Chapter 133: A Little Wager for Amusement

With their plans for the evening settled, Lin Qi and his companions shared a truly exhilarating lunch.

Dozens of the finest vintage wines from across every continent, succulent foie gras, black caviar from the Far East, rare game from the primeval rainforests of the Black Spirit Continent—this meal featured dozens of exotic ingredients that even Lin Qi had never heard of. With every bite and every sip, Lin Qi felt as though they were not just dining, but consuming gold coins; each mouthful felt like swallowing a handful of clinking, shimmering wealth.

"Oh, this is absolute bliss!" Lin Qi narrowed his eyes, savoring the rich, velvety texture of the foie gras as it melted on his tongue. Every fat cell in his body seemed to tremble with delight. To enjoy such top-tier delicacies without spending a single copper of his own made him feel as if he were in the legendary paradise of the gods, where everything around him radiated a seductive, golden glow.

One dish consisted of over thirty gray-white brains of the "Calliope Lark," a rare bird from the Goblin Continent, each the size of a thumb. Prepared with precious spices and sauces, these raw lark brains offered a strange, intoxicating flavor. Because of their melodious songs, these larks were highly prized as ornamental pets on the Western Continent.

A single well-bred, sweet-voiced Calliope Lark could fetch thousands of gold coins in the pet market. Yet here, as just one course in a single meal, the chefs at the Rooster Old Tavern had sacrificed thirty-six of these birds, crafting them into a dish that tasted of decadent, bloody indulgence.

Setting aside the inflated market prices, the cost of transporting each bird across tens of thousands of miles of ocean from the Goblin Continent was over five hundred gold coins. These thirty-six larks alone were worth eighteen thousand gold coins—and this was merely one course of Tixian’s banquet.

"Extravagant, simply too extravagant! But this is my dream!" Lin Qi’s pupils glowed with a faint golden hue. This was his life’s goal: to dwell in a palace made of pure gold, to eat gold, to drink gold, and to lie in a tomb of pure gold when he died. This was the life a successful Lin Qi deserved.

Sighing with satisfaction, Lin Qi dropped his napkin and swayed to his feet to head to the washroom. A beautiful maid in a sheer gown immediately fawned over him, nearly throwing herself into his arms as she whispered sweet words while guiding him to the adjacent room.

The washroom, enclosed by large, transparent panes of glass, was so luxuriously appointed that Lin Qi’s eyes turned red with envy.

The toilet was of solid gold, carved with exquisite patterns and inlaid with various gemstones. The washbasin was also solid gold, similarly engraved and encrusted with jewels. There was even a massive, solid-gold fish tank. Measuring over three meters in length and width, the tank was an inch thick, casting a magnificent, maddening luster before Lin Qi’s eyes.

On the walls hung small portraits, each no larger than a human face. The brushwork was simple, yet the figures were lifelike—clearly the work of masters. Judging by the signatures, these were portraits of noblewomen painted by the most famous master artists of the last two centuries.

Over fifty private portraits of legendary, high-born socialites from the Western Continent hung in this small washroom. The space was flooded with a golden radiance that left Lin Qi spellbound. Each of these master-class paintings was worth tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of gold coins today, and there were over fifty of them here!

"Truly heart-stirring!" Lin Qi murmured, hardly aware of how he finished his business or left the room. He had only a hazy memory of the delicate maid assisting him with everything, even washing his hands. As he left, he generously stuffed a thousand-gold-coin note into her bodice.

Lin Qi’s lavish tipping quickly spread among the maids in the pavilion. Those pouring wine, serving food, and sitting beside the guests to be caressed began to offer even more intimate, alluring smiles. Their bodies brushed against Lin Qi and the others with intentional provocations that were enough to drive a man mad.

Lin Qi smiled, handing out one-thousand-gold-coin tips to the maids right in front of Tixian, his hands constantly wandering over the waists and bellies of those beside him. Yet, his gaze remained fixed on the noble, golden hue of the room, devoid of any lecherous pink tint.

Tixian glanced at Lin Qi in surprise. In the span of a single meal, Lin Qi had tipped away at least fifty thousand gold coins. Tixian’s interest in him grew deeper; a young man who was wealthy, sharp-witted, and resourceful was exactly what he needed—whether as an assistant or a subordinate. Every great noble needed a circle of loyal vassal families, and Tixian found himself increasingly intrigued by Lin Qi.

The meal concluded with everyone in high spirits. Once the maids cleared the table and served tea, Lin Qi cleared his throat and said, seemingly casually, "Lord Tixian, according to my plan, we need to visit those two lovely young ladies tonight. Since we have several hours until dusk, why don't we find some light amusement?"

Tixian looked at the sky outside the window. Indeed, there were at least four or five hours left before nightfall. Usually, he might have spent this time enjoying the company of maids in bed, but with his mind occupied by the sisters, he had no heart for such trifles.

Nodding readily, Tixian suggested, "Since there are four of us, how about a game of Land Island Cards? Ha! An opening bet of one gold coin, no limit. It will help us pass the time."

Yulian and Enzo had no objections to the suggestion. As for Lin Qi, he had intended to suggest the card game himself, so he followed suit, nodding with a grin at Yulian and Enzo.

*That solid gold fish tank alone must be worth a million gold coins,* Lin Qi muttered to himself. *And his uncle is the Minister of Finance for the Empire!*

A uniformed manservant brought a deck of ivory Land Island Cards. Lin Qi took them and began to shuffle and deal with practiced ease.

Tixian sipped his tea, unconcerned, his right hand already sliding beneath the skirt of the maid beside him.