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

three days later.

The deaf old lady has been discharged from the hospital.

As the wheelchair was pushed out of the hospital gate, her withered hands gripped the armrests tightly, her knuckles white. Half of her face was still swollen, with purplish bruises extending from her cheekbone to her jawline. Her eyes were swollen shut, yet they gleamed with a sinister light.

"Back to the courtyard house," she said in a hoarse voice to the nurse pushing the wheelchair.

The nurse hesitated for a moment: "Madam, your injury hasn't fully healed yet. The doctor said it's best to observe you for a few more days..."

"I said let's go back to the courtyard house!" The deaf old lady turned around abruptly, her eyes looking like she wanted to devour someone.

The nurse was startled and dared not try to persuade her any further.

The wheelchair bounced along the bumpy alleyway. The deaf old woman leaned back in the chair, her eyes half-closed, her mind replaying the scenes from that day.

Zhu Zi lay on the ground, covered in blood, doing the 498 push-ups for her.

With each bloodshed, another drop of blood appeared on the ground. When she was finally carried away, the look in Zhu Zi's eyes was empty, devoid of any emotion.

She had lived for over eighty years and had never seen such a look in her eyes.

That wasn't hatred, that wasn't resentment, but something far more terrifying—utter emptiness, the dregs left after a person has been crushed.

The deaf old lady's hands started to tremble again.

She hates.

I hate Xie Weihong, that beast. I hate his ruthlessness, his lack of compassion, and how he ruined Zhuzi.

But she hated herself even more.

She hated herself for being old and useless, unable to even do two push-ups. She hated herself for not only being unable to help Zhuzi, but also for causing him to be punished in her place.

This hatred burned like fire in her chest for three days and three nights, making her unable to eat or sleep, and leaving her barely clinging to life.

Now, this pent-up anger is about to be released.

An hour later, the wheelchair stopped at the entrance of the courtyard house.

The deaf old woman sat in her wheelchair, staring at the familiar courtyard gate, her chest heaving violently. Three days ago, she had been carried out from here.

The pillar was also carried out from here. And that beast, that Xie Weihong who deserves to be torn to pieces, lives in this courtyard, eating and drinking well every day, being waited on hand and foot, and he's even a team leader.

On what grounds?

Why does he think he can just sit on their heads and shit on them?

The deaf old woman took a deep breath and said to the nurse, "Push her in."

The wheelchair was stopped as soon as it entered the courtyard.

Two young men in plain clothes stood in the doorway, looking at her expressionlessly.

"Grandma, you're back." One of them said in a flat tone, as if stating a fact.

The deaf old woman glared at him: "Get out of the way, I want to go in."

"Of course you can go in." The man stepped aside, but his eyes remained fixed on her. "Please."

The wheelchair was pushed into the central hospital.

The courtyard was deserted, not a soul in sight. Only the dark red bloodstain in the corner remained—it was left by the pillar three days ago.

The deaf old woman stared at the pool of blood, her eyes reddening again.

"Where is Xie Weihong?" she asked.

"Captain Xie is resting in the backyard," the plainclothes officer replied. "Is there something you need?"

The deaf old lady didn't speak, she just stared in the direction of the backyard.

She didn't move.

She knew she couldn't beat that person. One slap would send her flying; for her old bones, going up there would be suicide.

But she had other options.

She waited.

After waiting for half an hour, Xie Weihong still hadn't come out.

An hour passed, but he still didn't come out.

As the sun began to set, people started coming and going in the courtyard—Yi Zhonghai and his team had been sent back for "training" again.

One by one, they were carried in on stretchers and placed on the ground like trash. Yi Zhonghai's face was ashen, Liu Haizhong was unconscious, He Yuzhu was not there, and Xu Damao was groaning.

The deaf old woman looked at them, and the fire in her heart burned even brighter.

No, she can't just let it go like this.

She wanted everyone to know what kind of person Xie Weihong was!

She wanted to run out, into the street, and shout at all the neighbors, exposing this beast's evil deeds. There's always a place for reason in this world; there will always be someone to help her! No matter how powerful Xie Weihong is, can she silence everyone?

She suddenly stood up from her wheelchair.

The nurse was startled: "Grandma, you can't..."

"Get out of here!"

The deaf old woman pushed her aside and walked unsteadily toward the courtyard gate.

She walked very slowly, each step feeling like she was stepping on a knife's edge. She was over eighty years old and had injuries, but her spirit held her up, and she made it to the door.

Then she froze.

The gate was closed.

No, it's not closed, it's locked.

A brand new padlock hung on the door, its chain as thick as a thumb.

The deaf old woman gripped the chain and shook it, but it didn't budge. She turned around and saw that the two plainclothes officers had somehow gotten behind her and were watching her with an air of nonchalance.

"Grandma, where are you going?" one of them asked.

The deaf old woman glared at him: "Open the door! I want to get out!"

"Go out?" The plainclothes officer chuckled. "Old lady, you know this compound is now a special management area; entry and exit require Director Duan's approval. Do you have a permit?"

"I don't care about any approvals! I'm going out to find someone to reason with!"

"To reason with him?" The plainclothes officer's smile faded. "Madam, I advise you to go back and rest. Captain Xie has been more than lenient with you; don't be ungrateful."

tolerant?

The deaf old lady was so angry that she trembled all over.

She pointed to her face: "This is what you call tolerance? You beat me up like this, and this is what you call tolerance?!"

The plainclothes officer didn't say anything, he just looked at her.

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

The deaf old lady suddenly understood.

They won't let her out. This courtyard is a prison, they are the guards, and she... she's a prisoner.

No, she's not a criminal! She did nothing wrong!

She was just protecting the pillar, just trying to stop this outsider from bullying people. Was that wrong?

Anger exploded in her chest.

She turned away, no longer looking at the two people, and walked towards the courtyard wall.

The wall is not high, just over two meters, and it is made of old blue bricks. The joints between the bricks have weathered and you can pick your fingers in them.

She wanted to climb up.

She climbed up, stood on the wall, and shouted into the street. If anyone heard her, if anyone came to see, she could expose all of Xie Weihong's misdeeds. Could those two plainclothes officers block the gate, or even the entire street?

"Grandma, what are you doing?!" the nurse exclaimed.

The deaf old woman ignored her, her withered hands digging into the cracks between the bricks, and began to climb up.

Her legs were trembling, and with each step, her knees felt like they were about to shatter. The old wound in her ribs was torn open, and every breath felt like a knife cutting into her.

Sweat blurred her vision, making it impossible for her to see where the top of the wall was; she could only climb upwards by feel.

Halfway up, she glanced down—the ground was already quite high above her, and the two plainclothes officers were standing below, looking up at her, but they didn't follow.

A surge of pride welled up inside her.

Why did you stop chasing her? Were you afraid of being held responsible if she fell? Were you afraid you wouldn't be able to explain yourself if she died?

She gritted her teeth and continued climbing.

Nearly.

closer.

Finally, she managed to grab the edge of the wall.

The deaf old woman mustered her last bit of strength and pulled herself up. Her knees got stuck in the wall, and she ended up straddling the top of the wall.

Successful.

She straddled the wall, panting heavily, sweat pouring down her face. She looked down at her hands—all ten fingers were covered in blood, nails twisted and broken, a horrifying sight. Her palms were raw and bleeding from the sharp edges of the bricks, blood and dust mingled together, forming a greasy mess.

But she smiled.

She looked up and gazed out of the courtyard.

The streets were deserted; there wasn't a single person in sight.

The deaf old lady was stunned.

What about people?

At this hour, people should be coming home from work, children should be getting out of school, and elderly women should be chatting under the shade of the trees. Why is there no one here?

She looked into the distance and saw two people standing at the entrance of the alley, dressed in casual clothes, looking in her direction. A little further away, there were two more people standing at the entrance of another alley.

They cleared the street.

The deaf old woman's heart sank to the bottom.

But she was still unwilling to give up.

She took a deep breath and shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Help! Someone help me!"

"Something's happened in the courtyard house! Someone's trying to kill someone!"

"That beast Xie Weihong! He abuses the elderly! He beat me, an 80-year-old woman! He beat my grandson until he vomited blood and was hospitalized!"

"You be the judge! Is there no law in this world?!"

Her voice was sharp and shrill, like the call of an owl, echoing through the empty alley.

No one responded.

The two people in the distance just stood there, motionless.

The deaf old woman shouted until her voice was hoarse, but still no one came.

She was desperate.

Just then, a voice came from behind.

"Are you tired of shouting?"

The deaf old lady suddenly turned around.

Xie Weihong stood in the courtyard, looking up at her. His hands were in his pockets, and a faint smile played on his lips, a smile as if he were watching a play.

Behind him, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, Xu Damao, Jia Zhangshi, and Banggeng all came out and stood at a distance, looking up at this side.

Even the plainclothes officers surrounded them, but no one stepped forward to stop them.

Everyone is watching.

Look at this old lady in her eighties, riding on the wall like a monkey.

The deaf old woman's face turned bright red.

"You...you..."

Xie Weihong nodded: "Good shouting, quite energetic. Continue."

The deaf old lady was so angry that she trembled all over.

She continued shouting at the top of her lungs, hurling out every swear word she could think of.

"Xie Weihong! You childless beast! You deserve a terrible death!"

"You bully the elderly and children, are you even human?!"

I curse your entire family to die! I curse you to go to hell!

"You wait! When I get down here, I'll report you to the police! I'll report you to the central government! You can't escape!"

She became increasingly agitated as she cursed, swaying back and forth against the wall. But Xie Weihong stood there, motionless, her smile growing wider.

[Ding! Detected a violent emotional fluctuation in the ninth-tier demon "Hypocritical Elder"!]

[Target Status: Anger Index 87%, Despair Index 65%, Mental State Continues to Deteriorate]

[Judgment: The host has successfully inflicted mental punishment on the "hypocritical elder" - disregard and contempt]

[Damage level assessment in progress...]

[Reward calculation in progress...]

Xie Weihong's lips curled up slightly.

The deaf old woman became even angrier when she saw him smile.

"You're still laughing?! You still have the nerve to laugh?! You heartless bastard! I'll haunt you even as a ghost!"

She launched into a tirade of curses, her voice cracking from the spiking. But Xie Weihong remained unmoved, even taking two steps back to find a clean spot to stand, like she was watching a show.

[Ding! The ninth-tier demon "Hypocritical Elder" has exceeded 90% in rage value!]

The deaf old lady felt like she was going crazy.

It seemed the harsher she scolded him, the happier he was.

"What...what exactly are you?!" she finally couldn't help but ask.

Xie Weihong smiled but did not answer.

"You..." The deaf old woman's voice began to tremble, "You did it on purpose... You deliberately forced me to climb the wall, deliberately made me curse you, deliberately..."

Xie Weihong raised an eyebrow.

"Grandma, you're overthinking it," he said. "You chose to climb it yourself; no one forced you."

"Bullshit!" the deaf old woman roared. "If you hadn't forced Zhu Zi into this situation, would I be like this?!"

Anger surged to the top of his head.

"You heartless bastard! You'll die a horrible death! I'll haunt you even as a ghost!"

As she cursed, her body swayed even more violently. She tried to steady herself, but her hand slipped—

"ah--!"

He fell off the wall.

"Bang!"

The dull thud echoed through the courtyard.

The deaf old woman lay motionless on the ground.

Blood slowly seeped out from beneath her, spreading a dark red stain on the ground.

Xie Weihong walked over and looked down at her.

She wasn't dead yet; her eyes were still open, staring intently at him. She seemed to want to say something, but nothing came out.

Xie Weihong squatted down.

"Old lady, why are you doing this to yourself?"

A tear slid down the corner of the deaf old woman's eye.

Then her eyes rolled back and she fainted.

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

[Target condition: Spinal fracture, six broken ribs, life-threatening]

[Judgment: The host has successfully carried out the ultimate punishment on the "hypocritical elder"—his own destruction.]

[Damage level assessment in progress...]

[Assessment complete: SSS rank! Beyond the limit of strike capability!]

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

Medical staff rushed over and hurriedly lifted the deaf old lady onto a stretcher. Her body was limp like a lump of mud, blood was still oozing from the corner of her mouth, and when she was lifted up, her broken leg wobbled as if it had no bones.

"Take him to the hospital," Xie Weihong said. "He should get proper treatment."

Medical staff carried the stretcher out.

The courtyard fell silent again.

Yi Zhonghai lay on the ground, witnessing the entire process firsthand. His face was as white as paper, his whole body trembled violently, and his teeth chattered.

When Liu Haizhong woke up, he saw the pool of blood on the ground and Xie Weihong standing there. His eyes rolled back and he fainted again.

Xu Damao wet his pants, his crotch was soaked, and he knelt on the ground, not daring to lift his head.

Clutching the stick, Jia Zhangshi huddled in the corner, trembling all over, muttering, "Don't look...don't look..."

Xie Weihong glanced at them.

Without saying anything, he turned and walked towards the backyard.

Behind them, the setting sun stained the pool of blood a dark gold.

---

One hour later.

Duan Chengyi rushed over and pushed open the door to the main house in the backyard.

"Wei Hong, I've heard about the deaf old lady."

Xie Weihong was sitting cross-legged on the bed when she heard this and opened her eyes.

"Dead?"

"He's not dead, but seriously injured." Duan Chengyi smiled bitterly and sat down in a chair. "He has six broken ribs. The doctor said that even if he survives, he will be paralyzed for life and will be bedridden for the rest of his life."

Xie Weihong nodded.

Duan Chengyi looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

Xie Weihong said, "Speak your mind."

Duan Chengyi sighed: "There are rumors circulating that you disrespect the elderly, forcing an eighty-year-old woman to climb the wall and fall. Although the alley has been cleared out, these kinds of things still get out..."

Xie Weihong smiled.

Do you think I care?

Duan Chengyi was stunned for a moment, then he smiled.

"Too."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the dark courtyard.

"The deaf old lady's fall has completely crippled those men. Yi Zhonghai was paralyzed with fear, Liu Haizhong fainted twice, and Xu Damao is still crying. Jia Zhangshi and Banggeng are hiding in the house, too afraid to come out."

He turned around and looked at Xie Weihong.

"What do we do next?"

Xie Weihong closed her eyes.

"Keep practicing."

Duan Chengyi nodded and went out the door.

The room fell silent again.

Xie Weihong opened her eyes and looked out the window.

The moon rose, and its cool light shone on the courtyard, onto the still-dry bloodstain.

He withdrew his gaze and took out a Breakthrough Pill from his pocket.

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 fourth-tier cultivator break through to the fifth tier, increasing the success rate by 50%.

He put away the pills and continued his cultivation.

With his internal energy circulating, the bottleneck of the fourth-tier peak has completely loosened. He should be able to break through in a few more days.

almost.

He closed his eyes and slowly circulated his breath.