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

The next afternoon, the sun was shining brightly.

Yi Zhonghai sat at the door of his house, absentmindedly basking in the sun.

Ever since he got back last night, he'd been on edge. Scarface had said, "We'll have news in a few days," but how many days exactly? He wished that man would show up right now and teach Xie Weihong a good lesson.

He glanced furtively towards the backyard. The door to Xie Weihong's room was closed, and there was no sound from inside. The person was probably cultivating or sleeping; in any case, they hadn't come out.

Yi Zhonghai then looked towards the central courtyard. Sha Zhu was sitting cross-legged under the old locust tree, breathing heavily with his eyes closed. Ever since his "rebirth," that guy had been like a madman, cultivating whenever he had free time, without stopping for a moment.

Yi Zhonghai looked at him, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

Sha Zhu truly trusts him. He calls him "Master" all the time, even more affectionately than a biological father. Every day after training, he comes to ask about him and show concern for his health. Last night, seeing how exhausted he was, he even did two sets of push-ups for him.

But Yi Zhonghai knew in his heart that this trust was built on lies.

If Sha Zhu knew the truth...

Yi Zhonghai dared not think any further.

As he was thinking, a commotion suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate.

"Is this the place?"

"Yes, Brother Dao, it's this courtyard."

"Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?"

"That's right, I asked several people, and the guy surnamed Xie lives here."

"Let's go inside!"

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat. He stood up and looked towards the courtyard gate.

With a loud bang, the courtyard gate was kicked open.

A group of people rushed in.

The leader was a middle-aged man, bald, with a scar running from his eyebrow to his chin. He wore a black leather jacket and carried a steel pipe. Behind him were seven or eight men, all shirtless, revealing colorful tattoos, carrying steel pipes, wooden sticks, and chains, looking menacing.

Scarface.

Yi Zhonghai recognized him at a glance.

He's here! He's really here!

Yi Zhonghai felt a surge of joy. He rushed forward, unable to suppress his smile.

"Brother Dao! You've arrived!"

Scarface glanced at him, nodded, and then looked around the yard.

In the courtyard, Sha Zhu had already stood up, staring at the group of uninvited guests. Liu Haizhong poked half his head out of the house, but seeing this, he shrank back in fright. Xu Damao hid behind the window, peeking. Jia Zhangshi, holding onto her staff, hid inside the house, too afraid to come out.

Scarface's gaze fell on Sha Zhu, sized him up for a few seconds, and then looked away.

"Which one is Xie Weihong?" he asked.

Yi Zhonghai pointed towards the backyard: "He's in the backyard, I'll go call him—"

"No need." Scarface waved his hand and led his men towards the backyard. "I'll go and meet him myself. You guys keep watch at both the front and back gates, don't let him escape."

The henchmen dispersed and guarded the hospital gate and various passageways.

Sha Zhu stood still, looking at the group of people, his eyes narrowed.

He sensed it—these people exuded murderous intent; they weren't there for a casual visit, but to cause trouble. And judging from their demeanor, they were clearly prepared.

He glanced at Yi Zhonghai and noticed that the old man had an uncontrollable look of joy on his face.

Sha Zhu's heart skipped a beat.

Could it be someone hired by Yi Zhonghai?

He remembered Yi Zhonghai going out in the middle of the night last night. At the time, he hadn't thought much of it, assuming the old man was just getting up to use the restroom. Now it seemed…

Sha Zhu's expression became complicated.

Scarface led his men through the middle courtyard and into the back courtyard.

The backyard wasn't large; you could see it all at a glance. The door to the main house was closed, and there was no sound from the windows. Next to it were a storage room and a woodpile, with some junk piled up in the corner.

Scarface stood in the middle of the courtyard, yelling at the top of his lungs, "Xie Weihong! Come out here! I need to talk to you!"

No one answered.

"What, too scared to come out?" Scarface sneered, glancing back at his men. "What kind of damn captain are you? Is that all the guts you have?"

His underlings started making a fuss.

"Come out, you coward!"

"Did you wet your pants from fright?"

"Hahaha--"

Before the laughter had even subsided, the door to the main room opened.

Xie Weihong came out.

He wore his faded old military uniform, his hands in his pockets, his face expressionless. Sunlight bathed him in a soft glow. He stood in the doorway, glancing at the scarred man, then at the seven or eight men, his gaze as calm as if he were looking at a pile of garbage.

"What's up?"

Scarface felt uneasy under his gaze. His eyes were too calm, so calm that it didn't seem like the look one would expect from someone surrounded by seven or eight people.

But relying on his superior numbers, he mustered his courage and took a step forward.

"You're Xie Weihong?"

Xie Weihong nodded.

Scarface looked him up and down, a contemptuous smile playing on his lips.

"It doesn't look like much. I thought it had three heads and six arms."

His brothers behind him laughed.

Scarface took a step forward and shook the steel pipe in his hand.

"I heard you're a good fighter? And you can even fly?"

Xie Weihong didn't say anything, she just looked at him.

Scarface was enraged by his attitude. He'd been around this place for over a decade; what kind of people hadn't he seen? No matter how tough a fighter was, he couldn't withstand numbers. Today, he'd brought eight brothers, all ruthless characters, and he refused to believe they couldn't handle a mere twenty-something kid.

He raised his steel pipe and pointed it at Xie Weihong: "I'm here today to tell you, this territory is mine. If you know what's good for you, get out of this yard and don't let me see you again. If you don't know what's good for you—"

He brandished the steel pipe in his hand. "This thing doesn't have eyes."

Xie Weihong looked at him and suddenly smiled.

The smile was faint, but when Scarface saw it, a bad feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked.

Xie Weihong didn't answer, but instead took out her right hand from her pocket and beckoned to him with her finger.

"Let's all come at him together."

Scarface paused for a moment, then his anger surged.

"Damn it! They're asking for it! Brothers, let's go!"

Eight men armed with weapons swarmed forward. Steel pipes, wooden sticks, and chains were all thrown at Xie Weihong.

Scarface didn't move; he stood behind watching. He wanted to see how long this arrogant brat could last.

Yi Zhonghai stood by the moon gate, his eyes wide open, his heart pounding in his chest.

Hit him! Kill him!

He could almost see Xie Weihong being beaten to a pulp, and a smile crept onto his face.

Sha Zhu was also standing in the middle courtyard, staring towards the backyard. He couldn't see inside, but he could hear the noise.

Then--

"Bang!"

A muffled thud.

A figure flew out from the backyard, crashed onto the ground in the middle yard, and slid several meters away.

He was one of Scarface's henchmen. He lay on the ground, curled up in a ball, clutching his stomach and groaning.

Yi Zhonghai was stunned.

Before he could react, there was another "bang".

The second person flew out.

Then came the third, the fourth, the fifth...

One after another, like bowling balls, they all flew out. Some crashed into the wall, some slammed onto the woodpile, and some landed directly on the ground. Steel pipes and wooden sticks were scattered all over the place, and cries of pain rose and fell.

three seconds.

Three seconds at most.

The eight men carrying weapons were all lying on the ground, and none of them could stand up.

Yi Zhonghai's mouth was wide open, big enough to fit an egg.

Sha Zhu's eyes widened in disbelief.

The backyard was quiet.

Scarface remained standing in place, the steel pipe in his hand held in mid-air, as if he were frozen in place.

He didn't even see how Xie Weihong made her move. He only saw a shadow flash by, and then he was sent flying.

Xie Weihong remained standing in the same spot, her hands back in her pockets, her clothes perfectly neat.

He looked at Scarface.

His gaze was as calm as if he were looking at an ant.

"It's your turn."

Scarface's legs began to tremble.

He'd seen fighters before, he'd seen one take on three, one take on five. But one against eight, all down in three seconds—he'd never seen that in his life.

Is this even human?

But he was already in a bind. He gritted his teeth, raised the steel pipe, and charged forward.

"Go to hell!"

The steel pipe slammed down, aiming straight for Xie Weihong's head.

Xie Weihong did not dodge.

They just stood there, watching the steel pipe fall.

"when!"

A steel pipe hit him on the head.

Scarface was stunned.

He felt his hands go numb from the impact, and his thumb and forefinger split open, blood seeping from the wounds. Xie Weihong's head, however, didn't even sway. He could even hear the dull thud of the steel pipe hitting his head—it wasn't the sound of hitting flesh, it was the sound of hitting a metal plate.

Xie Weihong raised her hand and gently grasped the steel pipe.

One pinch.

The steel pipe was deflated.

It deflated like a piece of paper. The metal twisted and deformed between his fingers, making a grating, grating sound.

Scarface's pupils contracted sharply.

He looked down at the deformed steel pipe, then looked up at Xie Weihong, his expression as if he had seen a ghost.

Xie Weihong released his grip, and the deformed steel pipe fell to the ground with a clatter.

He took a step forward.

Scarface knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"Brother! Brother, I was wrong! I was blind to your greatness! Please forgive me!"

He knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. His forehead slammed against the blue brick floor with a "thud," and blood began to flow after only a few times.

Xie Weihong looked down at him.

"Who sent you?"

Scarface trembled and dared not speak.

Xie Weihong didn't say anything, she just looked at him.

That gaze made Scarface feel as if a mountain was pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe. His heart pounded, and cold sweat streamed down his back, soaking his clothes.

He recalled the legends of the underworld—there are some people you can't mess with, or you'll die a horrible death.

It seems he offended just this one person today.

"It's...it's Yi Zhonghai!" He finally couldn't hold back any longer and shouted, "It's him! He came to me last night and asked me to deal with you! He said you're from out of town, have no connections, and asked me to get rid of you! Brother, I have nothing to do with him, I'm just doing this for money!"

At the moon gate, Yi Zhonghai's face turned deathly pale.

He turned to run, but saw Duan Chengyi standing behind him, looking at him.

Duan Chengyi's face was expressionless, but his gaze made Yi Zhonghai's legs go weak.

"Master Yi," Duan Chengyi said calmly, "it's chilly outside, shall we go inside and talk?"

Yi Zhonghai's legs buckled, and he knelt down as well.

Xie Weihong glanced in the direction of the moon gate, then looked away and focused her gaze on Scarface.

"Take your men and get out."

Scarface felt like he'd been granted a pardon and scrambled to his feet, running outside. He took two steps, then stopped, turned back to Xie Weihong, and cautiously asked, "B-Big Brother, that steel pipe…"

Xie Weihong glanced down at the flattened steel pipe on the ground, then kicked it.

The steel pipe slid to the feet of the scarred man.

Scarface picked it up, staring at the clear fingerprints on it, his expression a mix of emotions. He swallowed hard, then tucked the steel pipe into his pocket—he had to keep this thing; he could use it to brag later.

He turned and ran.

The few remaining henchmen who could still move struggled to their feet, dragging their unconscious companions, and scrambled away. The cries of agony, curses, and pleas for mercy mingled together, quickly fading beyond the courtyard gate.

The courtyard fell silent again.

Xie Weihong walked out of the backyard, passed through the middle courtyard, and arrived at the moon gate.

Yi Zhonghai knelt there, trembling all over, not daring to lift his head.

Duan Chengyi stood to the side, expressionless.

Sha Zhu stood not far away, staring at Yi Zhonghai with a complicated expression.

Xie Weihong stopped in front of Yi Zhonghai and looked down at him.

"Master Yi."

Yi Zhonghai trembled even more violently.

"You want to hire someone to deal with me?"

Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Xie Weihong squatted down to be at his eye level.

Those eyes were as calm as a stagnant pool, devoid of any emotion.

"If you're going to hire someone, hire someone capable. Hiring this kind of person is a waste of my time."

He stood up and patted off non-existent dust from his knees.

"Double the training today."

After saying that, he turned and walked back to the backyard.

Yi Zhonghai knelt on the ground, watching his figure disappear behind the moon gate, feeling as if his bones had been removed.

It’s over.

It's all over.

The people he hired were all taken down in three seconds. His hopes were dashed.

He slowly raised his head and saw Sha Zhu standing not far away, watching him.

In those eyes, there was shock, confusion, and a hint of...

disappointment.

Sha Zhu walked over and stood in front of him.

"Master."

Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Sha Zhu looked at him, remained silent for a few seconds, and then suddenly asked, "Did you hire those people?"

Yi Zhonghai wanted to deny it, but when he met Sha Zhu's eyes, he couldn't say a word.

Sha Zhu nodded.

"I see."

He turned around, walked back to the central courtyard, sat cross-legged under the old locust tree, closed his eyes, and continued his breathing exercises.

Yi Zhonghai knelt on the spot, watching his departing figure, a despair he had never felt before welling up in his heart.

---

backyard.

Xie Weihong sat cross-legged on the bed, listening to the notification sounds that kept ringing in her mind.

[Ding! Detected that the host has successfully repelled external forces and maintained order during training in the courtyard.]

[Mission Completion: Perfect (Zero damage, excellent deterrent effect, left the opponent with psychological trauma)]

[Reward calculation in progress...]

[Received: 10000 Corrosion Crystals]

[Received: Body Tempering Elixir × 2000]

[Received: Barrier Breaking Pill x200]

[Acquired: Special Skill - Intimidation (Fragment x1, collect three fragments to synthesize the complete skill)]

[Skill Description: Releases an aura to suppress the enemy, reducing their combat power by 10%-50%, and in severe cases, rendering them incapable of resistance. Range is ten meters, duration increases with cultivation level. Most effective against targets with lower cultivation levels.]

Xie Weihong opened her eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Intimidation.

This is a great skill. With this, dealing with these people will be much easier in the future.

He carefully collected the fragments, stood up, walked to the window, and looked towards the central courtyard.

Yi Zhonghai remained kneeling motionless in the backyard. Sha Zhu sat cross-legged under the old locust tree in the middle courtyard, practicing his breathing exercises like a statue. Inside Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao's house, shadowy figures could be seen moving behind the windows, all peeking out, but no one dared to come out.

He looked away and returned to the bedside.

Inside his body, the silvery-white golden elixir slowly rotated, becoming even brighter than before.

Mid-stage of Tier 6, almost there.

---

In the courtyard, Sha Zhu sat cross-legged under the old locust tree, his eyes closed.

But his mind couldn't settle down.

Yi Zhonghai hired people to deal with Xie Weihong.

The thought kept swirling in his mind, and he couldn't shake it off.

He thought of his past life. Was Yi Zhonghai, the man from his past life, also like this? One way in public, another in private? He couldn't remember clearly. The memories of his past life were too distant; many details were blurred.

But he remembered that Yi Zhonghai had treated him well in his previous life. At least, he hadn't harmed him.

But in this life...

Sha Zhu opened his eyes and looked towards the backyard.

Yi Zhonghai was still kneeling there, like an abandoned old dog.

Sha Zhu stood up and walked over.

"Master."

Yi Zhonghai looked up at him, his eyes red-rimmed.

Sha Zhu reached out and helped him up.

"Master, don't be sad. It's normal that those people were no match for Xie Weihong. He is indeed very strong."

Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't say anything.

Sha Zhu looked into his eyes and said earnestly, "Master, I know you mean well. You want to find someone to teach him a lesson so I won't suffer as much. But Master, I don't need that. I want to defeat him with my own strength."

Yi Zhonghai's lips were trembling.

Sha Zhu continued, "You're sealing your cultivation, so it's inconvenient for you to make a move. I understand. Once I've mastered it, I'll defeat him myself. You can just watch."

Looking into Sha Zhu's sincere eyes, Yi Zhonghai felt as if something was blocking his throat.

He wanted to say, "I'm not some kind of master, I lied to you, I have no cultivation at all, I'm just a lousy old man."

But he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Sha Zhu patted him on the shoulder.

"Master, you should go back and rest. We'll double the training today; I'll do it for you."

He helped Yi Zhonghai and escorted him back into the house.

Yi Zhonghai lay on the bed, watching Sha Zhu turn and leave, and tears finally streamed down his face.

He raised his hand to wipe his tears, but the more he wiped, the more tears he shed.

He didn't know why he was crying. Was it moved? Was it guilty? Or was it afraid?

he does not know.

All he knew was that he had never felt like a bastard in his entire life as he did now.

---

evening.

As the sun sets, it bathes the entire courtyard in a golden-red hue.

Six people stood in the courtyard, waiting for today's training.

Sha Zhu stood at the very front, a stubborn glint in his eyes. Yi Zhonghai stood beside him, his face ashen, his eyes vacant, like a walking corpse. Liu Haizhong leaned on his cane, head bowed, avoiding eye contact. Xu Damao's eyes were swollen, and he was still sniffling. Jia Zhangshi, clutching a stick, huddled at the very back of the line.

Xie Weihong walked out from the backyard.

He changed into a black training uniform and military boots, making him look as sharp as a knife.

He walked to the front of the line and stood still.

His gaze swept over the six people.

"Today's training is doubled. Let's begin."

No one dared to speak.

Sha Zhu was the first to lie down and start doing push-ups.

One, two, three... The movements were swift and textbook-perfect.

Liu Haizhong, Xu Damao, Jia Zhangshi, and Banggeng also fell down one after another.

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth and lay down as well.

He did it, and the pain made his vision go black.

I did two, and my whole body was shaking.

After doing three, I collapsed on the ground, unable to get up.

Sha Zhu crawled over and helped him up.

"Master, please rest. I'll do it for you."

Yi Zhonghai looked at him, and tears welled up in his eyes again.

Sha Zhu turned back and continued working.

One, two, three...

His movements became faster and more frantic. Sweat streamed down his face, dripping onto the ground and forming a small puddle.

Xie Weihong stood under the moon gate, watching this scene unfold.

[Ding! Detected that the ninth-tier demon "Berserk Mighty Demon" has reached a new high in fighting spirit and its cultivation desire has exceeded its limit. Reward bonus: 500%!]

[Ding! Detected a ninth-tier demon, "Hypocritical Soul Demon," overwhelmed with guilt and on the verge of a mental breakdown. Reward bonus: 400%!]

A slight smile played at the corners of his lips.

He turned around and walked into the backyard.

The setting sun shone on him, casting a long shadow.

Behind me, I could hear Sha Zhu counting from the courtyard, each count firm and powerful.

Yi Zhonghai sat beside him, looking at him with tears streaming down his face.

Liu Haizhong, Xu Damao, Jia Zhangshi, and Banggeng lay on the ground, not daring to raise their heads.

A new day will soon arrive.

---

late at night.

Yi Zhonghai lay on the bed, eyes open, looking at the mosquito net above his head.

He can't sleep.

When I close my eyes, I see Sha Zhu's sincere eyes.

"Master, I know you mean well."

"Master, you've sealed your cultivation, so it's inconvenient for you to take action. I understand."

"Master, please go back and rest. I'll do it for you."

Those words were like knives, cutting into his heart again and again.

He turned over and buried his face in the pillow.

Tears streamed down her face again.

He didn't know what to do.

Tell the truth? Sha Zhu will hate him for the rest of his life.

Should he continue lying? His conscience wouldn't allow it.

He thought about it all night but couldn't come up with an answer.

The moon outside the window slowly sank in the west, and the sky began to lighten with the first light of dawn.

A new day is about to begin.