Chapter 3

"Stop, stop."

"Father, please stop."

"It's not my fault, Jinnian fainted on his own."

"What does it have to do with me?"

"Father, I'm not joking, if you keep hitting me, I'll really die."

"Father, stop for a moment, I have something important to tell you."

"Ah, stop, stop."

In the front courtyard of the Duke's mansion.

Under an ancient tree.

Gu Ningya was hanging upside down from the tree, emitting a heart-wrenching scream.

An old man was holding an iron whip, lashing Gu Ningya.

The sound of the whip cutting through the air was continuous, each strike causing the air to crack.

It looked terrifying.

This was no joke, no pretense; each strike was genuinely harsh, tearing the skin with every lash.

It was fortunate that Gu Ningya was a martial artist; otherwise, a normal person would have died from a single strike.

Gu Ningya was wailing, never expecting that Jinnian's sudden headache would result in everyone blaming him, making him feel truly wronged.

"Jinnian? Jinnian is here, old man, Jinnian is here, turn around and look."

Under the tree.

Gu Ningya, in pain, saw Jinnian's figure and immediately shouted excitedly.

The latter frowned, turned around, and saw that Jinnian was indeed approaching.

His face instantly softened with affection.

"Jinnian, are you better?"

Seeing the lively Jinnian, the old man's expression changed instantly. He handed the iron whip to the fifth uncle and patted his shoulder.

"Fifth uncle, you continue."

The old man's words indicated that he had no intention of letting Gu Ningya off, which made Gu Ningya feel desperate.

After the old man finished speaking, he walked toward Jinnian with a joyful expression.

Not far away.

Before Jinnian even crossed the corridor, he heard the sixth uncle's screams and the sound of the iron whip.

To be honest, just hearing the heart-wrenching screams made Jinnian feel a bit scared.

Although he was the family's favorite, if his uncles had another child, he might be the one hanging from the tree in the future.

However, a familiar figure soon appeared before him.

It was the old man, Gu Yuan.

The Duke of Daxia.

In the mansion, the old man was dressed in a simple blue silk robe, with white hair, but his imposing figure was not diminished by his age. He was over eight feet tall and showed no signs of aging.

His brows carried a terrifying aura, even more fearsome than his father's.

However, when he looked at Jinnian, his eyes were full of affection and joy.

After all, it was the affection of a grandparent.

"Jinnian, when did you wake up? Let me check if you have any internal injuries."

Upon reaching the old man, Gu Yuan immediately gathered a ball of true qi and injected it into Jinnian's body to check his meridians.

After a thorough examination, the old man finally relaxed, as there were no serious issues.

"Grandfather, I'm fine. The doctor said I've been taking too many tonics recently, which caused an excess."

"Grandfather, this has nothing to do with the sixth uncle."

Jinnian forced a smile at his grandfather, mainly because the scene nearby was too cruel.

His fifth uncle, holding the iron whip, was even harsher than the old man, striking without mercy, clearly harboring personal grudges.

And not far away, Gu Ningya, hearing Jinnian's words, cried out in a convulsive voice.

"Father, Jinnian said it has nothing to do with me, please spare me."

"Fifth brother, fifth brother, I beg you, let me go. If you keep hitting me, I'll soil myself."

Gu Ningya was genuinely crying, thinking the old man was harsh enough, but his fifth brother was even more ruthless.

The pain made him question life.

"Fifth uncle, it really has nothing to do with the sixth uncle. It's because I took too many tonics, please stop."

Jinnian felt a bit sorry, as it was too cruel. He had to persuade them, or else they might cause serious injuries, which was unnecessary.

However, before the fifth uncle could respond, the old man's voice rang out.

"Hit him."

"Hit him to death."

"Upon returning from outside the capital, you didn't report to the Lantern Corps first but ran home. Is there any discipline left?"

"As a court official, you have committed a grave offense. A beating is a lesson for you. Don't think that being my son gives you the right to act without restraint."

"Even if you act without restraint, you still caused my grandson to have a headache. If you weren't my son, I would have beaten you to death long ago."

The old man's voice was fierce, but after he spoke, Jinnian instantly understood why his sixth uncle was being beaten.

Indeed.

The Gu family was now powerful, with the old man as the Duke, his father as the Linyang Marquis, and the Gu family occupying most of the military and judicial positions in Daxia. Even the older sisters held prominent positions.

To be honest, the emperor had every reason to be concerned about the Gu family.

Therefore, the higher the status, the more low-key one should be. The sixth uncle was the deputy commander of the Lantern Corps, which was directly under the emperor and had the authority to arrest and interrogate.

Upon returning from a mission, he should have reported first, but running home was suspicious.

Especially in the Duke's mansion.

If people didn't know better, they might think the Duke's mansion was the palace, and the old man was the emperor.

If the censors and officials found out, they would surely impeach him.

Thinking about it, the sixth uncle's beating was justified.

"Grandfather, he's been hit enough, let it be."

"Grandson has something to discuss with the sixth uncle. Grandfather, please let him go."

Although he understood his grandfather's intentions, Jinnian still spoke up to help.

After hearing this, the old man thought for a moment and finally nodded.

"Only you, Jinnian, can make a difference."

"Alright, fifth uncle, stop. Hang him for a day, and don't give him any food today."

The old man's voice was somewhat displeased.

However, after speaking, he looked at Jinnian with affection.

"Jinnian, are you hungry? I'll have someone prepare your favorite dishes."

"No, Grandfather, I'm not hungry."

Jinnian shook his head. 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