With the baby dragon on his shoulder and Gaya behind him, he opened the door to see the panic-stricken Jack. A couple of drops of sweat could be seen on his face, "what are you afraid of? It's just Baron and his men" Michael said, stepping out of his home, he looked at the rising sun on the horizon.
"Today sell the usual stuff, I'll make the new pills and potions later"
"But brother-"
"Don't worry about the Baron, I'll deal with them"
"Get the fuck out of here" Gaya's tone gave Jack no space to continue, he could only run away from her before she the crap out of him.
"Do you sense them?" His calm face turned cold after Jack left, Gaya nodded, the baby dragon's round pupils became vertical slits, sensing the powerful presence around them.
"Yes, we are surrounded but I don't know how many"
"Fifty-six powerful figures, might be more than that'' his Environmental Scanning was just at level 2, therefore, it could only sense a limited number of powerful hostiles around him. If they were at the Core Formation stage, he would have detected their cultivation level but he was unable to sense their cultivation level which meant they were stronger than the Core Formation stage.
Among the fifty-six he could sense, some of them were concealing themselves and floating directly above them in the sky, some were hiding in the ocean of trees around them.
"Humph, do they think it's easy to catch me?" Michael snickered inside his mind.
"Can you sense their cultivation level?" Gaya asked, she didn't show it on her face that they noticed the presence.
"All of them are above the Core Formation stage" He had already paid the system to prevent anyone from eavesdropping on their conversation in case these unknown figures were doing just that. If they were eavesdropping, they would hear nothing but some random conversation about life and the sect.
Michael walked to the side, to a place where the customers could clearly see the events unfold so he could earn badass points utilizing this situation.
Eventually, after waiting for the baron and his men, Michael saw a large crowd of soldiers adorning full metal armor marching up the steps, to meet him.
At the same time, he looked up to see an object soaring through the sky.
"There she is," Michael snickered, recognizing the person atop the flying sword, Celina.
The Baron and his men locked their eyes with him, they kept marching towards him until Celina landed in front of them with a loud thud. Even from a distance, he could see those bloodshot eyes, veins protruding on her face. Her neatly combed hair was disheveled. Behind Celina, an emaciated man walking with the men, Michael almost failed to recognize this man, Baron Totonk. He was walking like a zombie, there was no life in those swollen eyes of his. His previously sturdy body now became the body of a starved man.
Killing Jane really did a number on him, Michael thought. Waiting for them, he stood there, his hair fluttering back in the wind, accompanied by Gaya and the baby dragon on his shoulder.
The men halted their steps, keeping a ten-meter distance from Michael and Gaya. There were a few gasps and murmurs when they saw the majestic creature sitting on his shoulder. However, Celina's eyes didn't look like anything or anyone but Ghost, she locked her eyes with him, within those bloodshot eyes, a flash of shock emerged and disappeared.
"Not impressed," Michael thought she would have reached at least the Core Formation stage but seeing her Body Strengthening stage level 9 cultivation level, he was disappointed.
"Young Miss, let me talk" a wrinkly old man with a slightly hunched back pressed Celina's hand and said. The old man then turned his gaze at Michael, "Young Master Ghost, I'm Baston, a servant of the Baron, did-"
"I heard about what happened, Baston, it's terrible" Michael calmly said. Looking at his nonchalant face, Celina shivered in rage. However, her mind refused to attack him, just like she did when dealing with those who had grudges with Jane. She attacked first and asked questions later. The first time they met, he was just a Foundation stage cultivator while she was a Body Strengthening stage warrior, at that time, she could have easily killed him but now, the tables have turned.
"Words cannot make any of you feel better, is there something I can do to help you, Baston?" Since Baron Totonk seemed lifeless, Michael decided to talk with this old man instead of the Baron himself.
"Grandpa Baston, let me deal with this bas-"
"I assume you're not here to fight me, Celina" Michael interjected before she could finish her sentence
"Young Miss, please" the old man quickly pressed Celeina's fist tightly and gave Michael an apologetic look,
"Young Master we are here to" the old man's voice trailed away,
"You're here to interrogate me right?" Michael finished the old man's thought. The old man sighed, slowly nodding,
"Young Master Ghost, I hope you understand the situation, we only want to find the person responsible for" again, the old man didn't finish his sentence looking at the Baron beside him. The Baron had lost all of his energy and will to live after seeing his beloved daughter hanging in front of his manor, brutally killed.
No matter how strong he was, at the end of the day, he was a loving father. Jane's death broke him from within, the old man knew the Baron had died that day and the man with them is just a vessel.
"You're wasting your time Baston, you very well know that I was in the Nether Realm at that time," said Michael.
"What's happening?"
"Why is the Baron here?"
"Whoa, what's up with the platoon of men?"
"Hey I think they are suspecting brother Ghost with the murder of Jane"
"Bullshit, everyone knows it was the devil of Bredia, Lucifer who killed her"
"Brother Ghost beat the shit out of her personal guards, so it's natural for them to investigate him"
"Except Brother Ghost was in the Nether Realm when Lucifer killed her unless Brother Ghost know a way to be in two different realms at the same time"
Seeing the commotion, the disciples gathered around them. The old man and the Baron's men heard the chattering and couldn't help but agree with the disciples. The men knew Celina is wasting time with Ghost when she could focus the investigation on someone else.
Jane's two uncles and three brothers were unable to come to her funeral as they were leading the army of Bredia against the war with Kingdom Lavia. Even if they wanted to come, the King wouldn't permit them unless they are fine with getting their heads cut for abandoning their king during the war.
Only Celina and her family were there to console the Baron as well as seek justice personally for Jane.
"You're a freak!" Celina lost her patience, she shouted in anger, "you could have found a way to kill her!"
"This is not the time" Michael simply waved his hand, ignoring her.
"Since you're here even though you know I was in the Nether Realm, I assume you have a reason to be here" Many men behind Baron were surprised to see the way he was handling Celina and the situation. He was not like the other prodigies or the genius youths they had encountered before.
If someone else was in his shoes, they would have lost their calm because it was obvious that he didn't kill her.
"Young Miss" the old man glared at Celina, this time there was anger in his eyes. Celina swallowed her rage, giving the chance for grandpa Baston to handle the situation.
The old man flicked his situation, taking out a greenish glistening pill. As an Alchemist, he instantly recognized the pill and its purity level, 85% pure pill which meant it was concocted by the Pill King Gabriel himself.
"Truth exactor huh?" The Baron' men tensed when the old man took out the pill. This pill was used only in situations such as murder trials, judging treason cases. Except for those who were charged with the above accusations, it's considered a privacy invasion, which was a crime punishable by either death or decades of imprisonment, if the Victim went to the king or to the Guardians to complain.
The disciples stepped back a little fearing that Ghost would lose his calm and start attacking the Baron's men. His expression changed, a cold look submerged on his face before sighing,
"I understand, I was one of the people who had quarrels with Jane. Besides, I understand the Baron's situation and respect him, Baston, give me the pill" the old man was stunned by his words, he really thought he would decline to take the pill. Even if he refused to take the pill, they had no right to force him to, it was a crime after all.
"Ghost, you don't have to do that!" Gaya pretended to be mad as the baby dragon hissed at the old man.
"HU!"
"It's okay Aelia, the fewer the suspects, the closer they would get to Lucifer. Everyone has to help however they can to stop an evil like that" His image in everyone's hearts rose up, the Baron's men began to respect and admire this youngster, despite his ruthlessness, he wanted to be on the side of good.
[Really?] Even the system couldnt stay silent hearing him speak like an innocent upright person.