Zhou You returned to the Inner Court.
The two hall masters chatted and laughed as if nothing had happened, no longer carrying the tense atmosphere from before. It seemed they had reached an agreement.
"Mao Lang accidentally beat your beloved disciple to death. He must be punished!"
Old Mao Liu cupped his hands. "I'll personally give him a hundred lashes. What do you say?"
At the words "beloved disciple," Zhou You felt no ripple in his heart. Then, hearing the punishment of a hundred lashes, he knew it was merely going through the motions.
If they truly meant to punish him, ten lashes would be enough to kill a man. But judging by Old Mao Liu's favoritism toward Mao Lang, these hundred lashes were like fining himself three cups of wine—at most, they would break a little skin.
Mao Lang was pinned to the ground by two senior disciples. His outer robe was stripped away, revealing a back covered in scars.
Old Mao Liu held a leather whip and cracked it down viciously with loud smacks. The sound was no act, and skin split as blood and flesh spattered. The sight was exceedingly bloody.
If it had been an ordinary man, just a few lashes would have knocked him unconscious on the spot.
But Mao Lang's sinews and bones were unusual, and he had already reached proficiency in Martial Force. A force naturally arose over his body, weakening the whip's power.
After watching only a few strikes, Zhou You was certain that a hundred lashes were nothing more than scratching an itch for him.
He weighed the Ebony Box hidden in his sleeve and walked behind Lu Qiang. "Senior Brother Wu is gone."
As he spoke, Zhou You noticed Lu Qiang's body tremble slightly, his gaze growing somewhat dim.
"I