Chapter 319: 319: Gong Leitian Gets Punished (Extra Chapter 2, Please Tip)
Gong Leitian was brought by Mu Mingyu into a certain backyard, where birds chirped and flowers blossomed, lush trees provided shade. There was a stone table set with pots, cups, plates, and dishes; the fragrance of tea lingered, with delicate snacks that were quite pleasing to the eye.
At the table gathered two or three people, Jiang Nuo and Mu Qiuniang, sitting opposite each other, drinking tea, exchanging gentle laughter.
"You are here!" said Mu Qiuniang, who was speaking to Jiang Nuo. She lifted her head slightly, her expression cool and unruffled by his arrival.
"Master, Grandmaster..."
"Letian, after I went missing that day, did anything happen to you?" Compared to Mu Qiuniang’s coldness, Jiang Nuo appeared somewhat more enthusiastic.
"Thanks to the items Master prepared for us, we made it through the dangers safely, successfully capturing the Evil Path and completing the mission," Gong Leitian said. "But Grandmaster, you didn’t encounter any trouble after you went missing, did you?"
"No! Master arrived just in time, and I didn’t suffer at all." Jiang Nuo’s face was full of pride, as if wanting to tell the whole world how impressive his wife was.
Mu Mingyu felt a bit embarrassed: "Uncle and Aunt, don’t forget you’re a man. Don’t be so thick-skinned, okay?"
"No one in hundreds of years has surpassed Master," Gong Leitian said as a matter of fact.
Jiang Nuo nodded in agreement: "You are right, your Master is the most formidable person in this world, truly one of a kind."
Mu Qiuniang interjected coldly between the two: "No matter how much you praise me, it’s useless. Xiao Gong failed his duty to protect the Grandmaster and must be punished; A Nuo has a combat capability but was captured without even a chance to fight and must be punished."
"Please don’t, wife?" Jiang Nuo was shocked. His wife clearly said she wasn’t angry, and last night they had been quite intimate, so how could she just turn cold and deny him today upon waking?
Gong Leitian directly knelt down and accepted the punishment resolutely: "Disciple Gong Leitian accepts the punishment!"
"Gong Leitian, listen to the order."
"Disciple Gong Leitian, listening to the order."
"Thirty lashes with the fire whip."
"Yes!" Gong Leitian swiftly took off his upper garment, exposing his back to Mu Qiuniang.
Perhaps due to the nature of his profession, with frequent training, his upper body was quite muscular, belonging to that type where clothes seem slim but strong muscles are revealed when unwrapped.
He had eight-pack abs, with smooth and beautiful lines, a solid back, and prominent biceps, trapezius, infraspinatus, and latissimus dorsi muscles, which would make one eager to touch.
Along with his inherent abstinent aura, he possessed an irresistible masculine charm that could drive women crazy.
Perhaps feeling the threat of masculinity, Jiang Nuo couldn’t help but straighten his back.
Damn! This guy’s physique is way too good, it’s like a mountain of pressure!
Over here, Mu Qiuniang was completely unaware of Jiang Nuo’s thoughts and unhesitatingly pulled out her brush, with a shake of her hand, the brush turned into a long silver whip, and with a "whoosh" sound, a bright fiery flame emerged along the whip’s body.
"Are you really going to hit?" Jiang Nuo saw the situation and said, "Actually, it’s really not Letian’s fault. We didn’t expect the other side to be so cunning, using the tactic of diverting the tiger away from the mountain and drawing everyone’s attention away..."
"Grandmaster, you don’t need to plead for me. No matter the circumstances, it is my oversight for not ensuring thorough protection. I should accept the punishment. If everyone found excuses after making mistakes, how could Master handle such situations? Some matters can speak of sentiment, but punishment where due must be enforced."
Gong Leitian didn’t let Jiang Nuo continue speaking.
He didn’t want Mu Qiuniang to think he was someone who could not bear responsibility.
Since the person himself stated it like this, Jiang Nuo couldn’t say anything further. After all, this was a matter between his junior disciples, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to interfere too much.
"Snap—"
"Snap—"
"Snap—"
The long whip, carrying flames, struck Gong Leitian’s back one lash after another, with a sizzle sound etching burning marks into his skin.
In no time, his back was covered with countless scars. Although there wasn’t blood gushing, the skin was torn and raw, and the flesh was cooked.
Jiang Nuo couldn’t bear to watch, so he turned his head away.
However, because of this, the "snap" sound was even more distinct, each strike echoing in his ears.
The courtyard was silent; no one spoke. Even Gong Leitian, the one receiving the lashes, remained steadfastly upright, not even letting out a groan, as if the whip wasn’t striking him at all.
Jiang Nuo felt somewhat guilty. Clearly, it was his own lack of vigilance that allowed him to fall into the enemy’s hands, but the one being punished in the end was Gong Leitian.
He felt that Gong Leitian was quite innocent, as he was merely entrusted with taking him to truly understand the Cultivation World, without anticipating that, despite hardly anyone knowing he had begun cultivating, someone was already targeting him, seizing the opportunity to "abduct" him while everyone’s attention was diverted.
He himself was indeed foolish. Clearly capable of fighting, it was his lack of vigilance that allowed him to fall into the opponent’s grasp before they even exchanged blows. He himself felt wronged.
It seems he truly must undergo "special training" now, or else he will always be a burden to others...
"Thirty lashes, complete." After administering the lashes, Mu Qiuniang put away the long whip and calmly sat back down to drink tea without even panting.
Jiang Nuo quickly went to Gong Leitian’s side, asking if he was alright and if he could still stand up.
"Grandmaster, I’m fine!"
"But your face is very pale and bloodless." Jiang Nuo took out some elixirs and ointments from Mu Qiuniang’s recent supplies. "This is a Healing Pill, which is helpful for treating wounds. Quickly take one. Also, this is Skin Care Ointment; apply it to the wounds to prevent scarring."
"No need, Grandmaster, these injuries really mean nothing to me. Besides, this is the punishment from Master, and I must endure it."
Jiang Nuo wanted to persuade him, but Mu Mingyu, who had been silently standing by, spoke up: "Uncle and Aunt, just give the items to me. I’ll pack them later for Minister Gong. If he’s going on a mission, and to not affect his work, he must take the medicine; if there’s no mission for now, the wounds will just heal slower, not affecting him much."
Is that so? But since Mu Mingyu said so, that should be the case. Jiang Nuo didn’t persuade further, handing the medicine to Mu Mingyu.
Throughout the process, Mu Qiuniang only slightly raised her eyebrows, glancing at Gong Leitian and Mu Mingyu without speaking.
Once Gong Leitian had put his clothes back on with Mu Mingyu’s help, she finally spoke, inviting Gong Tianle to sit by the tea table, even personally pouring him a cup of tea.
"Thank you, Master, for the tea!" Gong Leitian accepted it respectfully, taking a sip.
Jiang Nuo sat down and smiled, "Letian, your Master is not such a fearsome elder; you don’t need to be so reserved. Besides, we haven’t just met today; you’ll have more chances to lend me a hand in the future. If you’re always so courteous, I’d feel embarrassed to trouble you."
"Grandmaster, business is business, courtesy is courtesy. I’m not being distant but respectful," Gong Leitian shook his head, sincerely speaking, "For me, Master is the person I admire the most and deserves no offense."
At the end, he earnestly looked toward Mu Qiuniang.
As it happened, after finishing a sip of tea while listening to their conversation, Mu Qiuniang raised her head to look at him.