CHAPTER 717: Troubles

***In the house of Sainte.

City Lord Wallace hadn't been in a good mood in recent days. He was changing his ways, becoming much more intrusive and aggressive when it came to matters involving the seven Divine Guard Corps of the City of Shadows.

There were a total of seven Divine Guard chiefs in the City of Shadows. The top three positions were held by members of the House of Sainte, while the bottom four were held by members of the other four major family clans. Wallace blamed the seven Divine Guard chieftains for the incidents in which the City of Shadows was invaded by gods from the Life and Water Dominions and Carmelita was attacked. He reorganised all seven Divine Guard corps on the pretext that they had been derelict in their duties.

Everyone in the city knew that he was very angry that Carmelita had been seriously injured. At this sensitive time, no one dared defy or question Wallace's orders; they simply followed them. A few squadrons were assigned to Avery's Fifth Corps, with the justification that since Avery wasn't in the City of Shadows, his Fifth Corps might need some helping hands.

It was customary for City Lord Wallace not to interfere directly in the affairs of the four Divine Guard Corps, which were under the control of the four family clans. His actions this time had caused great controversy, but Wallace had managed to keep it under control with his iron fist.

The captains of the Fifth Corps of the Divine Guard and the House of Lavers were not happy with the manoeuvre. But they dared not complain and risk further provoking Wallace's anger. They only hoped that Wallace's mood would improve once Carmelita had recovered.

But Andre knew exactly what his older brother was up to. He secretly worked with Wallace to investigate Avery's actions.

The House of Sainte was the most powerful force in the City of Shadows. When they set their minds to investigating a matter, few plots or intrigues couldn't remain hidden from them.

After being tipped off by Han Shuo, Wallace and Avery, the two cruel and merciless brothers gradually learned more and more clues. They plotted and operated in secret, gathering more and more information and evidence.

One day, Wallace, who had been in a bad mood for a long time, regained some traces of softness on his face. He looked at Carmelita, who had finally regained consciousness, and said tenderly, "Don't worry, you are safe now.

Thanks to her strong will, the divine energy of darkness in Carmelita's body had been brought under control. However, at this point, Carmelita's body was still very weak, and the Divine Energy of Destruction she possessed was almost completely depleted. Fortunately for her, the House of Sainte was filthy rich. As an extraordinary talent, her family clan had high hopes for her, and were never shy about feeding her divine essences. The moment she opened her eyes, she was greeted by a heavy bag of Destruction Divine Essences in her father's hand.

"Papa..." Carmelita cried softly.

"It's all right, don't talk, just rest. Take this bag of divine essences and get well as soon as possible. I did not expect you to be seriously injured again in such a short time, and our supply of Destruction Divine Essence is running low. But don't worry, I've sent men to contact other cities, and we'll use the other divine essences we have to trade for more destructive energy divine essence. You can focus on recovering from your injury," Wallace said quietly.

"I feel much better already..." Carmelita replied as she tried to sit up on her bed. Wallace quickly helped her up. She then gently knit her brows and asked, "Did anyone else survive?"

Wallace sighed quietly and shook his head.

"Kalina... she died... to protect me..." Tears began to spill from her eyes.

"I know. Don't worry, we already have a suspect for the main culprit. Those who dared to attack you, whoever they are, will not escape death!" Wallace promised.

Not a single one of the two small squadrons of the House of Sainte, the Divine Guards who travelled with Carmelita survived the attack. Carmelita barely survived by fleeing to Skyorchid Fort, where the most powerful of the Divine Guards, Aobashi, was temporarily stationed. Kalina sacrificed her life to give Carmelita a little more time to escape.

Carmelita closed her eyes to recall the scene and told Wallace. "They covered themselves in the 'canopy of darkness'. I could not see their faces and have no idea who attacked me. But most of them were cultivating in the energy of death, destruction and darkness..."

"..." "They hid their auras and appearances with the canopy of darkness because they did not want you to identify them.

But it's all right, you don't have to think about it too much, because I'm going to find each and every one of them," Wallace assured Carmelita warmly. "Oh, by the way, it was all thanks to that young fellow Bryan that your injuries were stabilised."

Not wanting Carmelita to dwell on the loss of Kalina, Wallace mentioned Han Shuo to distract her mind. Well, I should have known that this guy would be fine... He is more cunning than anyone!" Carmelita smiled with difficulty and asked Wallace shortly afterwards, "Is he in the City of Shadows? I want to see him!"

Wallace hesitated for a moment before answering, "He is in the city, but your condition is still poor. Use the time to heal. It's not too late to see him once you've cleared the dark divine energy from your body."

Carmelita knew that Wallace was saying this because he was concerned about her health, so she nodded and replied quietly, "Okay.

"The most important thing for you now is to heal your injuries. Well, I should stop bothering you. Get some rest." Wallace rose gently and walked out of the room with a smile on his face.

He entered a secret chamber in the house of Sainte. There he asked Andre, who was sitting quietly, "How are things?"

"No conclusive evidence. But based on Bryan's words, the dark divine energy in Carmelita, this guy being out of town for so long, and a few clues we found, I suspect he is the one!" Andre replied quietly with a calm and collected face.

"No need for proof and no need to investigate further. I trust your judgement," Wallace said firmly. After a short pause, he continued, "Tell the trio of Aobashi to search for Avery and inform us as soon as they find him. We will arrest him directly."

"Elder brother, if we do this without any concrete evidence, will it...?" Andre was thrilled at first, but soon his eyebrows furrowed as the thought of the potential outcry from the House of Lavers dawned on him.

"It's no trouble. When we strike, we will strike decisively and without scruple. Watch every single action of the House of Lavers. If it is proven that the patriarch and Avery have anything to do with the incident, wipe out the entire Lavers family directly!" Wallace said in a merciless voice.

"At present, we have found no evidence that the Patriarch of the House of Lavers, Felder, is involved in this matter. However, I will do as the Elder Brother has instructed. And if Felder really had no idea about the attack, what should we do?" asked Andre.

"If he really had no idea, then we arrest all of Avery's confidants in the Fifth Corps. Until then, I will discuss the matter with Felder personally. If he's not tactful, the House of Lavers will disappear from the City of Shadows!" Wallace said in a deep voice.

"Got it!" Andre nodded. He knew that his older brother was one who would show no mercy once he really struck. The House of Sainte had managed to stand tall in the City of Shadows for countless years precisely because they had a patriarch who was so ruthless and headstrong!

"All right, before you do anything to the House of Lavers, you will meet the patriarchs of the other three families in person to explain the whole sequence of events. We must not let them be frightened. Let them know that the Lavers family fully deserved the punishment," Wallace added after a moment's thought.

Andre nodded. As he turned to leave, something occurred to Andre. He asked, "On that note, Elder Brother, this boy named Bryan has saved Carmelita's life twice. Perhaps we should show him our gratitude?"

"That youngster is a decent one!" Wallace praised Han Shuo as soon as Andre spoke of him. After thinking for a while, Wallace said in a somewhat annoyed manner, "This young man has a firm mind, a touch of drive, and he is excellent at producing medicine. He is undoubtedly a hard talent to find! However, this youngster's strength is a little too weak. If we give him too much too fast, I'm afraid he won't be able to handle it. Otherwise, I don't mind handing over the Fifth Corps to him.

Andre's heart skipped a beat when he heard that Wallace intended to hand over the Fifth Corps to Han Shuo, for he knew how great an opportunity this would be. To be one of the leaders of the Divine Guard in the City of Shadows would be a giant leap towards forming one's own family clan. It would be a huge favour.

But after a little more thought, Andre shook his head slightly. He forced a smile and said, "Too bad the boy is too weak.

Even if he was given the Fifth Corps, he wouldn't be able to win over the masses."

"Yes, I have thought of that. This boy has good relations with Carmelita. We would have one less thing to worry about if he could take control of the Fifth Corps. What a pity, such a pity, that his strength is simply too weak. Sigh, forget it. We will discuss it when the time comes," Wallace also shook his head helplessly and decided to drop the subject.

Han Shuo had no idea that Wallace was considering giving him this coveted position, the Chief of the Fifth Corps. Otherwise, Han Shuo might risk revealing his true strength in order to keep this opportunity.

For if Han Shuo were to take control of the Fifth Corps, it would mean that he would be free to hire and assemble his own divine guards. With powerful forces in his hands, in addition to the wealth from his pharmacy, and by accumulating some contributions, he would be able to form his own family clan in the City of Shadows.

He might even be able to supplant the House of Lavers and become one of the five great families of the City of Shadows!

But this was not the time to discuss the glorious days that awaited him in the future. Right now, Han Shuo was facing a major crisis that, if not handled and resolved properly, might not even allow him to continue to prosper in the City of Shadows, let alone establish his own family clan.

"How is that possible?" Han Shuo shouted as he looked at Anito, who was wearing a cautious expression.

"I have no idea, but one of the family members of the House of Kisa not only failed to stabilise his current realm, but also suffered adverse effects after taking your Pill of Tranquility. Not only has he failed to progress, but his realm has regressed. I rushed here to tell you about this," Anito said.

"The medicine I make cannot have such an effect. Something else must have gone wrong. Maybe this guy did not take the medicine according to the correct procedure I gave him?" Han Shuo had absolute faith in the medicines he had personally refined and did not believe his medicines would cause any problems.

"I have only recently received this information and have no idea of the details. How about you go to the Kisa Residence and have a look?" Anito suggested.

Han Shuo nodded and immediately left for the Kisa Residence, Anito showing him the way. Andrina, who had been eating crystal coins, quickly glided down from the third floor and landed next to Anito, giving him a huge shock.

With so many crystal coins to eat, Andrina's injuries healed quickly. At the same time, the mysterious and unfathomable aura around her became lighter and lighter. Han Shuo knew that as her injuries healed, so did her ability to hide her true power. Andrina was unlike Akley, and Han Shuo could do nothing if she wanted to follow him.

Anito sized up Andrina, who appeared silently with strange looks, and was shocked by the cold, unfriendly expression on her face. He judged Han Shuo in his mind, so he has such a fetish. No wonder, even after being in the city for so long, he does not 'communicate' well with the pretty and young ladies in the city, but gets along so well with Miss Carmelita. Extraordinary people have extraordinary appetites!

Anito, who had been thinking dirty thoughts, suddenly noticed that the little girl was looking back at him with her cold eyes. For some reason, Anito felt a shiver run down his spine. His subconscious reacted with a few hollow laughs and dared not look at her.

"If you dare to have any dirty thoughts again, I will kill you!" Andrina groaned coldly and warned.

"I won't, I won't!" Anito replied hastily. But after he had said these words, he realised that something wasn't right. He asked himself, "Wait a minute, why am I afraid of this little girl? It doesn't make any sense!

Han Shuo did not pay attention to the brief exchange between Anito and Andrina as he was preoccupied with the matter of his medicine. Soon enough, they arrived at the Kisa Residence. After he announced his name, the servant of the Kisa Residence coldly led him inside. They all looked at Han Shuo as if he were an impostor, which made Han Shuo feel very uncomfortable.

"What happened?" Han Shuo knitted his eyebrows and asked Rugersey after arriving at the Kisa family's gymnasium.

Rugersey was in charge of the Sixth Corps and he too was an influential figure in the City of Shadows. The last time he had met Han Shuo, he had been very respectful. This time, however, he treated Han Shuo quite the opposite. He gave Han Shuo a cold look, groaned slightly and said, "Oh, you got here early."

Rugersey then pointed to a young man on the floor, convulsing, and said angrily, 'Look what your medicine has done to him! My nephew became like this after taking your poison called the Pill of Tranquillity! Why didn't you mention that your medicine is so unstable and has such a terrible side effect that it caused his realm to regress?"

"I have sold a lot of this medicine and many have taken it. This is the first time such a situation has arisen. I don't think my medicine is to blame. Maybe he did not use the medicine properly. There must be a misunderstanding somewhere!" Han Shuo said after looking at the person on the ground and furrowing his brow.

"There is no misunderstanding. I asked him, he took your medicine completely according to the method described without any mistake. Therefore, it must be your medicine that has caused this situation. Are you still going to deny all responsibility?"

Rugersey took a deep breath and controlled the anger in his heart. With a dark face he said, "I know you have a good relationship with Carmelita and that you saved her life again a few days ago. That's the only reason I'm still talking to you so politely.

Otherwise you wouldn't still be standing in front of me!"

His disrespectful attitude had greatly irritated Han Shuo. Glancing at the person writhing and curling on the ground, Han Shuo raised his head to speak to Rugersey. "Many have taken my medicine. Why are they all fine, but he is the only one with a problem?"

"How should I know? Perhaps they have not yet felt the side effects!

How dare you be so arrogant when there is a problem with your medicine? Very well, I will arrest you right here and now!"

Rugersey could no longer contain the anger in his heart and roared. A few divine guards from the Sixth Corps beside him began to surround Han Shuo.

Before the incident, Rugersey had been polite to Han Shuo because of his medicine. Now that he thought that the medicine had negative side effects, he immediately felt that he had been betrayed.

When he saw that Han Shuo was just a little Lowgod, his attitude changed immediately.

Anito jumped in before Rugersey could grab Han Shuo. "Lord Rugersey, please do not act presumptuously before the situation is fully understood. I have received orders from Lord Erebus and Lord Andre to ensure Mr Bryan's safety. Please do not make life difficult for us in the Third Corps!"

At that moment, Andrina, who had been standing next to Han Shuo, suddenly stepped forward and stood between Han Shuo and Rugersey with a hostile expression. Han Shuo reached out, grabbed Andrina's small hand, and pulled her back. If Andrina caused trouble while this matter was still unresolved, the reputation of his Celestial Pearl Pharmacy might be ruined. Han Shuo was counting on the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy to bring him great profits and knew that he could not do anything reckless at this time.

"No matter what, my House of Kisa wants justice!" Rugersey shouted angrily. He stopped acting impulsively after Anito mentioned Erebus and Andre.

Rugersey had obviously seen Andrina as she stepped forward, and his heart leapt. He vaguely felt a threatening aura emanating from Andrina, giving him the impression that she would be an extremely formidable opponent, but this feeling disappeared when Han Shuo pulled her back. Rugersey thought it was just a temporary figment of his imagination. Besides, since he was in a fit of rage, he did not think too much about it.

"Let me check on his condition," Han Shuo said as he made up his mind that he would not sell any more of his medicine to the House of Kisa after this incident was over because Rugersey's attitude at that moment had displeased him greatly.