Chapter 85: Reaping the Benefits as the Fisherman

Liss’s sudden and violent death exposed Han Shuo’s hiding place completely. When the Arc of Slaughter returned to Han Shuo’s hand, he leapt down from the tree. At that moment, the lightning mage of the Warfire Mercenary Corps had, unbeknownst to anyone, an arrow embedded in his left rib—most likely fired by the archer from “Remnant Shadow” atop a distant rooftop. The other advanced swordsman was now coughing blood, his body gashed by wind blades, blood dripping steadily to the ground.

“Get out of here!” As soon as Han Shuo landed and assessed the situation, he realized that even with Ellis ambushed and killed, they were still at a disadvantage. Without hesitation, he issued the order to retreat.

Though it seemed a long tale, from the assassins’ arrival to the exchange of attacks, all had transpired in the blink of an eye. Before the city guard had completed their shift, the killers from “Remnant Shadow” still had ample time to slowly eliminate Han Shuo’s group. Especially when one of Han Shuo’s distant demon minions sensed several others who had set traps were now rushing towards them—he knew their chances would dwindle further upon their arrival.

Phoebe and Candice, upon hearing Han Shuo’s command to withdraw, had their beautiful eyes flicker as they began to consider escape routes. Before they could decide, Han Shuo’s mind sparked with an idea. A wicked grin appeared on his face as he said, “Follow me!”

Han Shuo dashed toward the crumbling wall of a collapsed house, hurling the Slaughter Arc like a venomous dragon drill. With a thunderous boom, a large hole was blasted open. Han Shuo retrieved the Slaughter Arc in passing and darted through the breach.

Phoebe and Candice, already close to Han Shuo, were nearest to the newly made hole. With no hesitation, both beauties followed his lead and slipped through the opening in a flash.

The two remaining Warfire mercenaries, seeing Candice and Phoebe escape, glanced at one another and fled in different directions.

“Forget the others—chase those two women!” Only now did the black-robed archmage speak, his voice shrill and grating.

At his orders, all the assassins abandoned the wounded mercenaries and poured into the broken house, hot on the heels of Han Shuo’s trio.

With his demonic cultivation, Han Shuo’s speed was unmatched. Phoebe and Candice, both warriors themselves, kept pace, focusing solely on following Han Shuo.

One of Han Shuo’s demon minions had already stealthily moved ahead along their escape route, serving as an extra pair of eyes. Navigating the maze of courtyards and alleys, Han Shuo always chose the most secluded paths, his minion’s senses feeding every detail to him—he never lost his way.

Gradually, they managed to shake their pursuers, using the terrain to their advantage. Ahead, a fork appeared—one path twisting deeper into the labyrinth, the other broad and exposed with little cover.

Phoebe and Candice, a few steps behind Han Shuo, were astonished by his knowledge of the area. They watched in wonder as he widened the gap between them and their pursuers through his familiarity with the terrain.

At the fork, they naturally assumed Han Shuo would take the winding path to lose their trackers completely. But to their surprise, Han Shuo stopped, pulled out a black mask to cover his face, and tossed two more to Phoebe and Candice, urgently saying, “Put them on!”

Candice hesitated, but Phoebe, without a word, slipped on the mask, concealing her lovely features. Seeing their pursuers appear at the street corner, Phoebe urged Candice from behind her mask, “Hurry!”

Prompted by Phoebe, Candice fumbled her mask on, then pulled a set of black night clothes from her spatial ring, apparently intending to change.

“No need for the black clothes—let’s go!” Han Shuo interjected. Glancing back at their pursuers, he set off again, deliberately choosing the broad, exposed street rather than the winding, hidden path.

Even Phoebe was momentarily baffled, not understanding Han Shuo’s intentions. But now was not the time for questions. Trusting Han Shuo, she tugged Candice along, following him without hesitation.

“Don’t run at full speed—we need to let them see our tracks,” Han Shuo whispered as he slowed to match Phoebe and Candice.

“What are you playing at? If we’d taken the other path and not delayed, we’d have escaped already. What’s the point of these masks? They know what we’re wearing—this is just senseless!” Candice complained.

Han Shuo chuckled darkly. “I’m not trying to fool them with the masks. I just don’t want that other group to see our faces. Yesterday, I found another shady bunch in a house up ahead. They’re strong and sneaky—definitely no good. If ‘Remnant Shadow’ runs into them, sparks are bound to fly, and maybe we’ll be rid of ‘Remnant Shadow’ in one stroke.”

“You’re truly despicable!” Candice exclaimed, stunned.

“Bryan, we can’t bring danger to innocent people. Are you sure they’re not good folk?” Phoebe paused to confirm with Han Shuo.

“Don’t worry—they’re definitely not. I saw them sneaking around Babylon Academy, stealing things. Would good people do that?” Han Shuo assured her. Then, lowering his voice, he said, “Watch carefully—there, that courtyard ahead. I’ll make a ranged attack, and then we’ll slip around back. Don’t get spotted, no matter what.”

Their pace quickened, and the trio sped to the courtyard gate. Han Shuo drew a crossbow, fired a bolt without even aiming, then casually flicked a steel needle inside as well.

With that done, Han Shuo pulled Phoebe and Candice to a hiding spot his demon minion had already scouted—a lidless, square stone box behind the house, used for trash.

“Ugh, it stinks!” Candice immediately pinched her nose and whispered as they squeezed in. Phoebe’s face showed equal disgust as she pinched her nose, her eyes full of distress.

The space was cramped, littered with garbage bags. Han Shuo crouched in the middle, with Phoebe and Candice pressed on either side. The stench was unavoidable, so Han Shuo used his mask to block his nose as well.

He gestured for silence, motioning the women to observe their surroundings carefully.

“There are intruders!” a low voice called from inside the courtyard, followed by the soft sound of searching footsteps.

From their hiding place, Han Shuo, Phoebe, and Candice saw the floating mage and several “Remnant Shadow” assassins approaching from afar.

“They went in—this is the place!” a swordsman reported to the archmage upon arrival.

The black-robed archmage nodded. With a wave of his wand, hidden under his long sleeve, a wave of powerful magic surged forth. The “Earthquake” spell—once unleashed in Phoebe’s house—now struck the courtyard, causing house after house to collapse with thunderous crashes.

A cacophony of curses and chaos erupted from within. Duke, Eric, and several others inside responded without a word, battle aura flaring and magic unleashed, hurling attacks at the black-robed mage.

Duke, also suspended in midair, revealed himself as a mage. With a flourish of his elegant wand and completion of a wind incantation, a tornado of hundreds of wind blades swept toward the black-robed mage and his allies. The windstorm’s power was terrifying, reducing any small trees in its path to splinters.

“Damn it—another mage? Grover never mentioned this!” the black-robed mage shrieked, hastily conjuring a wall of earth before him and retreating.

A swordsman from Grover’s side and an archer from “Remnant Shadow,” caught off guard, were sucked into the raging storm. Amidst their agonized screams, their bodies were torn to shreds, blood mist filling the air. In moments, all was silent.

“After them!” Duke barked coldly, leading Eric and the others in pursuit of the fleeing “Remnant Shadow” assassins. Along the way, magic clashed ceaselessly, crackling and booming through the ruins.

“Who on earth are these people? They’re unbelievably strong!” Candice whispered in awe after they had gone.

“This courtyard is rubble again, and it’s empty now. We don’t need to stay,” Phoebe said, quickly leaping out and putting distance between herself and the garbage box.

Candice and Han Shuo followed. Han Shuo smiled, “By now, the city guards have probably finished their shift. I wonder if these two groups will draw their attention.”

“You really are cunning. What should we do next?” Candice, almost unconsciously relying on Han Shuo as their anchor, asked as the crisis passed and Han Shuo had managed to embroil both “Remnant Shadow” and Grover’s men in a mess.

“Miss Phoebe, I think I know where Grover’s mistress is now,” Han Shuo suddenly said.

Phoebe’s face lit up with excitement as she pressed, “Where?”

“Follow me. Looks like we won’t be getting any rest tonight.” Han Shuo shrugged helplessly, found his bearings, and led the way across the wide street toward a narrow, shadowy alley.

From the beginning, Grover had revealed himself. After Ellis and the “Remnant Shadow” group stormed Phoebe’s house, Grover had waited in a distant building for news. One of Han Shuo’s three demon minions had stayed to watch him. After Phoebe’s house collapsed, Grover left alone, not returning to the Buster Trading Company, but instead boarded a prearranged carriage, instructing the driver, “To Caro’s place, and be careful!”

Han Shuo had heard from Phoebe that Grover’s mistress was named Caro, so he informed Phoebe and Candice. If his demon minions got too far from him, it was hard to control them. Just as Grover left, Duke and “Remnant Shadow” had just clashed. As Grover’s carriage sped away, it became harder for Han Shuo to control his minion. Once Phoebe and Candice agreed, they hurried to catch up with Grover.

Just as dawn broke, Han Shuo, Phoebe, and Candice arrived in the city’s western district. Compared to the south and north, the area was filthy and chaotic, garbage strewn everywhere. Beggars, shivering in thin rags despite the cold, curled up in trash heaps, seeking warmth from the refuse.

“I never thought Grover would come to these slums. No wonder we couldn’t find his mistress, hidden here. Grover’s not an easy man to deal with,” Phoebe murmured to Han Shuo, frowning at the scene.

“We’re here. Come with me. This time, Grover won’t escape!” Han Shuo, having seen Grover enter a filthy, rundown house, spoke to Phoebe and Candice, then led them around the garbage into a fly-infested alley.

Despite their disgust, Phoebe and Candice gritted their teeth and followed Han Shuo, waving their hands constantly to ward off the swarming flies.