Chapter 6 – Scheme

When Cripple appeared, Lin Qi was standing next to the wine shelves while fixedly staring at those few youths. He almost went mad looking at that youth leader who used his white kerchief to carefully wipe his palm. When the youth’s fingers moved, the rings on his hand produced one enchanting halo after another under the light.

Almost all of Lin Qi’s blood rushed into his brain and heart. Sweat unceasingly flowed down his feverish body.

“This guy is so rich!” Lin Qi had difficulty simply swallowing a mouthful of saliva. His high blood pressure caused his vision to turn black. With his nostrils violently trembling, Lin Qi inhaled deep breaths, suppressing the frenzied blaze in his mind with great difficulty. With his long sleeves concealing both of his hands, Lin Qi’s fingers continuously and gently stroked the triggers of two small-sized crossbows hidden there. He found controlling himself difficult.  More than once he almost raised his hands to launch an attack against that youth.

Gold, bright yellow gold; gems, sparkling s.h.i.+ny gems. Lin Qi groaned gloomily. He pressed his right hand firmly against his heart. He inhaled deeply, controlling his own breathing with great difficulty, letting his boiling blood flowed throughout his body, avoiding the risk of dying from his heart violently cracking open or his blood vessels exploding.

“So many fat sheep, unfortunately why must they come to Crippled Shop?”

In his heart, Lin Qi crazily cursed all the G.o.ds he knew of. No matter which G.o.d delivered this group of fat sheep to Crippled Shop, from today onwards, this G.o.d shall become Lin Qi’s mortal enemy. That youth’s right hand which was resplendent with jewels, never in Lin Qi’s life had he ever gazed upon such a valuable right hand.

Lin Qi had the simplest, plainest, and most honest outlook of the world. In his view, in this world there were only two types of money: his money and other people’s money. There were only two types of people: rich people and poor people. There were only two types of things: valuable treasures and worthless garbage.

Making some rich people become poor people, s.n.a.t.c.hing away their valuable treasures, making other people’s money become his own, this was Lin Qi’s ideal, this was his aim, this was his lifelong goal. His life was built upon money. Without money, his life would be a bleak existence without any trace of light.

This youth’s right hand was like a beacon, illuminating the endless road of Lin Qi’s life.

“Such a pity, this is Cripple’s territory!” Swallowing saliva with difficulty, Lin Qi put down both of his hands. Releasing the bow strings, he carefully stowed the two poison tipped arrows into the leather bag attached to his belt. He walked out from the shadow of the wine shelves, laughed and leaned on the long wine stand while making a neck-slicing gesture towards that youth.

“Easterner, considering you have the same blood lineage as my ancestors, I solemnly warn you! This is Crippled Shop; this is Uncle Cripple’s territory. You dare hit his prettiest and loveliest female maid, you are finished!”

Lin Qi’s words were filled with malice. He eagerly looked forward to instigate a fight between the patrons of Crippled Shop and these big fat sheep with black cloaks draping over their shoulders. In a split second, he had formulated a plan. When a conflict happened between these big fat sheep and the patrons of Crippled Shop, he would then have the opportunity to take advantage of the situation and reap the benefits from these people.

For the sake of gold coins, Lin Qi would cooperate with Cripple; similarly for the sake of even more gold coins, Lin Qi would sell Cripple out without the slightest hesitation.

The white faced youth curled up the corners of his mouth, showing a trace of an aloof and arrogant sneer. With his left hand behind his back and slightly bent waist, he strolled to the front of the long wine shelves. He narrowed his eyes while sizing up Cripple from top to bottom, then shot a glance at Lin Qi. Withdrawing his right hand inside his cloak, he pulled out a half foot long gold bar the thickness of no less than a thumb.

Lightly placing the gold bar on the oily wine shelf, the white faced youth spoke in fluent West Continent common language: “My name is Jiang Yong. In accordance with your customs, you may address me as ‘Jiang’, or call me Steward Jiang.”

Wearing a trace of a queer smile that made people’s scalp to go numb, Jiang Yong softly said: “With regards to that young lady, I offer my sincerest apologies. However I hope you can understand, I’m not used to having people too close to me.”

Sighing lightly, Jiang Yong used his finger to casually tap the gold bar on the wine shelf. His fair and delicate finger silently penetrated the gold bar. His finger didn’t penetrate through the wine shelf made ofa hundred year old oaken board. Instead, it left an inch deep hole in the wood.

The men who had stood up and were arrogantly prepared to make a profit from these fat sheep went back to their own seats in unison. They turned their attention away from those fat sheep, raised their wine cups, and the hubbub of noises rose once again. Three dancing girls enthusiastically opened their thighs and rhythmically kicked their long white legs, causing the men to express pa.s.sionate shouts and resounding laughter. The tavern returned to normal in a flash, the smell of sweat and alcohol filled the air once again.

Two of Crippled Shop’s servants carried the unconscious Lisa away, quickly disappearing from the tavern as it seethed with excitement.

Lin Qi, who was standing next to Cripple, sucked in a mouthful of cold air. He was stunned while staring at the gold bar and wine shelf which had been pierced through by Jiang Yong with one finger. He abruptly gasped one mouthful of air after another.

Such formidable strength, perhaps his guy called Jiang Yong already had the strength of a high-leveled knight? Except for those few high-leveled knights who legends said could cleave boulders, Lin Qi didn’t know what kind of freak could do what Jiang Yong had done. Flesh and blood piercing through a gold bar? What was his finger made of?

This was not a fat sheep, rather a ferocious beast with extravagant fur. Although the beast’s fur was very valuable, risking one’s life for the sake of gold coins was obviously not wise. Unless it was proven that this Jiang Yong had enough wealth to arouse Lin Qi, then those few rings he wore on his hand were still not temptation enough to make Lin Qi take action.

Of course, if Lin Qi knew that Jiang Yong really had a huge amount of wealth, Lin Qi could let Jiang Yong know; even though he had valiant strength, he definitely shouldn’t carry too much money within the Ironfist Brotherhood’s territory.

After another deep look at Jiang Yong, Lin Qi walked away from the wine shelves, bringing Enzo and Wei Ke to sit at a wine stand. He shouted loudly to order some good wine and roasted meat, then laughed merrily while enjoying the dancing girls’ bold and unrestrained movements.

In the blink of an eye, Cripple already led Jiang Yong and his companions away from the wine shelves.

Only Lin Qi, who paid attention to them out of the corners of his eyes, took notice of how they left, especially when several of Jiang Yong’s companies were walking, their cloaks were pushed aside by a table’s legs, exposing the deep cyan robes inside.

Such an unusual style for a robe, it was filled with embroidery of a sort of bizarre creature which looked like a python  with a mouth full of sharp teeth and four what looked like rooster claws on its body. That creature which seemed savage and ferocious, yet magnificent and elegant, exuded a taint of alluring evil force that made people palpitate.

“Easterner!”

Raising his wine cup and fiercely drinking a mouthful, Lin Qi vaguely stated: “This is Borali City; it’s this Uncle Lin Qi’s Ironfist Brotherhood’s territory!”

Narrowing his eyes, Lin Qi said in a low voice: “Wei Ke, order some people to keep an eye on them, I want to know how much money they bring after all!”

The pet.i.te Wei Ke stuffed a big piece of fatty meat into his mouth, hurriedly nodded his head, and conveniently groped the b.u.t.t of a pa.s.sing by female maid.