When Cage arrived at Celestial Pearl Pharmacy with a group of divine guards, all he saw was that the place was abuzz with construction work.
Anito, who was overseeing the renovation of Celestial Pearl Pharmacy, saw Cage charging forward as if he had eaten gunpowder and stepped to the front door, blocking Cage's path. With a cold and displeased face, he asked, "Young Master Cage, what are you doing?"
"Where is he? Where is the owner of Celestial Pearl Pharmacy? Where is Bryan? Tell him to show himself!" Cage, standing at the front door, shouted into the pharmacy.
"I'm sorry, the owner isn't here. Please come back later," Anito was unperturbed. With a single whistle, a group of Divine Guards from the Third Corps rushed over and formed a line outside the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy. Their cold eyes were fixed on Cage and his troops.
Cage's heart, filled with anger, slowly cooled as the Divine Guards of the Third Corps drew their swords and raised their bows. Cage was a little wiser than his sister Eve. He knew that if he started a physical conflict with Anito, the person who would lose would be himself. He would achieve nothing by escalating the hostility.
Cage had no choice but to suppress the anger in his heart and give up. After shouting a few nasty words, he left with his Laver Family divine guards. He wondered where Han Shuo would be, his face dark with thought.
"Young master, are you just going to let this go?" one divine guard said. He was angry with Cage.
"Of course I won't let him go that easily. But we don't know where this scoundrel is hiding. We can't do anything without finding him first," Cage was still flushed with anger. He turned and looked at the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy before instructing, "Come with me, I'm going to look for my father.
Cage made his way to the Fifth Corps of the City of Shadows Divine Guard.
Inside a secret chamber of the Fifth Corps, Avery's expression grew darker and darker as he listened to Cage tell him the whole story. When Cage finally finished, Avery stood up and gave Cage a big slap, sending him staggering a few steps backwards.
Cage covered his red, swollen cheek without saying a word. He just looked at his angry father with a hurt expression.
"How many times have I told you not to provoke this man? Why do you have to be so stubborn? Look what has happened. Three of our shops have been destroyed and we have lost so many crystal coins. And now I have to clean up the mess for you again. Can't you two learn from Donna and her brother and be less of a nuisance to me? Avery shouted at his son, who knew nothing but to create conflict as he banged his table.
"Father, I'm telling you, we didn't actively provoke him after you told us not to. This time it is he who has provoked us. I only shouted a few words at him, but I didn't think he would be so barbaric as to destroy three of our shops in one night. He obviously thinks he can ride on our heads because he has the backing of the House of Sainte!" Cage said, his voice choked with sobs as if he had been wronged.
"Did you or did you not order men to destroy his Celestial Pearl Pharmacy?" Avery knitted his brows and asked sternly.
"No, I did not. I dare not disobey Father's words!" said Cage.
"Then are you sure it was this guy who destroyed three of our shops?" Avery continued to question.
"It is definitely him. I only incited him with a few words in our family home before he left angrily without saying a word. Then, that very night, all this happened to our energy stone stores. Who could it be if not him?" Cage replied in a hateful tone.
Avery nodded and waved his hand. He instructed, "Go home and take care of your no-good sister. Do not leave our family home for the time being. I will handle this. Do not interfere!" After a short pause, when he saw that Cage was still standing there with his mouth gaping, he shouted angrily, "Did you hear me?"
Cage was thrown off balance. He had rarely seen Avery so angry. He nodded hastily and replied in a low voice, "Understood!"
"Get out! Now!" Avery's heart grew even angrier at the sight of Cage and he roared at Cage again. Covering his cheek with one hand, Cage scurried out of the secret chamber.
After Cage left the room, Avery vented his anger by cursing loudly over and over again. After a while, he calmed down.
After thinking for a while, Avery suddenly said, "Number Three, investigate this boy. Find out if he really had something to do with the explosion of the three shops!"
"Yes, my lord," came an emotionless reply from the darkness behind Avery. A shadow distorted for a moment before suddenly disappearing.
***
Han Shuo, on the third floor of Celestial Pearl Pharmacy, asked as he watched Anito come up, "Is he gone?"
"Yes, he's gone. Don't worry, with us watching over this place, no danger will befall you," Anito replied respectfully. After a short pause, he asked fawningly, "Is the renovation of this gymnasium on the third floor to your satisfaction?"
"Yes, I like it very much. I will have to ask you to refuse any visitors for the next two days. I need some time to refine more medicine," Han Shuo instructed.
"Don't worry, sir, it's no trouble at all!" Anito promised immediately with a puffed chest. Shortly after, he put on a smile and started talking again, "Our Lord Erebus is also very interested in your medicines. His Lordship has instructed me to purchase some medicines on his behalf. The prices are negotiable. Would Mr Bryan be so kind?"
Han Shuo had long known that Anito must have received Erebus' tacit or explicit approval to be stationed near his shop for such a long time. Since Erebus had taken the initiative to actively express his goodwill, Han Shuo naturally knew how to respond appropriately. He immediately nodded with a smile and said, "I know what to do. Please thank Lord Erebus for me and give his lordship my best regards."
"Haha, thank you, thank you. Definitely!" Anito knew that these words from Han Shuo meant that he would be able to complete the task Erebus had given him without any problems and immediately dismissed himself with a big smile. He then began to shout at the workers who were renovating the second and third floors, "Be more attentive to your work or none of you will get a single crystal coin!"
Han Shuo shook his head and laughed at Anito's actions from the third floor. Such actions by Anito did not make Han Shuo feel more favourable towards him. However, Han Shuo did not say anything about it as Anito had been very helpful all along.
Who is it that destroyed the other two shops? Han Shuo wondered.
Of the three energy stone shops owned by Avery Lavers, Han Shuo had only destroyed the smallest shop in retaliation for Cage destroying his Celestial Pearl Pharmacy. However, Han Shuo heard that soon after he left, the other two shops were destroyed in a similar manner. Han Shuo's heart was filled with doubt. He had no idea who was behind this.
Maybe there's another enemy of the Laver Family? Han Shuo thought. Although he was rather puzzled about the matter, he did not really take it to heart. As Han Shuo was in a hurry to produce more medicinal pellets, he did not think too deeply about it.
*** In a pharmacy called 'Godswamp', in a secret underground chamber surrounded by boundaries.
An elderly man with white hair and a face as translucent as jade was quietly questioning a man crouching in front of him. The crouching man was only one metre tall and looked like an elderly dwarf. His face was lined with wrinkles and he had a pair of eyes that glowed with infernal rays.
"How's the plan going so far, Steiss?" the old man, whose head was covered in white hair, asked quietly.
"Rest assured, master, everything is going as planned. Avery has sent his men to investigate what happened yesterday. I believe he will definitely find evidence that points to that boy Bryan! Master, shall we add fuel to the fire?" the dwarf Steiss replied respectfully.
"That won't be necessary. Now that things have come to this, there is nothing we can do. I know Avery. He's the kind of man who doesn't strike easily, but once he does, he won't leave anyone alive. He held back the last time and he will not hold back this time. All we can do is sit back and watch. Perhaps by tomorrow, both Celestial Pearl and the boy will disappear from the City of Shadows without a trace. Hehehe..."
"About the medicine the boy makes, we should..." Steiss asked suggestively.
The old man shook his head. He smiled warmly and replied quietly, "Now is the time to be patient. Once Avery strikes, not only will the boy be gone forever, but Avery will also learn all the secrets of his medicines. Hehe, the House of Lavers isn't very good at making medicine. Now that Avery has these memories, he will seek us out sooner or later, in order to make the most of them for his House of Lavers. After all, not only do we have a good relationship with the House of Lavers, we are the largest pharmacy chain in the City of Shadows. Who will he look for if not us?"
"The master is indeed the most brilliant!" Steiss made no further suggestions, only sincere praise.
The white-haired old man then waved his hand, signalling that Steiss was dismissed. After Steiss had left, the old man murmured to himself while stroking a piece of bone in his hand: "If the House of Sainte takes out its anger on Avery for this matter and finally provokes a war between the two family clans, that would be perfect! The old man gently stroked the hunk of bone with love as he said, "Chris, my child, your death will not be in vain..."
***
As night fell, Avery sat on the roof of the tallest building in Fifth Corps. His eyes narrowed as he gazed at the colourful glow of the sunset. Holding a wine goblet in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other, he filled the goblet for himself and gulped it down happily. The explosions in his shops did not seem to bother him in the least.
"Something bad is going to happen. Lord Avery always does something crazy after he drinks!" A few divine guards from the Fifth Corps below could vaguely see what Avery was doing at the top of the towering skyscraper. They were gossiping below their voices.
"I wonder who will be the unlucky one this time. We better be more careful and not make his lordship unhappy, lest we suffer his wrath," another Divine Guard said very quietly in an anxious and frightened manner.
The beautiful, softly glowing light of the sky was gradually covered by the curtain of night. Eventually, the sky was completely shrouded in darkness. There were now eight empty wine bottles around Avery. He leaned back in his chair and gazed up at the dark sky with half-open, dizzy eyes. It was as if he had fallen asleep.
After a long time, a voice suddenly sounded from behind him, "My Lord, I have discovered a medicine bottle in one of the exploded shops. There were unique markings on the bottle, and I'm sure it came from the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy."
The disoriented Avery struggled to sit up in the chair. He let out a casual "Oh" before asking nonchalantly, "Where's the guy?"
"He's still at the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy," the man in the darkness replied.
Avery nodded, waved his hand at the person behind him and instructed, "Go to the Laver residence and keep an eye on those two good-for-nothings. Do not let them take a single step outside the residence without my orders!"
"Understood!" the dark shadow replied immediately, before dismissing himself without a sound.
Avery rubbed his eye, downed the last cup of wine before him and fell asleep in his chair. When it was deep in the night, a dark, phantom-like figure, like a strand of soul, floated out of his still reclining body and flew in the direction of the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy.
***
On the third floor of Celestial Pearl Pharmacy, Han Shuo was using the gymnasium as his temporary pharmacy laboratory. The Nine Tessellation Cauldron was like a throbbing flame, performing its dance in front of Han Shuo. Fragrant and refreshing scents overflowed from the mosaics on the cauldron.
Whoosh! A lump of red fireball in Han Shuo's palm was sent into the Nine Tessellation Cauldron, causing the sweet smell of medicine in the gymnasium to intensify and the Nine Tessellation Cauldron to spin faster and faster, causing the shape of the cauldron to become blurred.
Clink! Clang! The rapidly spinning Nine Tessellation Cauldron echoed with the clinking sound of things hitting the metallic surface. Han Shuo was elated as he knew that the Rejuvenation Pills would soon be complete.
During the time that Han Shuo was concentrating on refining the medicinal pellets, he discovered that his mind was somehow becoming more stable. Even though he was consuming a large amount of Demonic Yuan, his Demonic Yuan would increase slightly after he recovered. Even his realm state seemed to be stabilising rapidly.
When Han Shuo discovered that the refining of medicinal pellets would not hinder him, but would eventually help him advance in the demonic arts in a bizarre way, he became even more passionate and engrossed in the refining of medicinal pellets. The Cauldron Spirit explained to Han Shuo that as long as he focused on a task with a sober and calm mind, his realm state would improve.
Ting... Ting...
Dozens of medicine bottles suddenly flew out of Han Shuo's space ring. These delicate medicine bottles made a pleasant jingling sound as they collided with each other.
One by one, the medicine bottles flew towards the Nine Tessellation Cauldron in an orderly fashion. Each time Han Shuo flicked his index finger, a single medicine pellet would fly out of the Nine Tessellation Cauldron and into the most accurate medicine bottle. Next, the medicine bottle containing the medicine pellets would gently land on the ground next to Han Shuo. The intense scent of the medicine would diminish slightly with each medicine bottle. Han Shuo had become very skilled at filling the medicine bottles. He had forty-nine medicine bottles filled and lined up beside him in no time.
After all the medicine had been filled, the Nine Tessellation Cauldron floated and flew into Han Shuo's palm. It gradually shrank and disappeared when it was the size of a palm.
Next, Han Shuo wiggled his five fingers. His space ring flashed as the forty-nine medicine bottles beside him disappeared one by one.
Han Shuo took a deep breath, calmed his heart and began to recover the demonic yuan he had lost. This was the latest method of increasing demonic yuan reserves that Han Shuo had discovered, so he was very attentive.
As he calmly restored the demonic yuan in his body, Han Shuo suddenly felt a terrifying sensation. This sensation came extremely abruptly and made every hair on Han Shuo's body stand on end.
Han Shuo immediately began to probe around with his consciousness, but found no abnormality. He also quickly dispatched two demon generals from the Myriad Demon Cauldron to investigate the situation outside the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy.
Anito and a group of divine guards were in a building not far from the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy. Han Shuo saw that the magic lamp was still lit, indicating that Anito and his people were still active. This made Han Shuo feel slightly relieved.
The demon generals continued to examine the area and they also found no anomaly. However, the sense of danger he felt never diminished.
After a while, the Cauldron Spirit suddenly transmitted anxiously, "Enemy! It's not that powerful, but it's still much more powerful than you. Here it comes!"
A shadow appeared silently. By the time Han Shuo felt the presence of the shadow, it was too late to do anything. The darkness around him seemed to have turned into matter, and it surged towards Han Shuo's body. Han Shuo was suddenly unable to move.
"Use the Invincible Omen Body NOW!" The Cauldron Spirit shouted into Han Shuo's consciousness.
Without a second thought, the greatly alarmed Han Shuo unleashed the Invincible Omen Body that he had practised so much over the past few days. In an instant, an extremely powerful and overwhelming force rushed into Han Shuo's body. An explosion rang out from his body. Intense pain flooded every nerve in Han Shuo's body.
An ordinary person would have been instantly knocked unconscious by such immense pain. For Han Shuo, however, it only made him more alert.
That shadowy figure was very confident that Han Shuo was dead after dealing Han Shuo a single blow. The shadowy figure with the darkness around it gradually walked in front of Han Shuo and muttered softly to himself, "Too bad, it could have been for my family..."
Han Shuo smelled the strong smell of alcohol. Then he saw the shadowy figure raise its hand and slowly cover his skull...
Memory capture! Han Shuo immediately realised what the person was trying to do.
The strength of the shadowy figure was beyond Han Shuo's imagination, and he had not the slightest certainty of victory against it. Moreover, Han Shuo's demon body was now severely injured, even though it was protected by the Invincible Omen Body. Han Shuo simply wasn't on the same level as this being yet. Seeing that the hand was about to press down on his skull, Han Shuo stopped hesitating.
He immediately activated the blood essence within his demonic infant. His meridians and veins were ruptured, causing mists of blood to quickly flow from his body, completely enveloping him.
"Huh?!" the shadow figure cried out softly in surprise as it suddenly discovered that Han Shuo had disappeared. It began to grow anxious.
It quickly flew through every room in the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy, and when it found nothing, it began to search the perimeter of the pharmacy.