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

Night had completely fallen.

The central courtyard of the siheyuan was unusually bright.

A few dim light bulbs hung under the eaves, illuminating faces in varying degrees of light and shadow, casting long shadows on the ground, creating an atmosphere of oppression.

Just as Yi Zhonghai finished speaking, a strange atmosphere filled the courtyard—

It's as if everyone has tacitly agreed on one thing:

The matter has been settled.

Just then.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate.

Take your time, at a leisurely pace.

Step by step.

The voice wasn't loud, but it stood out remarkably clearly amidst the deliberately hushed chatter.

"Click".

The sound of the courtyard gate being pushed open rang out.

All voices fell silent at that moment.

Dozens of eyes turned to the doorway almost simultaneously.

A figure stood outside the threshold, backlit by the dim streetlights outside the courtyard.

It's Xie Weihong.

His clothes were still slightly damp, and the night breeze made the hem of his clothes sway slightly. He looked much calmer than when he left, even... composed.

But it was precisely this composure that made everyone in the courtyard subconsciously tense up.

And the moment he stepped into the courtyard—

Familiar, cold, mechanical voices suddenly rang in his mind.

【warn! 】

[A large number of monsters have been detected gathering!]

[Threat Level: Continuously Rising]

[The demonic energy fluctuations are unusually active]

The notification sounds came one after another, more frequently than ever before.

Xie Weihong paused slightly in her steps.

It wasn't because I was nervous.

Rather, it's because—

verified.

He raised his eyes and looked at the group of people in the central courtyard.

Yi Zhonghai stood at the very front, his face solemn with a look of concern for the collective.

With his arms crossed and a serious expression, he exuded an air of officialdom.

Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses, his eyes gleaming, and his abacus clicked loudly.

Jia Zhangshi stood with her hands on her hips, her face full of self-righteousness.

Qin Huairu stood to the side, her head bowed and eyes downcast, but she did not back down an inch.

He Yuzhu sat on the stool, his face pale, his eyes burning with suppressed anger.

One does not fall.

[Detected "Hypocritical Demon Soul"] [High-frequency mental oppression]

[Detected: "Inflated desire for officialdom"] [Abnormal obsession with power]

[Detected as a "scammer"] [Significant exploitative tendencies]

[Detected "Insatiable Flesh Mountain"] [Greed continues to overflow]

[Residual Berserker-type Demonic Element Detected] [Unstable Aggro Fluctuations]

[Host, please escape immediately!]

Xie Weihong felt completely at peace.

It's neither an illusion nor a coincidence.

Only these "protagonists" in the courtyard house were judged to be demons!

"Thank you, Weihong!"

Yi Zhonghai was the first to react, and his tone immediately turned serious, "You still know how to come back?"

These words, once spoken, seemed to send a signal to everyone.

"Exactly, he dares to come back!"

"Weren't you being quite arrogant just now?"

"We're all waiting for you here, and you've gone off to find some peace and quiet?"

"The court was in a meeting, and he, the person involved, just left without a word!"

The discussions resumed, but were even more heated than before.

Xie Weihong did not respond immediately.

He simply stood there, his gaze slowly sweeping across the faces of the crowd, as if he were getting to know them all again.

That gaze made Yan Bugui's heart inexplicably tighten.

"cough."

Yan Bugui cleared his throat and preemptively said, "Wei Hong, it's not that we're talking about you behind your back, but your behavior just now had a terrible impact. There were so many people in the courtyard watching, and you just started hitting people like that. There's no way you can justify this."

Liu Haizhong immediately chimed in, his tone slightly official: "That's right, this is no longer just a conflict between you two; it's a problem affecting the entire group. This is a civilized institution, where order and discipline are paramount, not a place where you can just hit whoever you want."

Qin Huairu stood to the side, head down, her voice soft yet clear: "Wei Hong, I know you may feel wronged, but you beat Zhu Zi like this. If this gets out of hand, it won't do you any good. People are talking about you now because they hope you can calm down and think about the consequences."

He Yuzhu couldn't help but snort, his voice hoarse but filled with barely suppressed resentment: "I just went to say a few words to you, to advise you to calm down, and you hit me so hard, do you not consider us your neighbors at all?"

As soon as he said that, people immediately echoed his sentiments.

"Look at the state of the pillars."

"If this isn't stopped, who will dare to take charge in the future?"

"Young people with such bad tempers are too dangerous."

Madam Jia slapped her thigh and raised her voice, "I told you long ago, this little brat has a wicked heart! He pretended to be honest before, but now that he's got wings, he dares to hit people! Uncle Yi, you can't be soft-hearted. If we don't deal with this kind of person, he'll definitely cause big trouble later!"

After she finished shouting that...

The system notification sounded again.

[Warning! Warning! High-ranking demons have gathered, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to the still-developing savior of "Erosion Spirit Continent"!]

[Please evacuate immediately!]

Xie Weihong finally moved.

He took a step forward.

Unhappy.

This caused the discussions in the Intermediate Court to subconsciously quiet down a bit.

He looked at Yi Zhonghai, his tone so calm it barely wavered: "Uncle Yi, so... you've already discussed and decided on the charges against me?"

Yi Zhonghai frowned and immediately put on his "for your own good" expression: "It's not about convicting you, it's about educating you. We have to take action against you in your current state, otherwise it won't be good for you or for anyone else."

"Not good to me?"

Xie Weihong repeated softly, a slight smile playing on her lips, "So, how are you planning to 'treat me well' with all those things you just said?"

This question.

The courtyard became quiet for a moment.

Yan Bugui was the first to react: "Wei Hong, don't argue. Everyone is telling the truth. You hit someone, that's a done deal."

Liu Haizhong nodded, his tone resolute: "Yes, the facts are clear, and the attitude is clear. We're discussing how to handle it, not whether you acknowledge it or not."

Xie Weihong nodded slowly, and then suddenly smiled.

"OK."

That "okay" brought a sense of relief to many people.

Available in the next second.

He raised his head, his gaze suddenly sharpening.

"Then let me ask you a question."

"During your meeting just now, did anyone ask," he spoke slowly but clearly, "why did I take action?"

The courtyard became eerily quiet for a moment.

No one responded.

It wasn't because they didn't hear it, but because they never intended to ask in the first place.

The system interface slowly unfolded before Xie Weihong's eyes.

Standing in the center of the courtyard, Xie Weihong looked at the faces that were angry, indifferent, or calculating, and felt a sense of clarity she had never felt before.

So that's how it is. Once they start "judging," they don't need the truth.

It truly lives up to its reputation as a courtyard filled with warmth and affection.