Chapter Sixty-One: Innocents Caught in the Crossfire

Inside the Boost Trading House, there were artificial mountains and flowing water, the environment elegant and splendid, with corridors paved with pebbles running through the entire pavilion. Along the way, guards wielding longswords and spears could be seen passing by from time to time, making it clear that the security here was exceedingly strict.

Back in Balthazar City, Han Shuo had already inquired about the Boost Trading House and learned that their main business was trade. Simply put, they relied on their extensive network of trading posts that spanned the entire empire, purchasing materials and goods from various regions and selling them in places where they were scarce, making a profit from the difference.

The batch of weapons and medicinal supplies acquired from Dorro Town could undoubtedly be handled safely by the Boost Trading House. Thus, Han Shuo’s decision to seek out Fubin was certainly the right one.

They crossed three corridors and walked for several minutes. Just as Han Shuo was marveling at the sheer size of the place, the lady from the trading house stopped outside a pavilion.

“Farmar, go fetch Fubin. Jais, stand guard at the door. And you, your name is Bryan, isn’t it? Come with me.” The woman glanced around at the entrance, giving orders to the two sturdy warriors who had been following her.

Without a word, Han Shuo nodded and followed her inside. The floor was soft with thick carpets, priceless paintings adorned the walls, and the room was lavishly decorated. The main hall was spacious, with a round, ring-shaped table in the center, surrounded by several chairs.

The woman entered, selected a chair, and sat down, frowning in silence as if lost in thought. A few wisps of brown hair fell carelessly over her fair, smooth forehead, and set against her furrowed brow and beautiful features, some of her earlier cold aloofness seemed to have faded, replaced by a trace of melancholy.

She offered Han Shuo no greeting, and he was not in the least polite, pulling up a chair and sitting down, nonchalantly surveying the room and glancing at her from time to time.

After only a short while, the portly Fubin entered, wearing a sycophantic smile. After quietly closing the door behind him, he hurried over and bowed to the lady. “Miss Phoebe, I’m so glad you’ve returned safely!”

She nodded. “This man is here to see you, says he wants to do business. I was just about to consult you on some matters, so I brought him along.” She spoke to Fubin.

“Oh, so it’s Bryan! Back in the Shadowy Forest, if not for you I would never have escaped the forest trolls alive. I thought I’d never see you again, but here you are, seeking me out so soon after I’ve returned to the empire. What sort of business do you wish to discuss this time?” Fubin’s professional smile was fixed on his face as he addressed Han Shuo with enthusiasm.

“I have a batch of goods,” Han Shuo replied, glancing at Phoebe nearby. He hadn’t intended to say much, but upon reflection, even Fubin seemed to take his cues from her; there was nothing to hide. So he spoke bluntly. “The source is somewhat questionable. Are you willing to buy them?”

“That’s absolutely not a problem! Once something enters our trading house, no matter how questionable, it becomes clean. You can be at ease,” Fubin said, glancing at Phoebe in the distance. When she nodded slightly, he grinned broadly at Han Shuo.

Since that was the case, Han Shuo didn’t beat around the bush. Releasing a thread of spiritual energy, he pulled out thirteen sacks from his spatial ring, placing them in the room. “These are the goods. Count them and see how much they’re worth.”

Phoebe, sitting coldly to one side, immediately cast a sharp glance as Han Shuo produced the items. Her keen eyes flickered as she suddenly spoke, “These things must be from Dorro Town. Judging by the sacks, they’re the special loot bags used by the orc wolf cavalry. Did you seize them from the orc wolf cavalry?”

Han Shuo looked at her in surprise, admiring her perceptiveness—she’d deduced the whole story with a single glance. As expected of the lady of the Boost Trading House. He nodded, not intending to conceal anything. “That’s right, I took these from the orc wolf cavalry.”

At this admission, Phoebe, who’d previously ignored Han Shuo, suddenly brightened, fixing him with an intense, appraising gaze. Then, astonished, she asked, “You mean to say you single-handedly took these goods from the orc wolf cavalry?”

“Miss, Bryan is a formidable magic swordsman,” Fubin quickly explained, seeing Phoebe’s skepticism. “He drove off all the forest trolls that besieged me, all by himself.”

Upon hearing this, Phoebe seemed even more surprised, her sharp eyes scrutinizing Han Shuo. Under her gaze, even Han Shuo felt a sudden tightness in his chest, as if some secret might be laid bare.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Han Shuo gave a dry laugh. “I didn’t take these from the orc wolf cavalry alone, but now I’m responsible for them. Why don’t you tally them up and give me a fair price, so we can conclude our business promptly?”

“Very well, Fubin, count the items,” Phoebe instructed, giving Han Shuo a curious look, apparently surprised he’d so frankly admitted he hadn’t done it alone.

A faint metallic sound, like a sword slowly unsheathing, suddenly caught Han Shuo’s ear. He started, his expression changing as he glanced at the shadowed ceiling and spoke coldly, “Who’s up there on the roof?”

At these words, both Phoebe and Fubin’s faces changed dramatically. Before they could react, three crossbow bolts whistled through the air from above, aimed at the three of them.

Han Shuo’s initial anger—suspecting Fubin and Phoebe of murderous intent—vanished when he saw the bolts were targeting all three. Clearly, that was not the case.

The sharp whistling of the bolts alone signaled the immense force and speed behind them—clearly the work of seasoned experts. In this critical moment, Han Shuo remained preternaturally calm. He twisted aside, dodging the bolt meant for him, and, drawing a dagger in his right hand, struck at another bolt flying toward Fubin.

With a sharp crack, the bolt destined for Fubin shattered. The impact sent a fierce jolt through Han Shuo’s dagger hand, his entire right arm suddenly aching from the force—proof of the terrifying power behind the shot. Had any ordinary person blocked it this way, their arm would likely have been broken.

With a heavy thud, Phoebe, panic-stricken, dashed toward Han Shuo. The chair where she’d been sitting was now pierced clean through by a crossbow bolt, the missile embedding itself in the carpet and deep into the hard floor beneath—a testament to the deadly force behind it.

“Assassins! Assassins!” Fubin shrieked, shoving Han Shuo toward Phoebe and crying desperately, “Bryan, save our lady! I’ll give you an extra five hundred gold coins if you do—please, I beg you!”

It was clear Fubin knew Han Shuo was not the sort to risk himself for heroics; thus, at this critical moment, he resorted to bribery.

As Fubin’s cry rang out, three crisp clicks sounded from the ceiling. Three dark figures appeared, and three longswords gleaming with dark blue battle aura slashed down towards Phoebe and Han Shuo. The chill of their blades was so intense that Han Shuo felt as if his very flesh was being flayed.

Dark blue battle aura—these were three high-ranking swordsmen!

Han Shuo knew his own strength well; in a straight fight, he would scarcely be a match for even one such swordsman, let alone three. Their intent was clearly to slaughter everyone in the room. At this moment, even abandoning the others offered no hope of escape. The only chance was to hold out until reinforcements arrived.

Magical energy surged within him as Han Shuo sprang into action. By now, Phoebe had reached him. He reached out, seized her right hand, pulled her forcefully into his arms, and rolled them both under the central round table.

Crashing sounds erupted above as the solid table was smashed apart in an instant. Three razor-sharp swords tore through the tabletop, thrusting toward Han Shuo and Phoebe beneath.

At that instant, Han Shuo’s necromantic incantation was complete. The little skeleton, brandishing a bone knife, materialized in the air and lunged at one of the assassins, while Han Shuo, hidden under the table, raised his left hand, firing a crossbow bolt from his sleeve at another attacker.