Siheyuan: Reborn Silly Pillar, Taking Control of the Entire Courtyard

The oil lamp in the room flickered dimly, casting a warm glow on Xiaoman's little face.

The little girl sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) with her knees drawn up to her chest, her bright black eyes fixed on He Yuzhu, her little mouth pouting so much it could hold an oil bottle.

"Brother Zhuzi," she gently tugged at his sleeve, her voice soft and slightly coquettish.

"When are you going to buy me new comic books? And needles, thread, and scraps of cloth, I want to learn how to sew little purses."

He Yuzhu was wiping a freshly sharpened kitchen knife with his head down. Hearing this, he didn't even look up and casually replied, "Tomorrow, I'll make some time to go out tomorrow and buy it for you when I have time."

"It's a deal!" Xiaoman sat up straight, her little face serious. "If you don't keep your word and don't buy it for me, I'll... I'll cry right there in front of you! I'll cry so loudly that the whole alley can hear me!"

He Yuzhu was amused by her cute appearance. He put down the kitchen knife, reached out and flicked her nose, teasingly saying, "Fine, then cry now. I really want to see what our Xiaoman looks like when she cries."

"Hmph!" Xiaoman immediately turned her face to the side, her cheeks puffed out like a sulking little squirrel. "I'm ignoring you! You stinky Zhuzi brother, you bad Zhuzi brother, all you do is bully me, all you do is tease me all day!"

"Hey, hey, hey," He Yuzhu deliberately put on a stern face and tapped her forehead, "Don't you have any awareness of being a maid? You dare to speak ill of your master to his face, you've got some nerve."

Xiaoman stuck her tongue out at him, and a series of light "lè lè lè lè lè lè" came out of her mouth, accompanied by a cute, winking face.

"You brat, you really need to be taught a lesson!"

He Yuzhu was both annoyed and amused. He raised his hand, bent his finger, and gently flicked her forehead.

"oops!"

With a soft gasp, Xiaoman immediately covered her forehead, her eyes instantly reddening, and glistening tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to fall. Her appearance was so pitiful that it made one's heart tremble.

He Yuzhu was at a loss when he saw this.

He was most vulnerable to a little girl's tears, so he quickly pulled out two pieces of fruit candy wrapped in oil paper from his pocket and stuffed them into her hand: "Alright, alright, Brother Zhu was wrong, I shouldn't have flicked you. Eat some candy, eat some candy, it will make the pain go away."

Xiaoman held two pieces of candy, her lips secretly curving upwards, while tears still clung to her eyelashes, giving her a look of both grievance and secret joy.

After coaxing Xiaoman, He Yuzhu patiently held her little hand and taught her to recognize a few words.

The little girl studied diligently, but soon she couldn't sit still and kept pestering him to tell her stories.

Having no other choice, He Yuzhu picked up a story about a chivalrous hero standing up for the weak and told it vividly.

By the time the story was finished, it was already late at night.

Xiaoman rubbed her sleepy eyes, then reluctantly hugged her book and tiptoed back to her side room.

The courtyard finally quieted down.

He Yuzhu blew out the oil lamp, lay down on the kang (a heated brick bed) fully clothed, and closed his eyes to rest. On the surface, his breathing was steady, as if he were already fast asleep, but his mind was unusually clear.

With a slight twitch of its ears, it took in every rustle of wind and grass in the alley outside the courtyard.

Around 10:30 p.m., all was quiet, even the footsteps of the night patrol had faded into the distance.

He Yuzhu, who had been feigning sleep, suddenly opened his eyes.

There was no trace of sleepiness in his eyes; instead, a glint of light flashed, and he instantly became energetic.

He tiptoed off the kang (a heated brick bed), rummaged through the bottom of the cabinet and pulled out a set of black tight-fitting shorts that he had prepared beforehand, and quickly changed into them.

The fabric of the clothes is close-fitting and lightweight, making no sound at all when moving around.

After confirming that there were no small items on him that would make a sound, he quietly made his way to the courtyard gate.

The courtyard where he now lives doesn't have very high walls.

With a slight push of his feet, He Yuzhu leaped lightly upwards, his right hand precisely gripping the top of the wall. Using the strength of his knuckles and twisting his waist, he stood firmly on the top of the wall.

His movements were crisp and swift, flowing smoothly without the slightest hesitation. There was no trace of his usual carefree and irresponsible chef demeanor.

Standing atop the wall, he glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then leaped down, landing as lightly as a falling leaf, barely stirring up any dust. He walked briskly along the wall, quickly disappearing from the alley and fading into the deep night.

As he exited the alley, he quickly glanced left and right.

The night was as dark as ink, the streets were deserted, and not even a stray dog ​​could be seen.

He Yuzhu walked to a secluded corner and pulled out a bicycle that had been hidden under a pile of weeds. The chain was oiled, making it smooth and silent.

He took a long stride, flipped himself onto the vehicle, and with a gentle push of his foot, the wheels glided silently along the quiet street.

The direction was the dark alley where the suspicious-looking group had met during the day.

Actually, the distance isn't that far.

Throughout the journey, he remained extremely vigilant, constantly listening to any sounds coming from all directions.

Not far off I rode, I heard the sound of orderly footsteps and the crisp sound of leather boots on the bluestone pavement in the distance—it was the black leather guard on night patrol.

He Yuzhu's eyes turned cold, and he immediately changed direction, turning into a narrower alley. He held his breath and waited until the patrol team had gone far away before coming out again and continuing on his way.

In just over ten minutes, he came to a steady stop outside the alley.

After parking his bicycle, He Yuzhu checked that no one was watching him. He then took out a black mask from his pocket, pulled it up to cover his entire face, leaving only a pair of cold and sharp eyes visible.

Tonight, he is not He Yuzhu, nor is he Shazhu, the cook in Tianjin.

He came to collect debts and settle accounts.

After masking himself, he moved even lighter, like a ghost, silently slipping into the depths of the alley.

Soon, the secluded house came into view.

The courtyard wall was not high, the gate was tightly closed, and the surroundings were eerily quiet.

He Yuzhu pressed himself against the outside of the wall, held his breath, and listened intently.

Every sound from the courtyard reached his ears without missing a single detail.

The snoring was deafening, rising and falling in waves.

Someone let out a loud fart while they were sleeping;

Some people grind their teeth so hard they make a crunching sound.

The various chaotic sounds mixed together indicated that the person inside was fast asleep.

He leaned closer to the crack in the door and peeked inside.

The courtyard was pitch black, without a single light, and there wasn't even a night watchman.

A mob.

He Yuzhu's lips curled into a disdainful, cold smile.

He took a half step back, bent his knees slightly, and with a sudden burst of strength, leaped high into the air, grabbed the top of the wall with both hands, and flipped over to jump into the courtyard. When he landed, his knees were slightly bent, dissipating all the force, and there wasn't even a thud.

Once inside the courtyard, he moved like a ghost, pressing himself against the walls and listening to the sounds from room to room.

The first two rooms were filled with loud snoring; the people were clearly sleeping very soundly.

He chose a room with the least noise and the heaviest breathing, and gently pushed the door open.

"—Squeak—"

The distinctive scraping sound of an old wooden door was particularly jarring in the quiet night.

He Yuzhu felt a chill run down his spine. His body moved like a cat, instantly disappearing into the shadows of the corner. His whole body was tense, and his hand was already on the short stick hidden at his waist.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

He silently counted the time, waiting a full minute.

Apart from snoring, there was no other sound in the room; no one was awakened, and no one lit a lamp or asked questions.

He Yuzhu finally breathed a sigh of relief, bent down, and quickly slipped into the house.

He didn't know when it started, but he found that his night vision was much better than before. Even though the room was pitch black, he could vaguely make out the general outline of the room—the earthen bed, the wooden table, and the clutter in the corner were all clearly visible to him.

The kang (heated brick bed) was quite large, and three burly men were lying haphazardly on it.

They were all shirtless, sleeping in all sorts of haphazard positions. Some had their mouths open and were drooling, while others were sprawled out, taking up most of the kang (a heated brick bed). It was an eyesore. They were clearly ruthless characters who had been robbing and plundering for years, but now they were all lambs to the slaughter.

He Yuzhu held his breath and quietly moved closer.

His gaze swept across the room and landed on the several coats piled up beside the kang (a heated brick bed).

He reached out and quickly searched.

As soon as the collar was pulled open, a cold, hard sensation immediately came through.

Sure enough, there were guns.

There were two Mauser C96 pistols, shiny and well-maintained, with two sharp daggers stuck in the ground beside them.

He Yuzhu's gaze remained unchanged. He reached out and snatched both the gun and the dagger, sending them directly into his still space.

He was never a pushover, but he wasn't a madman who would kill anyone he saw either.

But when dealing with people of dubious origin and with malicious intent, it's always right to disarm them first.

After putting away his weapons, he slowly bent down.

His gaze swept across the faces of the three sleeping men.

The next moment, he moved.

His palm was as hard as iron, as fast as lightning, and he precisely cut into the carotid artery of the first big man.

"Well……"

The big man groaned and passed out without even opening his eyes.

The second one, the third one.

In the blink of an eye, all three of them collapsed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), unconscious.

He Yuzhu remained expressionless, his movements without the slightest pause.

He grabbed the first big man's shoulders with both hands, and heard two soft "crack" sounds.

Clean and efficient, he dislocated both of his arms.

The man convulsed in pain, but remained unconscious and unable to utter a sound.

Immediately afterwards, he grabbed the other person's chin and with a slight force, dislocated the jaw joint. Even if the person woke up, they wouldn't be able to call for help.

After doing all this, he grabbed the man's own belt from the kang (a heated brick bed), tightened it, and bound him tightly like a dumpling. Finally, he grabbed the man's smelly socks that were lying to the side, crumpled them into a ball, and stuffed them into his mouth without any hesitation.

The stench was overwhelming, but He Yuzhu didn't even flinch.

Being kind to the enemy is cruel to yourself.

One, two, three.

The exact same operation.

After the room was dealt with, the three burly men on the kang (a heated brick bed) were all rendered useless, unable to move or make a sound. They could only lie there like dead pigs, at the mercy of others.

He Yuzhu clapped his hands, turned around and walked out of the room, heading straight for the next one.

The same process, the same ruthlessness, the same silence.

Those lowly thugs outside were utterly powerless against him.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he had silently dealt with all the bandits in the outer rooms. Dislocating their arms, dislocating their jaws, binding their hands and feet, stuffing their socks in—the whole process was swift and efficient, without the slightest hesitation.

The entire courtyard remained eerily quiet, as if nothing had happened.

Only the last main house remained.

The person living here must be the leader of this group.

He Yuzhu pressed himself against the door, listening intently.

The person inside was breathing steadily, but much shallower than those outside, clearly indicating that they were extremely alert and a very light sleeper.

He gently pushed open the door, making almost no sound, and slowly approached the kang (a heated brick bed) in the inner room.

Just as he reached out, preparing to subdue the other person first—

The person on the kang (heated brick bed) suddenly opened their eyes!

"Who?!"

A low shout, hoarse from just waking up, yet full of vigilance.

The other person reacted very quickly, their hand already instinctively reaching under the pillow.

Unfortunately, he encountered He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu's eyes turned cold, giving the other party no chance to draw their weapon.

With a step forward, he exerted force from his waist, and his right elbow, as hard as iron, struck the opponent squarely in the chest!

"—Ugh!"

With a painful groan, the bearded man felt as if he had been rammed by a mad bull in the chest, his internal organs shifting. He couldn't catch his breath, his vision went black, and he collapsed on the spot.

He Yuzhu stepped forward and quickly bound his hands and feet, locking them firmly in place.

Only then did the man manage to regain some strength, panting heavily as he stared in terror at the masked man who had suddenly appeared before him.

He Yuzhu calmly took out a flashlight wrapped in black cloth from his pocket and turned it on with a "click".

A faint but clear beam of light shone directly on the other person's face.

It was a man around forty years old with a thick beard, dark skin, a face full of fat, and a pair of fierce eyes. He looked like a ruthless bandit who had been living on the edge of a knife for many years.

He Yuzhu lowered his voice, his tone low and cold, devoid of any emotion, as if it came from the deepest hell:

"I ask, you answer. If you dare utter a single word of nonsense, or lie, you'll die right now."

The man convulsed in pain, his chest throbbing with agony, but he gritted his teeth and asked, "Who...who are you? We have no grudge against you, why are you so cruel to us?"

He Yuzhu's eyes turned cold.

Too much nonsense.

He was too lazy to argue with the other party.

He stretched out his hands, grabbed the other person's arms, and applied a slight force.

"Snap—! Snap—!"

Two sharp, piercing sounds of dislocated joints echoed jarringly in the room.

"ah--!!!"

The bearded man let out a piercing scream of pain, but the sound was choked back by the agony before it reached his throat. His face contorted instantly, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

Both arms are completely useless.

He Yuzhu remained expressionless and spoke again, his tone still calm, yet carrying a chilling pressure:

"I'll ask you one more time. Who are you? Where are you from? What are you doing in the city?"

The man trembled with pain, but remained defiant, panting heavily as he glared fiercely at him: "You...who exactly are you? We...we've never done anything to you!"

They still dare to be stubborn.

He Yuzhu was too lazy to waste any more words with him.

He grabbed a dirty piece of clothing lying nearby, crumpled it into a ball, and stuffed it into the man's mouth without a second thought.

The other person struggled and whimpered, but couldn't break free at all.

He Yuzhu bent down, placed one foot on the other person's calf, and applied slight pressure.

"—Click!"

A sickening cracking sound rang out.

The man's lower leg was broken on the spot!

"Ugh—!!! Ugh—!!!"

A sharp pain shot through his brain, his bushy beard and eyes bulged out, almost popping out of their sockets, and he let out a muffled groan of agony. His whole body convulsed violently, and cold sweat poured down his face like rain, instantly soaking his clothes.

He had been in the underworld for so many years, never afraid of fighting and killing, but today, he was truly afraid.

The masked man before him was more ruthless, accurate, and swift than he had ever seen in his life.

This person is truly ruthless and doesn't hesitate at all.

He knew in his heart that his brothers outside had probably all fallen long ago. Today, they had met their match, a tough nut to crack.

If you don't answer honestly, you'll be the one who dies in the next second.

He Yuzhu released his foot, looked at him coldly, and said in a voice as cold as ice: "I ask, you answer, understand?"

The man nodded frantically, tears, snot, and cold sweat mingling together, looking utterly disheveled.

"If you dare utter another word of nonsense, next time, I'll snap your neck."

After He Yuzhu finished speaking, he reached out and yanked hard, pulling the clothes stuffed in his mouth out.

The man immediately began to gasp for breath, making hoarse sounds in his throat, as if he had been pulled out of the water.

"Now speak," He Yuzhu said calmly. "Who are you? Where are you from? What are you doing in the city?"

The man dared not hide anything any longer and answered tremblingly, "Grandpa...Grandpa, we are from Tanggu, Dongling Mountain, Dongling Village...This time...this time our chief sent us into the city to find someone."

"Who sent you? Who commissioned you?"

"He is... the second-in-command of our mountain stronghold. But... but he has never shown his face in the stronghold; he's very mysterious."

"The second-in-command who has never shown his face?" He Yuzhu's eyes narrowed slightly.

"It's true!" The man nodded hurriedly, afraid that if he was a step too slow, he would be killed again. "Our leader said that the guns, food, medicine, and many other things on the mountain were all brought in from outside by the second leader. Our stronghold only needs to do what the second leader tells us and complete the tasks he assigns."

"Who are you looking for?" He Yuzhu's tone turned slightly somber.

The man swallowed hard, his voice trembling, "It was... a young man. He went to Tanggu a while ago and... crippled the son of Township Chief Ma."

He Yuzhu's lips slowly curved into a playful smile.

"Found it, what are your plans?"

"The second-in-command only instructed... to bring a living person back. If they're injured or crippled, it doesn't matter..."

The voice just fell.

He Yuzhu suddenly laughed.

The laughter was low, yet carried a chilling undertone.

"Oh? In that case, it's not unjust that your leg was ruined."

The man froze.

It was as if I had been struck by lightning.

He looked up abruptly, staring at He Yuzhu in utter terror, his voice trembling: "You...you are..."

If he still couldn't guess who the person in front of him was at this point, then all his years in the martial arts world would have been for nothing.

The man who crippled the son of Township Chief Ma.

They sneaked into their hideout in the middle of the night and wiped them out.

Ruthless and elusive.

Who else could it be but the target they're looking for?!

He Yuzhu leaned down, his voice, hidden behind his mask, carrying a hint of mockery: "Congratulations, you guessed right."

The man's face turned deathly pale.

Fear, like a tidal wave, completely overwhelmed him.

He Yuzhu asked in a calm tone, as if he were asking a trivial question: "How many people are there in your Dongling Village?"

The man suddenly gritted his teeth, his eyes hardening, and he adopted a desperate stance: "Kill me! I will never betray my brothers in the mountain stronghold! Do with me as you please!"

He does have some backbone, though.

He Yuzhu chuckled, laughing instead of getting angry.

He couldn't be bothered to waste his time on such a small fry.

"Since you won't tell me, let me ask you another question." His tone was slightly cold. "How much do you know about that Township Head Ma?"

The man was stunned for a moment, then, as if grasping at a straw or trying to drag He Yuzhu down with him, he grinned sinisterly: "You want to cause trouble for Township Chief Ma? He's a big shot in the government! Are you crazy?"

"What I'm going to do is none of your business," He Yuzhu said sharply. "You just need to tell me, and I'll listen."

The man chuckled, a defiant air of recklessness in his eyes: "Since you want to die, then I'll grant your wish! That Township Chief Ma is a local tyrant in Tanggu! His family has been rooted in Tanggu for generations, deeply entrenched!"

"He's been the township head since the early years of the Republic of China, for over thirty years! The leadership has changed hands constantly, but Township Head Ma has remained steadfast! Just think about how deep his roots are in Tanggu!"

He Yuzhu said calmly, "He's been in that position for quite a while. So, you Dongling Village are very afraid of him?"

"Afraid? Not at all!" The man sneered, a hint of smugness in his voice. "But we've cooperated with him more than once or twice!"

"Cooperation?" He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow, "And a side project?"

"Bullshit!" the man spat, no longer caring about fear. "We've fought the Eighth Route Army, the Central Army, and those unruly wealthy merchants—what haven't we done?! We've been able to occupy Dongling Mountain peacefully, and he's been able to remain the township head for so long. Why do you think that is?!"

"He's already fed everyone up! He has connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles!"

"Young man, are you scared now? You dare mess with Mayor Ma? You're dead!"

The man became more and more smug as he spoke, as if he could already see He Yuzhu's fate of dying without a burial place.

He Yuzhu suddenly laughed.

The laughter was low, cold, and chilling.

The laughter sent chills down the man's spine, sending a shiver down his spine from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

"Afraid?" He Yuzhu spoke slowly, his voice sounding like it came from hell. "Of course I'm afraid."

What I'm afraid of is—

"You died too quickly; you didn't even get to be dealt with by me personally."

One sentence instantly froze the smug look on the man's face.

He stared at He Yuzhu in terror, his voice trembling, "Who...who are you?!"

He Yuzhu bent down, his eyes beneath the mask were cold and devoid of any warmth.

"When you get to hell, go ask the people you harmed, and they will tell you the answer."

The man's face changed drastically; he was about to shout and beg for mercy.

He Yuzhu had already reached out and firmly gripped his neck.

With a slight exertion of force, the fingers...

"Click."

A soft sound.

The man rolled his eyes, his body stiffened abruptly, and then went completely limp.

He was completely lifeless.

A bandit leader who acted as an accomplice to evil, colluded with officials and bandits, and harmed the people, thus met his end.

He Yuzhu released his grip, expressionless, and stored the corpse in his spatial storage, leaving no trace.

Those dozen or so bandits outside were naturally not going to be spared.

He went from room to room, efficiently and cleanly sending away the bandits who had long since lost the ability to resist.

His movements were swift and his gaze was calm.

These people have enough blood on their hands to die a hundred times over.

Today, it's nothing more than collecting a debt.

After clearing out all the survivors, He Yuzhu began a thorough search of the house.

I didn't know until I searched, and what I found was a pleasant surprise.

This is clearly a secret liaison point set up by Donglingzhai in Tianjin.

In the cellar in the corner, there was a cache of rifles, well-stocked with ammunition, neatly stacked. Besides that, there were several boxes of gleaming gold bars and a huge pile of shimmering silver dollars, a dazzling sight.

Needless to say, all of these things benefited He Yuzhu.

Long spears, gold, and oceans were all sucked into the still space.

It's empty, completely empty.

He cleaned the entire contact point spotlessly, cleaner than a dog could have licked it clean.

After doing all this, he carefully examined the scene again, erasing all traces of his presence, wiping away footprints, and cleaning up any minor marks.

Only after confirming that everything was safe did he climb over the wall again.

As he walked down the street, he took out a small broom from his pocket and gently swept away the footprints he left on the ground.

Only after he was completely away from that alley did he push his bicycle out again, climb on it, and disappear into the vast night.

The night breeze was cool, and it refreshed me as it brushed against my face.

He Yuzhu rode his bicycle through the quiet streets of Tianjin, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Originally, he felt that life in Tianjin was rather bland and boring since he had just arrived.

But now, it's not boring at all.

Township Head Ma of Tanggu.

He ruled as a local tyrant for over thirty years, colluding with officials and bandits, having connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds, and his hands were stained with the blood of many ordinary people.

He's a complete traitor and a tyrant.

How could he let someone like that get away with it?

He Yuzhu's lips curled into a cold smile.

It’s just a good show.