Chapter 269: Nightingale’s Request

“How did you get here?” As soon as Rod entered his tent, he saw someone who shouldn’t be there. Unable to help but ask, he realized he was somewhat afraid of meeting her—was it fear that his identity would be exposed? He couldn’t be sure.
Indeed, the woman in his tent was none other than Nightingale! He hadn’t expected her to come here! At that moment, all the other members had gone outside to assist Skora and the others with matters outside, leaving her alone in the tent. She sat there, lost in thought, until Rod spoke, pulling her back to reality.
“It’s quite lively over there. Come and take a look! What, isn’t it okay? Hehe, little brother, are you shy? Don’t worry, sister won’t eat you!” With a teasing tone and expression, Nightingale said to Rod, smiling faintly. Alone together with no one else around, she seemed to have regained the flirtatious demeanor she had when they first met.
For some reason, hearing those words again made Rod’s heart sink. Narrowing his eyes at Nightingale, his intuition told him this woman was dangerous.
“What’s wrong? Looking at me like that makes me feel embarrassed. Do you have feelings for sister? Too bad, sister already has someone in her heart. A child like you, still unripe, can only have a fated but unfulfilled relationship with sister!” Teasingly looking at Rod, Nightingale not only didn’t back down but also puffed out her chest and spoke in a bewitching manner, which made Rod find it unbearable. He couldn’t help but frown.
He was a normal man, and at twenty, he was in the prime of his strength. He had to admit that Nightingale was beautiful—her delicate features were charming and alluring, easily stimulating a man’s hormones. His face turning slightly red, Rod instinctively averted his gaze and swallowed hard.
“Giggle… Shy? Hehe, too bad. Sister’s beloved doesn’t even know where he is right now. We haven’t seen each other for a long time. He’s currently being hunted across the entire continent. Do you think he’s a villain or a hero? How much longer will I have to wait to see him? If I can’t meet him, I might consider you instead!” With a smirk, Nightingale continued to tease Rod.

These words made Rod’s heart sink. It was obvious from her words that she was referring to him, joking about him! It wasn’t narcissism on his part—it was indeed the case! There was no doubt; from her description, Rod could tell she must be talking about him.
But it definitely wasn’t what she described as some “ideal lover”—complete nonsense. Her teasing gaze and provocative tone made Rod extremely uneasy. What was the purpose of saying such things in front of him? What did she want to convey? Was she trying to tell him that she had recognized his identity? Or something else?
“Hehe, I’m not much younger than you. If you call me a little brat, then your ideal lover is being hunted across the entire continent? That’s not something an ordinary person can achieve. There are very few in the whole continent who can do that. The most prominent one these days is the demon—Knightrod Solomon! Could it be that your ideal lover is him?” Since the Nightingale wanted to play, Rod decided to go along with her, wanting to see what she had in mind.
As expected, as soon as the words left her mouth, Rod clearly saw the Nightingale’s expression change slightly as she froze for a moment. But then her smile grew even wider, making people’s skin prickle.
“You guessed right—it’s Knightrod. You mustn’t tell anyone about this, or I’m done for! Unfortunately, others don’t want me, so I had to run away alone. I’ve tried so hard to find him, but I still can’t trace his whereabouts! Hey, little brother, you still have a chance. Maybe one day my sister will get tired of searching and consider you!” Laughing flamboyantly and leaning back and forth, the Nightingale continued to tease Knightrod with a provocative look, leaving Rod feeling uneasy. He had the sense that the Nightingale wasn’t ordinary, as if each word hid some deeper meaning she wanted to convey to him.
Rod was even 80% sure that this girl might already have suspected him based on some clues, or even known his true identity. This realization made Rod break into a cold sweat.
He narrowed his eyes and stared at the Nightingale, standing there silently without saying a word, which made her feel uncomfortable.
“Little brother, don’t be so impatient. You need to give them some time to adjust mentally. You can’t expect them to accept you right away!” Perhaps because she really had something to hide, under Rod’s gaze, the Nightingale became embarrassed and said in a low voice with a awkward smile.

Since the other party had no intention of breaking through that barrier, Rod wasn’t foolish enough to seek trouble for nothing. In any case, it was certain that, at least for now, Nightingale had no ulterior motives. Since she posed no threat to him, he certainly wouldn’t mind continuing to pretend. If they had to act, then so be it—he had spent his time in this world acting all along. Why would he be afraid of such things? It brought only benefits with no drawbacks, so he wasn’t stupid enough to break down that barrier and expose everything!

“What do you want from me?” With no intention of continuing to tangle with Nightingale—such entanglements would only lead to an endless cycle—and Rod certainly didn’t want that—he simply got straight to the point.

“Surely you didn’t come just to see me?” With a cold smirk, Rod pressed further when it seemed Nightingale had no immediate intention of answering his question.

“Giggle, giggle, little brother. Sister finds herself liking you more and more. Now I don’t even know how to choose—how perceptive of you to guess that!” In response to Rod’s questions, Nightingale used her skill at dodging to shirk the issue.

“Nightingale, stop acting innocent here. Don’t think I don’t know who you are! I’ve learned about you these past few days—famous among the four-person group, a renowned figure in the assassin world. A well-known name in the dark mercenary world. Don’t tell me you’re not one of them!”

“I won’t say what your purpose here is. I don’t have time to waste on you. Speak quickly if you have something to say. If not, I have other things to do. Excuse me, but I must leave!” Rod snapped as Nightingale tried to change the subject again.

His sudden rise in tone and change in expression instantly froze the previously ambiguous and complicated atmosphere in the room, turning it somewhat dull. Looking at Rod, Nightingale’s expression also turned cold.

“I know! It seems you should know my true identity without even having to investigate! I came to Iron Bars Town with no particular purpose—believe it or not, it’s just to fend off the beast horde. Since you’ve investigated my affairs, you must know what happened during that period! You know best who you are; I won’t say more. Some things lose their meaning if spoken out. I need you to do me a favor—help me find the killer of my brother and the villagers, and help me take revenge. That’s all. Don’t worry, you won’t work for nothing. I’ll repay you fully. I, Nightingale, am not the kind to forget kindness!” Since things had turned serious, there was no need to continue joking around. Nightingale’s expression changed instantly as she spoke directly.

“Why?” Rod asked in a low voice, frowning slightly. His sharp gaze made Nightingale unable to bear it and force her to look away.

“You know best. I’ve already helped you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be standing here now. Don’t think I’m really an idiot who knows nothing!” Sometimes, smart people don’t need to explain everything clearly—too much clarity can be counterproductive. Keeping it brief is the best way to communicate. Having said all she needed, Nightingale believed Rod had understood what he needed to know.

The atmosphere grew dull again, with only the sound of their breathing and the faint friction of their eyes meeting in the air.

“I’ll deal with this after I finish my matters here. It’s not to help you, but to bring justice to those innocent people. Only I, you, and heaven know about this. If a third party finds out, I won’t have a good life, nor will you! Believe me, I’ll keep my word!” Since Nightingale had revealed she knew his identity, Rod stopped hiding it as well and warned her with a cold gaze.

“Hehe, I knew it! Truly worthy of being chosen by me, Nightingale!” She stood up, slowly walked over to him, spoke sweetly, and then reached out to wrap her arms around Rod’s neck, pressing her body close to his, reducing the distance between them to zero.

Their faces were mere centimeters apart, their bodies pressed tightly together. Rod could clearly feel Nightingale’s soft, warm body, her warm breath, her faint virgin scent, and her full breasts! He suddenly blushed.

“You’re quite a celebrity now. Well, who could blame you for having such a kind sister? I won’t disturb you. Go ahead with your tasks; I’ll help you handle the outside matters! Remember, you owe me another favor now!” Seeing Rod in this state, Nightingale wore a triumphant smile, released her grip, stepped back, spoke softly, then passed by Rod with a proud smile as she headed outside.