Chapter Sixty-Nine: Supreme Praise

Heavenly Knight!

A wave of astonished cries erupted once more in the great hall. On this continent, who was unaware of what a Heavenly Knight represented? In the realms accessible to ordinary folk, Heavenly Knights stood for invincibility. On the battlefield, a single Heavenly Knight could alter the outcome of a war between armies of ten thousand; a powerful one could easily obliterate an elite squadron of a hundred knights, rout a cavalry battalion of a thousand without breaking a sweat, and deftly toy with an entire legion of ten thousand.

Given enough time, a Heavenly Knight could even annihilate a ten-thousand-strong army in a war of attrition—provided their morale held until the bitter end.

Lin Qi and Enzo, those two youngsters, had actually encountered a Heavenly Knight—and survived! Was this boasting?

Everyone shot skeptical looks at Lin Qi and Enzo, all except Lieutenant Colonel Wotu, whose suspicions had long been aroused. He recalled the corpse among the dead, the middle-aged man whose torso had been nearly blown away. With the strength Lin Qi and Enzo possessed, they could never inflict such grievous harm.

Such injuries spelled certain death—even for a Heavenly Knight!

Lieutenant Colonel Wotu furrowed his brow and spoke slowly, “Someone helped you, didn’t they?”

Lin Qi looked at him with exaggerated surprise and exclaimed, “Lieutenant Colonel, your wisdom is truly remarkable! How did you know? Of course, someone helped us—otherwise, how could we possibly stand against a Heavenly Knight? My goodness, I need to plead for their sake!”

Wotu felt a surge of pride at Lin Qi’s words. He clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze deep and imposing as he addressed Lin Qi, “If I’m not mistaken, it was the Whale-Hunting Harpoon! The magical harpoon used to hunt ‘Mad Unicorn Whales.’ Who else but that group could handle a Heavenly Knight?”

Lin Qi, now ‘shocked’ and somewhat ‘adoring,’ gazed at Wotu with reverence. “You’re incredible! How did you know? How could you know so quickly—before I even finished my story, you already had the answer!”

Enzo stood up as well, bowing deeply to Wotu with genuine respect. “My professor once told me: in the military, there are those true veterans, whose vast experience allows them to reconstruct an entire battle—or even a campaign—from the tiniest clues. Such veterans are the empire’s most precious treasure. Without doubt, you are one of them!”

Baron Miro burst out laughing, applauding in perfect time.

The hall resounded with vigorous, joyful applause. Lieutenant Colonel Wotu basked in the acclaim, his old face flushed as though painted with rouge. He rose onto his toes in delight and said lightly, “It’s nothing, really. Judging by the wounds, only a weapon of tremendous power and penetration could cause such injuries. So I thought of the magical Whale-Hunting Harpoon—it fits the bill perfectly.”

With a modest smile, Wotu continued, in high spirits, “That man’s arms were blasted apart, his chest left with a gaping hole—the harpoon must have pierced right through him. Yet the rest of his body was largely intact, which proves his battle energy was astonishingly strong. The rest was shielded by his energy, thus preserved!”

He straightened, his spirits soaring. “Everyone knows a magical Whale-Hunting Harpoon can demolish a house. Who else could survive such a hit, with their body mostly intact? Only a Heavenly Knight—only one with immense strength!”

“Magnificent!” Enzo looked upon Wotu with utter admiration, clapping vigorously. “Colonel, you are one of the brightest jewels in the empire’s crown! With you guarding Dunelke, its people can rest easy!”

Baron Miro and the other dignitaries applauded and praised, commending Wotu’s exceptional military insight. To deduce so much from mere clues—he was truly an elite of the empire, and Dunelke was fortunate to have him.

Wotu, embodying the elite soldier, smiled and nodded to those around him, then turned with authority to Lin Qi. “Now, Mr. Lin Qi, you said earlier you wished to plead for their sake—what did you mean by that?”

Lin Qi grimaced, forcing a bitter smile. “The ‘Sea Unicorn’—you know the ship, its brave crew acted in time to save us. But one of their three magical Whale-Hunting Harpoons was destroyed by that damned fellow. You know, when a Heavenly Knight fights to the death, even boulders are reduced to ash!”

He hung his head sadly, sighing, “And the Sea Unicorn used its magical harpoon in the harbor without authorization, which violates...”

Wotu and Baron Miro exchanged glances, then laughed together. “Oh, no, the heroes won’t be reprimanded!”

Baron Miro waved his hand and declared, “The city hall will allocate funds to supply the Sea Unicorn with a new magical Whale-Hunting Harpoon!”

Wotu took responsibility as well, “Such heroic deeds deserve commendation—they did nothing wrong! Have them submit a report, I’ll notify the military. The loss of the harpoon is no fault of theirs! After all, they faced a Heavenly Knight!”

Blackbeard, seated nearby, struggled to contain his laughter, nearly bursting. How adorable his son was—truly worthy of being Blackbeard’s child. Praise be to the gods, bless all beloved deities; though they granted the empire thirty years of prosperity, nearly ruining Blackbeard’s family business, this time, they deserve praise!

Oh, brilliant Lin Qi, adorable Lin Qi, flawless Lin Qi—truly the son of Blackbeard. A ‘normally destroyed’ magical Whale-Hunting Harpoon, quietly vanishing from the military’s regulated inventory, of unparalleled destructive power! Now wholly owned by the Black Tiger family, with no one the wiser.

This treasure alone would boost the Black Tiger clan’s strength in the underworld by ten percent!

An unknown, freely usable magical Whale-Hunting Harpoon—perfect! Mounted on a nameless pirate ship, even the Berserker Fleet of the Five Islands would have to think twice before confronting Blackbeard. Even the Frost Titans would be hard-pressed to withstand a harpoon’s attack!

As Blackbeard reveled in his triumph, a sudden commotion erupted outside.

******************

Brothers, you’re wild beyond belief—what more can Pighead say?

Okay, twenty-two days, a hundred alliances, achievements at the starting point never seen before!

What else can Pighead say? What more can he chatter about?

All he can do is keep writing—there’s nothing else to say.