The Sickly Senior Sister Ran Away After We Got Intimate - Chapter 20

Although her heart was racing with excitement, she feared that Chang Nong might change the time of the punishment due to the sudden change in weather.

Therefore, she feigned agony. The wails that had stopped abruptly resumed; every time a lash fell, she let out a cry. Her screams grew increasingly wretched, and her voice became somewhat hoarse.

“Ah—it hurts so much! I know my mistake! Master, spare me—”

“If this continues, my bottom is going to split open—”

Seeing this, Xiang Qingqing followed suit and began to wail, “Ah—”

To make the act more convincing, she intentionally held her breath. As each lash fell, her face gradually turned beet red, and even her eyes became bloodshot.

The two put on a piteous display. Listening to the rising and falling shrieks, the onlookers couldn’t help but frown, their faces filled with worry.

The two outer disciples wielding the whips were swaying unsteadily in the sudden gale. In their hearts, they were extremely grateful for this strong wind; fearing it might stop abruptly, they braved the resistance and increased the speed of their swings.

In a short while, seven of the ten lashes had been completed.

The two executioners were panting with exhaustion. They stopped to wipe away their sweat and take a brief rest.

As for the two performing the ruse, their acting was flawless. Not only were their voices raspy, but their eyes shimmered with tears. Those tears were not from unbearable pain, but rather from the biting wind lashing against their faces.

Seeing this, Wen Yingyi also began to withdraw her true qi. The sudden gale stopped instantly, as if it had never been there, leaving only the branches of a few large nearby trees swaying slightly.

“How strange, why did it suddenly stop again?” The crowd tilted their heads, looking around.

Chang Nong also looked puzzled, staring blankly at the clear, vast sky. After a moment, she turned her body to look into the ancestral shrine, and a chill ran through her heart.

Could that girl have actually been right? Is it truly the ancestors manifesting themselves?

Chang Nong was utterly perplexed. As she turned back, she happened to notice Wen Yingyi leaning against a pillar, her face devoid of color, appearing very similar to when her miasma flared up. Her heart skipped a beat; thinking the poison had flared up again, she turned and had just stepped onto the stairs when she saw Wen Yingyi shake her head at her.

“Master.”

Wen Yingyi withdrew her hand and stood up straight, forcing a faint smile to show she was fine. To convince Chang Nong, she deliberately coughed several times and massaged her throat, pretending she was merely suffering from throat discomfort.

Only then did Chang Nong breathe a sigh of relief. She turned back and asked in a heavy voice, “How many are left?”

“Replying to Master, there are three more.”

“Continue then. When it’s finished, go have lunch.” Chang Nong waved her hand to signal the punishment should proceed, though she looked back at Wen Yingyi with unease.

Wen Yingyi knew Chang Nong was concerned about her condition and did not dare relax. Although she was struggling to stay upright, she gritted her teeth and persevered, not daring to lean on the pillar again. Fortunately, after looking back several times, Chang Nong finally believed she only had an itchy throat. Her tense body immediately slumped, and she hurriedly moved to the pillar to support herself.

“Master, then we shall continue.”

“Mm.” Chang Nong nodded. Her gaze fell upon He Chen and Xiang Qingqing; seeing that their clothes were only slightly torn and no blood was visible, she let out a silent sigh and her expression softened slightly.

The two executioners sighed upon hearing this. After hesitating for a moment and seeing no sudden wind, they had no choice but to raise their whips again.

Wen Yingyi watched their every move. Seeing this, she quickly focused her spirit and gathered her strength. With a wave of her right hand, the wind gradually began to blow again. In the blink of an eye, the leaves shook, and the withered branches scattered on the ground were swept into the air.

As her true qi was output continuously, Wen Yingyi’s face grew paler and paler. The fine sweat on her forehead turned into pea-sized droplets that slid down her cheeks. However, because she was hidden behind the pillar and everyone’s eyes were fixed on He Chen and Xiang Qingqing, no one noticed.

Crack— The eighth lash fell.

“Ugh—” Wen Yingyi simultaneously let out a muffled groan. Her figure staggered, nearly falling. She quickly grabbed the pillar, her cheeks bulging slightly as she covered her mouth with her hand; a small amount of bright red liquid seeped through the gaps between her fingers.

The wind also died down along with her low groan.

She watched helplessly as the whip was raised into the air again. Her brows were tightly knit, and her blood-stained hand trembled. Enduring her intense discomfort, she tried to mobilize her true qi once more.

But as soon as she began to circulate her inner power, she could no longer hold on.

“Ugh—” Wen Yingyi’s body shuddered, and she abruptly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

This time, only a gentle breeze was summoned, and the sound of the wind happened to mask her struggle.

Every time her miasma flared up, her body was affected, and for several days before and after, her cultivation would drop to only about thirty percent. Having forcibly mobilized her inner power several times today, she had reached her limit. Her body could no longer support her; she had suffered internal damage, and her inner power could no longer be called upon.

To prevent others from noticing, she hurriedly hid herself on the left side of the ancestral shrine, pressing her back against the wall to rest for a moment.

Crack—

The ninth lash fell swiftly. Without the resistance of the wind, the full force landed on their backs without any reduction.

“AH—!”

As the long whip fell, two heart-wrenching shrieks rang out simultaneously, piercing the sky and echoing throughout the ancestral shrine.

The onlookers couldn’t help but frown and show worried faces at the sound.

“Hss—” He Chen couldn’t help but suck in a cold breath, her features contorted together in pain. “It hurts so much, this one really hurts—!”

Her eyes were rimmed with red, and tears slid down from the corners of her eyes.

“…Of course, of course it hurts! It… it was because of the wind just now…” Xiang Qingqing gritted her teeth, her face flushed red. She gripped the edges of the wooden bench tightly, comforting He Chen: “Junior Sister, hold on a bit longer, only the last lash remains.”

As soon as her voice fell, the tenth lash followed immediately.

“AH—!” Another two shrill, trembling shrieks.

“Senior Sisters, are you alright?” The outer disciples retracted their whips, concern in their eyes. They then bowed to Chang Nong and reported: “Replying to Master, the ten lashes have been executed.”

“You two must remember today’s pain well. In the future, you must never offend again. You must be strict with yourselves, abide by the Hall rules, and not be perfunctory toward your studies.”

Chang Nong offered her earnest advice, then waved her hand and instructed: “Help them back to rest. The rest of you, go eat lunch.”

Hearing this, Yun Li and Chao Ling hurriedly stepped forward to support the two. Yun Li whispered, “Be careful, Senior Sisters.”

“Today was truly strange. That wind came in gusts as if it were intentionally obstructing the whips.” As Chao Ling spoke, she suddenly remembered what He Chen had said in the study and couldn’t help but glance at the spirit tablets inside the shrine.

He Chen was grimacing in pain, her cheeks stained with tears, but upon hearing this, she no longer felt the hurt. The corners of her mouth couldn’t stop themselves from curving upward.

She pushed away Yun Li’s hand and shook her head. Then, pulling Xiang Qingqing along, she cautiously shuffled forward until they were facing the inner hall of the shrine, where she bowed in pain.

She could be heard muttering: “Thank you, ancestors, for protecting mine and Second Senior Sister’s bottoms.”

Hearing this, Xiang Qingqing was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood what He Chen meant. The wind had indeed come just in time. She also remembered what He Chen had said in the study; thinking about it now gave her a sense of eerie dread, and she too came to believe it was the ancestors manifesting.

She straightened her clothes and prepared to bow in gratitude along with He Chen.

Just as she was about to bend down, she heard He Chen grumbling in a low voice: “However, if there are punishments in the future, I hope you ancestors can make your power last a bit longer and be more stable. Your junior will burn more paper money on the first and fifteenth of every month…”

Xiang Qingqing was dumbstruck. Turning her head, she saw Chang Nong looking at them with a serious expression. Not daring to continue the bow, she hurriedly tugged on He Chen’s sleeve. “Junior Sister, watch your words!”