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, Xu Damao, Jia Zhangshi, and Bang Geng stood in a row, each with an increasingly grim expression.

They kept their heads down, their eyes fixed on the ground, like a herd of livestock waiting to be slaughtered.

Xie Weihong stood in front of them, her gaze sweeping across each of their faces.

Yi Zhonghai was hunched over, and the bandage on his chest hadn't been changed for three days, covered with dark brown scabs.

His eyes were empty, his pupils devoid of any light, like two dry wells.

Liu Haizhong's injured leg is completely useless; he can only stand with the help of a crutch.

His face was expressionless, and the corners of his mouth drooped down, like an old man on his deathbed.

He Yuzhu was the most pitiful. After the deaf old lady died, he seemed to have lost his soul. His eyes were sunken, his cheekbones were prominent, and he stood there swaying, as if he might collapse at any moment.

But he remained standing, because falling down would result in a harsher punishment.

Xu Damao's eyes are still swollen, making it difficult for him to see. He stood there, trembling, whether from fear or cold, it was hard to tell.

Jia Zhangshi and Banggeng stood at the back, the mother and son huddled together like two frightened mice.

"Let's begin," Xie Weihong said.

The six people started doing push-ups.

His movements were mechanical, his expression blank. Yi Zhonghai would do one movement, pause for three seconds, then do another.

Liu Haizhong couldn't do anything at all; he could only lie on the ground and move his body symbolically.

He Yuzhu held on mechanically, like a rusty machine.

As Xu Damao worked, he started to cry, his tears mixed with sweat dripping onto the ground.

After doing two, Jia Zhangshi collapsed, groaning and unable to get up.

Banggeng did it the fastest, making thirty in one go, and then he collapsed too.

Xie Weihong looked at them, her brows furrowing slightly.

[Ding! A ninth-tier demon, "Hypocritical Soul Demon," has been detected and subjected to routine punishment.]

[Reward: 5 Soul-Eroding Crystals]

[Ding! A ninth-tier demon, "Lustful Insatiable Being," has been detected and is subject to routine punishment.]

[Reward: 3 Soul-Eroding Crystals]

[Ding! A ninth-tier monster, "Rampaging Mighty Demon," has been detected and is subject to routine punishment.]

[Reward: 4 Soul-Eroding Crystals]

Xie Weihong frowned more and more as she listened to the notification sounds that kept ringing in her mind.

Too little.

Previously, a simple punishment could yield dozens or even hundreds of crystals. Now, all six of them combined don't even get twenty.

These people have been tortured to the point of numbness.

Their fear, pain, and anger were like sugarcane that had been squeezed dry, leaving only dregs, with no more juice to be extracted.

Xie Weihong was silent for a few seconds, then waved her hand.

"stop."

The six men, as if granted a pardon, collapsed to the ground.

Xie Weihong turned around and walked towards the backyard.

In the main room of the backyard, Xie Weihong sat cross-legged on the bed, lost in thought with her eyes closed.

This can't go on.

These people still have value, but we need to find a different way to exploit them.

He opened his eyes, and with a thought, his true energy circulated.

A mirage.

This newly acquired illusion skill can not only create illusions, but also create illusions for others.

It directly affects the target's consciousness, allowing the target to see, hear, and smell scenes that do not actually exist.

He looked out the window, his gaze falling on the figure slumped on the ground in the courtyard.

He Yuzhu.

Silly Pillar.

He was one of the first people to follow Yi Zhonghai in bullying the original owner of the body.

Half of the things that were stolen from the original owner over the years ended up in Sha Zhu's stomach.

On the day the original owner hanged himself, Sha Zhu was drinking in the yard. After hearing about it, he only said, "Serves him right."

What if we let him go back to the past?

Let him return to the time when the original owner was still alive, let him think that he can start over and bully that weak person even more severely...

What will his reaction be?

Xie Weihong's lips curled up slightly.

As he circulated his inner energy, an invisible wave spread from between his eyebrows, through the window, and enveloped He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu trembled, his eyes instantly becoming unfocused.

It became.

He Yuzhu suddenly opened his eyes.

The sunlight stung his eyes, and he instinctively raised his hand to shield them, taking a while to adjust.

He lay on a hard bed, staring at the gray mosquito net above his head, panting heavily.

Where is this?

He sat up and looked around.

The old wooden table was peeling and the paint was chipped. A piece of tile was placed under the corner of the table.

The cabinet had peeling paint, and a yellowed New Year's picture was pasted on the cabinet door, with a baby in the picture smiling innocently.

There was a pile of junk in the corner: a few pieces of scrap wood, a broken enamel basin, and a pair of Warrior shoes with rotten soles.

This is his house.

The west wing, where he had lived for decades.

But why does it feel like... something's not right?

He looked down at his hands.

Rough, strong, with calluses on the knuckles. These are his hands, no doubt.

But there were no injuries on these hands.

He was stunned.

He clearly remembered that yesterday he did so many push-ups that his hands were raw, covered in scabs, and his ten fingers were swollen like carrots.

But now, these hands are clean and neat, with neat nails, and although the palms are rough, there is not a single new wound.

He abruptly threw off the covers and looked at his legs.

The right leg, which had been tortured to the point of near ruin, was now completely intact.

His muscles were firm, his skin smooth, and he was perfectly healthy. He tried bending and stretching his knees, and they moved freely without any pain.

He stood up and took two steps.

Walks with incredible speed.

He Yuzhu's breathing began to quicken.

He touched his chest again. No bandages, no wounds, not a single rib was broken. He pressed hard, but it didn't hurt. He pressed again, but it still didn't hurt.

How is that possible?

He rushed to the mirror and looked at the person in it.

His face was rosy and full of energy; there was no trace of the torment he had endured. His eye sockets were no longer sunken, his cheekbones were no longer prominent, and his lips had regained their color.

He Yuzhu stared blankly in the mirror, his mind a complete mess.

He flung open the closet door, revealing several pieces of clothing hanging inside. The blue work uniform on top was his old one, which had been turned into a rag after it got a hole in it. But now, it hung there perfectly fine, brand new.

He Yuzhu's hands began to tremble.

He suddenly heard a commotion outside the window.

"That Xie family kid, shouldn't he pay his rent today?"

"Why should he pay rent? He's already spent all his pension money."

"If you don't have money, vacate the house! What's wrong with being a martyr's orphan? Does that mean they can live there for free?"

That voice was so familiar—it was Yi Zhonghai.

He Yuzhu was startled.

That kid from the Xie family?

Xie Weihong?

He flung open the door and rushed out.

The sun was shining brightly in the courtyard.

Just like I remember, the blue bricks on the ground were a bit loose, and they made a slight sound when you stepped on them.

Yi Zhonghai stood at the door of the Xie family's dilapidated house, hands on his hips, looking impatient.

He was wearing a gray Zhongshan suit, with two pens clipped to his breast pocket. His hair was neatly combed, and he had no injuries on his face or a hunchback.

Liu Haizhong stood to the side, leaning on his cane, a gloating smile on his face.

His leg wasn't lame, just a little rheumatism, so he always carried a cane.

Madam Jia Zhang also arrived, holding a handful of melon seeds in her hand, cracking them open as she peered inside. She was plump with a fleshy face, wearing a faded blue cotton jacket, and looked very energetic.

Inside the room, a thin figure crouched in the corner, shivering.

That's Xie Weihong.

No, that's not right.

That was Xie Weihong from before.

That cowardly, timid person who can be bullied by anyone.

He was wearing an old military uniform covered in patches, huddled up in a ball, his hands covering his head, his shoulders heaving as if he were crying.

He Yuzhu's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

He saw Yi Zhonghai walk over, grab Xie Weihong by the collar, and drag him out from the corner.

"Where's the money? Where's this month's money?"

Xie Weihong shrank her neck, her voice barely audible, "No...nothing..."

"That's all?" Yi Zhonghai slapped him across the face. "Where's your parents' pension? So much money, did you just eat it all?"

With a sharp "slap," Xie Weihong's face turned to one side, leaving a red handprint.

He covered his face, not daring to hide, but the tears flowed even more fiercely.

Liu Haizhong chimed in from the side, "Uncle, I think this kid needs to be taught a lesson. If we don't show him what's what, he won't know who's in charge here."

While cracking melon seeds, Jia Zhangshi said casually, "There are still a few pieces of furniture in his room. If we move them out and sell them, they can last for a few days. The bed board is made of red pine; it's not worth much."

Yi Zhonghai nodded and shouted into the house, "Zhu Zi! Silly Zhu! Come out!"

He Yuzhu shuddered and instinctively walked over.

He walked to the Xie family's door, stood in the sunlight, and looked down at Xie Weihong, who was squatting on the ground.

His face was deathly pale, his eyes were red-rimmed, and his tear tracks were still wet. There was a cut at the corner of his mouth, from which a trickle of blood seeped. He looked up at He Yuzhu, then quickly lowered his head again, his body trembling even more violently.

Looking at that face, He Yuzhu suddenly remembered Xie Weihong from later on—the cold, powerful Xie Weihong who tormented them like dogs.

He was so powerful back then. He could take on twelve people at once, jump four meters in the long jump, and send someone flying with a single punch. The way he looked at them was like he was looking at a bunch of ants.

But now?

Now, Xie Weihong is as thin as a bamboo pole, his face is bloodless, and his eyes are filled with fear. He doesn't even dare to look up at people; he just squats on the ground and cries.

He Yuzhu's breathing became increasingly rapid.

He turned around and looked around.

Yi Zhonghai stood with his hands on his hips, waiting for him to make his move. Liu Haizhong's eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled. Jia Zhangshi cracked melon seeds, looking on with amusement.

Under the distant moon gate, Xu Damao peeked curiously in this direction. He wasn't married yet then, and his hair was still thick.

Everything is just as I remember.

But it's different.

Because these people—Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, Jia Zhangshi, and Xu Damao—were all tortured half to death by Xie Weihong. Yi Zhonghai's ribs were broken repeatedly, Liu Haizhong's leg became completely lame, Jia Zhangshi became skin and bones, and Xu Damao cried every day.

But now, they are doing well.

They were all in high spirits and had rosy cheeks.

He Yuzhu looked down at his hands.

These hands were later broken twice by Xie Weihong. But now, they are perfectly fine.

He touched his leg again. This leg had been broken by Xie Weihong, leaving him with a limp. But now, it was perfectly fine.

He suddenly remembered something.

When did Xie Weihong change?

One day, he suddenly attempted suicide by hanging, but was saved. From that moment on, he became a different person.

Which day was it possible to hang oneself?

He Yuzhu tried desperately to recall.

It was autumn. Yes, it was autumn; the locust tree leaves hadn't all fallen yet. That night, he was drinking inside when he heard a commotion outside. Someone said that Xie's son had hanged himself. He was too lazy to go out and see, so he continued drinking.

The next day, I heard that the person had been saved, but had become mentally impaired and could no longer speak.

Later, the idiot suddenly recovered and became incredibly capable.

in case……

What if he could go back to the day before Xie Weihong hanged herself?

He Yuzhu's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his throat.

He suddenly looked at Xie Weihong.

Xie Weihong was still squatting on the ground, curled up in a ball, like a chicken waiting to be slaughtered.

If he bullies him even more now than before, driving him to the point of hanging himself tomorrow—no, hanging himself today—then the formidable Xie Weihong will not appear after tomorrow!

He will remain this weak forever!

Even if he doesn't die, even if he becomes an idiot, he'll still be an idiot, not some kind of demon!

He Yuzhu's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

He then looked at Yi Zhonghai and the others.

These people were later tortured terribly by Xie Weihong. But for now, they know nothing. They can still bully them however they want, just like before.

And he knew everything.

He knew what would happen tomorrow.

He knew how to deal with Xie Weihong.

He knew how to ensure that Xie Weihong could never recover.

This is the opportunity that God has given him!

This is rebirth!

Just then, a hand patted him on the shoulder.

"Zhu Zi, what are you daydreaming about?"

He Yuzhu suddenly turned around.

Standing behind him, Jia Zhangshi looked at him with a smile. She was full of energy, with a plump face, and a handful of melon seeds in her hand. She was wearing that blue cloth jacket with an apron tied around her waist, the apron still covered in flour, as if she had just come from the kitchen.

Looking at that face, He Yuzhu recalled how Xie Weihong had frightened her so much that she had clung to the wall, then fallen off, covered in blood. He remembered her lying in the hospital bed, barely alive.

But now, she's perfectly fine.

"Aunt Zhang... Aunt Zhang..." His voice trembled, whether from excitement or something else, it was hard to tell.

Madam Jia patted his shoulder: "Hurry up, let's divide it up after we move the things. There seems to be a watch in his room, left by Xie's son's father. Your uncle has had his eye on it for a while now."

She lowered her voice and whispered in his ear, "After we're done, we'll discuss his room. If he dies, the room will belong to the government, and then it'll be up to us to decide who lives there."

As He Yuzhu listened to these words, the fire in his heart burned even brighter.

He looked at Jia Zhangshi's round face, at Yi Zhonghai's dignified appearance, at Liu Haizhong's pretentious pose with his cane, and at Xu Damao's peeking around.

He then looked at Xie Weihong, who was squatting on the ground.

That pale face, those swollen red eyes, that trembling body.

He suddenly felt like laughing.

Heaven has been kind to him.

It truly gave him a new lease on life.

He took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and walked towards Xie Weihong.

He wanted to be the first to act.

He's going to teach this spineless coward a lesson.

He wanted to drive him to the brink of despair.

He wanted tomorrow's sun to shine on a good-for-nothing who could never turn his life around—

"I really... got reborn..."

He Yuzhu muttered to himself, a ferocious smile spreading across his face.