He Haikui cupped his hands and said loudly, "Thank you for your kindness, sir, but I let the bear escape and should be punished according to military law. Please forgive me for that too!"
Upon hearing this, everyone present stared at him in astonishment, but their gazes quickly turned to admiration.
That's how it is in the military. People don't discriminate against someone because of their abilities, but if someone is a real coward, even dogs will look down on him.
As the squad leader in charge of He Haikui's team, Tuoba Yue also stepped forward and bowed, saying, "This matter was due to my mistake in the arrangement. I am willing to take the punishment in his place!"
"Squad Leader!" He Haikui and his soldiers looked at Tuoba Yue in disbelief. This was the first time they had ever looked at Tuoba Yue, a man with mixed Xianbei blood, with a serious expression.
In particular, Tuoba Yue has heterochromia, with one eye being blue. People privately call him a bastard, believing that he gained military merit by opportunistically joining forces with Lü Tu at a crucial moment. However, everyone has now put away their contempt.
Lu Tu glanced at Tuoba Yue, fully aware of his thoughts and how difficult it would be for him to survive in the border army camp due to his non-Han blood.
Nodding, he said, "Since that's the case, then it's approved. You two will each receive 20 lashes, taking turns!"
Even Liu Hong looked at Lü Tu with a strange expression, thinking that even if Lü Tu wanted to help Tuoba Yue win over people's hearts, he didn't need to be so ruthless.
However, seeing that Lü Tu was determined, no one dared to object. A person cannot stand without integrity, and there is no room for jokes in the army. No one can break the rules that were made before!
Tuoba Yue was a man of principle. Ignoring He Haikui's obstruction, he immediately took off his leather armor and stripped off his shirt, exposing his skin to the air.
At this moment, a collective gasp of shock rippled through the crowd. The soldiers were all stunned as they looked at the numerous wounds, large and small, covering Tuoba Yue's body.
Lu Tu was also somewhat surprised; Tuoba Yue had even more wounds than him, which showed that he had indeed fought very hard on the battlefield.
Liu Yang handed the whip he was carrying to He Haikui: "Go ahead and hit him, don't just stand there."
He Haikui gritted his teeth and growled, "Sorry, sir, I've offended you!" The more Tuoba was implicated, the more he would subconsciously want to go easy on him.
But when the first lash struck Tuoba Yue, Tuoba Yue shouted, "Didn't you eat? You dare to lie to me? I won't hold back later, I'll start whipping you from the beginning!"
Hearing this, He Haikui was also aroused and swung the whip around, striking Tuoba Yue hard. The specially made military whip with barbs tore through the flesh and left a bloody mark.
Tuoba Yue, however, laughed loudly, "Awesome! Keep going! Give me a good beating! This is fucking exhilarating!"
As the whip fell again and again, everyone was stunned. Was Tuoba Yue really that fierce?
This whip can kill an ordinary person, let alone 20 full-force lashes. Even 10 lashes can often kill them.
But Tuoba Yue was actually laughing while he was fighting, that's really insane!
After 20 lashes, He Haikui's wrists were trembling, not from exhaustion but from fear. Looking at the jagged wounds on Tuoba Yue's back, a huge sense of guilt welled up in his heart.
The other soldiers stepped forward to support Tuoba Yue: "Squad leader, you should rest. Let me fight for you. Your injuries are too severe."
This was the first time Tuoba Yue had heard such genuine concern from his subordinates in the army. Whether it was the fine sweat on his forehead or the tears welling up in his eyes, he quickly wiped his face and laughed loudly, "Thank you for your concern, brothers. Since Lord Lü said that I should wield the whip, then I should do it!"
He Haikui was also inspired by Tuoba Yue's heroic spirit. He took off his shirt and shouted, "Brother Tuoba, put in some effort too, don't let me look down on you!"
Hearing this heartfelt "Brother Tuoba," Tuoba Yue felt incredibly pleased and laughed heartily, "Then you'd better hold back and let everyone see that we're tough too!"
"good!"
*Crack!* Tuoba Yue swung his military whip even harder, making a buzzing sound as it struck He Haikui's back, causing He Haikui to lean forward and fall to the ground.
But no one underestimated He Haikui. The power of that whip was evident to all, and they all grimaced as they looked at the horrific wound on He Haikui's back.
He Haikui's legs were trembling as he lay on the ground. This blow had made his brain throb with blood and his adrenaline surge.
"Brother, stand up!" Tuoba Yue shouted.
"Stand up, get up!" The soldiers around him were also moved by this scene. Seeing He Haikui struggling to get up from the ground, everyone was of one mind and shouted together to cheer him on.
He Haikui lived up to everyone's expectations, standing up and straightening his extremely thin body: "Brother Tuoba, continue!"
"Well done, but I won't hold back with every lash from now on!"
"Come!"
*Crack!* The second lash struck, and He Haikui's body trembled violently, but he remained silent.
Lu Tu reminded him, "If it hurts, shout it out, don't hold it in!"
As the third whip fell, He Haikui shouted, "Damn, that felt great!"
When the tenth lash was delivered, He Haikui finally collapsed to the ground, unable to bear the weight any longer. The soldiers around her were about to help her up when Lü Tu stopped them, saying, "Don't touch him!"
"Sir, he can't take it anymore, he can't go on!"
Lu Tu knew, of course, that He Haikui's health wasn't very good, but if he were to give up all his previous efforts now, the courage he had painstakingly built up would instantly vanish.
Then all those grand pronouncements he just made will become a joke, and will become an invisible thread that binds him tightly with each sunrise and sunset.
This time, He Haikui lay on the ground for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, but his hands were on the ground, constantly exerting force.
"My lord, He Haikui is really not going to make it! Let me take the remaining 10 lashes for him!"
"Yes, Lord Lü, do you really want to watch him die under the military whip?"
Lu Tu was naturally reluctant, but since he was not in charge of troops, he was unlikely to change his mind.
Seeing that Lü Tu remained unmoved, the soldiers who were on good terms with He Haikui turned their attention to Tuoba Yue, Nie Yun, Liu Hong and others, but their expressions were solemn.
At that moment, He Haikui let out a hoarse growl: "I can do it!"
As he spoke, He Haikui shakily got up from the ground, standing there with unsteady steps. He turned back and smiled at Lü Tu: "Thank you for believing in me, sir. Please continue."
Lu Tu waved his hand: "Give him a stick to chew on, and help him along."
The soldiers beside him did as he was told, helping He Haikui endure the last ten lashes. With a crack, the lashes ended, and Tuoba Yue quickly stepped forward and grabbed He Haikui's arm: "Brother, hold on!"
He Haikui nodded, his face pale, and said with a trembling mouth, "Thank you, Brother Tuoba."
Then he turned to look at Lü Tu: "My lord, I'm not a coward, am I?"
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