Beating

Feng Zheng looked at the two people about to bring him punishment. When he realized his father had chosen those who would pity him, he relaxed. One looked weak and sickly, while the other was frail and clearly not very strong. Feng Zheng figured they wouldn't really hurt him and even started humming as he lay there, completely ignoring them.

Still, he made sure to remember their faces. No matter what, anyone who dared to hit him would pay the price eventually.

"Master Jing, Ye Feng's costume really looks like the real thing. Feng Zheng is probably in trouble." Wen Yuan gloated and said in a low voice.

The first strike came from the frail scholar, who used about 80% of his strength.

Slap!

Feng Zheng's expression changed slightly. The strike wasn't gentle, but he could handle it. He turned to glare at the scholar, his eyes full of warning.

But the scholar didn't care, he didn't even look at Feng Zheng.

When it was Ye Feng's turn, a single strike caused a howl of pain.

"Ah!"

Instantly, Feng Zheng broke out in cold sweat.

The people around them started talking in a frenzy as soon as they heard the scream.

"I didn't see him hitting that hard! Rich brats really are different—never experienced real suffering. A little pain like that and he's already screaming!"

"That's right! I'd seen other prisoners beaten before, and those guards really swung their boards high. Those must have hurt!"

Magistrate Feng heard his son's cries. Seeing that the two men chosen weren't particularly strong, he wondered if his son was putting on an act.

Before Feng Zheng could recover from one strike, another followed. The two constables seemed to turn it into a contest, each trying to elicit the loudest scream from Feng Zheng.

Many in the crowd thought the strikes were too light and Feng Zheng was overreacting.

Feng Zheng seriously considered wishing for death, the blows were excruciating!

"Ouch! Father, help me! This pain is unbearable! Ahhh*!*"

When Magistrate Feng heard his son's increasingly miserable cries, his heart ached. Feng Zheng was his late-born son, a son he had only had after having several daughters. He valued him very much and had given him everything he wanted since he was a child. How could he be treated like this? Thinking of this, he looked at Su Chenyu and Wu Sanniang, who were the cause of all this, and his eyes were filled with resentment.

Gradually, the screams weakened. Feng Zheng's face turned deathly pale, his eyes bloodshot and terrifying to look at.

"Thirty strikes already! And this Young Master Feng can't take it any more! Yet twenty strikes still remain!"

"Look! Young Master Feng seems to be coughing up blood!"

At these words, everyone focused their gaze in that direction. Sure enough, they saw threads of fresh blood flowing from Feng Zheng's mouth, dropping onto the ground below.

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Feng couldn't remain seated. He sprang up and pushed his way through the crowd...

As he approached, he saw his son's eyes rolled back, revealing only the whites, and his face deathly pale. The sight of blood at the corner of his mouth made it clear at once, his son's earlier screams hadn't been faked.

"Stop! Stop at once!" Magistrate Feng bellowed, fixing his glare on the two men administering the beatings: "Were you both pretending?"

"Cough...cough... Sir, what do you mean? cough..."

Su Chenyu smiled faintly: "Magistrate Feng, you personally chose these two. And there are still twenty strikes left to be given! Surely, the people who carry out beatings wouldn't lack integrity?"

The colour drained from Magistrate Feng's face as he said: "Hmph! Perhaps you want him dead?"

"I believe you've witnessed countless prisoners receiving beatings during your tenure, Magistrate Feng." Su Chenyu said: "Have you ever seen anyone beaten to death? It's merely the pain causing him to lose consciousness."

Magistrate Feng pointed at the two men: "They're not as weak as they seem. I've been tricked!"

Su Chenyu burst out laughing: "Magistrate Feng, why don't you say that young Master Feng has lived a sheltered life? He's used to privilege and pain, so even a few swift strikes left him in this state. From what I can see, he's just fainted—not a reason to call off the next twenty strikes."

"I won't allow it!" Magistrate Feng insisted: "We must have a doctor check him first. If anything goes wrong, who'll take responsibility?"

Su Chenyu shrugged: "Fine! Have it your way! With all these people watching, you can't renege on the agreement now."

Magistrate Feng's face darkened as he sent a soldier to fetch a doctor.

Moments later, the doctor arrived, running out of breath.

"Check my son quickly! How is he?" Magistrate Feng demanded.

"Yes, yes, sir." The doctor replied.

The doctor calmed himself down and began examining Feng Zheng.

After a while, he said: "Sir, young Master Feng has only suffered minor injuries, and also..."

He hesitated at this point.

"Speak!" Magistrate Feng growled.

The physician spoke with trembling fear: "However, young Master Feng indulges in excessive pleasures, which weakens his vital essence. If this continues, he might even lose the desire to have children."

Magistrate Feng's face grew even darker. This was utterly embarrassing. He had initially just wanted the doctor to treat his son's injuries, but now everyone could hear about this man's problems.

Magistrate Feng asked: "So why did he faint?"

"In response to your honor, this must be the first time Young Master Feng has been beaten. His body is more sensitive to even slight pain. Losing consciousness is normal when he can't bear it. Once the bruises on his buttocks heal, everything should be fine."

Su Chenyu said: "See, your honor? Now can you rest assured? What does this have to do with them? It's clearly because of Young Master Feng's own issues that he fainted!"

Magistrate Feng's face hardened, feeling the surrounding gazes carry traces of mockery.

Su Chenyu smiled: "Your silence is agreement, your honor. Carry on, you two!"

The whip came down again and again on Feng Zheng's bottom.

Feng Zheng had passed out, but the beating woke him up. The blows seemed even more painful now. His voice was hoarse from yelling. After another twenty strikes, he lost consciousness again.

Feng Zheng lay on the bench like a dead dog. He looked terribly miserable, his bottom a massive swollen lump.

"Take the young master back to his room... in jail." Magistrate Feng said urgently.

"Yes sir!" Two bailiffs stepped forward, one on each side. They didn't dare touch Feng Zheng's wounds as they carefully helped him up.

Right then, something unexpected happened.

A crazed woman rushed at Feng Zheng... She pulled out a pair of scissors and aimed for his crotch.

No one expected this to happen. Everyone was too shocked to move.

"Ah!"

The blood-curdling scream snapped the two constables back to reality. They rushed forward to subdue the woman.

Feng Zheng clutched his groin, writhing on the ground in agony. Fresh blood seeped through his pants, staining the pavement red and making bystanders shudder at the sight.

The woman, pinned to the ground, thrashed about wildly. Her eyes flashed with frenzied desperation as she watched Feng Zheng rolling in pain. Blood dripped from the scissors in her hand as she lunged at him, but the distance kept her from hitting her target.

Magistrate Feng's face paled as he ran over and lifted his son into his arms.

"Get the young master back this instant!" He bellowed, completely losing his composure as the magistrate: "Call every doctor in town! The Feng family's bloodline must continue. Save Zheng'er's future children at all costs. Hurry!"