

Banggeng clenched and unclenched his fist repeatedly.

Finally, he slowly lay down and began to do push-ups.

One, two, three...

His movements were fast, even faster than before. Each strike was filled with a vengeful ferocity, as if he wanted to smash all his hatred onto the ground.

When he reached thirty, his breathing became rapid.

My arms started to shake after doing fifty reps.

When I did eighty, my whole body was shaking, and sweat dripped onto the ground, forming a small puddle.

When he reached one hundred, he collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his chest heaving violently.

"One hundred," the plainclothes officer announced.

Banggeng got up and looked at Xie Weihong.

The hatred in his eyes deepened.

[Ding! Detected a ninth-tier demon "Stealing Nightmare Child" undergoing physical punishment!]

[Target Status: Physical exhaustion, muscle soreness, and increased resentment]

[Judgment: The host has successfully implemented routine punishment for the "Nightmare that Steals the Child"]

[Reward calculation in progress...]

[Received: 50 Corrosion Crystals]

[Received: Body Tempering Elixir × 5]

[Received: Body Refinement Pill x1]

Xie Weihong glanced at Bang Geng, then turned and left.

Behind him, Bang Geng stared at his back, his eyes practically spitting fire.

Jia Zhangshi knelt on the ground, clutching the stick, trembling all over.

"Bang Geng... don't underestimate him... we can't afford to mess with him..."

Banggeng didn't say anything.

He just stared at the moon gate, at the spot where the figure had disappeared.

a long time.

---

One hour later.

The courtyard fell silent.

Yi Zhonghai and the others were carried to the hospital, and the deaf old lady was also taken away. Only Jia Zhangshi and Bang Geng remained standing there—their injuries were minor and they didn't need to be hospitalized.

Jia Zhangshi, supporting herself on the stick, slowly moved towards the backyard.

"Bang Geng, listen to your mother, whatever you do, don't mess with that devil... We can't afford to..."

Banggeng didn't say anything.

Madam Jia continued rambling, "Just bear with it, wait until things calm down, then we'll leave... Mom still has money, let's go somewhere else..."

"You have money?" Bang Geng suddenly spoke, his voice so sinister it seemed to come from underground. "Didn't he take all the money?"

Jia Zhangshi was speechless.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

Yes, the money is gone.

All the money she had saved over the years was gone.

Banggeng shook off her hand and limped back to his room.

Standing there, watching her son's retreating figure, Jia Zhangshi's tears fell again.

She looked up at the main room in the backyard, her eyes filled with hatred.

What's the use of being hateful?

She couldn't beat them, she couldn't out-argue them, and she couldn't even run away.

She could only endure it.

Endure until death.

---

Backyard, main house.

Xie Weihong sat cross-legged on the bed, holding a Qi Gathering Pill in her hand.

The pill was pale gold, about the size of a longan, and emitted a rich medicinal fragrance. The system description stated that it could help a peak first-tier cultivator break through to the second tier, increasing the success rate by 50%.

He put away the pills and looked out the window.

As darkness fell, the courtyard fell silent.

Today's harvest was good. The mental anguish inflicted by the deaf old lady yielded a large reward, and there was also some income from the stick-shaped vines. Although we lack technology, these cultivation materials are exactly what we need right now—the second batch of students will arrive the day after tomorrow, and these pills can help them get started faster.

He closed his eyes and continued his cultivation.

The energy within his body flowed slowly, and the bottleneck of the peak of the fourth rank showed faint signs of loosening.