Martial World Full of Disguises

16: Humiliation

Those three short words calmed Fu Peibai's anxious heart like a steadying anchor.

"Pour me another cup."

Fu Peibai lifted the pot to pour, but only a trace remained inside. "Peak Master, the wine is gone. I'll go to the back mountain to fetch another pot."

"Go ahead."

So she happily carried the empty wine pot out of the hall, only to encounter Mo Qingyuan leaning against a pillar with a sinister smile.

"Sure enough, it's you. Earlier I thought that figure looked like you, but with my father present, I didn't look closely. I never imagined it really would be you. Fu Peibai, why are you here?"

The smile at the corner of Fu Peibai's mouth vanished instantly. She frowned and asked, "Do you need something?"

Mo Qingyuan stroked his chin, sizing Fu Peibai up and down. "Look at you. Couldn't become a Heavenly Pole Sect disciple, so you ended up as a servant, didn't you? Quite fitting for someone of your status. A worm from the dirt dreaming of soaring to the heavens, how laughable. You heard it earlier too, I'm about to join the Heavenly Pole Sect. Do you know why? Because it was decided from the moment I was born. People like you will forever crawl in the mud, and will forever be beneath others. Stop dreaming of things you don't deserve. For the rest of your life, just obediently serve tea and water like a good servant. Do you understand?" As he spoke, Mo Qingyuan flicked the back of his hand against Fu Peibai's face, not too hard but heavily laden with insult.

Fu Peibai closed her eyes, gritting her teeth as she endured the rage churning within her. A few seconds later, she opened them, her expression indifferent. "Are you done? If you're done, I have things to do."

That look again, that attitude again! Despite being lowborn, she put on such a proud, lofty face as if she looked down on everyone. Mo Qingyuan spat, "Stop!" He grabbed Fu Peibai's arm, preventing her from leaving.

"Did I say you could leave? Did I say you could go?!"

Fu Peibai yanked her hand back with sudden force and brushed her arm with disgust. "Then what else do you want?"

This motion undoubtedly provoked Mo Qingyuan. He lifted his foot and kicked Fu Peibai square in the chest with full force, sending her flying several meters away. Before she could get up, Mo Qingyuan strode forward and stepped on her chest, saying viciously, "Weren't you so impressive? Come on, let me see your skills again. Or call someone to save you!"

A choked breath caught in Fu Peibai's throat. Her body couldn't move, but her arms were still agile. She turned her head and spotted the fallen wine pot nearby. Without thinking, she grabbed it and slammed it hard against Mo Qingyuan's knee.

Mo Qingyuan cried out in pain and released his leg. Fu Peibai seized the chance to scramble up. She brushed the dust from her chest, her gaze fierce as she stared at him.

Mo Qingyuan hopped on one foot, clutching his knee, spewing foul curses from his mouth.

Fu Peibai didn't want to deal with him anymore. She picked up the wine pot and turned to leave, but then heard those words from behind, "You bastard born of a whore! You dog!"

Blood rushed straight to her head. Her mind buzzed. Her eyes turned red as she slowly turned back, each word measured and deliberate, "What... did... you... say?"

Mo Qingyuan thought he had struck a nerve and grew even more brazen. "I said you're a bastard born of a whore. What, did I hit the mark? Hahahaha, so you're such a filthy thing. I'd find it dirty just to touch you. Your mother's body must have been slept into ruin by countless men. Which number customer was your father? Hahahaha."

With a bang, the wine pot flew straight at Mo Qingyuan's face, slamming hard into the bridge of his nose.

Mo Qingyuan raised his hand to touch it, and bright red blood flowed over most of his palm.

Raised in luxury since childhood, he had never suffered such an injury. His anger flared instantly. He wiped the blood from his nose, roared with rage, and charged at Fu Peibai.

The two immediately tangled together in a fight. There were no techniques, just brute force and vicious struggle. Fu Peibai was smaller and no match for Mo Qingyuan, but she could endure. Every palm strike and fist that landed on her body, she didn't cry out in pain. It was as if she felt nothing, completely forgoing defense, focused solely on attacking.

Her reckless fighting style terrified Mo Qingyuan. His body ached miserably as he desperately broke free and ran toward the main hall.

Fu Peibai caught up in long strides, grabbed Mo Qingyuan's shoulder, and slammed her head directly into his. After a dull thud, blood seeped from both their foreheads. Mo Qingyuan looked at the red-eyed youth before him as if seeing a demon. Terrified, he scrambled and crawled away, screaming, "Help!"

Fu Peibai had lost all reason. Her mind was filled only with the insults this person had just hurled at her mother. For the first time, a murderous intent rose within her. She wanted to kill this person, kill him. Driven by this thought, she slowly walked toward Mo Qingyuan on the ground.

But then, with a whoosh, a long sword flew at incredible speed, just grazing past her ear and embedding itself into the pillar behind her.

A group of people immediately rushed out of the main hall. Lu Wencheng led them, looking at the two with barely contained anger. "What are you doing?!"

Mo Qingyuan looked as if he had seen a savior. He scrambled up and rushed behind Mo Yuanzhong. Blood, snot, and tears covered his face. Gone was his earlier arrogance as he stammered, "Father, Father, he wants to kill me, he wants to kill me! Save me, save me!"

Seeing his only son in such a state, Mo Yuanzhong's heart ached with fury. Without a word, he struck out with a palm through the air. Fu Peibai was hit as if by an invisible force, her body curling inward as she flew back several meters and crashed to the ground.

After delivering the palm strike, Mo Yuanzhong's anger was far from appeased. He roared, "Who are you?! How dare you injure my son like this?!"

"Master Mo, please calm yourself. Let us first understand what happened before deciding on punishment, shall we?"

Mo Yuanzhong trembled with rage, but he still had to give Lu Wencheng face. He could only respond in a muffled voice, "This incident occurred at the Heavenly Pole Sect. I expect Sect Master Lu to give me an explanation!"

After calming Mo Yuanzhong, Lu Wencheng called out to Fu Peibai on the ground, "Who are you? State your name."

Fu Peibai was dazed from the palm strike and couldn't speak at all. Her vision went black. In the blur, she looked toward that familiar white figure in the crowd. The next moment, that figure stepped forward.

"To answer you, Father, this person is a servant from my peak."

Lu Wencheng asked in a deep voice, "What is the name?"

Lu Yanran lowered her gaze. "Fu Peibai."

At these words, the veins on Mo Yuanzhong's neck bulged, and his face twisted hideously. "He is Fu Peibai?! He is the one who spoke disrespectfully to my son? Fine, fine! Old grudges and new, today we'll settle them all together!" As he spoke, he started walking toward Fu Peibai.

Lu Wencheng reached out in time to stop him. "Brother Mo, wait, listen to what I..." Before he could finish, Mo Yuanzhong had already waved off his hand. "Sect Master Lu, you are a model of righteousness, and I respect you, but that doesn't mean I must obey you in everything! If you stop me again, don't blame Mo for turning against you!"

Lu Wencheng spoke solemnly, "Master Mo, please hear me out. I can see that while Young Master Mo is covered in injuries, that servant doesn't have a single patch of unbroken skin either. Any clear-eyed person can tell this was a mutual fight. Shouldn't we first understand why they were fighting? Furthermore, that servant looks to be only sixteen or seventeen. Having already received your palm strike and suffering internal injuries, do you really want to attack him again? Aren't you afraid that word will spread, and you'll be known for bullying the young, winning without honor?"

At this point, the onlookers began to speak up as well.

"Yes, Master Mo, let's ask about the cause first before deciding."

"With that one palm strike, the servant is already in this state. If you continue beating him, how could he possibly survive?"

Filled with rage, Mo Yuanzhong stared gloomily at the youth lying on the ground in the distance. Finally, he flicked his sleeves and made a small concession. "Fine. Sect Master Lu, ask your questions. I, Mo, will wait here."

"Very well. Young Master Mo, I have a few questions for you. Just answer truthfully."

Mo Qingyuan was still hiding behind his father, trembling. "Fine, you, you ask."

"Why did you get into a fight with that person?"

"I don't know. As soon as I left the hall, I found him waiting for me. Then without a word, he charged at me and started beating me like a madman. He clearly wanted to kill me! Father, Father, you must give me justice."

Mo Yuanzhong looked heartbroken. "Good, good. I will certainly get justice for my son!" Then his tone hardened again. "Sect Master Lu, the matter has been investigated. What is your decision?"

"No rush." Saying this, Lu Wencheng walked over to Fu Peibai with his hands behind his back and reached out to her.

Fu Peibai struggled to open her eyes and looked at the tall, refined man before her, but she didn't reach out to take his hand.

Being ignored by a servant like this, Lu Wencheng didn't take offense. He spoke gently, "Let me ask you, why were you fighting earlier?"

Fu Peibai opened her mouth slightly. The dried blood at the corner of her lips cracked open, causing sharp pain. She thought back to the first round of the entrance examination, how she had shouted herself hoarse insisting she hadn't done it, but no one believed her. No one here would believe her. Yet there was one person, she knew, who would believe her. As long as one person was willing to believe her, that was enough. Speaking up seemed meaningless now.

Lu Wencheng perhaps noticed the change in Fu Peibai's expression and reassured her, "You may speak freely. I will stand on the side of justice, not status."

Fu Peibai raised her eyes. There was no light in her pupils as she said in despair, "If I speak, will you believe me? Will they believe me?"

"If you don't speak, how can I believe you?"

"Fine then. I say I didn't do it. I didn't say a single word to him." Having said this, Fu Peibai relaxed her body, lying on her back and gasping for breath to ease the pain in her chest.

Whispers had already begun among the crowd, but most leaned toward supporting the Mo father and son. He Cong even stepped forward and declared loudly, "Uncle Lu, I believe this servant's words should not be easily trusted. Young Master Mo is so tearful and earnest. His testimony is far more credible!"

Once someone from Red Feather Villa spoke, everyone immediately took that side, chiming in, "Yes, I know Young Master Mo. He's always been upright and open. He wouldn't falsely accuse a servant without reason."

"Looking at this servant's insolent attitude, he does seem capable of such unprovoked violence."

Lu Wencheng sighed softly, stood up, and returned to the crowd. "In that case, the servant shall receive thirty strokes of the discipline whip and be expelled from the mountain."

Fu Peibai didn't even lift her eyelids when hearing this. It was expected.

She closed her eyes in despair, but then that familiar voice reached her ears again.

"Father, punishment is sufficient, but he is from my Chaoquan Peak. His fate should be decided by me." Lu Yanran's voice was not loud, but her tone was unusually firm.

Lu Wencheng was somewhat surprised, not understanding why his daughter valued a servant so highly.

He Cong said urgently, "That won't do, Miss Lu. Keeping someone with such wicked behavior at the Heavenly Pole Sect is a disaster waiting to happen. He will surely cause more trouble in the future. After punishment, he should be immediately expelled from the mountain!"

Lu Yanran suppressed the anger in her eyes, her voice cold as ice. "Young Master He, please address me as Peak Master Lu. Whether people from my peak stay or leave is my decision. I hope you won't meddle excessively. Just worry about your own disciples."

He Yangyao scolded in a low voice, "Why are you speaking so much? Get back here!"

He Cong looked embarrassed, his face darkening as he shrank back into the crowd.

Lu Wencheng narrowed his eyes and assessed Fu Peibai once more, then said to Mo Yuanzhong, "Master Mo, although I am the Sect Master of the Heavenly Pole Sect, the peaks operate independently. The people within each peak are not under my direct jurisdiction. Therefore, I cannot decide this person's fate. I can only administer the punishment. Is that acceptable?"

Mo Yuanzhong was somewhat dissatisfied, but pressing further now would make him appear petty. He could only respond gruffly, "Fine." But then he immediately added loudly, "However, these thirty strokes must be carried out by my son personally!"

Lu Wencheng was troubled, but seeing that Mo Yuanzhong's expression left no room for negotiation, he could only agree.

Fu Peibai was now in a semi-conscious state. In her daze, she felt herself being propped up. Her legs went weak and she was about to fall, but someone caught her.

Mo Yuanzhong said coldly, "If he can't stand, tie him up."

And so, Fu Peibai soon felt herself being tightly bound to a pillar. She slowly lifted her eyelids and watched Mo Qingyuan walking toward her holding a long, thin whip. But she couldn't even lift a finger, let alone resist.

With a crack, Mo Qingyuan swung the whip and struck her hard. The scream everyone expected didn't come. This thunderous whip earned only a soft grunt from the youth.

How could this satisfy his anger? Mo Qingyuan lashed out three times in succession, at the thigh, the waist and abdomen, the chest. Each strike landed solidly on Fu Peibai's body.

"Think you're so tough? I'll show you tough!" Mo Qingyuan cursed as he whipped her.

Fu Peibai was already numb from the pain. She looked at Mo Qingyuan with narrowed eyes, her lips parting, her breath unsteady. She mocked, "Is that all you can do?"

This mockery naturally earned even more vicious whip strikes from Mo Qingyuan, one after another, until Fu Peibai's outer garment was torn to shreds, hanging in tatters from her body.

For a moment, the scene fell silent. Apart from the cracking of the whip and the occasional muffled groan that escaped Fu Peibai's lips, there was no other sound. Not a single scream, not a single wail. Everyone was somewhat shocked.

Lu Wencheng narrowed his eyes, staring at the youth bound to the pillar with an inscrutable expression.

Meanwhile, Lu Qingwan clutched her sister's arm. Every time the whip struck, she flinched. "Sister, that person, that person looks a bit pitiful."

Lu Yanran's face was dark, her thoughts unreadable. But the hand hidden beneath her long sleeve was clenched tight.