Read The Almighty Dominance Novel (Alexander Leonhart and Sophia Lancaster) by Sunshine Updated 2025 -26 - The Almighty Dominance Chapter 557

The Almighty Dominance Chapter 557

Some of those who had already received gold returned with their relatives. More villagers kept pouring in. What had begun with barely twenty people had swelled to nearly fifty—and the crowd was still growing.

Alex’s gaze shifted to the side.

The two cultivator women in blue and yellow robes were still there.

They were the real danger.

He silently prayed that these unwelcome guests would lose interest and leave without digging any deeper. But they continued to scan the area with sharp, methodical attention, as if searching for something specific.

They paid Alex no mind—he looked far too busy dealing with the mob.

And Alex understood exactly what that meant.

He had to stay busy. Very busy. Until they left.

“All of you, stop!”

A sharp voice cut through the noise.

The crowd turned.

A man in tattered clothes stepped forward. His appearance was poor, but his eyes were bright and keen. He dragged over a wooden chair from somewhere and set it beside Alex.

“Young Master Bai, please sit while you inspect them,” he said respectfully. “This will take time. You shouldn’t stand for so long. It would be a pity to tire your legs.”

In truth, Alex’s body was in terrible shape. He had just survived a light bomb, crashed in a wrecked VÖXEN, and was holding himself together by sheer will. The chair felt like a godsend.

He sat down without hesitation.

Moments later, two women hurried over and placed a table in front of him.

One poured tea.

Another—a young woman with delicate features—stepped behind him and began gently massaging his back.

Alex let out a slow breath and relaxed into it. He had to admit—it felt incredible.

“You,” Alex said, looking at the man who had brought the chair.

“I am Zhuge Liang,” the man replied with a respectful bow. “Awaiting your orders, Young Master.”

“You may take thirty gold ingots,” Alex announced loudly, making sure everyone heard.

Zhuge Liang immediately shook his head.

“Young Master Bai, you are the purest and most innocent man here. How could admiration and honor be measured in money? I serve you out of respect alone. Please allow me to do so without reward.”

Alex studied him, then smirked.

This one was clever.

He wasn’t trying to steal golden eggs—he was trying to catch the goose itself.

“As you wish,” Alex said.

“Thank you, Young Master,” Zhuge Liang replied, straightening.

He turned to the villagers and raised his voice.

“From this moment on, each person will receive one gold ingot. Form a line. The person at the front may begin praising the truth about Young Master Bai.”

Murmurs of protest rippled through the crowd.

“This isn’t fair!”

“I want five gold ingots!”

“Yes—five!”

Zhuge Liang stepped forward calmly.

“Whether it is fair or not is for Young Master Bai to decide.”

He leaned toward Alex and bowed slightly.

“Young Master, for villagers like us, one gold ingot is already life-changing. Giving more will only drain your coffers and benefit fewer people. With one ingot each, you’ll win the voices of the entire village—and secure the City Lord’s position firmly in your hands.”

Alex looked at him, then nodded slowly.

Smart. Very smart.

“Proceed,” Alex said. “One gold ingot each.”

“Thank you, Young Master!” Zhuge Liang said loudly, then turned back to the crowd.

“One gold ingot. If you don’t want it, go home. Don’t block those who do.” He gestured at the wooden box.
“There are only about three hundred ingots. Hesitate, and you’ll lose your chance.”

“I want it!”

“Me too!”

Villagers surged forward, scrambling to form a line.

The first man rushed up, chest heaving, eyes blazing with exaggerated devotion.

“Young Master Bai! My in-laws always curse you, calling you useless trash! I went home and slapped both my mother-in-law and father-in-law for you and told them to stop spreading lies about your name!”

He pointed proudly behind him.

“As proof, the two people standing there are my in-laws. You can ask them yourselves!”

A middle-aged woman raised her hand timidly.

“He’s telling the truth,” she said. “He slapped me very hard. My face is still swollen.”

The old man beside her nodded quickly.
“Yes. It was our fault. We misunderstood you, Young Master. We were wrong.”

“One gold ingot for this warrior of truth,” Zhuge Liang said calmly, placing the heavy piece of gold into the man’s hands.

“Thank you, Young Master Bai—the purest and most innocent man alive!”

An old woman shoved her way to the front, her voice shrill and fierce.

“Young Master Bai! If anyone dares slander you again, I’ll curse their family for three generations!”

“Excellent,” Zhuge Liang replied smoothly, handing her a gold ingot. “Just make sure you curse louder next time.”

The line grew longer.

People began offering poems, songs, and dramatic performances—twisting truth into whatever shape could be exchanged for gold.

Zhuge Liang stood beside the box, handing out ingots one by one, smiling as if this were a perfectly choreographed ritual.

Then an elderly couple stepped forward.

They didn’t shout. They didn’t perform.

They simply looked at Alex in silence.

Their eyes were deep, heavy with something that made the surrounding noise fade into nothing. Tears gathered as the old man released a long, weary sigh.

“We forgive you.”

That was all.

And yet, the entire place fell silent.

Alex slowly stood.

He walked to the box, took ten gold ingots, and placed them gently into the old man’s trembling hands.

“Thank you,” Alex said softly.

He knew he hadn’t done anything. But he also knew the real Bai Xiaochun must have hurt these two deeply for such sorrow to linger in their eyes.

He watched them walk away and exhaled.

Zhuge Liang understood that sigh instantly. He stepped forward without hesitation.

“Anyone who wishes only to say ‘forgive’ may form a separate line on the other side!”

Alex nodded. This man could practically read minds.

Soon, parents and women stood quietly in the forgiveness line.

Alex greeted them one by one. Some whispered forgiveness. Some said nothing at all. Alex simply placed ten gold ingots into their hands.

Ten gold ingots each.

They both understood what this was.

Compensation—for the sins Bai Xiaochun had committed in the past.

He was erasing the past with money.

The real culprit was already dead, crushed beneath a flying car.

“Wait!”

A sharp voice rang out from the entrance.

“Stop this at once! All this money belongs to the Empire!”

Around twenty soldiers rode in on horseback, forcing their way through the crowd.

“Damn,” someone muttered. “The corrupt judge is here. He wants to seize the gold.”

Zhuge Liang glanced at the soldiers, then shot Alex a quick look, silently asking for approval.

In the very next heartbeat, he grabbed the wooden box and hurled it forward.

Gold ingots exploded across the ground, scattering at the villagers’ feet and rolling in every direction as people lunged to grab them.