Kingdom’s Bloodline

Centuries ago, Southernman Hyman Canxing entered the city alone at the most dangerous moment, and fell in love with Miss Regina at first sight in the general election, and finally saved the kingdom from civil war. The tradition of the general election is thus preserved .

And at this moment five hundred years later—sitting in the stands, looking at the cheering audience in the stands, looking at the heavily guarded guards off the field, and the contestants in the field, Thales couldn’t help thinking—— The Canxing prince, surrounded by countless guards and servants, came to another election.

I just don’t know about the general election in those years. When the “Southern” Heyman changed his name and changed his surname to mix into the venue, he was gearing up to fight against the South Bank heroes of the Canxing royal family. How did he react?

When an important event is approaching, the soldiers are fierce and the battle is dangerous, is he confident and calm, or is he gritted his teeth and insists on forbearance, is he chatting and laughing as if nothing has happened, or is he facing the difficulties with high morale?

Thinking of this, Thales sighed deeply: Anyway, he wouldn't be like him, bewildered and full of melancholy, but still forced to smile and pretend to be calm.

And Heyman is not alone.

Prince Hayman five hundred years ago, at least had the powerful Eight Fingers king as his backing, at least the eldest son of the duke who had a strong sense of love and hate, who spoke up for justice, and at least the wise Miss Regina who made suggestions. The Duke of Cork is also a steady old minister with integrity - at least in the story.

But what about him, Thales Canxing who is now in the Emerald City, the backing he has, the allies he relies on, and the opponents he faces...

Your head of security has just been killed, Your Highness, Zhan En's voice came from the seat on his right, calm but shrewd, and you are suspected of being deeply involved in rumors, if I were you, I would keep a low profile, such as Accept the protection of the Seychelles captain, escort you to the isolated stand with heavy soldiers, and attend the election carefully...

Protection? Escort? Thales looked at the workers who were preparing hard in the arena. You mean, semi-forced kidnapping and house arrest?

But Zhan En ignored him: ...Instead of turning around and messing with my sister, squeezed into the Duke's stand to attract attention.

What? Together? Xilai's head popped out from Zhan En's right hand, staring at his brother in displeasure.

Zhan En turned his head and glared at his sister, stern and solemn like never before.

The Seychelles knight is eager for status, but he is not the kind of person who will bow his head to the powerful and let you go at a critical moment-especially in front of outsiders, so what are his weaknesses? Power? Wealth? Wife and children ? Or dance for him?

Thales was about to serve his teacup,

Hearing this, he paused.

Easier, Xilai snorted softly, without any awareness of being ridiculed, Duizi.

Zhan En turned his head following Xilai's gaze, and turned to the guards under the stands: the Star Lake Guard and the Emerald Legion were headed by Hugo and Seychelles respectively, separated into two rows, vigilant against each other, and clearly separated. There was only one knight sitting in the middle holding a sword , staring at the tents prepared for the contestants in the arena, with complicated eyes.

Is that Cassian Knight? I understand that if you fight, Seychelles will not be sure to defeat him in front of his subordinates. This will not be good for your own prestige, so you just look at the opportunity and go downhill... But you How did you convince Cassian to leave the mountain?...

Zhan En frowned, waved to the audience diagonally opposite, and received another round of applause:

Could it be that you also threatened him that if you don't leave the mountain, you will dance in public?

Thales held up his teacup and heaved a long sigh.

Why does this guy care so much about this?

For the sake of the setting sun, brother, one word: is it okay or not?

Xilai raised her eyebrows, and she took Zhan En's arm, smiling sweetly, but the words leaked from between her teeth made people frown:

Don't force my old lady to go down and dance now!

Jen's face changed slightly.

Shameless... The Duke tried his best to maintain a normal facial expression, but just as he was about to refute, he was interrupted by cheers from inside and outside the arena.

The election will begin.

The Kevin Dill brothers and sisters restrained their expressions, leaving each other with unkind eyes, and sat upright.

Thales breathed a sigh of relief.

It's been a long time, everyone!

The host of the election is a well-known banquet master of ceremonies who has studied bards at Dragon Kiss Academy. He is standing on a specially designed host seat, holding a special speaking tube:

Have you ever remembered that seventy years ago, when Lake, the 'White Devil' of Allenbia, swung his ax and split a man and a horse in half, the ground, which was as solid as the earth, trembled! Fifty years ago, when the Great Desert The 'Xiaonu' Mossago and Suye's 'Red Ghost' fought fiercely until the moon set in the west and the sun rose in the east. If you are patient, you will not bow to time! Thirty years ago, when Murat, the 'benevolent servant' of the Principality of Sera, fought for the injured The owner of the knight died with one enemy and three bloods, and even the hardest-hearted audience would shed tears! Twenty years ago, when Prince Horace, the Sword of the Sunshine, won ten battles and ten victories, the entire Emerald City Everyone is cheering wildly!

According to the usual practice, the meeting place for the general election is in a wide open space in the new suburb - the terrain here is sunken, high on the outside and low on the inside, especially suitable for large-scale exhibitions and group activities. It is usually an exchange market where merchants and vendors gather spontaneously. On Boxing Day It is often booked as a theater for stage plays, and even as a missionary and evangelistic venue for sunset beliefs. Before and after the Emerald Celebration, the place was cleaned up early by the Emerald Legion, and then the police officers cordoned off. The craftsmen rushed to work day and night, erected fences, set up shelves, pulled up tents, set up passages, and laid carpets. Standing seats, seating stands, and even various temporary stands with three or four floors are arranged to form a large-scale circular arena.

The inner perimeter of the arena is composed of different stands and preparation tents for the contestants. They are separated by curtains, parasols, fences and even manpower. Although the stands can look at each other and even talk loudly, although merchants, priests and officials The nobles and other people warmly greeted each other from across the air. Although the servants in charge of logistics kept passing messages back and forth between the stands, the sergeants across the aisle and the guards guarding the curtain door, including the servants, flashed their lights when they passed the message. The family crest or certificates all emphasize the hierarchical order here, which is clear and clear and cannot be confused.

And all these classic scenes in memory happened in our annual, proud event, at the most exciting moment, the most thrilling day, the most exciting occasion, of course, it was also empty A good chance for a wallet or a handful of blood......

The emcee's voice, with the unique gorgeous accent and exaggerated drag of the Emerald City, was amplified by the ring layout of the arena and echoed in the slightly empty arena:

With a glorious history of five hundred and fifty years—the Iris general!

The guests in the major stands applauded politely, and many people cheered enthusiastically, but the entire arena still seemed sparse and empty, but it was the most remote stand, including people who couldn't enter the arena outside the fence, roaring wildly, shouting and tsunami , The sound shook the whole city, and some guys who drank too much wanted to light fireworks to add to the fun, but they were stopped in time by the conscientious security officers.

Not counting the citizens who joined in the fun (including those who climbed on the roof or the big tree), this arena was originally enough to accommodate thousands of spectators, even if it is not as good as the miracle building in the ancient empire that can accommodate 100,000 people Comora Arena is only placed in a corner of Emerald City, which is quite impressive. However, due to the sudden murder of a security officer this morning, this election will strictly limit the number of people entering the venue due to security considerations. Only less than 30% of the limit will be opened, and many pre-sale ticket refunds will be voided. The security of the officials is also extremely strict, and it is strictly forbidden to impersonate or fool around.

But things are rare and expensive, and the more so, the more people flock to them - nothing can prove a person's worth more than overcoming all difficulties to get a ticket to the general election (unavailable to high-ranking officials, dignitaries, wealthy businessmen and wealthy businessmen) status. It is said that as soon as the news of the limited capacity came out, in just a few hours, the price of a standing ticket with the farthest seat in the general election, which could only see the entrance and exit, was raised to an outrageous ten gold coins.

(It's already here...——a customer from the Far East who laughed and gave the money generously, then silently bowed his head and felt wronged and distressed)

But audiences who missed the chance to enter don’t need to be disappointed, because the outside of the arena is more lively: people outside the fence are crowded, there are vendors yelling and selling, sneaky ticket vendors, gamblers outside the opening, and on-the-spot crowds. Restaurant owners busy selling wine and food at the table, buskers performing on the street for rewards, preachers sent by the church at the right time, people discussing which business group sponsored fighters can advance to the quarterfinals, ocean-going ship groups What rare beasts were brought back, what rewards would the duke and the prince give, and there was a lot of people and people coming and going, as if what happened outside the arena at this moment was the real emerald celebration.

Compared with the surrounding atmosphere, the situation inside the fence is a bit weird: the soldiers and security officers at the exit and aisle are solemn and depressed, waiting in full force, alert to every incoming guest, including their servants; the grandstands in the front row On the stage, the audiences with backgrounds brought their families with them, or sat quietly like a mountain, or greeted each other, or cheered and shouted without realizing it, with different performances; , Dancing with knives and swords to show their skills, some greeted and exchanged harsh words with acquainted opponents, and some were ready to go with the help of attendants, calm and silent.

Of course, first of all, I would like to thank our generous and wise city lord, the Duke of South Bank, Lord Jann Cavendir. It is his hard work and strong support over the years that made this election possible. Better than ever!...

Under the host's gesture, the audience in the arena turned their heads in unison and looked at the three highest stands in the arena: City Lord Emerald still smiled kindly and looked towards the participants and the audience in other stands They waved.

And our most honored guest, the heir of the kingdom, the Duke of Xinghu and the second prince, the famous Polaris of the Western Continent—His Royal Highness Thales! His presence demonstrates His Majesty's grand grace to the Emerald City, and is an honor for all citizens and even the emerald city. The honor of the entire South Bank...

Thales and Xilai sat on the left and right sides of Zhan En, and the servants and guards were pushed back by the three of them early, so they could only watch from the outside.

At this moment, the prince forced a smile on his face, imitating the duke and waving to everyone, but helplessly found that wherever he was facing, the cheers stopped abruptly, replaced by bowing his head, dodging and whispering.

Look, next to the Duke is Miss Xilai!

Hey, the three of them are sitting together, the atmosphere is so strange, it looks like...

Like a family? Pooh!

Why is the prince here too? Didn't he just kill the people from Kongming Palace...

The more this is the case, the more he has to attend, so as not to appear guilty...

My uncle said that he knew the dead police officer and that he has been bullied by the prince unreasonably these days...

Hush! Stop talking, there are not many people in the audience, maybe he can see us...

Interesting, they must have made some kind of behind-the-scenes deal.

Don't look at him, look at today's handicap, have you decided what bet you want to bet?

Thales could only sigh helplessly.

You know, Thales, the earliest selection of generals was used by the Duke of Cork five hundred years ago to select generals and recruit troops to fight against the pressing force of the Canxing royal family, Zhan En said with a smile to the audience in the arena. The contestants waved their hands, and their voices were malicious, Does this look familiar?

But in the end, a Canxing son-in-law was chosen, and the crisis was resolved? Xilai shrugged, dismantling the situation very shamelessly.

Zhan En's eyes sharpened, and Thales swallowed.

The lord of Emerald City took a deep breath, first smiled and nodded to the vassals in the opposite stand - Earl Lasia and his eldest son in Zedi - and made a voice that only the three of them could hear:

Ignorance! Whose reputation do you think will eventually be ruined by your dissolute behavior and indiscretion?

Of course it's yours, and Iris's, and maybe father's grandfather's great-grandfather's ancestors... or else?

Jen's complexion changed.

You think you can kidnap the family's reputation to force me to submit?

Oh, you can't imagine that.

Not good.

I swear, Zhan En, I really don't know about sex dancing or something, Thales interrupted them in a low voice, facing the Duke's murderous gaze, to cool down the quarrel between the two siblings, but in my experience, the public Next, um, maybe she really doesn't care, she can really do it.

Your experience?

Zhan En's expression became even worse, his eyes circled around Thales, like a vulture sizing up its prey on the ground.

Xilai, who was sitting on the other side, raised her eyebrows provocatively.

Realizing that he had said something wrong, Thales could only chuckle and shut up for now. …

...And we would also like to thank Kang Ti's Fenxiang Chamber of Commerce, they have funded and supported the main construction work of the general election arena!

The host with the task in hand shouted as hard as he could, pushing the election to continue:

As well as the Mbutu Business Group, their sponsorship of banquet fireworks and food will make this election more colorful! Don't forget the Guedez blacksmith workshop, many of the contestants' protective gear are provided by them, By the way, they are also one of the weapon suppliers of the Emerald Legion, and the quality is guaranteed! Thanks to the Zeka Printing House, we can know the result of the election even if we are not at the venue, because they are responsible for copying and printing the leaflets and documents! The Sangaray Farm is responsible for providing fodder and professional maintenance for the horses that will be selected this time. The Emerald City Leather Association has carefully inspected the saddle protectors of all the participants. A good horse with a good saddle, the knight wins and returns! A good harvest! The casino has issued trustworthy handicap and odds indicators for this election. They are also the only officially licensed betting casino. There are special betting points on and off the field. Remind everyone, small bets are pleasant and rational Gambling without official permission is an illegal act, and the Security Office will not tolerate it! There is also the Sanchez Carpentry Workshop, they will spare no effort to maintain various devices during the election, including the large fence they are best at making Grandstand! The Medik Troupe will write a stage script for the winners of this election that will last forever, and it will be staged in major theaters in the Goddess District in the near future! All ocean-going goods that will be needed, and they will provide free home boat tickets and discounted commuter coupons for a full five years for all quarterfinal winners and team battle finalists! And of course don’t forget the Emerald Legion and New Suburban Vigilance Hall, they have joined forces, sacrificed themselves for others, and contributed a lot to the orderly selection of generals, which deserves our respect, and among the contestants are the two warriors they selected!

Damn.

While listening to the names of these business group workshops, Thales figured it out: How dare Zhan En not spend much of the Emerald City's financial funds to hold this Emerald Celebration, and can he earn it back in the end?

Following the host's introduction, the two contestants who participated in the first round of one-on-one duel appeared on both sides of the arena in full armor. They raised their weapons in the most heroic posture and accepted the cheers and applause from all stands side bets).

Zhan stood up and raised his hands to the contestants, who also saluted the three nobles when they passed by the main stand.

Okay, dear sister, all eyes are on you now, you can dance or take off your clothes, you are free to do so, Zhan En regained his composure, without any threat from his sister, If the dance is good, maybe I will let you Ashford tip-keeping makes more money than you busking.

Xilai's eyes turned cold.

The next second, she stood up and took a step down!

Eh!

Thales got up quickly and grabbed Xilai!

You, are you really going?

But he soon discovered that he didn't need to go forward: on the other side, Duke Jann smiled and grabbed his sister's arm with a calm expression, only his eyebrows twitched slightly.

The three of them got up and stood in a row in the stands, with Xilai sandwiched between them, their arms being pulled behind them respectively, in a strange posture. …

Zhan En's gaze was like a sword, passing over Xilai, and stabbing Thales' hand holding Xilai.

Among them, the chill cannot be added.

Not good.

Thales could only chuckle.

You...will you let go? Xilai, who was caught in the middle, said with difficulty.

Thales quickly let go, but he never thought that Zhan En would also let go of Xilai like an electric shock at the same time!

boom!

With a sympathetic muffled sound, Xilai ruthlessly hung on the railing in front, grunting in pain.

You guys, hiss...

Oops.

Thales was startled, and hurried to help her, only to find that Zhan En also stepped forward. The two of them paused after seeing each other's movements, and subconsciously withdrew their outstretched hands.

You don't even need to help! Xilai said painfully while holding on to the railing, rubbing his ribs.

Thales and Jann looked at each other with complicated emotions.

The surrounding audience saw what happened in the main stand, and there was quite a commotion.

Zhan En and Thales looked at each other, took a deep breath, stepped forward quickly from left to right, and held onto the railing together with Xi Lai. The three of them pretended to probe outwards, looking at the contestants.

Tell me, what proposal do you have? the Duke said coldly.

Thales raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised.

Look, he is not only my brother, but also the Duke of South Bank. We must force him to choose between bad and worse. Xi Lai rubbed his ribs and gave Thales a feeble smile. Unlike us, he still has face...

Thales had a strange expression upon hearing this.

You have to have a face. Zhan En said coldly, then smiled and waved to the contestants off the court.

From the perspective of the outside world, the three people in the stands were leaning on the railing, talking and laughing happily.

At this moment, the voice of the host and the cheers of the audience overshadowed their conversation:

Let's stop talking nonsense, let's have the first round of competition! Ning because of friendship—

The host paused for a moment, raised his arms high, and the audience inside and outside the venue cooperated and skillfully uttered a tsunami:

Don't die with the enemy!

At the sound of a bell, the band blared, and the first match began: a cutlass warrior from Humble against a knight's son from the Southshore Landhold.

They were fully armed, and they rode on their respective mounts with full armor and stomach. They charged at each other with guns and shields raised, and both fell off their horses after a violent impact.

Mediocre, Glover frowned at the duel in the aisle below the main stand. Such a heavy armor is laborious, inefficient, and meaningless—this kind of person is also here to participate in the general election?

The two people in the field climbed up with difficulty, threw away their long weapons, and drew out their scimitars and steel swords.

A long time ago, the heavier the armor, the harder the better. At that time, human beings were facing the ancient orcs, Miranda thought thoughtfully, Of course, until the appearance of all kinds of ending forces Whether it's war, duel, or swordsmanship, everything has changed.

Then the magic gun appeared, and everything will change soon. Glover nodded.

Hey, you know, these contestants are rich in a fight! Or, the sponsors behind them are rich-the two horses have their own sponsor groups, oh, and their weapons! d.d watched the duel in the field with great interest, and looked at the odds list in his hand from time to time. …

I don't like the atmosphere, tacky and boring.

Amidst bursts of cheers, Paul Bozdorf stood in the aisle with his arms crossed, staring at the competition in the arena: Especially this host, who turned the knight's contest into a performance full of copper smells. .”

The knightly tournament is a show. Morgan had no interest in the duel. He stared at the sergeants of the Emerald Legion on the opposite side. If you don't want to show, it's easy-go to be a mercenary.

Yes, it is indeed a performance, but it should be explained in this way, Wyatt stood on the steps, keeping his eyes on Prince Thales above him, The knightly contest was once prosperous, and it was a place where the lords win over allies to show their strength, repair their armaments and recruit talents. Of course, it is also an ideal occasion for vagabonds and hedge knights to become famous and stand out, providing bards with a lot of creative materials.

While talking, the two fighters in the field fought hard with their swords and swords, and heard the sound of blades cutting into Jia's stomach from time to time.

The movement is slow, the attack is shattered, and it is still hitting the hardest part of the armor. Glover frowned tightly. Is this a duel or an iron fight?

I've seen it. There are quite a few people who signed up, but not many people passed the initial test, d.d held up a handicap odds guide in his hand, with great interest, and most of them are adventurers, hired Soldiers, foreign warriors, to be honest, few have been trained as serious knights, or at least squires...

Historically, Iris Selection will be a glorious knight's contest. All the participating knights are the top masters of that era, fighting for their masters and their own honor, and even fighting for the battle itself. So many legendary names, so many A classic duel... Paul sighed, but I think the knights of the past are out of fashion now.

The kind in the past? d.d frowned.

Those people who were first called knights, Paul nodded, his eyes misty, while possessing extraordinary power, they also have to shoulder more responsibilities. They have to ride horses and stand up when danger comes. Later, The empire was established, and knights became a kind of identity, a class, representing the warriors who conquered the world for the emperor. If a person wants to become a knight, he must follow another knight to fight and train until he makes meritorious deeds and is recognized. Later, The knight has become a title, a kind of honor, conferred by the king, and becomes the rank of promotion from commoner to noble, and then later...

Paul shook his head, watched the poor duel in the arena, and stopped talking.

Everyone listened to Paul's words and couldn't help but bow their heads in thought.

Kong Mutuo sighed softly:

About this, I've heard from the old man that the iris selections from a hundred or two hundred years ago still had weight. They were full of one-in-a-hundred warriors, the kind who fought at the sight of blood. But in recent decades, not only come The quality of the participating candidates has declined, from the extreme to the super-level master, and then to... In short, the so-called winners selected are mixed, some are not worthy of the name, some have bad conduct and do many evil things, and some have fallen into mistakes after becoming famous. land, the election will fall.

Everyone couldn't help but sigh when they heard the words.

It was eliminated....

Everyone turned their heads together.

Since the end of the 'Blood Debt War' and the promulgation of the Self-Defense Law, wars and conflicts among the lords of the kingdom have begun to decrease. After the establishment of the High Noble Council and the Noble Affairs Council to arbitrate disputes among vassals, private wars among nobles have almost disappeared. , wandering knights and hired knights are gradually disappearing, and the expensive and labor-intensive knight competitions are naturally no longer beautiful. As for the knights, since there is no place to use them...

After Huai Ya finished speaking, he suddenly found that everyone was looking at him.

The bibliography for the entrance test of the royal guard, Huai Ya reacted, and quickly explained, Bachelor Bona's On the Lord's Self-Defense, why, you haven't read it yet?

Everyone in the Star Lake Guard looked at each other, only Rolf hummed in disdain.

Exactly, it should be so, Paul sighed. In fact, the Emerald Festival still retains the formal tradition, which is enough to surprise me.

The first round of competition was over quickly: Humble's warrior was not familiar with the terrain and the soil of the Emerald City. He stumbled and fell to the ground, while his opponent took the opportunity to attack with a sword or hit his helmet. Although it was basically ineffective, it prevented the Humble man from getting up again. The latter was so dizzy that he had to throw away his weapon and shouted surrender.

The loser was pulled up from the mud by the servants, while the winner took off his helmet with great effort amidst cheers, waved desperately at the audience, and ushered in a field of flowers and even coins.

Everyone shook their heads again.

I heard from my friends that the last glory was about 20 years ago, when the late king and his family came to the Emerald City. It was the most grand election in the past half century, Kong Mutuo broke the silence, Whether Whether it’s the knights and warriors in the arena, the troupe’s band in the banquet, or even the princes and ladies in the auditorium, everyone is fighting to express themselves and show off their skills in front of the king and the duke.”

The former king? Miranda raised his eyebrows: Wait, I also heard from my uncle when I was young that they went to the Emerald City to participate in the competition a long time ago.

But it is said that in that contest, the winner of the contest was impersonated, embarrassing Emerald City and the general election. Kongmutuo shook his head, It wasn't a big deal at first, but for some reason, the Afterwards, no matter whether it was participating in the competition or watching the ceremony, no important big families or knights came to participate in the general election, and the lords no longer canonized knights or recruited vassals on the spot at the meeting.

So the election general took advantage of the loopholes and came up with this method: Let businessmen contribute to participate and make a smooth profit?

Huai Ya frowned: A person holding a sign of Guedez Blacksmith Workshop came into the arena, loudly proclaiming to the people that the armor the winner wore was made by his family, the quality was good, and the iron and steel must be good.

Paul shook his head dismissively.

I think it's quite good. Hmph, the knight contest, it sounds nice, but it's all about honors, achievements, rankings, and who to fight for and who to dedicate the victory to. It's so complicated and not tiring. ?

d.d bought a bag of melons and fruits from the sidelines, and put them together happily:

As it is now, everyone gathers together, eats delicious food, drinks fine wine, waving flags and shouting, cheering and cheering, having fun all day long, making money and having fun, isn't it good?…

Everyone cast contemptuous glances at him.

They can be happy, we're not.

The flag officer Hugo turned his head and said quietly:

Don't forget Your Highness's reminder: be vigilant, we don't want to usher in another Anke Bailar.

This made everyone startled, cheered up again, and began to pay attention to their surroundings, even d.d hid the melons and fruits behind him.

But at this moment, surrounded by the crowd, the three people who sat back in the main stand were having an inappropriate conversation.

Well, first of all, let's make sure that our goals should be the same, Xilai became the host of the conversation, echoing the cheers and battle sounds in the arena, Now, the king wants The Emerald City, and we...

How do you know? Jen En narrowed his eyes and looked at Thales, You told her and got her involved?

As the Duke spoke, he did not forget to show the most cordial smile to the stand diagonally opposite, and the Hasat envoy from Tyrion State raised his hand in return.

Thales snorted softly, slightly disdainful:

I found out, you really don't know your sister, do you?

I understand you, the Duke's eyes turned cold, you are always self-righteous, but you are always in a cocoon.

I told you, Jen, they are going to attack, Thales kept smiling, and his voice could only be heard by the Kevin Dill brothers and sisters, And you, you haven't figured it out until now, the most dangerous person in Emerald City Where is the enemy, right?

That's a mistake only the old people in the north will make. They mistakenly take the dangerous source of trouble as a harmless hostage. Zhan En gracefully waved to a group of businessmen in the distant stands, greeted with cheers and praises, And I, I Know exactly where the enemy is.

He glanced at Thales, hiding a knife in his smile.

Another stand noticed that the Duke was looking at them, and all the local vassals on the stand stood up and saluted the three nobles, only the little Earl Pintor looked ugly.

Dangerous Bane himself sighed helplessly: Okay, Zhan En, but you have to know that I am the only one who can help you in Emerald City now...

But Jen retorted:

Help me exacerbate the situation, worsen the situation? Like what you did in the Blood Bottle Gang?

stop!

Xilai couldn't listen anymore, she interrupted the two of them with a serious wave:

Okay, the first round is over, now it's referee time: Listen, we don't know what the secret department will do, but we don't want to make a big mess... So, from now on, we must spread all the information Open to share on the desktop, do you agree?

Thales snorted lightly, while Jen En looked at his sister for a long time before nodding reluctantly.

What do you know about Kaguire's death? Thales was the first to ask after Xilai's gesture.

No more than you, Zhan En shook his head, What do you know?

It must be less than you, Thales shrugged, What happened to the Blood Bottle Gang, is it still operating?

How do I know? Zhan En's eyes moved slightly, Where is Catherine?

I can't find a place, Thales pouted, What's the rumor?

I don't know...

Hey! Boys!  …

Xilai interrupted them again unbearably, and waved his hands:

Just asking questions and not answering, that's not the way to talk, okay?

Zhan En and Thales looked at each other, raising their eyebrows.

Cheers and sighs came from the arena, and the second pair of duelists had already decided: a user of a serrated knife won the match by relying on his tricky weapon advantage. The craft of weapon shop.

In the main stand, Xilai breathed out and made up his mind.

Okay, the second round, get up, it's you, Zhan En, get up, let me sit in the middle!

Under Xilai's unquestionable gaze, Zhan En reluctantly stood up and let the eldest lady sit in the middle, which naturally aroused discussions among other audience members.

Very good, Xilai sat down safely, folded his arms, and stared at the two people on the left and right, Now, I'll ask, and you answer.

Thales and Jen both frowned.

Xilai turned to Jann:

First of all, Kaguire, what do you know?

He's dead. Zhan En said coldly.

Seeing that Zhan En cherishes words like gold, Xilai had to resist the twitching of her eyebrows, and turned to Thales: What about you, what do you know?

Thales spread his hands: He died a miserable death.

Xilai took a deep breath, went back and asked Zhan En:

You went to see the Blood Bottle Gang, how is it?

Not good, chaos.

Xilai frowned and turned to Thales:

Where's Catherine?

A bad and chaotic place.

boom!

Xilai slapped the seat, making both of them startled.

I saw the eldest lady raised her head and showed a chilling smile:

Okay, ma'am, I've had enough.

Her smile was quite creepy, and Thales and Zhan En subconsciously sat upright.

Xi Lai took a deep breath.

Well, the third round: when I take it off later, you all cooperate, okay?

Thales and Jann were both stunned.

Ah, take it off again? No, isn't it good? Thales looked at her dress with a strange expression.

If you think you can threaten me twice with this matter... Zhan En's eyes were burning.

But the next moment, Xilai stretched out his left hand, clasped the glove of his right hand, and pulled it out!

Both of them were startled, but Zhan En was the quickest to grab Xilai's right hand!

what are you doing?

Zhan En was shocked and angry, and at the same time looked at Thales with fear, and then looked around the stands.

Fortunately, the host was still introducing the third pair of fighters in the arena, a local black-armored foot knight versus a thorny red-armored knight.

Thales frowned tightly: Xilai's right glove had been pulled out, exposing a section of ugly skin covered with burn scars on his wrist.

What are you doing? Of course I want to show them the real me!

Xi Lai beamed brightly, didn't care, and even waved around to attract attention:

Show everyone, what do I look like with my hands that have been hidden for so many years!

boom!

With a muffled sound, the outcome of this contest was decided extremely quickly. The foot knight was lucky, and with a swipe of his long sword, he just broke the gap in the red armor knight's shoulder armor. …

Amidst the cheers, the red-armored knight was carried off the stage, angrily arguing with the armor's defender.

Oh, oh! Xilai, what you said was to take off your gloves. Thales suddenly realized.

Jen glared at him hostilely.

Otherwise? What do you think? Xilai looked back at him strangely.

Thales reacted and rubbed his hands awkwardly:

No no no Hee Lai, I mean, it's good, you choose to let go of your hands, show your true self, be honest with everyone, it's good, I support it, absolutely support it, put your hands up for it, but it's not the time to change the occasion Step by step...

Zhan En's eyes were dark: He knows?

Of course he knows! Xilai said impatiently, pulling her hand, but she couldn't get rid of her brother's restraint, Stop pretending, you even knew about us performing in the street yesterday, how could you not know that he knew?

Thales sighed with a headache.

Stop messing around, Xilai!

Zhan En held Xilai's hand tightly, preventing her from taking off her gloves, and at the same time stared at Thales vigilantly, while the latter could only let out an innocent smile.

Seeing that he couldn't break free, Xilai was not ashamed or angry, but raised his brows:

It's okay, I still have one hand anyway...

After saying that, she raised her left hand and bit the ring of her middle finger.

Jen's expression changed again.

Snapped!

In the next second, Thales firmly held down Xilai's hand, preventing her from biting off the glove.

Only then did Jen breathe a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Miss Kevin Dill, who was sitting in the middle, was held tightly by her brother and the prince, one left and one right. This attracted the attention of many people, and everyone was guessing what happened between the three in the stands. what.

Hello!

Xilai looked at Thales in surprise:

Didn't you just say, raise your hands to support me?

Yes, Thales pressed Xilai's left hand with both hands, showing a bad smile, Aren't these two hands?

Shirai widened her eyes.

That's enough! Zhan En clenched his teeth and pressed Xilai's six fingers tightly to prevent it from being exposed in front of others. Whether it's dancing or this, you don't need to threaten me with self-destruction.

Xilai chuckled lightly:

Believe it or not, Jen, I didn't self-destruct, at least not in my way—I just forced you to choose between bad and worse.

Zhan En frowned, looked at Thales, and for the first time there was a desire for help in his eyes.

Hee Lai, listen to me, I know you're working hard...

Thales took a deep breath, and said to Xilai seriously: However, healing a scar does not mean tearing it bloody.

Xilai trembled when he heard the words.

But just a few seconds later, the trembling in her eyes turned into a desperate determination, and the eldest lady smiled slightly:

That's right, I just want to tear it apart.

She turns to Jen:

Not only that, but I also want to tell everyone that when Emerald City tried its best to eradicate witchcraft and superstition, the Duke's family gave birth to a deformed daughter with six fingers. , and sent her to the temple to practice exorcism, but the Iris family concealed her from the outside world and disguised her as a healthy person for more than ten years......

Jen's eyes changed.

It's a pity that she still revealed her secrets. Under the reasonable suspicion and repeated insistence of Prince Thales, she will be sent to the Sunset Temple and even the Secret Department again to check for any horrible evil spirits and taboo secrets that shouldn't be there. , harmful witchcraft or something...

Xilai kept talking, and now it was Thales' turn to have a headache.

Jen, you know me, I, uh, I...

That's not true. Yesterday, he knew everything, saw everything, and understood everything clearly. Xilai turned the gun and sighed, Now, he is holding your sister, me, and the Iris family's family. handle.

Zhan En's eyelids twitched, and his gaze towards Thales began to look strange.

What?

Thales looked at Xilai in disbelief.

So I think, if he doesn't cooperate today, maybe you have to prepare for the worst, Zhan En, because he may be the last straw to overwhelm Emerald City...

worst plans.

Thales thumped in his heart, and began to think about whether relying on the Xinghu guards would be enough for him to escape the heavily guarded arena.

At this moment, the audience became a sensation again: this time, the contestant was a tall and strong man. He roared and beat his opponent to pieces, but it was not enough until he was pulled away by the sergeants.

Okay. In the stands, Zhan En exhaled, his eyes full of exhaustion.

He let go of Xilai's hand, and applauded the winner in a rare, perfunctory and listless way.

Kaguire's death was done by the same group of people, the same as the previous fate. The Duke said gloomyly.

Xilai's eyes lit up, and she turned to Thales.

The prince also sighed helplessly.

My people found out, he shrugged, Kaguire probably has something in common with the previous deceased, maybe a member of a certain group.

Your people are right, Jen said in a deep voice, Moss, Diop, Rene, Slimani, Kaguire... According to my guess, they were all arrested for being involved in the same incident. killed.

Look, you can still talk well, can't you? Xilai frowned, What's the matter?

Zhan En glanced at Xilai, but didn't speak.

Jane? Thales asked.

What did the king send you here for? Zhan En didn't answer, but asked rhetorically.

Thales paused, but Xilai looked at him sternly.

All right.

That's right, the task the king gave me, or what he threatened me to do, Thales sighed, was to depose the Duke, by the way, destroy Jann, and offer him money from the Emerald City.

Zhan En's expression became more and more tense: Really? No room left? Without Kevin Dill, who will he rely on to help him enforce the law and collect taxes, help him balance the situation, help him conquer the South Bank, and rely on Wangdu Li Those officials who haven’t been to the Emerald City a few times in their lives, and can’t even keep track of their accounts?”

Sheila narrowed her eyes.

But! But I have the right to make decisions on the fly, Thales said before the other party became unfriendly, I can act independently of the secret department, independently decide when to act, how to intervene, and how far to go. .”

Decision on the fly? The Duke snorted softly, You mean, rather than letting me go by myself, you can at least deprive me of my title of Duke with a kind face and a smile?…

Thales ignored his sarcasm:

Therefore, Jann, I may not be your friend, no, I should be one of your enemies, but in the current situation, among so many sinister enemies, I am also your only hope, so that you The least price, the hope of getting through this hurdle smoothly.

Zhan En stared at Thales closely, without saying a word, with deep eyes.

Thales sighed.

Jane, Xilai urged, trust me, if you've seen what I saw yesterday, you'll know that the situation is urgent and we have to make a choice.

Jen suddenly raised his eyes:

You, when did you start hanging out with him?

Xilai paused.

You're wrong, Thales took the words in a timely manner, What you should ask is, when did I start with her?

Zhan En didn't speak, just moved his eyes, and looked at the two of them respectively.

Neither Thales nor Xilai said a word, waiting for the Duke's decision.

The emerald city lord turned his head and waved to the sun-backed stand at the other end. A figure sitting under a parasol——Li Corleone from the Kingdom of the Night who just appeared in the evening, nodded to them.

On the other side, Yannick Houllier from Feast Leader also bowed to them with a smile on his face.

Sister, when will you let me relax? the Duke said softly.

Xilai put her hand on her chest and smiled slightly:

Each each other.

After a few seconds, Jen took a deep breath and looked at Thales:

Decision on the fly?

Thales got the answer, he smiled slightly:

Discretion.

Jann sneered in response.

The two met eyes, but reached a consensus in an instant.

Only Xilai narrowed his eyes suspiciously: Then...

Thales took a deep breath:

The Blood Bottle Gang fell into chaos after they seized power, and Catherine fled to the brotherhood's territory, waiting for an opportunity to fight back.

Jen took the words very quickly:

After Kaguire's death, all the rumors they released point to you, or force you to investigate this matter.

That Lausanne lost power in the war between the Blood Bottle Gang and the Brotherhood, but there is another hidden story behind it—he was betrayed by an old department like Catherine.

There is another dead person, Thales shook his head, My people also found out that before Slimani, another underground black boxer also died. His identity was incompatible with other dead people, but he was also arrested You covered it up.

That boxer is called Bo Erwen, and he is a round younger than everyone else. Zhan En's eyes darkened, He is the key to everything.

Porwin? Is that Boerwin? Xilai looked up in surprise.

Thales wondered: Who? What's wrong with this person?

Jen nodded ponderingly:

It's not Porwin the Boxer that counts, it's his last name, it's his father—the Killer, old Porwin.

Thales' gaze moved, and Xilai's eyes widened.

Finally, a few highly skilled contestants appeared in the arena. They fought with real swords and guns, and were even injured and bloody, which made the audience hooked.

Old Bo Erwen was a hired killer in the past, with superb skills and expensive fees, Zhan En said quietly in the stands, and his last business was bought by a high-ranking employer and sneaked into the Kongming Palace , and assassinated the then Guardian Duke of the South Bank——Leinster Cavendir.”…

Thales' eyes widened.

Jen turned to Thales, his eyes were ashes:

My father.

The arena was full of colorful voices, and the host Kang passionately narrated how earth-shattering the battle just now was, which was rare in the world, but the three people in the stands ignored it.

I don't understand, Thales clenched his fists in disbelief, Old Bo Erwen is a killer, he killed your father, so why do you want to treat his son...

Jen interrupted him:

After the incident happened that year, Old Boerwen was arrested and arrested. Before his death, he confessed to his briber, who was the murderer behind the murder of the Duke of Leinster...

Thales was shocked when he remembered something.

Father's younger brother, our own uncle, Xilai took the topic in a daze, the former Viscount of Gonghai City—Sona Cavendir.

Time stopped for a moment.

Thales said nothing.

In this way, Viscount Sona's conspiracy was revealed, and he committed suicide in prison, Zhan En said hoarsely, and I was urgently recalled from overseas to inherit the title of Duke of Emerald City and South Bank.

The drums in the arena sounded, and the next group battle began again.

Jen took a deep breath.

Nowadays, starting from the wine merchants, everyone they kill is more or less related to the big conspiracy of the year. Every killing is done with great fanfare, trying to make a scene known to everyone, and want to set off a bloody storm.

Jen stood up and walked towards the railing of the grandstand, overlooking the wide arena, with a cold voice.

And with all my hard work, I can barely cover up part of it, but I can't help but miss some clues, so you can track it down here.

He stared at the dark clouds in the distant sky, and at the Kongming Palace standing like a giant under the dark clouds.

That's right, I suspect that the ones used by the Kingdom's Secret Division to deal with me this time are the old forces of my uncle's old department, those frustrated people who failed in the rebellion and slipped through the net to escape.

Xilai covered her mouth in surprise.

This is a revenge, a desperate and crazy revenge carried out through the power of the king.

Thales frowned.

To Emerald City, to Kongming Palace, to Iris, to today's Kevin Dill, Zhan En paused, to me, even to Xilai...

The eyes of the Duke of South Bank revealed a sharp blade-like light:

revenge.