Chapter 004: The Thirty Sticks (Part One)

What is going on? Dogwa scratched his head in confusion

"Brother Yan, why did you hit Wu Liang? Perhaps he did it on purpose to provoke you," Gou Wa said anxiously. "Thirty strikes, how can one endure that..."

I am Wu Liang! The chubby man grinned, almost bursting into tears

Routine matters, idle people should stay away. Two burly men expressionlessly pushed the dog away: "The one receiving the beating, lie down properly"

Several servants hurried over to break up the fight, but Fang Yan and the fat man were rolling on the ground. To an outsider, it appeared as if they were joyfully exchanging punches, but only Wu Liang knew that from the moment Fang Yan started, he had not had a chance to fight back at all

Make sure to beat him badly! Wu Liang touched his big face and quietly slipped out of the room

Fang Yan helplessly explained to the little turtle, then continued: "Some time ago, I inadvertently discovered that Wu Liang was hoarding tea leaves and medicinal materials from the Hou family's storeroom. Later, this matter was leaked by someone, and Wu Liang was severely punished. He thought I was the one who reported him, and because of this, he has harbored resentment towards me ever since"

A burly man grasped a wooden staff, exerting all his strength. The staff, over five feet long, whistled through the air as it struck with a resounding bang against Fang Yan. Dog Wa could not help but turn his head and close his eyes, unable to bear the sight any longer

Indeed! Wu Liang threw a few pieces of broken silver, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "This is a lowly commoner; it doesn't matter if he dies. However, I won't let him die; I will cripple him! Let him live the latter half of his life in misery!"

Two burly men weighed the silver sent by Wu Liang, chuckling, "Rest assured, this matter is settled for you."

Wu Liang, in a fit of anger, gestured emphatically as he recounted the events, and the two burly men immediately understood his intentions

The thirty strikes of the big board can kill a living person

The little turtle rolled its eyes in exasperation, feeling helpless

"Shut up!" Xu Guan Shi reprimanded in a low voice, "This minor punishment is given in consideration of your uncle's standing, now leave!"

In the capital city of Yunjing, the nobility generally places great importance on grandeur. Their residences are filled with numerous maids, servants, and caretakers, leading to a multitude of tasks and, inevitably, mistakes made by the lower servants. Therefore, almost every noble household has a designated executioner responsible for administering corporal punishment.

Although Fang Yan only exerted three-tenths of his strength, the sound of slaps echoed as he delivered over ten blows, leaving Wu Liang seeing stars and blood streaming down his face like a small river

It is you two again

"Do you also have times when you feel wronged?" The little turtle laughed and pointed out, "You have the divine cauldron protecting you, so what is there to fear?"

Fang Yan could no longer tolerate this obnoxious little chubby boy. She dropped the broom and rushed over. Wu Liang, shaking with his excess fat, ran while shouting "obnoxious people, obnoxious people".

Before Wu Liang could finish his words, he was struck by a powerful punch, causing blood to flow from his nose. Fang Yan deliberately engaged Wu Liang in a scuffle, while secretly restraining his limbs. He intermittently slapped Wu Liang's chubby face, all the while muttering: "This is what you get for being disrespectful to the Marquis, this is what you get for being disrespectful to the Marquis..."

After speaking, Xu Guan Shi turned to Fang Yan and said, "This matter is the fault of Wu Liang, but you also know the ironclad rules that have been in place for a hundred years. You should go and receive thirty strikes yourself."

"The two of you got into a scuffle and got injured, which is entirely your own doing; I will not concern myself with it." Manager Xu said angrily, "Wu Liang, you seem to have a mind to waste food, which must mean you have eaten too much; I hereby punish you by forbidding you from eating for three days"

"Go ahead." Fang Yan comfortably lay down on the ground and said, "Dog Wa, keep count."

What does it mean

After waiting for Xu Guanshi to arrive, Xiao He, the chubby figure in the picture book, finally stood up unsteadily. This was not an act; the loud slaps from the earlier dozen or so hits had already left him dazed. His nose and mouth were covered in blood, and it seemed that he could not save one of his large teeth.

"Xu... Xu Guan Shi... the lowly people hit... hit someone..."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yan quietly wiped some fresh blood from Wu Liang's face, smeared it on his own face, then gave the fat man a comforting punch, and finally stood up calmly and composed.

"Is this piece of land yours?" Fang Yan asked with a smile.

Stop it, stop it, the manager Xu has arrived

"Two brothers." Dogwa hurriedly ran to the two big men and pleaded, "Please show mercy, I have saved a few taels of silver, and I will give it all to you."

Just after taking two bites, a thud was heard as a yellow piece of dirt fell into the bowl in front of Fang Yan. Looking up, he saw the chubby Wu Liang squatting on a nearby stone stool, grinning at Fang Yan with a strange smile

The burly men responsible for carrying out the executions have undergone rigorous training in the past; they have mastered the use of a wooden staff to an extraordinary degree. A piece of rice straw wrapped in rice paper can be struck repeatedly, leaving the straw in tatters while the rice paper remains intact enough to be used for writing. This is the essence of skill.

What is a lowly person? What does thirty strikes with a wooden board mean? The inquiry from Little Turtle echoed in Fang Yan's mind

"Old Ghost, I was incited by you and have gotten into trouble. Now I am about to face punishment. Can the Divine Cauldron really protect me? You better not let me down," Fang Yan secretly communicated with the little turtle.

"I want to go by myself." After saying this, the little turtle fell into silence. Fang Yan was initially taken aback, and after a moment of thought, he seemed to understand the meaning behind the little turtle's words, and a faint smile involuntarily appeared at the corner of his mouth

Just as the large staff struck Fang Yan, the three-legged small cauldron in the sea of qi suddenly emitted a wave of soft yet resilient formless power, effectively reducing the force generated by the impact of the wooden staff by ninety percent. The remaining ten percent of the force was negligible, landing on Fang Yan as if it were merely a tickle

Isn't it a good thing that the skin hasn't even been broken

Brother Zhou, Brother Wang

"It was I who lost it, what can you do to me?" Wu Liang said nonchalantly, a look of indifference on his face. This contemptible fat man had not practiced any martial arts; if it came to a fight, he would be no match for Fang Yan. What he relied on was merely the iron rule that commoners would receive thirty lashes first in a brawl.

Puff

"Who are you?" Looking at the short and stout man before them, whose face was larger than his backside, the two burly men were instantly bewildered, unable to recall when such an unusually grotesque figure had infiltrated the Hou residence.

In fact, most of the stewards in the Zhenbei Marquis's residence are quite decent, and they do not deliberately mistreat or demean the servants. Young servants like Fang Yan and Gou Wa, who are not very old, are assigned relatively few chores; they maintain the cleanliness of several courtyards each day and then gather and dispose of the garbage in the evening

Ah! You lowly person dare to lay hands on others, are you not afraid of thirty... Oh!

The two burly men grinned widely, spat into their palms, and clenched the wooden staffs in their hands: "Rest assured, we brothers are honest to the core, guaranteeing exactly thirty strikes, no more, no less"

"Fart! When did I ever incite you? The divine tripod protects me, that is absolutely true. Neither water nor fire can harm me. What is my status? I have never boasted. Thirty strikes are nothing more than a tickle. Furthermore, you either call me 'senior expert' or simply do not call me anything at all"

The two burly men were completely oblivious, joyfully striking each other with their staffs, while several onlooking servants couldn't help but let out a sigh

"The throw was quite accurate." Fang Yan reined in the smile on his face and addressed the group of servants who were having breakfast while reading books around him: "As servants, everything we eat and use is granted by the lord. Wu Liang has carelessly soiled this bowl of white porridge bestowed by the lord, which is a great disrespect!"

The onlooking servants were immediately dumbfounded; the involvement of a bowl of plain congee changed the nature of the matter significantly.

Understood, old ghost

"Lowly wretch!" Wu Liang said with a sinister smile, "If you oppose me, you will suffer the consequences!"

Alas! Fang Yan is in a dire situation this time, did you see? The heavy staff struck him, yet not even a scratch on his skin. The two executioners must have definitely accepted a bribe from Wu Liang

At this time, the sky had already brightened, and most of the servants had completed their morning tasks, gathering near the kitchen to have breakfast. The Duke of the North Town was a prominent figure of the current dynasty, treating the servants in his household with relative generosity. Every day, the three meals not only consisted of fine rice and white flour but were also served in ample portions. Fang Yan served himself a hearty meal, eating it while seated on a stone stool outside the kitchen.

Rest assured, I have connections with the people in the detention center; they are merely putting on a show. Fang Yan said with a smile, but by this point, he felt somewhat uneasy inside.

Wu Liang finally spat out the loose tooth from his mouth, his entire body trembling in pain from the excess flesh, yet a sinister smile emerged on his swollen, pig-like face

What is going on again!" Xu, the manager, hurriedly approached with quick little steps, frowning as he said: "Causing a commotion so early in the morning, is there no law anymore!

Fang Yan thought for a moment, then without saying a word, grabbed Dog Wa and ran towards the other courtyard. Sure enough, a short and stout figure was happily throwing garbage onto the clean ground.

However, before the two strong men could leave, an unexpected guest arrived first to pay a visit

What do you understand? These two individuals have employed sinister techniques. Although Fang Yan appears to be fine, he has actually sustained severe internal injuries, and it is uncertain whether he can survive.

Brother Yan, do not hold it against him. We can just sweep it again. Even if you vent your anger by hitting him, you will still have to face the consequences yourself

Wu Liang, do you want us brothers to vent your frustrations for you

Upon thinking of this, Fang Yan felt much more at ease and took Dog Wa to clean up several courtyards again

The Northern Town's Marquisate has a total of four strong men specifically in charge of administering corporal punishment. They work in pairs, taking turns on duty. However, the Marquisate does not arbitrarily mistreat its subordinates, and these four enforcers have not had to strike anyone for a long time. They are so idle that they are on the verge of growing mold. Upon hearing that someone is to be punished with the rod, they immediately become delighted, their knuckles cracking as they flex their fingers.

Wu Liang?" The two strong men carefully distinguished for a long time: "Oh my! It really is Wu Liang, how have you changed like this?"

According to the rules of the household, it is disrespectful for a servant to be impudent towards the master, and punishment is warranted! Fang Yan's expression turned cold as he rolled up his sleeves and charged forward in a swift motion.

Fang Yan and Gou Wa were both very nimble, wielding two brooms that flew up and down. In no time, they had finished cleaning the first two courtyards. However, when they began to clean the third courtyard, they noticed through the doorway that the previously cleaned courtyard had been carelessly littered with various items by someone.

... ...

"Xu ... ... Xu Guan Shi ... ..." The chubby boy was filled with resentment

As they were speaking, two burly executioners rushed over, carrying a thick wooden staff over a foot wide. Meanwhile, Wu Liang, whose face was swollen larger than his backside, quietly slipped away to a nearby spot, waiting to witness the scene of Fang Yan being brutally beaten.

It is Wu Liang again

However, Fang Yan's control over his strength was very precise; he struck the fat man, leaving him bloodied, yet no serious injuries could be detected.

Upon seeing this, Xu Guan Shi noticed that both individuals were covered in blood, clearly indicating they had been injured. Fang Yan secretly chuckled to himself as he recounted the entire sequence of events. As for the excuse that the fat man had disrespected the Marquis by soiling the white porridge, everyone knew it was a fallacy, yet it remained irrefutable.