Punishment

Lu Yueqing walked up to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion and looked at the two black-clad brawny men guarding the door. "Who was that Young Master Shi who just left?"

"Little girl, that man has nothing to do with you. Don't go asking questions."

"That's right, little girl. We can't say much. But if you're interested in coming to my Hundred Flowers Pavilion and joining our ranks, we can tell you anything you want to know."

"With a pretty face and a fine figure like yours, if you joined the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, I guarantee you'd become the top courtesan."

The two black-clad brawny men exchanged glances and burst out laughing.

Seeing that Lu Yueqing was still standing at the entrance and hadn't left, one of the men couldn't help asking, "What? You really want to join my Hundred Flowers—"

Before he could finish speaking, the two men suddenly felt an immense, invisible force descend from above. Their knees buckled, and they fell to their knees. In an instant, cracks spread across the stone steps before the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.

"I'll ask one last time. Who was the person who just left?"

The words coming from above were filled with icy menace. The two men stared in terror.

A Xiantian Realm expert!

They felt the killing intent rising from the woman before them.

Ignoring the agony in their knees, the two men hastily blurted out:

"That was the Eldest Young Master of the Shi Clan, Shi Lan!"

"We were blind to your greatness! We didn't know a Xiantian martial master stood before us. Please, be magnanimous and spare our lives!"

The two men kowtowed again and again, begging for mercy. Even if the woman before them killed them both on the spot, she wouldn't get into any trouble.

No one would offend a Xiantian Realm warrior for the sake of two gatekeepers.

After a long silence, the two men cautiously raised their heads. The woman who had stood before them was already nowhere to be seen.

They couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and sank to the ground, their faces full of gratitude at having escaped with their lives.

"Patriarch, people from the Lu Clan have entered the city."

Hearing the news he'd expected, Shi Tianlu asked without surprise, "Where are they now?"

"Yunsheng Restaurant."

"I see. You may leave."

"Patriarch, there's one more thing."

"Speak."

"The Eldest Young Master went to the brothel today with a group of guards."

"What did you say?!"

Shi Tianlu sprang to his feet and slammed his hand on the table. The solid-wood desk before him shattered into pieces, scattering across the floor.

"Shi Lan went to a brothel with a group of guards?!"

The messenger didn't know why Shi Tianlu was reacting so strongly. He hesitated before answering, "Y-yes."

"Where's Shi Feng? He didn't stop her?!"

"I... I don't know the specifics, sir."

"Fine, I understand. You may go."

Once the messenger had left, Shi Tianlu called out to those outside, "When the Eldest Young Master returns, have her bring every guard who went out with her today straight to the Disciplinary Hall!"

"Yes, sir!"

When Shi Lan returned to the Shi Mansion and heard Shi Tianlu's order, he brought a group of guards to the Disciplinary Hall near the rear courtyard.

Shi Tianlu sat squarely before the Disciplinary Hall, his expression impassive. Seven or eight low stools stood in front of him.

Beside each stool stood a guard holding an iron whip.

"Father." Shi Lan bowed in greeting.

The guards behind Shi Lan saw Shi Tianlu's expression and the men holding iron whips beside the stools. They sensed what was coming, and answered together, their voices unsteady, "Patriarch."

"As the Young Master's guards, you neglected your duty and let the Young Master out of your sight to enjoy herself alone. What punishment do you deserve?"

Shi Tianlu spoke each word distinctly.

"According to the rules set by the Patriarch, neglect of duty warrants twenty lashes," one of the guards holding an iron whip said, stepping forward.

"Do any of you object?" Shi Tianlu asked sternly, glancing at the guards behind Shi Lan.

"We have no objections."

The guards gritted their teeth, took off their shirts, and obediently walked over to the stools, sitting down one by one.

Shi Lan lowered his gaze and said nothing. This has nothing to do with me. I didn't even know there was such a rule. At the same time, he thought spitefully, That'll teach you to enjoy yourselves.

A whip whistled through the air, then slammed into flesh with a dull thud. Groans rose one after another.

The iron whips were made of solid iron, and the men wielding them were all martial artists. Each lash landed with at least a hundred jin of force. The whistle of the wind alone was enough to tell you what that whip would do to a person.

The twenty lashes were over quickly. Most of the guards had lost the ability to move and were carried away.

Only Shi Feng remained.

Seeing Shi Feng start to take off his shirt, Shi Lan raised a hand to stop him and turned to Shi Tianlu. "Father, Shi Feng never left my side. He doesn't need to be punished, does he?"

Shi Tianlu's gaze darkened. "He was at the Young Master's side, yet didn't stop her from acting recklessly. That makes his offense even worse. Two hundred lashes!"

"On what grounds?!"

Shi Lan's expression changed. Twenty lashes had already left the others in such a state that they'd need at least a month in bed. Wouldn't two hundred lashes kill Shi Feng?

"Patriarch, isn't that punishment too severe?" Even the guard assigned to carry out the punishment couldn't help speaking up.

"Carry it out!" Shi Tianlu barked.

"No! That's not fair!" Shi Lan was getting anxious. Shi Feng was the first underling he'd taken in after arriving in this strange world. If anything happened to him, how could he live with himself? Besides, Shi Feng had done nothing wrong this time.

"He's my man. You can't do this to him!"

"What did you say? Say that again, I dare you!" Shi Tianlu's eyes widened.

Shi Feng was also staring in shock.

"He's my man!" Shi Lan stood his ground.

"Three hundred lashes! Carry it out at once!" Shi Tianlu roared. Then he glared at Shi Lan and warned him, "Say one more word and I'll add ten lashes!"

"I..."

"Eldest Young Master, it's all right." Shi Feng comforted Shi Lan, took off his shirt, and sat down on the stool.

What angered Shi Tianlu wasn't that the guards had neglected their duty. It was that Shi Lan had gone to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.

Shi Feng had known all along that Shi Lan was a woman, yet hadn't stopped her. That alone was a serious offense, and he deserved to be punished.

If Shi Lan pleaded for Shi Feng now, it would only add fuel to the fire.

Shi Feng knew that very well.

Besides, with his current physical strength, twenty lashes wouldn't even hurt. Two hundred wouldn't be a problem either.

The guard assigned to carry out the punishment sighed and brought the whip down across Shi Feng's back, holding back most of his strength.

Shi Tianlu had a keen eye. He immediately said, "Hit him with all your strength! If you can't bear to, take the punishment in his place!"

With this guard's strength, even a full-force blow might not injure Shi Feng. If he held back any more, the whip would be no more than a tickle.

"Sorry."

The guard said it softly, then put more force into his swing.

The iron whip cracked through the air and struck Shi Feng. Shi Lan couldn't help frowning at the sound.