CHAPTER 162: The Anomalies Of The White Bone Staff

"There are three people five hundred metres behind you. Since they're further away and wearing ordinary equipment, I can't figure out their strength." Han Shuo watched for a moment as he stood on the ledge with narrowed eyes and answered Candice's question in a low voice after a while.

"Thank you Bryan, I'll remember your help." Candice said quietly and didn't say much more to Han Shuo, turning to return to the Battlefire mercenaries and discussing something with them.

"What is she to you that you're willing to help her?" Lisa tugged at Han Shuo's sleeve after Candice had left.

"A friend of mine from a while ago. Let's go. We'll go in another direction. We still have to return to Valen City." Han Shuo looked at Candice and saw that she was still discussing things with her employer. He knew that his words had had an effect.

Candice was a mercenary and had her missions and her way of life. Han Shuo reminded her out of the kindness of his heart when he met her and saw that her mission held some latent danger. He was a good friend, but he would not interfere in her affairs.

When she heard that Han Shuo was about to leave, Lisa didn't say much as she shyly ducked her head and walked behind Han Shuo, reaching out to wrap her hands around his neck and jump on his back. She said happily next to his ear, "I still want you to give me a piggyback ride."

Han Shuo was speechless and then smiled ruefully. He said to Lisa on his back, "I had no choice just now because there was an emergency. That's why I put you on my back. Now that we're out of danger, you don't need to be piggybacked anymore. We can walk back slowly."

"Hehe, I'm not getting off, no matter what you say." Lisa's small hands wrapped around Han Shuo's neck as her fleshy thighs crossed around his waist, appearing quite comfortable.

Lisa was at an exuberantly youthful age, and due to Han Shuo's random teachings, her originally flat chest was now a bit ridiculously well rounded. Han Shuo could even feel that her chest on his back wasn't much smaller than Emily's. This soft, miraculous feeling made Han Shuo's heart itch a little.

Off in the distance, Candice was talking to her comrades and seemed determined to continue on their way to Valen City, ignoring the three who were following behind. Their minds made up, the group began to move out again. Candice glanced over at Han Shuo and happened to see Lisa on Han Shuo's back. She was quite surprised.

Han Shuo felt Candice's slightly bizarre look and turned around to raise his head proudly as if he wanted to show Candice something. She couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Wait, we're leaving too." Han Shuo didn't force her to get off his back when he saw that Lisa's mind was made up. She'd just lost her parents and was going through the most painful moments of her life. He didn't want to make her unhappy at a time like this. Giving instructions in a low voice, he took a different path, avoiding the direction Candice's crew was taking to Valen City.

It was already evening by this time. Han Shuo took note of the direction and made a circle around the city walls. He used the 'Demonic Ninth Heaven Art' to fly over the city walls as night fell and landed in Valen City's territory.

They arrived at the hotel where Emily had stayed last time and Han Shuo made his way straight to Emily's room. Chester called softly from inside the room before they entered, "Who is it?"

"It's me!" Han Shuo replied and pushed open the door. He looked at the surprised Chester and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Chester hesitated when he saw Lisa on Han Shuo's back and replied, "Madame Emily thought you'd be meeting Lawrence here and had me stay here in the hope of receiving news from either of you."

"So did you receive any messages from Lawrence?" Han Shuo couldn't go directly to the Dark Mantle from here because Emily had arranged for men to be here and because Lisa was present. This was also where he'd told Lawrence he'd be staying, so Lawrence would probably come here after he escaped.

Nodding, Chester replied, "Lawrence hasn't come yet, but he sent a messenger. The man told me that when you and Lisa come back, please take Lisa to this place!" Chester handed over a map as he spoke. The address was not too far from here.

"What did the man Lawrence sent look like?" Han Shuo had to take all precautions.

After Chester had described the person, Han Shuo immediately understood that the person who had come was the old assassin Lucky, and therefore there was nothing to worry about in this matter.

Letting Lisa down from his back, Han Shuo looked at her and said seriously, "Lisa, we're about to do something very dangerous. You should go with Chester and get to where your cousin is right away. Lawrence will bring you back to the empire in a short time. Do as I say, okay? We'll stay and take revenge for you.

After experiencing extreme hardship in life, Lisa was much more mature than Han Shuo remembered. Although a look of longing remained in her eyes after he said his words, she nodded her head obediently and agreed to Han Shuo's arrangements.

"Hire a carriage. Take Miss Lisa to the place on Lawrence's map yourself. Leave her safely in Lawrence's hands." Han Shuo told Chester with a smile.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of everything perfectly." Chester promised Han Shuo with great confidence and then bowed to Lisa, gesturing for her to go ahead of him.

Lisa looked deeply at Han Shuo and then said to him with some concern, "Be careful, don't let anything happen to you."

"Don't worry, nothing will happen to me. Use the cover of the night to make haste. Go with him." Han Shuo nodded and urged Lisa on with a slight smile.

Lisa turned and followed Chester, and the two of them quickly made their way outside. The influence of the Dark Mantle was of course considerable in a city as large as this. It wouldn't have been difficult if Han Shuo had wanted to send Lisa back.

However, he had only recently joined the Dark Mantle, so it wasn't a good idea to use the organisation's resources for his own personal affairs. Besides, as the Third Prince, it would be more than appropriate for him to handle this matter and take care of Lisa's affairs after she returned to the Empire.

Han Shuo turned around after Lisa had left and walked into the inner chamber, saying with a slight smile, "Come out.

Emily walked out of the inner chamber smiling and wearing a soft leather coat, rolling her eyes as she walked next to Han Shuo. She reached out a hand and pinched him, saying with some jealousy, "You ran off with Lawrence's sister after visiting him and made him send men here to ask for her. You're something!"

Grasping her pinching hand and pulling it forward, Han Shuo held Emily in his arms and began to run his hands all over her well rounded chest. He smiled in explanation, "I'm not as bad as you think! I only took her because Lawrence's location had been compromised."

He explained the whole matter to Emily, who then replied with a furrowed brow, "According to Lawrence's words, he may be here to act against Bob Ascher with the King's tacit approval. This may be one of the methods His Majesty uses to test Lawrence. He'll use Lawrence's performance in this matter to determine Lawrence's future path."

Han Shuo started slightly after hearing Emily's words. He hadn't thought much about it at first, but it all made sense after Emily's explanation. He thought silently for a moment and then said, "If this is the case, then we might actually have the inclination to cooperate with Lawrence."

"Exactly, the Dark Mantle has no restrictions when it comes to missions. I don't mind working with Lawrence if the timing is right, but as far as how we actually act, we need to have a defined plan." Emily's narrow eyebrows were knitted tightly together as she spoke with some concern.

Emily's concern stemmed from Lawrence's identity as a prince. She was afraid that others would misunderstand their relationship before the bigger picture had been established. If Lawrence wasn't king in the end, and another prince inherited the throne, then Emily, Han Shuo, and the others who had been too close to Lawrence could attract fatal disasters. So Emily was very cautious.

"I understand your meaning. Don't worry, I know my place in dealing with Lawrence." Han Shuo said quietly. He thought for a moment and then asked, "Right, you left in a hurry to tell your brother about the Calamity Church and told me not to mention it to anyone else. Why is that?"

Emily's charming features became incredibly serious as these words were uttered. She took a deep breath and replied, "The Church of Calamity is an evil church. They worship all kinds of evil gods, and many evil experts are gathered within their ranks. I've only heard rumours about them and don't know the details, but my brother told me that the Calamity Church is the largest evil sect on the entire continent. They do things in the shadows that are hated by both man and God. It's always a big threat to any country when they go on a big mission.

"About ten years ago, several empires worked together to wipe out the Calamity Church, destroying all of their exposed strongholds. There was no news of the Calamity Church for a long time after that, but everyone knows that they weren't destroyed at all. They are only in hiding. The fact that you have confirmed this from the memories of the Necromancer of the Calamity Church means that this matter is receiving considerable attention.

Shocked, Han Shou looked questioningly at Emily, "Did you report the fact that I took the memories of the Necromancer?"

"Of course not." Emily pouted and rolled her eyes at Han Shuo, seeming to reproach him for not believing her. She only continued speaking after he apologised. "I only said that we killed the necromancer together and got this information from his space ring."

"I see. Looks like this necromancer was a big fish." Han Shuo smiled and fished out the white bone staff as they chatted, playing with it as they continued to talk.

Suddenly, a strange buzzing sound emanated from the white bone staff, like the drone of an unknown insect. This made Han Shuo's hair stand on end in amazement.

"Is there anyone in this hotel?" A familiar voice travelled in from outside at that moment. It was Candice calling out loudly.

The white bone staff continued to sound strangely and vibrate as if it wanted to fly out of Han Shuo's grasp. This took both Han Shuo and Emily by surprise.

"Huh? Miss Belinda, what are you doing? You can't leave on your own." Candice's screams suddenly turned into frantic calls. It seemed that her employer had escaped the protection of the Battlefire mercenaries.

Han Shuo, who was clutching the shaking white bone staff, was also rather perplexed and shook his head quickly. "I don't know what's going on either. This has never happened before when I have used it."

Frantic footsteps quickly approached their room, accompanied by Candice's desperate screams. Han Shuo's thoughts raced as he seemed to understand something and put the white bone staff back into his space ring. He made a move towards Emily as he tip-toed over to the window.