Chapter 119 Leaving Home
On the third day of the new year, Lin Qi and Arthur separately brought people to set off.
A rare weather, black clouds in the sky dispersed, dazzling sunlight illuminated the sea surface, creating an magnificent faint golden reflection, like gold coins that Lin Qi liked the most. It was a good weather. As long as Lin Qi, who was about to sail against the current of Seille River, spend two days, he could safely return to the imperial capital.
As for Arthur, it was an extremely terrible weather. All people along the northern coast knew, after every clear sky during the terrifying winter, a frightening blizzard would follow, the kind that was sufficient to destroy everything. Lin Qi merely needed two days to return to the capital and could avoid the blizzard; as for him, he had to bring along a fleet formed of 20 military ships while crossing a distance of one thousand kilometers, rushing to the territory where his father, Red-haired Demon, once dominated.
Sailing for one thousand kilometer in a blizzard, imagining the terrifying scene, Arthur felt a chill all over his body.
These years in Black Tiger Family, Arthur lived like a prince, living a life of luxury; he was the elder prince who was accustomed to pleasure. Once he thought of himself leaving the luxurious suite of Green Rose Hotel, leaving the warm embraces of those beautiful young ladies, having to lead over one thousand rough pirates to wander around at sea, fighting battles full of sweat and blood like his father, Red-haired Demon, Arthur tasted bitterness in his mouth!
But Arthur had no choice!
Blackbeard was very fair in doing things. On the third day after the new year, he sent his biological son out of Dunerk into the imperial capital to open up a new territory for Black Tiger Family, establishing a new power; then as Blackbeard's foster son, he also had to do something similar.
How could the biological son go plundering some territory and battling other people while the foster son stayed at home living like a prince and enjoying life, right?
Even in front of all Black Deacons of Night Union, Blackbeard was also completely justified. On the same day during the terrifying winter, at the same time, a foster son and a biological son set off to work for their own future. Impartial, fair, just, open, who could say that Blackbeard wasn't any of those?
The cold wind blew the sails. Arthur stood on the bow of the ship and squeezed out a smile toward Blackbeard's group of people who had been continuously waving.
Behind Arthur's ship were 20 military ships that were nearly 50 meters long. These warships had the outer appearance like that of civilian ships, but the materials used to manufacture them were of battleship grade. Their speed and fighting strength were incomparably close to those of regular imperial battleships. Adding with the over one thousand pirates on the ships, their strength was extremely frightening at sea. Other than huge imperial military fleets, of cargo ships and passenger ships, none could escape their plundering.
The port wasn't in Dunerk, such pirate ships couldn't publicly appear at Dunnerk's official harbors.
It was Black Tiger Family's secret port located 15 kilometers outside Dunerk. A small rugged gulf covered by countless trees with precipitous cliffs on both sides. The security here was tight; Black Tiger Family stationed ten small warships at this place all year round. In addition to several forts with astonishing defense on the cliffs, the port could deal with the attack from Dunerk garrison fleet or even that of North Sea division imperial fleet.
At one side of Arthur's 20 warships was a huge passenger ship that was preparing to deliver Lin Qi's group to the imperial capital. It was 70 meters long and entirely a civilian ship. With a huge bear skin cloak draping over his shoulders, Lin Qi stood on the bow of the ship like a black bear while chuckling at Arthur who was less than 50 meters away.
Arthur didn't give Lin Qi a glance. He merely looked deeply at Blackbeard who was standing on the dock before strongly bowing toward Blackbeard. "Father, I will work hard. When I have time, I will return to see you."
Blackbeard nodded with a smile. He embraced Black Rose Ross's slim waist and waved at Arthur with a smile, "May the Sea God bless your harvest, dear Arthur, remember to be safe, if you had any problem, consult the older men among your subordinates."
After warning Arthur several more times, Blackbeard turned to Lin Qi. He narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, "Lin Qi, remember what you have to do in going to the imperial capital this time, don't cause any trouble, steadily do your business. If you dared to make a mistake, I will give you a lesson!"
Lin Qi held a cigar in his mouth in a sloppy manner and strongly puffed out a mouthful of thick smoke. He smiled at Blackbeard and waved his hand, "Rest assured, old man, you just properly accompany Aunt Ross here and have fun for several days, I will handle the business in the capital well. With so many manpower, with so much money, if I still couldn't create something big in the capital, then I must be truly useless!"
Laughing out loud, Lin Qi turned to Arthur and waved his hand before saying, "Arthur, I wish you smooth sailing!"
Arthur also smiled. His heart was so full of hate that it was dripping with blood, but he still squeezed out a smile.
'Smooth sailing? There's going to be a blizzard tomorrow or the day after, how can I have a smooth sailing?' But Arthur still put on a smile. He had to smile, he couldn't let other people know that he had any malice toward Lin Qi. He had to wait for the day when Lin Qi was sorted out, then he could smoothly inherit everything in Black Tiger Family!
Even if he was a foster son, on the West Continent, a foster son was also qualified to be a successor of a family.
With a brilliant smile, Arthur clenched his fist at Lin Qi, "Lin Qi, do well, by all means don't let Father lose face!"
Lin Qi smiled. 'Let Blackbeard lose face? I don't care about this.' He looked at Arthur who was full of smiles and suddenly felt that he was extremely pitiful. The flower that was raised in a warm greenhouse by Blackbeard, could he truly adapt to the situation in North Sea?
Seeing that Arthur's fate wasn't long, Lin Qi magnanimously forgave his previous offences.
"Why on earth am I angry at a dead person?" Lin Qi happily threw the cigar into the sea and waved at Blackbeard. Then he loudly shouted, "Raise the anchor, depart Dunerk, follow Seille River to the imperial capital! Arthur, have a smooth sailing!"
Looking at the glittering sunlight, Lin Qi wished Arthur well several more times. The huge passenger ship slowly cut an arc on the gulf, entering head first into the narrow channel that lead to the open sea.
Arthur bowed one more time toward Blackbeard. He took out his fencing sword and shouted in a stern voice, "Raise the anchor, direction Black Devil Cape!"
Following closely behind Lin Qi's passenger ship, the 20 warships also slowly left the small gulf.
Blackbeard strongly embraced Black Rose Ross' waist. He softly murmured, "Good, the adorable son and the abominable son are both gone, now I can relax. Oh, how about staying at my place for a month?"
Black Rose Ross tenderly smiled while twisting her waist, moving in Blackbeard's embrace like a sticky candy.
In front of thousands of subordinated on the dock and the ships, Blackbeard howled with laughter and lifted Ross into his embrace before impatiently squeezing into a small lookout post on the dock.
Tie Chui stood on the pier with both hands behind his back and slowly said, "Spring is coming, the Lord is in heat again!"
Chapter 120 Enzo's Hometown
After setting off from Dunerk and sailing upstream along Seille River for less than one day, on an area five kilometers from the river bank was a small town called Wright.
The passenger ship Lin Qi's group rode on stopped at a small intersection. Due to a habit from their occupation, after the ship stopped, Baltic commanded the numerous sailors and family subordinates on the ship to chop down a great amount of branches and create a layer of cover for the ship. Not to mention from a distance, even if one walked up close, one still wouldn't discover that there was a 70 meters long passenger ship here.
"Okay, let's climb ashore!" Lin Qi threw a trunk filled with ham, sausages, and alcohol out of the ship. It heavily smashed on a huge pile of snow. He and Enzo swiftly climbed down a rope onto the shore before waving toward the ship.
Baltic squatted on the ship railing and waved toward Lin Qi as he said, "Young master, it's okay to have fun for a couple of days on the way, but remember, if you ran into something, you can settle it yourself if you can, but if you couldn't, just send the signal to let me help you settle it!"
Leo with his sturdy body stood next to Baltic. He gave Lin Qi a simple smile and said, "Young master, why don't you let me go with you?"
Lin Qi waved his hand. He laughed heartily and said, "I'm only going to Enzo's hometown to look around, not to snatch other's territory, so there's no need for so many people! It's just a couple of kilometers away, if I ran into some trouble you could rush over in time, relax!"
Clapping his hands with a smile, Lin Qi picked up the huge trunk and carried it on his shoulders. Enzo was also carrying one of the same size. The two people walked in large strides, treading the thick snow toward a small forest nearby. Past the small forest and past a small farmland was Enzo's hometown, Wright Town.
Baltic help a tobacco pipe in his mouth as he watched Lin Qi and Enzo walking int he distance. He gently waved his hand and six short men covered in black walked out of the ship. Even their faces were covered with a layer of black cloth while their eyes were hidden behind thin black crystals. After Baltic spoke to them in a low voice, the figures of the six people gradually turned indistinct. A cool breeze blew, the six people already appeared directly on the shore. Borrowing the cover of trees and bushes, they nimbly followed Lin Qi's group of two without leaving the slightest trace on the snow.
"Oh!" Baltic thoughtfully touched his chin. He said in a low voice, "Leo, call the brothers to prepare some good men, the Lord made it clear, we have to protect young master's safety. Fat Bird Kirk, he isn't someone who take a loss well. If young master lost even a strand of hair, I'm afraid it's something we couldn't bear."
Leo's expression turned incomparably solemn. He agreed, then quickly entered the hold of the ship, passing down the order to the other family members.
Lin Qi and Enzo each carried a huge trunk full of food and alcohol as they walked slowly along a small rural path. Enzo pointed at the sceneries around him as he described his childhood life to Lin Qi.
Lin Qi was entranced as he listed to Enzo, it was a totally different life compared to Lin Qi's childhood.
"My parents died early!" Enzo gritted his teeth and said, "They died in the hands of a beastman invader, right, an ox-headed man, I remember his face. In the future, I will find him and personally kill him and everyone in his family to avenge my parents!"
Since his parents died early, Enzo was raised under the kindness of many neighbors. Since he was young, he worked to repay his neighbors. One could well imagine the life of an orphan. It also tempered Enzo's character, he was bold yet sensitive, he was strong yet frail, at times he was stubborn, but at times he was warm and kind.
Without parents' care, even if the neighboring uncles and aunts treated Enzo very well, those country children were usually small and weak. Since Enzo was seven, he often fought with those other kids. In addition, Wright Town fortunately had a military veteran. He taught Enzo and the other kids a superficial military qi cultivation method.
Relying on the superficial qi method, from getting beaten up, Enzo gradually became more and more powerful. When he was 13, he chased a group of peers and beat them viciously by himself. Hi qi innate talent gradually appeared. The veteran simply used the old connections he had in the military and recommended Enzo to a military academy in Yasen Province.
After three years in the academy, Enzo graduated from the military academy in Yasen Province in first place. He was immediately recommended to Imperial Army Academy.
Originally, Enzo was going to become a normal outstanding imperial officer, but he met Lin Qi and his fate changed. He joined Ironfist Brotherhood, becoming Lin Qi's top subordinate. Furthermore, looking at his development trend in the future, it was very likely that Enzo will become Black Tiger Family's future number one thug, probably taking over Tie Chui's position.
The two chatted and laughed along the way. After walking nearly one hour along the small country road that was covered with thick snow, the two people finally arrived at the entrance of Wright Town.
A small chapel stood at the entrance of the town. An old priest wearing a black robe was sitting in front of the chapel, sprinkling some wheat while chuckling. A thin sparrow was chirping and flapping its wings as it snatched the rations that the old priest sprinkled around.
Enzo respectfully bowed toward the old priest. He loudly shouted, "Priest Mai!"
The old priest raised his head and looked at Enzo with a smile. He stood up in surprise and spoke in a loud voice, "So you, little trouble-maker, has returned? The last time you returned was two years ago. Enzo, you little bastard, when you aren't in town, do you know how peaceful our lives are?"
Enzo's face turned slightly red. He put down the trunk on his shoulder and took out six bottles of good rum, squeezing them into the old priest's embrace. The old priest smiled so wide that his eyes turned narrowed into slits. He strongly patted Enzo's shoulder and said with a smile, "Boy, so you've profited? Oh, rum that was fermented for 50 years, this isn't something one can easily get!"
Lin Qi looked at Priest Mai in astonishment. There was no marking on the six bottles, furthermore their mouths were sealed tight with green wax and wooden cork, yet the old priest could actually recognize that they were 50-years-old rum just from one sniff. How rich of an experience in drinking wine did one require to be able to achieve it?
Priest Mai passionately hugged Enzo. He looked at Lin Qi with a smile and widened his eyes in shock. His pupils glanced at the expensive black bear leather cloak on Lin Qi's back before he said with a loud laugh, "Are you Enzo's friend? Wealthy and noble young master, look at my chapel, so dilapidated, give me a little donation to repair the chapel!"
Lin Qi was dumbfounded. He looked at Enzo's helpless expression in shock, then took out a golden note worth ten thousand gold coins from his sleeve with a smile.
An interesting priest, an interesting Wright Town, Lin Qi suddenly took a liking to the place.