Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

With the Poison Master's intimidating presence nearby, and since this wasn't the first time, plus there was a cushion this time, Qin Ji felt no psychological burden kneeling.

"Towards the wall."

Does it mean he should stand facing the wall in silence?

Qin Ji obediently adjusted the direction.

He originally thought that he would be punished by kneeling first, just like last time, but unexpectedly, Yu Guangzhong and Jiang Jibai picked up the sandalwood ruler on the desk and walked over without saying a word.

Qin Ji turned his head in disbelief. Given Jiang Jibai's ruthlessness, he couldn't even withstand lying down, yet Jiang Jibai made him kneel and endure it?

He also said that the poison master had changed his ways, and even when he was forced to kneel, he knew to give him a cushion.

Under Qin Ji's accusing gaze, Jiang Jibai chuckled ambiguously and raised his hand.

it hurts!

Qin Ji tensed up, scrambled towards the wall, braced his elbows against it, tears welling in his eyes, and let out a deafening wail.

Jiang Jibai's cold and ruthless words came from behind, "One hit on the wall, five more hits as punishment."

Qin Ji stopped crying, picked at his ears, and wondered if he had misheard.

He was made to kneel facing the wall, but the wall wasn't there to support him; it was there to restrict him.

He had no foothold and had to control himself from falling forward.

What kind of torture is this?

What a human tragedy!

If you hit him five times in one go, he'll be beaten to death here, right?

Without saying a word, Qin Ji immediately began to admit his mistake, "Teacher, I shouldn't have fought in the street, and I shouldn't have used changing clothes as an excuse to disappear. I know I was wrong."

They kept saying "shouldn't" and "shouldn't," but when it came to actually doing it, they didn't hesitate for a second.

Does he not know what is wrong?

No, he just had a very strong will and did it without hesitation even though he knew it was wrong.

Jiang Jibai suppressed the flames of anger rising in his heart and uttered two cold words: "Explanation."

Again, two words of truth. Without even looking at Jiang Jibai's expression, Qin Ji could feel the anger he was suppressing.

Despite his great anger, Jiang Jibai was still willing to give him a chance to explain. Qin Ji couldn't help but admire Jiang Jibai's exemplary conduct as a teacher.

He actually knew why Jiang Jibai was so angry.

Jiang Jibai introduced him to Yang Xiujun, mostly to pave the way for his future official career.

Instead of being grateful, he didn't even show his face from beginning to end, making the two "elders" wait for him for a long time. He probably left a rude impression on Yang Xiuyun.

To put it bluntly, Jiang Jibai fed... ugh... dragon with good intentions.

If this had happened to Bian Yushu, Qin Ji wouldn't have given him a chance to explain; he would have had him gagged, dragged away, and tortured before discussing the matter further.

That's the logic, and Qin Ji wasn't unaware of it; he simply had no other choice.

With tears welling up in his eyes from the pain, Qin Ji stepped away from the wall, took a small step back, straightened his knees, and casually made up a lie full of holes: "Many people saw me fighting in the street, and Lord Yang may have heard about it from somewhere. I panicked and was afraid that he would tell you, so I ran away."

The flawed explanation only resulted in continued severe punishment without further ado.

Qin Ji's brain was almost instantly shattered by the pain, tears gushing out. By the time he came to his senses, he was already pressed against the wall like a gecko.

Two cold words escaped Jiang Jibai's lips: "Lying."

The clumsy lie was exposed in one sentence. Qin Ji turned around in a panic but dared not look Jiang Jibai in the eye, and only lowered his head to look at the ground.

Of course it's a lie. Without a lie riddled with loopholes, how could the "truth" be revealed through punishment and interrogation?

After a long while, Jiang Jibai's voice finally came from above, "He's only met you a few times, why are you so sure he's heard the rumors about you getting into fights?"

"Isn't that a possibility?" Qin Ji raised his face, speaking with certainty. "As it turns out, I guessed right. He even badmouthed you."

Jiang Jibai grabbed Qin Ji's chin and continued along with his junior disciple's fabricated story, "Judging from your tone, not only are you unrepentant, but you even harbor resentment because he mentioned the fight?"

His jaw was pinched painfully, and Qin Ji gritted his teeth, "Talking behind someone's back is not the behavior of a gentleman."

"A gentleman cherishes propriety in his heart; those who are propriety respect others, and those who respect others will always be respected." Even in his rage, Jiang Jibai's voice carried a calm strength. "You used changing clothes as an excuse to wait too long; is that the behavior of a gentleman?"

Qin Ji looked away. "It was my fault for being impolite. Please punish me, teacher."

They're completely unyielding; they've made up their minds not to talk.

Jiang Jibai released his grip and tapped the wall. "Since you accept the punishment, do as your master says. Kneel properly."

Qin Ji turned back to face the wall.

"Ten times."

It sounds like a merciful number, but Qin Ji knew that what was truly terrifying was the endless increase in punishment; this was just the beginning.

With a thud, Qin Ji bent over, barely managing to steady himself, and a sob escaped his lips.

On the second attempt, Qin Ji moved one knee forward, his nose just two fingers' width away from the wall, before pulling his leg back in a panic, his cries growing louder.

The third blow struck his forehead against the wall, and Qin Ji pressed himself against it, trying to alleviate the pain of the punishment. Realizing what he had done, he was startled and immediately sprang back to his original position, even further away from the wall, as if it weren't a wall at all, but a wielding stick.

Ten times in total, Qin Ji, like a spring with a trumpet, cried as he moved back and forth between the wall and away from it.

On the tenth strike, Qin Ji crashed into the wall. It took him a long time to recover before he slowly pushed himself back to his original position. He was in so much pain that he couldn't kneel upright, so he bent over, using one hand to brace himself on the mat, and touched the burning wound with the other. The touch caused him to open his mouth and howl in pain for a long time.

He was hit ten times, bumped into the wall four times, and owed twenty.

If this continues, he will probably become the first king of the Great Yin Dynasty to die from the punishment of a ruler.

Jiang Jibai, what a cruel heart you have!

The young disciple's miserable state was fully witnessed by Jiang Jibai. Instead of imposing further punishment, Jiang Jibai peeled back the layers of Qin Ji's flawed lies, bit by bit, like peeling an onion.

"If you were here, I would introduce you to Xiuyun. Even if he knew about your fight, he would probably give you some face because you are my student and wouldn't say it on the spot."

"What's the point of your excuse of changing clothes and never coming back?"

"Is this an admission of guilt, or adding fuel to the fire?"

Qin Ji knew he wouldn't believe him, so he shifted his knees slightly, turned to Jiang Jibai, and continued to "stubbornly" say, "I'm not familiar with Lord Yang, and I don't know if he's impulsive or straightforward. In my haste, I didn't think things through. Thinking of your previous actions... I was momentarily afraid, so I resorted to this desperate measure."

His hands, which were supporting him on the mat, were still trembling slightly, clearly showing that he was in pain and afraid, but the words he spoke sounded "completely honest".

After the fight, he thoroughly explained his fear of punishment and his desire to escape, revealing a reckless and daring attitude.

Jiang Jibai's expression turned completely cold.

"Bian Yushu, are you trying to fool me?"

The cool ruler pressed against Qin Ji's face, which was covered in sweat and tears. The smooth, heavy texture made Qin Ji's pupils contract slightly.

He wasn't sure if Jiang Jibai's ruler would fall on his face, but he wouldn't let that happen.

His pride wouldn't allow it, nor would the national system.

Jiang Jibai's eyes were like frost, and the pressure around him suddenly dropped to freezing point. His sharp gaze shot towards Qin Ji, while his thin lips curled up slightly.

"Your lies are full of holes; are you genuinely trying to hide them from me, or are you deliberately waiting for me to expose you?"

Qin Ji's heart clenched as his intentions were seen through, but he quickly calmed down. His thoughts raced, and he repeatedly deleted, added to, and rearranged logical arguments in his mind.

The misty fog in his eyes condensed into rain. Qin Ji turned his head slightly, avoiding looking at the ruler hanging beside his face. He lowered his eyelids, concealing his emotionless gaze, and tears fell silently onto the blue bricks. "I don't know."

"I don't want you to expose me; I want to let things slide and keep it all a secret. But I also secretly hope you'll expose me so you can teach me a lesson."

Qin Ji raised his tear-filled eyes and said helplessly, "Teacher, I don't know what to do, I don't know how to choose?"

When the deafening cries turned into silent tears, and the boy, barely out of school, pleaded for help with teary eyes, Jiang Jibai's heart, though as hard as stone, softened somewhat.

He didn't know what the hidden story was, but he was willing to give the boy a chance to talk.

The ruler was placed aside, and a hand gently rubbed Qin Ji's head. "If you have any difficulties, you can tell me anytime you want."

"I am your teacher, and it is my duty to answer your questions."

It wasn't acting; Qin Ji's usually calm gaze rippled with emotion, a mix of feelings welling up inside him. He swallowed hard and softly called out, "Teacher..."

You are a good teacher, but unfortunately I am not a good student.

What I'm about to say is all a lie.