strictlysupreme Chapter 81 Punished in Public
Chapter 81 Punished in Public
After the tent was quiet again, Chu Yichen immediately stepped forward to stop Chu Qiuchi, his tone full of dissatisfaction.
"Sis, what are you thinking? You're still pleading for this scumbag?"
Puyang Minghui also frowned as she looked at Chu Qiuchi.
"Yes, Qiu Chi, he almost got you killed! If you hadn't been lucky, the consequences would have been unimaginable! Isn't keeping someone like that around just asking for trouble?"
Nalan Xingyao nodded in agreement.
"Qiu Chi, you have to give us an explanation. Have you really softened your heart?"
Chu Qiuchi smiled gently, sat down, and spoke calmly.
"Soft-hearted? You overestimate me."
She raised her head, glanced at the group, and her eyes held a hint of mockery.
“I think he’s a menace. Keeping him in the war zone means he can be restrained by military law. But we’ve made him like this. If we let him out, given his nature, who knows how many people he’ll harm. It’s better to keep such a scoundrel alive than to let him go.”
She paused, a meaningful glint in her eyes, and continued, "Besides, didn't he want to get me onto the black market? Judging from his tone, he seemed very familiar with that kind of thing. I suspect he has accomplices behind him, or even a whole supply chain."
Upon hearing this, Puyang Minghui frowned and pondered for a while before nodding.
"You want to use him to uncover the person behind this?"
Chu Qiuchi curled the corners of his lips, his eyes filled with coldness.
"Exactly. Simply kicking him out is too lenient. His associates, and indeed the entire black market chain, should be uprooted. Letting him go will only allow him to continue harming more innocent people."
……
The next morning, Chu Qiuchi and her companions began their training as usual. At noon, after training ended, everyone was told to assemble at the training ground to watch Chu Qiuchi and the others receive their caning punishment.
Chu Yichen looked at Chu Qiuchi with concern and whispered in her ear, "Sister, are you really alright? Can your body handle it?"
Chu Qiuchi gently patted his shoulder and gave him a relaxed smile.
"What, you still don't believe your sister? I said I'm fine, and I mean it. My constitution is much better than yours."
Chu Yichen frowned and said irritably, "Stop grinning like that. You know what I'm talking about. I already found out last night, and you're still pretending."
Chu Qiuchi stepped forward and affectionately ruffled Chu Yichen's hair, his tone filled with a mixture of doting and firmness.
"Don't worry so much, kid. Trust me, everything'll be alright! Besides, we've come this far, we have to make it work! You have to bear the consequences of your actions, right?"
The two understood each other without saying a word. Previously, because Chu Qiuchi's mental space was closed, Chu Yichen had been unable to perceive the true state of her mental space.
It wasn't until last night, when Chu Yichen secretly channeled his mental energy into Chu Qiuchi again, that he clearly perceived the dire state of her mental space and felt a deep sense of worry.
He gradually felt relieved after learning that her mental space could be repaired. However, the thought of the impending caning made his heart pound again.
The board used for the military cane is not an ordinary wooden board, but a special magical artifact. The executor infuses it with magic, which not only increases the force of the blows but also gives it a penetrating effect, causing pain to penetrate from the skin to the bone marrow with each strike, making the victim suffer excruciating agony.
Even if potions or healing spells from support mages are used afterward, only the external wounds will heal. The deeper pain will persist, taking at least half a month to completely subside. This design is precisely to enforce military discipline and eliminate undesirable practices within the army.
Once everyone had assembled, Ji Mosen stood on the high platform in the training ground and announced the reasons for the punishments inflicted on the individuals. He then gestured for Chu Qiuchi and the others to be brought to the execution platform.
The executioners on the execution platform were ready. Six men, each holding a black board, stood in a row at equal intervals. In front of each executioner was a long bench for the victim to lean on.
Chu Qiuchi and the other four walked onto the platform one by one, standing opposite the executioner, ready to receive the impending caning. At the same time, Cui Shaoming walked slowly from the other side with a gloomy expression and eyes filled with hatred.
He glared at Chu Qiuchi and the others with a malicious look, then walked up to the last executioner and stood silently awaiting his fate.
At Ji Mosen's command, the men were forcibly pressed onto the benches, and the paddles were brought down as scheduled. The first blow caused them to grimace, their expressions clearly showing the pain; the reputation was well-deserved, the pain was indescribable.
Just one stroke is enough to drive someone mad, this is too much! There are still 299 more, just thinking about it is despairing. No wonder those people were gloating yesterday when they heard their punishment was 300 strokes of the cane.
This time, Chu Qiuchi felt it must have hurt even more than when she hit Cui Shaoming. She really lost out this time!
Before Chu Qiuchi could continue to let her mind wander, the second and third blows from the paddle came one after another. The intense pain made it impossible for her to concentrate. She could only grit her teeth and grip the edge of the chair tightly with both hands.
Muffled groans continued to come from her and the others. Soon after, Cui Shaoming, who was on the outermost edge, began to scream like a pig being slaughtered.
Chu Qiuchi and the others continued to persevere. Even Puyang Minghui, who was the weakest, only let out a muffled groan, her body trembling slightly as she tried her best to endure the unbearable pain.
After 200 strokes of the cane, Chu Qiuchi's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and her hair was matted and clung to her cheeks. Her lips were pale, cracked from being bitten so hard, revealing specks of blood, like red plum blossoms in the snow.
Her fingernails dug deep into her palms from the extreme force, and blood seeped from them, dripping onto the ground.
Her back was torn open and bleeding profusely. The intense pain caused her body to tremble uncontrollably, and her consciousness began to blur.
Not only her, but everyone else was in a similar predicament. Yet, throughout it all, not one of them uttered a single scream.
Compared to Cui Shaoming's pig-like screams, the difference was stark. The soldiers watching were deeply moved.
Those who were gloating and shouting yesterday are now silent and have shut their mouths.
From the moment the caning began, Chu Yichen, who was standing next to Chu Qiuchi, had been watching Chu Qiuchi with worry in his eyes.
Seeing that Chu Qiuchi was about to collapse and seemed about to fall into a coma again, Chu Yichen felt an indescribable panic. He was afraid that she would fall into a deep sleep again like last time, or even never wake up again.
He struggled to stand up, but was firmly pressed into the chair. In desperation, he could only shout at the top of his lungs, "Stop! Stop! I have something to say!"
Upon hearing the shouts, Ji Mosen on the high platform ordered a halt, and the executioners immediately stopped.
Chu Yichen stood up despite the excruciating pain and anxiously said to Ji Mosen on the high platform, "Commander, my sister just woke up from her coma and can't continue fighting. I'll take the rest for her."
At this moment, Chu Qiuchi, taking a moment to catch her breath, gradually regained consciousness. Hearing Chu Yichen's words, she spoke weakly.
"You brat, I...I can still hold on, what...what nonsense are you spouting!"
Chu Yichen looked at Chu Qiuchi's pale, bloodless face, and his eyes gradually reddened.
When had his sister ever been so weak? She had always been so spirited and unrestrained, but now she was so weak that she couldn't even utter a complete sentence.
Chu Yichen was agitated; his voice was almost a roar as he charged straight at Chu Qiuchi.
"You think you can still be awake? Do you want to stay unconscious like before? Do you know how worried I am, how afraid I am that you'll never wake up again? Look at you now, you're so weak even a child could beat you to death!"
Chu Qiuchi's lips twitched slightly, and he forced a smile, struggling to lift his eyes.
"You... brat, how dare you... how dare you talk to me like that!"
However, she was already deeply moved by her younger brother's actions. She knew very well that during the time she was unconscious, Chu Yichen had been on high alert the whole time.
Every night, when he secretly channeled his spiritual energy into her, his deep-seated fear and apprehension would be laid bare before her, touching her heartstrings.
Chu Yichen glanced at her helplessly, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, before resolutely raising his head and looking firmly at Ji Mosen on the high platform.
"Commander, may my sister go and rest first? I will take the rest of the caning!"
"Commander, you can't!"
It was Cui Shaoming who spoke up. He struggled to his feet, his face full of resentment and anger, and glared fiercely at Chu Qiuchi and Chu Yichen.
Immediately, he shouted to Ji Mosen, "Commander, military law is military law! If it can be replaced, wouldn't that disrupt the rules and regulations?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Yichen glared at Cui Shaoming and abruptly raised his arm, pointing at him. However, this action aggravated the wound on his back, causing him to gasp in pain and beads of cold sweat to appear on his forehead. Yet, he did not back down, his voice becoming even more piercing.
"A despicable and shameless person like you still has the nerve to talk about rules and regulations? Someone like you probably wouldn't be willing to take the punishment for you, which is why you're so eager to jump around! It's both laughable and pathetic!"
"You—!" Cui Shaoming was so angry that his face turned pale. He reached out to retaliate, but the movement aggravated his wound, causing him to distort his face in pain and let out several screams.
The soldiers below burst into laughter at his disheveled appearance. Cui Shaoming's face went from ashen to flushed, and the anger in his eyes was almost overflowing.
Chu Yichen remained unmoved, his eyebrows slightly raised, his eyes full of mockery, his thin lips parted slightly, and his tone was icy.
"What do you mean, 'you'? I'm asking the Commander-in-Chief, did I ask you? Why are you jumping in like that? The Commander-in-Chief hasn't even spoken yet, and you think you're qualified to give advice? You really think you're something special?"
After he finished speaking, his gaze became even more contemptuous, as if he were looking at a clown, which made Cui Shaoming so angry that he almost couldn't catch his breath and fainted.
Ji Mosen, standing on the high platform, frowned slightly as he watched the farce unfolding below. Then, he coughed lightly, and his authoritative voice rang out in the arena.
"Chu Qiuchi's situation is special, so I grant your request!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand, signaling for people to carry Chu Qiuchi to the side.
Chu Yichen immediately bowed and expressed his sincere gratitude. Chu Qiuchi, however, struggled to rise, her face filled with anxiety, and said in a low, hoarse voice, "No... I can... still hold on..."
At this moment, Ji Moyu, who had been silent all along, spoke up, his clear and cold voice carrying an unquestionable tone.
"We'll each take half."
Chu Qiuchi looked up at Ji Moyu in surprise, her eyes filled with astonishment. She never expected him to take the initiative to share the burden at this time.
Just as she was about to say something, she saw Puyang Minghui and Nalan Xingyao shake their heads at the same time, their faces also filled with worry.
Even though they were both in so much pain that their faces were pale and they were covered in cold sweat, they were still worried about Chu Qiuchi's condition.
Puyang Minghui gasped for breath, her voice weak yet stubborn.
"Qiu Chi, just listen to them. If I weren't so desperate, I'd take the punishment for you myself..."
Nalan Xingyao nodded slightly, her tone full of sincerity.
"That's right, Qiu Chi, you really can't keep going like this. The rest of us can just rest and recover, but you... if you can't hold on and something happens, it won't just be a simple injury!"
Listening to their words of comfort and feeling everyone's unreserved concern, Chu Qiuchi's tears welled up in her eyes, and her vision blurred.
She bit her lip, trying to suppress the surging emotions within her, but the overwhelming feeling of being moved surged up like a tide, completely engulfing her.
"I...I'm sorry...If it weren't for me...you...you wouldn't have..."
Her voice choked with emotion, and before she could finish speaking, Nalan Xingyao decisively interrupted her.
"Don't talk nonsense! We're a team, sharing joys and sorrows! Besides, when Minghui and I were in trouble, you risked your life to save us, which is why you were unconscious and he took advantage of us. We have no regrets; on the contrary, we feel we didn't hit you hard enough, it's really a bit of a loss!"
Hearing this, Cui Shaoming, who had been making a racket next door, looked even more displeased, his mind filled with questions, as if to say, "Are you being impolite?"
Nalan Xingyao's last words eased the atmosphere slightly, and the soldiers watching couldn't help but chuckle a few more times.
Chu Qiuchi looked at them, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She secretly vowed to herself: she must be more careful in the future, and never let them be implicated because of her again.
The deep friendship among the group moved many of the onlookers. Ji Mosen, standing on the high platform, glanced at them, a hint of satisfaction in his expression. He nodded approvingly, his authoritative voice ringing out once more.
"The remaining caning punishment for Chu Qiuchi will be shared by Ji Moyu and Chu Yichen. The punishment continues!"
The moment the command was given, the atmosphere in the training field instantly became tense again. Soon, the cracking sounds of caning echoed across the training ground once more, and with each strike, Chu Qiuchi's heart felt as if it were being torn apart.