Chapter Forty-Two: Blackbeard's Ambition

Amid Lin Qi’s wild and unrestrained laughter, Blackbeard’s face became as dark as his beard. He clenched his fists tightly, staring fiercely at Lin Qi, who was rolling on the ground clutching his belly, and after a long moment finally roared, “What’s so funny? What are you laughing at? Is it so ridiculous that I want to be mayor?”

Lin Qi laughed for a long time before finally managing to stop. Gasping for breath in between fits of laughter, he lay on the ground, pointing at Blackbeard and said, “Father, if you said you wanted to slaughter the entire family of the Mayor of Dunkirk, I’d believe you. If you said you wanted to seduce the mayor’s wife, I’d believe that too. Even if you said you were going to charm the mayor’s daughter to make her my stepmother, I could just about believe it!”

He drew in a sharp breath, then burst into another round of laughter. “But for you to run for mayor? Hahaha, have you ever looked at yourself and thought of what part of you looks like a mayor?”

Suddenly, Hammer and Butcher erupted into laughter as well. Hammer let out a loud, boisterous laugh, spraying spittle far and wide. He guffawed, “Boss, the young master is right. Last time you said you wanted to run for mayor, I thought it was the funniest thing. If you were to kill and burn, the brothers would follow you without hesitation, but as mayor? That’s just not your calling!”

Butcher, whose nature was somewhat gloomier, merely covered his mouth and let out a strange cackle, not as wild as Hammer’s, but clearly amused.

Enraged, Blackbeard let out a furious shout, his eyes bulging. He swung a fist at Hammer with a backhanded motion. Even from across a long table big enough to seat a hundred for dinner, a surge of energy burst from Blackbeard’s fist—a faintly black aura with a deep violet core, shaped like a black tiger—slamming into Hammer’s belly and sending him flying to crash heavily against the far wall.

Even after being flung across the room, Hammer continued laughing heartily. Despite the display of force, Blackbeard had used a gentle kind of power; it merely sent Hammer flying, but did little real harm. Hammer laughed so hard his whole body cramped, and he pointed at Blackbeard, still laughing, “Boss, you see, the young master says the same—you really don’t look the part of a mayor!”

Enzo, however, found nothing funny about it at all.

That punch from Blackbeard was not only unamusing, it was downright terrifying. So terrifying, in fact, that Enzo was left rigid and blank-minded.

On the Western Continent, there was the saying of the Nine-Colored Ninefold Heavens, which divided knights from highest to lowest into three ranks: Celestial, Earthly, and Human. The color of a knight’s battle aura was also classified according to those nine colors. Besides the common techniques, there were also many secret methods, passed down within families or even through bloodlines.

Without a doubt, the punch Blackbeard had just thrown was one of those rare techniques. The core of his battle aura was a deep violet—proof that he was a genuine Celestial Knight, and not just that, but one about to reach the golden-violet rank, the strongest among Celestial Knights.

But the thick layer of black energy surrounding his fist was an additional effect of his specialized technique. Some such arts could make fighting spirit as hot as fire, others as cold as ice, while some carried poison or corrosive force. The properties of Blackbeard’s black aura were unknown, but any unique technique was never something to be taken lightly.

So Lin Qi practiced this secret art too. No wonder, even though Lin Qi was several months younger than Enzo and always busy managing the Iron Fist Brotherhood and making money, his progress in battle aura outstripped Enzo’s by far.

It was astonishing. Truly, utterly astonishing. Lin Qi’s father was a Celestial Knight of remarkable power, and, more critically, he practiced one of those legendary rare techniques! No wonder the Iron Fist Brotherhood had such a formidable leader.

No wonder Lin Qi dared to oppose the Round Table Knights without fear. With such family heritage, with such a father to back him, and warriors like Hammer and Butcher by his side, the Baville family really didn’t seem such a daunting challenge after all.

The uproarious laughter of Lin Qi and the others left Blackbeard seething, but what could he do? One was his only son, the other two had followed him through life and death for decades, loyal retainers of the Black Tiger family for generations. No matter how furious he was, he could do nothing.

With an exasperated snort, Blackbeard took a deep breath; the foot-long cigar clamped between his teeth burned away in a single inhalation, its smoke sucked deep into his lungs. After letting the smoke burn inside him for a moment, Blackbeard exhaled two columns of smoke from his nostrils, and a gust of wind swept outward, forcibly lifting Lin Qi from the ground.

Only then did Lin Qi manage to quell his laughter. He looked at Blackbeard seriously and asked, “Father, are you truly serious?”

Blackbeard straightened his back and met Lin Qi’s gaze, equally serious. “Of course I am!”

He took several steps back and sat on the Black Tiger Throne, exhaling heavily. Between clenched teeth, he said, “I’m doing this for the good of our family.”

He slapped the armrest of the throne forcefully and snorted coldly. “These years, the family has flourished, our followers have grown, and our territory has expanded. But business isn’t what it used to be! For thirty consecutive years, the weather has been favorable, and there hasn’t been a single war—not even a minor skirmish of a thousand men anywhere on the continent. Money is hard to come by, Lin Qi, it’s hard to make money!”

Lin Qi thought of his own struggles to earn every copper coin in Briley, and couldn’t help but nod in agreement, “Indeed, dear father, money is truly hard to earn! Every copper is soaked in sweat!”

Blackbeard nodded vigorously, his tone grave. “We can’t just sit back and watch our resources dwindle. Not only that, but we must have large surpluses every year to keep our family strong. But now, the old trades are no longer profitable! Tsk, last time we robbed two gold transports of the Vias Commercial Federation, and though we gained much, we lost quite a few brothers as well!”

Enzo’s calves twitched violently. The Vias Commercial Federation’s gold convoys? That was the notorious crime that had shaken the continent half a year ago!

He gazed at Blackbeard in awe. Truly, like father like son, as the saying goes—Lin Qi’s father was indeed cut from a different cloth; his undertakings dwarfed Lin Qi’s many times over!

With a grand gesture, Blackbeard waved his arm and laughed, “So, we must find new sources of profit beyond our traditional trades! We need to expand the family business, expand our reach! What’s one mayor of Dunkirk? In the future, I’ll aim for the governorship of the province, and perhaps even secure a noble title!”

Lin Qi looked at Blackbeard, baffled. “But how is this a new source of profit?”

Blackbeard glared at him in exasperation. “Don’t you know? Every year, the Empire allocates a substantial sum for local administration, and all local administrative expenses and tax revenues are at the sole discretion of the local chief! You fool!”

Lin Qi’s eyes suddenly gleamed, as if two gold coins were shining in their place.