Chapter 159: Leaving with the Beauty

Ever since he discovered Lawrence’s true identity, Han Shuo had been pondering how to get along with him in the future. Judging by the current situation, Lawrence clearly intended to get involved in the struggle for the throne. It was simply that his awkward status made his position rather precarious.

If Lawrence truly possessed the capability to inherit the crown, Han Shuo wouldn't mind getting a bit closer to him, or even adventuring alongside him. However, if Lawrence lacked such strength, rashly remaining by his side would drag Han Shuo into a deeply disadvantageous predicament.

Therefore, even though he now understood Lawrence’s background, Han Shuo feigned ignorance. With his expression as normal as ever, he walked into the residence where Lawrence lived.

This time, the assassin Latch brought Han Shuo inside. Having witnessed the assassination of Clark previously, the old assassin seemed to have completely accepted Han Shuo's strength. His expression was not as cold as before. After leading Han Shuo into a sitting room, he spoke, "He is not here at the moment, but he will return at any time. If you are not in a hurry, you may wait here for a while."

Nodding, Han Shuo looked at the old assassin Latch and said with a smile, "It doesn't matter; I'll wait for a little while then. Oh, that's right, I saw you go after Calft later. Did you manage to kill him in the end?"

"Of course. Not only Calft, but even his son was assassinated by me as well." Pride surfaced on the old assassin Latch's face; he appeared extremely conceited about his assassination skills.

After chatting casually with Latch for a moment, Han Shuo suddenly remembered Lisa and asked, "By the way, is Lisa here right now? I'd like to take the opportunity while Lawrence is away to go see her."

"Miss Lisa is indeed here. Follow me, I will take you to see her," Latch said. He then led Han Shuo across a courtyard to a quiet pavilion at the back, before quietly cautioning Han Shuo, "Because the father and son Calft have been killed, Miss Lisa's emotions have stabilized, but you had better avoid bringing up matters regarding her family too much."

Nodding to show he understood, Han Shuo didn't say much more.

Approaching the pavilion alone, he stood outside and gently knocked on the door.

"Is that Cousin Lawrence?" Lisa's voice came from inside through the door, still sounding somewhat sorrowful.

"It's me!" Han Shuo replied.

"Oh, Brian, you've come to see me." From Lisa's voice, Han Shuo could hear a long-absent joy. Footsteps approached rapidly, and Lisa opened the door, appearing before Han Shuo dressed in a cotton bathrobe.

The originally innocent and adorable Lisa had experienced a tragic upheaval in her life. Although her appearance remained completely unchanged—still as charming and youthful as ever—her bright eyes were constantly tinged with a faint sorrow, giving her entire demeanor a poignant air that differed from her previous willful and spoiled self.

Yet, this pitiful Lisa made Han Shuo feel much more comfortable and pleasing to the eye. Walking in from outside the room, Han Shuo closed the door behind him and gently exhaled a breath, pretending to shiver from the cold as he said, "The weather outside is truly freezing!"

"Thank you for helping me kill that old dog Calft!" Lisa tugged at Han Shuo's sleeve, leading him into the inner room while expressing her gratitude.

A stove was burning inside, warming the room thoroughly. Upon entering, Lisa added some dry firewood to the stove before sitting down in a chair cushioned with soft furs.

"The one who killed Calft was one of your cousin Lawrence's men. You should thank your cousin; I merely stirred up some trouble." Han Shuo found a chair and sat down, casually picking up a cup to pour a steaming glass of boiled water, which he drank on his own.

"If you hadn't stirred up trouble, my cousin's men wouldn't have succeeded so easily." Lisa had indeed changed somewhat compared to before. After saying this, she pondered for a moment, looked timidly at Han Shuo, and said, "You spent so many gold coins to buy me at the slave market. According to the rules of slavery, I should belong to you."

Startled, Han Shuo immediately adopted a serious expression and said, "Lisa, you know that when I bought you, it was entirely to rescue you. I harbor absolutely no other intentions. Besides, those gold coins weren't all that much, and we can be considered friends anyway. You mustn't misunderstand!"

With a desolate shake of her head, Lisa looked somewhat flustered as she asked, "Do you despise me? Do you not want me?"

"No, no, we are friends, and this was simply the right thing to do. You have your personal freedom, and I don't want you to feel any guilt because of those thousand gold coins," Han Shuo hurried to explain.

After he finished speaking, Lisa fell silent once more. After a long while, she said to Han Shuo, "Because of Bobby Aski's framing, my family was completely ruined, and my status as a slave was sealed. In that slave market, you bought me in front of so many people—that fact cannot be changed."

"Well then, I can grant you your freedom and remove the slave status from you," Han Shuo thought for a moment before telling Lisa.

At that moment, Han Shuo heard footsteps approaching from outside. A short while later, Lawrence walked in with a smile. Seeing Han Shuo and Lisa talking, he asked, "What are you two discussing?"

"I was just saying that I want to remove Lisa's slave status," Han Shuo replied, looking at Lawrence.

"Give me your crystal card. I'll transfer a thousand gold coins to you, and Lisa will be considered as having been sold to me through legal procedures. Leave the rest of the matter to me to handle," Lawrence seemed to have considered this issue long ago. Hearing Han Shuo bring it up, he immediately made the proposal.

"No need. Lisa is my friend. I can transfer her to you right now; I cannot accept this thousand gold coins." For Han Shuo, a thousand gold coins were no longer anything to bat an eye at, and regarding Lisa, his intentions truly stemmed from a desire to save her.

Hearing Han Shuo put it this way, Lawrence did not insist further. He smiled, nodded at Han Shuo, and readily agreed, "Very well. I will take care of getting all of Lisa's affairs sorted out, but this is Valen City, Bobby Aski's territory. I will have Lisa smuggled back to the empire within the next two days. Once that happens, even if Bobby Aski wants to pull any tricks, he will be powerless to do so."

As the Third Prince, Lawrence had close ties with the King; handling such a minor matter naturally posed no difficulty whatsoever. Valen City was currently in utter chaos, and Lisa was indeed in some danger staying here. Getting her away earlier was definitely a good thing.

"Lisa, Brian and I have some private matters to discuss. We'll step out first!" Casting a meaningful glance at Han Shuo, Lawrence walked toward the exit, and Han Shuo rose and followed him out.

The two men came to a rockery at the front of the courtyard. Lawrence gazed deeply at Han Shuo and asked, "Brian, what is your purpose in coming to Valen City with Madam Emily this time?"

This matter concerned the secrets of the Shadow Veil, so Han Shuo naturally could not say much. He shook his head and apologized, "I'm sorry, I promised Madam Emily that this matter would not be leaked."

Sighing softly, Lawrence said sincerely, "Your background is clean. Although you once held the status of a slave, it is of little consequence. But Emily is extraordinary; her current identity is even that of Old Hahn's daughter-in-law. Getting too close to her will affect your future."

"I think I understand what you mean, but I know what I am doing. You don't need to worry about me in this regard. By the way, if your coming to Valen City was solely to rescue Lisa and assassinate Clark, then your business here is basically finished. Are you leaving this place soon?" Although Lawrence meant well, Han Shuo's relationship with Emily was already established, and he had his own thoughts and plans, so he naturally wouldn't change anything based on Lawrence's persuasion.

"Aside from that, I also made a promise to someone to deal with Bobby Aski of Valen City. Perhaps you might be able to help me?" Lawrence stared at Han Shuo and suddenly spoke.

"Haha, you must be joking. You're actually inviting me to deal with the commander of the Gryphon Legion—that's truly hilarious. I know my own weight; against a figure of Old Bobby's caliber, I don't think I can play any role at all." Han Shuo was crystal clear in his mind, but he deliberately played dumb.

Lawrence stared intently at Han Shuo, just as he was about to say something, when a low cry suddenly came from Latch in the distance, "Not good! This place has been exposed. I think we need to evacuate immediately; Bobby Aski's men are already on their way."

Lawrence was startled, his expression shifting slightly before he said to Han Shuo, "Brian, please take Lisa and escape through the side path in the rear courtyard. We still need to make some preparations."

Given the urgency of the situation, Han Shuo did not ask any further questions. He nodded decisively, his body moving in a flash as he burst through the door and rushed into Lisa's room.

Without waiting for Lisa to say much, he casually grabbed a fur coat from the wall, wrapped her in it, scooped her up in his arms, and leaped through the window to make for the small path in the back courtyard.

Hasty hoofbeats rang out from the distance, rapidly approaching their location. Han Shuo knew that Bobby Aski must have sent a large force this time, and he wondered whether Lawrence and the others would be able to escape. Within Valen City, Bobby Aski's Gryphon Legion held absolute sway; even as a prince, if he fought to the death, it would only lead to a dead end.