At Black Pearl Harbor, on the prow of the great ship bearing a lion-and-lotus figurehead, a large tea table rich with Eastern charm stood neatly arranged. Lin Qi sat beside it, staring absently at the small stove upon it. The little stove, made of red clay, blazed with chips of Luminous Black Ebony. The kettle atop it was a purple-clay teapot painstakingly shaped by a master craftsman, and wisps of tea fragrance continuously drifted from within.
Ying Zheng, composed and dignified, sat opposite Lin Qi, leisurely gazing out over the sea and sky. This was two hours after Ying Zheng had been captured by Lin Qi, who had invited him here for a brief rest. Knowing that escape was impossible, Ying Zheng accepted Lin Qi's invitation with considerable grace.
Over those two hours, Lin Qi had recounted, point by point, everything the Sovereign Council had done to Ying Zheng. Having heard him out, Ying Zheng fell into a long silence. Afterward, he simply remained seated there in that same dignified manner, without speaking a word.
Several enormous seabirds lazily perched on the great ship's mast, but then a fire dragon suddenly came roaring in. The birds were frightened out of their wits; after spraying droppings everywhere, they flapped away in miserable panic.
Ying Zheng, who had been silent all along, suddenly changed expression. "Burning the zither and boiling the crane—what a ruinous eyesore. Lin Qi, your subordinates need to be properly disciplined."
Lin Qi glanced at the dragon that had replaced the seabirds and coiled itself around the mast, then gave a lazy yawn. "It's their hobby. I can't be bothered to interfere. As long as they don't cause trouble, why should I manage them? That is simply a dragon's nature. I can't very well stifle my subordinates' nature, can