Chapter 61: Silver-Tongued

Zhao Erdong let out a cold snort, ignoring the murderous intent in Zhao Tianjiang's eyes. If he wanted to kill her, it would not be so easy.

The civil and military officials retreated behind the golden dragon pillars, leaving a vast and empty space in the center of the hall.

Zhao Erdong and Yu Chenmo stood facing each other from afar. At the eunuch's command, both of them lunged forward, their turning palms whistling through the air as they went straight for each other's faces.

Though Zhao Erdong had never learned martial arts, she possessed innate divine strength, coupled with the abundant fourth-rank primordial energy flowing within her body. Her momentum was ferocious to the extreme. With a single palm strike, Yu Chenmo's expression changed drastically in terror, silently cursing himself for underestimating his opponent. He wanted to retreat and dodge, but it was already too late. Zhao Erdong's slender, fair palm gently pressed against Yu Chenmo's chest. It looked soft and powerless, but it actually contained the force of ten thousand gorges. Yu Chenmo let out a frantic cry and was sent flying backwards several feet, landing heavily on the warm jade floor. He vomited blood continuously, his eyes filled with reluctance and fury.

Although he was a civil official, he had never suffered such a humiliating defeat at anyone's hands, let alone from a mere yellow-haired girl.

The most astonished person of all was Zhao Tianjiang. He had originally intended to secretly assist Yu Chenmo in executing Zhao Erdong, but he never expected the battle to end in a single blow. Could this calm, composed, and overtly domineering person standing before him truly be Zhao Erdong? His own good-for-nothing daughter, Zhao Tianjiang's child?

Yue Moli gazed at Zhao Erdong from afar. This girl always managed to effortlessly capture everyone's attention, including his own.

"Your Majesty, the outcome has been decided. The facts prove that Zhao Erdong's martial arts cultivation is above the third rank, and she is exempt from the kneeling ritual," Yue Moli timely advised the Emperor, fearing further complications in the court. Although Zhao Erdong had succeeded with a single strike, anyone with discerning eyes could understand that it wasn't because Zhao Erdong's strength surpassed Yu Chenmo's, but rather because Yu Chenmo had been far too arrogant and underestimated his enemy, leaving him heavily wounded by the opponent's all-out attack.

The Emperor was clearly very satisfied with the outcome of the duel. His wrinkled face folded into a smile. "The younger generation is truly formidable!" He glanced intentionally or unintentionally at Zhao Tianjiang once more, then looked smilingly at Zhao Erdong and asked, "Zhao Erdong, this Emperor heard that you entered the palace alone without any family members seeing you off. Is it because none of your family members are currently in the Imperial City?"

Zhao Erdong sneered inwardly, thinking to herself just how much the Emperor must dislike Zhao Tianjiang. The Emperor was clearly tearing down Zhao Tianjiang's facade right in public. Since His Majesty was in such high spirits, how could she bear to ruin his fun?

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this subject was originally a native of the Imperial City, but my official registry has since been revoked, and there is no record of this subject left within the city. It is truly hard to say where I am from anymore."

The Emperor looked at Zhao Erdong with a smile, his dazzlingly white teeth—strikingly incongruous with his aged skin—blinding Zhao Tianjiang's eyes. "Oh? Why was Official Zhao's registry revoked?"

Zhao Erdong raised an eyebrow, turning her head to look at Zhao Tianjiang. At the same time, Zhao Tianjiang was also glaring at her, his eyes blazing with ferocious light, looking as though he wanted to skin her alive and grind her bones to dust.

The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, a cold sneer freezing on her lips as she looked mockingly at Zhao Tianjiang. Did he still take her for the defenseless little girl of the past? "Reporting to Your Majesty, this subject originally had both parents. However, a few months ago, my mother passed away due to illness. Erdong originally intended to depend on my father for survival, but alas, things did not go as wished. My father was bitten by a beast with a wolf's head and a dog's body, causing a drastic change in his heart and lungs. He could no longer even recognize his own biological daughter, and even attempted to take Erdong's life. Erdong knew deeply that this was not my father's true nature, but rather the doing of that wolf-headed, dog-bodied beast, and therefore never blamed my father. I only resent that inhumanly cruel beast, which turned my father into something neither human nor beast. With no other choice, and to prevent my father from bearing the infamous reputation of killing his own daughter, Erdong had no choice but to leave home and venture alone into the pugilistic world. Fortunately, I encountered a reclusive expert who imparted his lifelong wisdom and mastery to me, which is how the Zhao Erdong of today came to be."