Chapter 158: Coiling Snake

The guards, or the passerby, the boss, or anyone else, no matter who it was, their face turned ghastly pale. Some of them even lost their consciousness while others vomited in disgust at the cruel scene. The Boss looked at Ayaan in fear, dread, and full of terror. He couldn't even react as this man had slaughtered his men in front of him. His face covered in sweat and his body shivered and his eyelashes trembled as he looked at the man of horror.

Not wasting any time the Boss fell over the ground and smashed his head in front of shocked onlookers. "Please, my lord, forgive me. I was blind and made a mistake. I will become your slave if you want me to, just one chance." The man pleaded as he hit his head on the ground again and again.

Ayaan looked at him nonchalantly. "You aren't qualified to be my slave." he said disdainfully.

"Stop!"

"Whoosh!"

Someone shouted from the city, however, Ayaan paid a little attention to the voice and his sabre separated the head of the bowing man. Blood pumped from the separated neck and pooled on the ground. No one made the noise and everyone looked at Ayaan in terror, and a question popped in their heads, 'who is he?' However, no one dared to ask him.

Only now Ayaan turned towards the place where the voice had come. He saw a man in white; he looked no more than forty years old; he stood on the city wall, face filled with anger; his gaze peered directly at Ayaan. However, when he saw Ayaan's cold eyes, his heart went cold, and hurriedly turned his face away. "Do you want anything?" Ayaan asked in an impassive voice, looking at the man standing on the wall. 

After hearing Ayaan's question people also turned towards the city wall. "He is the Mayor!" one man shouted but then shut his mouth, in fear of offending the man.

"I heard he has a good relationship with the boss of the Eagle Mercenary." A whisper came from the crowd.

"They weren't on good terms with the Mayor, instead they were like subordinates to him. That was the reason those people acted so arrogantly." Someone else released important information.

The man on the wall heard Ayaan's cold voice; and then, people's whispers and fear filled his heart. He couldn't tell why he would feel a fear from a youngster who looked no older than his son. No matter what was the reason, he didn't want to stay here even a second more. "N-no, I was just admiring the scenery. I-I gu-guess I will go." The man replied and jumped into the city from the wall and disappeared from everyone's sight. Leaving stunned onlookers behind.

Ayaan curled his lips in disdain when he saw the man's action. Though he had to admire that the man was smart enough to run away while he could, or if he had dared to piss Ayaan off, he wouldn't mind detaching his long neck from his head.

"Let's go," he turned towards his companions and entered the towering gate of the city. No one dared to stop him. Everyone just looked at him in awe and dread and parted the way for him and his companions.

After Ayaan entered the city, the guards hurriedly went to the corpses and cleaned the entrance. Though they felt nauseous and sickened and disgusted by just looking at the gory scene, they had no choice but to clear the entrance. The people who had been standing also scattered. Not willing to stand in the bloody stench.

Ayaan walked with his women and looked at the wide, clean road. The towering wooden houses stood all about the city. At the center of Shadow City was the highest castle standing proudly. It belonged to the Mayor. 

All houses stood with a pattern, not scattered all about. That looked rather beautiful. 

As they walked, they saw a large ground not far away from the road, in which children played and laughed and fought, as a child would do. Ayaan remembered his own childhood and shook his head with some melancholy.

The group walked deeper into the city and saw many wooden shops, selling many things. There were even some stalls of street food. Ayaan remembered his time on earth and the time he used to eat street food. Though the food here was different, he still wanted to try. 

The girls hesitated at first because all of them were princesses and had high standards. None of them ever ate street food; but when they saw how excited Ayaan was, they also joined him. 

The two little guys also salivated when looking at the food. Those two had come from a humble background and used to eat these street-foods as well. After all this was cheap food and only the poor would eat such food. Those rich and noble and arrogant people felt disgusted even going near these street stalls.

As Ayaan wandered in the city, news of him slaughtering the entire Eagle Mercenary spread like a wildfire. Everyone knew that a group of strangers arrived in the city and the first thing they did was to slaughter the most powerful mercenary group. 

Everyone was talking about Ayaan in the entire city. However, Ayaan was unaware of the ruckus he had caused. Though even if he knew he wouldn't care, he just wanted to spend his time with his ladies and enjoy his temporary peace and forget all the unnecessary worries for sometime.

After eating the street food, Ayaan gave a gold coin to the man who sold the food. It shocked the man when he saw the gold coin. He insisted and didn't want to take the gold at first, but Ayaan didn't give him a choice to refuse. The gold couldn't buy the peace he felt in this short time, it was just a small price he wanted to pay.

The environment of this place was pretty good, neither too hot, nor too cold. It gave him the feeling of spring. Others also fell in love with the city, it was tranquil and beautiful and full of vigour. 

After wandering around the group found an inn and reserved three rooms. Akash stayed with Ayaan while Ifre went with the girls. In the meantime no one talked about the future troubles. They enjoyed the peace and wanted to live this peace as long as they could.

In the evening they had dinner together in the inn's hall. Everyone looked fearful when Ayaan appeared in the hall at the ground floor. The news about Ayaan's deed had already spread, and people confirmed this group was the same who slaughtered the Eagle Mercenary. Even the Mayor ran away in terror. 

Ayaan saw their fearful looks and shook his head. Why did these people look fearful after looking at his handsome face? Anyway, he didn't pay attention to anyone and ordered his food. The entire time Ayaan remained in the hall, no one made a sound, in fear of offending this barbaric man who kills people like chicken and dogs.

The group went upstairs after eating food. Only then people sighed in relief and whispered among themselves. Even then no one dared to talk loudly in fear that he might hear them.

That night the group slept carelessly and peacefully. As they were sleeping, somewhere in the city, a man with a dark expression sat on the table drinking wine. "I will kill that bastard!" he cursed furiously. "How dare he kill my subordinates! I will make his life worse than death."

"Smash!"

The man smashed the wine bottle on the ground in anger, as he vented his frustration. This man was none other than the Mayor of the Shadow City—Vylan.

"Ovid!" shouted Vylan towards the door. Hurriedly a man entered inside the room and bowed towards Vylan. "Yes, My Lord." he said.

"I want you to travel to the capital." Vylan said without hesitation.

"My Lord, you…" Ovid hesitated to speak as he looked at the Mayor.

"I want you to contact the Assassin Guild in the capital," said Vylan. Then he looked at the man, and continued, "I don't need to specify the reason, do I?"

Ovid bowed towards the Mayor and said, "this subordinate understands. I will start my journey in the morning." 

After that Ovid walked away. The Mayor looked at Ovid's back and grinned evilly. "I will let you know the consequence of making me an enemy, humph! And after your death, I will take good care of your women, hahaha." 

Whenever Vylan remembered Ayaan's cold eyes, he felt as if a grim reaper was looking at him and that was the reason behind his every action. He feared Ayaan, and he wanted to kill his fear as soon as possible. The revenge for his subordinates was just nonsense he made to justify his reasoning and to feel better.

The Mayor again drank, and he drank until yellow light appeared on the dark sky, and gigantic mountains cast enormous shadows over the city.

While the Mayor was mourning the loss of his subordinates, Ayaan and his companions had a hearty breakfast; completely oblivious that a snake was coiling around them.