Han Shuo was well aware of the foothold that the Ice Shrine had in the Kasi Empire, so he was most reluctant to cause Sophie any unnecessary trouble. Even though her father was a sacred knight who had once been involved with Han Shuo, the chances of things ending well for her were slim.
The only thing Han Shuo had not quite reckoned with was that Sophie would actually pursue him in the eyes of the public. When he saw Sophie charging at him on her Pegasus, Han Shuo was torn between laughter and tears.
"Hey! It's Miss Sophie!" The people always loved noise and excitement. As one by one, the spectators raised their heads to see the beautiful Sophie soaring above their heads on the Pegasus, a huge commotion erupted.
They looked ahead in the direction Sophie was flying. Han Shuo's rapidly departing figure immediately caught the attention of the crowd. The pleasant surprise on Sophie's face made it clear that Han Shuo was not running away because he had done something bad. The scene of the exceptionally well-dressed Han Shuo fleeing with a bitter smile on his face, while Sophie happily chased after him, could definitely give rise to countless wild and fanciful thoughts. As a result, the crowd might have gotten the wrong impression.
Could it be that this man was the one whom the beautiful Sophie really liked?
For a moment, as the scene unfolded, such a thought crossed the minds of many. Then they turned to look at the Prince's son, Braque, and saw that he was anxiously rebuking from where he stood. Every commoner in sight seemed to take pleasure in Braque's misfortune, and began to discuss it in whispers without the slightest scruple, while exchanging meaningful glances.
"Hahaha. Interesting. It seems Miss Sophie already had a lover."
"Yah yah. It seems that Braque is showering affection on an uninterested party. I had long heard that it was a one-sided relationship. He got old man Sulo to agree to the marriage by using his father's influence. Now it seems that this was indeed the case.
"That is true. Those kind and accessible nobles like Miss Sophie are true nobles. Although Braque's family is wealthy, he seeks fame and profit a little too much to be a suitable match for Miss Sophie."
From time to time, such a conversation was heard in the crowd of people on the noisy street. One by one, these people, rejoicing in Braque's misfortune, would cast contemptuous glances at Braque's luxurious carriage, as if mocking Braque for his incompetence.
"Damn it! What is this asshole's background? Sophie is such an honourable character, how could she get involved with someone who is mixed up with these peasants?" Braque saw Han Shuo's back in the distance from inside his carriage. His ears inadvertently caught a certain remark that infuriated him and filled him with anger.
"Young Master, I have never seen or heard of this man before. I think this was just an excuse Miss Sophie made up to keep away, young master. She didn't want to go to the auction with you, so she did it on purpose," a knight beside the carriage said in a low voice.
Suddenly a cry of astonishment sounded from afar, "Lift off! He took off! Damn, that's fast!"
Braque was shocked and immediately looked into the distance. He saw Han Shuo's magnificent body take off into the sky, leaving a trail of fine thread as he quickly flew away. Behind Han Shuo, Sophie followed closely on her pristine white Pegasus. Her silhouette turned into a white dot and finally disappeared from sight completely.
"Well, that was impressive! He must be an honourable magus. Maybe even a grand magus! No wonder, no wonder Miss Sophie would do such a thing. Hahaha, only such a young, exceptionally talented magus would deserve Miss Sophie."
"That's right. Definitely a talented but modest fellow! Oh yes, he is definitely a lovable nobleman, just like Miss Sophie. He even bought a stone from me just now. Hahaha, only such a character could match Miss Sophie".
Sitting in his carriage, Braque was only slightly annoyed at first. But when Han Shuo streaked across the sky, Braque became truly furious. He immediately said in a deep voice to the knight beside him, "Thuram, find out who the hell this guy is!"
"Understood, young master!" Thuram knew what it meant to be a person with the ability to fly. As a servant, he was well aware of what to do next, given the appearance of this character who could threaten Braque.
Han Shuo cried and laughed incessantly in his heart as he flew away using the Demonic Ninth Heaven Art. He had no intention of letting Sophie catch him and get herself into trouble. If he did, not only would Sophie be in danger, but her entire family could be wiped out because of him. Who would have thought that this woman would be so persistent. Even when she clearly saw Han Shuo avoiding her, she went so far as to actively chase after him. Han Shuo would never have expected such a thing.
With one running and the other chasing, the two of them soon came to a rather remote block. Seeing that no one was around, Han Shuo wanted to use his demonic arts to the fullest to shake Sophie off. But suddenly he heard a scream, with pauses between gasps for breath, "Han! Stop right now!"
Han Shuo was confused. Seeing that he could not shake off Sophie, he decided to explain the situation to her instead. Looking left and right, he weaved his way through the deserted streets at a moderate speed. After a short while, he led Sophie, who was running vigorously after him, to a quiet, spacious public square.
Han Shuo finally stopped and stood on a stone step in the square. Turning to look at Sophie who had followed him all the way here, he forced a smile and said, "It's been a while!"
"You, why are you avoiding me?" Sophie's Pegasus landed gently. She looked at Han Shuo in confusion. Her tone exuded a sense of sorrow.
"I don't want to cause you any trouble. You have lived well here in the Kasi Empire. But if you get involved with me, you and your family will suffer." Fearing that Sophie would persist and continue her vigorous pursuit, Han Shuo explained to her in a stern and deep voice.
When Han Shuo said these words, Sophie's shock could not be hidden. The expression on her beautiful face immediately changed. After she looked around and saw that no one else was around, she carefully asked in a very low voice, "Have you done something wrong? Are you in trouble?"
Nodding, Han Shuo openly admitted, "That's right. Something very bad!"
"Tell me about it. My father is quite powerful in the Kasi Empire. Maybe I can help you!" Sophie was friendly. She did not just want to stay and talk to Han Shuo, she wanted to help him in any way she could.
"Forget it. Not even your father can help me," Han Shuo flatly refused. Then he looked at Sophie and continued, "I will be staying in the Kasi Empire for a few days. You must not have any contact with me. Just pretend you don't know me."
"How will that work?" Sophie didn't let go easily and said in a very conscientious voice, "Back in the Dark Forest, you saved my life once. And whatever happens, we are friends. Now that you are in trouble, how could I pretend not to know? Besides, I promised you that if you came to the Kasi Empire, I would welcome you well.
"I am not in trouble. It is you who will be in trouble if you insist on it," Han Shuo explained. The more Sophie acted like this, the less willing Han Shuo was to let her get into trouble.
But who knew, this woman really was quite stubborn. Sophie replied to Han Shuo in a righteous tone, "What trouble could I get into?! Calm down, nothing will ever happen to me. Hahaha. It's such a rare opportunity to have you in the Kasi Empire. Therefore, no matter what happens, I, as the host, must thank you properly for saving my life."
"Lady, the one I offended is the Ice Shrine. Do you think you can handle it?" When Han Shuo saw that Sophie was so insistent, he revealed the identity of his enemy, the Ice Shrine, for lack of a better option.
As expected, when the two words 'Ice Shrine' were uttered, Sophie gasped. She stared at Han Shuo in horror for a moment before she asked softly and carefully, "Han, what's going on? Why would you insult the Shrine? I know you're a citizen of the Lancelot Empire, but I don't know you very well. How did you get yourself into this?"
Listening to Sophie's words, Han Shuo realised that Sophie had probably not been informed of his true identity. Back then, during their encounter in the Dark Forest, Han Shuo had called himself 'Bryan Han' without thinking about it. Sophie had never heard of that name and assumed that the name Han Shuo had given her was an alias. She had probably never associated Han Shuo with the city lord of Brettel City in the Lancelot Empire.
"As for how or why we became enemies, that's none of your business. In any case, the Ice Shrine will never let me go. So you better not be associated with me," Han Shuo replied.
"But as long as the Ice Shrine doesn't find you, it won't be a problem, right?" Contrary to Han Shuo's expectations, Sophie smiled cunningly and took out two round, brownish fruits from her space ring. She handed one to Han Shuo and confidently explained, "My friend gave me these. After kneading it for a while and applying it to your face, you can change your appearance. No one will be able to tell."
As Sophie spoke, she demonstrated for Han Shuo. She slowly kneaded the round fruit between her hands until it formed a thick, sticky substance. She then pointed to her own charming face before slowly applying the substance to her face, massaging her cheek and the edges in front of Han Shuo.
From the looks of it, this was certainly not the first time Sophie had done this. Without the use of any mirrors, just relying on her practised hands, her face underwent a tremendous transformation in just a few moments. Sophie's pale skin became wheat brown. Her cheeks and facial contours changed as well. From a beauty, she became an ordinary looking young lady. Even the skin on her neck and hands changed. Certain pharmacists had remarkable skills in formulating medicines. In fact, Han Shuo was also in possession of these drugs, called Polyfruit, that Cecilia had given him earlier. This time in the Kasi Empire, since Han Shuo was emphatically not afraid of his identity being revealed, he did not use the Polyfruit.
"Hahaha! Magical, isn't it? You definitely won't recognise me now!" Sophie exclaimed proudly after changing her appearance. She then took out a small mirror and pointed it at Han Shuo. Smiling, she said, "Hurry up, you only need to change your appearance a little with the fruit and no one will recognise you. If the Ice Shrine can't find you, I can't be implicated."
Well, even the materials were all prepared. Han Shuo really could not find any other reason to refuse. With no choice, he forced a smile and began to knead the polyfruit. As the medicine liquefied into a sticky substance, following Sophie's instructions, he slowly applied it to his face.
But Han Shuo was obviously not adept at this. More often than not, his unpolished hands turned his appearance into something hideous and frightening. Even after fiddling with it for ages, Han Shuo was still unable to create a passable appearance. Considering that the effect would fade with time, Sophie hesitated for a moment before somewhat shyly suggesting, "Let me do it for you!"
Without waiting for Han Shuo to respond, Sophie suddenly reached out her slender jade-like hands and placed them on Han Shuo's cheeks. She began to gradually change the outline of Han Shuo's face according to her familiarity and understanding of the polyfruit.
Although the skin colour on Sophie's two hands had changed, they were still soft and smooth as they rested on Han Shuo's cheeks. Especially when Sophie rubbed her palms together, it looked like two lovers flirting with each other, giving Han Shuo a strange feeling.
Sophie was obviously embarrassed as well. Although her blush was barely visible due to the changes in her skin, Han Shuo could still see her discomfort in her eyes.
"Done. What do you think?" As Han Shuo indulged in flights of fancy, Sophie suddenly stopped and said in a self-congratulatory manner.
In the mirror that Sophie held up, an unfamiliar figure appeared to Han Shuo. This person had a soft chin and thick cheeks, a face that only a morbidly obese man would have. Looking at the face in the mirror, Han Shuo involuntarily remembered Jack the little Fatty.
"Huh! Extraordinarily ordinary!" Han Shuo replied with a bitter smile as he looked into the mirror.
When he smiled at the simple and honest face in the mirror, he saw a guileless and honest look from every angle. And once again, Jack the little Fatty came to mind. This intensified his forced smile.
"Let me tell you, a fat guy is the least conspicuous! Hehehe, it's true. There are fat people all over the streets. No one will think of your original appearance," Sophie explained with an air of professionalism before giggling and adding, "Besides, the edges of your face are too prominent. Not the best material for a disguise. Only a chubby face could hide them. Hahaha, I didn't expect you to look so cute after turning into a fatty! Hehehe!"
Seeing Sophie's giggly face, Han Shuo felt as if Sophie had turned him into a fatty on purpose. It was as if the uglier he became, the happier she would be. "Whatever. Do what you want," Han Shuo said helplessly, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"Here, stuff this in your belly!" Sophie took out a small pillow from her space ring and handed it to Han Shuo. She clarified, "As you should know, a fatty should have a pot belly... Otherwise, you cannot be called a fatty!"
As she said these words, a trace of mischievous glee flashed in Sophie's eyes, which Han Shuo happened to catch.
With that, Han Shuo could be absolutely sure that Sophie had done this on purpose. But Han Shuo knew that Sophie had no malicious intentions. In any case, his face was already puffy. Without saying a word, he took the small pillow Sophie had handed him and stuffed it under his robes. With that, a slightly round belly took shape.
"Hahaha , not bad! Not bad at all! Have a look!" Seeing Han Shuo with a bulging belly, Sophie let out a somewhat malicious laugh. With the mirror in her hand, she looked at Han Shuo's small belly several times and even patted it complacently. Spasmodically laughing, she said, "I will pardon you this time. Let's see if you dare to turn on your heel and flee like a bat out of hell when you see me in the future!"
It was only now that Han Shuo realised why Sophie had done this. As it turned out, it was in retaliation for Han Shuo's earlier evasion. It seemed that women were indeed vengeful and unforgiving beings. Even a lady as kind as Sophie was no exception, stubbornly punishing Han Shuo with this prank.
Indeed, women must not be offended. Even beautiful, kind-hearted women are no exception! Han Shuo lamented as he forced a smile.
"Alright. Now all you need to do is change your clothes and deliberately hunch your back. Then no one will recognise you for sure!" Sophie stopped laughing and looked at Han Shuo with satisfaction, making suggestions on how to further polish her work of art.
Han Shuo reluctantly pulled out a new set of robes. He had originally planned to make Sophie look away, but he immediately remembered her mischief. He decided to play tit for tat. Right in front of Sophie, as if she wasn't there, he took off his clothes.
Han Shuo had only one piece of strong, durable warrior's clothing on his upper body. When this outer layer of clothing was removed, his majestic naked body was completely revealed. His perfect physique, like the cutting edge of a sharp blade, made an extremely piercing impression, while at the same time radiating an extraordinary charisma unique to men.
Sophie turned into a fool and stared blankly at Han Shuo's magnificent naked body. Aside from amazement, there was even a hint of intoxication in her eyes. Perhaps she had never seen a body of such perfection before, so she couldn't react for a moment.
Suddenly, Sophie snapped out of her daze. She turned around anxiously. Stamping and panting with rage, she said, "Hoodlum! How dare you do that in front of me! You ruffian! How outrageous!"
Seeing Sophie so frenzied, Han Shuo felt incredibly light-hearted, as if his bad luck had been completely washed away. He chuckled and said, "Hehehe, I'm not worried about that. Why are you worrying about me?"
"You, you wretch! I knew you weren't a good guy the first time I met you, and I was right!" Sophie denounced Han Shuo indignantly. Shortly after, she muttered to herself, "This guy, he's really well built!"
When Sophie said this, Han Shuo suddenly remembered the time back in the Dark Forest, when the two of them once had a good time together. Han Shuo's heart was inevitably swept away.
"Huh! Are you done yet? Hurry up, we are going back there!" Sophie asked angrily with her back to Han Shuo.
"Done. Where to?" Han Shuo asked in astonishment.
Sophie turned around and said, "The auction site of course. Where else in the Kasi Empire would there be more activity than at the auction house today?"
"Sure!" Han Shuo gladly agreed. It was exactly what he had hoped for.
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