A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 135: Chapter 134 Jinling City 6

”Hahaha, what do you have to say now, Third Master Huang?”

Hou Tianbao was so pleased he almost pounded his chest and stamped his feet in delight.

Seeing his smug look, Xia Ruqing could only think about slapping him across the face. But, with the Master present, it wouldn’t be proper for her to act rashly.

Zhao Junyao rubbed his nose, observing Hou Tianbao’s antics with the amused gaze one reserves for a clown. When Hou Tianbao saw Zhao Junyao remain silent, he thought Zhao Junyao was afraid and approached him.

With a lecherous glint in his eyes, he ogled Xia Ruqing. ”This girl... truly exquisite, a true gem of Jiangnan!”

With that, he reached out to touch her.

Just then, Zhao Junyao’s hand shot out with lightning speed.

A CRACK echoed—the sound of bone and joint.

A scream like a stuck pig followed immediately.

”AH!!... AH!” The cries resonated through the air, lingering for a long time.

Zhao Junyao turned, leisurely admiring Hou Tianbao’s pain-twisted face. Then, with a disdainful smile, he said lightly, ”My woman is not for the likes of you to ogle. If you dare to look again, I’ll have your eyes gouged out immediately. If you don’t believe me, feel free to try!”

Hou Tianbao, both in pain and enraged, practically jumped in fury, roaring like thunder. ”You! You dare launch a sneak attack on me! You, surnamed Huang, do you even know who my father is?”

Zhao Junyao’s lips curved into a smirk. He said nothing, simply gesturing for Xia Ruqing to leave with him.

Hou Tianbao immediately signaled the group of ruffian-like house servants behind him. ”Are you all dead? Stop them! He laid hands on me, your young master! How can you let him just walk away?”

The group of house servants glanced at Third Master Huang, who stood calmly to the side, utterly composed and unruffled. They felt a bit intimidated, hesitating to step forward.

Their inner thoughts were a chaotic mess.

Who exactly is this Third Master Huang? I heard he’s a merchant, but he sure doesn’t look like one!

Why do my legs always tremble uncontrollably when I stand before him?

Yeah, I feel it too! Those eyes of his are terrifying. If he looks at me again, I think I might just kneel!

What should I do? My knees feel so weak!

”Aren’t you going to attack yet?” Hou Tianbao bellowed again.

Clenching their teeth and mustering their courage, the house servants, though ashen-faced with terror, still shakily moved forward to surround Zhao Junyao and his companions.

”D-d-don’t go!”

”Th-that’s right... O-our young master said you can’t leave!”

Xia Ruqing swayed, trying so hard to suppress her laughter that her stomach began to cramp.

These guys are such jokers! Did a monkey send them? Monkey... Hou Tianbao? Hahahaha...

Zhao Junyao also felt a slight urge to laugh. How should I put this? he thought. To him, this was clearly just a clown putting on a show.

Li Shengan couldn’t hold it in any longer. He leaned forward slightly and roared, ”Do you know who our Huang... Third Master Huang is?”

With his arm dislocated, Hou Tianbao had lost all reason. He wailed one moment and barked orders the next. ”I don’t care who you are! Men, get him! Beat him up!”

The scene was getting a little out of control. Zhao Junyao felt a headache coming on from the helplessness of the situation. He turned and said, ”Qingqing, stand aside for a moment!”

Then, closing his fan and not even bothering with a weapon, he unleashed a flurry of fists and feet upon the group of house servants, whose legs were trembling.

As the Emperor, he was quite fair: one kick per person, no more, no less.

In the blink of an eye, about a dozen house servants were all on the ground, their faces contorted, barely conscious. They were seeing stars, lost in a vast, dizzying universe.

Li Shengan was frantic at the side. ”Huang... Huang...”

He lamented internally, Aiyo, Your Majesty, why did you have to get involved personally? There are so many Hidden Guards protecting you. A single glance would have been enough. Why bother doing it yourself? If you get even a scratch, and the Empress Dowager finds out, won’t she nag me to death?

Zhao Junyao shot a sharp glance over.

Li Shengan immediately shut his mouth.

His Majesty must be looking for some excitement! After all, despite practicing martial arts for so many years, His Majesty has only sparred with others; he’s never actually been in a real fight. Well! What else could I say?

He suddenly felt a pang of pity for this Young Master Hou. Who knows how badly the Master will beat him! Poor child, what terrible karma from a past life led to this!

Li Shengan, protecting Xia Ruqing, headed back to Jingtai Tower first.

But who was Xia Ruqing? Could she possibly miss out on such excitement? Of course not. After going upstairs, she found a prime viewing spot and watched from above.

She hadn’t expected to be so shocked by what she saw.

”My heavens! Is that still Young Master Hou? How did the Master beat him up like this in the blink of an eye!” Xia Ruqing exclaimed internally, observing the scene.

Zi Yue, standing beside her, tried to suppress her laughter until her face turned red.

Xia Ruqing saw Young Master Hou already lying on the ground. He’d taken a kick to the face and was so bruised and swollen that even his own mother probably wouldn’t recognize him. And if that wasn’t enough, those two hands... why do they look like limp noodles? Could it be? Was his other arm dislocated too? Ai, truly pitiful! Young Master Hou, you must have committed quite a few sins, haven’t you!

Zhao Junyao stood to the side, a satisfied smirk on his lips as he admired his handiwork.

”Amazing! Third Master Huang is so impressive!”

”Well done! That was a good beating!”

”Beat him to death! Beat him to death!”

Young women and wives in the surrounding crowd began to clap for Zhao Junyao.

The onlookers buzzed with comments.

”This is karma!”

”Exactly! Let’s see him try to misbehave and harass decent women now!”

”Oh, yes! I still remember Old Zhang from the East Street Tofu Shop—his daughter was hounded to death by the Hou Family!”

”And Old Liu from the West Street Tailor Shop! His daughter was already married, but that monster beat her husband to death and then his attempts to force himself on the grieving widow ultimately led to her death too!”

”He deserves to be beaten to death!”

”Right! He absolutely should be beaten to death!”

”He should be beaten to death!”

Hearing the comments, Li Shengan hurried over to quietly inquire. But as soon as the common folk saw him asking about these things, their expressions instantly changed. Everyone seemed hesitant to speak; they just shook their heads, sighed, and dispersed.

Naturally, Zhao Junyao had also heard these remarks. He had been about to leave, but upon hearing this, how could he let it stand?

So fond of harassing decent women, is he? That’s a sickness, and it needs to be cured. Well then, I’ll give him a thorough treatment, he thought.

With that, he delivered another kick to Hou Tianbao’s vital area.

With a sickening sound, something there shattered. The pain was intense!

Hou Tianbao let out a heart-rending, lung-splitting howl, his throat nearly bursting from the effort.

”Alright, let’s go.”

Just as Zhao Junyao was about to leave, an earth-shattering wail suddenly pierced the air.

”Aiyo, my son! What happened to you? How did you get beaten like this?!”

”Aiyo! Aiyo!”

Lady Hou scrambled down from her carriage and practically threw herself onto the ground beside Hou Tianbao. Mother and son wailed in unison.

”You... you’re committing murder in broad daylight! Is there no law anymore?”

She then whirled around and shrieked at her servants, ”What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and take him to a clinic to see a physician! And quickly, go fetch the Master!”

After her tirade, she resumed her wailing. Turning back to Zhao Junyao’s group, she shrieked, ”You’re the ones who beat my son, aren’t you? Just you wait!”

”Men! Tie them up first! We’ll wait for the Master to arrive and decide their fate!”