Han Shuo stayed deep underground for several days. With the help of the ancient lizard king Dagassi, he collected the magical crystal ores deep underground.
Han Shuo left the Gourd Mountain ruins when his space ring couldn't take any more. This journey into the underground world had brought him a bountiful harvest, not only was Celt dead, but Han Shuo had even won the friendship of the lizardmen.
Han Shuo's space ring was also filled to the brim. He'd looted the Redbud Knights thoroughly, as well as the wealth Celt had accumulated over the years, and some of Arlen's magical equipment. The total haul, if converted into gold coins, would amount to more than two million.
"Alright, I will leave the underground world for now and collect the rest of the ores next time I come back. I'll also bring you more weapons on my next visit so that you can resist the dark elves' invasion." Han Shuo said to the lizard leader.
"By the time you come back, I should be long gone from this underground world. I hope we have the chance to meet again. I also hope that you can take care of them for me." Dagassi reminded as he looked at Han Shuo who was about to leave.
"Rest assured, I will help you take care of them." Han Shuo agreed with a vow.
Over the past few days, Dagassi had been like a kind elder, teaching Han Shuo many interesting things. Han Shuo had subconsciously developed a favourable impression of Dagassi. Now that he was about to leave, he actually felt a little reluctant. From Dagassi's words, Han Shuo knew that this time, the old lizard didn't just want to leave the underground world, he seemed to want to leave the plane that contained the Profound Continent.
Dagassi only glossed over some of the deeper secrets and didn't tell Han Shuo much. Han Shuo could not understand the minds of the demigods, so he did not pursue things to the end by asking too many questions. He only dimly understood that the power of Dagassi's enemy was just as terrifying.
Han Shuo's farewell to Dagassi was cool, calm and didn't drag on. He didn't stay in the underground world after leaving the area. He followed the old road back to the surface using his amazing memory.
Han Shuo didn't encounter anything unusual on his way. Occasionally, he encountered a few attempts by other races to rob him, and used heavy-handed methods to kill them instead. He easily made his way back to the Dark Forest.
After staying in the underground world for more than ten days, Han Shuo felt a comfortable feeling of being reborn when he saw the sun shining above his head. The warm sunlight shone down and lifted his mood to an extremely happy state.
The Dark Forest was rich with lush green trees mixed with exotic plants. The scent overflowed in the warm spring light, permeating the heart with a peacefulness that refreshed the mind. Han Shuo basked in this warm and comfortable feeling, a far cry from the gloomy damp underground world, as he made his way towards the Cemetery of Death.
Once back in the Cemetery of Death, Han Shuo didn't linger and went straight to Brettel City. With a bountiful harvest in hand, he immediately arranged a small meeting with little fatty Jack, Dorcas, as well as Faulke and Chester.
"You were suddenly gone for more than ten days, where did you go?" Jack had the closest relationship with Han Shuo, so he immediately started to pepper him with questions.
"Hehehe, I took a trip to the Dark Forest. Has it been quiet in Brettel City lately?" Han Shuo smiled slightly, not hiding his trip to the Dark Forest. Only the existence of the Cemetery of Death remained a secret.
The Redbud Knights and the Dark Elves had suffered heavy losses in the underground world. However, a small number of them had escaped. News of Han Shuo's actions in the underground world must have spread by now.
Dick, the local Dark Mantle liaison, bowed respectfully to Han Shuo and said, "My Lord, I would like to report some information on my own."
"These are all our own people here. There is no need to hide anything, you can speak directly." Han Shuo knew that Dick must have gathered some information from his superiors. Jack, Dorcas, Faulke and Chester were all people he trusted. Since Faulke had been sent here by Lawrence, Lawrence must have already mentioned Han Shuo's identity as a member of the Dark Mantle to Faulke. Han Shuo had nothing to hide from him.
Jack and Dorcas had spent a lot of time with Dick lately, so they were more or less aware of his identity. The existence of the Dark Mantle in the Lancelot Empire wasn't a big secret. Even if people didn't talk about it openly, they all knew about it in their minds.
"Master Candide told me that your deeds in the underground world are highly appreciated. The Dark Forest is on the edge of our realm. If the Redbud Knights suffer heavy losses, the Brut Business Alliance will probably be extremely indignant, but I don't think they'll take any radical action. Master Candide told you to be at ease." Dick began his report when he saw that Han Shuo was nonchalant about his privacy.
Nodding his head, Han Shuo smiled, "You may continue."
Dorcas, Jack and Faulke listened but couldn't understand anything. However, Faulke and Dorcas knew that Candide was one of the three heavyweights of the Dark Mantle. From Dick's words, they knew that Han Shuo's relationship with Candide wasn't superficial. Inwardly, they were astonished.
"Master Candide said that this time you have accomplished a great deed. His Majesty has agreed that you will be a one-star emissary of the Dark Sun from now on. All you have to do is visit the Dark Mantle headquarters to upgrade your badge. Congratulations, my Lord!" Dick's face was full of adoration as he grew excited himself.
"Ambassador of the Dark Sun, hehehe, it seems that Cecilia didn't hide any of my credit. This woman knows what to do." Han Shuo smiled contentedly and muttered to himself.
Going from Star to Moon was one step, from Moon to Sun was another. Becoming an emissary of the Dark Sun meant that Han Shuo was now officially a high-ranking member of the Dark Mantle and could enjoy even more special treatment. He could recruit his own subordinates and redistribute the organisation's members around a location.
"My Lord, Dark Sun emissaries have the right to assign missions to Dark Star members, and can also directly give them credit and raise their level." Chester looked at Han Shuo excitedly and gave a reminder.
"Rest assured, now that I'm an emissary of the Dark Sun, you will naturally receive some benefits." Han Shuo laughed as he replied and then turned to Dick, "Anything else?"
"Master Candide said you don't need to worry about anything else, he will help you deal with the damaging remarks against you, you just need to take good care of Brettle City." Dick hesitated a bit before answering this time.
Nodding his head, Han Shuo seemed to understand completely. He was aware that Cecilia had reported everything correctly, even about the last time he had stopped her from taking action against the forest trolls.
"Alright, I understand." Han Shuo looked at Dorcas and Faulke and asked, "How is the situation in Brettel City these days? Did the mountain people come down from the mountain? Any action from the seven grand duchies?"
"A total of twenty thousand people have come down from the mountain and are currently living in Brettel City. The five chiefs of the mountain people are actively cooperating, so the process is going smoothly. Fighting in the seven Grand Duchies has subsided, with only Helen Tina of the Duchy of Helon still battling rebels in her country. But it's coming to an end now," Dorcas replied.
Since Dorcas had joined the army, he had gradually replaced Faulke's position through his own efforts and Han Shuo's deliberate arrangements. Dorcas was a military man through and through and had never hidden this desire to fight. With many years of formal military training, he was far more adept at leading operations than Faulke, who had originally been a knight.
Faulke also understood in his heart that Dorcas was his match in that respect. Coupled with the fact that the latter had won Han Shuo's trust, Faulke was powerless against this gradual shift in power. Fortunately, Han Shuo didn't mistreat him and allowed Faulke to form his team of trusted confidants and strongest soldiers in Brettel into a brigade of a thousand knights.
Han Shuo provided this brigade with the most luxurious equipment. Their armour, weapons, and equipment were all the most expensive in Brettel City. Han Shuo had poured a great deal of resources into this brigade, as they were equipped with the best goods currently on the market. Currently, his investment stood at three hundred thousand gold coins. Apart from the lack of horses, in terms of equipment alone, this brigade was no inferior to the official Royal Knights of the Empire.
Of course, compared to the top ten knights' guilds in the Profound Continent, this brigade was far inferior in terms of fighting power and equipment. However, in Brettel City, or even in the Seven Grand Duchies, this young brigade couldn't be underestimated.
As a pure knight, nothing touched his heart more than commanding an official knight brigade, so Faulke didn't feel too uncomfortable about the loss of military power. On the contrary, he poured his heart into training the brigade.
"So the Seven Grand Duchies don't seem to have enough power to deal with us right now?" Han Shuo asked with a smile.
Nodding his head, Dorcas confirmed, "The seven grand duchies won't be doing anything for at least a month. But when they start acting again, it won't be just one duchy acting alone. The news that the four major bandit regiments have suffered heavy losses has spread throughout the seven grand duchies. Even if each duchy were to attack with all their might, they still couldn't match the combined power of the four great bandit regiments. With the bandits' defeat as a lesson, they definitely won't act rashly until they are completely confident.
Dorcas continued after a short pause, "In other words, the Seven Grand Duchies won't act now, but once they do, I'm afraid Brettel City would face a tough battle!"
"Hmph! The seven grand duchies want Brettel City to be their hunting ground, I think it's time to change their perspective. Only if we kill every single one of them will they remember this for the rest of their lives." Han Shuo said with a cold expression. He was silent for a while, then suddenly spoke to Dorcas and Faulke: "Use this time, when Brettel is still safe, to train your soldiers. Make the bandits who have invaded Brettel in recent years your target. I know that there are seven or eight smaller bandit groups in addition to the four large ones. You can all think of ways to make them spit out everything they have stolen from us.
Dorcas' eyes sparkled with a fierce light as he heard these words, he immediately replied, "My Lord, rest assured, I know what to do".
"Hehehe, from my trip to the underground world this time, I suddenly realised that in order for Brettel City to become powerful quickly, the fastest way is to plunder the resources of others. Training our soldiers on the one hand, and plundering others on the other. We can have the best of both worlds in this world. Han Shuo had made a fortune from dirty money in the underground world, and he finally understood why there were so many bandits in the Seven Grand Duchies. Even one of the top ten knight troops on the mainland, the Redbud Knights, didn't mind travelling thousands of miles to the Dark Forest.
"My lord, I have some interesting news." Dick put on an eerie smile as he spoke to Han Shuo with a smile.
When he saw Dick's scornful smile, Han Shuo knew that the words that were about to come out of Dick's mouth were definitely not serious. However, he wasn't angry, "What interesting news? I can't help but want to hit you after seeing that smile."
"Hehehe, the Duchy of Narsen was originally friendly with the Duchy of Helon, but they seem to be extremely unhappy with each other lately. Grand Duke Benedict of the Duchy of Narsen hasn't even helped Helen Tina with her internal strife. Do you know why, my lord?" Dick looked at Han Shuo with an evil chuckle.
With a furrowed brow, Han Shuo said, "Why?"
"It's because of you, my lord. Now all seven grand duchies know that you've got Helen Tina, and Benedict, who's been an ardent follower for many years, also knows. He has chased Helen Tina for so long in vain, but my lord was able to have her after arriving in Brettel City only a few months ago".
"For Benedict, a used woman has naturally lost her flavour. His attitude towards the Duchy of Helon has also changed greatly. He just stood by and watched when Helen Tina faced her enemies." Dick explained with a laugh, then sighed, "My lord is very farsighted, easily dividing the two most solid allies."
"Indeed, my lord has great vision. We lack his charisma and must definitely learn from my lord!" Chester had the same look of admiration on his face as he nodded and sighed emotionally.
Han Shuo's face darkened. He looked at these naturally dirty guys and grunted, "So you spread this news, I didn't think you would be so despicable.
Chester and Dick laughed awkwardly without saying a word, while Jack was full of interest and said enviously, "Bryan, I hear this woman is very beautiful, you are truly blessed!
It seemed that these guys wouldn't believe his explanation, so Han Shuo didn't try to explain himself anymore. He took out Celt's space ring with all of the Redbud Knights' armour, along with a huge amount of magic crystal ore, and said to Jack, "This ring is loaded with Redbud Knights' armour and magic crystal ore. Put it in the warehouse and keep the ring.
"You're giving me this space ring?" Jack looked at Han Shuo in surprise as he handed over the space ring.
"Hmmm, this ring originally belonged to the leader of the Redbud Knights, Celt. The space inside is enough for you to transport goods." Han Shuo smiled at Jack, then took out Fire Grand Magus Marceau's space ring and handed it over as well, "There are a number of crystals, jade and various jewels inside, worth nearly a million gold coins. They are to be used as capital for Brettel's operations, you have full control over them.
Jack sensed Celt's space ring and discovered the huge amount of armour and magic crystal ore inside, he smiled excitedly at Faulke, "Faulke, you can have even better armour now. The magic crystal ore inside is also enough to power our magic crystal cannons for a while."
"Very good, His Lordship took a trip outside and got a really rich harvest!" Faulke let out a cheer when he heard Jack's words.
There was the harvested ore, the armour of the dead Redbud Knights, and the crystal, jade, and gold coins that Celt had looted from the underground world in Celt and Marceu's space rings. Han Shuo had stored some magical equipment, the 'Starry Sky' and the magical space tent in his own space ring.
The things he gave to Jack were all related to money, as they didn't have any practical use for Han Shuo. Brettel City was his greatest asset at the moment, what he cared about most was making Brettel more powerful. These gold coins would prove their worth in Jack's hands.
"Good, I'm counting on you to make good use of these things." Han Shuo said to Jack and the gang. With these things, he knew that Brettel City would become even more powerful.