Chapter 143: The Inception of the Conspiracy

Just as Lin Qi had anticipated, the man clutching a magnificent blue fox fur coat and hurling curses at a pale, gaunt pawnbroker behind the counter was none other than Long Cheng, from whom he had parted ways only two days prior.

As Lin Qi well knew, no pawnshop was ever a place of peace. The shopkeeper, whose entire lineage had been viciously cursed by Long Cheng, was livid with fury. He was frantically gesturing for seven or eight burly men to come forward, and they were now surrounding Long Cheng with iron rods, wooden clubs, and other crude weapons in hand.

Without a doubt, had Lin Qi not appeared, a bloody incident would have inevitably erupted.

Lin Qi immediately rushed in, shouting loudly at the shopkeeper and his thugs. Yulian and Enzo followed close behind, their right hands resting on their sword hilts as they swept cold, piercing gazes over the aggressive men.

The shopkeeper, who had been itching to grind the foul-mouthed Long Cheng into paste, recoiled. The attire Yulian wore marked him as a noble; although the thin ribbon on his chest indicated he was merely a low-ranking one, a noble was a noble nonetheless. Any commoner in the Imperial Capital who offended a noble risked the annihilation of their entire household.

As for Enzo, his neat uniform signaled that he was a senior student at the Military Academy. At the very least, the rank of cadet officer on his shoulders was high enough that a pawnshop like this could not afford to provoke him. Everyone in the capital knew that every year, the students of the Military and Naval Academies would clash with local thugs in large-scale conflicts, and these future soldiers, who spent their days training with weapons, rarely lost.

If he were to anger Enzo now, might a pack of ferocious military students storm in by the afternoon and reduce his shop to rubble? Such things had certainly happened before.

The shopkeeper’s ashen face instantly blossomed into a radiant smile. He bowed to Lin Qi and said respectfully, "My three noble sirs, as you can see, there was merely a slight misunderstanding between us and this customer!"

The thugs also realized that Lin Qi and his companions were not to be trifled with. In particular, Lin Qi, clad in a bear fur coat, stood before them like a black grizzly. The subtle, heavy pressure of a low-ranking knight made it difficult for these men—who were only slightly stronger than the average person—to even breathe. They bowed respectfully to Lin Qi, hid their weapons behind their backs, and scurried off to the back of the shop.

Lin Qi looked at Long Cheng with a smile. "Noble Lord Long Cheng, we meet again!"

Lin Qi didn't even acknowledge the shopkeeper; he felt no need to waste time on such a person.

A flush rose on Long Cheng’s fair face. He laughed awkwardly, put the blue fox fur coat back on, and spread his hands with a wry smile. "I’ve made a spectacle of myself in front of you. Sigh, money flows like water in this godforsaken place—two thousand gold coins simply aren't enough!"

Lin Qi knew perfectly well that when Long Cheng left Dunkirk, he had left two and a half million gold coins with Angel and Anlin. However, he feigned surprise and asked, "Good heavens, I recall giving you your share—two and a half million gold coins. You’ve spent it all?"

Long Cheng’s handsome face turned a deep, mottled red. He roared indignantly, "Two thousand gold coins! Didn't you hear my earlier curse? I said two thousand, not two and a half million!"

The furious Long Cheng suddenly felt a bit guilty and rubbed his nose. He chuckled dryly, "Alright, let’s just say I blew through that money in the last few days. Well, what a coincidence to run into you here. This pathetic capital of your pathetic empire—though small in scale, it somehow manages to house a million savages—how did I happen to bump into you?"

Lin Qi rolled his eyes. This bastard’s tongue was as sharp as ever. A pathetic capital of a pathetic empire? The Gaul Empire was the premier empire of the Western Continent, and Boli was the most magnificent and grand capital in the world, with a population well over three million. How did it become so wretched in this asshole’s mouth?

Yulian glared at Long Cheng with even greater hostility. Lin Qi hadn't yet had the chance to introduce Long Cheng as the terrifying, dangerous radical he was, so Yulian simply stared at him with burning anger, clearly tempted to teach him a lesson. Long Cheng’s words had insulted the Empire, insulted the grand capital of Boli, and insulted every noble residing within the city walls!

A place where savages mingle? Was he implying that the Empire's nobility were all savages?

The nerve of this jerk—did he really equate the nobility of the Empire, the most distinguished group on the Western Continent, with the filthy, foul-smelling savages from the Five Isles who hadn't bathed in years?

But before Yulian could issue a formal challenge for a duel, Long Cheng slammed a palm onto the brass-cast counter.

Without a sound, a flash of purple light flickered, and the entire counter melted like ice under the midday sun. Molten red copper flooded the floor, nearly engulfing the shopkeeper’s feet.

Long Cheng cast a cold, chilling glance at the shopkeeper and said indifferently, "Consider yourselves lucky. If you had actually made a move just now, I could have legitimately killed you, burned your shop, and looted the place. Consider yourselves lucky!"

Purple light!

Every commoner on the Western Continent knew what a purple battle aura signified. A Heavenly Knight—a figure of legend!

The shopkeeper fainted on the spot, and Yulian immediately released his sword hilt, nodding repeatedly at Long Cheng with a forced, obsequious smile. God help him—if Yulian, who had only just reached the entry level of a mid-tier Human Knight, were to challenge Long Cheng to a duel, Long Cheng could probably blow him away with a single breath.

Lin Qi’s eyes glinted. He clapped his hands together and said, "Alright, alright, let’s go. No need to waste time here. Noble Master Long Cheng, we truly have a connection! Tell me, do you have anywhere to go right now?"

Long Cheng spread his hands. He had been reduced to pawning his own clothes; where else could he go? He had been kicked out of his hotel that morning, he still owed the owner for breakfast, and he hadn't even paid for the night he’d spent with a charming maid!

Fifteen minutes later, Lin Qi led Long Cheng into a small tavern in the business district and found a quiet, private booth.

He loudly ordered the waiter to bring roasted suckling pig, roast goose, and several bottles of fine, strong spirits. Long Cheng immediately unleashed his terrifying appetite, sweeping away the food and drink like a storm.

Only after Long Cheng had his fill did Lin Qi raise his glass for a toast.

"It’s truly strange. How did you end up in such a state? With your strength, you should be living comfortably anywhere."

Lin Qi asked with a smile, his tone tinged with sarcasm.