Chapter 250: Tarnished

The photos flickering on the screen brought back a rush of memories for Gordon.

In the images, the blue-haired girl lay unconscious in an undignified pose. Her black stockings were torn in several places, her skirt was tattered and appeared to have been disturbed, and her clothes were in complete disarray. Her disheveled state made her seem as if she had been used up and tossed aside by some disreputable establishment. A look of utter ruination was on her face, as if she had been completely toyed with and broken.

Generally speaking, most men would find themselves somewhat intrigued in matters of the opposite sex – Gordon being no exception. Naturally, that did not include oddballs like Ji Bai who was perpetually clad in his helmet, or those who swung the other way.

He had to admit, if the subject in the photo had not been himself, he might have even been tempted to lean in for a closer look.

Just as he was about to respond and take the phone down with him in a blaze of glory, Ji Bai snatched it back with a ‘whoosh’ and stuffed it back into his pocket.

“Don’t even think about it. You’re in no shape to fight. You couldn’t take this from me even if you tried.” Ji Bai fiddled with his phone, fully assured in his ability to keep the device away from Gordon’s eager clutches.

“Y-You, how could you do such a thing?! I’ve completely misjudged you. All that talk about chivalry and honor, and now you pull such a stunt! You’re despicable and shameless, a disgrace to knighthood! Hurry up and delete these images – This filth shouldn’t exist in this world!” Caught between rage and mortification, Gordon’s face blushed.

“Have you no shame whatsoever? You’re kicking a man when he’s down!”

“Nope, this is called leverage,” Ji Bai said, shaking his head. “I believe in equal trade, but you, you’re just thinking of freeloading. So I had no choice but to improvise. It’s no fault of mine – You only have yourself to blame.”

“Oh please. From the way you laid that trap and acted all innocent… this isn’t your first time, right?” Gordon scoffed at his words.

“…” Just as Ji Bai was about to deny it, something crossed his mind, stopping the words in his throat. In the end, he chose to remain silent.

“And what if I refuse? What then?” Gordon asked, his gaze locking onto Ji Bai.

“Nothing really. I would not overstep my boundaries.” Ji Bai said with a shrug.

“Really?”

“Yup. I’m not one to lie, am I?…” Ji Bai said, weighing the cheap phone in his hand. “But it’d be a shame to delete all this, wouldn’t it? After all, just because I have no use… doesn’t mean others wouldn’t appreciate them… ”

“You…” Gordon’s face contorted as he did his utmost to control his emotions, but the long, weary sigh coming out from his lips betrayed him.

“Do you really wish to involve yourself in the muddy affairs of the Ancestral God Sect?”

“If duty compels it, yes.”

“Alright, alright. It’s not that big of a deal anyway…” Gordon paused, before abruptly changing the subject. “But first, you’re deleting those photos. Right here, right now.”

“No. That’s not happening. You answer my questions first, then we’ll talk about that. Otherwise, there’s no deal.” Ji Bai was unyielding in his refusal as he turned down Gordon‘s request.

“Don’t push your luck, bucket head! You won’t get a single word out of me if you don’t delete the photos.” Gordon crossed his arms, resolute in his refusal to budge.

“Fine. It’s not like I’m dying to know anyway. After all, there are far more interesting things out there, such as…” Ji Bai said, burying his head to fiddle with his phone.

“…What are you doing?” Gordon asked, a flicker of unease gripping him.

“I happen to know a couple of music producers and Photoshop gurus who rake in 7 figures a year. They’ve been complaining about a lack of inspiration lately, so I’m planning to send them a few pictures to get them out of their rut. Maybe they’ll turn them into a sticker pack… or something more revealing… like a photo set. Just depends on how creative they’re feeling, really…”

“Like hell you will! You’re dead, you phony knight!” That was the last straw for Gordon. Throwing all caution to the wind, he launched himself at Ji Bai and began to grapple with him for control of the phone.

“Give it here! Something like this should never exist in this world!”

“Sorry, not happening.”

“Do you really think I’d go back on my word? Do you take me for someone who would stoop so low to do that?”

“Like I told you, I was just using my leverage, that’s all.”

“Damn it…” Gordon tried his best to wrest the phone away from Ji Bai, but it was to no avail; He was no match for Ji Bai’s superior strength. The cold, uncompromising words coming from the knight’s mouth only served to fuel the helpless anger rising in his heart.

“Click.” Just as the two were completely absorbed in their struggle, the door swung open silently.

In perfect unison, they ceased their battle and turned their heads towards the source of the noise…

…all while locked in a position that defied both description and belief.

Gordon, his clothes askew, was straddling Ji Bai’s waist in a most unseemly fashion, his hand clutching at the other man’s collar – a scene that played out vividly to the figure at the door.

Lin: “…”

Gordon & Ji Bai: “…”

“Sorry to interrupt, please carry on,” Lin said after a pause, feigning nonchalance as she took a step back and pulled the door shut behind her.

“…” Gordon’s movements stuttered and came to a halt.

“Throwing in the towel already?” Ji Bai asked, expressing his doubts.

“…Like hell I am,” Gordon said, his face a mask of despair.

His reputation had taken another hit, and for what?

一一一一一一

Some time later, at a wooden table.

“So, you’re certain that the local knights are conspiring with the Ancestral God Cult?” Ji Bai inquired softly after a moment of contemplation.

“What would I gain from lying?” Gordon shrugged.

“What makes you so sure?”

“Their mannerisms, their unguarded tone of voice… Those things betray a person’s true nature, especially if they aren’t carefully concealing them. While they carried no objects identifying them as knights, those subtle cues are enough to reveal their identity.”

“What was the nature of their deal?”

“Who knows. If I had all the details, I wouldn’t need to interrupt their dealings in the first place. To tip them off prematurely would be foolish, wouldn’t you think so?”

“Judging by their actions, they appear to be knights working undercover. However, that alone isn’t enough to pinpoint which Chivalric Group they’re from… Look, can you please delete those pictures now? I’ve already told you everything I know.”

“Alright.” Ji Bai deleted what Gordon considered the darkest stain in his life from his phone, right in front of him.

After meticulously confirming there were no copies or backups, Gordon breathed a sigh of relief and grudgingly returned the phone back to its owner.

Without a word, Ji Bai stood up and headed for the door, only for the other man to stop him by grabbing his shoulder.

“Embarking on a lone crusade once more, Mr. Knight?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, seeing that I did all the heavy lifting to get you that information, it’s only fair I get to come along, don’t you think?”

“I’m not in the business of babysitting the wounded.”

“Creak.” The door opened once more.

“Are you two still going at it?” Lin asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Hold on, don’t get any ideas. I’m straight.” Gordon silently released his hold on Ji Bai.

“A straight cross-dresser? That’s intriguing.”

“Would it kill you to not throw me under the bus every chance you get…?”

Paying no mind to their squabbling, Lin slightly lowered her head and walked up to Ji Bai with an awkward stride.

“Something the matter?”

“Mhm.” Lin hesitated, her beautiful and usually impassive features betraying a hint of inner conflict in them.

“Go on, I’m listening.” As someone who was as observant as a brick wall when it came to social cues, Ji Bai failed to notice the subtle shift in her expression.

“You’re a hard one to kill, aren’t you?” The words she so carefully crafted had morphed into something sharp and unfamiliar the instant they left her lips.

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