Han Shuo went to the Sovereigns and told them in no uncertain terms that Han Hao was breaking away from the Godhunter Alliance and that if there ever came a day when the Fringe was at war with the Alliance, Han Hao and his faction would stand against the Godhunter Alliance.
With this promise from Han Shuo, the Sovereigns had no more excuses and they gave Han Shuo what he wanted.
Han Shuo had finally gained control over a piece of the Omphalos. The Sovereigns handed over the Sovereign Shops previously owned by Salas to Han Shuo. And as one of the managers of the Omphalos, Han Shuo would receive one fifth of all the tax revenue collected in the Omphalos every year. It was an astronomical amount of black crystal coins.
Back when Han Shuo first set foot in the Omphalos, Ossora had given Han Shuo one of his Sovereign Shops, which had been converted into a branch of Celestial Pharmacy. After taking over Salas' Sovereign Shops, Han Shuo gave one of those shops to Ossora. Han Shuo no longer owed Ossora anything of monetary value.
Han Shuo had been on Ossora's good side from the beginning. And after hearing Wasir's warning, Han Shuo was even more vigilant towards Ossora. Han Shuo tried not to get too close to Ossora, so that if he ever had to kill Ossora in the future, he wouldn't have any concerns or be criticised by the public.
After Han Shuo took control of the ten Sovereign Shops, he asked Zovic and Metal Elite Zombie to move into the Omphalos. Metal Elite Zombie had established his Goldstone Enterprise in each dominion, and had amply demonstrated his talent for managing and growing businesses. As a result, Han Shuo gave Metal Elite Zombie one of his Dominion Shops to set up a Goldstone branch in Omphalos.
Zovic was an intelligent person, and he knew the ins and outs of the Fringe. Han Shuo had brought Zovic to the Omphalos to help Metal Elite Zombie set up his Goldstone branch. Most importantly, Zovic knew some of the stringers in the Omphalos. Han Shuo gave him a considerable amount of Black Crystal coins to set up his own intelligence network in the fringe.
After the meeting on the extinct volcano, the three Sovereigns had communicated with these Omphalos merchants, instructing them to stop making things difficult for Han Shuo. After months of Han Hao raiding their supplies, the Omphalos merchants had almost immediately complied. After this ordeal, they all understood just how treacherous Han Shuo was.
They also understood that the Sovereigns must have made some sort of deal with Han Shuo. They were even more afraid of this powerful figure who was rapidly rising in the fringe.
A notorious reputation was very useful in the fringe. When it came to setting up the Goldstone branch or getting information, things went much smoother when Han Shuo's name was mentioned.
Three months passed in the blink of an eye. In that time, Metal Elite Zombie had successfully established a Goldstone branch in the Omphalos. With a seemingly endless budget of black crystal coins and Han Shuo's fearsome reputation, Zovic was able to hire a number of stringers to work for Han Shuo. Although this newly established intelligence network wasn't as extensive and all-encompassing as those of the other sovereigns, it was better than nothing.
During these months, Han Hao did not continue to wreak havoc throughout the Fringe. He had concentrated on training the Godhunters he had recently recruited.
Although Han Hao and Han Shuo rarely saw each other, they were well aware of each other's situation as they often communicated through their secret channel.
One day, while he was refining new pellet medicines and plotting to bring every Omphalos apothecary and toxin maker under his rule, he was interrupted by an anxious Zovic who rushed into his gymnasium.
Han Shuo had instructed Zovic not to disturb him when he was making medicine or cultivating, unless there was an emergency. Zovic wasn't a careless person, and he definitely knew how to follow orders. He had never interrupted Han Shuo's cultivation before. And from the worried look on his face, Han Shuo knew immediately that there was an urgent situation.
"What's going on?" Han Shuo's face turned serious. He had a feeling that something really bad had happened.
The rather worried Zovic immediately replied, "I have just received news from Han Hao. His disciple has just arrived from the Death Dominion with news about the House of Han.
Han Shuo's face froze and he felt even more uneasy. He immediately asked, "What happened?"
"Every major godhunter faction in Ronson Canyon had joined forces to attack the House of Han. They..." Zovic hastily told him everything he knew.
From the moment Han Shuo had assigned Zovic the task of building an intelligence network, he had instructed Zovic to keep an eye on the House of Han in the Darkness Dominion. Having served Han Shuo for some time and being an intelligent man, Zovic knew how much the House of Han meant to Han Shuo.
The messenger who had just reported to Han Hao had been sent by Khitan before he left to stop the Godhunter factions from attacking the House of Han. This messenger had no idea of their fate. What Han Shuo was told was just as bad as what the messenger had heard.
This follower of Han Hao took four months to travel non-stop from the Death Dominion to the Fringe. This meant that by the time Han Shuo received the information, it had already been four months since the House of Han had been attacked.
Han Shuo's face grew dark. From the information, he deduced that the House of Han must have suffered some sort of disaster in the Darkness Dominion. Otherwise, they wouldn't have tried to move to the Death Dominion. Just like the Marathoner, Han Shuo had no idea what the current situation of the House of Han was or if they had managed to pass through Ronson Canyon.
Based on the information he currently had, Zovic felt that it was likely that the House of Han had perished in Ronson Canyon. However, he remained silent, keeping his prediction to himself.
After thinking for a moment, Han Shuo took a deep breath and said to Zovic, "I need to leave the Fringe for a while. Keep it a secret. If anyone asks, just tell them that I'm cultivating in the Pandemonium. It won't be long before I return. You will be in charge while I'm away."
"Don't worry, my lord. No one will know that you have left the Fringe," Zovic replied as he nodded.
Han Shuo then said, "I'm leaving right now. Keep an eye on the little ones and make sure they do not cause any trouble. I will be back as soon as possible."
After leaving some instructions for Zovic, Han Shuo openly walked out of the Celestial Pearl as if everything was normal. But as soon as he was outside the Omphalos, he concealed his aura and contacted Han Hao. After secretly meeting Han Hao for a brief discussion, Han Shuo left the fringe.
***The Death Dominion, Witherbone City.
Of all the cities in the Death Dominion, and perhaps on Elysium, the structures in Witherbone City were the most peculiar. The city walls were made from the bones of an unknown magical beast. The bones were all different colours and incredibly tough. It gave the city a terrifying, sinister appearance.
The members of the House of Han were gathered in a structure made of white bones in the Kiaran Residence. The sanitation and amenities of this building were far inferior to what they had in the City of Shadows. Worst of all, the building was located next to a stinking, disgusting bone refinery.
A bone refinery was a place where bones were processed using unique minerals and metals. By subjecting the bones to certain processes, they could be transformed into a material even tougher than rock. The processed bones could be used to build durable structures, and some could even be used as the base material for divine weapons.
Most of the bones were those of magical beasts, and some belonged to fallen gods. They arrived at the refinery raw, with rotting flesh still loosely attached. It left an unbearable stench in the place.
The House of Han was set up in a house near the Bone Refinery.
They had lived in the Witherbone City of the Death Dominion for some time. The days of living off the charity of others had not been pleasant. Although the members of the House of Kiaran were initially very friendly towards the House of Han, they became less so when they discovered that the House of Han wouldn't compromise on a certain issue.
The House of Han had no shortage of black crystal coins. They could easily afford to rent a better residence, or even buy an upmarket property in the city to live in. However, Sha-t'o, the patriarch of the House of Kiaran, found all sorts of excuses to keep the Han family from leaving the Kiaran residence.
Li Wei, who was a close friend of Han Shuo, had protested against the treatment of the Han family. Unfortunately, Li Wei didn't have much influence in their House of Kiaran, and Sha-t'o turned a deaf ear to her comments.
Phoebe, Emily and the other clean freaks were driven to madness after months of enduring the rotting stench of the bone refinery.
The members of the House of Han grew increasingly angry as their requests were repeatedly denied. The House of Kiaran, however, was extremely powerful. They were one of the strongest family clans in Witherbone City. It also seemed that they had some sort of agreement with the City Lord to prevent the House of Han from leaving the city.
"I can't believe that we escaped one danger only to run into another. The House of Kiaran is not only putting us under house arrest, they are torturing us!" said Phoebe angrily.
"There's nothing we can do but take it. Witherbone City is much more powerful than the City of Shadows. There are divine guards stationed around the Kiaran residence at all times. It is impossible for us to force our way out of the city," Stratholme said after a sigh. He thought they were out of danger after entering the Death Dominion, but they have only put themselves in greater danger.
"They want Bryan's medicine formulas and our training methods. These are the cornerstones of our House of Han. Without them, we would have no place on Elysium. I will tell them nothing. I will carry them with me to my grave if I have to," Phoebe said resolutely.
After living in the residence for so long, it was clear to Phoebe what the House of Kiaran wanted.