50 Bloodlust

Chi Yulan sighed wearily, staring disdainfully at her slightly blood-stained hands. Her palms were calloused from holding the whip too tightly and her fingers trembled as her son's painful grunts and screams echoed through her mind.

She would never forget the agony that gnawed at her heart when she stared at Chi Weiran's bloodied back.

She could do nothing except avert her gaze when he was carried away by the Grandmaster's aide.

All because she feared the Feng Clan's influence within the Emperor's courts, especially when they would declare her son's actions as attempted murder.

"Wei'er… " Burying her face in her hands, the Grandmistress berated herself. "It's my fault you had to endure this… if I had been around more to teach you and help you channel that inherent rage you received from me… you wouldn't need to bear this punishment."