Father and Son

With a mix of caution and even more curiosity, Enzo followed Lin Qi into the main keep.

The main keep was built in a traditional style. Upon entering, there was a spacious foyer with two steep, narrow, curved staircases leading to the second floor on either side. In Enzo's opinion, these stairs were cleverly designed. So steep and narrow, if just a few sword masters stood at the top, even hundreds of fully armed knights would struggle to ascend to the second floor.

Beneath the stairs, oddly shaped metal tenons and chains sparked Enzo's imagination. Could there be hidden mechanisms on these stairs? Looking closer at the floor of the hall beneath the stairs, it did seem a bit peculiar. If Enzo guessed correctly, perhaps beneath the floor lay a deep trap, the kind filled with sharp metal spikes!

Beyond the foyer was a massive banquet hall, neatly laid out with six long oak dining tables capable of seating six hundred people. These oak tables gleamed with a metallic luster, akin to black iron, under the bright candlelight, clearly possessing a history of at least several hundred years.

Unlike noble families who favored elaborate settings, Lin Qi's family did not use tablecloths on their dining tables. The six hundred chairs by the tables were not the elegantly shaped high-backed chairs favored by nobles, but rather heavy chairs carved from large blocks of oak.

Heavy dining tables, heavy chairs, coupled with black flooring and crimson wall coverings, gave the hall a solemn and imposing feel, exuding a strong aura of iron and blood. Especially with the tall, heavy suits of armor standing in the four corners of the hall, and the great axes, longswords, and sabers with their chipped blades hanging on the walls, the atmosphere of grim killing was enough to make the faint-hearted suffocate.

As soon as he entered the hall, Lin Qi's gaze fell upon the dozens of massive candelabra standing on the dining tables. In Lin Qi's eyes, a familiar golden glint flashed for a moment – the greedy look he got when he saw large amounts of gold coins. The problem was, this was his own home, why would he be so greedy?

However, the candelabra were truly remarkable, and Enzo couldn't help but swallow.

Solid gold candelabra, beautifully crafted, inlaid with numerous rubies and sapphires. Each of these candelabra must have weighed several hundred pounds. Here were thirty solid gold candelabra of immeasurable value. Under the light of hundreds of large candles, these candelabra emitted a captivating, hazy glow.

Perhaps only the wealthiest families, dukes and above in the Empire, could possess such precious candelabra? Enzo's gaze was drawn to them. After three years under Lin Qi's influence, Enzo had developed a certain appreciation for everyday items. The styling of these candelabra was so elegant, and the patterns on them were the rosemary leaf patterns favored by several royal families on the continent.

These candelabra must have been crafted by skilled artisans for royal families. Judging by their luster, they were likely antiques. Enzo wondered why they were here. Perhaps a descendant of a fallen royal family had sold their ancestral inheritance? Or maybe Lin Qi's kin had simply robbed a fallen royal family?

Who knew? Enzo gazed at the candelabra thoughtfully. Seeing the small, one could infer the large; the financial and political power of Lin Qi's family was truly considerable!

At the far end of the banquet hall, on a platform half a person's height, sat a massive throne. Forged from an unknown black metal, the throne was shaped like a ferocious black tiger poised to pounce on its prey. In the center of the tiger's coiled abdomen was an indented, spacious seat.

A burly man, Blackbeard, clad in a black silk robe, a head taller than Lin Qi, exuding an aura of menace, sat on the throne, a specially made cigar at least a foot long clamped in his mouth, puffing out clouds of smoke. Seeing Lin Qi and Enzo enter, Blackbeard's father shot them a glare, and Enzo felt as if two arrows had been shot at him. He instinctively almost rolled to dodge the attack.

What a terrifying individual. Cold sweat broke out on the back of Enzo's neck again.

Powerful, unimaginably powerful. This man before him was the strongest person Enzo had ever seen. None other, the strongest existence. Compared to him, Iron Hammer and Butcher Knife, including Aunt Lily and Blackbeard's father, were like ferocious wolves compared to a lion. They were on entirely different levels in terms of presence and aura.

Even the strongest professors at the peak of their careers at the Army Academy did not possess the terrifying aura that Blackbeard's father had.

Enzo took a deep breath, managing to stand straight under Blackbeard's father's gaze.

Blackbeard's father looked at Enzo with appreciation, retracting the terrifying aura he had intentionally released.

Lin Qi, however, was unfazed by his father's terrifying aura. He strode towards Blackbeard's father and hugged him tightly. "Hey, old man, haven't seen you in three years. You don't miss me, do you? Ah, my deceased mother should have strangled you in your sleep. Three years, a full three years, and you haven't sent me a single copper!"

Blackbeard's gaze softened slightly, then quickly returned to normal. He stood up, hugged Lin Qi tightly, and simultaneously tightened his grip on Lin Qi's arms, rendering him immobile. Lin Qi, whose fingers were already reaching for the money pouch at Blackbeard's waist, froze. In exasperation, he stomped on Blackbeard's toes.

Blackbeard let out a surprised grunt. Lin Qi, while restrained, could still counterattack. This strength far exceeded his estimation of Lin Qi's current peak power. He released Lin Qi, clutching his money pouch, and took a few steps back, laughing heartily. "Lin Qi, you little rascal, your strength is much greater than I predicted! Heh, heh, interesting!"

Lin Qi relentlessly lunged towards Blackbeard again, shouting, "Stop with the nonsense! My poor deceased mother, please strangle this bearded villain before me! Three years, and besides the hundred gold coins you gave me when I enrolled, he hasn't given me a single copper for three years!"

Blackbeard tightly clutched his money pouch, refusing to let Lin Qi get close. He shouted, "Enough, Lin Qi! One hundred gold coins is more than enough for an ordinary, well-behaved student to live luxuriously for a year! Three years, you haven't come home for three whole years, that's your fault!"

Lin Qi's eyes widened, and he sneered, "My fault? If you had let me gouge out that bastard's eyes and throw him into the sea to feed the fish, I wouldn't have gone to Berely at all!"

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became extremely awkward. Iron Hammer and Butcher Knife both frowned.

Blackbeard remained silent for a long while. After a considerable pause, he shook his head. "Regarding that matter, Arthur was partly at fault, but you were also wrong. Alright, we haven't seen each other in three years, are you going to argue with your old man the moment you meet? Enough. Tonight is your welcome banquet. Starting tomorrow, you'll accompany me to visit those damned local rich landowners! Hmm, this time, your father is running for mayor of Dunkirk. You can't mess around!"

Lin Qi and Enzo both swallowed. What? Blackbeard's father was running for mayor?

Lin Qi suddenly clutched his stomach and burst into laughter, laughing until he was weak and collapsed onto the floor.