GDK 876: Crisis at the House of Han
While Han Shuo was achieving his great ambitions in the Fringe, the House of Han ran into a major crisis in the City of Shadows.
Ever since Han Shuo left the City of Shadows, the members of the House of Han had retreated to Fort Lasberg. They had been quietly expanding their influence and business in the Fort, not meddling with any business related to the City of Shadows.
Wallace, the City Lord of the City of Shadows, had tacitly approved the members of the House of Han leaving the city center. He had not notified the House of Han to participate in all big and small affairs related to the City. He had excluded the House of Han from taking any part in running the City.
As the Fringe was just too far away from the City of Shadows, it was very difficult for news to reach the City of Shadows from the Fringe. This was worsened by the unique migration pattern.
The criminals and outlaws from all Twelve Dominions would usually head to the Fringe out of desperation. They would bring the latest tidings from every corner of Elysium with them to the Fringe.
However, very few of those ferocious gods who had stepped into the Fringe would ever get the chance to return to their respective Dominions. This created a phenomenon where there were countless experts migrating into the Fringe while few migrated out. Therefore, it was also slow for news in the Fringe to make it to the rest of the Elysium.
The most recent news about Han Shuo that Phoebe, Emily, and the others learned was he had left Ethereal City for the Fringe. They had no idea what happened in the Fringe or how he was doing.
Even City Lord Wallace had no clue about how well Han Shuo was doing in the Fringe. Han Shuo had ceased all contact and seemed to have disappeared forever. Nobody knew when or if he’d ever return to the City of Shadows.
Having seen the countless miraculous deeds Han Shuo accomplished while he was in the city, for the future of the House of Sainte in the City of Shadows, Wallace had started to quell the strength of the House of Han. But as Wallace knew that the House of Han was close friends with Andre, Carmelita, Aobashi, Erebus, and others, he did not do anything too excessive.
Wallace seemed to have tacitly approved of Han Shuo’s decision to relocate all of the House of Han’s manpower and resources to Fort Lasberg. He even showed absolutely no interest or reaction when the divine guards of the Fifth Corps left the city and moved to Fort Lasberg.
Fort Lasberg was located at the border of the city’s sphere of influence. From Wallace’s point of view, the House of Han could not cause him trouble from that region. As long as the House of Han didn’t expand their influence inside the city, Wallace would be happy and leave the family clan to themselves.
However, back when Han Shuo lived in the City of Shadows, he had offended just too many people, for instance Hofs of Hushveil City who was located uncomfortably close to Fort Lasberg. After a few years of extensive investigation, Hofs learned the perpetrators who attacked Hushveil City were Han Shuo and Rose.
And after further investigation, he found Wallace seemingly deliberately alienating the House of Han. Hofs had been searching for Han Shuo to take revenge. But after failing to do so, he turned his eyes to the House of Han at Fort Lasberg.
Besides Hofs, there was a second person eying Fort Lasberg vengefully. He came from the most powerful family clan in the Darkness Dominion, the House of Broadhurst. Not only had he lost a good number of his highgods to Han Shuo, but his son was murdered before his arranged marriage with Donna.
After many years of thorough investigation, Larikson managed to determine that Han Shuo was the person who had murdered his son. It was easy to see why he would want to kill Han Shuo and every member of his family clan. The House of Broadhurst had control over the City of Gorging Clouds, the most powerful city in the Darkness Dominion. Larikson posed a greater threat to Fort Lasberg than Hofs.
Larikson and Hofs had an identical objective and they reached a pact soon after their first meeting. They intended to join forces and destroy Fort Lasberg’s House of Han. The two were confident that they could wreck Fort Lasberg using the formidable experts at their behest.
***Inside Hushveil City, Hofs and Larikson were having a conversation in the City Lord’s mansion.
Hofs and Larikson had been scheming an assault on Fort Lasberg for a long time. The two were confident of flattening Fort Lasberg with the forces they commanded. But there was still one thing keeping them from taking vengeance.
“Lord Larikson, I have no doubt that by working together, we would be successful in reaching our objective. My only concern is Wallace. When all is said and done, Fort Lasberg is a territory of the City of Shadows. If we are to invade the fort, Wallace might retaliate and we could start a civil war.”
Fort Lasberg was a territory of the City of Shadows. Trespassing on the Fort to attack the House of Han would be a provocation against the City of Shadows. This could potentially lead to a war between the cities of the Darkness Dominion. That was definitely not something that the Overgod of Darkness wished to see.
Larikson, whose mind was filled with a thirst for revenge, replied, “Don’t worry about this, Wallace will not make an enemy of us for a small little House of Han. He will turn a blind eye to us sieging Fort Lasberg.”
Hofs seemed pleasantly surprised and he exclaimed, “You mean to say Wallace has…?”
Larikson nodded affirmatively and explained, “I have communicated with Wallace. He will pretend as though we caught him off guard. And after the event, the most he will do is publicly denounce us. He won’t go to war against us for a small family clan. Hehe, the House of Han is threatening the House of Sainte’s position in the City of Shadows. The way I see it, Wallace wouldn’t be happier to see the House of Han destroyed!”
“Then there is nothing that I’m worried about,” Hofs exhaled before he put on an evil grin and said, “Let us begin our operation!”
“Yes. Assemble your troops. We will start marching towards Fort Lasberg soon. Those in the House of Han are incapable of putting up a fight against us. We will massacre every last one of the family clan!” said Larikson ferociously.
“And I believe that after the House of Han is destroyed, Bryan will rush back home no matter where he is. And when he returns, we will get rid of him!” Hofs laughed heartily. It took him years and a great deal of effort to quell the family clans in Hushveil City in his sphere of influence. He could not be happier to think that he would soon get his revenge.
*** Inside the Han Residence in Fort Lasberg. The members of the House of Han had become aware of Hofs and Larikson’s plan.
During the past few years, the House of Han had stopped expanding in the City of Shadows. They had added not even one new Celestial Pearl branch in the city and had distanced themselves from matters related to the city. They had gone silent. However, secretly, the House of Han was growing.
Although the House of Han had stopped expanding in the City of Shadows, they were working with many big family clans in the Death and Destruction Dominions, expanding the influence and business of Celestial Pearl to those Dominions. With even greater revenue streams, the House of Han was able to recruit even more experts.
Before Han Shuo departed from the City of Shadows, he had built layers upon layers of defensive formations as well as the Eight Desolation and Torment Formation in Fort Lasberg. The members of the House of Han had been training inside the Formation and their overall strength was starkly improving.
The House of Han had built a decent information network in the Dominions of Death, Darkness, and Destruction. Using the network, they became aware of Larikson visiting Hofs in Hushveil City. From the unusual activities Larikson and Hofs showed, the House of Han came to the conclusion that the two were going to attack Fort Lasberg.
Although the House of Han had been rapidly strengthening, they were still no match against the forces commanded by Hofs and Larikson. Hofs was the City Lord of Hushveil City while Larikson was the brother of the House of Broadhurst’s patriarch. If the two of them joined forces to attack Fort Lasberg, the House of Han would inevitably be defeated.
Phoebe, Emily, Ayermike, Stratholme, Sanguis, Bollands, Gilbert, and all other core members of the House of Han gathered in the meeting room of the Han Residence. They were discussing how to defend themselves against Hofs and Larikson’s invasion.
“We have received intel that Larikson, a late-stage highgod himself, brought three highgods with him to Hushveil City. Hofs, the City Lord of Hushveil City, will surely bring a large number of his City’s divine guards to the invasion. We are outnumbered and outgunned,” briefed Emily worryingly to those in the meeting room.
The party felt helpless against the two tremendous forces. It was impossible for the House of Han to resist the might of a city in just a few years.
“Unfortunately for us, Master is not with us, or else those two fellas would certainly regret ever having been born!” remarked Gilbert. To him, Han Shuo had always been an invincible force. Although both Larikson and Hofs were formidable in their own rights, they had suffered defeats to Han Shuo and they obviously were no match for him.
“Hmph, if Master is in Fort Lasberg, I doubt that the two would even have the courage to attack us!” remarked Sanguis coldly. He was angered and his pupils immediately turned blood-red as a visible mist of blood emanated from his body. From the aura he emanated, it was obvious that his strength had yet again soared during those few years.
“But Bryan is not around and we must rely on ourselves,” Stratholme bunched his brows tightly and said, “We must not leave Fort for we have defenses set up. We would be even more powerless against our enemies outside the Fort.” Stratholme took a short pause and calmly continued, “Send a message to Erebus, Aobashi, Carmelita, and Andre and inform them of our situation. if they can get to Fort Lasberg in time, our chances could substantially increase.”
“Alright, I’ll get it done!” said Phoebe before immediately dispatching messengers. Fort Lasberg was suddenly busy. Multiple shadows dashed out the Fort as fast as they could for the survival of the House of Han.