Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 177: Zora’s Counterattack (Part-4)

The words echoed through the Morning Meeting Square, leaving the entire crowd staring at her in shock.

All eyes froze on Zora.

Shock. Disbelief. Even a trace of awe.

No one had imagined that she would say something like that.

Leave the academy.

Those four words struck like thunder.

This was the prestigious academy countless cultivators dreamed of entering, a place people fought tooth and nail for, only to be turned away at the gates. And yet, Zora had casually placed it on the bargaining table, as if it were nothing more than a chess piece.

What arrogance.

What confidence.

And more than that, what absolute resolve.

If Cassian and the others truly had evidence to crush her, how could she dare to stake her future like this?

For a moment, the entire square was silent.

Even Morgana and her companions stared at Zora in a daze.

They had once fantasized about driving her out of the academy, but deep down, they all knew how unrealistic that was. The academy would never expel such a talented student lightly.

Yet now, Zora herself had brought it up.

Strangely, instead of joy, unease crept into their hearts.

There was only one explanation for her actions.

She was absolutely confident.

The realization struck Morgana like a bucket of ice water. Her face drained of color almost instantly.

If the test proved Zora innocent, then what awaited them?

Morgana instinctively looked toward Cassian, only to meet his dark, displeased gaze. The reproach in his eyes was unmistakable.

If she had not spoken rashly and forced the situation forward, how would matters have escalated to this point?

Clarissa’s heart sank as well. She exchanged uneasy glances with Silvan and Adrian.

"This doesn’t feel right," Adrian muttered under his breath.

Clarissa scanned the crowd, only to realize that Gabriel was nowhere to be seen.

He had promised to step forward and handle compensation once things succeeded. Yet now, when it mattered most, he had vanished without a trace.

Her chest tightened.

"Calm down," Clarissa said slowly, forcing herself to think. "The result isn’t out yet. She might just be bluffing, trying to scare us into backing down in the last minute."

It was the only comfort she could cling to. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Silvan nodded, though his expression remained grim. The possibility existed—but it was slim.

At that moment, Zora’s voice rang out again, calm yet sharp as a blade.

"If the test proves my innocence," she said coolly, "then every one of you must apologize publicly—and compensate me for the damage done to my reputation."

Her gaze swept over Cassian, Morgana, and the others without fear or hesitation.

The crowd stirred.

Raphael and the rest looked at her in astonishment. This development was completely unexpected—and thrilling to watch.

Even faced with Cassian himself, Zora showed not the slightest hint of retreat.

At the side, Prince Kael’s lips curved into a faint, dangerous smile.

My wife is bold, he thought. Truly bold indeed.

And he liked it.

Gerrad, standing nearby, narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. He now understood why Zora had pushed the situation this far.

If she truly was innocent, then her demands were not excessive in the slightest.

"Damage to your reputation?" Cassian asked, his voice heavy.

Zora nodded, expression composed.

"Your actions today were an open attempt to ruin my name," she said evenly. "A ruined reputation carries a price. If you wish to accuse, then you must also be prepared to pay."

Her words fell with decisive finality, echoing across the square.

"The master is terrifyingly amazing," Black whispered in awe, eyes glittering as if they’d been minted from pure gold. "First she pits Cassian and his crowd into a corner, and now she’s dangling the second hook!"

"In one move, she raked in a fortune," White chimed in dreamily, pupils practically turning into steaming pig trotters. "How many meals will this buy? How many braised hooves!"

"Heh, Cassian and the rest deserve it," Black snickered. "Daring to offend the master... they were begging for misery."

The two little fellows exchanged smug looks, entirely satisfied.

Even Shihtzu’s eyes gleamed faintly. At least for a while, there would be no shortage of demon crystals. Life was good. Too good.

Wave after wave of joy washed over them, so overwhelming that it felt unreal.

Meanwhile, Gerrad spoke calmly, breaking the undercurrent of tension.

"In my view, Zora’s proposal is fair. Since this is a wager between both sides, I wonder what Master Cassian thinks?"

All eyes turned to Cassian.

A trace of hesitation flickered across his face. Money meant little to him. What he truly could not stomach was apologizing publicly to a junior.

Regret gnawed at his heart.

If only he had not come today.

He had intended to crush Zora’s reputation, to make her fall from grace. Yet now, the one cornered beyond retreat was himself.

Facing Zora’s calm, unwavering gaze, Cassian had to admit it.

This time... he had lost.

No matter how unwilling he was, Cassian finally nodded.

"Very well."

Gerrad did not delay. He immediately stepped forward to examine Alaric Von Seraph and the others.

Cassian knew their conditions well, especially Alaric Von Seraph’s. He had seen those meridians countless times before.

Yet now—

They were undeniably wider. Stronger. Toughened.

For any cultivator, such a change was invaluable.

It was more than enough to prove that Zora’s Tuo Dan was genuine—and extraordinary.

Gerrad then examined Alistair as well. The remaining medicinal energy within his body had yet to fully dissipate, its effects unmistakable.

When Gerrad finally straightened, his gaze toward Cassian turned complex.

"Master Cassian," he said slowly, "according to my inspection, their meridians have indeed widened."

The square fell into stunned silence.

No one doubted Gerrad’s judgment.

Who could have imagined that, in the end, the one proven wrong would be a famed refining master like Cassian?

Cassian staggered slightly. His face drained of all color, as though he had been struck by a crushing blow.

Morgana and the others looked even worse. Their carefully laid scheme had collapsed completely.

Not only had they failed to ruin Zora, but they had destroyed themselves instead.

Murmurs erupted among the crowd.

"I never expected Morgana to be this despicable. Buying the real Elixir, then turning around to smear Zora!"

"Exactly. Trying to trample her reputation to save their own faces... shameless!"

"And Master Cassian shielding his disciple like this? That’s going way too far."

Voices rose, sharp and unforgiving.

The verdict was clear.

This time, Zora stood unscathed—and those who tried to drag her down had fallen instead.

"Now the truth is finally clear!"

Reesa couldn’t help herself. She stared straight at Cassian and the others, eyes blazing with satisfaction. "Vice-Principal has already proven Zora’s innocence!"

Cassian felt a surge of blood rush to his throat.

If this were still forgivable, then what in this world would count as shameless?

At last, a realization struck him like a hammer.

"It must be this!" Cassian blurted out, voice tight with fury. "The Elixir she gave to them was real, but the one sold to us was fake!"

The moment those words left his mouth, the surrounding crowd fell into an awkward silence.

Even now, with the facts laid bare, Cassian was still trying to pin everything on Zora?

How could someone be so brazen?