Chapter 708: Search and Investigation (1/2)
GDK 708: Search and Investigation
***It was the dead of the night, outside the City of Shadows.
At the core of a man-eating shrub appeared a dark shadow accompanied by a thud. The dark figure crashed onto a swaying man-eating flower, instantly snapping it.
An intense reeking of blood was emitted from the dark figure. The smell seemed to carry the most intense temptation power, arousing the excitement of all the man-eating plants in the shrub.
Tough, thick vines covered with thorns and large leaves oozing strong corrosive liquid which had been stationary rapidly moved towards the dark figure. In just an instant, the dark figure was completely wrapped with leaves and vines.
The man-eating plants that had enveloped the dark figure were wriggling, tearing and tightening their grip with all their strengths. It was obvious that the plants wanted to strangle, grind and swallow the trapped living thing alive.
Creak… Creak… Strange noises came from the wrapped figure. The tenacious vines that strangled hard gradually started to loosen up and even started retreating.
Splat! The leaves and vines that did not retreat in time disintegrated into pieces and splattered all around, revealing Han Shuo at the center.
After some time, Han Shuo began to move his arms and legs. He felt that every action had become ten times more difficult and exhausting than usual. Even his eyelids felt much heavier and extremely difficult to open and close.
Finally, with great difficulty, Han Shuo managed to sit cross-legged on the ground. After recovering a little bit of his energy, Han Shuo had both his avatars emerge from his body. One of them stood on his left while the other stood on his right, carefully observing the surroundings and vigilantly protecting him.
Han Shuo decided not to return to the City of Shadows. Instead, with his two avatars carrying his main body, he located and hid in a well-concealed underground cave in one of the many mountains surrounding the City of Shadows. His two avatars then fixed up the outside of the cave and made sure to conceal and erase all his trails. His avatar of death then left silently.
Late in the night, the City of Shadows lacked the clamor and activity seen during the daytime. Instead, the city was quiet and still.
Han Shuo’s avatar traveled to the city wall closest to the Lavers Residence and silently released a few demon generals. Multiple boundary towers surrounded the city which would relentlessly attack any trespassers. Han Shuo had no confidence in evading the boundary towers and therefore decided to stay outside the city walls.
The formless demon generals, however, could evade the detection of those boundary towers. Han Shuo hid in the dark and observed the condition inside using several demon generals.
The demon generals, easily evading the defensive barriers in their paths, headed straight for their destination - the Lavers Residence.
The boundaries found in the Lavers Residence were even more advanced but still, they could not prevent demon generals from entering. After circling through the Lavers Residence, the demon generals located the room where Cage and Eve were staying and proceeded with surveying each and every move they made.
“Brother, why is father not letting us out of the house?” The gods on Elysium didn’t need much sleep and most of them would be silently cultivating at night. Eve obviously wasn’t one of those people. Instead of cultivating, she was complaining to her brother, Cage.
“Father has his own reasons behind his decisions. All we need to do is listen,” Cage appeared very calm. He shot a glance at the agitated Eve and said solemnly, “Father is truly angered this time, I’m very certain of this. We had better be very obedient and not make any trouble for the moment. Understood?”
“But, but that fool has destroyed three of our shops. He is stepping over our heads. Don’t tell me that we aren’t going to retaliate?” Eve replied in a slightly softer voice. She had rarely seen Cage being so well-behaved and knew that there had to be a reason.
“Don’t worry about it, father has said that he will take care of it!” Cage then put on a sinister, cold smile and continued, “I have heard divine guards told me that father has drunk a lot tonight. Do you know what happens after father drinks?”
Eve was puzzled for a quick moment before her eyes lit up and she stammered, “You mean… You mean…”
Cage nodded and affirmed, “That someone is going to run out of luck!”
“Fantastic! I knew that father wouldn’t just stand by and watch us get bullied. Haha! I guess we will never see that fella ever again!” Eve said as she put on a cheerful smile. Her mood had suddenly improved a whole lot.
Han Shuo commanded the two demon generals spying on Cage and Eve to return. They started noiselessly retreating back to Han Shuo’s avatar hiding outside the city wall.
Han Shuo did not continue to probe using his demon generals as it had become obvious to him who was the person that attempted to assassinate him. The strong smell of alcohol on his attacker matched the person discussed in Cage and Eve’s conversation. Han Shuo could not be more certain of the identity of his attacker - Chief of the Fifth Corps, Avery Lavers!
He understood that if Avery had succeeded in slaughtering him, even if the Sainte Family made it out that Avery had committed the murder, they likely wouldn't denounce and go to war with Avery over his death as after all, Avery was the Chief of the Fifth Corps and he would have the backing of the entire House of Lavers.
Han Shuo thought to himself, I might have some importance while alive. But in death, I would be absolutely worthless. A dead man who could not produce any medicine can never be worthy enough for the House of Sainte to go to war over. I guess if it comes to that, perhaps only Carmelita would take revenge for me?
However, if Carmelita doesn’t know who did it, how is she going to avenge me?
A series of thoughts rapidly flashed through Han Shuo’s mind. Although Avery’s assassination attempt on his intoxication seemed impulsive, after carefully reflecting on it, Han Shuo discovered that it was actually a very hefty decision. Avery definitely did not do so without thinking. He must have thought about it thoroughly before he pretended to be drunk and attacked.
After all, how is it even possible that a highgod be affected by alcohol?
As the realization dawned on him, Han Shuo suddenly felt a cold shiver run through his heart. He no longer dared to underestimate any highgod in the City of Shadows. If a mere Avery was this formidable, then the other chiefs of divine guards and patriarchs of large family clans who were mightier than Avery’s must be even more terrifying.
After Han Shuo calmed his mind and thought about the situation carefully, he came to realize that because everything had been going smoothly with his Celestial Pearl Pharmacy, he had underestimated the experts in the City of Shadows. Especially, he had misjudged just how terrifying Avery and the House of Lavers were, thereby bringing about his near death!
Han Shuo gasped in surprise. The demon generals that were retreating from the Lavers Residence suddenly discovered a shadow outside Cage and Eve’s room. The shadow had completely fused with darkness and it was moving about as though trying to look for something…