The Discipline Division were quick with their actions as if they were waiting nearby to get involved. But not in a good way when it actually started to kick off and theft was involved.
Jasmine couldn't understand how it switch to this level but she waited to see what would happen. The guards didn't even ask what happened and grabbed Leroy directly to subdue him.
Who by the looks of it was about to cut them down for getting in his way. As he was breaking free, a sharp pain entered his neck past his defenses. He looked over to see someone he thought was his friend before blacking out.
Tang Xuan held some needles in his hand as he used the Clear Tang Familiy's Acupuncture technique. By his bated breath, it took a lot of effort to do so just then. The amount of Qi used was at least half of his reserves to get through the tough skin itself.
At that time the situation spread quickly with the story getting mixed up with what actually happened. Some fed the flames and made sure what happened with Leroy was spread out.
Leroy still had a special situation and even more so with him waking up not too long after getting put down, he struggled to get free until clarity took back over. He was actually held in place by a Formation and several chains.
'To be able to entice me and drop my reason is pretty wicked, but why did I not feel it was abnormal? I had setup so maybe it just hit on a sore spot?' Confused, he tried to remember everything that happened and what was the tipping point. 'It couldn't have been the fruits, the person would not have been able to detect I would smell it. Didn't bump into anyone while shopping.'
To keep from tipping he was already back in control, Leroy switched back into the state he was in before. It was not that hard and he remembered the feeling the Berserk state caused his Qi to flow.
But a small problem was felt causing him to strain harder to use his Qi.
The chains were suppressing his Qi greatly and were not something that could be taken out on a whim. Someone really plotted against him and did some real work to do this.
Gathered were several people that were mixed about to see what was going on. Students, Teachers, and various civilians who worked in the Market Division voiced that Leroy wouldn't just attack like that or do something so wrong.
The highest person with authority happened to be Jasmine as the Principal's Student but a few others that could do something just watched on. All enjoying a good show and to see how it unfolds.
However, the Disciplinary Elder ignored their outcries as he received a report to handle the situation. The only odd thing was that they came with an early reply and the different Division Elders may be upset with the individual before him.
"Accosting a Shopkeeper and making threats, you are a student and a respected member of the Akademy! You are held to a higher standard!" The Discipline Elder shouted loudly as he read the charges. "Reckless endangerment and disgracing the Akademy itself! The choice before you is to concede to an act of the Shopkeeper's choosing or 100 lashes!"
The first part had Leroy looking really closely at the relationship with the Shopkeeper but he dismissed having crossed him. In fact, with all of the shopkeepers and even the first one he went to today the relationship was ok.
"You are mistaken, I didn't make threats, those were all promises! Give me a 100 lashes you fucktard!" Leroy said simply as he stared at the Elder. To his credit, the Elder was shocked as well as several others in the area. 'Don't have time to deal with this crap I need to make arrangements and the lashes might help with Body Tempering along with the chains!'
With the push of his Restrained Qi, he could feel his body getting stronger. Specifically, the pathways where his Qi traveled. Pushed by his Willpower that started to grow more, some of them actually tore.
Leroy needed to make sure the new separated pieces connected.
"Are.. are.. you sure?" The Discipline Elder noticed the sash on Leroy and was taken back a Tier 5 Medical Doctor would not want to do the favor instead. "The lashes are quite brutal and can actually cause problems to one's cultivation."
"Stop wasting my time and get this over with!" He shouted using a little of the Qi he pushed forward. 'Alright, can still use my Blood Qi from my Icebeast Dantian's and the Flame Vortex Qi. How come my Flamelighting Dantain is the only one really suppressed?'
Sinking into thought and ignoring the marks on his body he was aware of the pain in his neck still, Tang Xuan's strike earlier still caused him some issues. A few other marks on his body had Leroy grateful for putting a lot of his stuff in his Internal Space. A lack of purchased items had him pissed off.
His Storage Bags and the Storage Bracelet were taken. The Bracelet was nothing as he just started finagling with it to understand Storage Items more. But the Storage Bags did have some of the supplies he purchased today.
Lash after lash came down onto his backside. Leroy not muttering a single word in protest which had the students wincing with each blow. The ordinary people only saw it as harsh punishment and thought nothing really of it until some mentioned the details of what was happening.
"I would have died already!" A second-year student exclaimed. "To not have the protection of my Qi to defend against such powerful blows I can't imagine how long it will take to get back to normal."
"If he is able to." A student next to him chimed in. "He may have chosen this because he is a doctor but still.. the medicine to heal the Qi Posion alone will take time. Then you have to hope your Qi passages are not hurt or your Meridians. Each strike sends Qi throughout your body wildly."
"Why so cruel?" An aide at the Smithy's Shop asked.
"Have to be, Cultivators have pretty powerful bodies and Senior Leroy has a pretty strong one by the looks of it." The voice was a little childish compared to others but people immediately understood who that was. It was Bai Xing, the student of the Principal. "The Elder had to put more Qi into each strike which is not good."
The Discipline Elder stopped at 50 lashes as he was out of QI. His body ached something fierce as he did not want to embarrass himself. Seeing the strikes may have gotten out of hand, he gave himself a way out and hoped the other would listen.
"We can continue this tomorrow." Trying to save a little face for himself and using this as a means to not completely ruin things with himself and Leroy, he dropped the whip.
"I have shit to do tomorrow! Either finish now or this shit is over with period!" Leroy yelled defiantly. "My time is very precious and I can not lose another day like this!"
"Ughh.." The Discipline Elder lifted his arms but he could barely swing it. Pride be damned he was not going to keep this up! "I cannot."
The whip channeled his Qi and caused damage to the maximum. The process had not been done in so long that they really forgot how damaging it could be. The elder himself had never used it besides the one time for instruction itself several years ago.
"Then get that shopkeeper here then! He is the only other to do it!" A cultivator shouted out. A member of the Rebellion that managed to stay in the Akademy Leroy noticed. 'Should make it easier to strike him down later!'
Jasmine stared at the student but looked away towards the shopkeeper who looked terrified. Looking back, she noticed the student who spoke out slipped away.
"I.. cannot as well." The Shopkeeper was only in the Qi Refining Realm, looking at the Elder he would not survive two or three slashes before he dropped dead from Qi Depravation. "I ..."
"Shouldn't I be able to?" Little Lord Chao Mei looked on with a plastered face at the turn of events. But his eyes had a bit of glee in them as he knew he could cause trouble for this commoner further like needed. "I was the one who bought the item in question. So I am also offended by what happened."
"Yes.. but.." The Discipline Elder had enough time to collect himself and put this was a really odd situation. 'Didn't this student transfer to the other Akademy last year?'
"Hurry the hell up!" Leroy cursed as he really had shit to do even more so after thinking a few things over. "That little bitch boy will be tired in a few swings anyway!" Angering the other, he was hoping a mistake would be made.
"You will learn to not mock your betters!" Lord Chao Mei picked up the whip and got started before he was given the go ahead. "You will learn to have some respect!" He struck with more Qi than he should have.
*Schlick!* The whip went pass Leroy's shoulder and struck his chest from the slopping lash.
"Come on boy... I now grannies that can hit harder! Too tired from picking on underclassmen and hiding from real Cultivators!?" Leroy taunted even further. Another lash came that cut into his back and struck his spinal cord. "There we go, you can go back and tell your "betters" you hit a real cultivator!"
Absolutely livid, Lord Chao Mei struck fast and hard. A torrent of debris started to kick up from his improper handling. A few in the crowd were actually hit on the pullback.
This went on for some time with several people actually taken away to be treated. The number of onlookers actually had increased. With Leroy's adopted sisters watching from the side, held back by Tang Bo who calmed them down.
"Ha...ha.. ha.." On his knees with blistered hands and out of Qi, Lord Chao Mei felt something was wrong when he looked up. Thinking back, he was not worried about who was hit but thought about if he did anything wrong. 'Hmm, I think I may have miscounted the number os strikes.'
The little Lord didn't how right he was on the miscount.
*Fwoosh!* Freed with a wave of Qi fire going out, Leroy activated the strength of his body as he lunged forward with his cultivation brimming in power. However, a person got in his way to interrupt the process.
"Don't!" Tang Xuan got in the way of Leroy getting ready to kill the young Noble. Even throwing a Life Saving Treasure forward to stop the strike. "He made a mistake, not worth causing trouble further!"
A bunch of people reacted and the guards for Lord Chao Mei moved finally. Ushering him away with a few threats that it wasn't over.
While everyone thought the situation was gonna die down, they felt a wave of enormous pressure released. Leroy's Qi erupted as it blanketed the immediate area.
*Bam!* A devasting backhand sent Tang Xuan stumbling to the ground and spitting out blood. Another blow came immediately after as he uppercutted him hard enough that a necklace on the man broke.
Another broken Life Savign device, that had Tang Bo staring hard at his cousin Tang Xuan. The latter was just a guard that showed promise in Occupations so the Family paid more attention to him but the Life-Saving Treasure used was something an Elder would give to protect a favored heir.
.
Behind Closed Doors-
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Lord Chao Mei was on his way back to his territory via the Teleportation Formation. But before it was activated his Teacher came in to speak with him. With an abuse of authority, she had those on duty step out.
Dutifully they did but unaware of her decreasing prestige, two of the workers made a note that she met with Chao Mei. Not reporting yet but making arrangements, someone was about to be in deep trouble.
"Teacher Constance I did exactly as you asked but you didn't tell me he was that ruthless!" The disgraced Lord voiced out with some regrets. "If not for that member from the Tangs' I would have been dead!"
"Neither did I, but at least with these injuries he should remain safely inside the Akademy for a while." She tossed over a bag to award her student and his guards for the work. "Make sure no one knows it was me that asked you to do this. More disruptions will only slow down our efforts."
"Of course." Activating the formation, they all disappeared to before anything happened. "Be careful teacher! I think something strange is going on!"
"Humph, careful.. that is not something I can afford right now." Leaving the area, Constance returned back to her home in an instant. Inside, Elder Boksun was cultivating diligently. "Well, at least someone is making progress."
"Haaa, yes I am. How did it go to gain him to your side?" With a heavy sigh, she continues on the progress of her cultivation and physical problems. 'I wonder if I should send someone back to the Unlimited Sect to gain reinforcements here?'
"I did not. I was able to keep him at the Akademy for a little longer though." Constance plopped in a chair and lazed about angry. "The little plan to get him in trouble with the Akademy and coming in to bail him out with my authority is a no-go."
"I lost two of my servants because of this." Elder Boksun said a little angry. A flair-up of power greater than what she had before flickering. "I will not send my actual disciples to him or let them be a part of any half-baked plans."
"Yeah yeah, just shut up about it and get healed. Not much longer before the 1st Subsidiary Dimensions become known. Those Sects from the previous Great Way Era has all sorts of cultivations for use."
"Hopefully the right medicines can be found to help you return back to the Soul Severing Realm." Saying nothing else, Elder Boksun felt her Qi speed up so much more. 'If I had this treatment when I was a child, I could have had several Sects at my fingertips to control! Damn you for dying on me Mikado!'