Chapter 170: An Unexpected Delight

Emily returned to the secret chamber only to be dumbfounded when she saw Han Shuo and Belinda conversing. Her crafty eyes darted back and forth between the two of them before she dragged Han Shuo aside and asked suspiciously, "You didn't actually sleep with her, did you?"

Han Shuo was left speechless, unable to laugh or cry. He quickly shook his head and explained, "Of course not. Miss Belinda's target is also the commander of the Gryphon Legion. As for our previous conflict, Miss Belinda is willing to let bygones be bygones and cooperate with us to deal with Bobby Aski. I figured a partnership would be mutually beneficial, so I agreed."

"You just agreed to that, and even untied her bonds?" Emily asked, staring at Han Shuo in disbelief.

Han Shuo cast a meaningful glance at Emily, smiled calmly, and said to Belinda, "This place is a bit unusual. While we can cooperate, there should still be some secrets between us. If Miss Belinda doesn't mind, I would like to blindfold you before letting you leave."

"Of course, I completely understand." Belinda replied readily, agreeing without the slightest hesitation.

Re-blindfolding Belinda and carefully re-applying her veil, Han Shuo ignored Emily's bewildered expression and led Belinda away from the Dark Veil stronghold. They rode in a carriage for a considerable distance before letting Belinda step out. Han Shuo said, "Once you make contact with your people, you can find us at the place we agreed upon, and then we can discuss the details of our cooperation."

"Mm, it was a pleasure meeting you," Belinda said softly before stepping off the carriage and walking away.

The moment Belinda's figure vanished from sight, Emily inside the carriage asked anxiously, "What on earth is going on? Why did you just let her go like that?"

After quickly recounting the sequence of events, Han Shuo said to Emily, "A forced interrogation might not yield any results, but letting her walk away like this will allow us to obtain much more useful information. If she makes any move against us, I can take her life with a single thought, so you don't need to worry. Once she leaves, she will seek help from the Calamity Church, and cooperating with them will allow us to gather even more valuable intelligence. Plus, we can join forces to deal with Bobby Aski—isn't this killing many birds with one stone?"

"Do you have any idea how dangerous what you just did is? The Calamity Church is unlike ordinary forces. If we're not careful, not only will all our previous efforts go to waste, but we'll also lose our lives. You're playing with fire!" Emily sighed, still finding it hard to let go of her misgivings after hearing Han Shuo's explanation.

"Alright, alright, I know what I'm doing. Sometimes taking calculated risks is necessary; only in great crises can we find great opportunities. We can handle this." Here, Han Shuo paused and asked Emily, "By the way, you just went out earlier—did you manage to get any useful information?"

"Phoebe, the one who attended the Minister of Finance's banquet with you last time, arrived in Valen City the day before yesterday. You'll never guess why she came here," Emily said, frowning as she brought up serious business.

Taken aback, Han Shuo asked in surprise, "What is she doing in Valen City?"

"Because of the Medivh Chamber of Commerce's failure last time, Aski stopped trusting them and turned to Phoebe instead. As the head of the Booster Trading Firm, she was offered a high price by Bobby Aski to transport a batch of siege equipment. Completely unaware, and lured by the massive profit, she used her trade routes to bypass several towns and deliver that batch of equipment to Valen City. To my surprise, she actually pulled it off and has now arrived in Valen City with the shipment. If nothing unexpected happens, she'll likely hand it over to the Gryphon Legion tomorrow," Emily explained with a bitter smile.

At these words, Han Shuo's mind raced rapidly before he suddenly asked, "Will this matter implicate Phoebe?"

"It's hard to say. If she knew what that shipment was and still dared to insist on helping Bobby Aski, then even I would find it difficult to cover for her. But if she was completely oblivious and kept in the dark by Bobby Aski, there might still be some room to maneuver," Emily replied after pondering for a moment.

"Where is Phoebe staying right now? I need to go see her immediately," Han Shuo asked in a deep voice, his brow furrowed as he stared at Emily.

Pouting, Emily glared at Han Shuo and said angrily, "You claim there's nothing between you two, yet the moment you hear she's in danger, you get all anxious and worried!"

"I need her face and presence to help me procure many materials; she really cannot afford to have anything happen to her. Hurry up and tell me her address!" Han Shuo pulled Emily into an embrace, stole a kiss, and pleaded with a cheeky grin.

With a soft snort, Emily gave Han Shuo a hard pinch before finally giving him Phoebe's address. As Han Shuo prepared to leave, she couldn't help but warn him, "The inn where Phoebe is staying is heavily guarded by the Gryphon Legion's soldiers. You must be extremely careful and make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Thanks for your concern. For your sake alone, I'll take good care of myself," Han Shuo chuckled with a grin, darting out of the carriage like a cheetah and rapidly heading toward the inn where Phoebe was staying.

The inn where Phoebe resided was located on a street just inside the city gates. When Han Shuo arrived, he discovered that the surrounding area was indeed heavily guarded by numerous Gryphon Legion soldiers, a clear sign that they placed immense importance on the goods Phoebe had transported.

It was already the dead of night, and dawn would likely break before long—the time when human fatigue reaches its peak. Observing closely, Han Shuo noticed that the Gryphon Legion soldiers assigned to guard the perimeter were involuntarily nodding off, their alertness far from optimal.

Taking advantage of the cover of darkness, Han Shuo executed the "Demonic Flight of Nine Heavens" to soar into the high sky, slowly descending from the upper heights onto the roof of the inn.

One had to admit the formidable intelligence-gathering capabilities of the Dark Veil. Not only had Emily found out which inn Phoebe was staying at the moment she entered the city, but she had also pinpointed the exact room.

The westernmost room on the upper floor was the most secluded and the most expensive in the inn, guarded outside by three soldiers of the Gryphon Legion. Landing on the rooftop, Han Shuo observed the surroundings, waited for one of the guards to nod off, and used his internal demonic energy to silently unlatch a window from the inside, slipping in without a sound.

The room was spacious enough, featuring an independent parlor, washroom, and bedroom. At this late hour, Phoebe was naturally fast asleep in the bedroom. Holding his breath and focusing his mind, Han Shuo tiptoed toward the bedroom without making the slightest noise.

Beneath a canopy of purple gauze lay a soft, large bed, beside which a hearth burned with glowing embers, bathing the bedroom in cozy warmth. Lying on her side upon the plush mattress was a figure wrapped in a thin silk quilt, long hair scattered loosely across the pillow, exposing a fair, bare shoulder while she murmured softly as if dreaming.

Walking noiselessly to the side of Phoebe's bed, Han Shuo slipped past the purple curtains and leaned in close to her. Just as he intended to wake her, he caught the sound of a soft murmur escaping Phoebe's blushing lips, whispering shyly: "Oh... no, you big bad bully, Brian, you big bad bully."

Han Shuo was startled, thinking Phoebe had discovered him. He raised himself slightly to look at her, only to find that Phoebe's eyes were tightly shut, her cheeks flushed with a bashful, rosy hue. Low moans escaped her lips, and under the thin blanket, one of her hands seemed to be wandering over her own body.

She was actually having an erotic dream! And the male lead was none other than himself!

Han Shuo was utterly dumbstruck, staring at Phoebe in sheer amazement. At this moment, her face and neck were suffused with a flushed warmth, her alluring tongue lightly licking her vibrant red lips. One hand roamed inside the blanket between her chest and abdomen, emitting waves of low moans and occasionally breathing his name in a soft pant.

Such heart-stopping temptation presented itself right before his eyes. Han Shuo felt his throat go dry, and his lower body instantly hardened. Abandoning any thoughts of waking her up immediately, he forgot all extraneous matters, slowly laying down on the bed beside Phoebe and slipping under the edge of the quilt.

Lying on his side behind Phoebe in the same posture, Han Shuo's hardened lower body pressed directly into the curve of her hips. Through the thin fabric of their clothes, he could even feel the damp, slippery warmth of her curves.

Any man would have found such intense stimulation unbearable. Breathing heavily with a low gasp, Han Shuo reached out from behind to cup Phoebe's firm, full breasts, kneading them through the thin silk. He leaned in closer to her neck, his hot tongue licking and kissing the white, blushing skin.

"Ooh... you big pervert!" Phoebe, despite being deep asleep, clearly sensed the intense stimulation and let out an involuntary moan. One of her hands instinctively covered the hand Han Shuo was using to ravage her breast, guiding his hand to actively rub against her own chest.

On the other end, the curve of Phoebe's hips clearly felt the hard press against her, causing her to instinctively squeeze her slender, straight legs together as if wanting to feel his intrusion more clearly. This carnal arousal drove Han Shuo to heavy panting, his movements of licking and kissing her growing even more frantic.

Just as the sensual pleasure reached its peak, Phoebe suddenly jerked her neck, rolled over, and opened her drowsy, clear eyes to gaze straight at Han Shuo, who wore a look of pure enjoyment.