Shocked looks filled the faces of all in the crowd at John's words. Some asked those nearby if they had heard correctly.
"Young Bloodfiend Sect friend, what are you talking about?" the auctioneer replied back to John, his face slightly grim. However, he tried to have as neutral of a face as possible, to convince both John and those in the crowd of his innocence.
"Who...who do these heads belong to as well, and why have you dropped them before me?" the man continued.
"Oh? It's going to be like this, huh?" John replied with a mocking smile. His body raced downwards, quickly appearing on the stage next to the man.
He leaned down and picked up one of the heads, holding it high for all the crowd to see.
"Does anyone recognize this head?" John called out to the crowd.
Knowing eyes lit up within the crowd, but no one replied. John frowned as he saw this.
'This auctioneer probably has a high status within this city, so no one dares offend him. Seems like I'll have to be a bit heavy handed.'
Boom!
John's aura exploded outwards, shocking everyone in the crowd, as well as the auctioneer. It was far more powerful than they had expected, and contained an incredibly deep and sinister bloodlust.
"I won't repeat myself again. Who is this dead man? If no one answers, I'll destroy this city," John spoke out in a loud, cold tone.
"He...he was the City Leader's highest advisor, Count Ashcort," a shout echoed from within the crowd.
The auctioneer's face instantly darkened as someone had ratted him out, but put on a genial smile as John looked at him. He had sent six men in the same realm as John to kill him, and all had failed. Clearly, he had underestimated his opponent, and was in a grave situation.
"City leader huh? So, I would assume that to be you?" John turned around and said to the auctioneer. He had assumed the man to just be the auctioneer of this slave market, but it seemed as if the man's status was higher than first expected. However, this was not an issue.
The man smiled, as if he had nothing to hide. "That is correct. I am the leader of this city. Now I have a question of my own," the man replied, assuming his previously commanding stature. "For what reason did you kill my advisor, or bring me his head?"
"Still playing dumb huh?" John replied in an amused tone. He raised his voice for all to hear as he kicked the other heads into the crowd, which landed amongst them.
"I'm sure you can all recognize the other faces," John called out.
The crowd closely inspected the heads, and more knowing looks appeared on their faces. Clearly they recognized them.
"They're under the City Leader's employ," a voice called out within the crowd.
"Young Bloodfiend Master," the auctioneer, identified as the city leader, called out to John. "I have no idea what happened between you and my underlings, or why you decided to kill them, but I can assure you that I had nothing to do with it," the man pleaded his case.
John paused for a moment. He truly didn't have any evidence that the city leader had ordered his henchmen to attack him.
'I really don't have proof. If this was back in the Honorable Alliance lands, I would need to present proof in order to find this man guilty. However...these are the Forbidden Alliance lands. Proof is secondary to strength and status here, of which I have both.'
A look of contemplation appeared on John's face, at which point a wry smile took over. "Forgive me, City Leader. I suppose you are right. I really do not have proof it was you, and so I apologize for my brash actions," John said to the man.
The crowd was slightly surprised by John's sudden change in mood, and the City Leader as well. However, the City Leader breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at John warmly.
"Young Bloodfiend Master, I am extremely glad that you can see reaso-"
The man's words cut off as his eyes suddenly opened wide. He looked down at the arm now piercing into his chest, grabbing his heart. He looked back up at John in absolute shock and horror, and could only see extremely cold eyes staring back.
The man was also in the Late Core Formation Realm, but was absolutely sure John would not outwardly attack him. Even if he did, he should be able to respond in time, and so his guard was slightly down. He was used to looking down on others, and not the other way around. This flaw proved fatal.
"However, I do not need proof. I know it was you," John's cold voice entered the man's ears. "Even if it wasn't, a superior needs to properly control their underlings, so either way, I'll be taking your life."
Boom!
A muffled sound escaped the man's chest as John's hand squeezed tightly, shattering the man's heart. The man's eyes opened as wide as possible, and he collapsed to the ground, dead.
The crowd looked up at the stage in silent shock. Although they were used to violence, as the Forbidden Alliance lands were quite chaotic and brutal, this was still far more than they had expected. Their city leader, who had ruled for decades, was now dead by the hands of a boy not even twenty years old.
Not only the crowd, but the captive slaves on the stage behind John and the city leader stared at the scene before them in absolute shock and horror. They were captives from the Honorable Alliance lands, similar to those who John had rescued on his mission with the War Hall.
They were not used to seeing such violence, and could hardly stomach it. Their shocked looks turned to fear as John turned around to look at them. His gaze seemed like the gaze of death.
'There's roughly thirty captives who haven't been sold.'
John turned back towards the crowd, his gaze sweeping over them like a hawk. Since the city was located at the outer edges of the Forbidden Alliance lands, the cultivations of its citizens were not very high. John had the highest cultivation of them all, which meant they were at his mercy.
"Listen up," John's voice boomed out. "Who is the strongest citizen of this city?
The crowd all looked towards one man as John asked his question, and John followed their gaze. It was a man who appeared to be in his thirties, who had a cultivation at the Middle Core Formation Realm.
"Come here," John instructed the man.
The man had no idea why John wanted him to step forward, and had a grim look his face as he had just seen John slaughter the city leader. However, he couldn't argue against John or his strength, and so he complied and walked up onto the stage.
John inspected the man for a moment before nodding his head and turning back to the crowd once more.
"From this day forward, I will be the new leader of this city" John called out with a loud, commanding voice.
The crowd was not expecting to hear that, as John was a disciple of the Bloodfiend Sect. Why would a Bloodfiend member bother themselves with a city such as this one?
"As for this man, he will now be my direct advisor. When I am in this city, my order's are law. When I am out of the city, his order's are my orders. If either my order's, or this man's orders are disobeyed, I will personally return to the city to end those who disobey. That is all."
John's words shocked the crowd once more, as the events of the past several minutes were completely out of their expectations. However, none had the power to argue, and so none did. Besides, having a Bloodfiend member as the city leader would surely elevate the status of the city, raising its importance and power to a new level.
This would lead to a greater influx of citizens, and as a result, money and status. The crowd could already see the city's booming future, and hopefulness appeared in their usually glum and gloomy hearts. Such a thing was something the citizens looked forward to, and so none argued.
John turned to the man beside him, who stood there silently. He had not expected to be raised to such a status instantly, but a small smile of happiness could be seen on his face.
"What is your name?" John asked the man.
"My name is Hanze," the man replied.
"Well then Hanze, take me to the previous city leader's estate," John instructed the man before gathering the dead city leaders corpse.
Hanze nodded his head and began to walk off in a certain direction. John turned to look behind him, at all the captive slaves on the stage who still stared at him in shock and fear.
"You all, follow me to my new estate. From now on, you're all my personal servants."
