Chapter 29 Assassination

Li Shiming maintained a stable breathing pattern, just as he did while sleeping.

Perhaps others trying to simulate sleeping breaths might reveal some flaws, but with the assistance of the IBM z15 mainframe server, his breathing was indistinguishable from his sleeping breaths.

The night walker, experienced as he was, did not notice that Li Shiming was feigning sleep.

With a few light steps, the night walker reached the bedside, and his short dagger, gleaming with a cold light, thrust toward Li Shiming's chest.

Li Shiming moved as well, a Lower Grade Long Sword Magic Artifact suddenly appearing in his hand.

Charged with spiritual energy, the Lower Grade Long Sword Magic Artifact shone with a strange spiritual power light.

The Lower Grade Long Sword Magic Artifact swung out from beneath the blanket, first slicing it open, and by the time the night walker realized it, it was too late.

For a Qi Refinement Second Level cultivator, engaging in close combat with a martial arts master wasn't wise, but who said that Li Shiming at the Qi Refinement Second Level was just for show.

Even with the Lower Grade Magical Artifact in hand, he only knew how to infuse it with spiritual energy, not how to unleash its true power.

If it hadn't been accidental preparedness versus intentional readiness, he would have already taken out a talisman.

However, he wasn't entirely without confidence, as the night walker struck, Li Shiming had already donned a Low Grade Magic Robe, which meant even a direct stab wouldn't harm him.

At such close range, technique was irrelevant. Li Shiming's Qi Refinement Second Level physical condition could be fully utilized.

He wielded the Lower Grade Long Sword without any specific moves, relying solely on speed.

So fast that by the time the night walker sensed danger, a flash of the sword's light had swept across his arms, severing both of them.

"Ah!" The night walker let out a piercing scream, which immediately alerted those outside.

Li Shiming did not cease his actions; his Lower Grade Long Sword Magic Artifact swung a second time, this time sweeping across the night walker's legs.

Once enhanced with spiritual energy, the sharpness of the Lower Grade Magical Artifact was beyond doubt.

He barely felt any resistance as the Lower Grade Long Sword Magic Artifact cut through human flesh, reducing the night walker to a torso.

Facing a martial arts expert, he opted for the most prudent method, completely crippling the night walker's ability to resist.

He refrained from delivering the killing blow, wishing to extract from the night walker the mastermind behind the assassination.

Unable to enter the locked bedroom, Si Qin was anxiously knocking on the door.

Contrarily, four guards, with two leaping through the open window and two pulling Si Qin aside, broke into the room directly.

"Young Master, are you alright?" The first two guards that entered the room asked with concern upon seeing the night walker on the ground.

The bedroom door was forced open, and the other two guards entered.

Seeing that Li Shiming had safely descended from the bed, they all let out a sigh of relief.

Had anything truly happened to the Young Master, they wouldn't know how to account for it.

"Young Master, it was our neglect of duty!" The leading guard of the four bowed and said.

As they had just arrived at the old mansion, they planned to start shifts the following day; who could have known an incident would occur that very night.

"Treat his wounds properly and take him to the back room for questioning; I will come over later!" Li Shiming ordered in a stern voice.

He did not blame the four guards. The assailant was highly skilled, and even if the guards had been on night duty, it would have been hard to detect him.

"Yes, Young Master!" The guards moved forward to apply antiseptic medicine to the night walker's wounds; such injuries could be temporarily staunched, preventing death for the time being.

Steward Zhang, along with the rest of the servants, had all arrived, and Li Shiming even saw them armed with kitchen knives and clubs.

"Steward Zhang, leave the bedroom as it is and arrange another place for Si Qin to stay!" Li Shiming instructed Steward Zhang, then gently patted the frightened Si Qin on the head to comfort her, "Si Qin, it's alright!"

This is Central Capital, not Nanling. The best way to deal with this kind of incident is to report it to the authorities.

Since it's decided to report to the officials, the crime scene must be preserved.

"Young Master, I'll stay with you!" Tears couldn't stop flowing from Si Qin's eyes, yet she insisted firmly.

"Go and rest. There are some things you cannot watch!" Li Shiming said with a smile.

He walked out of the main house and headed towards the back room in the dark, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

If he were still an ordinary person, he might have been unable to escape a fatal fate this time.

He needed to know who was behind the attempt on his life. In his memory, the original person's recollection of Central Capital was very vague; the original person was too young when in Central Capital.

In the back room, the night walker was tied to a wooden chair.

The night walker's mask was pulled off, revealing a face over fifty years old, with a thick beard.

"You all, get out!" Li Shiming ordered with a heavy voice.

"Young Master!" The leading guard wanted to say something, but, catching sight of Li Shiming's emotionless eyes, he felt a chill in his heart and quickly bowed, leading the three other guards out of the room.

The guards were greatly shocked by today's events. It was clear that the Young Master was not as simple as a feeble scholar unable to restrain a chicken.

Just by how the Young Master could dispassionately sever the night walker's arms and legs, one could see the Young Master's decisiveness and ruthlessness.

Although Big Beard's hands and feet were gone, he was still able to remain conscious even with such severe injuries.

At this moment, he opened his eyes wide, trying to get a clear look at Li Shiming in front of him.

He could not forget what had just happened—the dazzling sword light, the feeling that he could not avoid the sword strike.

Feeling the pain from where his limbs used to be, he wished for immediate death rather than to live as a cripple.

"Kill me!" Big Beard voluntarily pleaded for death.

"Death is not so easy to come by!" Li Shiming stated indifferently.

At this moment, his consciousness was scrolling through the database of the large server IBMz15. If Big Beard knew what he was looking for, his desire for death would be even more urgent.

He perused one article after another, from the ancient to the modern, having read all the torture methods available.

Due to time constraints, many methods of torture could not be utilized.

He took several needles and inserted them into some of the most intensely painful nerves in Big Beard's body.

The insertion of the needles caused Big Beard's entire body to tremble involuntarily, a pain that surpassed that of his extremities.

The wounds on his limbs were treated with antiseptic medicine, which alleviated much of the pain.

But the nerves selected from modern medical science for their intense pain could induce suffering beyond the limits of human endurance.

"Ah! Ah! Please, kill me, let me die!" Big Beard screamed out miserably once again.

The four guards outside couldn't help but exchange glances, wondering what kind of pain would cause such terrible screams.

"This is just the beginning. Tell me your name, who sent you here?" Li Shiming asked indifferently.

He had not chosen those particularly brutal forms of punishment, mainly because he himself could not bear such bloody scenes.

Big Beard paid no attention to Li Shiming, just continuing to scream loudly, trying to vent the pain through his cries.