Hearing what Ji Hui said, the adjutant could only step back. "General, let this subordinate accompany you."
After considering the suggestion for a moment, Ji Hui nodded. "Let’s go."
While Ji Hui approached with his adjutant, Zhan Qi dismounted from his warhorse and flicked his Nine-Claw Whip a few times.
Each strike of the whip caused the ground to split, and the cracking sounds echoed through the surroundings.
As dust and dirt clung to the salt and medicine smeared on his whip, Zhan Qi’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
Soon, Ji Hui arrived and stood a few meters away from Zhan Qi. Gritting his teeth, his gaze fell on the metal hooks embedded along the whip as he warned, "Zhan Qi, don’t go too far!"
Zhan Qi smiled and asked, "General Ji, what do you mean? This general just does as I ordered."
Knowing there was no way to avoid the punishment, Ji Hui could only remove his armor. Handing it to his adjutant, he knelt with his back facing Zhan Qi.
Licking his lips, Zhan Qi’s cold eyes flickered coldly as he cheerfully said, "General Ji, please bear with it for a while. Here we go!"
Without waiting for Ji Hui’s response, Zhan Qi raised the Nine-Claw Whip and lashed Ji Hui’s back with all his strength.
"Ugh!" Ji Hui groaned as the whip’s hooks sank into his flesh, and fresh blood oozed from the deep wounds.
Seeing this, the adjutant anxiously called out to him, "General!"
Ji Hui raised his hand to signal the adjutant to stand back and took a deep breath while enduring the pain.
Without giving him a chance to recover, Zhan Qi yanked the whip back. The hooks tore through Ji Hui’s flesh, and blood spurted like rain.
The pain was unbearable, causing Ji Hui to nearly pass out.
As a stinging, itchy sensation spread through the bloody wounds, Ji Hui clenched his teeth and thought, ’Zhan Qi, you bastard! You actually dared to use dirty tricks on this general? Good. Very good! Zhan Qi, just wait and see. This general will repay today’s humiliation and pain a thousandfold!’
Looking at his pale face, Zhan Qi smiled and said, "General Ji, are you alright? There are still ninety-nine lashes left. Can you endure them?"
Glaring at him, Ji Hui’s body trembled from the pain as he spoke through gritted teeth, "Stop talking nonsense and wasting this general’s time."
Seeing that he could still talk, Zhan Qi raised his brows slightly. Gripping the Nine Claw Whip tighter, he said, "Alright then. Let’s finish this punishment quickly so this general can report back to the Great General."
With that, he raised the Nine-Claw Whip again and delivered the second lash. This time, without a pause between strikes, he continued whipping Ji Hui’s back without mercy.
Crack! Slash! Crack! Slash!
Each whip created new wounds on Ji Hui’s back and tore his flesh open. By the time the count reached forty, Ji Hui collapsed to the ground.
Breathing heavily, he coughed out blood and groaned in pain. "Ugh! Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Seeing that there was no intact flesh left on Ji Hui’s back, the adjutant drew his sword and pointed it at Zhan Qi.
Gritting his teeth, he furiously said, "Enough! If you continue, General Ji will die!"
Zhan Qi turned to look at him, narrowed his eyes, and struck the adjutant’s hand with the whip without warning.
"Argh!" The adjutant screamed as his right hand broke under the force of the whip.
Zhan Qi glanced at him and coldly asked, "Do you want to rebel?"
As soon as his words fell, Ji Hui’s pale face twisted. He pushed himself up from the ground, wiped the blood from his lips, and ordered, "Retreat."
Hearing this, the adjutant looked at him in disbelief. "General! You—"
Ji Hui looked at him and weakly said, "Don’t make me repeat myself."
Left with no choice, the adjutant could only hold his bleeding wrist and step back.
Seeing this, Zhan Qi turned to Ji Hui and smiled. "General Ji, shall we continue?"
Ji Hui took a deep breath, then knelt on the ground once more.
When he was ready, Zhan Qi raised the Nine-Claw Whip and resumed the punishment.
As the sound of flesh being torn echoed through the silent surroundings, the refugees watched with hatred in their eyes, while Feng Xiyan and the generals looked on calmly from the top of the city wall.
After ten more lashes, Ji Hui could no longer endure it. Having lost too much blood, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Seeing this, Zhan Qi paused and turned to look at the city wall.
Standing beside Feng Xiyan, Ding Zhenshun said, "Great General, we shouldn’t kill Ji Hui until we get our hands on the imperial decree."
Feng Xiyan considered his words, then nodded at Zhan Qi.
With Feng Xiyan’s approval, Zhan Qi put away the Nine-Claw Whip, which was now soaked in Ji Hui’s blood.
He turned to the adjutant and ordered, "The Great General is benevolent and exempts General Ji from the remaining lashes. Take your general back and treat his wounds."
Leaving those words behind, Zhan Qi mounted his warhorse and rode back toward the city gate. Once he entered the city, the gate captain ordered, "Close the gate!"
Following the command, the soldiers shut the gate and secured it with huge wooden planks.
Seeing that Zhan Qi had truly ended the punishment, the adjutant quickly carried Ji Hui on his back and rushed back to the Ji Army.
When the other adjutants saw how severe Ji Hui’s injuries were, they were furious.
"Damn it! How dare they injure and humiliate General Ji ?!" one of them furiously cursed.
Hearing this, the military advisor glared at him. "Shut up! Do you want to be punished too?"
Still indignant, the adjutant replied, "Military Advisor, we can’t just let this go!"
"I know." The military advisor clenched his fists and added, "But now isn’t the time. Don’t you all understand why General Ji endured this punishment?"