Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Establishing Might
"I am a man who believes in clear rewards and punishments. Since you were drunk on night duty, you must be punished! The first person to step forward will receive five strikes with the Killing Rod! The first group, ten strikes! The second group, twenty strikes! As for the ones I’ve pointed out..."
Chen Ping’an looked up at the men, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Eighty strikes!"
"Ah! Eighty strikes!"
"Mercy, my lord! My lord!"
"My lord, eighty strikes will kill a man, my lord!"
"My lord, this lowly one knows his mistake, I truly know my mistake. Mercy, my lord!"
"My lord, my lord!"
"..."
The Prison Guards who had been singled out by Chen Ping’an were all wailing and crying to the heavens, screaming for mercy.
They had thought they could find a loophole, be a little clever. They figured the worst-case scenario was just being punished along with the others, and that by not stepping forward, they might even escape punishment altogether.
Clinging to that sliver of hope, they never imagined it would end like this.
’This is the Killing Rod we’re talking about!’
Even a few strikes would leave a normal person needing a long time to recover.
Eighty strikes from the Killing Rod!
Taking one strike after another, blow after blow—even for men who had reached the Entry Level of the Martial Dao, their survival would be uncertain.
’Why did we have to bring this upon ourselves!’
Watching the miserable wailing of these Prison Guards, the ones who had first admitted to being drunk unexpectedly let out a sigh of relief.
"Carry it out immediately!"
Chen Ping’an’s expression remained unchanged as he spoke with decisive finality.
"Yes, sir!"
Some Prison Guards responded loudly, forcing the offending guards to the ground one by one.
Before long, waves of howling screams echoed through the area.
The first to finish was the Prison Guard who had first confessed to being drunk; he had received only five strikes.
Although he was inevitably injured, with the Qi Blood of one who had reached the Entry Level of the Martial Dao, it was ultimately not too serious. He would be able to recover after ten to twenty days of rest.
Next was the first group, who received ten strikes. Afterward, though sighing and groaning, they could still barely stand on their own, limping thanks to their powerful physiques.
Then came the second group with their twenty strikes. These men were completely unable to stand on their own. In fact, it was only because they were Martial Dao experts with abundant Qi Blood; if they were ordinary men, twenty strikes from the Killing Rod would have left them barely clinging to life.
For a long while after the twenty strikes were finished, miserable screams and howls continued to ring out.
At first, the howls were powerful, but they grew weaker and weaker. Eventually, some men couldn’t even manage to scream anymore, their bodies just twitching with every strike that fell.
The Prison Guards administering the Killing Rod strikes felt a pang of pity and instinctively wanted to hold back. But one glance from Chen Ping’an scared them out of having any other ideas.
The eighty strikes of the Killing Rod were completed.
Never mind what the Prison Guards carrying out the punishment were thinking; the faces of the onlookers had all turned pale.
’Too ruthless!’
’He didn’t hold back at all!’
’It’s a bloody mess!’
These Prison Guards were, after all, men of strong constitution. Though they had endured eighty strikes, thankfully none had been beaten to death on the spot. However, judging by their appearance—their breathing as faint as a silk thread, with more air going out than in—they weren’t much better off than the dead.
This scene made everyone’s gaze toward Chen Ping’an tinged with a hint of fear.
Chen Ping’an seemed not to notice, his face as calm as ever.
"Punishment is not the goal. The goal is to ensure everyone remembers this lesson and takes it as a warning. In my book, a man who dares to act and take responsibility is a real man. One who knows his mistakes and corrects them can still be taught. But those who know they are wrong, refuse to change, and won’t even admit it... they are the cautionary tale!
If something like this happens again, don’t blame me for being ruthless.
Do you all understand!"
At this moment, whether their agreement was genuine or feigned, everyone echoed Chen Ping’an’s words.
"We understand, my lord."
"Oh, right, those few I pointed out at the end. Constable Min." Hearing the crowd’s response, Chen Ping’an seemed to recall something.
"My lord, what is it?"
A middle-aged man with a fierce, leopard-like head peeked out from behind Chen Ping’an and responded respectfully.
"These men... since they’ve made a mistake and don’t even dare to admit it, my South City Prison has no need for people like them.
You, check the roster and do a tally. Those who are not on the official register, fire them directly. As for those who are registered, I will personally go to the South Town Garrison Command, explain the situation, and request that the Lord Chief of the Patrol Office strip them of their registered status."
Hearing this, Constable Min was stunned for a moment, then respectfully acknowledged the order.
When the surrounding Prison Guard Squad Leaders heard Chen Ping’an’s words, they held their breath, not daring to even breathe too loudly, terrified of displeasing him.
’This isn’t just killing a man, it’s destroying his spirit!’
’Severe injuries can be healed! As long as they still have their status as Prison Guards, they could lie low for a while and eventually return to their old lives.’
’But if they lose their status as Prison Guards, they’ll have nothing left!’
Seeing everyone’s reaction, Chen Ping’an was very satisfied. This was exactly the effect he wanted.
Ever since taking his post at the South City Prison, Chen Ping’an had been waiting for just such an opportunity. It was a pity that, for so long, one had never arisen. Today, using the matter with Zhu Qirong, he could finally make his move.
Among the drunken men, a considerable number were Zhu Qirong’s iron-clad confidants. This was the perfect chance to deal with them all at once.
’Establish dominance, establish dominance... if you don’t establish it, where will the dominance come from!?’
Of course, there were some sensible ones among them. If they knew how to bow their heads, he wasn’t so intolerant as to have no place for them.
As a superior, it was natural to employ both grace and power!
Chen Ping’an slowly rose from his great chair. The movement made the Prison Guards in the front row tense up.
"Relax. I haven’t been here long, and your understanding of me is still very limited. In truth, I’m a simple man. For those willing to follow me, willing to serve me, I will give you everything you deserve. We’ll enjoy the good life together. Even if trouble comes, I’ll take the heat for all of you.
As for those who... sing a different tune, or feign compliance while secretly disobeying..."
Chen Ping’an smiled.
"You’ve already seen what happens to them."
"Perhaps some of you are very bold. Even after seeing this, you don’t care, and you’ll just keep doing what you’ve been doing. Hmm, that’s fine too. But let me give you a reminder: if you’re going to do that, you’d better make damn sure I don’t find out. Because if I do, you won’t even be able to die a clean death."
"Don’t believe me? You can give it a try."
A smile remained on Chen Ping’an’s face, but everyone else only felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on them.
Some Prison Guards swore a vicious oath in their hearts: no matter what, they could never offend Lord Chen.
Chen Ping’an was very pleased with the routine disciplinary meeting.
The intended goal had been achieved, and the intended dominance had been established.
He didn’t expect everyone to love him, nor did he have the time for that. He just needed to ensure everyone feared him, so they wouldn’t dare cause trouble under his command.
As for whether this fear could be transformed into awe, that was something only time would tell.
Just as he had said, he wouldn’t hold back one bit in giving everyone what they deserved.
With matters here concluded, Chen Ping’an dismissed the Prison Guards, left the South City Prison, and headed for the South Town Garrison Command.
The matter of Zhu Qirong was not yet fully resolved.
