Courtyard House: The Frog Boy Brings Back a Genetic Potion at the Start

He Daqing sighed heavily.

He knew in his heart that he had completely messed up the whole thing—not only had he gotten a haunted house that could endanger his life, but he had also ruined his reputation. It was a classic case of trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead.

"Whether or not we can find the person, we have to give it a try."

This matter has to be done, whether it succeeds or fails!

He Daqing said with a sullen face.

Sha Zhu had no choice but to reluctantly agree.

In the following days, Sha Zhu ran around, inquiring about possible buyers.

Yi Zhonghai also contributed to this matter.

Although his reputation within the compound was already ruined, the connections he had built up over the years still held some value.

The location of the courtyard house was indeed good, and the Hao family's house was spacious. Coupled with the rumors of it being haunted, Sha Zhu didn't dare to raise the price too high—right now, getting rid of this hot potato as soon as possible was better than anything else.

These days, not many people actually buy houses; most are waiting for allocation. If they can find a suitable price, Sha Zhu's family would naturally be eager to sell as soon as possible.

Sure enough, thanks to Yi Zhonghai's connections, several groups of people came to view the property.

However, when they learned the truth behind the property, the people who had just been smiling at Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai suddenly changed their expressions.

"Old Yi, what you did was not fair."

"Who doesn't know this house is dirty? How dare you push such a place onto us? What are you up to?"

"We considered you a friend, and you betrayed everyone like this?"

Yi Zhonghai's old friends started criticizing him, and many of them turned around and left.

After this incident, it's likely that no one will want to associate with Yi Zhonghai anymore.

Hearing those harsh curses, Yi Zhonghai's face turned pale and then red.

He never expected things to turn out this way.

The residents of the courtyard witnessed the entire scene and immediately began pointing and discussing it.

"Tsk tsk, look at our 'moral exemplar' Grandpa Yi, he only targets acquaintances."

Xu Damao spoke up sarcastically, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

Liu Guangfu chimed in, "Who says otherwise? He knew that house was haunted; Sha Zhu and the others almost got killed inside. Yet he kept bringing his friends in."

Is it because you have too many friends and want to get rid of a few?

"Utterly foolish! Who would take over a house like this? If you ask me, no matter how low the price is, it won't matter. The reputation of it being a 'haunted house' has spread, and it can't be covered up."

For a moment, the courtyard was filled with mocking laughter.

Everyone had long disapproved of Sha Zhu and his gang's recent behavior, and seeing them in such a sorry state now made them feel incredibly happy.

"Shut up, all of you! Anyone who spouts nonsense again will face consequences!"

Sha Zhu angrily clenched his fist.

Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong's face immediately fell.

He felt this was the perfect opportunity to suppress the other party, so he immediately stepped forward and said coldly, "Shazhu, what do you mean? Do you really think you're in charge of this yard? You want to make a move? Come on, I, Liu Haizhong, am standing right here. Try moving! Guangfu, you keep a close eye on things and be ready to call the police at any time!"

Liu Haizhong's words left Sha Zhu speechless.

He finally just snorted and reluctantly withdrew his stance.

In the end, he only dared to talk tough, but he would never dare to actually take action—he hadn't forgotten his days in the detention center and had no desire to go back.

Seeing Sha Zhu turn away, seething with anger, Liu Haizhong let out a long sigh of relief, feeling like he had won a battle.

He was especially pleased to notice the different gazes directed at him from all around.

Sha Zhu had no interest in dwelling on the troubles in the courtyard.

All he can think about now is how to get rid of the house he has.

"Uncle Yi, please think of another solution. This house can't just rot in my hands."

With no other options, Sha Zhu had no choice but to beg Yi Zhonghai again.

Yi Zhonghai could only shrug his shoulders, at a loss for what to do.

"This is really difficult, Sha Zhu."

"You saw it yourself, last time I spent so much time organizing things, and what did it all turn out like? Sigh."

Yi Zhonghai sighed, ultimately unwilling to get involved in this trouble again.

Yi Zhonghai refused to help, and Sha Zhu's vision went black, so he had no choice but to keep lowering the house price.

Can it be a "haunted house"?

His reputation had already spread far and wide, and no matter how much he tried to lower the price, no one was interested.

For Sha Zhu, this was a matter of life and death—he couldn't sell it, he dared not live in it, and he was afraid that keeping it would ruin the He family's feng shui.

For several days in a row, Sha Zhu and his friends were in a state of panic, like ants on a hot pan.

Fortunately, after several days of hospitalization, the deaf elderly woman was finally discharged and her spirits returned somewhat.

From then on, she dared not even approach the edge of the Hao family's house, and would take a detour if she caught a glimpse of it from afar.

"This house can't be kept; we have to find a way to deal with it, otherwise it'll cause more trouble later!"

The old lady murmured with lingering fear.

If that house had remained standing there, she probably wouldn't have had the courage to stay in this compound for even one more day.

Sha Zhu felt very aggrieved.

If that house were really so easy to sell, why would it have become a hot potato stuck in my hands?

Many people in the courtyard gathered around to watch the spectacle, pointing and gossiping about Sha Zhu and his friends, feeling that they were reaping what they sowed, a karmic retribution in this life.

"What are you looking at? You just want to see me, Foolish Zhu, make a fool of myself? Let me tell you, not a chance!"

Sha Zhu was known for his fiery temper, and he couldn't stand such mockery. He immediately flew into a rage and started yelling.

If it were a minor matter, the neighbors might have been more restrained, but now it's obvious that Sha Zhu has suffered a loss, so who would believe his empty words?

"Come on, you idiot Zhu, who are you trying to fool? Who would want to take over this haunted house? We're definitely watching this show."

Xu Damao didn't give him any face at all, and interjected with a grin.

These words struck a nerve with Sha Zhu, and a surge of anger rushed to his head. He shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Xu Damao, stop with your shameless behavior! Even if this house really can't be sold, I can just demolish it, rebuild it, and treat it as a dangerous building; I can still make money from it!"

Everyone was stunned.

Strangely enough, this idea actually seemed somewhat feasible at first glance.

If this "haunted house" can be resolved soon...

The troubles they cause may not be a bad thing for everyone in the courtyard.

No one expected that just two days after Sha Zhu made those remarks, the deaf old lady and He Daqing would both suffer one after another – first, they developed high fevers, then vomited and had diarrhea, and were in such a terrible state that they were barely recognizable as human.

The deaf old woman, in particular, was already recovering from a serious illness and was in a weak state. This ordeal almost took her half her life.

Everyone says she's tough; if it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't have made it.

The two went to the hospital, but the doctor couldn't find the cause and just prescribed some medicine for them to take.

To everyone's surprise, the medicine did not help, and he suffered day and night, unable to eat or sleep.

The old lady was secretly panicking. If this continued, she was afraid she would really die in this courtyard.

The news spread quickly throughout the courtyard, and everyone found it strange.

The house left behind by Hao Jianguo was so "powerful" that the two people inside had already suffered greatly when Sha Zhu mentioned demolishing it; if they really started construction, what would happen?

Many people secretly shook their heads: This is clearly something that has been entangled with it, how can just taking medicine solve it?

Sha Zhu was so anxious that he paced back and forth, even considering finding a fortune teller to take a look.

But ever since the incident involving Taoist Wang caused such a stir, those who secretly engage in superstitious practices have all shrunk their heads and gone into hiding. Who would dare to show their face now?

Especially upon hearing that it was Sha Zhu who had come to invite them, they avoided it like the plague, fearing they would follow in his footsteps.

After a few more days of stalemate, Yi Zhonghai finally couldn't sit still any longer.

He shamelessly asked around for help and finally managed to invite a feng shui master to try and calm the "unease" in the house.

In the past, someone in the courtyard would have reported this superstitious practice long ago, but the situation is different now—everyone watches silently, and no one makes a sound.

The escalating situation at the Hao family residence has already affected the daily lives of everyone in the courtyard.

Not only did no one in the courtyard stop them, but they also secretly took turns keeping watch, fearing that the news would leak out.

"Sir, please come in."

Fu was politely welcomed into the courtyard, and in an instant he was surrounded by layers of people, becoming the focus of everyone's attention.

Liu Haizhong even took the initiative to send a younger member of his family to keep watch outside.

"Alas, I was unwilling to get involved in your hospital's affairs."

As you all know, these customs and traditions are best left unsaid these days, and we can't get involved in them.

The man stroked his beard, his face showing hesitation, and his voice revealing deep concern.

"You can rest assured that we will keep everything we saw and heard today a complete secret and will not divulge a single word."

Seeing that he seemed to be backing out, Yi Zhonghai quickly stepped forward to vouch for him.

Everyone in the courtyard is clear-headed and discerning.

These days, it's already incredibly difficult to find someone knowledgeable to resolve the problem, and no one dares to scare the gentleman away at this critical juncture.

Even the usually sly Xu Damao nodded emphatically in agreement.

"Sir, we all know the rules. Let's pretend this never happened."

Everyone chimed in with their own words, making promises one after another.

After hearing these earnest words, the feng shui master finally calmed down and slowly rolled up his sleeves.

"Very well, since you are all so sincere, I will take a look at the layout of this place."

To be fair, although this gentleman is not as famous as the earlier Wang Daoren, he still has some real talent and learning.

But when he actually stood in front of the Hao family's door and looked up, the sight he saw almost made his soul fly away.

"ah--"

Outsiders have no way of knowing what he actually saw.

As soon as the man arrived at the door, before he could speak or make a move, he merely glanced inside and his eyes suddenly widened, his face turned deathly pale, and then his whole body stiffened. He lost control of his bladder and fell flat on his back, unconscious.

"Sir! What's wrong?"

The scene immediately descended into chaos.

Yi Zhonghai and his men hurriedly carried the barely alive Fu to the hospital for treatment.

The area around Hao's house was instantly turned into a forbidden zone, and no one dared to approach it easily.

Even the families living right next to the Hao family hurriedly packed their belongings and moved out. Who would dare to continue living nearby?

Rumors of haunted houses spread like wildfire, becoming increasingly fantastical and out of control.

"Old Hao has really made a huge fuss this time."

Even the usually composed Liu Haizhong is now completely convinced.

Of course, given his position as the head of the compound, he dared not discuss these mysterious matters openly. He could only mutter these words in private in his own room.

"Don't panic, I...I've already burned paper money for Lao Hao."

He accepted our offerings; surely he wouldn't make things difficult for his own family.

Although Aunt Er offered these words of comfort, she felt a growing sense of unease as she spoke.

She couldn't help but recall that when the Hao family encountered difficulties, they not only didn't lend a helping hand, but instead made things difficult for them at every turn.

If Lao Hao were alive today, would he let them off so easily?

A similar sense of unease hung over everyone in the courtyard like a dark cloud.

"Alas, what are we going to do now? If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have been so blinded by greed and followed the Jia family to bully the Hao family."

Now that Lao Hao is back, will he come looking for trouble with us?

"Who would have thought that even after he's gone, there would still be such a commotion? Old Hao is just too prophetic!"

"For now, we can only take it one step at a time."

However, in my opinion, Lao Hao might not be targeting us.

If he really wanted revenge, he would have done it long ago. Don't you all agree?

"That's right! At least we didn't kick the Hao family out of the yard."

Old Hao appeared after the Hao family boy was forced to leave, which was probably his bottom line.

"We intervened to stop Hao's son from leaving back then, so Old Hao shouldn't hold a grudge against us."

For a time, whispers could be heard everywhere in the courtyard.

However, for most people, these conversations are nothing more than self-comfort; their anxieties never truly subside.

The feng shui master's fate was still fresh in everyone's mind, and there hadn't been any laughter in the courtyard for days.

Before dawn, everyone hurried out, and those with nothing to do preferred to wander around outside. No one wanted to stay in the courtyard for even a moment longer—fearing that misfortune might come knocking on their door if they weren't careful.

As the sun began to set, those who had nowhere else to go tiptoed back into the house, closed the door, and turned off the lights.

As night deepened, the courtyard fell into a deathly silence, like an abandoned house with no one living there.

The strange occurrences in the courtyard had already spread throughout the neighborhood.

The rumors of the Hao family being haunted, along with the ominous atmosphere surrounding the entire courtyard, were further exaggerated and pushed to the forefront of public attention.

But the matter did not subside just because everyone avoided it.