GDK 706: Becoming rich
All the medicinal pellets that Han Shuo had on the shelves were sold out on that day. He pocketed a total of ninety-six thousand black crystal coins. Han Shuo was overjoyed as he knew that with this amount of black crystal coins, he wouldn’t need to worry about money for at least tens of years.
Before leaving the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy, all his customers would exhort Han Shuo to reserve them a portion of the next batch of medicines he would produce. Carmelita, after seeing that Han Shuo had sold out all the medicines, hastily returned to the Sainte Residence to continue consuming the medicine that Han Shuo had specially made for her.
It was after everyone was gone that Han Shuo remembered about Donna and the few youngsters from her Lavers Family. He thought that Donna came with Cage and Eve to thank him. It never crossed his mind that Donna intended to denounce him.
Han Shuo was rather puzzled that Donna did not enter his pharmacy. He had in fact kept some medicines reserved for her and did not expect her to disappear like that. Han Shuo assumed that Donna had left because it was too crowded and she would come by another day.
After shutting the front door of his pharmacy, Han Shuo indulged himself in counting the black crystal coins in his space ring again and again. He would laugh foolishly as he muttered, “Ninety-six thousand black crystal coins… this is enough to buy a manor in the City of Shadows – not just any manor, but a fully-furnished one complete with facilities… how amazing!”
All the medicinal ingredients he had collected since arriving on Elysium were used on those medicinal pills he sold. Although Han Shuo already had gained ninety-six thousand black crystal coins, if he wanted to make even more money, he had to go out to gather more medicinal ingredients.
As only Han Shuo himself knew the ingredients needed to make his medicinal pills, he could not delegate the task and had to complete it himself. He once again put on signs on the front door of Celestial Pearl Pharmacy informing that it was temporarily closed for business. Then, he left the City of Shadows and headed towards the mountains in its perimeter.
There were long stretches of mountain range all along the City of Shadows where the herbs and ingredients Han Shuo needed grew. Having had the experience of selling out all his medicines, Han Shuo decided to collect even more medicinal ingredients than before.
By releasing the demon generals in the Cauldron of Myriad Demon, Han Shuo had an additional dozen pair of eyes. With that, his speed of collecting medicinal ingredients was increased by ten or more folds. Within just a month’s time, Han Shuo had traveled across all the big mountains surrounding the city. He had filled two space rings with medicinal ingredients alone – enough for Han Shuo to refine medicinal pills for one whole year.
As the mountains were just around the City of Shadows, they were about as safe as a walk through town. No enemy forces or godhunters dared to lurk in there. During the one month’s time that Han Shuo was collecting medicinal ingredients, he had come across divine guards from the City of Shadows fifty-seven times. They frequently patrolled the mountains in small teams, guarding the city against large-scale invasions.
Most of those divine guards did not recognize Han Shuo. They would find Han Shuo very suspicious at first. But after Han Shuo flashed the emblem that City Lord Wallace gave him, all those divine guards would greet Han Shuo with utmost respect. Not only would they apologize to Han Shuo, but they would even give him an account of any abnormal activities they discovered in the surroundings. They assumed that Han Shuo was part the Sainte Family.
A month passed in the blink of an eye. When Han Shuo returned to his Celestial Pearl Pharmacy, he was stunned by what he saw.
Han Shuo did not anticipate to see his Celestial Pearl Pharmacy in utter wreckage. All the containers and tools on the first and second floor were broken. Those special pharmacist bottles and pots Han Shuo bought were all shattered. Not a single tool remained intact.
Even the energy stones in the boundary towers on the third floor were broken into pieces. From the first floor to the third, the entire Celestial Pearl Pharmacy was in a complete mess. Han Shuo grew more furious the more he saw. He had no clue who would do such a despicable thing while he was away.
With a gloomy face, Han Shuo trudged from the first floor to the third and then back. He turned over in his mind as to who was most likely to do such a thing.
The first that crossed his mind were the siblings from the Lavers Family, Cage and Eve. Those two were the first two characters Han Shuo had offended after arriving on Elysium. The other person he suspected was the golden-haired young man called Edmund who first visited his shop with Jiya. Back then Edmund intended to destroy his shop but was stopped by Anito’s prompt arrival.
Other than those few, Han Shuo could not think of anyone else who would want to hurt him like this. He had not stayed in the City of Shadows for long and had made enemy with merely a few people in the city.
Han Shuo’s return very quickly attracted Anito’s arrival. He hurried to the shop with a group of divine guards. When he entered, he saw Han Shuo, wearing a dark face, silently sitting on a chair that was missing a leg. Anito’s heart stopped. He forced a smile and hastily explained, “It happened seven days ago at around midnight. We only return to the Third Corps at night and therefore didn’t see it happen. The shop was like this when we returned on the second day!”
“Found any hints or clues?” Han Shuo leaned back on the broken chair and gently swayed it while questioning Anito with a cold face.
Anito shook his head bitterly, saying, “We have been investigating for days but have discovered absolutely no clue left by the criminal. We have no idea who did it. Er… Miss Carmelita has yet to come out from cultivation, and Lord Andre has instructed that the crime scene is to be preserved until your return. That’s why we did not clean up the shop and it is also why those who want to win your favor have not touched anything here.”
Han Shuo believed that without Andre’s insistence, those nobilities from large family clans who spared no crystal coins to buy his medicines would have started refurbishing the place. They might have even built the place to be even more gorgeous than what it was before the damage.
“Do you know about Edmund’s background?” after a moment of silence, Han Shuo creased his eyebrows and asked Anito.
“He is from the House of Buller. However, he isn’t directly related to the Buller Family bloodline and doesn’t hold much status in the family. That kid was the first to come to my mind after I learned what happened here and I have carefully investigated him. During that period of time, he wasn’t even in the City of Shadows. Besides, that kid isn’t as bold as you imagine. I believe that after he learned about your relationship with Miss Carmelita, he wouldn’t dare to have thoughts of messing with you,” Anito gave Han Shuo a detailed analysis.
“Alright, thank you,” after deeply pondering for a moment, Han Shuo finally thanked Anito.
“You are most welcome… It’s my duty…” Anito bowed humbly. He then took the initiative to suggest, “Would you like me to help with redecorating the shop? I know some people in the city who specialize in such work.”
“I will trouble you then. Here are five hundred black crystal coins. If it’s not enough, just come to me for more.” Han Shuo couldn’t find any clues from the debris. As Han Shuo intended to continue using the shop for business, he casually handed Anito five hundred black crystal coins for him to fix up the place.
Anito beat his chest and pledged after receiving Han Shuo’s crystal coins, “Rest assured, I will get everything sorted for you nice and clean!”
“Alright then, I will leave this mess to you. See you soon.” Han Shuo was confident that Anito would get the place fixed properly and so he left the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy.
Han Shuo had offended no more than a few people in the City of Shadows. If it wasn’t Edmund, it had to be Cage and Eve. When Han Shuo thought of these two, he became even more furious. He thought to himself, If it wasn’t for me, Eve would have been disfigured. So this is how you thank me? By wrecking my shop while I’m away? Have I become a target of bullying for you?
Han Shuo decided to make a visit to the Lavers Residence.
The divine guards guarding at the front door of the Lavers Residence still remembered Han Shuo. His rising fame in the City of Shadows was the topic of discussion for many House of Lavers members. The two recognized Han Shuo immediately and greeted him from far away. They were very friendly.
“Haha, I did not know that you, sir, were an amazing pharmacist. Everyone in the city has been fighting over your medicines!” that divine guard who had previously introduced Han Shuo to the Lavers Family members said excitedly.
“As a gesture of gratitude for the warning you gave me the last time, here is a small bottle of medicine,” Han Shuo naturally remembered the two cordial divine guards and gifted them two bottles of his Pill of Rejuvenation.
“Many thanks, many thanks,” the smiles on their faces grew even bigger. They knew just how much a Pill of Rejuvenation currently valued in the City of Shadows. Just one small bottle of it was equivalent to three years of their salaries. It would be strange if they were anything but overjoyed!
“Are you here to look for Miss Donna? That’s unfortunate. Miss Donna has set off for the Space Dominion. She definitely will not return for at least a year!” a divine guard explained to Han Shuo somewhat regretfully after carefully keeping away Han Shuo’s Pill of Rejuvenation.
Han Shuo did not know that during the time he was collecting medicinal ingredients in the surrounding mountains, Donna had tried to look for him at Celestial Pearl Pharmacy. She wanted to ask Han Shuo about what actually happened to Eve and to stay in touch with him. She also intended to purchase some medicines on behalf of the House of Lavers.
“Oh… Donna isn’t around…” Han Shuo began to hesitate, wondering if he should still enter. After all, of the entire Lavers Family, Donna was the only person that Han Shuo was familiar with.
“Hey… Isn’t this Bryan? Why are you just standing at the front door? Come, come, let’s go inside,” a voice sounded from a distance at the most untimely moment. In an instant, Teng Fei arrived before Han Shuo and pulled him into the Lavers Residence as though he had been friends with Han Shuo for a long time.
Han Shuo was being forced into the Lavers Residence by Teng Fei. Having missed the opportunity to leave, he had to put on a bold face and enter.
“Donna and her brother went to the Space Dominion and will only be back after some time. Donna and I have actually tried to look for you but you weren’t at the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy…” Teng Fei explained while escorting Han Shuo to that gymnasium where they first met.
“Since Donna isn’t around, I guess I’ll leave. I have come here just to look for her. I’m not familiar with any member of the Lavers Family other than Donna. I had better not stay here any longer,” Han Shuo suddenly stopped walking and no longer let Teng Fei pull him any further.
“Come on, you are already here, might as well stay and chat with me. My stay in this Lavers Residence has recently become more and more unpleasant. That brother and sister pair, well they aren’t exactly people who accomplish things. I just can’t get along with them!” ever since the time Teng Fei decided to buy Han Shuo’s medicine, his relationship with Cage and Eve began to grow ever less harmonious. As Teng Fei actually secretly looked down upon the two, he naturally did not put effort into easing the tension. In fact, he even used this opportunity to distance himself from the siblings and was determined to improve his relationship with Han Shuo and Donna.
Teng Fei, who was talking and talking, suddenly froze. When he raised his head, he saw Cage and Eve’s angry faces that were dripping with sweat. Their eyes were filled with resentment and fury as they glared at Teng Fei and Han Shuo.
“How dare you step into our Lavers Residence!” Eve shouted. Anger boiled to her head as soon as she saw Han Shuo.
Eve’s undiscriminating attitude made Han Shuo even more furious. “I came here to look for Donna and it’s none of your goddamn business!” There was no way he would be polite to this brainless woman.
“I haven’t settled the score with you for beating me the last time and you still have the guts to bring trouble to our Lavers Residence? You are courting death, aren’t you?” Eve shouted furiously.
“I’m not going to bicker with a mentally-handicapped person. Forget about it, it appears that this House of Lavers is indeed not welcoming of me. I’m leaving,” Han Shuo waved his hand and turned around to leave. He felt that it was meaningless to argue with this kind of people, notwithstanding the fact that doing so inside the Lavers Residence was disadvantageous to him.
“Since when could a mere lowgod who just so happens to know how to make a few drugs act so arrogantly in the City of Shadows? Pfft, serves you right that your shop got wrecked. That’s what you get for not knowing your place! Hahaha…” Cage said as he cackled in an invigorated manner.
Han Shuo who was walking out the Lavers Residence immediately stopped in his footsteps when he heard Cage’s words. He stared at the belly laughing Cage with cold eyes and asked, “Is it you who did it?”
Cage was startled for a moment before he sneered, “None of your business… Who cares if I did it or not, you deserve it!”
Han Shuo nodded and walked out without speaking another word, ignoring Teng Fei’s yelling.
On that night, three energy crystal shops nominally owned by Avery Lavers, but in reality managed by Cage and Eve, exploded. A total of seven divine guards of the House of Lavers were injured and energy crystals valued at thirty thousand black crystal coins were destroyed in the explosions.
On the early morning of the second day, Cage was enraged by the news. He was jumping up and down, fuming. “It’s him, it must be him! I’m going to get him!” Upon finishing those words, Cage, without informing his father Avery, took a group of divine guards under his command and headed straight for Celestial Pearl Pharmacy.