Chapter 56: Bitter Hatred

It was still the Green Gem Hotel, and it was still that same lavishly furnished suite.

In the brightly lit dining room, an oak table was covered with a crisp, white tablecloth. The pure silverware sparkled under the light. Several large candles in the room were made from expensive whale oil. They not only provided bright flames but continuously released a warm, pleasant fragrance, enveloping the entire room in a hazy atmosphere.

Several maids in pure white robes stood solemnly nearby, attending to service. Each wore a small Holy Cross Emblem on her chest, intricately entwined with delicate rose vines. The light green vines and the creamy white Holy Cross symbol marked them as low-ranking clergy of the Church.

Arthur and Elham sat facing each other at opposite ends of the dining table, heartily enjoying a lavish dinner. Arthur was fully focused on tackling a thick, medium-rare steak. Under his knife, the pale red steak occasionally oozed faint traces of blood. Elham, on the other hand, was casually sampling a dish of aloe and lily tubers sprinkled with white truffle. Clearly, his taste was much lighter than Arthur’s.

A water sphere about a foot in diameter floated above the dining table. Displayed within it were the events currently happening at the Golden Rose Lounge.

Watching as Ya and Ling used a huge sum of money to force Lin Qi into a corner where he had to risk everything, Elham wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin and asked curiously, “I truly don’t understand. If needed, I could use the local Church’s forces to eliminate Blackbeard and his loyal followers entirely. You could then logically take over everything he has. Why do you keep stopping me from doing this?”

Arthur paused his movements briefly. Then he forked a piece of meat into his mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed. Picking up his wine glass, he took a sip of tequila from across the sea, feeling the fiery liquid slide satisfyingly down his throat. Arthur said gloomily, “I explained it to you before. First, Blackbeard and his close followers aren’t that easy to deal with. Second, if we kill them, how could I possibly take over the family’s power then?”

Heaving a heavy sigh, Arthur narrowed his eyes at Elham and said coldly, “Lord Elham, this is the last time I will answer this question for you. You simply have no idea how vast the influence of the Black Tiger Family is, nor their power along the Northern Coastline. Without Blackbeard’s control, the North Coast would descend into chaos. I would be utterly incapable of managing it.”

Elham used his fork to pick up a piece of pungent white truffle. He sniffed its aroma, then extended a crimson tongue and slowly licked it into his mouth. After savoring it thoughtfully for a moment, Elham picked up a glass of potent liquor smuggled from the Five Great Archipelagos. This strong drink was brewed by the savage Beastfolk from fierce blood grass. He took a large, forceful gulp.

The liquor brewed from fierce blood grass was a crimson liquid containing almost no water. Even among the Beastfolk, only those warriors who had achieved some mastery in Combat Qi and possessed exceptionally robust bodies dared to consume this drink. For normal people, this beverage was practically poison.

But Elham drank this domineering liquor, known as ‘War God’s Blood,’ in large mouthfuls as if it were nothing. His face didn’t even flush, revealing just how incredibly strong his physique was. This near-pure alcohol posed no burden to his body whatsoever.

“Then, I ask you for the final time! Tell me the real reason. Why won’t you let me move against Blackbeard and his men?” Elham’s flickering gaze swept over Arthur’s face as he said in a low voice, “Tell me the true reason. Why not eliminate Blackbeard? Is it that you truly cannot assume his authority? Or do you have other thoughts?”

The atmosphere in the dining room grew exceptionally heavy. Arthur ate his steak in large bites. Only after a long while did he slowly nod.

He picked up his wine glass, poured himself a small cup of War God’s Blood, then poured a large mug of light beer into the same cup. Arthur vigorously shook the cup, causing the mixed liquids inside to foam up with a thick, white head. Opening his mouth, he drank the entire large cup of mixed alcohol in one go. Looking at Elham, Arthur said profoundly, “Alright, I’ll be frank. I don’t want this issue to cause misunderstandings between us.”

After pondering for a moment, Arthur shook his head and said, “My father was once a staunch ally of Blackbeard. My father, the pirate leader of the Northern Sea, Red-Haired Ghost, a terrifying figure who could make children cry at night. He set out with ten pirate ships on a raid, but encountered a fleet from the Five Great Archipelagos consisting of fifty large and small warships. Even worse, that fleet contained seven Frost Titans, a full five hundred Odin Berserkers, and five hundred frenzied Beastman Warriors!”

Elham raised an eyebrow. “So, your father’s forces were completely wiped out?”

Spreading his hands, Arthur said with a bitter smile, “Yes, completely annihilated. Only my father, severely wounded, managed to escape and entrusted me to Blackbeard.”

Sighing softly, Arthur said in a low voice, “He treated me as if I were his own son. I could feel it. He treated Lin Qi and me with complete fairness. Whatever Lin Qi had, I had too, and mine was often even better than Lin Qi’s.”

Elham laughed in surprise. “Oh? So you considered him your true father?”

Arthur nodded firmly. “Exactly. Therefore, I cannot harm him. I will not do anything that might damage his interests. Because as long as I deal with Lin Qi, his interests will become my interests. As long as Lin Qi vanishes from this world, everything of Blackbeard’s will be mine!”

“Then, what about Lin Qi?” Elham asked with a mocking smile. “The only son of the man you regard as your own father!”

Arthur’s face twisted with disgust. He gritted his teeth and said, “That scoundrel, that vile thing, that fiend-possessed bastard! I admit, I’m no saint. I wanted to have some fun with his personal maid. But he actually dealt me such a vicious blow! With a brilliant smile, very slowly, he took a full half-quarter of an hour to gouge out my left eye!”

The bronze wine cup in his hand was crushed into fragments. Gnashing his teeth, Arthur said, “Can you imagine it? A cold finger, stirring around inside your eye socket for a full half-quarter of an hour. You could feel that intense pain, that terror. That devilish claw-like finger, slowly stirring inside your eye socket, gradually pulling out your eyeball, extracting it completely!”

Elham remained silent. He couldn’t imagine how horrifying that experience must have been.

Tossing the shattered cup onto the floor, Arthur said darkly, “Therefore, Lin Qi must disappear. But I want him to suffer every conceivable pain in this world before he vanishes. He cannot die simply and easily. He must taste all the agony the world has to offer and then slowly die in despair!”

Pointing at the water sphere floating above the dining table, Arthur grinned viciously and said, “That’s why I appreciate the method Lords Ya and Ling are using, betting with that bastard Lin Qi’s friends!”

Elham gently clapped his hands and said with a soft laugh, “I appreciate it too!”

“Heh, the game is about to begin!”