RWNEFE -Chapter 115 Twenty Whips!

The mobs had tied them up and put them on a cart without killing them immediately—clearly, they had not intended to take their lives.

Shen Yuanjing withdrew his gaze and supported his sister, quickening his pace.

Along the way, seeing the two of them alone, groups of three to five people banded together to attack them.

Shen Lanxi showed no mercy. Whoever dared to come—died.

After killing three people in succession, those who had been itching to move were all terrified into hiding. No one dared to block their path anymore.

Someone came running toward them head-on.

It was Wei Dongzhu, the blood on his sword not yet finished dripping.

“The town is so big—I was afraid you might not find your way back, so I came to help.”

Shen Lanxi nodded in thanks.

“No need to thank me. This is what I should do.”

Shen Lanxi said nothing more. On the way back, they passed five or six corpses, all killed by Wei Dongzhu. The road was empty, with no one stopping them.

The moment the last person stepped onto the ship, the vessel immediately began to move.

Shen Lanxi’s face was dark, her aura oppressive, nearly making Shen Yuanjing and his sister’s legs go weak with fear.

“Big Sister, we didn’t mean to run off!” Shen Yuantang was terrified. Big Sister had never looked so grim toward them before.

Shen Yuanjing lowered his head, wanting to explain but unable to bring himself to speak.

“Big Sister, we were wrong. Punish us!” Shen Yuanjing accepted the punishment outright.

Shen Lanxi looked at the two coldly. “Since you know you were wrong, tell me—what exactly did you do wrong?”

Shen Yuantang’s face went pale, and she instinctively moved half a step behind Shen Yuanjing.

Shen Yuanjing lowered his head, remorse in his voice. “We shouldn’t have left on our own and let the mobs capture us.”

What Shen Lanxi said next was like ice sharpened to a blade.

“The two of you deserve to die! But if, because of you, the entire Shen family—and everyone on two ships—were dragged down to die with you, then only then would you truly deserve ten thousand deaths!”

Shen Yuantang shuddered violently.

Shen Yuanjing’s face turned even paler than before. Yes—because of them, everyone would be implicated. Even if they died ten thousand times, it wouldn’t be enough!

“Big Sister, we were wrong. Punish us—however you like!” This time, Shen Yuanjing spoke with absolute sincerity.

Shen Lanxi said, “Twenty whips.”

Shen Yuantang was horrified. Big Sister wouldn’t really whip her, would she? She was a girl—if scars were left on her body, how would she ever get married in the future?

“Big Sister, if someone has to be beaten, beat me alone! It was all my fault—it has nothing to do with Yuanxin!”

Shen Lanxi looked at him coldly. “Forty whips. The two of you together.”

Shen Yuantang collapsed to the ground in terror.

Shen Yuanjing was also terrified. Forty whips—he himself might not survive them. A young girl’s body was delicate; would she even be alive after that?

“I was wrong—twenty whips! Just twenty whips!”

Shen Lanxi said, “I hope these twenty whips will knock some sense into your heads!”

Shen Yuanjing was overwhelmed with shame, his head hanging even lower.

“Liu Yanhui, call everyone on the ship out to watch!”

“Hu Zhu, you personally oversee the punishment!”

Both accepted their orders.

In a corner, a hem of clothing flickered, and someone quickly slipped away.

Only two whips had fallen when Old Madam Shen arrived with the Shen family!

“Grandmother, save me! The whipping hurts so much—I don’t want to be whipped…” In front of so many people, being flogged filled Shen Yuantang with shame and fury. She looked like she had been dragged out of water—her face deathly pale, eyes swollen from crying like rotten peaches. With waves of pain surging across her back, she wished she could just faint and be done with it.

“Outrageous! How can you whip your own younger sister like this!” Old Madam Shen was so angry she kept clutching her chest, her vision darkening.

If this got out, how would Yuantang ever find a husband?

Shen Lanxi said nothing—there were plenty of mouths ready to denounce her for her.

“Your precious granddaughter nearly got all of us killed. What’s wrong with giving her a few lashes? If something had really happened, even flaying her wouldn’t have been enough!” Madam Song had always had a venomous tongue.

“Exactly! Who told them not to listen and run around? Not throwing them overboard was already more than kind enough.”

“Watch your mouth, you old hag! If you get us thrown back into the hold again, I guarantee you’ll fare no better than your granddaughter!”

“Right! They’re nothing but troublemakers. The time before last, they ran around in the streets and got us locked up. Last time, they were hunted down and dragged us into it. It’s all your Shen family’s fault! How do you still have the nerve to show your face? If I were you, I’d dive headfirst into a latrine and never come out for the rest of my life!”

“Shen family troublemakers—get back into the hold!”

Old Madam Shen had originally wanted to use the charge of harming one’s own kin to pressure Shen Lanxi into releasing Yuanjing and Yuantang. She never expected to be drowned in curses the moment she opened her mouth!

Recalling how she had once been pressed into the hold and beaten, a chill ran through Old Madam Shen.

“What’s going on? Who’s causing trouble?” Liu Laohu bellowed, and the prisoners immediately made way.

Old Madam Shen shuddered again.

“Old Madam—so it’s you causing trouble?”

Before Old Madam Shen could speak, the prisoners rushed to answer.

“It’s her! She came with a bunch of sons and grandsons and started shouting the moment she got here!”

“This old hag is a walking disaster—throw her into the hold!”

Liu Laohu’s face was fierce as he glared.

“Old Madam, is what they’re saying true?”

Shen Congwen hurriedly said, “Sir, it’s not like that. My son and daughter were beaten, so my mother came to see what happened.”

Liu Laohu said, “I ordered them beaten. So what—got a problem with that?”

Shen Congwen looked at his eldest daughter, desperately signaling her with his eyes to speak up.

Unfortunately, Shen Lanxi’s gaze was fixed on the sea—she didn’t see his plea at all.

“I—I wouldn’t dare,” Shen Congwen said. “I heard someone say it was Young Master Lan who ordered the beating.”

Liu Laohu said, “Who said that? Have him stand out for me!”

Shen Congwen instinctively glanced at the people beside him. That person immediately turned his head away.

“Go on—say it! Can’t say it, can you? Want me to help you?”

“Who here heard that it was Young Master Lan who ordered the beating? If you heard it, step out!”

~

“No one, huh?”

“Then who heard that I ordered the beating? Shout it out!”

The people around them shouted in unison, “We heard it—it was you who ordered it!”

Shen Yuantang stopped sobbing in disbelief. Why wouldn’t these people tell the truth?

It was clearly Big Sister who ordered the beating—why wouldn’t they admit it?

Why were they all helping Shen Lanxi lie?

On what grounds did Shen Lanxi get to beat her? She had gotten off the ship for the sake of the family—she hadn’t been wrong!

“Big Sister… wuwu, let go…” Let go—she wanted to speak.

Why did everyone listen to her?

If they didn’t listen to her, would she still have to be beaten?

“Yuantang, are you crazy?!” Shen Yuanjing, pale-faced, lunged forward and clamped his hand tightly over his sister’s mouth.

Exposing Big Sister’s identity now would do them nothing but harm. This foolish sister—why couldn’t she understand?

The Shen family had also heard Shen Yuantang shout.

Good heavens…

If they still couldn’t see the situation clearly now, then they had lived all these years for nothing!

This Yuantang usually seemed clever—how could she be so stupid when something actually happened?

Didn’t she see that even though Old Madam was furious, she hadn’t exposed Lanxi’s identity?

Yet here Yuantang was—trying to smash everyone’s rice bowl?

“Gag her—shut her mouth for me!” Old Madam Shen’s attitude changed instantly as she pointed at Shen Yuantang in panic and rage.