Chapter 9: Family Regulations

Seeing Han Wei dawdling without moving, Han Chen let out an angry roar: "Get down!"

Han Wei trembled as he extended his hand, only to be seized by his elder brother, who fiercely struck his palm several times with a rattan stick. The pain caused Han Wei to cry out and attempt to withdraw his hand, but he was firmly held by his elder brother's iron-like grip.

Elder brother Hancheng stood to the side, and his heavy breathing could be heard, perhaps due to the excessive force he exerted

This is simply a case of sophistry; the elder brother is truly unreasonable, grasping at these nonsensical excuses to suppress him. Being born into the Yang family means enduring such humiliation; being born into the Yang family means excelling in everything? Being born into the Yang family means being extraordinary?

Tears rolled in his eyes, and Han Wei knew that no words would suffice. His competitive nature made him feel cold at the thought of the shame of failure: "Elder brother, Wei'er had an upset stomach the night before the exam and spent the whole night running to the toilet, which is why he didn't perform well in the test"

Han Wei sobbed and cried, while Han Chen, gnashing his teeth and fiddling with the rattan, leaned in front of Han Wei and said coldly, "Get down properly; if you dawdle, I will double the punishment!" The elder brother, with a grim expression, shook the rattan whip, urging Han Wei to lie down on the broad armrest of the leather sofa.

What about the other two

Han Wei noticed that his elder brother's expression while asking the question was a mix of a smile and mockery, which made him feel a wave of anxiety. He mumbled, "Among the other two, one of them is not well-liked in the class; apart from burying himself in his studies, he knows nothing else. He..."

Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, and beneath his drooping eyelashes, his starry eyes flickered. Han Wei, trembling with fear, cautiously observed his elder brother's expression and added, "The questions are too obscure and too difficult."

The elder brother is indeed the elder brother, the head of the Yang family, and his words are like imperial edicts. He has no way to argue against it and can only helplessly endure.

"Brother, Wei'er was wrong, please forgive Wei'er. I will do better on the next exam." Han Wei's voice was filled with sorrowful pleading, revealing her usual pitiful demeanor as she nestled close to her elder brother, sobbing softly.

Upon mentioning "Military Spirit Cold Sword," Han Wei felt a surge of emotion in his heart again

Han Wei took a few steps back and cried out: "Elder brother, the 'Military Spirit Cold Sword' is just one. With two classes in the entire grade, does that mean that all the students who cannot obtain the 'Military Spirit Cold Sword' will be punished by family law? I have always excelled in my studies, but I failed this time. I feel terrible about it. Why are you putting so much pressure on me? I have done my best; this is all I am capable of. If you want to kill me, then do it. I won't have to compete anymore and can live my life without fear and anxiety."

"Does your upset stomach have anything to do with your pig-headedness?" With a sharp "crack," Han Chen struck the edge of the table with the rattan whip, startling Han Wei into a shudder. Pouting, tears welled up in Han Wei's eyes as he said, "Does Wei Er not want to score full marks? Who would willingly face the scolding and beating from Big Brother for not doing well? Everyone wants to achieve high scores; I also hope to receive the 'Military Spirit Cold Sword' at graduation just like Big Brother, to feel proud for once. Even horses can stumble sometimes."

Seeing his elder brother lounging on the sofa, playing with the flexible vine whip in his hand, Han Wei felt a chill run down his spine, and cold sweat began to seep out from the tips of his hair.

With a flick of the whip, the sound seemed to strike Han Wei's heart.

Hearing his elder brother's question, Han Wei felt a secret joy in his heart. The exam scores are graded according to the rankings of "A, B, C, D". Achieving an "A" signifies excellent performance, while a "B" indicates good performance, and a "C" represents barely passing. Many students in the Military Academy are the children of officials, merely seeking a diploma to secure a legitimate military position in the future, all holding the belief that a "C" is good enough for their studies. Only he has been diligently studying hard, while his classmates mock him for working as hard as those "poor souls" who rely on good grades to find their way, struggling through physical training.

To speak without integrity is to fail to fulfill your promises to the elder brother and the Yang family

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Han Wei, and he defended himself with this reasoning: "Brother, it's true, you can ask our classmates. The exam questions for 'Strategic Studies' from the last session on m.hetushu.com were just four major essay questions, definitely not as difficult as this time"

The voice was filled with deep sorrow and anguish, as if the glory of the "military spirit and cold sword" belonged to the elder brother, rather than to him

"In the past, lie down properly." The elder brother's tone softened somewhat, as if beating him was merely a task to be completed

How many times have I taught you? The elder brother only looks at the outcome of victory or defeat. Since you promised the elder brother that you would definitely obtain the 'Military Spirit Cold Sword', the elder brother believes in you. If you cannot achieve it, why did you accept this 'Order Arrow'? After being defeated, you keep making excuses! There are those who have succeeded, aren't there? Among your classmates, there are those who scored full marks; why don't you look at them? Instead, you take pride in comparing yourself to the mediocre who barely passed with three-quarters of the score!

With a sudden crack of the whip, Han Wei could no longer endure the excruciating pain and began to howl in agony, crying and kicking his legs.

Why must you alone be harshly criticized for striving to obtain the supreme honor of the Sword of the Martial Hall? It is because your surname is Yang; you are a descendant of the Yang family of Longcheng. If you feel wronged and do not wish to excel, you can only blame yourself for being born into the wrong family! If you had been born to a family of common merchants and laborers, no one would have forced you to study, to become an outstanding individual, or to attend the Martial Hall to seize the 'Cold Sword of Military Spirit.' However, since you were born into the Yang family, you must accept your fate! If you do not wish to, there are many things you may not want, but you cannot act recklessly!

"Kneel over here, extend your hand!" the elder brother commanded.

How many students in your class did not achieve a grade of 'B'

"Ambitious yet incompetent! You haven't even mastered the basics and yet you arrogantly attempt to solve cases like others. Your own studies are in disarray, and your mind is wandering! When will you finally listen to your elder brother's advice?"

Yet in my heart, I am filled with countless worries, fearing that I might anger my elder brother and be subjected to a humiliating punishment at his hands

"Bastard! Beast! When did you learn to talk back!" Han Chen Huo pressed forward, swinging the rattan whip, striking down like a torrential rain on Han Wei's buttocks and legs, disregarding Han Wei's cries and protests, and gave him a severe lesson.

Han Wei was left speechless, especially when compared to another student who had achieved a perfect score. How could he possibly know how others managed to score so high? It was unreasonable; if Yang Han Wei took second place, who could possibly take first? He had consistently excelled in every exam, never making a mistake, and was recognized as a top student in the class, a "proud disciple" of the instructors. He also aspired to maintain his excellent performance and become a "perpetual champion." However, this time, Han Wei felt a deep sense of grievance, as he had unexpectedly fallen ill just before the major exam.

The sword "Junpo Hanjian" seems to be synonymous with the word "excellence." Yet, despite his repeated victories in battle, he faced defeat in the examination for the course "Strategic Studies." As graduation loomed just around the corner, he found himself missing the opportunity to grasp that dazzling "Junpo Hanjian" due to this one exam error.

A whip crack landed on Han Wei's hand

Han Wei's hand involuntarily reached to touch the agonizing wound, but his elder brother shouted, "Remove your hand!"

With Hanwei's "Aow..." echoing in a piercing cry, another whip fell.

How many points did you score on the test? the older brother pressed for an answer

"Why did you hit me?" The elder brother struck five times and then put down the rattan. Han Wei, with his swollen and painful palm, did not dare to move, sobbing as he said: "I didn't score full marks"

Han Chen halted his hand, standing before him, his tall figure blocking the light

Han Wei was filled with grievances. Just this once, he had made a mistake, yet his elder brother was relentless. What his elder brother cared about was the score, the reputation of the Yang family, completely disregarding the fact that he had a stomachache and fever the night before the exam, nearly losing his life. Uncontrollable tears welled up in his eyes; Han Wei turned his head to the side, trying to suppress the humiliating tears, but it was all in vain.

Is there another one?

Only four

Oh... Han Chen elongated his voice, a mocking smile playing at the corners of his mouth, "What I mean is, there are still those who score full marks. The question, my dear brother, is why... Yang Hanwei, can't you achieve a full score?"

The rattan stick in the elder brother's hand struck the table a few times with a series of crisp sounds.

Han Wei's entire body was frozen in blood, his expression stiff. He feared his elder brother even more, especially the "family discipline" in his brother's hand, which was that flexible rattan stick that struck the flesh like a dull knife grinding meat, causing immense pain. In his childhood, he only knew pain and did not feel shame; now, at nearly sixteen years old, his elder brother still resorted to such family discipline at the slightest provocation, and this humiliation left him utterly mortified

"Yes, Hanwei will also go to copy and steal questions next time. As long as he gets a perfect score, big brother will be satisfied, right?" Hanwei cried out hoarsely in protest.

Han Wei's lips curled in a slight sneer, an overwhelming sense of grievance surged within him: "Among those four perfect scores, Zhang Zhongyi had prior knowledge of the exam questions; he cheated, and he is the nephew of Instructor Nie; then there is Wang Jing, whose second cousin is the instructor supervising our class's exam, and he wasn't caught for copying notes either"

Elder brother Hancheng's expression was solemn, like dark clouds gathering, as if brewing a storm that was about to arrive

With a few more cracks of the whip, Han Wei's panic revealed a sense of despair, and he simply began to cry: "Brother, if you are not going to vent your anger, then just kill Wei'er. Wei'er does not wish to be as outstanding as you, nor does he possess the ability to be as excellent as you. Why do you have to force Wei'er? Even when Father was alive, he never forced Wei'er to seize that so-called 'Military Spirit Cold Sword.' Wei'er does not want to know why he must go after that sword; the Yang family does not lack a sword." "Why do you have to force Wei'er? Even when Father was alive, he never forced Wei'er to seize that so-called 'Military Spirit Cold Sword.' Wei'er does not want to know why he must go after that sword; the Yang family does not lack a sword."

A reckless beast

What are you dawdling about

At this moment, Han Wei was utterly devastated, filled with nothing but resentment. This was largely due to the early death of his father, leaving him an orphan without parents, forced to endure the bullying of his only remaining relative, his elder brother. As he thought of this, his nose tinged with bitterness, and the tears of grievance poured out like a mountain flood.

What about the exam for subject A

Before he entered the military academy, he had solemnly promised his elder brother that he would, like his brother, earn the symbol of "Outstanding Graduate"—the "Military Spirit Cold Sword." That sword gleamed with a cold light, dazzling like a cold ray, and only those outstanding students who maintained excellent grades and stood out in various drills and exercises could compete for this honor. It was the honor that marked his brother's first step into the military world, and it was also Han Wei's goal at that moment.

The cold leather armrest of the sofa, Han Wei's skin stretched tightly, lay on the sofa like a lamb awaiting slaughter, biting his fist, with only tears of shame and anger left, forlorn and desolate

With a sharp crack, the rattan whip struck the table, causing Han Wei to startle, his terrified gaze anxiously darting towards his elder brother

"Weir did not intend to deceive you, brother. It is just that seeing you toil day and night these days, I cannot bear to add to your troubles," Han Wei said, trembling as he explained.

With the elder brother's shout, Hanwei let out a howl, and the whip struck him again.

A whip cracked against the flesh, Han Wei cried out softly, his entire body tense, anticipating when the next lash would come down.

Every time he left home for military school, his elder brother would look at him with hopeful eyes and advise, "Younger brother, strive hard, you must excel, do not bring shame to the Yang family, and be sure to obtain the 'Military Spirit Cold Sword'"

Yang Hanwei, remember this. In the Yang family, the words of the eldest brother are military orders; whether you understand them or not, you must obey. The case of the tattooed female corpse ends here; you are not allowed to investigate further. Use your time to focus on your studies!

The room fell silent, Han Wei gasped on the sofa, sweat and tears mingling together, already numb to the point of not feeling any pain

Including me, there are five people

Before the words had left his mouth, the whip whistled down, and with a crack, it struck, delivering a searing pain akin to having flesh cut away

Regarding the overall exam results of the classmates, Han Wei proudly replied: "Three-quarters of the class received a 'C' grade, and many only managed to get a 'D', which is failing"

He let out a cold laugh: "Do you realize how embarrassing it is? If you want to save face, then don't engage in disgraceful acts; strive for your own dignity!"

"Brother, brother... please spare Wei'er, I won't dare again... Wei'er will do well on the next exam," Han Wei pleaded tearfully.

The elder brother's expression remained impassive, as colorless and cold as a sheet of white paper: "Some mistakes, once made, cannot be redeemed for a lifetime. It is merely a lesson, and you are now destined to be without the 'Military Spirit and Cold Sword.'"