A Failure's hopeful Journey

You Xi Wang was standing beside his elder sister with his eyes looking down at his feet and his hands were kept behind his back as they were injured in the fight earlier. Maddison Midnight came to the pair of siblings and she spoke addressing You Xi Wang, "Student You Xi Wang, I won't say that what you did was something wrong but you should not take this life and death battles lightly. Zack O'Neil was careless and lost his temper, that his why he underestimated your capabilities, but what if he was cautious? You know he is a person who is suppressing his cultivation base for a sturdy foundation, right? What would your sister and family do if something happened to you? You are too careless. Reflect on your actions."

You Xi Wang also understood this if not for Zack was agitated and that is why he lost this fight otherwise it would have been him on his last leg or maybe died. He had some strong cards, but if exposed they will cause trouble for him and his family. He nodded his head in silence. Maddison understood he was afraid of his sister and she left after speaking a few words with You Zhichi. His friends wanted to approach him and say a few words, but when they felt the chilling gaze of You Zhichi they all left midway. 

You Xi Wang saw this and cursed them in his heart. You Zhichi ignored her brother and walked away. You Xi Wang whistled to Maya and hurriedly followed his sister. He was in deep shit this time. It won't be easy to coax his sister. They arrived at the parking and You Zhichi directly got inside the car and she closed the door with a band, without giving him an opportunity to get in beside her. Robert shook his head and took his seat as the driver, while You Xi Wang, had to ride shotgun. 

You Zhichi spoke, "Uncle Robert, home." her voice was so calm, yet this calm made You Xi Wang feel a chill in his heart. Robert on the side have noticed his hands, and he thought to himself, 'Young War God is in trouble this time and it is big.' it was known to all that whenever You Xi Wang did something naughty and careless, he would be punished. This punishment could be anything.

Once in the past when he was four years old, he climbed up the roof of the house and he fell down, he was rescued by his elder cousin. Chen Limao punished him, and the punishment was to hang him upside down from the edge of that roof for 3 hours. He pleaded, but his mother did not forgive him. Only when three hours passed by and You Xi Wang completed his sentence did she allow him to get down. He made some mistakes in the past which were potentially harmful to him and he was duly punished every time and maybe because of these punishments he never repeated the same mistake twice. 

Today was about to be one of those days where You Xi Wang will be punished and his sister was ten times strict with him than his mother, so he could only hope that she will be lenient. Just when he was busy thinking what the punishment could be and preparing himself the vehicle approached the mansion. You Zhichi got off the maglev after it lowered down on the ground, and she waited for her brother to come down. 

When he got down, his sister looked at him and said, "Follow me."

She had already called the elders to the main gathering hall of the family. They arrived at the hall in a few minutes and they saw the elders were already waiting only You Naixin was missing because she was grounded by all her brothers in order to appease You Zhichi because she might say nothing to her but as the elders, they knew that allowing You Xi Wang to fight a life and death battle against an academy elite student was as foolish as it could get. So they ground their sister. 

You Zhichi walked with a brisk pace and her footsteps echoed in the hall. The hall was so silent that it was deafening. The whole family had got wind of what might happen and so the atmosphere was solemn. You Zhichi took her seat beside the throne of the family master. You Xi Wang stood in the center of the hall with his head down sensibly. You Zhichi saw his attitude and spoke in an amusing tone. 

"Oh, the master of the You family, the war god, You Xi Wang lowered his head? At least the values passed down by the family still have some worth in his eyes." her tone was like a lash and words were like thorns covered in the whip. This whip lashed out straight on his heart. He could bear the beating, but when his sister talked to him like this, he just wanted to die. 

The lashing only got crueler, You Zhichi spoke again, "As the Young Miss of the family, I now sentence You Xi Wang to stand on his hand for a whole night while he is lashed out ten times every hour." this sentence made the elders change their facial expressions. 

The first elder took a step ahead, but just when he was about to say that the punishment was too much for a teen. The lash was a spiritual weapon and it could kill people if they are hit too much. He was interrupted by You Xi Wang, who was standing in the center of the hall. 

He spoke after taking a deep breath, "You Xi Wang admits his mistake, and accepts this punishment. I would also like to say these words to all the family. I live by the values passed down in the family, but if someone came and tried to trample on the dignity of my family members, elders, and my close ones. I will do these same mistakes no matter how many times it is needed because..." he raised his head and looked at his sister with slightly red eyes and continued, "because I believe they would do the same for me. Mother used to say, treat others the way you want them to treat you. I beg your forgiveness, big sis." after that he knelt down and kowtowed nine times before leaving the hall. He was headed to the punishment hall.

You Zhichi felt a knife stabbing her heart when she heard his words. She looked at the elders, trying not to let the tears flow out. You Ziyou came to her side, put his hand on her head, and said, "He has grown up Xiao Chi, don't worry, he deserved the punishment so he handles things more carefully. You don't feel like this because you also know how his heart is."

You Zhichi hid her tear-stained face in his chest, she knew her punishment would teach him a lesson and that her brother was more mature than she expected, it was shown by his words but she still felt bad because that much how she loved him. How can she feel happy about punishing her brother who she thought off as her most precious treasure?

...

In the You family mansion, there was a basement that was known as the punishment hall. It was a place that was dreaded by all. This hall would lock once you set in the punishment's timer, and the automated machines will then monitor your sentence completion. If you have even one moment where you fell short of the requirements then the sentence will start all over again. Now the rest can be left to your imagination. 

For an instance, you are asked to do 100 squats and your posture falters on the 99th squat, then you have to do it all over again. This was the horror of this punishment hall. You Xi Wang accessed the computer on the wall outside and typed in the details of the punishment. He also typed in a message in his Holo-phone and sent it to his sister before entering the hall and starting the punishment sentence. 

You Zhichi who was crying felt her Holo-phone beep in a special pattern. It was a unique pattern she set for her brother. She opened the message:

'I always fail at not making you worry and cry. I will try not to, but I do not know why whenever I try to do something good it ends up hurting you. Also, I know you are crying right now. Did you forget you will get old soon like granny Xin if you cry so much? Please don't cry big sis, your tears are something I cannot handle.'

Just when she was busy reading the message she heard an angry shout from the direction of You Naixin's room. 

"BRAT XIAO WANG, YOU JUST WAIT AND COME OUT OF THAT HALL. I WILL BREAK YOUR LITTLE ASS INTO PIECES, MY LOVE IS WASTED ON YOU." 

When everyone rushed to find out why she was so enraged, they found out that there was a picture of her covered in wrinkles and no teeth, she was smiling, below the pictures, some words were written, they said, "Smile please."

These pictures were posted on the walls of the mansion and You Naixin was tearing them off one by one. Everyone could not help but smile when they saw these pictures, and they knew You Xi Wang must have asked some of his naughty cousins to help him do this. You Naixin came to the elders and spoke, "How come this isn't seen as trampling on my dignity?"

You Ziyou spoke, "Xiao Xin, look how kind and benevolent you look in this appearance. Our grandson portrayed your caring heart in such a brilliant manner. No brothers?" he even asked his brothers. They all agreed and said that You Naixin was looking like the incarnation of motherly love itself. These wrinkles and smile showed she will care for her children. Men will be men, and with these sugary words, they calmed down the storm.

Who in their right mind would tell this woman that they were lying? Never slap a smiling face. They smiled and coaxed her. The family members shook their heads with a smile, the elders were no less playful than the kids in this household. Someone would check on You Xi Wang through the observation window every half an hour. There were screams whenever a robotic arm would hit him with lashes. They saw his body was sturdier and could take on the beating, but for how long they did not know. The amount of energy inside a Spirit Formation realm cultivator was limited, and You Xi Wang had wounded his hands earlier. 

In the You Mansion, the atmosphere was heavy because their youngest was facing his punishment and You XI Wang was loved by all. This family was so united despite the big size that people in Silica City had a proverb for unity.

'I for You, You for I' meant that everyone in the You family was a single entity and every single individual of the You family was the face of the whole family.