Han Shuo had a wonderful time that evening. He first accompanied Sophie to eat some well-known delicacies in Kasi Empire. They then spent time admiring the renowned nightscape of Reverie City.
It was only after halfway through the night that Sophie was finally content and let Han Shuo off. However, giving the excuse that she dared not go back home and face her father, she got herself a room right beside Han Shuo’s at the small hotel where he was staying.
Han Shuo waited until Sophie fell asleep. Afterwards, late in the night, he snuck out the window and headed to an operation base of Dark Mantle in Kasi Empire.
Given Han Shuo’s honorable status in those days, he was immediately given the most prudent treatment when he arrived at the Dark Mantle operation base. From those men there, Han Shuo soon got hold of the address of Braque’s manor in Kasi Empire, in addition to some information about the auction sale not known to anyone else.
In the dead of night, after obtaining the information he needed from a Dark Mantle operation base, he silently broke into the manor in which Braque lived. He intended to look for the ‘Viride Leaf’ there and seize it. Incidentally, that would save him 300 thousand gold coins.
The manor occupied a massive plot of land. Upon Han Shuo’s arrival, he unfolded his consciousness, and sensed which area was most concentrated with people. After the ‘Viride Leaf’ was kept away, it became rather challenging for Han Shuo to sense it using his consciousness. Han Shuo considered whether or not to employ certain radical measures.
Against Han Shuo’s expectations, when he was about to make a move and emerge from his hiding place, he suddenly spotted a few familiar faces – great swordmaster Gabriel and commander Ascher of the Gryphon Legion.
Ascher was originally the city lord of Lancelot Empire’s Valen City and the commander of Gryphon Legion. There was a time that he enjoyed exalted prestige in the land of Lancelot Empire. But unfortunately, Ascher had even greater ambitions. With Han Shuo, Lawrence, and those from the Dark Mantle working together, they found evidence in the end that he was conspiring to revolt against the empire. With his treason exposed and failed, he had no choice but to escape Lancelot Empire.
Ascher had two precious sons who were once Han Shuo’s greatest enemies, which in the end were killed by Han Shuo one after the other. Soon after his offsprings were all butchered, Ascher was forced to the end of his rope, and had no choice but to go to Kasi Empire. Back then at the Valley of Sunshine, Gabriel once cooperated with the Rainbow Sickle mercenary band and almost injured Emily, but afterwards was seriously injured and fled.
Soon after the two arrived at Kasi Empire, they managed to gang up with Bradley of Cesar City. It was no secret that Ascher was indeed quite a capable person. Even in Kasi Empire, he was highly valued by the House of Pillon, and was currently prospering.
Braque seemed to be holding a private banquet in his manor. It was only to be expected that Han Shuo was able to find Gabriel and Ascher there.
After Ascher and Gabriel entered the manor, Han Shuo saw that even more big shots of Kasi Empire came arriving in their luxurious carriages one after another. That big merchant Zofi he met at the auction house was clearly one of the many invited guests. Han Shuo had long before discovered him talking with enthusiasm and wit in the house.
Shockingly, even that upper-class lady that once bid and competed for the ‘Viride Leaf’ was among the guests invited. She wore a splendid evening dress. Although she appeared brilliant, she had a worried frown on her face, obviously feeling distressed.
Surveying from afar on the rooftop, Han Shuo turned over in his mind where the ‘Viride Leaf’ could possibly be. His consciousness constantly lingered around the manor. As all those characters who were most likely to vie over the ‘Viride Leaf’ all gathered in this place, Han Shuo was convinced that the ‘Viride Leaf’ was undoubtedly within the manor.
All of a sudden, Han Shuo’s eyebrows were in a knit. He forced a smile and looked behind him.
How did you get here?
Hehe, I’ve long noticed that you were absent-minded this evening. I knew you would be up to something bad tonight, so I left some scent on you, and followed the fragrance straight to you. Humph. Thought you could shake me off? Not a chance!
Sophie said with a complacent smile after arriving nimbly on her pegasus.
Han Shuo was dazed, but immediately came to his senses. Earlier when jesting with Sophie, he did seize the opportunity to lean closely to Sophie, therefore he got the delicate fragrance from her. Han Shuo thought that it was accidental and didn’t give much thought to it. But as it turned out, it was in fact an act Sophie did on purpose.
Miss High and Mighty, if you keep following me, you will suffer bitterly sooner or later!
Han Shuo said helplessly, not knowing how to treat Sophie.
I’m not concerned about it. Why are you concerned for my sake?
Sophie said in her sweet voice. Soon after, she continued in an excited tone,
You suspect that Braque took that thing away, and so you came here to investigate right?
Nope!
Han Shuo replied succinctly. When Sophie made a puzzled expression, he continued,
I came here to plunder. When I find that thing, I will have it by any means necessary, and kill anyone that stands in my way!
Don’t try to intimidate me, I won’t be frightened.
Sophie took Han Shuo’s words as a joke, and she replied in a chuckling manner.
Han Shuo shook his head and sighed. He lamented in his heart, Women are indeed strange creatures. They never believe us when we tell them the truth. But when we tell them a lie, they take it as fact.
Han Shuo’s glistening eyes were firmly fixed on the banquet a distance away. He was racking his brain on how to locate the ‘Viride Leaf’. Abruptly, he recalled of wood elite zombie. As an exotic being that was refined from the place of extreme wood, the wood elite zombie should have possessed an even greater ability to sense the Viride Leaf, an item of the same origin.
When that came to his mind, Han Shuo immediately took a few steps backward, not concerned that Sophie was watching by the side, and summoned the wood elite zombie.
Huh? What for do you summon a zombie warrior?
Sophie asked puzzled, very much surprised about Han Shuo’s action.
Han Shuo did not answer Sophie, but using his consciousness, he began explaining to wood elite zombie about the extraordinary and miraculous power of ‘Viride Leaf. As Han Shuo explained, he could sense wood elite zombie’s happiness. Although it hadn’t been a long time since wood elite zombie was refined, he understood what Fire Lotus and golden cudgel were to fire elite zombie and metal elite zombie.
And now, he to had the chance to have his very own treasure. Naturally, wood elite zombie became very excited!
After Han Shuo explained the matter once through, the wood elite zombie immediately began to gaze at the manor afar with such excitement. A kind of energy as fresh and clean as nature was gradually released from wood elite zombie. He seemed to be sensing the existence of ‘Viride Leaf’ through this method.
Huh? Is that thing on him? Why does it feel as though he is the item?
Sophie was shocked. She pointed at wood elite zombie and cried out in astonishment.
Of course not. If it was on him, why would I have come here?
Han Shuo refuted. He then explained,
That thing is very useful to him. The reason I’m willing to put forth a high price to acquire it is to let him have it.
For him? A zombie warrior? You, you really are an amusing person!
Sophie cried out in surprise as she pointed at wood elite zombie in disbelief.
You wouldn’t understand!
Han Shuo did not explain further, but kept his attention on wood elite zombie.
With wood elite zombie doing its thing, the plants that encompassed the manor came into motion without wind blowing, which appeared completely bizarre. The freshness of nature filled the entire manor, as though the manor was covered by the ‘Viride Leaf’.
Suddenly, Han Shuo saw wood elite zombie jolt. His consciousness also sensed wood elite zombie’s incomparable excitement. That kind of natural aura grew more and more intense.
Han Shuo was shocked, he immediately understood that wood elite zombie must have detected the presence of the ‘Viride Leaf’. Pleasantly surprised, he quickly asked,
You found it?
Wood elite zombie nodded like a chick pecking on rice and appeared exceedingly excited. He pointed at the lounge far away and transmitted,
In there! In there!
Who has it? Point it to me!
Han Shuo instantly became amazed as well. Rather than using his consciousness to communicate, he actually uttered those words.
After Han Shuo’s soft shout sounded, wood elite zombie pointed at all the powerful nobilities that gathered in the lounge, and hastily described for Han Shuo,
That that…. very fat one….. a fatty….. in his ring!
Observing from the side, Sophie saw Han Shuo shouting at wood elite zombie, and then saw wood elite zombie anxiously pointing at those in the lounge, as though describing something to Han Shuo. At this moment, Sophie was somewhat dumbfounded. She cluelessly stared at Han Shuo and wood elite zombie, unable to make out what in the world was going on between the human and zombie duo.
Pop!
It was at this moment, far away, the space ring that was on Zofi’s finger, as he happily chatted away with an elegant, beautiful lady, all of a sudden exploded. Zofi’s left hand was instantly shredded into a lump of badly mangled flesh. As Zofi miserably shrieked, the ‘Viride Leaf’ slowly flew out from his space ring, and made its way towards wood elite zombie.
Those nobilities that were originally talking and laughing in the lounge suddenly heard a small explosion, followed by Zofi’s miserable screech. Each and every one of them had their focus turned to Zofi and they clearly saw his messed up left hand as well as that leaf-shaped ‘Viride Leaf’ gradually flying out from the lounge.
Everyone in the lounge was dumbfounded. Sophie was dumbfounded. Even Han Shuo was dumbfounded. He had absolutely no idea how wood elite zombie accomplished that.
Crying miserably, he pointed his right hand at the ‘Viride Leaf’ slowly drifting away and yelled,
Arghh! Catch it! Catch it!
Braque had been inside the lounge when his expression changed. Before he could instruct his subordinate to make a move, that upper-class lady who participated in the auction suddenly rushed out. With her two hands holding onto her tripping hazard of a skirt, she chased after the ‘Viride Leaf’ without any regards for her deportment.
