HBWMA -Chapter 396 Shen Zhuang’s Fury

What?

He actually wanted him to do it? How vicious. As expected, the older ginger is spicier.

Shen Zhuang asked coldly, “What, you’re unwilling?”

Gao Zhi kept his head lowered without responding.

It wasn’t that he refused. Handling punishment on the young master was like giving gifts in human relations—there had to be some hesitation, some back-and-forth. He couldn’t just agree and immediately pick up the whip. If he did that, the “inexperienced young master” would definitely hold a grudge against him later.

Shen Zhuang said indifferently, “If you’re unwilling, then you’ll take a hundred lashes first. Zheng Song.”

“!” Gao Zhi was caught completely off guard and suddenly looked up at Shen Zhuang. “Old master… I… mmph—”

I’ll do it. I’m willing.

Zheng Song didn’t even give him a chance. He grabbed Gao Zhi by the face and dragged him straight out of the flower hall.

Gao Zhi: “……”

Not long after, the sound of whipping echoed under the corridor.

Shen Lanxi lowered his head and knocked three heavy kowtows to Shen Zhuang. Blood from his forehead trickled down his handsome profile, drop by drop, onto the carpet beneath him.

“Grandpa, I accept the punishment.”

Shen Zhuang’s expression turned complicated. He closed his eyes. “Shen Zhi.”

Shen Zhi stood up stiffly, holding the rattan whip as he walked around Shen Lanxi. “Young Master Lanxi, please endure this.”

With that, he swung the whip down.

Smack—

Shen Zhi had restrained his strength in that strike; it sounded heavy, but the actual damage was light.

Shen Zhuang snapped, “Hit harder! If the force isn’t enough, add another hundred lashes!”

Shen Zhi no longer dared to go easy and struck again.

Shen Qingyu finally couldn’t hold back. Still kneeling, he moved forward and knocked his head to Shen Zhuang. “Grandpa, this trouble was caused by all of us together. If you’re going to punish, then punish all of us.”

“You think you can escape it?” Shen Zhuang erupted in anger, grabbing his cane and smashing it hard onto Shen Qingyu’s arm.

Shen Qingyu didn’t even flinch, gritting his teeth without a word.

Shen Zhuang was still not relieved. He struck a few more times, so fiercely that even Shen Zhi didn’t dare continue whipping for a moment.

“Who told you to stop? Keep hitting!”

Shen Zhi had never seen Shen Zhuang this furious before and could only continue the lashes with a hardened heart.

Shen Zhuang, exhausted and enraged, rose to his feet, his gaze sweeping across the three of them.

“You all think your wings have hardened now, don’t you? That your grandfather can’t control you anymore?”

The three of them stayed silent with their heads lowered.

Shen Lanxi clenched his fists tightly, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on the memorial tablet on the table. After enduring fifty lashes, there was still no expression on his face.

Shen Qingyu couldn’t bear it any longer. He knelt forward, blocking Shen Lanxi. “Stop hitting him! Grandpa, since it’s the fault of all three of us, then the punishment should be shared.”

He looked up at Shen Zhi. “I’ll take the remaining fifty lashes.”

Shen Lanxi pushed Shen Qingyu aside coldly. “Continue.”

Shen Guiling remained kneeling in place, silent the entire time.

All of them were fighting to take the punishment, nothing more than an attempt to ease their guilt toward Jiang Huashan. But he didn’t need that.

Because no matter whether it was a hundred lashes or ten thousand, none of it could make up for the self-hatred he felt over his own incompetence.

They had only been apart for an hour, yet she had already been hit by three bullets. It was easy to imagine everything she had gone through on the way here.

But if not for his and Shen Lanxi’s arrogance—if they had not set up this entire trap in the mountain villa—she would never have had to suffer any of it.

Shen Zhuang let out a cold laugh. “So now you’re suddenly all showing brotherly affection? Shen Zhi, one hundred lashes each. Not a single lash less.”

Shen Zhi hesitated for a moment, then bypassed Shen Lanxi and struck at Shen Qingyu instead.

The crack of the whip rang out one after another. The commotion was so intense that even the steward in charge of Qin Garden did not dare make a sound.

When Shen Qian’s group arrived at Qin Garden, they saw exactly this scene. Shen Yuan saw Shen Qingyu’s flesh torn open by the lashes and rushed into the flower hall in distress.

“Dad! What are you doing? If there’s something to say, just talk it out properly. Beating him like this will ruin the child!”

Shen Zhuang swept a cold gaze over the crowd, the anger on his face still unabated. “If you’re afraid I’ll ruin your son, then take him away right now.”

“This…” Shen Yuan was choked into silence and turned to look at Shen Qian.

At this moment, Shen Qian felt as though he was being cooked over fire and oil. All the assassins he had sent out tonight had been wiped out. By the time he received the news, it was already too late. The old master had mobilized Northern District troops overnight, evacuated everyone safely, and then sealed off the entire Northern District.

If tonight’s events leaked out even a little, he would likely be permanently pushed to the margins of the Shen family.

Forcing himself to stay calm, Shen Qian carefully assessed the situation. When he saw that even Shen Xi’s memorial tablet had been brought out, he realized things might be far more serious than he had imagined.

After weighing his options, Shen Qian chose to remain still. His gaze casually drifted toward Shen Guiling—but Shen Guiling, unlike usual, seemed dull and unresponsive, not even looking at him once.

Shen Zhuang looked coldly at the group in front of him. “What are you all doing here?”

Everyone could see the old master was furious. They exchanged glances.

Shen Che braced himself and spoke, “Dad, we heard there were pirates attacking the North District villa. Shanshan and Sui’er had both been injured. How are the children now?”

Shen Zhuang replied coldly, “One has a crippled arm, the other has a crippled arm and leg. What do you think their condition is?”

At those words, Shen Lanxi and Shen Qingyu’s eyes reddened even more.

Shen Yuan, thinking Shen Qingyu had been wronged, gritted his teeth and stepped in front of him. “Dad, everyone is heartbroken that Shanshan and Sui’er were injured, but you can’t take your anger out on Qingyu and the others because of that. You’ve always favored Shanshan—Qingyu is also injured in the leg, why haven’t you shown him any concern?”

Shen Zhuang turned his gaze to Shen Qingyu’s bandaged wound. “Did you hear what your father said? What do you have to say for yourself?”

Shen Qingyu said, “It is my fault. Even if you beat me to death today, Grandpa, I will accept it.”

“What fault do you have?” Shen Yuan was so angry he felt like his heart was going to explode. He pointed at Shen Qingyu and was about to scold him further, but when he saw the bandages on his leg and the bloodied flesh on his back, he forced the words back down.

“A-Ling, and you?” Shen Zhuang turned to Shen Guiling, who had remained silent the entire time.

Shen Guiling kept his head lowered. “I accept Grandpa’s punishment.”

“Good.” Shen Zhuang nodded. “One hundred lashes each, then go to the ancestral hall to reflect on your mistakes.”

One hundred lashes?!

Shen Yuan’s face went completely pale. He turned to Shen Qian and tugged at him. “They’ll be beaten to death with one hundred lashes. Say something!”

Shen Qian glanced at Shen Guiling. “Dad, what exactly did they do wrong? Isn’t this punishment too severe?”

Even when Shen Nian had caused such a huge incident before, the old master had only given fifty lashes. Now he was ordering one hundred—and even Shen Lanxi was not exempt. Shen Qian increasingly could not understand what was going on.

Shen Zhuang said coldly, “I will say this one more time. I am the head of the Shen family. As long as I am alive, the Shen family is mine to command. If you think my judgment is unfair, take your sons and leave—never step foot in Shen Manor again.”

Shen Qian, having gained nothing useful and even been reprimanded, looked awkward. “Dad, you’re going too far. That’s not what I meant.”

The atmosphere in the flower hall plunged into freezing silence.

“Grandpa!”

At that moment, Shen Mianzhi rushed into the hall, out of breath, her voice trembling with tears.

“…Shanshan is awake.”