Xia'er was dragged outside the courtyard and to prevent her from screaming, her mouth was plugged with a piece of cloth. Ning Zu'an ordered the guards to execute the punishment. The servants knelt on the ground in the courtyard, lowering their heads. None of them dared even breathe heavily. Soon, the sound of sticks hitting people and muffled grunting came from outside the courtyard.

The air seemed to be filled with a faint bloody smell. Mammy Luo knelt on the ground with other ...