Chapter Thirty-Six: Brothers

Walking from the bustling Dunkirk docks along Oak Street, passing seven garden squares—each marking the crossroads of major thoroughfares—one eventually arrives at the foot of Black Beech Hill, a lush, wooded rise, home to Dunkirk’s oldest residential quarter. Here, the streets are broad and immaculate; though the pavement is damp, not a trace of snow can be seen.

All around stand grand, ancient mansions, sprawling over vast tracts of land behind imposing gates. The carriages gliding by are traditional, conservative, and understated, yet exude an air of old-world nobility. Each is drawn by tall, pure white horses, every one a thoroughbred of no small value.

Lin Qi, accompanied by Enzo, strolled leisurely along the main road, ascending towards Black Beech Hill. From its heights, one could gaze down upon the entire Dunkirk harbor and bay. Naturally, those who resided in the hill’s mansions were people of wealth and status—an area beyond the reach of ordinary folk.

Enzo’s eyes reddened as he gazed at the horses. Each was worth at least a thousand gold coins—thoroughbreds meant for the battlefield, not for pulling carriages. Yet here, the wealthy used them as mere beasts of burden.

Noticing the look in Enzo’s eyes, Lin Qi sneered, “Well, what can you do? During the Island War, these people could only use donkeys for their carriages. But now? If a family doesn’t own seven or eight thoroughbreds, they can barely hold their heads up.”

He sighed, shaking his head. “All rich folks here, Enzo, nothing but rich folks! You know, when I was a boy, just making a round on these streets, extorting pocket money from the children of these families would earn me a dozen gold coins each time!”

He spat deftly into the roadside gutter, then, face full of nostalgia, gazed upward and sighed longingly, “Ah, those wild, glorious days of youth! Pity such good times didn’t last long before I was sent off to Briley!”

As Lin Qi was lost in reminiscence, a delicate, pure white carriage adorned with ivory trimmings drew up beside them. The silken curtain was lifted, and the startled, half-hidden face of a young woman of considerable beauty peered out.

“Lin Qi? Is that you? Lin Qi?”

Lin Qi looked at her in surprise, then, beaming, cast a proud glance at Enzo and strode toward the carriage, laughing, “Ah, dear lady, forgive me, you still remember me, but it’s been so long since I returned home. Might I ask your name?”

The young lady’s face went pale; she stamped her foot in anger. The coachman, alarmed, cracked the reins, and the two horses broke into a panicked gallop. Faintly, Lin Qi could hear a frightened voice from the carriage: “Heavens, it really is that little scoundrel come back! I must warn everyone—no one should go out these days! Oh God, how is he not dead in Briley?”

Enzo clutched his stomach, roaring with laughter, while Lin Qi glared gloomily after the fleeing carriage, muttering through clenched teeth, “Now I remember this woman! Well, just because her brother refused to pay me protection money, I broke his head and pushed her into the gutter. But besides that, what else did I ever do to her? Is that really worth running away over?”

Enzo, arms crossed and grinning mischievously, said, “Boss, if you pushed her into the gutter now, she’d rather die. You don’t understand how much a girl’s appearance means to her. That lovely lady would never let you do that to her again!”

Lin Qi shot him an annoyed glare. “Are you saying I don’t understand women?”

Enzo raised an eyebrow. “Do you? Honestly, boss, I’m curious—have you even, well, finished growing up?”

Lin Qi realized he’d never win such an argument with Enzo and promptly fell silent. He counted himself lucky Yulian wasn’t there, or he’d be verbally flayed alive by those two sharp tongues. Of course, Lin Qi reassured himself, this was merely his way of living upright—he’d never waste even a copper coin on the barmaids at the tavern!

What were painted beauties next to the clinking gold and gleaming silver coins? Even copper was dearer to him than any woman. With a wry smile, Lin Qi sighed to himself, musing that women had brought him no end of trouble.

After a quarter hour’s walk up the pristine Currant Avenue, an expansive estate appeared before them. Its boundary wall was dark with age, entwined with ancient vines, and the gate was an exquisite piece of wrought metal, tulips and grapevines intertwined in delicate relief. Several people stood chatting at the entrance.

Lin Qi’s face darkened as his gaze instinctively settled on a tall, red-haired young man among them, animatedly gesturing as he spoke. The youth was striking: tall, handsome, alabaster skin and a mane of fiery hair lending him a remarkable charisma. He looked just past twenty, certainly not older than twenty-five.

Yet his left eye had suffered a grievous wound, concealed beneath a black leather patch. His right eye, however, was a deep, alluring violet—one could imagine how handsome and captivating he would have been, had both eyes been intact.

Lin Qi’s expression grew odd, his mouth twitching as he stared at the red-haired youth.

Enzo, ever perceptive, noticed Lin Qi’s change in demeanor. Resting his hand on his sword hilt, he asked quietly, “Boss, who is he?”

Lin Qi rolled his shoulders, answering slowly, “Him? Arthur, my father’s adopted son—my so-called elder brother. The reason I left dear Dunkirk for Briley… is because of him.”

He sighed, eyes narrowing, their sharpness like a blade. “Because I was the one who gouged out his left eye.”

Enzo stared in shock. Lin Qi had been gone from Dunkirk three years—meaning that, at fifteen, he’d torn out the eye of his father’s adopted son. At that age, what kind of rage, what kind of cruelty did it take to do that to such a dashing youth?

“What a shame. I’d meant to take both his eyes and toss him to the fish, but my father arrived too soon.”

With a shrug, Lin Qi strode toward the house, laughing loudly, “Hey, dear Arthur, you damned bastard, so you’re still alive! Has that cursed eye of yours grown back yet?”

Arthur, who had been laughing and chatting with the others, suddenly blanched, turning green as he glared back at Lin Qi, teeth clenched.

Enzo’s face grew solemn, his right hand gripping his sword as he followed closely behind Lin Qi.

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