"Helen, are you crazy? How could you come up with such a crazy idea?!" Even trapped in the magic net, the Fire Phoenix's scream almost deafened everyone, and she looked at Helen Tina in disbelief when she heard her words.
"I'm not crazy. Big Sister Firewind, this is the only way to restore the stability of Helon Duchy and to stop others from looking at me with those eyes. Only if this demon marries me will I be able to wash the impurities from my body! The others will just believe his words. Helen Tina heaved a long sigh as she said this helplessly to Firewind.
As for Helen Tina being violate by Han Shuo, as long as Han Shuo stood up to tell the truth, it didn't matter if there were still people who didn't believe those words. As long as he married Helen, everything would be fine. At least the people of the Duchy of Helon wouldn't object to everything.
"But you know who he is! He's the Lord of Brettel! The people of the Duchy of Helon still consider Brettel their personal hunting ground. I'm afraid they won't be able to accept this." The Fire Phoenix persistently tried to dissuade Helen Tina from what she considered to be the most foolish of ideas.
"It's all right, they will learn to accept it gradually. I understand you, the civilians are the easiest to deceive, but also the easiest to calm down. As long as the rebellious aristocrats are removed, the civilians will behave as long as their livelihood isn't threatened. Helen Tina said stubbornly. Her pretty eyes flashed with a cold glint as she seemed to be thinking about inflicting some murder and bloodshed on those rebels.
Han Shuo watched Helen Tina from a distance and listened to the conversation between the two women. Her offer had tempted him greatly, as it was backed by the entire Helon Duchy. Han Shuo also had the absolute belief that as long as he married Helen Tina, he would definitely be able to use her hands to tame Helon Duchy into submission... Looking at it from the aspect of absolute interest, this seemed to bring nothing but gains without the slightest loss. The only thing that worried Han Shuo was that once this matter got out, the other three women might not spare him. This really was a difficult problem!
"What do you think? No matter how we look at it, a proud person like you won't turn down such an offer, right?" Helen Tina's bright eyes stared at Han Shuo, her face slowly returning to its natural colour as her embarrassment faded. She was simply talking business.
"Uh... that... Actually, I already have a woman!" Han Shuo scratched his head, explaining his problem to Helen Tina.
"What woman? Is she even more valuable than the Duchy of Helon?" Helen Tina wasn't surprised. It would be strange if someone like Han Shuo didn't have any women. But Helen Tina believed in her own value and that of the Helon Duchy behind her. That should be enough for Han Shuo to accept her offer.
"Feelings are not things, and they can't be measured by pure economic value!" Han Shuo replied to Helen Tina. His mind spun quickly as he tried to think things through. After a while, he smiled and replied, "Your current Helon Duchy has powerful enemies outside and a civil war inside. Even your position as Grand Duke is in danger, so your dowry isn't exactly reliable!"
"Huh! If I'm to marry you with the Duchy of Helon as my dowry, there is of course a condition. You have to help me stabilise Helon Duchy. On the other hand, even if I marry you, Helon Duchy will still be mine to rule. Helen Tina answered as if it were a matter of course. She was determined to make such a decision out of consideration for herself as well as her admiration for Han Shuo's abilities. Otherwise, even if he had really violate her, if he had been an incompetent man, she still wouldn't consider him at all.
"That means you still need my help to stabilise the Helon Duchy. Then it can't be considered as you giving me the Helon Duchy as a dowry." Han Shuo looked at Helen Tina with an arrogant smile as he spoke in a measured tone.
Helen Tina flew into a rage when she heard Han Shuo's words. She rolled her eyes at Han Shuo and said, "You demon, you're even going to bargain with me over this! After you marry me, I myself will become your person, so Helon Duchy will naturally become yours as well. If you don't want it, forget it! I won't die without you!"
Helen Tina had already thrown her self-esteem into the abyss when she decided to discuss her marriage with Han Shuo. For someone as proud as she was, it was embarrassing enough to discuss the subject with Han Shuo face to face while pretending to be calm about it. She hadn't expected him to be such a politician, still weighing the pros and cons. This made Helen Tina feel humiliated, so she couldn't help but say so in her anger.
"Don't be upset, don't be upset!" Han Shuo hastily smoothed things over a bit. Then, with a stern face and a low tone of voice, he said, "Firstly, the position of my women won't change because of you. Secondly, this transaction cannot be made public for the time being; your position in the seven grand duchies is still useful to me. However, I will help you to keep the Duchy of Helon in your hands.
Helen Tina's raging waves of anger calmed down slightly when she heard Han Shuo's words. Somewhat confused, she asked, "What do you mean?"
"It means that you are just one of my women . Not only are you not the only one, but our relationship can't be made public. It's still very useful for me if the Duchy of Helon remains part of the Seven Grand Duchies. However, I will consolidate the practical power of Helon Duchy in your hands, so that you can continue to rule Helon Duchy. What do you think?" Han Shuo explained.
Helen Tina quickly weighed the pros and cons. She knew very well that a man like Han Shuo couldn't be tied down by a woman. Of course, she also didn't think that she could tame him into submission. Therefore, although the first condition made her a little uncomfortable, she could still accept it for the greater good.
As for the second condition, once Helen Tina's train of thought had reached its natural conclusion, she was immediately horrified. She was the Grand Duke of the Duchy of Helon. Being able to rise to such a position as a woman, she was of course no fool. What did it mean for the Duchy of Helon to remain alone among the seven Grand Duchies? It was as clear as day to Helen Tina that Han Shuo had a desire, an ambition that spanned all seven Grand Duchies!
If there was one duchy among the Seven Grand Duchies that secretly rebelled, it would definitely play a crucial role. It could change the status of a war almost instantly and help Han Shuo achieve his ambition. As her thoughts reached this point, Helen Tina's look at Han Shuo was somewhat different.
A man with ambition was always attractive to women. It was even more deadly to women if that man had the strength to match that ambition. Especially for a woman who was unwilling to live a mediocre life like Helen Tina, this kind of temptation was even greater. Therefore, the more Helen Tina looked at Han Shuo, the more she found him pleasing to the eyes. The more she looked, the more outstanding he seemed.
"Helen, Helen!" The Fire Phoenix next to Helen Tina saw her staring dumbly at Han Shuo, her eyes sparkling with a brilliant light that made the former feel somewhat embarrassed. Helen Tina's gaze clearly revealed lust, the unique characteristic of a boy-crazy girl.
"What, big sister Firewind?" Helen Tina was startled. She looked at the Fire Phoenix in surprise.
"Eh, nothing!" The Fire Phoenix saw that Han Shuo didn't say anything else, so she coughed lightly to cover her slip.
However, Helen Tina had been with the Fire Phoenix for many years. Seeing the Fire Phoenix's expression, Helen Tina immediately remembered her behaviour just now. She suddenly reacted violently, her face flushed red as she glared at Han Shuo hatefully, "I can agree to your terms, but how can you stabilise Helon Duchy?"
"Very simple. I'll just announce to everyone that the last time I was captured, it was only for the gold coins, and I definitely did not violate you or develop a relationship with you. Those rumours were just because my subordinates like to shoot off their mouths with their own speculations. Eh, that is also the truth. It wasn't me who spread those malicious rumours.
"Other people might not believe you when you say these things. But if they come from me, a good number of people will believe them. Anyway, it's not a bad thing for Brettel City, as it can even help raise the morale of the Brettel soldiers. So if it was the truth, I would have admitted it with my personality.
"Of course, there will be people who won't believe it. Your Duchy of Helon will certainly have such people. But I can only help you deal with those aristocrats who dare to resist. Bloodshed forges a solid regime, and you obviously understand this principle. You don't need to worry too much." Han Shuo explained leisurely.
"It really wasn't you who spread the news?" Helen Tina's brows furrowed in thought for a while after Han Shuo finished speaking before she looked at him.
Han Shuo shrugged his shoulders as he gave her a wry smile, "It really wasn't me. I'm not that bored!"
"I don't believe you. I know how despicable and treacherous you are!" Helen Tina told him with resentment. Then she thought better of it and said, "Aren't you afraid that I'll run away? That after using you, I will join the Alliance to destroy Brettel City?"
"I certainly am, so I also have a condition!" Han Shuo laughed wickedly.
Helen Tina had a bad premonition when she saw Han Shuo laughing. She cautiously asked, "What condition?"
"Hehehe, I want your body first!" Han Shuo swept his lecherous eyes up and down Helen Tina's enchantingly curvaceous body. He named the condition without the slightest shame.
"No! You, you demon! Absolutely not! No!" Helen Tina had a feeling that Han Shuo's words would be unpleasant, but she still panicked and found it unacceptable when she officially heard his shameless condition.
"Helen, don't agree to this. He's just a liar!" The Fire Phoenix said angrily.
"If you don't agree, then this matter is over. You pay me the gold coins and I'll leave this place. From now on, we'll meet on the other side of the battlefield." Han Shuo shrugged his shoulders indifferently, seemingly not caring too much about Helen Tina's body, as if he wasn't the same person who had just been lecherously eyeing her up and down.
For some unknown reason, Helen Tina felt her heart clench when she heard Han Shuo say they'd meet on the battlefield. Just the thought of that possibility gave her an uncomfortable feeling. This kind of feeling made her extremely uncomfortable, but she didn't know why.
End of the first part of the chapter.
Helen Tina gritted her teeth in silence for a while before she raised her head to look at Han Shuo resentfully. She said firmly, "I agree, but only after you help me get rid of all the hidden problems in Helon Duchy. Otherwise, this matter is over here and now!"
"No problem. Hahaha, the beauty sent herself to my door with a duchy as a dowry. Only a fool would refuse this toast!" Han Shuo was smug as his laughter echoed in the sky. He hadn't expected to stumble upon such an unexpected harvest on this trip to the seven grand duchies. It seemed that the evil gang of Chester, Dick and the others who'd spread those malicious rumours had done him a great favour. Women are truly strange creatures, their hearts are truly fickle!
As Han Shuo and Helen Tina talked, the pitiful, tragic screams around them gradually stopped. Turning his head to look, Han Shuo found that none of the rebels, including Ferrodias, had escaped the savage claws of the great undead army. They had all fallen, corpses condemned to eternal silence.
But the surroundings were a little more bloody. With a beauty right next to him, Han Shuo felt that the scenery didn't look too good. He took out the skeleton staff and chanted a quick incantation, causing the group of undead creatures to slowly disappear.
"Alright. Let's leave this place first and see if the army will still obey your command." Han Shuo smiled at Helen Tina and said.
"Rest assured. Not everyone in my army is like that bastard Ferrodias. My family guards will definitely not betray me, I can guarantee that!" Helen Tina said proudly.
Han Shuo really believed that. From the moment he'd set foot in the Seven Grand Duchies. Han Shuo already knew a little about Helen Tina's situation. Her family clan was the largest aristocratic clan in the Helon Duchy, and they had the most control over the soldiers in the Helon Duchy. Otherwise they would have been overthrown by the rebels long ago.
For Helen Tina's clan, only with Helen Tina herself in the position of Grand Duke could the benefits of the clan be maintained. If Helen Tina fell, her family clan would naturally suffer the consequences. Helen Tina was well aware of this fact, and that's why she had given various positions of power in the Duchy of Helon to her family members. In this way, she'd been able to maintain her position despite the opposition of the people and a minority of the aristocracy.
The seven grand dukes of the seven grand duchies all followed the same practice. Once they had successfully ascended to their positions of power, they would spare no effort to have their family members take over the important positions of the duchy. The advantage was that the power and benefits would remain concentrated in their family clan, even if some domestic aristocrats opposed them. They could also rely on the virtue of clan power to put pressure on these aristocrats. The incredible disadvantage, however, was that not all of the trusted clan members were talented. If they held power in the duchy with mediocre abilities, not only would it be impossible to fully exploit the potential of the duchy's territory, but the national strength would also gradually be exhausted.
"Alright, no need to be arrogant in front of me. If you don't even have that little bit of ability, then you are not fit to be my woman!" Han Shuo sent a verbal jab at Helen Tina. He turned his attention to the Fire Phoenix and frowned. The Fire Phoenix's entire body was powerless after being hit by the magic arrow. "The poisoned magical arrow broke off inside her body. This is going to be a little inconvenient."
"My body is just a little weak right now. With my race's natural healing ability, it'll only take a few days to recover!" The Fire Phoenix said angrily. Obviously, she hadn't adjusted to Han Shuo's new identity, and her attitude was still unfriendly. After all, to this day, she had put her heart and mind into killing Han Shuo to take revenge for Helen Tina. Who would have expected such a dramatic turn of events? This super-ranked magical creature had yet to fully accept the situation.
"No need to make such a fuss. You can't be my burden right now!" Han Shuo walked straight up to the fire phoenix and pulled out the broken magic arrow firmly, not caring about its pain. Afterwards, his left hand firmly held her body down despite her struggles, and he placed his right hand on the wound.
The effect of the poisoned arrow had weakened her to the point that her feeble struggle couldn't shake Han Shuo's hands. A powerful pull radiated through her body from Han Shuo's large hand. The poison in her body quickly flowed out through the wound under the power of the force.
The poison in her body flowed into Han Shuo's palm as it touched her wound. As her previously suppressed power gradually returned, the fire phoenix understood that Han Shuo was helping her, and she no longer trembled her feathers. Her struggling body gradually calmed down and her fiery feathers returned to their former glory.
As Han Shuo let go, the Fire Phoenix felt her power overflowing once again. She happily let out a high-pitched chirp and flapped her wings to shoot up into the sky, starting to swoop around joyfully.
"Big sister Firewind, is she all right?" Helen Tina was pleasantly surprised. Her eyes looking at Han Shuo had a slightly different meaning, and her body also involuntarily moved closer to Han Shuo.
Nodding, Han Shuo flipped his palm over and flicked a pile of stinking blood onto the ground. He then casually replied, "I sucked the poison out of her body. You see her hopping and jumping around like that, does she look anything like injured?"
"All right, consider it a favour, thank you!" Helen Tina thanked Han Shuo very reluctantly. She was also a little worried about the miracle he'd just performed. She was well aware of his amazing power, but he wasn't supposed to be a priest or an alchemist. Then again, even priests and alchemists didn't seem to have such miraculous abilities!
In the Profound Continent, once poison had entered the blood, no priest or alchemist could easily suck it out like Han Shuo had done. For Helen Tina, this was something incredibly miraculous. She suddenly felt happy about her decision, thinking how lucky she was to avoid becoming this person's mortal enemy. Otherwise, it would have brought irreversible disaster to the Duchy of Helon.
Taking advantage of Helen Tina's surprise, Han Shuo quickly reached out to caress her pretty, silky smooth, warm cheek. Helen Tina's pretty face looked shocked as she turned to face him. Enjoying the delightful smoothness of her skin, Han Shuo smiled gallantly and said, "We're already family, so why be polite?"
Helen Tina snapped out of her silent contemplation and reacted suddenly. She threw her head back in alarm and took a few steps back. She glared hatefully at Han Shuo and said, "We are not a family yet. You, behave or I won't be polite!"
"Oh? Okay, I want to see you be rude!" Han Shuo ignored Helen Tina's threat and stalked towards her. He found it somewhat interesting to tease this proud and arrogant Grand Duke.
"Bryan, can you stop acting like this? We need to have a proper discussion about the internal affairs of my duchy." Helen Tina changed her tune like a breeze, using a tired, weak voice to convince Han Shuo when she saw him approaching.
Helen Tina knew full well that it was simply impossible to stop Han Shuo head on with her power. Han Shuo's shocking strength was as powerful as that of a demon god. She had almost lost the will to resist. Helen Tina already considered this man to be her greatest support. He might be able to give her everything she needed. Unconsciously, Helen Tina had long since admitted defeat, which finally dawned on her when she saw Han Shuo approaching.
Han Shuo was startled. He took a good look at Helen Tina. At this moment, even the weak Helen Tina had a kind of charm that made him feel inexplicably sorry for her. He didn't continue to approach her aggressively, but stopped abruptly and said with a smile, "Forget it then. Let's talk about the affairs of your duchy!"
"Ferrodias is only one of my senior knights. I'm quite sure he wouldn't have the courage to betray me without someone to encourage him. Hm! Currently, only Marquis Kekaru has the advantage in the Duchy to take my place. He's always been waiting impatiently in the shadows, so I suppose he's ready to strike a fatal blow to remove me from the political stage. I dare say he is the one pulling the strings behind the scenes. Killing intent flashed in Helen Tina's bright eyes as she bit off her words.
"Very well. Now that we know who it is, I'll come with you to Helon Duchy and kill all those traitors so that they never get the chance to even think about rebelling against you." Han Shuo said coldly.