Two burly stewards stepped forward at the command. Expressionless, they strode aside and fetched two long, broad ebony paddles. The wood gleamed darkly in the sunlight; merely looking at it sent a chill through the heart.
Xiao Zhan swept his sharp gaze over the guards who had stepped forward. His voice held not a trace of warmth, but every word rang with authority. "Pin them both to the benches! Pull down their trousers and give them twenty strokes each! Let's see which is harder-their bones or the Xiao Clan's discipline!"
At those words, not only did Xiao Yan turn deathly pale with fright, but even Xiao Yi, who usually feared neither heaven nor earth, lost some of his carefree expression. Twenty strokes were no joke. If every blow landed solidly, having their backsides split open would be the least of their worries; even being bedridden for days would count as getting off lightly. The clan guards dared not defy the clan head's orders. They quickly advanced in pairs, seizing Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi by their arms from either side.
His limbs all but limp, Xiao Yan was dragged to the long benches already prepared in the middle of the training ground. Before transmigrating, he had been nothing more than an ordinary student who went through school by the book. When had he ever faced anything like this?
They forced him facedown onto the cold bench, and the chill of the wood made him shudder. A faint sound of fabric tearing came from behind him, then his trousers were pulled down to his knees, exposing his bare backside before everyone's eyes. An overwhelming tide of shame and terror engulfed Xiao Yan. His cheeks instantly flushed so red they looked ready to drip blood. He squeezed his eyes shut and bit