With pretentious concern, Yan Wushuang laid out a chair and forced Chu Xun into it.
Chu Xun gritted his teeth as he wrestled in return. Pain stung at him even at the slightest movement or he would have long given Yan Wushuang a slap into his face to send him flying.
Yan Wushuang must have realized Chu Xun’s inability; he pressed on Chu Xun’s shoulders, keeping him pinned to the chair.
“ARGGGHHH!” Chu Xun howled with so much pain that tears came pouring out.
“What in the world are you doing! Can’t you see that he’s in such pain that he cannot sit?” Tang Rou shoved Yan Wushuang aside, no longer being able to stomach what he was doing.
Yan Wushuang was quick to put up an apologetic look. “Sorry! I’ve forgotten all about that.”
Chu Xun ground his teeth and almost spat at that. “That’s some remarkable playacting, Yan Wushuang!”
“It’s fine.” Chu Xun looked up, staring at Yan Wushuang with dead calmness. “I’ll make sure you’ll remember it next time.”
Yan Wushuang gave off an involuntary shudder. He of all people knew how spiteful Chu Xun could be.
“How did this happen, Master?” asked Lei Bao.
Chu Xun felt his blood rising to his head. “Enough of that,” he growled with resentment, “I encountered an old man on the way back. He looks vulgar but he wields terrible powers. We fought and fought and finally we broke off with each party equally wounded.”
Yan Chong and everyone else listened to his tale with horror. Anyone who could give Chu Xun a run for his money must only be another monster in his own right.
“What do you know of him, Master?” asked Yan Chong in a low voice.
Chu Xun shook his head. “I noticed nothing, I’m afraid. He’s as ugly as an ape and just as powerful as one, I might add. That he ambushed me by surprise was the only reason he was not defeated.”
“That would mean he’s slightly inferior to you, even though that doesn’t negate the fact that he’s still a formidable foe,” said Yu Cheng gravely.
“We’ll have to be more careful from now on. It seems he’s neither friend nor foe,” remarked Winsome Widow.
Everyone bobbed their heads in unison.
Yan Wushuang’s eyes flashed with uncertainty. “But why did he attack Chu Xun? He’d even taken the trouble to only hit his backside? Could it be that Chu Xun’s backside is so particularly round that the old man has a fetish for it?”
Everyone gawked silently at that. “True. Why did he aim specifically at Chu Xun’s backside? What is wrong with him?”
Chu Xun could feel his anger simmering perilously at Yan Wushuang’s witty comment. “I’ll remember this. How dare this fool brazenly choose to hit my nerve!”
“Come on, Chu Xun. Be frank. Did he do anything else to you?” Yan Wushuang interrogated, eyeing suggestively at Chu Xun’s backside, “Your bunghole is still fine, I hope?”
“Enough, you!” glowered Chu Xun furiously.
Knowing that he would never be spared of Chu Xun’s reprisal when he had recovered, he thought that he might as well have his fill of fun.
Producing a white ceramic flask, he held it aloft, declaring proudly, “Ladies begone. This is a potion concocted by my family which works remarkably well with bruises.”
“No, not that! I just need a rest!” Chu Xun protested readily.
“Oh no, you don’t! You’d not want to suffer any chronic ailments just because of this!” insisted Yan Wushuang vehemently. To Tang Rou and Winsome Widow, he said, “If you please, ladies. Perhaps it’s better you step outside for the moment.”
Tang Rou and Winsome Widow nodded and went out.
“Come, I’ll apply this potion on you,” said Yan Wushuang as he drew closer.
“Get away! I don’t want it!” screeched Chu Xun in horror.
“Shuddup, you. You can scream all you want and no one will save you now,” Yan Wushuang whispered with a devilish grin before he barked, “Yan Chong, Lei Bao! Come here and give me a hand!”
“HOW DARE YOU!” roared Chu Xun.
“You gotta treat it! You don’t want to have any lasting effects, would you? I know you’re embarrassed but we’re all men here! There’s nothing to be ashamed of!” pestered Yan Wushuang before urging Lei Bao and Yan Chong, “What are you two standing there for? Or do you wish to be responsible if anything happens to him in the future!?”
Yu Cheng was sneaking for the door when Yan Wushuang noticed him, “You! Come here! Where do you think you’re going?! We need you to help to apply the medicine!”
Yu Cheng stiffened at that ghastly prospect. He was not called the Lord of Healing for nothing. Immediately when he noticed the peculiarity of Chu Xun’s injury, he knew that there was no way Chu Xun could have incurred such manner of injury in battle. If anything, it looked rather like he was pinned down like a brat and smacked on his bottom.
At the same time, it was plain as day that Yan Wushuang was playing a prank on Chu Xun although both Yan Chong and Lei Bao, in their anxieties seemed to be none the wiser.
No good would come from making Chu Xun look like a fool. Knowing that, he thought it best to slither away quietly.
“Come here quick! Help me with this medicine!” Yan Wushuang glared zealously at him.
Caught between the hammer and the anvil, Yu Cheng could very well ill afford to offend both Chu Xun and Yan Wushuang at the same time.
Tamed by Yan Wushuang’s furious and menacing glare, he caved in. Meandering as slowly as he could, he mused drearily to himself, “I’m sorry, Master. But I’d hope you know that it’s Yan Wushuang who’d put me up to it. Please don’t blame me.”
“BACK OFF, ALL OF YOU! ANYONE WHO TOUCHES ME! I’LL MAKE SURE YOU PAY!” Chu Xun roared at the top of his voice.
“This is all for your own good, Chu Xun. Remember: hate us all you want, but we’re doing this for you,” Yan Wushuang rolled up his sleeves and coiled his arms around Chu Xun, calling the others, “Come on! Hold him down!”
“We’re sorry, Master!” Lei Bao and Yan Chong scurried over and helped to keep Chu Xun down.
Chu Xun tried to struggle and free himself, but all he got was the stinging spasms of indescribable pain that made his forehead slick with sweat.
“Y-y-you… Very well! I’ll remember this! I’ll remember this!” Chu Xun wailed at the point of shedding tears as Yan Wushuang tried to claw down his breeches.
Crack!
Yan Wushuang landed a tight slap on the raw and tender flesh of Chu Xun’s rump.
“Don’t move.”
Tears streamed down Chu Xun’s face as he reeled with agony. “You’re going to pay for this, Yan Wushuang,” he hissed.
Crack!
Yan Wushuang’s hand came up and swatted viciously on his rump again.
“ARRGGGH!” Chu Xun screamed as his face flushed red.
“LEI BAO, YAN CHONG, YU CHENG! I’M ORDERING YOU, LET GO!” Chu Xun howled.
“We know you’re in pain, Master! But please bear with it!” breathed Lei Bao.
Chu Xun’s nostrils flared with rage. “You useless wretches,” he cursed quietly. He could never survive the shame if he really allowed himself to be stripped naked.
Boom!
A sudden pulse of Hong Meng Immortal Qi erupted from within Chu Xun.
Caught unawares, Yan Wushuang and the others were blasted by the shock wave of energy that sent them crashing to the ground.
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Chu Xun seethed with so much pain that cold sweat dribbled all over him. The blast invoked more pain shooting right up his backside as he cursed Emperor Ao again and again for this.
Realizing how things had gone disastrously bad, Yu Cheng immediately ran outside.
Yan Wushuang crashed into and smashed a table when the blast caught him. Seeing that Chu Xun was retaliating, he too began to flee.
“How dare you run!?” bellowed Chu Xun, who had never been so ignominiously disgraced in his life. He must see that little brat punish for daring to smack his behind!
Ignoring the pain, he raced after Yan Wushuang and brought him down with one powerful swat before sealing his powers quickly.
It did not take long for Chu Xun to incapacitate Lei Bao and Yan Chong the same way.
“Pipe down, Chu Xun! We’re doing it for your own good!” whimpered Yan Wushuang, knowing that woe was nigh.
“He’s right, Master! We’re only worried in case this might cause some unknown chronic condition!” cried Lei Bao.
“Really?” Chu Xun smirked. As far as he was concerned, Lei Bao, Yan Chong, and Yan Wushuang were all birds of a feather. Accomplices as thick as thieves in the attempt to play a prank on him. Why else would they had ignored his explicit orders to let go?
“We really were worried for you, Master,” begged Yan Chong for dear life.
Chu Xun broke into a wicked grin, thinking, “As if I’d fall for such feeble excuses!”
“MEN!” he ordered loudly.
A few acolytes marched in from outside.
“By your will, Master,” they bowed.
“Drag them all to the main square outside. Call every student and acolyte you can find. I intend to make an announcement,” said Chu Xun.
“Wait a minute, Chu Xun!? What are you trying to do!?” a terrified Yan Wushuang cried.
“You’ll find out in a moment,” said Chu Xun, smiling broadly.
“You filthy rascals! How dare you touch me!” Lei Bao glared furiously at the acolytes heaving and pulling hard to escort him outside.
No one would ever dare defy Chu Xun’s orders in his wrath.
Despite their struggling, all three of them were brought to the main square.
By then, the square was already filled to the gunnels with curious students and acolytes.
Chu Xun had three long benches brought to the square and ordered the men to keep Yan Wushuang and the others pinned on each of the benches.
“Come here, Yu Cheng,” called Chu Xun.
Something told Yu Cheng he had an inkling of what Chu Xun intended to do. While he reserved only the deepest reluctance to be part of a prank on Chu Xun, he would literally spring at every chance to mess around with all three of them, especially Lei Bao who incidentally was a rival to win Winsome Widow’s affections.
Chu Xun looked around. Satisfied, he declared, “All of you are here to witness the punishment on these three scums who dared to commit treason and insubordination.”
“One hundred lashes for each of them. The sentence shall be administered by Yu Cheng.”
“By your will, Master!” Yu Cheng bowed low as he acknowledged the order, feeling rather gleeful instead.
Every single acolyte and student gawked bewilderedly when the sentence was announced. Many if not all shuddered. Yan Chong, Lei Bao, and Yan Wushuang all represented a portion of the Fire Dragon Palace’s high echelon and their being sentenced to a public lashing demonstrated how punishments could be even harsher if it were anyone else.
“Wait a minute, Chu Xun! I’m not a member of the Palace! You can’t punish me!” screamed Yan Wushuang.
“Say anymore and I’ll add ten more lashes,” threatened Chu Xun.
Yan Chong and Lei Bao, both who were just about to proffer words of protest themselves, quickly swallowed what they wished to say.
“Commence the sentence now,” said Chu Xun.
Yu Cheng answered and found himself a horsewhip and he drew nearer towards all three of the offenders with a broad smile.
“We’ve been good to each other, Yu Cheng!” Yan Wushuang whispered frantically, “Take it easy, will you?”
“I’m the first who supported your relationship with Zhitong, Yu Cheng,” Yan Chong desperately begged with a flabby smile, “I have always known that both of you are a match made in Heaven.”
“Yan Chong, you bastard! You were just telling me how perfect Zhitong and I looked when we stood together!” Lei Bao complained indignantly.
Yan Chong’s face froze before he narrowed his eyes at Lei Bao, “Lies. I’ve never said such things before. Look at yourself in the mirror and tell me what makes you think that you and Zhitong would look good together! There’s no better match than Yu Cheng and her.”
Lei Bao was so livid that his eyeballs were almost popping out when he yelled, “Yan Chong you sniveling fox of a thief! I wish to make a confession, Master! It was Yan Chong who came up with that idea to play that trick on you!”
That accusation drained all color from Yan Chong’s face. “How dare you betray me, Lei Bao?! I’ll remember this! I’ll make sure Zhitong and you will never be together if it’s the last thing I’ll do! I’ll even tear you apart if she’s already fallen for you!”
“Gentlemen, was that your last words?” Yu Cheng asked, beaming cheerily.
“Please, Yu, show some mercy.”
“Of course, I will,” smiled Yu Cheng.
The horsewhip came up and down harshly.
Crack!
Yan Wushuang yelped with such pain that his eyes bulged.
“Yu Cheng, you son of a…” Yan Wushuang gasped, his face so red that it almost looked purple and his backside red and raw with blood.
But Yu Cheng looked just as stunned himself; he did not apply much force when he lashed with the whip. He quickly studied the whip and was aghast to find spikes on the horsewhip like the thorns on a briar vine.
“Oh Heavens…” he gasped weakly.
Even from his prone position on the bench, Yan Wushuang spied the spikes on the whip and his face sank with horror.
“Damn you, Yu Cheng! Are you trying to kill me?!” roared Yan Wushuang and as the final syllable escaped his lips, he spewed a mouthful of blackened blood that reeked of foul odor.
“Heavens, no! The whip’s poisoned!” Yu Cheng cried in dismay. He quickly tapped a few times on Yan Wushuang’s face and inserted a pill into his mouth.
A worried Chu Xun shot to the center of the square and placed a hand on Yan Wushuang’s back to inject into him a spurt of Hong Meng Immortal Qi. At the same time, he waved his hand and conjured a bright-greenish shoot of bamboo and plucked off a small bark to feed it to Yan Wushuang. It was a Fire-Amber Bamboo – a magical plant that protects from most poisons.
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“I’ll apply some acupuncture, Master. You can help to expel the poison from him,” instructed Yu Cheng.
Chu Xun nodded.
They laid Yan Wushuang down and the Lord of Healing, true to his moniker, conjured some golden needles in thin air that he skillfully used to administer on Yan Wushuang.
Then Chu Xun injected more Hong Meng Immortal Qi into Yan Wushuang, forcing the poison out through the tiny little pinpricks left by Yu Cheng’s needles.
At last, Yan Wushuang’s face no longer looked dark and dreary, although he remained sickly pale and was still unconscious.