Raising Orphans, Not Assassins-Chapter 8Vol. 2 - - A Good Thrashing

Da Ming, Xiao Lian, Sun Sheng, and the others returned together to the orphanage.

In the Courtyard, Chen Ye sat on a reclining chair, idly flipping through a book.

Beside him, Xiao Fu squatted on the ground, poking at a pig with a wooden stick.

"Foster Father!"

The moment Sun Sheng stepped through the courtyard gate, he called out loudly. frёeωebɳovel.com

His fair, handsome face was filled with excitement as he spread his arms wide and ran toward Chen Ye.

Chen Ye glanced at him indifferently and let out a cold chuckle.

"Oh? Isn’t this our young master Sun, who spends the night at brothels and conveniently forgets to pay? You still have the nerve to come back?"

Hearing this, Sun Sheng came to an abrupt halt.

He froze in place, a shiver running down his spine.

His voice dropped a few notches as he whispered, "Foster Father… how did you find out?"

Chen Ye sat up from his recliner and sneered. "You thought Madam Liu spent half the day cursing in the streets… For no one to hear?"

At those words, Sun Sheng immediately withered like a frost-bitten eggplant.

"Eat your meal first. Then come receive your punishment." Chen Ye’s tone was calm, almost casual.

Sun Sheng’s expression turned into one of sheer despair.

"Foster Father… I know I was wrong…"

He ran to Chen Ye’s side, grabbing his arm and shaking it a little, trying to act cute.

Chen Ye ignored him, instead turning his gaze to Da Ming, who stood shirtless with tiger legs in hand.

"Da Ming, what’s all this?"

Da Ming grinned foolishly. "Came across a tiger in the forest attacking someone. So, I killed it."

"Brought these legs back to help Dad build his strength."

Chen Ye was momentarily speechless.

Born with great strength, combined with the system’s buffs… Was the effect really this extreme?

Twelve years old and already capable of killing a tiger?

He glanced at Da Ming in disbelief before cautioning, "Da Ming, don’t do this again."

"If you see a tiger next time, stay far away."

"Mm." Da Ming nodded obediently, smiling with his usual simple honesty.

Chen Ye’s gaze swept over the group, momentarily skipping over Xiao Lian’s somewhat unusual expression.

He stood up from his chair and said flatly, "Alright, let’s get ready to slaughter the pig. Time to cook."

Squatting beside the pig, Xiao Fu immediately panicked upon hearing that.

"Daddy!"

"Piggy is so cute! Can’t we spare Piggy?"

Chen Ye crouched down and ruffled Xiao Fu’s head.

"Be good, Xiao Fu. You’ll be very grateful to Piggy in a little while."

Xiao Fu: "???"

…

Smoke curled into the air.

The orphanage was soon filled with the rich aroma of food.

A strong scent of meat lingered over the courtyard.

Inside the main hall, a large round table was surrounded by children, each with a set of bowls and chopsticks.

The younger ones had maids beside them to help feed them.

"Woo… woo…"

Xiao Fu sat beside Chen Ye, softly sobbing, her little face streaked with tears, eyes swollen and red.

Her beloved Piggy was gone.

Held down by Da Ming.

Its throat slit in one swift motion.

A miserable death…

The thought of it made Xiao Fu’s heart ache.

Piggy had loved playing with her, and now it was gone…

"Woo… woo…"

The pain in her heart was unbearable.

Just then, Chen Ye picked up a piece of braised pork with his chopsticks and stuffed it into her mouth.

Xiao Fu instinctively chewed twice.

Her eyes widened.

Chen Ye grinned. "Xiao Fu, isn’t it delicious?"

Xiao Fu froze. Without thinking, she nodded.

Then, her heart ached even more. She mumbled through her food, "Piggy… you taste so good…"

Still sniffling, she looked up at Chen Ye, opened her mouth slightly, and gestured for more.

Everyone at the table burst into laughter.

Chuckling, Chen Ye picked up another piece of braised pork and placed it in her bowl.

Pouting, Xiao Fu stopped crying. She chewed the meat, her little cheeks puffing out, lips glistening with oil.

Eager to curry favor, Sun Sheng picked up a large, tender piece of stewed tiger meat and placed it in Chen Ye’s bowl.

"Foster Father, tiger meat is extremely nourishing! Please try some."

Chen Ye gave him a sidelong glance but said nothing.

Sun Sheng put on his most flattering smile, hoping to win some leniency.

Seeing no response, he tried again.

"Foster Father, I think you’re missing a personal maid to attend to your daily needs."

"I—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Xiao Lian, seated across the table, gave him a cold, indifferent glance.

A wave of chilling murderous intent pierced straight into Sun Sheng’s heart.

He shivered instinctively, his back breaking out in cold sweat.

Xiao Lian withdrew her gaze as if nothing had happened, calmly continuing to serve food to the children beside her.

Sun Sheng shrank his neck, wisely choosing to keep his mouth shut.

Since leaving Yuhang last year and venturing into the martial world around Lake Tai, he had confirmed something through various underground channels.

Xiao Lian was none other than the Jade Hand Asura—an elite assassin ranked under Yuye Hall.

At present, his own nickname, "White Stripe in the Wave - Zhang Shun”, was nowhere near as notorious as "Jade Hand Asura."

So, he did the only sensible thing.

Lowered his head.

Ate his food obediently.

After the meal… Foster Father was definitely going to discipline him.

At the thought of his impending punishment, Sun Sheng’s shoulders slumped in despair.

…

The meal ended in silence.

As the number of children in the orphanage grew, Chen Ye had established a rule:

No talking while eating. No speaking in bed.

If it’s not important, save it for after the meal.

The children understood and ate quietly.

The meal was finished quickly.

All the children ate their fill, their faces beaming with joy.

The maids cleared the table and led the children back to their rooms.

Chen Ye turned to Sun Sheng. "Wait for me outside."

Sun Sheng’s face crumpled. "Foster Father! There’s a misunderstanding—"

Chen Ye ignored him and looked toward Da Ming.

Da Ming held a cloth in his hand, absentmindedly wiping the same spot on the table over and over.

His mind seemed elsewhere.

From what Chen Ye knew, after working hard, Da Ming could easily eat six or seven bowls of rice.

Tonight, he had only eaten three.

"Da Ming, is something on your mind?" Chen Ye walked up to him, looking at his broad-shouldered, towering figure with concern.

Da Ming snapped out of his daze, shook his head, and smiled. "No… nothing."

As he spoke, his eyes flickered slightly, avoiding Chen Ye’s gaze.

Chen Ye said nothing.

Da Ming was a terrible liar.

If he lied, he would never dare look Chen Ye in the eye.

Patting Da Ming’s sturdy shoulder, Chen Ye said, "Da Ming, your future wife made you a new pair of shoes. Go try them on and see if they fit."

"Okay, Father."

Da Ming grinned, nodding firmly, his hands moving faster as he wiped the table.

But as he turned away, the foolish smile on his face disappeared.

His expression darkened slightly.

Chen Ye took a long, meaningful look at him, then turned to Sun Sheng.

"Let’s go."

Sun Sheng, looking as if he were marching to his execution, followed behind.

Not long after, the sound of a rattan whip striking flesh echoed through the courtyard.

Inside their rooms, the other children turned pale, trembling at the sound.

"I knew it! Hanging around Nan Yiyun would get you into trouble!"

"Agh! Ow!"

"Foster Father, let me explain—"

"Smack!"

"Owww!"

"Foster Father, on the very first day I gave her a pair of jade phoenix-patterned pendants worth a thousand taels and told her to redeem herself—"

"Ouch!"

"But she refused!"

Chen Ye's face darkened with anger as he lashed Sun Sheng with the rattan cane, each strike landing precisely, making Sun Sheng howl in pain.

Sun Sheng had hidden internal injuries, and Chen Ye was not simply beating him at random. Every stroke of the rattan cane targeted those internal injuries.

After two years of cultivation, Chen Ye had mastered the ability to divide his innate energy into multiple strands, allowing for more refined control.

The energy flowed through the rattan cane and struck Sun Sheng's skin, slowly dissolving his internal wounds.

This process was beneficial to Sun Sheng—but excruciatingly painful.

"Redeem herself?"

"What? You want to marry her?"

"If you do, I'll personally arrange the proposal right now."

"Once you're married, you’ll settle down and establish yourself properly!"

"No more running around Lake Tai with your pack of good-for-nothing friends!"

As he spoke, Chen Ye continued swinging the rattan cane, landing blow after blow.

Sun Sheng had no choice but to endure it. He didn’t dare use his internal energy to resist—it would be disrespectful to Chen Ye.

"I… Foster Father, a real man should have ambitions beyond the household. How could I be tied down by family affairs?"

Even as he was being thrashed, Sun Sheng tried to argue. "Besides… her background—"

Chen Ye sneered and struck harder.

"So in the end, you still look down on her status and refuse to marry her."

"You just want to redeem her and keep her in a private residence?"

"What right do you have to support her?"

"With your pathetic skills?"

Sun Sheng’s face turned red from both pain and embarrassment.

He wanted to boast that he had already reached the second rank.

But in Chen Ye’s eyes, second rank was still nothing more than "pathetic skills."

Sun Sheng was quick-witted. After stepping into the Jianghu, he deduced from the connection between Xiao Lian and Yuye Hall that Chen Ye must be involved.

From there, he realized that Chen Ye was Donghua—the mastermind behind the Yuye Hall.

Upon learning that he had the backing of not just one but two Grandmasters, Sun Sheng was so excited that he couldn’t sleep all night.

In the entire Jianghu, who had a more powerful patron than him?