Chapter 7.2: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind

“You, come here.”

As soon as Luna heard the voice, she looked up and saw Qiao Xingnan’s eyes looking at her. She hesitantly pointed at herself, “Me?”

Qiao Xingnan did not say anything. Luna gritted her teeth and walked over.

The two got closer and closer until there were two steps between them when Luna stopped. The man lowered his head, his golden eyes still carrying the cold intent of a superior man.

“Both men and women in our country have their pride, and neither will allow their partners to betray them nor will they do the same.”

“Once betrayed, the scars left behind will accompany the other person to eternal sleep as shame.”

The black-haired man put his sword against the other’s throat, “No one can punish him for you, only you.”

Death will not solve anything.

As soon as Qiao Xingnan finished speaking, the white-robed man lifted the other sword he had just seized and handed it to the woman.

Luna stared at the sword. Her hands trembled a little. She wanted to reach out but did not move. The white-robed man still kept the action of raising the sword as if waiting for the other side to think it over.

Qiao Xingnan did not take back the sword in his hand but continued pushing it closer to Neil’s throat so that he would not act on impulse to hurt the woman.

“Neil.”

Luna’s hands trembled as she grasped the sword. Tears flashed in her eyes as she looked at the familiar but unfamiliar man before her.

Three years ago, when she lost her home, it was the man in front of her who brought her out of her predicament and loneliness with promises and false love.

However, it was ridiculous to see the truth falling apart now.

Neil has long been frightened by what has happened, and his mind was in chaos. He saw from the corner of his eye that his chief and fellow knights were also motionless and had not come to his rescue.

Was he really going to die here today?

Neil was in despair. He did not dare to hate the dark-haired man who held his lifeline but only dared to glare at Luna and Jessica.

If it were not for these two women, how would he have ended up in such a situation?

Luna looked at the man before her and suddenly felt a little ridiculous. She was blind for those three years and actually lost her chastity in the hands of such a man.

Now, he still does not know what he did wrong. She actually wanted to jump into the lake because of such a man.

Luna breathed heavily, her hand clenched the sword tighter and tighter until her fingertips turned white. She approached the other party with soft legs. Amid Neil’s angry stare, her trembling hands fiercely slashed Neil’s arm covered in silver armor three times, directly denting a part of the silver armor.

Looking at the dented silver armor, Luna’s bitterness and hatred seemed to be crushed, and she threw away the sword in her hand with some relief on her face.

Seeing this scene, Jessica walked over but hesitated to move. After a few seconds, she looked at the black-haired man and the white-robed man next to her. Then, as if she had finally decided, she picked up her sword and looked at Neil, saying softly, “If you had said early on that you had other lovers, I wouldn’t have been with you.”

At this point, Neil couldn’t care less about the other. He looked at his dented silver armor, full of panic. This time, he was terrified that these women would hurt him, but the sword against his neck did not let him go. He had to accept the punishment of this woman here.

Jessica was a woman with a delicate mind. She knew very well the meaning of Neil’s every expression. Looking at Neil, who did not show the least bit of remorse, her heart went cold, and she raised her sword where Luna had cut.

“I was really a fool for believing you at first.”

Neil cried out in pain. The silver armor protecting his arm shattered, and blood flowed down his arm. Along with the blood, there was a foul-smelling liquid.

Ilir’s face darkened as he stood back and watched the scene. Being injured in the arm caused incontinence?!

“Who recruited this person?”

Illir had a sullen expression as he gritted his teeth. The knights were warriors who could give their lives for their country. Even with a hole in their chests, they would be the ones to die standing up.

And now it was merely a stabbed arm.

“Utia City transferred them last year.”

The second-in-command next to Ilir also felt ashamed.

What’s even more humiliating was that Neil was scared out of his mind, still choking on his breath, looking hatefully at the two women in front of him, and once again made a fool of himself: “Don’t I just have a few more lovers? Are you all satisfied now?”

Luna and Jessica really did not expect a knight to show such an ugly face in shock because of an arm injury. In this war-torn world, even women have seen brutal battlefields without changing their faces.

The man they liked was such a coward who only blamed women. The two of them only feel disgusted now, and Neil is not worth a single tear from both of them.

Qiao Xingnan watched both women let go of the relationship and was relieved. When his eyes fell on Neil again, he couldn’t help but sigh a little at the different types of people.

However, no matter what he thought in his heart, he still had to be stable on the surface. So he still showed a condescending attitude in front of the crowd.

They saw the black-haired man throw the sword into the white-robed man’s arms with some disgust: “With such a knight, I really feel sad for the emperor of Arilance.”

Then, he raised his hand, and the white-robed figure behind him flashed, picking up the sword that Jessica had thrown on the ground before. He appeared beside Ilir and reinserted the sword into the other’s scabbard.

“Many thanks.” The hoarse voice uttered the words of thanks so plainly as well.

“Your Excellency, in any case, this is a knight of our country. Please leave it to us.” Ilir’s eyes fell on the knight who sat down on the ground with his ugly appearance. He said this matter which he very much did not want to admit, with patience.

The white-robed man did not speak. He was not qualified to decide this matter for his emperor.

“Of course, it will be handed over to you.” The black-haired man raised his head slightly, the green gem glowing in the sunlight. His every move seemed to be written with elegance and nobility, especially when set off by the knight next to him, looking more confident and powerful.

“I will not treat any of the people of Arilance rudely, just as I love my people dearly.”

His voice was low and earnest, making people unable to resist being convinced.

If Neil had not been injured when he said this, Ilir might have nodded politely, but now he could only listen to the other party’s words in silence without knowing whether they were true or not.

“Likewise, I will forgive him for his disrespect in my presence.” The dark-haired man lowered his eyes as if to show his forgiveness. The noble emperor suffered unprecedented humiliation.

Ilir’s body stiffened. The incontinence of the knight was a fact. There was no way to argue with it. Damn Neil, he decided in his heart that he must compile the list of knights transferred from Utia and throw them all out for special training tomorrow without fail!

Then, Ilir held back his anger and asked his subordinates to take Neil away.

And when the two maids were also about to be brought in for questioning, Qiao Xingnan stood beside Ilir and sighed softly to Zero, but not too loudly, just enough for Ilir to hear.

“In my country, those who can put the mark of shame on a betrayed partner are the pride of the entire empire. They know how to cherish themselves, and their pride cannot be tarnished. They are my proud subjects.”

“I also wonder how Arilance would treat such commendable subjects.”

That’s right, Qiao Xingnan was here to stimulate Ilir. At that time, to dispel Luna’s search for death without collapsing his persona, Qiao Xingnan could only do this to reveal Luna’s negative emotions.

But he didn’t do it so that Luna would be punished for attacking the knight afterward.

“Of course, we certainly won’t hurt them.” Ilir was annoyed by Neil’s disgrace and couldn’t help but say back when he heard the other man say that, “People who have the courage to pick up a sword should be respected anywhere.”

Ilir knew that if the two women were really cheated of their chastity by Neil, their future would undoubtedly be dark if they left the manor. In this case, the two would not be able to teach Neil any lessons.

“However, they still need to be fined silver coins for doing it in the middle of the manor.” Ilir then closed his mouth. He felt he had said a little too much.

Ilir turned his head to look at the dark-haired man, wanting to leave the place and teach Neil, who had embarrassed himself.

Only to find that the black-haired man who was just lamenting this matter with Zero didn’t care about what he said. The other man just nodded his head to express his understanding and then started to sigh with the white-robed man, “This knight doesn’t seem so stupid.”

This person is really unpleasant in every way.

Ilir’s face darkened again, and he left without looking back.

He did not know that behind him, Qiao Xingnan looked at his figure, and his lips showed a smile of triumph.

Qiao Xingnan, who was in a good mood, did not know at all that his performance today, together with the investigation, had been sent to the table of the emperor of Arilance at a fast pace.