I am a kind person, a pure person, an upright person, a just person, a compassionate person, a broad-minded person, a loving and compassionate person, an upright and pure good person, a person known to the world. A man recognized as flawless. WWw.QuAnBen-XIaoShuo.COm
It can be said that all human virtues are concentrated in me!
—"Lin Qi's Autobiography"
Chapter 1 Night Walk
Recovery calendar 1465 winter night.
The cold wind from the Odin Icefield in the far north blew through Wudalian Island and invaded the western continent. Shrouded in night, Borely, the capital of the Seventh Empire of Gaul, was shivering in the cold wind, and there were few people in the streets. Occasionally, Imperial Royal Dragoons wearing short black cloaks and holding silver spears rode by, and the crisp sound of horse hooves made some creatures that haunted the night uneasy.
The cold wind was like a whip in the hand of a giant, whipping the entire city fiercely. Most of the urban area was immersed in deep darkness, and all the law-abiding citizens had fallen asleep with the howling of the strong wind.
But heading west from the Palace of Victory, the core of Borely, through the Champs Elysées, known as the "Pearl of the Continent", and along the Green Street and White River Street until you reach the end of Fleet Street, there is a large area of buildings with bright lights. Dozens of highly professional colleges are gathered here, including the First University, the Second University and the Fifth University of Boreli, the Imperial Army Academy, the Naval Academy and the School of Architecture, the Imperial College of Administrative Studies and the Boreli Theological Seminary. This is the 'University Town of Bureleli' that has attracted the attention of the entire continent.
Thirty years ago, the land-island war that lasted for hundreds of years ended quietly after exhausting the last vestige of vitality in the Western Continent. The Sun King Saint Louis XIII, who emerged in the middle and late stages of the war, was a rare British master in the world. The Seventh Empire of Gaul was the main battlefield in the continental and island wars and received huge economic aid from European countries after the war. Using this assistance, Saint Louis XIII vigorously developed education and established this university city unprecedented in European history in just thirty years.
In just thirty years, countless elite talents have been cultivated here, adding a steady stream of fresh blood to the empty empire after the war. Driven by these elites, the huge empire is like an awakened lion occupying the westernmost part of the continent. Its powerful national power makes the entire continent tremble.
This was the best era for the empire, and it was also the worst era for the empire. This was the era when the empire was most enterprising, and it was also the era when the empire was most extravagant and corrupt.
Lights flickered in various buildings in the university town, and people were studying hard in the teaching buildings and libraries. From time to time, the neighing of war horses and the sound of clashing lances could be heard from the grounds of several military academies. In the workshops of the Industrial College, there were even more people. There is a continuous high-pitched and harsh metal knocking sound that stimulates people's eardrums at any time.
In this era of lack of nighttime entertainment, ordinary citizens would go to bed just after nightfall, but in the university town, such lively scenes will not gradually stop until twelve o'clock at night. The huge university town is like a vibrant heart, where youth and passion are brewing and fermenting. Elite students are accumulating strength and enthusiasm for the future of the empire.
But just as there are always shadows under the sun, there are always three or five unusual characters in such an enthusiastic and upbeat university town.
Just when his classmates were working hard for the rise of the empire, Lin Qi walked out of the Fifth University in a swagger. He looked gloomy. Several senior fourth-year students on duty at the school gate saw his stiff face and turned their heads at the same time, pretending not to see the third-year accounting major who had left the college in violation of the night ban.
Lin Qi just completed his eighteenth-year-old coming-of-age ceremony last month. He has been studying at the School of Accounting of Fifth University for three full years. With black hair, black eyes and yellow skin, he has typical oriental appearance. But unlike ordinary Orientals, Lin Qi has a body that is no less than the strongest young man in the Western continent. Both his height and shoulder width are much higher than ordinary people.
But as outsiders commented, all college students majoring in accounting at the Fifth University of Berelli are parasites of the empire. Lin Qi, this parasite, without exception, is full of nutrients, and his strong body is even a little bloated. When he walked around, he looked like a bear that had just woken up from hibernation from a distance, and his swaying movements were very eye-catching.
Enzo stood on the street corner opposite the Fifth University, hiding most of his body under the cover of an acacia tree. He wore the most popular tricorn hat with a wide brim inlaid with gold rims, a short brown cloak in the style of a dragoon, which was also the most popular nowadays, and a pair of tight trousers made of black satin from the East. It held his two long legs, highlighting the sharp-edged muscles on his legs. There is no doubt that this kind of tights made of black satin has also been the most popular style in the past three months. ,
The strong chewing muscles drove the gums to squeeze the mixture of tobacco and betel nut, and the strong and stimulating taste made Enzo energetic. Like the hat, cape and leggings he wears, the mixture of chewing tobacco and betel nut is also a recent fashion trend that has become popular among the middle and lower classes of Bureilly.
Seeing Lin Qi walking out slowly like a big bear, Enzo hurriedly spit a mouthful of scarlet blood-like saliva on the ground and blew a suppressed whistle. He leaned out half of his body from behind the big tree, waved to Lin Qi and said: "Boss, here, here!"
While greeting Lin Qi, Enzo tightened a black cloth roll held in his left hand. The roll of black cloth, which was about four feet long, was wrapped tightly. Enzo would touch it from time to time. Even when greeting Lin Qi, he would look around cautiously from time to time.
Lin Qi also looked around. He walked quickly through the street, his strong figure disappearing into the shadow of the acacia tree.
Glancing at Enzo's chiseled face through the light in the distance, Lin Qi pinched the black cloth roll he held under his arm. Underneath the thick black cloth was a hard metal object, and its unique touch and shape proved that it was exactly what he needed. Lin Qi grinned silently, stretched out his hand and made a gesture.
Enzo nodded. He took out a mixture of tobacco and betel nut and stuffed it into his mouth. He carefully looked around and walked quickly along the street to the north, leaning against the wall. Enzo, a tall and strong man, made no sound when he walked. He was hunched over, appearing from time to time in the shadows like a ghost.
Lin Qi looked back at the fourth graders standing in front of the school, smiled silently, and added Enzo without making any sound. The two of them were nearly fifty meters apart. They specifically chose those complicated and winding alleys to walk through. After a short time, they left the brightly lit university town and arrived at the northern old town where the security of the city is the most chaotic. .
While passing by a courtyard gate in a nameless alley, Lin Qi imitated a few cat meows in a strange way.
The courtyard door opened silently, and four sturdy figures joined the small team. They followed Lin Qi ten meters behind, and continued to move forward unhurriedly with Enzo.
Chapter 2 Cripple Shop
In the north of Bereli, the mighty Seine River is flowing silently. Thin ice collided with each other on the river that was more than ten miles wide, making an inaudible crunching sound. Along the river bank, dozens of artificial piers stick out like arms. This is the dock area in the north of Bureilly. It is also the most chaotic area in the Bureilly area that is most frightening to the decent people who follow the rules. It is the gathering place for all villains and bad guys.
In the northernmost part of the dock area, near the confluence of the Seine and Manne rivers, there is an old tavern.
Going up from the muddy narrow road and passing several broken steps, the main entrance of the tavern is two thick stone slabs, covered with mottled paint and greasy dirt. Beside the door of the tavern are two huge flower pots on the left and right respectively, with several shriveled and dead saplings planted in them. A dead mouse is tied to a branch on the left, and a poisonous snake hangs on a branch on the right. bones.
There is a dark wooden board hanging crookedly on the stone door. Only by using your eyesight can you barely make out the messy writing on the board - Cripple Shop!
Walking into the stone door, there is a large flat area in front of the tavern. On the left side of the flat area are two rows of stone houses. At this moment, the inside is full of sturdy men sleeping in various directions. They may be wandering sailors at the dock, porters at the dock, gatekeepers at certain warehouses, or they may be heroes working in various livelihoods in the dock area. Deep snoring echoed in the vast stone house, and from time to time someone would talk in their sleep and let out a thick, deep laugh.
On the right side of the flat field is a row of livestock pens, where nearly a hundred cows and horses are standing quietly gnawing on the few dead grass. Some simple flatbeds and four-wheeled carriages were parked in a mess near the livestock pen, and there were also a few carriages that looked inconspicuous but were actually very exquisite in materials and craftsmanship.
In front of Pingchang, facing the gate, is a three-story stone building. Dim lights flickered in the stone buildings, making these stone buildings even darker and gloomier. On the right side of the stone building, there is a stone staircase extending underground. Walking down this stone staircase for a few meters, you will arrive at an underground tavern.
The three-story stone building on the ground is a hotel attached to this tavern. As long as they can afford it, even criminals wanted by the empire can find their most comfortable residence here. The underground tavern is the main business location of the boss here. Even though it is late at night, the place is still brightly lit and bustling with people. ,
Walking down the stone steps and pushing open a thick old oak door, the hot smell of alcohol hit your face, almost knocking you off your feet.
Behind the oak door is a bar large enough to seat hundreds of people. To the west is a row of wine cabinets. Several gorgeous women are standing behind the wine cabinets, smiling wildly. A group of drunken drunkards were lying on the wine cabinets, teasing the women unscrupulously.
There is a circular wooden platform in the middle of the tavern. Three scantily clad girls are twisting their bodies vigorously on the wooden platform. Dozens of burly men with red faces are dancing around the wooden platform, shouting slogans excitedly, with strong feet. It trampled on the rough stone ground hard, making a uniform 'snap' sound. From time to time, a few excited men would take out shiny copper coins from their pockets and throw them on the wooden platform. The three dancers would twist their bodies more and more enthusiastically, with their long hair flying around them, their red lips and shining eyes. It was releasing boundless heat, and its young and hot breasts were trembling, making those men almost explode with excitement.
The lame man was standing in the corner behind the wine cabinet, holding a huge copper wine glass in one hand and a white cloth in the other. He grinned and wiped the glass vigorously, making it shiny inside and out. He held a huge cigar smuggled from overseas in his mouth, and light green smoke kept blowing out from his mouth.
Cripple is the owner of Cripple Shop. Very few people know his original name, so everyone calls him Cripple. Just like his father, his grandfather, his great-grandfather and even older ancestors, they were all called Cripples and were all owners of Cripple Shops.
On the wall behind the wine cabinet, which was completely covered in smoke and dust, hung a two-foot-square portrait. It was a burly man, wearing a red cloth scarf on his head. His left hand was cut off at the wrist, and a sharp iron hook was installed on the wrist. He held a machete in his right hand. His left foot was cut off at the knee level, and a piece of iron was installed on it. of prosthetic limbs. This big man has a fierce face, and there is a colorful parrot standing above his head.
The person in the portrait is the first-generation owner of Cripzi's shop, that is, Cripzi's ancestors who don't know how many generations ago. Some people say that the first-generation owner of Cripzi's shop was an island leader who once traveled across three seas, but Cripzi has always told others that his ancestors came from a bookish family that followed the rules.
A burst of laughter suddenly erupted in the tavern. At a long oak table in the corner of the tavern, a black-bearded man wearing a black three-cornered hat with a thumb-sized white skull badge on the brim suddenly stood up with a smile and raised his hand. He held a wine glass in his hand that was as big as a human head.
"May the dead old Jack rest in peace in hell!"
Sitting around the oak table were more than twenty stout men with bare chests and arms, each with a rough and savage face, and every one of them had a bloody and ferocious energy in their bones. They grinned loudly, raised their glasses and cheered. This is a group of out-and-out thugs, and every hair on their bodies is branded with the word 'thug'.
The wine glasses collided with each other, and the pungent bad wine spilled all over the table. The big men drank to their heart's content and boasted happily, showing off their gains from the latest 'big deal'. They showed off and boasted unscrupulously, so everyone in the tavern knew that they had just looted a sea ship, killed everyone on board, and all the cargo on the ship became their trophies.
A big and lucrative deal, the only loss was their old buddy Old Jack, who unfortunately was stabbed in the abdomen.
Putting the copper wine glass in his hand heavily on the cup holder behind him, the lame man grabbed another wine glass and wiped it vigorously. A strange smile appeared on his equally rough and fierce face, and he shouted loudly: "Heroes, welcome back, welcome you to remember my lovely lame shop. Drink to your heart's content, eat to your heart's content, I have prepared something for you. The hot girl will definitely meet all your requirements!"
The group of pirates sitting in the corner whistled excitedly, and the other guests in the tavern also made a lot of noise. The smell of alcohol and popularity filled the air, and the air became increasingly filthy.
The cripple grinned excitedly. For these bastards seeking a living at sea, most of the hard-earned gains ended up in his hands. He loved these guys with strong limbs and simple minds. He loved them so much. It was because of them that the Cripple Shop's wealth would increase.
At this moment, a copper bell under the wine cabinet at the lame man's feet rang.
The lame man was stunned for a moment, and he murmured in a low voice: "Is that kid here? What good things did he bring me this time?"
Putting down the wine glass and white cloth, the lame man retreated into the shadow of the wine cabinet.