CHAPTER 819: Establishing A Presence

A few more days passed like the blink of an eye. During this time, Han Shuo had recruited a sufficient number of workers and pharmacists for his new shop. Baum had also completed the renovations for the new Celestial Pearl branch. Therefore, Han Shuo no longer stayed at the city lord's mansion and moved into the new shop.

After hearing Baum's conversation with his divine guard through a demon general, Han Shuo became even more certain that Baum had a hidden agenda and was not helping him out of pure generosity. This was consistent with McKinley's story that Baum was a scheming person. Han Shuo knew that he had to be extra careful when dealing with Baum.

But after this discovery, the demon general who had been constantly watching Baum did not discover any more unusual activities. Baum had been cultivating in his mansion for those dozen or so days. He had only met a few people and had done nothing suspicious.

Han Shuo had also released several demon generals to roam around the city lord's mansion, trying to find McKinley's divine body. However, after searching every nook and cranny, they not only failed to find any suspicious items, but also failed to discover any storage room in the mansion. Han Shuo knew that recovering McKinley's body would not be an easy task.

Being a cautious man, Han Shuo had also instructed a demon general to follow the divine guard that Baum had sent to investigate the Goldstone workers. He noticed that the workers were all tight-lipped, as if they had been warned by Myles. The divine guards of Ethereal City had learned nothing useful from them.

Han Shuo felt that of all his children, Metal Elite Zombie was the most talented in managing business and human resources. Although he would probably be the weakest in strength compared to his brothers due to the lack of Elysians cultivating in Metal Energy, he had directly benefited Han Shuo the most by using his innate ability.

The Goldstone Enterprise had branches in all the dominions. Han Shuo could learn about the situation in every corner of Elysium by using the connections Goldstone had. Right now, Han Shuo longed most of all to meet Metal Elite Zombie again. He wanted to ask him about the Goldstone Enterprise and hopefully learn management skills from him that would be of great benefit to the future development of Celestial Pearl Pharmacy.

With Baum doing the promotion, every god in every corner of Ethereal City knew that a Celestial Pearl branch would soon be opening in the city. Before the pharmacy had even opened for business, many gods had lined up outside to purchase Han Shuo's medicine.

During his journey from the City of Shadows to Ethereal City, Han Shuo had crossed countless mountains and rivers, collecting enough medicinal ingredients to fill two space rings. He had also refined a large number of pellet medicines during this time.

Han Shuo was working at full speed. Following his instructions, the pharmacists he had recruited began to produce some common medicines, while the shopkeepers made the necessary preparations. Before long, Celestial Pearl Pharmacy in Ethereal City was officially open for business.

On the first day of business, Han Shuo took out a thousand bottles of his miraculous pellet medicines and put them on a special shelf for sale. They were sold out to the large crowd in no time. By the end of the first day, Han Shuo had made around seventy thousand black crystal coins.

Those who had managed to get their hands on the medicines Han Shuo had personally refined felt the promised benefits immediately upon consumption. Naturally, these gods began to advertise the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy for Han Shuo, free of charge. For a while, the whole of Ethereal City was talking about the wonders of Celestial Pearl's medicines.

Everything went very smoothly. After the initial success, Han Shuo took out another batch of his medicine for sell. The Celestial Pearl shop was packed as gods from every block and street flocked to the shop. They would spare no black crystal coins to get their hands on Han Shuo's medicine.

All those who had managed to buy the medicine would conscientiously become promoters of the pharmacy. The Celestial Pearl Pharmacy and its owner, Han Shuo, quickly rose to fame in Ethereal City, becoming known to the gods living in the city.

While the shop was open for business, there were a few uncultured cunts who would cut the lines and force their way into the shop to buy Han Shuo's wonderful medicine. When this happened, Han Shuo would give Rose a meaningful look and she would immediately kick their asses out of the shop. There were also some who would try to sneak into the pharmacy at night. Han Shuo and Rose would kill those intruders on the spot without warning. Those certain powers realised that Celestial Pearl Pharmacy was not just a chain of pharmacies when all the experts they sent in never returned.

After all those who had infiltrated the Celestial Pearl failed to return again and again, there was no longer any power that dared to take its power lightly. Everyone stopped trying to get the medicine by illegal means. Then, when the business had settled into a stable orbit, Han Shuo announced that he would only sell his special medicines once every few years, just as he had done in the City of Shadows. Although everyone was saddened by this announcement, Celestial Pearl Pharmacy had successfully made a name for itself. Even without Han Shuo's personally refined medicines, its business will be much better than other pharmacies in the city.

Time flies. More than half a month has passed in the blink of an eye. Celestial Pearl Pharmacy had slowly taken root in Ethereal City. However, Han Shuo was quite worried because the little skeleton, wood, water, and metal elite zombies had yet to appear. Han Shuo had even gone to the Goldstone Store twice to inquire about Han Jin. But the only answer he got from Myles was that Metal Elite Zombie was temporarily out of contact and should be on his way.

Han Shuo looked at the calendar and saw that there was just half-a-year left before their agreed meeting date, which wasn't all that long. Han Shuo started to get somewhat anxious, worried that they might have run into trouble.

It was at this time that Han Shuo came to understand how it felt to be a father and realized that it was not easy at all. He felt restless and uneasy waiting for them and wanted to go search for them, but he did not know where to start looking.

<i >Are they alright? Perhaps they have been injured? Or maybe… wondered Han Shuo for the thousandth time with his brows tightly bunched.

"Father, you don't have to worry, they will be just fine," consoled Han Tu after noticing that Han Shuo had been rather edgy recently. Being telepathically connected, they could sense the source of Han Shuo's anxiousness.

"Yea, don't worry. Little Gold, Little Wood, and Little Water should all be on their way here. As to our Eldest Brother, he most definitely isn't in any trouble, because he is the most powerful!" said Han Huo cheerfully. The 'Eldest Brother' he was referring to was none other than Little Skeleton. Since Han Shuo had created Little Skeleton before the five elite zombies, they naturally considered him to be their eldest brother.

"I hope so," Han Shuo sighed. He then instructed Han Tu, Han Huo and Rose, "Be extra careful tonight. I will be visiting the City Lord's mansion. I wonder why he invited me there."

"Don't worry, there haven't been any thieves lately. They are too afraid of us now to try to break in!" said Han Huo with a fearless and smug face. It was as if he could defeat any intruder with his eyes closed.

When Rose noticed that Han Shuo was staring at her, she nodded and replied, "With me here, it shouldn't be a problem.

Han Shuo became a little more relaxed. He instructed Han Tu, "If you encounter an enemy that you cannot fight off, take Rose and Little Fire and flee. As for the shopkeepers and pharmacists, take them with you if you can. But if you can't, just leave them."

"Yes, I know, Father. Please stop nagging," Han Tu replied with a smile. He obviously did not take Han Shuo's words seriously either, thinking that no one would dare to invade the pharmacy or be stupid enough to throw away their lives.

Han Shuo couldn't help but laugh at himself after hearing those words. He also felt that he had become more and more annoyingly verbose over the past few days. He was always telling Han Tu and Han Huo cautionary tales. He had also been constantly nagging Han Huo to be more careful in the future so as not to offend experts that he could not defeat.

When Han Shuo saw that his two brats did not take his words seriously, he forced a smile and sighed. However, after thinking for a moment, he realised that it was true that there hadn't been any intruders lately. Therefore, Han Shuo stopped nagging them and travelled to Baum's mansion.

Soon after Han Shuo left, night came and veiled the sky. The workers and apothecaries of Celestial Pearl went to their dormitories to rest.

The Celestial Pearl branch had been converted from a small mansion. At the front was the actual shop, where all kinds of medicines were sold. Behind it were the pharmacy laboratories and buildings for the workers to rest in. The main warehouse was in a separate building, protected by boundaries that Han Shuo and Rose had set up.

The Celestial Pearl workers and pharmacists had gotten used to the strange noises after the first few nights. They no longer worried about their safety when they realised that none of their employees had been harmed and that those wretched screams came from strangers. They also began to realise that Celestial Pearl was no ordinary pharmacy.

That night, they continued with their usual routine. Some went to their rooms to rest, while others continued to refine their medicines. None of them worried about intruders or attackers.

Rose, who was in the gymnasium, suddenly knit her eyebrows and stood up abruptly from her meditation. Just as she stepped out of the door to look for Han Tu and Han Huo, she saw them approaching her stealthily.

"There are enemies. It seems to be different this time. There seems to be a Highgod," Han Tu said quietly after they had stood beside Rose.

"It must have something to do with that damn Baum! Not a single intrusion during all the days Father was in the shop. But on the very night he is away, the enemy comes! Coincidence? I think not," Han Huo cursed in a low voice.

"You two be careful. If there's any real danger, just escape without me," Rose knew that Han Tu had the ability to escape by tunneling underground. She knew that Han Shuo loved the two children very much and would not accept anything happening to them.

"woman, what are you worried about? Don't you remember what my father said before he left? I'm more than capable of getting all three of us to escape if there's any danger we can't handle," Han Tu replied smugly.

"Yes, that's right. You are my father's woman, how can we let anything happen to you? If you are not around, who will sleep with my father?" said Han Huo with a mischievous smile.

Rose's face turned red after being teased by the two jokers. Her slight nervousness was replaced by an urge to beat up the brothers. Han Tu and Han Huo started to smile mischievously after seeing Rose's reaction. They continued to taunt Rose, as if this ancient and powerful Highgod was nothing to be afraid of.