ATAPOW Chapter 226
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Chapter 226: Damaged Armor
“It’s become extremely clear why he chose to join us. He’s here to infiltrate our ranks, gain our trust, quietly amass his power, and then turn his blade against us when the time is ripe! I must commend you, man in magical armor; your acting prowess is truly remarkable. From how proficient you are, I doubt this is your first time, right?” Fishbone intentionally raised his voice, so that everyone on the scene could hear him.
Despite his attempts to deride and assassinate Ji Bai’s character, no one chose to stand up for him.
Instead, Ji Bai found himself being met with gazes that were progressively growing more hostile and unfriendly.
“You…” Lil’ Sha seemed to snap back to reality, as her fragile figure began to tremble. “You… So you’ve been deceiving me all along??”
“I’ve never deceived you.”
“Shut up! Even now, you’re still lying to me!!” Her emotions suddenly took an abnormal turn, spiraling into turmoil as she promptly broke free from Nael’s embrace.
“You didn’t lie to me, you say?! Then why on earth did you withhold the truth from me for so long?!” Lil’ Sha drew in a deep breath. “If there was no ulterior motive, then why did you lie to me??!”
“Ah, I get it now! This had been your plan from the very beginning, hadn’t it?! From the first time you laid eyes on me, you had already begun to formulate this scheme in your mind, am I right?!”
“That’s why I was wondering, how could there be a human knight who’s so accepting of different races? It’s all an act, isn’t it? It’s all just a facade!” Her voice turned hysterical, as warm tears welled up in her eyes.
“Why did you do this? Is it that fun to play with people’s emotions?” Lil’ Sha’s quivering voice was marred by her sobs, rendering it impossible for her to pronounce her words clearly.
“…” Ji Bai remained silent.
“Surely you’ve figured it out by now, your Highness?” Fishbone gave a cold chuckle as he approached her. He pointed his finger at Ji Bai before saying: “This man is none other than the one who took Her Highness Princess Felina’s life — The Radiant Knight King of the Human Alliance!”
“This whole charade of feigning his own death was nothing more than a well-crafted performance orchestrated in collusion with the human alliance! Their aim is to confuse the masses with falsehood and lower the guard of the outside world, so that he can use that opportunity to execute his mission in secret… His motives for approaching you were impure from the very beginning.”
“You deceived and manipulated Her Highness Felina’s feelings, and now you’re attempting to do the same with our second princess? Haha!”
“Are you… Are you the one who killed Aunt Felina?!” Lil’ Sha widened her eyes in disbelief
“…Yes.”
“Haha…”
Lil’ Sha laughed as tears streamed down her face.
Despite feeling sympathy for her, words of consolation eluded Nael. She could only offer her embrace to fight the growing sense of coldness in her heart.
“I suspected as much. No wonder you were able to chase the trolls away earlier… So, you’ve been in cahoots with them for a long time, right?” A peculiar smile hung on Fishbone’s face.
“Mr. Ji Bai, you…” The middle-aged man with a red goatee let out a deep sigh before helplessly shaking his head.
It had never occurred to him that the saying of ‘Destiny making a mockery of people’ would actually ring true.
“Why bother engaging with this despicable and shameless individual?! He might even be the one who led the vampires here! Just pass this devil to the vampire army and let them deal with him. Perhaps that can help clear up the misunderstanding between us.” Fishbone continued to fuel the fire.
Among the uninformed individuals on the scene, a portion were already beginning to be swayed by Fishbone’s arguments as they cast hostile and wary glances in Ji Bai’s direction.
At that moment, the dark-silver figure appeared isolated and without support.
However, Ji Bai paid it no mind and only directed his gaze at Lil’ Sha.
“You… You heartless fiend who plays with people’s emotions… Begone from my eyes this instant!!” Tears stained Lil’ Sha’s face as she screamed with a voice brimming with hatred.
Upon hearing that, a fleeting ripple seemed to run through the knight’s heart.
“Stop staring at us! …Haven’t you caused us enough harm already?!”
The sadness and despair etched on the golden-haired face stirred a strong sense of deja vu in him…
It was as though he had been transported back to that day. The bloodstained longsword had reappeared in his hand; And before him, a young girl whose blood seemed to spill out from the corners of her mouth.
Her face and the one in front of him began to merge in his mind…
“Ughhh…”
Ji Bai crouched down and firmly clutched his head in his hands.
Blood-soaked memories resurfaced, bearing down on him like a massive boulder and leaving him gasping for air.
Doubts and uncertainty had taken hold in his heart.
‘That’s right, how could someone like me ever attain forgiveness and salvation??’
‘How could my actions possibly be…’
“Crack…” No one had noticed that subtle cracks were actually forming on the invulnerable [Radiant Armor].
“You can’t speak to Sir Knight like that!!” Suddenly, two tiny figures suddenly rushed out from a house and embraced the isolated and helpless Ji Bai.
“Sir Knight was the one who rescued us from the hands of those nightmarish beings. He’s definitely not a bad guy!”
“You two are really…” The Asiatic Cat’s mother wore a helpless expression as she stared at her children, who had run out after she failed to stop them in time.
“What could you two brats possibly comprehend?? That guy is our enemy. Do you even know the meaning behind our struggles?!” Fishbone coldly harrumphed, berating them to stand down as if they were nothing more than annoying flies.
“While we might not know much about that, we do know that Sir Knight was the only one willing to help us when we were in big trouble!” The two children said with pouty lips.
“You…” Fishbone was instantly silenced by the children’s words, whose remarks had deeply embarrassed him. Overcome by a mix of anger and humiliation, he had actually reached for his scabbard.
“Exactly! Only Sir Knight was willing to rescue us when we were in dire straits earlier!” The children led by example and inspired the Asiatic Cat commoners to stand up.
“The restoration society, you say? I’ve practically never heard of you all before. Have you assisted us in any substantial manner?? No! Other than causing chaos and having us pick up the pieces, what have you done to truly benefit us??”
“Hear, hear! When the trolls were around, you all had hidden yourselves underground like a pack of rats. And now, you suddenly surface and expect us to buy your arguments. Why should we??” Instantly, the Asiatic Cat commoners had overwhelmingly rallied in support of Ji Bai.
“From where I’m standing, you’re the unreasonable one!”
“These lowly commoners, they’re truly…” Fishbone clenched his scabbard in anger, while Nael and the red-goatee man hung their heads in shame.
“Say, have you guys forgotten about us?” A playful voice interjected, bringing a pause to the arguments between the two parties.
“While I don’t mind continuing to watch this moral dilemma play out, being ignored doesn’t particularly sit well with me…” Jinxuan lightly tapped her finger on her weapon’s hilt. Her eyes were filled with amusement from observing the dispute between the two parties.
“Well, never mind then. If you want to argue, you can slowly hash it out on the road to the netherworld. I’m on a tight schedule, you see…”
“Boom!!” Just then, the sound of a gate being shattered reverberated from the south entrance, interrupting her words.
“Tramp, Tramp, Tramp…!” The sound of footsteps resounded in perfect harmony, as a procession of soldiers clad in white armor orderly poured into the outer city through its entrance.
Above them, several flags embroidered with a hunting hound were fluttering from their poles.
“Hmph! Speaking of the devil. They truly are a pack of dogs…” A cryptic cold smile appeared on Jinxuan’s face as she watched the flag flutter in the sky. “I see their noses are still as sensitive as ever.”
For a moment, the massive troops sent dirt and soil flying into the air. As everyone looked on with expressions ranging from astonishment, shock and wariness, the white armored soldiers reformed their ranks and confronted the black imperial knights, whose gazes were fixed at them.
Following this, the soldiers began to move aside, making way for a black-haired girl to step out from within.
Imperceptible sparks seemed to crackle in the air the moment Jinxuan and the girl who had emerged from the white armored soldiers locked eyes with each other.
Even though the situation had not deteriorated to the point that both sides had to unsheath their swords or draw their bows, everyone could sense the subtle tension hanging in the air.
Perplexed by the situation, the Asiatic Cats could only stay silent and follow its development closely.
“It’s been quite a while since we bade adieu after that banquet, Lady Xun. How have the recent days found you?” Jinxuan maintained a gentle smile as she approached her.
“Quite well, I must say. Miss Jinxuan, you seem to have a rosy complexion. I presume something positive has happened recently to bring you joy.” Xun replied with a calm tone.
Her pointed ears and exceptionally pale skin were ample evidence of her identity.
‘Oh my goodness… It’s already bad enough to deal with one army of vampires, and now there’s another??’
The complexion of every Restoration Society member turned pale. They did not dare interrupt the conversation and could only stand at the sidelines like obedient children.
“Ah, about that joyous news. We did have something in the works, but now, it appears someone has thrown a wrench into our plans.” Jinxuan glanced at Xun with a smile.
“Oh, that’s truly a pity.” Xun replied, her gaze shifting downwards as if she was empathizing with a friend’s misfortune.
“I’m curious, Lady Xun. What has led you to make such a lengthy trip to this isolated place?” Despite knowing that the other party was playing dumb, Jinxuan chose not to expose her.
“Oh, I almost forgot. Many thanks for the reminder, Lady Jinxuan.” Xun suddenly seemed to recall something and retrieved a jade token from her leather pouch.
“I’m naturally here in accordance with House Leforno’s wishes to reclaim this city… May I ask what Your Excellency is doing here…” As she spoke, Xun’s eyes narrowed into a line as she sized up the devastated commoner’s houses which were now engulfed in flames.
“I’m currently conducting an assault on a city. Is there any issue with that?”
“It’s not our concern which cities your esteemed duchy intends to target, but…” Xun shifted the conversation. “Nolan City is now part of House Leforno’s territory. Your Excellency is presently causing damage to House Leforno’s assets and is under suspicion of inciting a civil war.”
“Oh? Do you think you can assert ownership of a city just because you possess a token? Don’t you find those words of yours a bit too much?? We’re just attacking an unclaimed city, nothing more.”
Xun appeared to have anticipated that Jinxuan would deliberately complicate matters by feigning ignorance. Wearing a faint smile, she retrieved a parchment bound with a red cord.
“As the envoy representing the Scarlet Queen, Lasombra Lilias, I hereby pass on her orders.”
‘Tsk… She works fast. She has already reported to the queen?’
Despite her thoughts, Jinxuan didn’t show the slightest bit of remiss upon hearing those words. She and the black imperial knights behind her knelt down on one knee in an orderly fashion.
“This is the imperial edict personally passed down by Her Majesty, the Queen… I assume Lady Jinxuan should have a good idea of its content. Would you like to inspect the seal, or rather…”
“…Do you intend to defy the Queen’s order and start a rebellion??”
“Surely you jest, your Excellency. We’re all loyal servants of her highness Lasombra.” Jinxuan answered respectfully while maintaining her posture.
“In that case, Lady Jinxuan, you may proceed.” Xun said emotionlessly.
“Farewell.” Jinxuan waved her sleeves. Without a moment’s hesitation, she ordered her rear squad to take the lead and departed from this area.
“Ugh…”
“Eeh? Sir. Knight, are you alright?”
Xun’s attention was instantly drawn to the words of the two girls.
She could see the knight who was kneeling on one knee, his head buried in his hands. A small crack had appeared on the armor on his back…1