Han Shuo heard the whole story from McKinley.
Back then, the City Lord of Ethereal City was someone else. After reaching a certain realm, cultivators of the Edict of Space have to constantly wander around the universe to sense the energy of space. The City Lord of Ethereal City at that time also possessed the power of a Late-stage Highgod. In his quest for greater strength, he had no choice but to leave Elysium and travel to various material planes to increase his divine energy.
But before he left the ethereal city, he had to choose his successor. McKinley and Baum were among the candidates. But of all the candidates, McKinley was the closest to the original City Lord and therefore had the greatest chance of becoming the next City Lord of Ethereal City.
However, it was around this time that McKinley fell out with one of the three Lightkeepers, Gyál. McKinley had no choice but to go into hiding for a while. He told Baum, his former best friend, where he was hiding. And somehow, soon after he went into hiding, Gyál managed to find him.
Although Gyál's power was greater than McKinley's, as a cultivator of the Edict of Space, McKinley should have been able to tear space-time apart and escape in one piece. However, during his escape, the space-time tunnel McKinley had constructed was destroyed. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been captured by Gyál and had his divine soul separated from his divine body.
The person who destroyed his space-time tunnel must have also cultivated in the Edict of Space and possessed similar powers. Since McKinley had only told one person where he was hiding, it didn't take McKinley long to figure out who had betrayed him.
Only with him gone could Baum become the new City Lord of Ethereal City!
"Then why are you still looking for him?" Han Shuo was confused after hearing the whole story from McKinley.
"Without him, I have no way to find my body! He was the one who betrayed me, so he must know where Gyál is hiding my body. I don't have much of a choice, you know," McKinley replied.
"If Baum finds out that you are in this Grail, he will definitely destroy your soul to prevent any possible trouble. Won't you kill yourself looking for him?" asked the confused Han Shuo.
"Baum wouldn't dare kill me because there is a divine brand in my soul given by the Overgod. If my soul is destroyed, the Overgod of Space will sense it, even from the edge of the universe. Then, with his ability to reverse time, he will be able to find my murderer. I have been a tireless and faithful servant of the Lord, and His Lordship will investigate my death. That is why Gyál only sealed me in here instead of killing me!" With things having developed to this stage, McKinley did not hide any more facts, but explained everything truthfully to Han Shuo.
"The only reason I couldn't make up my mind is because I'm afraid that Baum will seal the Grail and send me back to a distant lower material plane," McKinley continued.
Han Shuo was taken aback by McKinley's words. He had not expected McKinley's soul to be branded by the Overgod of Space. It appeared that back then, McKinley must had been a trusted aide of the Overgod.
After having lived on Elysium for so long, Han Shuo naturally caught some hearsays about the Overgods. After leaving a brand in their follower's soul, an Overgod could sense the position of their follower through some unique methods. They could also perceive the death of said follower. The Overgod of Space, being the lord of the Space Quintessence, should have even greater sensing power in this aspect.
Han Shuo also knew that only the most pious followers and those most highly regarded by their Overgods could receive a divine brand because the brand was a part of the Overgod. Applying a brand would also consume some of the Overgod's divine energy. Those bestowed with a divine brand from their Overgod would make faster progress in their cultivation compared to an average person.
So McKinley was a real influential character in the Space Dominion! thought the rather surprised Han Shuo. After thinking for a while, Han Shuo replied, "If I'm Baum, I definitely won't help you find your body and make myself a huge trouble. But what exactly are you planning?"
"I have a few conditions in mind. I'm going to make him an offer that I hope will be too tempting for him to refuse," McKinley was angry but helpless. He continued, "I don't have full confidence in the plan either. But given the circumstances, I really have no choice but to try. I am tired of living in this Grail. I can't stand being trapped here any longer."
I think you should stay in the Grail for a little while longer. I will think of something for you. After all, I will be in Ethereal City and stay with Baum for a while. I might be able to find a way to make Baum talk," Han Shuo replied to McKinley after he had pondered for some time with his eyebrows furrowed.
"You? What could you possibly do about it?" McKinley relayed before falling silent for a moment. Then, as if he remembered something, he asked, "Right, how did you end up at Baum's mansion? How did you know him? Logically, you shouldn't have come into contact with a character at Baum's level, right?"
Han Shuo smiled and replied, "I had a fight with Baum and after that he made me his honoured guest.
"You... You what?" McKinley's transmission was disjointed, a telltale sign that he was very surprised. After taking a moment to calm himself, McKinley asked hastily, "How could you possibly fight Baum with the strength you have? Bryan, you're joking with me, aren't you?"
It was not surprising that McKinley was so astonished. When they first met on the Profound Continent, McKinley had indirectly fought with Han Shuo and knew his strength. As a cultivator of the Edict of Space, McKinley remained sensitive to the passing of time even while trapped in the Holy Grail. He knew that not even a century had passed since their first encounter.
A hundred years might be a long time for the average man. But for Highods like McKinley, who was almost ageless, it wasn't all that long. In all his life, McKinley had never heard of a being who had risen from Lowgod to Highgod in less than a hundred years. To him, such a rate of progress was simply unimaginable!
"I really fought Baum. The results... um... you could say we are evenly matched," Upon hearing that McKinley's message was fragmentary, Han Shuo dared not drop any more bombshells and therefore did not mention that Baum had initiated peace talks out of fear.
After a long silence, McKinley asked again, "Bryan, are you really not joking?"
"Not joking at all." Han Shuo then began to give McKinley a simplified account of his fight against Baum. He made sure to mention the unique features of Baum's Space Edict shields and barriers.
And again, McKinley remained silent for a long time. When he transmitted again, his tone was much more excited: "I believe you. Unless you have fought Baum, there is no way you could describe his space-time barriers so accurately. But how? How did you become so strong? This is unbelievable!"
After talking incoherently for a while, McKinley said, "Bryan, it seems that my best chance of regaining my freedom is through you. Please, if you can find my body, you will have my eternal gratitude!"
"All right, I will try. But for now, you should just stay in the Grail with your mind at rest!" Han Shuo knew that McKinley needed time to recover from the bombshell he had just dropped, so he took the initiative to cut off communication.
Although Han Shuo knew about the conflict between McKinley and Baum, it didn't affect his current cooperation with Baum. Han Shuo was a man who knew when to take freebies and when not to. At the same time, Han Shuo began to weigh the risk of finding McKinley's body and helping him to overthrow Baum against the potential reward.
With a thought, a high-ranking demon general flew out of his body. Han Shuo decided to keep Baum under surveillance for a while before doing anything. Han Shuo had become wary of Baum after hearing McKinley's story and thought of Baum as a treacherous wolf in sheep's clothing. He also began to suspect that Baum must have other intentions behind helping him establish his business in this city and offering him such great treatment.
***
Five days passed like the blink of an eye. The demon general, who had been watching Baum from a safe distance, saw no unusual activity. All five days, Baum had been busy helping Han Shuo with his new Celestial Pearl branch. Not only had he ordered the men to clean the shop thoroughly, but he had also posted an announcement stating that Celestial Pearl Pharmacy would be opening a branch in Ethereal City and that those interested in working as clerks and pharmacists could look for Han Shuo at the city lord's mansion.
Although it seemed that Baum was sincere in helping Han Shuo, Han Shuo remained wary of Baum. In fact, the more helpful and charitable Baum was, the more Han Shuo sensed that something was amiss. He made sure that Baum was always under the supervision of his demon general.
The spirit demon created with the soul of the Highgod was extraordinary in its stealth abilities. Having fought Baum once before, Han Shuo knew how formidable its strength was. The demon general would always be at a safe distance of more than several hundred metres. And when Baum entered regions with Space Edict boundaries, the Demon General would stay even further away, lest Baum discover him.
Ethereal City was indeed full of talent. Soon after Baum sent out the announcement, a large crowd appeared at the city lord's mansion. It surprised Han Shuo how many people had turned up, and how many of them were true masters of their trade.
Han Shuo personally selected the workers for his new branch and interviewed them at the manor house. Han Shuo's awareness and observation skills were so powerful and outstanding that even average Lowgods and Midgods could not lie to him. He could tell immediately if someone was lying just by sensing their mind with his consciousness. Only those with no ulterior motives and true talent could get through the interrogation.
One day, while Han Shuo was in the middle of one of these interviews, a divine guard from the Ethereal City rushed over to Han Shuo and said, "Mr Bryan, someone claiming to be your son is having a serious fight in the west of the city. He called himself Han Huo. Would you like to go there and take a look?"
Han Shuo stared blankly for a moment before coming to his senses. He laughed and replied, "What's the matter with these kids, they just can't stop causing trouble wherever they go! All right, I'll go and have a look!"