"What should we do?" Trunks asked.
"The depths of the Valley of Sunshine are too dark, and our power is too weak. We don't have the ability to fight against any side. Whatever the final outcome, control of the valley won't be ours. In the end, our band of mercenaries is too weak."
"Therefore, it's not wise for us to get involved at this time. For now, we can put aside our feud with Florida. When they're injured and bleeding from fighting each other, we can take advantage of that to recruit men to expand our power. The most important thing is to increase our strength, not to get involved with them.
"The shop I need is rumoured to be an unlucky place. No matter who controls the valley, they won't know how to use it, so it will remain empty and no one will settle there. I'll get it sooner or later. There's no need for us to be tied to one place because of it."
"Not to mention that Laureton isn't a nice guy. Our safety is far from guaranteed while we are in the valley. If Laureton loses his temper one day, we might become enemies. At that time, it would be difficult for us to leave the valley. Han Shuo continued calmly after careful consideration.
"You mean we should leave the Valley of Sunshine temporarily?" Han Shuo's comments had been long, but to boil it down, he was advocating that they take a seat on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. After some thought, Trunks was able to understand his intention.
"We will leave the Valley of Sunshine, but not necessarily its sphere of influence. We can imitate the three other factions and extend our influence to the outskirts of the valley. With the gold and your connections, you can use this time to recruit more mercenaries. We can slowly build up our strength while they're busy fighting each other.
"Besides, I also need to leave for a while. If I stay here and the Church of Light discovers me, I'll cause unnecessary trouble for the mercenary band. I can use this opportunity to ask the dwarves in the Dark Forest to forge the weapons you need. I'll also pay a visit to the forest trolls to see if I can get anything out of them. Han Shuo's mind was quite nimble as he quickly and calmly made plans.
When Han Shuo had finished, Trunks smiled and nodded. "There are still a few months until the battle for control of the Valley of Sunshine ends. Now that we have enough gold for our base, I can use this time to recruit more experts. Maybe they'll be useful in critical moments."
"Yes. Let's go and discuss things with Emily. We should leave sooner rather than later." Han Shuo looked at the sky and started to think about what to do when they left the valley.
As they made their way back, the streets were busy. All sorts of bizarre and exotic goods were displayed by merchants from various kingdoms, catching the eyes of passersby.
From stocky, thick-furred orcs to beautiful, pointy-eared elves, all manner of races looked at the items on the streets, trying to see where their profits would come from.
Han Shuo was moving through the crowd when a sudden sense of danger arose in his heart. It was as if enemies from the shadows were closing in on him with deadly intent, planning to deal him a fatal blow.
Now that he had reached the bloodlust realm, Han Shuo had a terrifying sensitivity to the killing intent of others towards him. Even though he was on the crowded and busy streets, he could still clearly sense that hidden burst of killing intent. It was truly incredible.
His thoughts moved as he silently sent the three Yin Demons flying out, gusts of air drifting through the void, slowly dispersing and moving into the blind spots around Han Shuo, searching for the origin of that killing intent.
Thanks to the Yin Demons, Han Shuo could clearly see everything around him for several metres. He quickly scanned the people around him, trying to identify the source of the danger.
In the blind spots to the left of a shop front, a flawless, exquisite face came into view. Like the edge of a blade, the elven archer Maxine's eyes held a cold gleam. She gazed sharply at him, holding a strangely shaped bow in her left hand. She seemed to be waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike a fatal blow.
Next to her stood the thundermage Asa. His face was equally ruthless as he held a magic staff in his right hand. He seemed ready to strike at any moment.
However, in this crowded and busy street, Han Shuo's group was surrounded by merchants of all nationalities. To carry out an assassination in such an area required an exquisite, almost perfect sense of timing, otherwise it would be impossible to succeed.
A cold smile suddenly appeared on his face, and Han Shuo continued to walk forward without a hitch. The three Yin Demons kept an eye on Maxine and Asa's movements as he considered how to handle their plans.
Suddenly, he dashed around a corner of the street. Trunks and Gilbert also disappeared without a trace.
Maxine and Asa had seen the three of them walk forward but suddenly disappear around a corner. Slightly surprised, they looked at each other. Their hidden bodies couldn't help but join the crowd as they tried to catch a glimpse of what had happened around the corner.
"Where are they?" Asa scanned the corner as they arrived and asked with a slight frown when he couldn't find them.
At that moment, the streets echoed with a low wail. A jet-black beam of light screamed through the air as it tore through the crowd. A pair of glistening fangs, at the head of what looked like a giant snake winding through the air, came to bite the pair.
The sudden change completely upset their plans. Maxine's thin eyes narrowed into a slit as the Demonslayer's Edge shot into her chest; she dashed up to the roof and fled into the distance without a second thought.
Behind Maxine, a hideous scream came from Asa's mouth. The scream galvanised the crowd, throwing the street into chaos as everyone ducked and sprinted for safety, trying to escape before the unknown danger arrived.
The mercenaries who had been following the merchants and were responsible for their safety immediately surrounded their employers, before realising what had happened.
Thundermage Asa's right hand, the one holding the staff, had been chopped off as a result of Maxine's departure. The severed stump spewed blood everywhere.
The Demonslayer's Edge leapt back into the air, circling recklessly as it tried to take Asa's life as well. But Asa was still an experienced mercenary. After that first scream, he kept his mouth shut, even in the midst of such terrible circumstances.
He didn't hesitate. In a situation where he could lose his life in the next second, his empty left hand quickly picked up his severed right hand as he unleashed the levitation spell without pause. He soared into the air and a circle of lightning formed around him, transforming him into an electric man.
The Demonslayer's Edge flew once more towards Asa as the electric currents sparked madly. As the Demonslayer Edge approached his back, the electric currents entered it, interrupting its charge and stopping it a hair's breadth from Asa's body, at which point a series of crackles and pops emanated from his body.
The electric net surrounding Asa poured into the Demonslayer's edge with fierce electric power. This threw the magical yuan that Han Shuo had infused into the Demonslayer Edge into disarray. It didn't take Asa's life.
Even though Asa hadn't been stabbed to death, the unbridled magical yuan within the Demonslayer Edge crashed into him like a giant boulder. His body trembled like a kite with a broken string, almost falling from the sky with its violent swaying. He finally caught himself with a stumble and flew shakily into a room, screaming for help.
"Let's go. Asa's hurt worse now than Florida. I think it's becoming more and more unrealistic that the Rainbow Sickles will be able to defeat the Cairo Mercenary Band this time." Han Shuo laughed coldly and walked out of an alley with Gilbert and Trunks.
"Devious Master, why not use this advantage to kill him? We just need to stab him again and Asa will be dead for sure?" Uncomprehending, Gilbert looked at Han Shuo in confusion.
"Asa fell into a resting place of the Cairo mercenaries. Even though the Cairo Mercenary Band and the Rainbow Sickles are fighting each other in secret, everyone in the valley is under the protection of the Cairo Mercenary Band. Whether the mercenaries like it or not, they'll have to raise a hand to help Asa. We can't kill Asa there, or we'll offend Laureton. Trunks explained to Gilbert.
"Yes. When I ambushed Asa, the Cairo mercenaries didn't say a word and no one came out of their rest stop to help him. That helps us. You, stupid dragon, should use your brain more and not just think of dirty things from day to night. Han Shuo lectured Gilbert in an annoyed tone.
"It's a pity that Maxine escaped. That woman has a very fine sense of danger!" Trunks spoke with some regret.
Nodding, Han Shuo agreed. "Mm. It was indeed a pity that Maxine escaped. Perhaps it's because she's so skilled in assassination that her senses are so acute. The woman hiding in the shadows is far more dangerous than Asa. You must be careful not to give her any openings.
The three of them chatted as they made their way back to the shop. With the three Yin Demons around them, no one and nothing could escape Han Shuo's observation, so they didn't get into any more trouble.
In front of the Orc shop, there were some exotic flowers and grass, as well as some exquisitely knotted small trees. One of them had three golden glittering leaves and milky white stems. As durable as stalactites, they shone with a faint white glow that immediately caught Han Shuo's attention.
He had observed this shop through the Yin Demons. He said to the other two, "Come, let's take a look at this shop.
Having gotten used to Han Shuo's peculiarities long ago, the two didn't say anything and followed Han Shuo towards the orc shop.
Several unusual flora and fauna caught Han Shuo's attention. Some of them had refreshing scents, and others had bizarre shapes with bright colours. Many of the small trees had translucent roots like beautiful jade. It was a wonder how they had grown.
Han Shuo approached the three golden leaves and leaned over to sniff them. A clean scent drifted into his nose and mouth, refreshing his mind. Han Shuo stared at the three leaves, examining them closely for a moment. He reached out and rubbed the stony roots, his forehead furrowed in thought.
Gilbert and Trunks stared at Han Shuo with a strange expression. They didn't understand his actions at all, and didn't know why he was suddenly interested in such bizarre flora and fauna.
After a while, Han Shuo's eyebrows suddenly twitched as a mad delight filled his eyes. After that, he examined all the strange plants even more closely, his whole being filled with an unspeakable excitement, as if he'd suddenly found some treasures.
Gilbert and Trunks looked at each other, unsure of what Han Shuo had discovered. They stood there watching his strange performance, completely dumbfounded.
Sweeping his eyes over the goods outside the door, Han Shuo took a deep breath and said to Gilbert and Trunks, "I need these special plants. Come, let's see if there are any more profits inside.
His excited expression slowly returned to normal after his words as he walked in.