Chapter 42 Blackbeard's Great Ambition

As Lin Qi roared with insolent and wanton laughter, Blackbeard's face turned as dark as his beard. He firmly clenched his fist and rigidly glared at Lin Qi who was rolling on the ground while hugging his stomach. Only after a long time did he bellow at the top of his lungs, "What are you laughing at? What's so funny? Is my becoming the Mayor so funny?"

Only after laughing for a while did Lin Qi stop with difficulty. He gasped for breath, then lay on the floor while pointing at Blackbeard and saying, "Old man, if you said you were going to kill the Mayor of Dunerk's whole family, I would believe it. If you said you were going to seduce the Mayor's wife, I would believe it. Even if you said you wanted to carry on with the Mayor's daughter and take her as my stepmother, I would also reluctantly believe it!"

After taking a long breath, Lin Qi burst out laughing and said, "But you want to run for Mayor? Hahaha, what part of you resembles a Mayor?"

Tie Chui and Tu Dao suddenly laughed at the same time. Laughing wildly, Tie Chui's saliva sprayed far. He laughed heartily and said, "Lord, what young master said was reasonable. When you said you wanted to run for Mayor, I found it hilarious. If you wanted to commit murder and arson, the brothers would certainly follow you, but you really don't have the makings of a Mayor!"

Tu Dao was rather somber. Unlike Tie Chui who was laughing so insolently, he merely let out a strange laugh and covered his mouth.

Blackbeard was enraged. He shouted angrily, widened his eyes, and swung a fist towards Tie Chui. A strand of powerful qi rushed out from it and whistled in the air. Despite being separated by a long table, which could accommodate a hundred people, Blackbeard’s powerful qi struck Tie Chui’s stomach and sent him flying before he collided with the back wall.

Even after being struck and sent flying, Tie Chui was still laughing. Blackbeard's fist was powerful, but he held back. The blow merely drove Tie Chui away; the true strength that struck his body was nothing. Tie Chui laughed until his whole body cramped. He pointed at Blackbeard, laughed some more, and said, "Lord, you see, even young master agrees, you really don't seem like a mayor!"

Enzo didn't find it funny at all.

Blackbeard's punch wasn't merely unfunny, but also simply frightening, so frightening that it made Enzo's whole body stiff and his mind blank.

In the West Continent, knights were divided into three ranks: Heaven, Earth, and Man. These ranks were further cla.s.sified into levels based on the Nine-Colored Borders of Heaven. Commonly, knights used the Qi Tempering Method to cultivate, but many secretly transmitted methods like those inherited from families and even excellent skill arts transmitted through bloodlines, also existed.

Without a doubt, Blackbeard's punch just then was a true special skill art. As evidenced by the dark-purple centre of his battle qi, Blackbeard was also a genuine Heaven Knight. Furthermore, it was soon going to breakthrough to gold-violet level, the most tyrannical stage among Heaven Knights.

Moreover, that layer of powerful, thick black qi around his fist meant the special skill art he practiced had an additional effect . Several special skill arts could make battle qi blazing and fiery, while other skill arts could allow it as cold as ice, and still other skill arts go as far as adding hypertoxic or corrosive power. It was unknown what additional attribute Blackbeard's black-colored qi possessed, but any excellent skill art was absolutely invaluable.

'Lin Qi also practiced this skill art, right?' It was no wonder that Lin Qi—despite being younger than Enzo by several months, being engrossed in the administrative matters of the Ironfist Brotherhood, and being occupied with earning gold coins every day—had been progressing with his battle qi far faster than Enzo.

'Shocking, truly shocking to the extreme.' Lin Qi's father was unexpectedly and outrageously a Heaven Knight, and also such a high-level Heaven Knight. Even more frightening, Lin Qi also practiced the excellent skill art of legend! 'Tsk, tsk, Ironfist Brotherhood truly has an amazing leader!'

It was also no wonder that Lin Qi could oppose the Knights of the Round Table without the slightest hesitation. Having this kind of family background, this kind of father, as well as  experts like Tie Chui and Tu Dao as support, it seemed the Barwell Family really didn't count as a problem, right?

Lin Qi and Tie Chui's roars of laughter as well as Tu Dao's strange laugh made Blackbeard extremely furious, but there was nothing he could do to them even if he was angrier because one was his only child and the other two were people who had followed him to brave untold dangers for ten years—brothers who had been the Black Tiger Family's die-hard subordinates for many generations.

After snorting exasperatedly, Blackbeard vigorously inhaled the 34-centimeter-long cigar. It burned at great speed. Such a long cigar was burned to nothing in one short breath; all the smoke was inhaled into Blackbeard. After letting that thick smoke roll inside his lungs for a period of time, Blackbeard puffed out two strands of dragon-shaped smoke, diffusing all around alongside the gale, then forcibly rolled them towards Lin Qi.

Lin Qi just stopped laughing. He earnestly looked at Blackbeard and asked, "Old man, are you serious?"

Blackbeard straightened his chest. He looked at Lin Qi with similar earnestness and said, "Of course I'm serious!"

Retreating several steps and sitting on the black tiger throne, Blackbeard snorted heavily, gritted his teeth, and said, "If I do this, it will also be for the family's best interests."

Patting the throne's armrest forcefully, Blackbeard coldly snorted and said, "These past few years, the family has been flouris.h.i.+ng. The brothers under our command have been increasing, and our territory has been expanding, but our business is no good! Thirty years of continuously favourable weather! For thirty years now, there hasn't even been a small-scale war of a thousand people. Money isn't easily earned, Lin Qi—money isn't easily earned!"

Lin Qi recalled his own hards.h.i.+p in earning every single copper coin. He couldn't help but repeatedly nod and say, "Right, dear father, money really isn't easily earned! Why, every copper coin has to be soaked in sweat!"

Blackbeard nodded vigorously. He said in a deep voice, "If left to sit idly, one can even consume a mountain. That is unacceptable; we shouldn't do that. Every year, we need a large amount of surplus to allow the family to always prosper. But now, those traditional professions are no good! Tsk! Last time, after robbing two money-transporting s.h.i.+ps of the Vias Business Union, although the harvest was ample, the brothers also suffered a lot of casualties!"

Enzo's calves and stomach violently twitched. 'Money-transporting s.h.i.+p of the Vias Business Union? This was the fatal case that caused a sensation throughout the continent half a year ago!'

Looking at Blackbeard with incomparable respect, Enzo couldn't help but sigh with emotion. Sure enough, dragons breed dragons while phoenixes breed phoenixes; the son of a mouse could drill a hole. Lin Qi's father was really outstanding This scheme was many times bigger than Lin Qi's!

Blackbeard waved his arm in an imposing manner. He laughed and said, "So, excluding the traditional family trade, we have to find a new centre of profit! We must expand the scope and the range of the family business! What can a Dunerk Mayor be counted as? Afterwards I also want to fight for the position of the Province Magistrate, and even aim for an aristocratic t.i.tle!"

Lin Qi looked blankly at Blackbeard, "But what new centre of profit can this be counted as?"

Blackbeard impatiently glared at Lin Qi. He angrily said, "Don't tell me you don't know that every year, the empire subsidizes a big amount of administration funds to every region, and that each magistrate will decide what to do with their region's annual administration expenses and all tax revenues? You idiot!"

Lin Qi's eyes suddenly lit up like two gold coins.

Chapter 43 The Family's Night Banquet

Enzo helplessly watched as the others took their places. Blackbeard sat on the tiger-shaped throne while Lin Qi sat cross-legged on the tail of Blackbeard's throne. Tie Chui and Tu Dao were both rough fellows, and Blackbeard also wasn't some courteous person, so no one moved a bench or anything for him. In the end, Enzo decided to move one of the big oaken chairs next to a dining table by himself up the platform with difficulty. He sat next to the pair of father and son and chatted with them.

When he moved the big oaken chair, Enzo realized just how heavy it was. Weighing several hundred kilograms, the big chair carved out from one whole chunk of oak was already quite heavy. What made it even heavier was the three centimeter-thick iron underneath the chairs. Lin Qi's ancestors added them to prevent wear and tear caused by friction.

So the weight of one big chair was equal to three to four hundred kilograms. Only after exerting a lot of strength did Enzo manage to move the chair.

Tie Chui and Tu Dao could have effortlessly moved it for him. Unfortunately for Enzo, they merely laughed heartily and teasingly at the top of their lungs as he painstakingly moved the chair. Blackbeard and Lin Qi laughed even more unrestrainedly, until their eyes narrowed into slits. Feeling like the number one idiot, Enzo's face reddened. 'Why did I even follow Lin Qi here?'

This whole family, no matter how he looked at them, weren't ordinary people!

Blackbeard was going to run for Mayor and in the future, also intended to be the Province Magistrate. His actual target was the annual administrative funds and tax revenues! A bandit was a bandit indeed. It was truly hard to imagine, after Blackbeard becomes a Province Magistrate of the empire, how he would plunder the province.

Perhaps even the servants of the Black Tiger Family could suddenly change their ident.i.ty and reorganize into a group of imperial army men. At that time, would the helpless Dragon Cavalry and Copper Hats become like these men who committed murder and arson for Lin Qi's family? While breaking into houses and plundering, they would loudly shout, "In the name of the imperial family!"

When he thought of such a terrifying scenario, Enzo's hair couldn't help but stand on end.

'Truly too stimulating, bursting with too much energy.' If Old Man Blackbeard really acquired an aristocratic t.i.tle, he could also establish himself above the royal court in the future. 'That would certainly be too interesting.' It was hard to imagine if someone like him were to become an Imperial Minister, how the empire would change.

The cluttering sound of cooking utensils could be heard from outside. Even stronger were the fragrances of spices and meats wafting in the air. Lin Qi's family servants were preparing a welcoming banquet. Coincidentally, the day of Lin Qi's return fell on the 'Kitchen G.o.d Festival'. The customs of the West Continent dictated the offering of sacrifices to the Kitchen G.o.d on this big day. During the festival, the whole family, young and old, all had to get together and eat and drink to their hearts' content.

This was also the beginning of the 'enduring winter' for the people of the continent. From today onwards, blizzards from the Odin Ice Origin in the north would wreak havoc in the greater part of the continent. Enduring this endless winter, common people would rarely come out, and everyone would be nestled at home. For families who had even a little wealth, the Kitchen G.o.d Festival also represented the beginning of a series of banquets during winter.

After all, an endless winter didn't have any good diversions. Other than eating and drinking to their hearts' content at home, what else could they do?

Temporarily putting aside the matter of running for Mayor, Blackbeard attentively asked Lin Qi about the things he had done during the past three years. Blackbeard had his own medium of information: Cripple Shop would usually send some information on Lin Qi back to Dunerk every few days. But Lin Qi had a lot of things that even Cripple was incapable of finding out, so Blackbeard asked about Lin Qi's experiences during the last three years regardless of their importance.

Lin Qi ignored his father's questions. Instead, the contents of his every sentence focused on being very 'poor', very 'unlucky', with 'no money to spend', and having 'a shortage of money'. Because of Lin Qi's words, Blackbeard's whole face turned purplish-black. With smoke shooting out from his nose, he very much felt like striking Lin Qi to the floor with his palm, then ruthlessly trampling on him with both of his feet.

Just as the father and son, plus Enzo, ran out of topics to talk about, the banquet preparation was just about finished.

Because it was the first time in three years that the family's young master Lin Qi returned home, this year, his family's Kitchen G.o.d Festival feast was particularly grand. Not to mention other food and drink, just the main course was already 30 roasted sheep!  They were completely roasted all over until they were golden. Their fat unceasingly dripped down, and they were sprinkled with a large amount of spices and seasonings from the East!

This kind of roasted sheep, in Borali's top taverns, could reach an extremely high price of two hundred gold coins each. The sheep itself was not so expensive. What made it so costly were the spices — spices transported from the East that traveled several tens of thousands kilometers to arrive at the West Continent and were worth dozens of gold coins a handful! Such precious ingredients were sprinkled on the roasted sheeps!

In addition to roasted sheep, there were also big chunks of fat and tender beef steaks, roasted geese, and roasted chickens lying neatly on a pure silver platter. Charmingly young roasted pigs were propped up with forks, neatly arranged in a row as if they were walking in a line.

In addition to this, there were also various kinds of rare birds.

The aristocratic families of the empire especially liked various kinds of rare and precious water birds, such as Black Swans, White Swans, Green-Headed Duck, Skylarks, and so on. At the family banquet, there were at least forty different kinds of water birds served on the dining table. The fragrance was so strong that it nearly acc.u.mulated into visible, thin fog.

Several hundred ferocious-looking men with huge figures attended the banquet. These men were all the elders of the Black Tiger Family who were qualified to attend. There were still ten smaller banquet halls at other places. Everyone else in the ancestral house, including the part-time workers, female servants, and so on were feasting to their hearts' content there.

One banquet had more than three thousand people attending. Such a scale could nearly be comparable to the state banquet held in the Victory Palace by the emperor.

Moreover, this still didn't include everyone, because while everyone else was feasting, there were still at least several hundred capable men on duty at every sentry post outside the ancestral house. To describe this ancestral house that belonged to Lin Qi's family as a dangerous spot wasn't wrong at all.

After Blackbeard ceremoniously chanted a prayer offering sacrifices to the Kitchen G.o.d one time, he raised his huge, gold wine cup and declared the start of the banquet.

The several hundred huge men inside the hall raised their wine cups and cheered in unison, "Long live Old Man Blackbeard!" before shouting once more, "Welcome home, young master!" Following the cheers, these men drained the fine wine inside their wine cups one after another.

Among these men, ten prominently robust beastmen of pure bloodline especially drew people's attention. At other places in the West Continent, beastmen had kill on sight order on them. But in this ancestral house, the beastmen and humans intimately forced one another to drink alcohol. Practically as harmonious as a family, everyone ate and drank to his heart's content together.

Carrying a barrel of wine in each arm, Lin Qi along with Enzo, whom he had brought with him,  toasted to each elder of the family. Uncle so-and-so… Aunt so-and-so… all the elders were the type to have bodies with scars all over and ferocious faces, but once they saw Lin Qi, without exception, they showed benevolent smiles.

The elders merely required Lin Qi to drink a small mouthful, but as for Enzo, they had no mercy and one after another, unrestrainedly poured a big bowl for him each time.

As a result, less than fifteen minutes after the start of the banquet, Enzo already collapsed and lost consciousness.

One hour later, Lin Qi was also intoxicated and then followed suit.

Blackbeard shook his head, then carried his son out of the banquet hall.