CHAPTER 877: Preparing For Battle

A few days later, the core members of the House of Han met again in the same conference room. They seemed even more stressed and sombre than before.

The messengers they had sent had returned to the Han residence, but none of them had returned with good news. Carmelita was in a secluded cultivation and could not be reached. Andre had left for Darkwater City ten days earlier and had not returned.

Aobashi and Erebus were on a covert mission at a secret location. No one knew if they were still within the borders of the City of Shadows or not. None of the messengers even saw the recipients.

Andre, Carmelita, Aobashi and Erebus, the four experts closest to the House of Han, had become unreachable as if they had planned it in advance. Phoebe and the others felt desperate and disappointed that the four would disappear when the House of Han needed their help.

"This cannot be a mere coincidence! It's impossible that all four of them are somehow out of reach just as Larikson entered Hushveil City!" Phoebe gritted her teeth and said angrily, "They were very close to Bryan when he was in the City of Shadows. Especially Carmelita and Erebus, who wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for Bryan. But it turns out they're all heartless scum who would turn a blind eye to us when we needed their help the most!"

"Maybe it's not them..." Stratholme's face grew dark as he slowly said, "There is one person who can send all four of them away and prevent our messages from reaching them..."

"Wallace!" exclaimed Ayermike.

Stratholme nodded and said, "He is the most powerful man in the city. He alone can send Aobashi, Erebus and Andre away from the city at the same time. Carmelita is his daughter. He can force her into a period of solitary cultivation."

"Yes. Given their relationship with Bryan, they would definitely come to our aid if they knew we were in danger. Wallace must have planned this situation! He wouldn't kill us himself, he wouldn't get his hands dirty, but he would undoubtedly use Larikson and Hofs to do his dirty work!" said Ayermike angrily.

"Despicable! I can't stand him any longer!" Gilbert shouted angrily, "We should march into town and kill that fucking Wall-ass!"

"No," Stratholme shook his head, "even if we know it's Wallace who's pulling the strings, we can't touch him. We already have problems with Larikson and Hofs. Now is not the time to make another powerful enemy."

"What should we do then?" Gilbert asked with a sigh of disappointment.

"Let's just try to hold on as long as we can. I have contacted the family clans in the Dominions of Death and Destruction. Wallace may want us dead, but our business partners certainly don't. They are sending men to Fort Lasberg to help us evacuate. We just have to stay alive until they get here," Emily forced a smile and comforted the group.

Over the past few years, the Celestial Pearl had been working with a number of family clans in the Death and Destruction Dominions, opening a large number of pharmacy branches in those Dominions. Each party involved in the partnership produced large quantities of Crystal Coins. It was important to these family clans that the House of Han remained alive so that the crystal coins would continue to flow.

Therefore, as soon as these family clans received the messages from Emily about the situation of the House of Han, they replied that they would send men to the City of Shadows to help the House of Han escape and even offered them refuge.

"This is great news!" Stratholme said, "Then we should all pack up. Wallace wants to kill us at the hands of our enemies. We can no longer live in the City of Shadows. Right, we should start moving some of our assets out of the fort and begin the work necessary for our departure."

"Until our allies arrive, we will stay in the Fort and resist our enemies. But don't worry, our Patriarch has put a lot of thought and effort into the Fort's defences. They will not be easily defeated," said Bollands.

"Then let us prepare for a glorious battle," said Sanguis.

Fort Lasberg buzzed with construction and defence activity. Under the leadership of the House of Han, every corner of Fort Lasberg was now covered with energy towers, cannon towers, deadly boundaries and seals. The once poor city was now a formidable fortress.

Using the vast amounts of black crystal coins accumulated by the House of Han, the weak parts of the fort had been fortified with energy crystal-based barriers and weapons. The divine guards of the Fifth Corps, the strongest divine guards in the City of Shadows, were also equipped with the highest quality divine weapons available, further increasing their lethality. Sanguis and Bollands, the most elite troops in the Fifth Corps, had grown in strength in recent years.

The troops and workers of the House of Han followed their orders and began working around the clock. Dazzling energy towers and cannons were moved and repositioned. The energy crystal cannons were aimed outwards at the vast field, silently waiting and ready to greet the enemies with warm embraces of destructive energy at any moment.

*** In a dense jungle a thousand miles from Fort Lasberg stood Ralph, the head of the Second Corps. Gathered around him were the Divine Guards of the Second Corps. They sat stone-cold as they listened to Ralph's mission briefing.

"You should all know why we are here. Although we won't be initiating the attack, we must take care of those who have managed to escape. The House of Han has seriously threatened the interests of the House of Sainte. Aobashi and Erebus have been brainwashed by Bryan and will not get rid of the House of Han. We are the only ones left who can do what's necessary.

Ralph and his Divine Guards of the Second Corps were to hide at a possible escape route to intercept and kill any members of the House of Han who escaped from Fort Lasberg after Larikson and Hofs had entered the fort.

Ralph, his face cold, glanced at his equally ferocious divine guards before continuing, "Although the House of Han may have seemed benign in recent years, they have in fact been secretly working with family clans in the Dominions of Death and Destruction and are growing stronger. If we do not destroy them now, we may be the ones to be destroyed in the near future!"

"Do not worry, my lord. The presence of the Fifth Corps has threatened the position of our Second Corps. We will wipe the Fifth Corps and the House of Han out of the City of Shadows!" said one of the divine guards ruthlessly. He paused for a moment and hesitated a bit before continuing, "However, there is no clue as to the whereabouts of this Bryan. He is a formidable expert. If one day in the future he discovers what we are doing, what will happen to us?"

Many of them were stunned at the mention of Bryan's name. Although Han Shuo had been away from the City of Shadows for many years, the citizens and divine guards had not forgotten his deeds and accomplishments. In their minds, Han Shuo was an expert second only to City Lord Wallace. Han Shuo would remain a threat to them as long as he lived.

Ralph frowned slightly and replied in a cold voice, "What is there to be afraid of? Our City Lord is the most powerful being in the City of Shadows. Even if Bryan finds out soon what we are going to do, the City Lord will protect us! Don't worry, no matter what happens, the City Lord will protect us!

Although these divine guards were still a little nervous after Ralph's reassurance, they did not voice their concerns any further. They knew Ralph's temperament very well and were aware of the friction between him and Han Shuo. They did not dare to question Ralph's words.

*** From the opposite side of Ralph's position, an army led by Larikson and Hofs moved stealthily towards Fort Lasberg. Although the House of Hofley had lost many of its experts a few years ago, Hofs remained a respected figure in Hushveil City. There were still a large number of experts who would serve under him. After a few years of recruiting, the number of divine guards at his command was now much closer to the pre-incident level.

Larikson, who was flying at the front of the army, wore a dark, gloomy face. His mind was constantly filled with thoughts of revenge. It seemed as though the horrific scene of his son's dead body had been haunting and tormenting him every second of every day.

<i >Bryan, House of Han, House of Lavers, Donna, I'm going to kill all of you! thought Larikson as he flew towards Fort Lasberg.

When the news broke that Larikson's son had been murdered, Donna immediately knew that it was Han Shuo who did it. Fearing that Larikson would blame her and her clan when he found out the truth, she went to her father and told him everything. Felder decisively ordered his family clan to flee the City of Gorging Clouds, while Larikson went on a maniacal hunt for the murderer.

After learning the truth, Larikson activated his forces to locate and destroy the House of Lovers. But with Felder's swift escape, Larikson was unable to do so. The House of Lavers seemed to have vanished from the Dominions of Death, Darkness and Destruction. He couldn't find any members of the Lavers family, no matter where he looked.

Larikson held the House of Lavers, Donna, Han Shuo and the House of Han responsible for his son's death and sought to destroy them. Unable to locate the House of Lavers and Han Shuo, he set his sights on the House of Han at Fort Lasberg.

Half a month later, a group of avengers led by Larikson and Hofs arrived at Fort Lasberg. They wasted no time in shelling the fort as soon as they arrived. They planned to flatten Fort Lasberg with their overwhelming power!