Chapter 136: A Tremendous Impact

It was indeed a mansion worthy of ruining the entire family of the Empire’s former Minister of the Interior. As they stepped into the main hall, a golden brilliance flooded Lin Qi’s vision. Had he not been hiding his face behind a mask, his expression of naked greed would have been truly unsightly.

There were no gaudy displays of gold, silver, or common jewelry here. Instead, every single item—even the vase in the corner holding fresh flowers—was a relic of profound historical significance. Take, for instance, that vase with its deep crimson base and black glaze, depicting a warrior mid-strike as he beheaded a beautiful woman. That was, without a doubt, a treasure passed down from the Dark Ages.

Before the dawn of the continent’s recorded history, there existed an immeasurably long era known as the Dark Ages, a period so vast that even historians could not determine its exact duration. During those long and harrowing times, no unified nation existed on the Western Continent. Instead, scattered city-states, primitive villages, and small towns became the flickering hearths where the remnants of humanity gathered to survive. Beyond those walls lay terrifying magical beasts, sinister alien races, and countless marauders who unleashed endless rivers of blood.

The Dark Ages were the darkest time for the continent, a period when the fire of civilization burned at its dimmest. Yet, it was also a time that birthed a succession of heroic figures, an era of "demigod heroes" that the people of the modern day look back upon with yearning.

The story of the warrior and the woman on the vase originated from a legend of a powerful city-state during that era—a tale woven from threads of love, conspiracy, hatred, and complex bloodlines. The vase’s deep crimson base and its black, metallic-sheened glaze could not be replicated by any modern artisan, as many of the unique pigments used had long since vanished from the world.

A vase passed down from such an era could no longer be measured in mere gold coins. If a price had to be set, the royal families of mid-tier nations would willingly trade ten years of their national tax revenue just to possess it. These relics were more than objects; they were symbols of culture, heritage, and status. Owning one was like a plain maiden suddenly adorned in exquisite finery, instantly bestowing a dazzling luster upon an entire family.

In the Western Continent, where bloodline and heritage were held in such high regard, even royal families were ranked. A low-tier noble family, long looked down upon at royal gatherings and restricted to marrying within the minor nobility, could suddenly claim descent from a legendary hero of the Dark Ages simply by possessing such a relic. They could assert they were the true descendants of a great ancient dynasty.

Overnight, their bloodline would be elevated like a thoroughbred horse, their social standing would skyrocket, and they could ascend from commoners to royalty. Even if their actual political power remained unchanged, their status within the royal circles of the continent would be transformed. A princess from such a family, once considered a liability who couldn't be married off even with a hefty dowry, would suddenly find handsome, wise, and powerful princes from other kingdoms begging for her hand, offering mountains of bride-wealth.

A single vase could change the fate of a royal family. A mid-tier nation’s ten-year tax revenue would surely exceed a billion gold coins. And in this main hall, there was one such vase in every corner.

Lin Qi felt his heart twitch, and his face beneath the golden mask contorted into a spasm. Even if Blackbeard were standing right in front of him, he would not have recognized the twisted, beast-like grimace that had overtaken Lin Qi’s features.

"Uncle Baal, Aunt Lily, there’s no need to develop the Iron Fist Brotherhood. If we just rob this place, we’ll be set for life!" Lin Qi forcibly suppressed the urge to draw his axe and hack Elham to pieces, his footsteps stiff as he followed behind Tiss.

Tiss’s face was equally grim. He, too, had seen what Lin Qi discovered. It was unbelievable; he had heard legends about the mansion at No. 1 Holy Glory Street, but he had never imagined it was this legendary. How much loot had that former Minister of the Interior plundered at the end of the Century-Long Island War to collect four such heaven-defying treasures? And one could only imagine he hadn't spent a single coin to acquire them.

Tiss roared internally, vowing to throw every official from the Imperial Ministry of Finance who had auctioned off this mansion twenty years ago into prison. Those useless fools! If No. 1 Holy Glory Street were auctioned today, those four vases alone would be enough to fund the construction of the Empire’s sixth and seventh universities, expand ten more, and triple the size of the Imperial Naval and Military Academies.

"Malfeasance! This is pure malfeasance!" Tiss’s face darkened.

He had once thought of using money to tempt those two mesmerizing beauties, but now his meager funds seemed like a joke before these relics. And that was not all; other items in the hall were equally priceless antiques. Tiss even spotted the imperial throne of a Gaulish emperor who had reigned for only three months five centuries ago. How could something like that be here, sitting near a bar in a private mansion, when it should have been locked away in the Palace of Victory? The emblem on the throne was clear and blinding—the unmistakable seal of the Imperial family.

Lin Qi noticed Tiss’s deathly pale face. He stepped forward, leaned in close to Tiss’s ear, and whispered, "Stay calm, Your Highness. No matter how wealthy their family is, this is the Empire! And they, clearly, are not citizens of the Empire."

Tiss’s chaotic heart immediately settled. He was right. This was Imperial territory, and Tiss held influence second only to the Imperial family itself.