Flogging

From the moment Huo Yuhao had been swept up in the temporal-spatial turbulence and reborn into a branch family of the Dai Family, hearing Dai Mubai's name had set his mind. He was determined to find his dear father-in-law. Ever since he awakened his Martial Soul, Spirit Eyes, with an Innate Soul Power of only level one, his family had already given up on him. This era had no concept of a Body Martial Soul—not even more so than the era of Douluo II!

This era valued Innate Soul Power above all, as well as the strength of one's Martial Soul.

But Huo Yuhao didn't care about any of that. He simply changed his name back to Huo Yuhao and left the Duke's Mansion alone. With his previous life's knowledge of cultivation and the Mysterious Heaven Skill as his foundation, his cultivation speed wasn't too bad.

But... he didn't have any cheats this time! A million-year First Soul Ring, getting a Second Martial Soul—those were all pipe dreams. He could only struggle to obtain a Hundred-Year Soul Ring, then wait until he grew strong enough to rescue the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and get it to sacrifice itself to him again. After that, he'd obtain the Ice Empress's Martial Soul and bring the whole lot of them from the Extreme North to sacrifice themselves to him. At the crucial moment, he'd have them undergo their tribulations. If they couldn't survive, he'd reluctantly let them become his Soul Spirits instead, then walk the path to godhood all over again.

But he also had one little wish: to join the original Shrek Academy and follow his beloved father-in-law.

But... who could have imagined that he'd meet his father-in-law as a child, but not Xiao Wu? Today, Zhao Wuji had merely told him to go with Ma Hongjun and look for the people who had bullied Shrek Academy. And Huo Yuhao, with the foundation of both his past and present lives, treated Shrek's instructions like imperial decrees and carried them out to the letter.

As a result... he'd run into these two beasts. Huo Yuhao thought they were ten thousand times worse than evil Soul Masters. They were practically begging to die.

Xiao Chenghe rolled his shoulders and grinned viciously. "Heh heh, you two should thank us brothers properly. If we weren't in Suotuo City, we'd have castrated you today, no matter what."

Ma Hongjun trembled as he spoke. "B-Big brother, I already got punished a little just now. Could you give a few of those lashes to this kid beside me instead?"

Huo Yuhao's eyes widened as he stared at Ma Hongjun in disbelief.

Shrek's introductions had described Ma Hongjun as a strong man who stood up for justice, was deeply loyal to his brothers, and had a noble heart. How had he turned out to be such a piece of trash?

Huo Yuhao hurriedly spoke up. He'd heard what Luo Yihe said and didn't dare gamble on these people having anything resembling a conscience.

"Don't! Brothers, Ma Hongjun was the only one who taunted your companion just now. I didn't say a word."

Xiao Chenghe snorted. "You're together, and that alone is enough. Twenty lashes each—and you get five extra."

Huo Yuhao was dumbfounded. "Wait, brother, why?"

Xiao Chenghe said, "Your buddy's already taken nearly twenty slaps. What's wrong with you getting five extra lashes?"

"I... ┗|｀O′|┛ Aah~~ Aah~"

Huo Yuhao wanted to say something else, but Xiao Chenghe had no interest in listening to him blather on. A whip splashed with chili water cracked down hard on Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao let out a scream that startled everyone.

"Hey, brother, does it really hurt that much?" Ma Hongjun said dismissively from where he hung nearby.

Huo Yuhao writhed nonstop, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.

Just watching him gave Zhu Zhuqing goosebumps all over.

Xiao Chenghe asked in confusion, "Hey, Brother Luo, I barely used any force. Why's he wriggling like a garter snake?"

Luo Yihe replied, "You know you barely used any force, huh? Give it a couple of proper swings and he won't have the strength to wriggle around."

{Ding, negative emotions from Huo Yuhao +888}

Xiao Chenghe said, "Oh~ Big brother's right."

Huo Yuhao had just started begging for mercy when another lash cracked toward him.

ヽ(ﾟДﾟ)ﾉ "Aah... W-wah... I... I was wrong... spare me! I really know I was wrong, w-wah..."

Huo Yuhao begged for mercy through his tears, his scream even more harrowing than the last.

"Brother, my little brother's an Auxiliary Soul Master. He's frail... take it out on me."

Ma Hongjun sneered. "It's just a hemp rope. Auxiliary Soul Masters are auxiliary Soul Masters—so weak... Watch your big brother Fatty."

Xiao Chenghe glared at Ma Hongjun. What did this kid mean? Was he looking down on him? Did he think he only picked on Auxiliary Soul Masters?

"Then bring it on."

Xiao Chenghe swung the hemp rope, twirled it two and a half times in his hand, then cracked it against Ma Hongjun with a sharp pop.

A gust of wind swept past.

Ma Hongjun's whole body shuddered, then went still.

"Holy crap! This little fatty's got that kind of endurance?"

Luo Yihe had barely finished speaking when—

"Aaah..."

A scream made everyone jump.

Ma Hongjun writhed like a garter snake doused in hot oil. Watching from a distance, Luo Yihe would've thought Ma Hongjun was doing a pole dance.

"He's got some talent, but not all that much," Luo Yihe sighed.

"Hahaha."

Zhu Zhuqing laughed so hard beside him that her dimples appeared.

It was the first time Luo Yihe had seen Zhu Zhuqing laugh so naturally. Without thinking, he reached for her hand. When he took her delicate hand, Zhu Zhuqing turned her head to look at him. She didn't refuse, nor did she pull away.

Xiao Chenghe paid no attention to the lovebirds behind him. Grinning viciously, he swung the hemp rope and thrashed Ma Hongjun and Huo Yuhao again and again, like a twenty-first-century plantation owner whipping slaves.

Especially that vicious, sadistic grin on Xiao Chenghe's face. He felt as if he ought to own a plantation of his own, with these two in front of him as slaves who refused to work. He was simply correcting their mistaken attitude. He absolutely did not have any unusual kinks.

"Heh heh heh!"

He grinned viciously as he swung the hemp rope.

The alley rang with Ma Hongjun and Huo Yuhao's unending cries of pain...

When Tang San, Oscar, Ning Rongrong, and Dai Mubai appeared at the alley entrance, they saw this bizarre scene...

Luo Yihe and Zhu Zhuqing were secretly holding hands, while Xiao Chenghe grinned like a pervert and swung the hemp rope in his hand, completely absorbed and unable to stop himself.

Ma Hongjun and Huo Yuhao were like two screaming garter snakes, wearing nothing but their underwear as they writhed, tied up under the eaves.

The lash marks had nearly covered their entire bodies.

Ning Rongrong instinctively took a step back. If Tang San and the others hadn't been there, she'd have wanted to run away already. Even so, she hid behind Tang San, peeking out with a little head to watch the person swinging the rope.

"So... perverted!"

Tang San and the others heard Ning Rongrong's quiet mutter and instinctively nodded. Then Tang San shook his head sharply and shouted, "Xiao Chenghe, stop!"

Zhu Zhuqing jumped at the sudden shout and hastily pulled her hand from Luo Yihe's. She instinctively moved away from him, her little face turning bright red.