Siheyuan: Buyers get rich from hunting

The old man was wearing a grey gown, the hem of which swayed gently in the wind, his hair was grey but combed meticulously, his face was thin, and his eyes revealed a kind of serenity and depth that transcended the world. He stood in the middle of the courtyard, holding a peach wood sword with intricately carved spells in both hands. The sword had a light wood luster, which added a bit of simplicity and mystery under the afterglow of the setting sun.

The old man closed his eyes slightly, as if communicating with another world, and muttered something, each syllable was clear and powerful, echoing in every corner of the courtyard. As he chanted, the air around him seemed to freeze, and even the wind stopped blowing. His hands began to dance, sometimes stabbing lightly, as if he was painting an invisible scroll; sometimes slashing violently, the tip of the sword cut through the air, making a sharp and crisp sound, his movements were smooth and powerful, like flowing clouds and water, done in one go, showing an indescribable rhythmic beauty.

After some trouble, the old man slowly stopped and finally stopped at a remote corner of the yard. There were weeds everywhere and few people usually set foot there. He took a deep breath, as if he had gathered all his strength, and then he grabbed a handful of snow-white and crystal glutinous rice and threw it into the air. The glutinous rice grains drew beautiful arcs in the air, just like snowflakes flying in winter, crystal clear, adding a mysterious and weird atmosphere to this ancient courtyard.

After finishing the mysterious and solemn ritual, the old man's face became extremely solemn, as if he was carrying a heavy burden. He slowly turned around, his eyes were like torches, as if he could see through people's hearts, and he looked directly into Liu Haizhong's bangs, and said in a low and powerful voice: "There are indeed some unclean things in this yard. They linger around and disturb the peace here. However, the source of these evil spirits is not here, but there are behind-the-scenes people controlling everything in secret! They use these evil spirits to try to achieve some ulterior motives. So, you must be more careful and pay attention to the people around you."

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Liu Haizhong's heart, causing him to shudder and his face to turn pale instantly. His mind quickly flashed through all the strange behaviors of Yan Bugui and Xu Damao in recent times: they were always elusive, behaving strangely, and occasionally looked at him with meaningful eyes, as if they were hiding something. Thinking of this, Liu Haizhong felt vaguely that the behavior of these two people was quite suspicious. However, due to the lack of real evidence to prove that they were the ones causing trouble, he could only bury this doubt deep in his heart, and secretly vowed to find out the truth and never let anyone hurt his family and this warm home.

As night fell and the lights came on, the lanterns on both sides of the alley emitted a dim and warm light, adding a touch of softness to the night. However, under this peaceful appearance, there were hidden conspiracies and undercurrents. Yan Bugui and Xu Damao, like two ghosts walking at night, quietly met in the dim tavern at the entrance of the alley. The windows of this tavern were covered with yellowed window paper, and the light from the window swayed in the wind, adding a bit of gloom.

Yan Bugui's face was full of smugness that he couldn't conceal, with a cunning smile on the corner of his mouth. He said to Xu Damao with a beaming eyebrow: "Hehe, in my opinion, the ritual performed by that old gentleman is nothing more than this! Look at Liu Haizhong's family now, isn't it still turned upside down and in chaos? How can our methods compare to those old guys who pretend to be ghosts?" His eyes were full of satisfaction with the smooth progress of the plan and contempt for Liu Haizhong's family.

Hearing this, Xu Damao raised a cold smile, which was a bit cold and sinister. He snorted with disdain: "Hmph, the more chaotic they are, the smoother our carefully planned plan will go. However, we must not take it lightly, and we must act cautiously. We must not let them know that all this is our trick behind the scenes! You know, the closer we are to success, the more dangerous it is." After saying this, he picked up the wine glass, raised his head and drank it all. The wine slid down the corner of his mouth and dripped onto his clothes, leaving a dark mark. His eyes flashed with cunning and sinister light, like a beast about to catch its prey.

Finally, on that pitch-black night with howling winds and heavy rain, a more violent and terrifying storm quietly descended upon the courtyard. Dark clouds pressed down overhead and thunder rumbled, as if even the heavens were wailing for the impending disaster.

That night, everyone in the courtyard had already fallen into a sweet dream. The whole courtyard was so quiet that only the sound of raindrops hitting the eaves and the occasional thunder could be heard. However, only Liu Haizhong's family was tossing and turning because of a series of strange events that had happened in the past few days. They lay in bed, their eyes wide open, and their hearts were filled with fear and anxiety.

At this moment of silence, suddenly, a rapid and heavy knock on the door sounded, and the sound was like a sharp sword that instantly broke the silence and tranquility of the night. Then, Liu Guangqi shouted in fear: "Dad! Mom! Something bad has happened! Our house...it seems that the house is about to be demolished!" His voice was filled with deep fear and helplessness, as if he was facing a catastrophe. Liu Haizhong and his wife were shocked when they heard this, and they quickly put on their clothes and rushed out of the room, only to see that the yard was in a mess, as if it had just experienced an earthquake.

This sudden change was like a bolt from the blue, making the already nervous Liu Haizhong and the second aunt feel tense, as if they were being tightly grasped by an invisible hand. They lost all sleepiness and their faces turned pale. They hurriedly put on their clothes without even having time to button them up, and rushed out of the room in a hurry, as if there was a flood or a beast chasing them.

When they arrived at the yard, they were stunned by the scene. They could not believe it. Outside the gate, several dark figures were holding various tools, including hammers, axes, and crowbars. They were aggressive and looked like a group of bloodthirsty beasts, trying to forcibly demolish the wall of their house. The tools flashed coldly in the night, and every swing was accompanied by the sound of bricks breaking, which was terrifying.

Seeing this, Liu Haizhong's anger was instantly ignited, like a volcanic eruption that could not be stopped. He widened his eyes, almost popping out of his eye sockets, and shouted angrily at the group of shadows: "You lawless guys! In broad daylight (even though it was late at night, he made a slip of the tongue due to his excitement) how dare you come to tear down my wall in the middle of the night? Is there still any law? Stop it now!" His voice echoed in the night sky, with a bit of hoarseness and despair.

However, the shadows seemed to be deaf to Liu Haizhong's roar. They were like a group of soulless puppets, continuing their crazy acts of destruction. Every swing of the tool was like a heavy hammer hitting Liu Haizhong's heart, making him feel so painful that he couldn't breathe.

Seeing that his warnings were useless, the anxious Liu Haizhong could no longer suppress his inner impulse. Like an enraged lion, he pounced on the shadows without hesitation, wanting to stop this evil act by himself. However, due to the slippery ground and the obstruction of vision due to darkness, Liu Haizhong accidentally slipped, lost his balance, and fell heavily to the ground.

The fall was very severe, and his knee hit the hard stone road directly, making a loud "bang". Instantly, the skin and flesh were torn, blood flowed, and the pain was unbearable. Liu Haizhong gritted his teeth, holding his injured knee tightly with both hands, with a painful and twisted expression on his face, but he still did not give up and tried to stand up again.

At this moment, the originally quiet courtyard was suddenly broken by a loud noise, as if a huge stone was thrown into the calm water. The other neighbors living in the courtyard were awakened from their sleep. They rubbed their sleepy eyes, opened the door and walked out to see what happened. When they saw the chaotic scene in front of them, everyone was shocked. They looked at each other, at a loss, as if they were in a sudden disaster.

In front of Liu Haizhong's house, there was a group of people with hideous faces and sticks, like a group of demons rushing out of hell. They were like raging beasts, smashing the door and kicking the wall frantically. Every impact was accompanied by a deafening sound, as if to shake the entire courtyard. They kept shouting and cursing, and the obscene words were like sharp blades, cutting the tranquility of the night and the hearts of Liu Haizhong's family.

Seeing this, the kind neighbors did not hesitate or retreat. They seemed to be united by an invisible force and immediately rushed forward to stop the violence. Some people bravely stood in front of the vandals, with their hands open, like a guardian angel, and shouted loudly: "What are you doing! How can you be so reckless! Don't mess around!" Their voices echoed in the night sky with unquestionable majesty.

Others rushed over to help Liu Haizhong and his family, who had fallen to the ground. Their eyes were full of concern and sympathy. They carefully supported Liu Haizhong, checked his injuries, and asked with concern: "How are you? Are you injured? Does it hurt?" The voice was gentle and firm, like the warm sun in winter, warming the cold hearts of Liu Haizhong and his family.

However, these vandals ignored the neighbors' dissuasion and became more arrogant. They waved their sticks like the scythe of the god of death and pushed and wrestled with the neighbors who came to stop them. For a while, the whole yard was in chaos, with shouts, curses, and crying coming one after another, interweaving into a tragic symphony.

Fortunately, most of the neighbors worked together and united to fight against these thugs. After a fierce fight, they finally succeeded in dispersing the vandals. They fled in disgrace like defeated beasts and disappeared into the night, leaving behind only a trail of dirty footprints and a mess of battlefields.

Seeing the vandals fleeing in panic like lost dogs, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They showed tired but relieved smiles on their faces, as if they had just experienced a life-and-death struggle. Looking at Liu Haizhong's home at this time, it has become a mess, the doors and windows are broken like waste paper, and the walls are covered with deep and shallow scratches, like shocking scars. The yard is even more scattered with broken bricks and tiles, as if it had just experienced the devastation of an earthquake.

Faced with this situation, Liu Haizhong's family was angry and helpless. Tears flashed in their eyes, and they kept rolling in their eye sockets, but they held back their tears. They knew that this was an unexpected disaster, a sudden nightmare. But they also believed that as long as everyone was united, nothing could defeat them.

Faced with such shameless and despicable behavior, the residents of the courtyard were furious and filled with anger! They could not tolerate such a bad thing happening around them, so they stood up and stood firmly on the side of Liu Haizhong's family, expressing their full support and solidarity.

For a moment, the courtyard was filled with people, as if a pot had exploded. Everyone was excited and talking, as if everyone had a fire burning in their hearts. They stood or sat, gathered in groups of three or five, and discussed the thrilling scene just now. Some people were talking about how they bravely stood up to stop the atrocities, some were sighing that the power of unity is so strong, and some were speculating about the origins and motives of the saboteurs. Everyone's face was filled with anger, surprise and relief, as if they had just experienced a life-and-death test.

Soon, law enforcement agencies got involved in the matter. They quickly launched an investigation and imposed severe sanctions on these evildoers in accordance with the law. Not only were the vandals brought to justice and held accountable, they were also strongly condemned by public opinion. After their actions were exposed by the media, they attracted widespread attention and indignation from the public. People expressed that they must resolutely crack down on such illegal and criminal acts and maintain social harmony and stability.

After experiencing this series of ups and downs, Liu Haizhong's family was physically and mentally exhausted, but their hearts became stronger and more mature. They deeply realized the powerful power of unity and mutual help among neighbors. This power made them no longer lonely and helpless when facing difficulties and challenges, but they were able to work together to withstand the wind and rain.

Since then, Liu Haizhong's family has become a completely different person. They are no longer indifferent to the public affairs of the courtyard as they were in the past, but have become more proactive. Whether it is cleaning the yard or organizing community activities, you can see them busy. They interpret the true meaning of unity and dedication with their actual actions, and have won the respect and praise of neighbors.

Through these little things, Liu Haizhong's family gradually established a closer and deeper relationship with their neighbors. They began to communicate and interact more frequently, sharing each other's daily life and happy moments. The courtyard was filled with a warm and harmonious atmosphere, as if everyone had become an indispensable member of this big family. This change not only made Liu Haizhong's family feel unprecedented happiness and satisfaction, but also gave the entire courtyard a new vitality and vigor.

Those strange events that once made the whole courtyard panic have now become a topic of conversation among neighbors in their spare time. Every time they are mentioned, people can't help but laugh. It seems that those once horrifying scenes have become the spice of life, adding a bit of fun to the dull days.