Three Whips Shatter Brotherly Love, Eldest Brother, I'm Your Real Brother

"Furthermore, we are brothers. Brothers are one and the same; a blow to your body is a pain in my heart, but for your sake, I am willing to endure it."

"After all, this Crown Prince does not wish for this either, but you know as well as I do: if even a palace maid requires punishment, how can you, the Fourth Prince, not lead by example? Sigh... you have truly caused me great distress."

Xue Beng felt his scalp tingle as he listened to these words, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. Big Brother, since when did you become so shameless?

Even he could see it now; Xue Qinghe had clearly knocked over the teacup on purpose, intending to use it as a pretext to punish him.

But what could he do? Xue Qinghe was the one in the right, not him. Even if he brought the Emperor here, no fault could be found, so he had no choice but to take it.

"Very well, Fourth Brother, endure it and it will pass quickly. Rest assured, I will not use much force." After finishing this polite facade, Ye Yang spoke to Xue Beng with a face full of reluctance.

Watching Ye Yang's expression, bolstered by his acting prowess, Xue Beng seemed to be swayed. Could it be that I overthought it? Xue Qinghe's benevolence is legendary; would he really use such a harsh method to punish his own brother?

That certainly couldn't be the case. Xue Beng immediately breathed a sigh of relief, knowing his big brother wouldn't be that cruel—it must be a performance for the servants.

Thinking about it, this was the Crown Prince, after all; he had to lead by example. The unspoken rule that "punishment does not reach the high officials" certainly couldn't be stated openly.

"Big Brother, I understand!" Xue Beng looked at Ye Yang with a solemn expression, as if he had finally seen the light. "Proceed. This younger brother is willing to accept the punishment."

Seeing Xue Beng suddenly act like a different person, Ye Yang was actually caught off guard. Wait, buddy, I was just saying empty words—you don't actually believe me, do you?

But seeing Xue Beng so cooperative, Ye Yang squeezed out a look of reluctance. "Mm, as long as you understand, Fourth Brother. Here I come."

If one could ignore the thorny whip in Ye Yang's hand, this scene could truly be called a display of brotherly harmony.

Xue Beng took a deep breath and closed his eyes, preparing to welcome the expected, light, symbolic tap.

He was even calculating in his mind how to let out two "ouch" sounds to make it look realistic.

However!

"Whoosh—WHACK!!!"

A shrill, distorted scream instantly pierced the silence of the bedchamber!

That was by no means a light tap! It was a solid, fierce strike, condensed with a portion of Ye Yang's soul power!

The luxurious prince's robe was as fragile as thin paper before the thorn-covered whip!

With a tearing sound, the fabric was instantly ripped open in several places!

Immediately following, the thorns embedded themselves deep into his flesh!

"AHHH!!!" Xue Beng was caught off guard. The excruciating pain swept through his entire body like an electric current, and he staggered forward, nearly collapsing onto the carpet.

His back burned with a searing pain, as if countless red-hot iron needles were tearing through him at once!

[Ding! Whipped Xue Beng, Strength +1]

He snapped his eyes open, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinpricks from the agony and extreme shock!

"B-Big Brother?! You... you..." Xue Beng was trembling all over from the pain, his voice distorted and filled with disbelief.

He turned his head and stared fixedly at Ye Yang, his eyes devoid of any "I understand you" sentiment.

There was only the fury of being deceived and the terror brought on by the searing pain!

This wasn't acting at all! This was a real beating! And a brutal one at that!

Ye Yang watched as the beads of blood instantly seeping from Xue Beng's back stained the torn fabric, and hearing his pig-like shrieks, the "sorrow" and "reluctance" on his face only grew more profound.

He raised the whip high once more, his voice sounding "earnest and well-meaning":

"Fourth Brother! Endure it! Big Brother does this all for your own good! To be a prince who is arrogant, domineering, and bullies the weak—this is a grave taboo!"

"If I do not let you suffer a little today and remember this skin-deep pain, how can you become a pillar of our Heaven Dou in the future? How could you face the expectations of our Father, or the spirits of our Xue family ancestors?!"

"Can you truly not see Big Brother's good intentions?!"

Before his voice had even faded, the second strike of the whip descended with an even fiercer whistle!

"WHACK!!!"

"AOOO!!!" This time, Xue Beng was struck to his knees, his hands instinctively bracing against the floor to keep from collapsing entirely.

[Ding! Whipped Xue Beng, Strength +1]

The new wounds on his back overlapped with the old ones, the pain causing his vision to blacken as tears and snot streamed out uncontrollably.

Whatever dignity a prince had, whatever mask of a playboy he wore—all were torn to shreds in the face of the piercing agony!

"No! Stop hitting me! Big Brother! I was wrong! I truly know I was wrong!"

Xue Beng had completely broken down. He ignored his image, howling and begging like a stray dog. "Spare me! I won't dare do it again! I won't!"

Ye Yang, however, acted as if he hadn't heard the pleas, his expression "resolute" to a terrifying degree as he raised the whip again. "You know you were wrong? What use is just knowing? You must remember! You must remember it to your very bones!"

"Today's pain is tomorrow's warning! To ensure you remember, for the sake of your future, Big Brother... must strike, no matter how much it pains me!"

"WHACK!!!"

The third strike!

Xue Beng could no longer hold himself up. He collapsed completely onto the carpet, curled into a ball, and let out painful whimpers and groans.

[Ding! Whipping Xue Beng, Strength +1]

Three gruesome, bloody welts were clearly visible on his back, and his shredded clothes were soaked through with blood, mixing with the spilled tea to make him look exceptionally wretched and miserable.

A faint scent of blood permeated the air.

Ye Yang slowly lowered the bramble whip, his face etched with exhaustion, as if the lashes had landed on his own body instead.

"Fourth Brother... surely now, you understand your big brother's good intentions, don't you?"

"Every single lash was filled with my expectations and... love for you! Remember this pain, mend your wicked ways, and become a better man! Big brother... is truly heartbroken!"

He reached out a hand, seemingly intending to pat Xue Beng's shoulder in comfort, but upon seeing the mangled, bloody back, he retracted it without a trace, his gaze fixed on the prone Xue Beng with a look of anguish.

Xue Beng lay on the ground, his body trembling, his eyes filled with terror. Looking at Xue Qinghe's refined face, he felt not a shred of gratitude, only fear.

Where was the benevolence in this Xue Qinghe? He was clearly a smiling tiger; if anyone ever called Xue Qinghe benevolent again, he would fight them to the death.

While Ye Yang was "educating" Xue Beng, Qian Renxue had begun her own movements on the other side.

After clearing all the black sludge from her body, Qian Renxue stared at the incredibly handsome face reflected in the ripples of the water, momentarily stunned.

Damp, black, tousled hair fell across her forehead, framing sword-like brows and star-bright eyes. Combined with the chiseled jawline brought about by years of hard labor, the face appeared exceptionally handsome while lacking nothing in resolve.

It was the first time Qian Renxue had faced a member of the opposite sex at such close range, and she murmured at the reflection in the water, "Is this what he looks like?"