Chapter Six: Impure Intentions

After an hour of Sun Li's solo performance, the entire cruiser was awash in blood, as if it had been scrubbed with crimson. Only a handful of quick-witted Englishmen who surrendered promptly were spared; the stubborn, slow-reacting ones, whose cries of surrender lagged behind Sun Li's sword, were all executed. Throughout his point-collecting spree, Sun Li adhered strictly to his thrifty habit—not even the tiniest morsel escaped him.

While tidying up his bloodstained attire, Sun Li grumbled about those Englishmen who had surrendered, lamenting that their timely capitulation deprived him of several easy points. The English captives, though clueless about the meaning of ‘points,’ looked at Sun Li’s unsatisfied expression as if beholding a demon. This grand knight was surely a deranged killer.

However, their relief at surviving was short-lived. Soon after, the wood elves arrived to clean up the battlefield and proceeded to skin and torture them. One wonders if, upon meeting the God of Light, they would regret surrendering and not dying swiftly.

“Thank you, Sun Li. This cruiser is yours now. You truly are more capable than you let on,” Su Yun Yun said, unable to hide her reluctance at parting with the ship. Yet she lacked the courage to claim spoils from a grand knight—especially one who had just saved the wood elves.

“Heh, I told you I was only helping. All the spoils are yours; I won’t take a thing. Just remember you owe me a favor, beautiful lady,” Sun Li replied easily, his clothes soaked in blood.

Su Yun Yun felt both joy and resignation at his words. It seemed this clingy, persistent man was impossible to shake off. She hoped that by handing over her naive younger sister, he might let her be. She wondered if Sun Li liked cute girls.

Under Sun Li’s smiling gaze, Su Yun Yun relaxed, shaking off her initial tension at facing a grand knight and resumed her usual banter.

“So should I address you as Young Master Sun Li, Lord Sun Li, or Sir Knight?” Su Yun Yun was clearly dissatisfied at his earlier concealment of strength.

Sun Li laughed awkwardly and explained, “Beautiful lady, you may have misunderstood me. I truly am a frivolous noble’s son, only dabbling in the basics of battle aura. These are mere trifles, so I didn’t mention them. Please forgive me.” He maintained his invincible thick-skinned demeanor.

“Trifles?!” Su Yun Yun inwardly scoffed, his thick skin rivaling his prowess. Not wishing to embarrass him further, she let the matter drop and asked respectfully, “Why did you pretend to be powerless and let yourself become our prisoner? What purpose did you have? I know you mean no harm, and with our people so suppressed, I doubt there’s anything worthy of a grand knight’s attention. I can’t think of any reason a knight so noble would willingly become our captive. Please explain, so we small folk can feel at ease.”

Sun Li hesitated. He couldn't very well confess he fell in love with her at first sight; that would sound like a scoundrel, and he was keen to preserve his image—even if, in Su Yun Yun’s eyes, it was already quite tarnished.

“I’ve always felt deep sympathy for the wood elves. Since you boarded my ship without slaughtering my people, I naturally wouldn’t harm you. As for being your prisoner, I wanted to conceal my identity and see if your plight was genuine, then lend a hand. To serve someone as lovely as you is my honor,” Sun Li replied with a flourish, as if he were a chivalrous hero leaping to aid the oppressed. Indeed, he felt his status rising—though it was only in his own mind.

Apart from the last sentence, all of it was nonsense! Su Yun Yun thought, frustrated. She wasn’t sure whether encountering such an unabashed grand knight was a blessing or a curse. For her people, surely a blessing; for herself—well, she’d have to wait and see.

“So what are your plans now, Sir Knight?” she asked, though she could guess his answer.

“Miss Yun Yun, don’t call me ‘Sir’—it’s too formal. Just call me Sun Li. We’re friends, aren’t we? Of course, I’ll go back with you and help the wood elves. I’m just a frivolous young master with nothing better to do. My people are taken care of, so I have plenty of time to help you achieve something great!” Sun Li launched into another grandiose speech.

Su Yun Yun felt equal parts joy, annoyance, and a trace of shyness. This man’s intentions were unmistakably impure! Still, being favored by a grand knight felt rather nice. Unbeknownst to her, Sun Li was a wholly different creature from those orthodox knights who, through arduous training, had steeled their wills and were impervious to worldly temptations. Such ascetic grand knights regarded beauty and power with indifference; when they desired something, they simply took it. Who would dare resist? Only a sovereign could face a grand knight without fear. To assassinate an emperor is the gravest affront to a nation. Whether successful or not, the successor or the surviving emperor would never forgive the grand knight or the country that harbored him. It would mean war or a worldwide manhunt, for no emperor could tolerate such audacity.

For any other power, offending a grand knight meant living in constant dread. A thousand days as a thief, but never a thousand days on guard. Thus, a grand knight is second only to a sovereign in human society, and a battlefield juggernaut. Even the decaying feudal realm of the Holy Light Kingdom was propped up by its five guardian knight commanders.

So, with one party intent and the other unwitting, Sun Li smoothly boarded the elven beauty’s boat. He was satisfied that this English raid not only allowed him to showcase his worth but also earned the friendship of the wood elves. Had he revealed his prowess from the start, these cautious wood elves would never have let him aboard. A warrior so powerful seeking entry to their sanctuary? Never!

His assistance was perfectly timed, completely dispelling the elves’ wariness. A grand knight willing to help eradicate their mortal enemies—the colonizers—was welcome, no matter his motives, as long as he struck against the invaders. The wood elves would gladly accept his aid.