Chapter 37: The Beginning of the Purge(III)

At this moment, time seemed to freeze as everyone stared in astonishment at the beating heart in Mikhail's hand and didn't move an inch - frozen like wooden chicken.

Some were gasping with their mouths opened wide enough to fit an egg. They couldn't calm down as their minds went blank.

*What the hell, the imperial Knight was really an Ether Church follower*

Other people gasped and felt a cold chill running down their spines. The 13th Imperial Prince was too brutish and aggressive! To kill the Imperial Knight in such a manner…

Meanwhile, the other Ether Church followers within the main hall were pale with horror after seeing this scene.

Their pair of eyes opened wide while gazing at the Heart Devouring Parasite coiling around the dead Imperial Knight's heart. Some even rubbed their eyes thinking they were seeing only things.

However, after rubbing their eyes for a while, the Heart Devouring Parasite coiling around the dead Imperial Knight's heart was still there, meaning that it was not only in their minds!

*'This… This… is not possible…' *They couldn't accept what their eyes were telling them.

*How the hell did the 13th imperial Prince know that Isaac was a follower of the Ether Church?*

*Did he really uncover the identities of all the Ether Church followers that have infiltrated the Imperial Palace over the past decades or did he only discover Isaac and tried to use him to smoke the rest of us out*

*Anyway, it's still too early to draw any conclusions. Let's wait and see what he's gonna do next*

At this moment, the heads of the Ether Church followers hiding among the others in the main hall were reeling as numerous thoughts flashed through their minds.

Previously, they thought that the 13th Imperial Prince was an idiot, but now, they understood that this wasn't the case. He was an extremely cunning and dangerous young man.

"My offer still stands, whoever gives himself up will have their families spared and a peaceful death. Otherwise, your fate will be the same as Isaac over there." Said Mikhail with a devilish smile on his face as he pointed out at the limbless corpse on the ground.

*Woosh*

At the same time, his right hand suddenly burst into flame, turning the dead Imperial Knight's heart along with the Heart Devouring Parasite into ashes.

Though the Imperial Knight was dead and Mikhail had ripped out his heart from his chest, the Heart Devouring Parasite didn't even try to escape and was still coiling around the imperial Knight's heart.

It wasn't because it didn't want to escape but because it couldn't as it was in a deep sleep. If it was awake, it would have long devoured the heart of the imperial knights before looking for another host.

It was the way that the Ether Church controlled their followers and prevented them from ever betraying them.

They fed all their followers the Heart Devouring Parasite while they possessed the required medications that could temporarily put them to sleep. It was a medication only known to them.

If a follower failed to take the medication on time, then he would have his heart devoured by the parasite. It was one of the reasons that many people were so loyal to them and didn't dare to betray them.

"So, what's it gonna be ladies and gentlemen. Are you going to drag your family in hell with you or are you going alone?"Mikhail added while looking at everyone with an ominous smile on his face. He was as if he enjoying it.

Furthermore, as those words came out of his mouth, a killing aura followed it and spread in all four directions, making everyone trembled.

At this moment, the Ether Church followers' souls were frightened out their bodies as they were scared shitless. They were all petrified.

None of them knew what to do. They didn't know whether or not the 13th Imperial prince was bluffing about him knowing all their secret identities as Ether Church followers.

Many people believed that Ether Church followers were all lunatics that weren't afraid of death, but the true followers of the Ether Church knew well that it was all bulls.

They weren't all lunatics. Some of them joined the Ether Church because they were coerced to and didn't have a choice while others because they hated the oppressive hierarchical system of this world.

As such, even though they were also followers of the Ether Church, they weren't lunatics that didn't have anything to lose which was why many of them felt suffocated after hearing the 13th Imperial prince's statement.

Just like that, ten minutes have gone by and no one came forward. The entire main hall fell into a deathly silence and the air was heavy. No one dared to utter a sound or even breathe loudly.

Everyone felt suffocated. That was even more true followers of the Ether Church, they felt as though they were being strangled by an invisible hand.

"What a pity." At this time, Mikhail's voice rang out again as he was looking at the people below with his cold and emotionless gaze.

Whoever his gaze fell upon, felt as if they were being eyed by a poisonous snake; their whole body felt a sudden chill. It didn't matter whether they were Ether Church followers or not.

Furthermore, even though he was saying that, there's wasn't a hint of pity and sadness in his eyes.

"It seems like you still don't believe. I guess you guys need more proof." He added with a sinister tone.

"That beautiful maid over there and that butler, come over." Said Mikhail with a slight on his face as he pointed at one of the maids in the front row and a butler behind her.

The moment Mikhail pointed his finger at them and called them, they all became pale with horror.

At the same time, their legs were shaking and their body exuded a cold fear. The poor butler nearly pissed his pants as he could already smell the stench of death around him.

"Y….yo…your highness. I swear that I am not an Ether Church follower. I've been working in the 4th Queen Palace since I was a young...." The butler couldn't even speak properly as he was stuttering.

"Me….me too your Highness. Please spare me, I am not one of those despicable lunatics from the Ether Church." The maid quickly pleaded as well.

"I know you guys aren't followers of the Ether Church, I just have some questions to ask you," Mikhail said with a sincere smile on his face.

However, in the eyes of the spectators, Mikhail's smiling face was more terrifying than the devil's smiling face.

"Thank you for believing in us your Highness." They simultaneously said as they quickly walked towards Mikhail's on the stage.

They both had a look of relief on their faces, like two prisoners on death row that have been pardoned.

Swish!

However, the moment they stepped onto the stage, they were met by a powerful crescent sword aura slash. One slash, two heads.

They didn't even have the chance to react as their heads sprung up high before rolling on the ground.

Whether it was the maid or the butler, their heads rolled on the ground with their eyes wide opened. Their eyes were still blinking during the rolling process.

Even at the moment of death, they didn't understand what transpired. Their eyes were still filled with confusion.

It was as if their eyes were saying;*I thought you believed us*

"Poof!" When their eyes closed, their severed necks finally started squirting out blood up high like a spring as their headless bodies fell straight down.

At the same time, Mikhail proceeded on ripping out their hearts from their chests and showed them the people below.

Sure enough, just like the heart of the previous Imperial Knight, two sleeping Heart Devouring Parasites could be seen coiling around their hearts as well.

"I hope this will help you make the right decision because this is your last chance." Mikhail coldly added as he burned the two hearts along with the Heart Devouring Parasites into ashes again.