Bai Zihan looked down at him for a mont.
His expression did not change.
"Do it properly,"
Bai Zihan said calmly.
Yuan Jie's shoulders stiffened.
Bai Zihan's gaze lowered slightly, observing the rigid back, the clenched fists, the bowed head that seed more forced than repentant.
"I cannot feel any sincerity in your words."
Yuan Jie's head snapped up slightly, disbelief flashing across his face.
(What?)
He was already kneeling.
Already apologizing.
What more did Bai Zihan want?
His humiliation had reached its limit.
"Young Master Bai, Yuan Jie forced out, his voice trembling, "I have already-"
Bai Zihan raised a single hand.
Yuan Jie's words died instantly.
"If you must kneel," Bai Zihan continued, his tone mild, "then kneel properly." His eyes were no longer indifferent.
"Lower your head. Straighten your back. Speak clearly."
"If you apologize, do so with sincerity."
Bai Zihan spoke as if bowing properly were sothing taught extensively.
Yuan Jie's breathing grew ragged.
This was unreasonable.
He was a Soul Formation cultivator.
A core disciple.
And now-
Not only was he forced to kneel-
He was being corrected on how to kneel.
His pride roared in protest.
"I-"
His voice shook.
"I have already admitted my mistake. Young Master Bai, must you go this far?"
A faint smile touched Bai Zihan's lips.
It did not reach his eyes.
"You think this is far?"
The temperature in the arena seed to drop.
Yet Yuan Jie felt as if a mountain had descended upon him.
"Who told you to make the bet in the first place?"
Yuan Jie's lips parted-but no sound ca out.
He regretted it. He regretted it imnsely.
"Try again," Bai Zihan said.
It was not a suggestion.
Yuan Jie's mind exploded.
Try again?!
His humiliation had already been laid bare before the entire sect!
He wants him to do it again?
"This is unreasonable!" Yuan Jie burst out, his voice trembling between anger and desperation.
"I have already kept my word!"
His eyes turned abruptly toward the overseeing elder.
"Elder! You witnessed it. I knelt. I apologized. I fulfilled the wager!"
Several disciples stirred uneasily.
Technically-
He had.
The elder's brows furrowed slightly, clearly caught between positions.
Before he could speak-
Bai Zihan's gaze shifted.
The faint smile disappeared entirely.
"I have already said that your apology has no sincerity. Do it again!"
Yuan Jie's face flushed red.
His pride snapped.
"I already bowed!" he shouted hoarsely. "How much lower do you want to
go?!"
The words echoed sharply in the arena.
Bai Zihan's expression turned cold.
"You should understand sothing. When I ask you to try again-it is not about
your pride."
His gaze locked onto Yuan Jie's trembling eyes.
"It is what you should do."
Cold and unforgiving.
Yuan Jie's heartbeat pounded violently in his ears.
"You should know the consequences of failing to honor a wager properly."
Bai Zihan did not elaborate.
He did not need to.
Yuan Jie understood without needing to be told.
It would not be his pride that would be crushed, it would be his life if he failed
to do so.
He was Bai Zihan. Although crippled, he still had the background to make Yuan
Jie regret ever being born.
His earlier defiance evaporated.
His breathing turned shallow.
The chanting crowd had gone utterly quiet.
They were waiting and watching.
Yuan Jie's resistance shattered completely.
Slowly-
His spine bent again.
Lower than before.
Both knees pressed firmly to the ground.
His hands flattened against the stone.
His forehead descended until it touched the cracked platform.
This ti-
There was no stiffness.
No forced arrogance.
Only fear. "... Young Master Bai," he whispered, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
"I was arrogant and insulted Young Master Bai. I offended you."
His forehead pressed harder into the stone.
"Please, I sincerely beg for forgiveness."
The words rang clear.
Not loud.
But undeniable.
No one doubted his sincerity now.
Because it was carved from terror.
Silence lingered.
However, Bai Zihan wasn't satisfied this ti either.
"Again," Bai Zihan said.
"What?!"
Yuan Jie was flabbergasted.
However, he was in no position to refuse the man who has authority to kill him
and his whole clan.
He once again bowed.
"Again!"
"Again!"
At first it was funny, then it was pitiful.
Even those who were once bullied by Yuan Jie pitied his current appearance.
Indeed, there is always a bigger bully out there.
Only after knowing how many tis Yuan Jie bowed his head was Bai Zihan
finally satisfied.
"Good! Now, I can feel the sincerity. I hope you don't make the sa mistake."
Yuan Jie was exhausted, no longer caring about the humiliation he had displayed before everyone.
"...Thank you for being rciful, Young Master Bai!"
His voice was hoarse.
Empty.
Bai Zihan regarded him for a brief mont, then withdrew his gaze as if the
matter no longer held any significance.
"Kong Zhanhong" he said calmly, turning slightly.
Kong Zhanghong, Fei Ling and Yun Qingi were already there, waiting for Bai
Zihan.
Kong Zhanhong straightened instinctively. "Young Master?"
"We should leave!"
Just like that.
As though what had just happened was nothing more than a minor interlude.
Kong Zhanhong nodded imdiately.
"Yes!"
The crowd slowly began to stir again.
Whispers spread like ripples.
Fei Ling couldn't help but feel a chill on her spine.
"As expected, Bai Zihan, you are truly evil."
Bai Zihan stopped.
Turned slightly.
"Evil?"
He repeated, faint amusent touching his voice. "What did I do? I did not
force him to wager."
His gaze flicked briefly toward Yuan Jie, who still knelt on the platform like a
discarded puppet.
"He wanted to, and I rely fulfilled his wish."
Fei Ling rolled her eyes, unable to believe how Bai Zihan could shalessly
claim such things.
Yun Qingi stepped in quietly, her voice softer.
"Fei Ling, he deserved it."
Her eyes drifted toward Yuan Jie.
"How many outer disciples has he humiliated like that? He doesn't deserve any
sympathy."
She shook her head faintly.
"This is simply karma."
Fei Ling did not respond.
She knew Yun Qingi wasn't wrong.
Still, wasn't it a bit excessive?
Yun Qingi's expression shifted slightly as another thought surfaced.
"...But Han Shewu won't stay silent," she said, lowering her voice. "Yuan Jie is
one of his people. Now that he has been defeated-and humiliated like this-he may interfere."
A faint tension returned to the air around them.
Lin Xuan's expression hardened instantly. Indeed, now that his lackey had been defeated, he would definitely intervene himself.
However, he was confident that even if it was Han Shenwu himself, he could
handle it.
But there was Sect Leader Han behind him, and that would be troubleso to
deal with.
Bai Zihan simply scoffed.
"Interfere?"
There was faint disdain in his voice.
"I don't think he has the guts to ss with my people."
He began walking again, robes swaying lightly with each step.
"We do not need to worry about it."
The certainty in his tone was absolute.
Though Fei Ling has her doubts, she didn't think it was her problem to worry
about.
After a few steps, Bai Zihan paused again, glancing toward the sect entrance.
"Xueqing and Chu Ziyan should have arrived by now."
His voice softened slightly at the ntion.
"We shouldn't keep them waiting. Let's go!"
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