Chapter 30 Interrogation

Li Shiming shook his head, and he took out several copper wires, connecting one end to the needle.

Then he stood behind Big Beard, so Big Beard couldn't see his actions.

The other end of the copper wire was drawn into the machine room space and connected to the uninterrupted power supply's output.

His actions intensified Big Beard's pain, and Big Beard's screams grew even louder.

Li Shiming sneered coldly, his consciousness controlling the uninterrupted power supply inside the machine room space to output high voltage electricity through the copper wire's connected end.

Big Beard's screams suddenly stopped, not because he was no longer in pain, but rather because the pain had been amplified to an indescribable level.

High voltage electricity, at least in the secular world, had never been seen before.

The pain generated by connecting the pain-sensing nerves with high voltage electricity was unprecedented in this world.

The high voltage electricity released by Li Shiming lasted only two seconds, but for Big Beard, those two seconds felt like an excruciatingly long journey through hell.

When the high voltage ceased, all that was left of Big Beard were heavy gasps for air.

Big Beard somewhat hated the strength of his own body, for otherwise, he should have fainted by now.

Even death seemed preferable to experiencing that feeling again.

"I'll confess!" He opened his mouth wide, struggling to get the two words out.

Li Shiming was about to administer another shock, when to his surprise, Big Beard couldn't bear it after just one electrical jolt.

Li Shiming, being straightforward, promptly removed all the needles from Big Beard's body.

He wasn't worried that Big Beard wouldn't talk; reporting to the officials could only be done the next morning, giving him an entire night to slowly interrogate.

Of course, there was another reason for removing the needles.

He retrieved several papers on lie detection, and through his five senses, the large server IBM z15 could analyze and determine aspects such as Big Beard's heartbeat, microexpressions, pupil dilation, etc., to ascertain whether Big Beard was lying.

"My name is Pei Xinlu!" Big Beard, having caught his breath, started by stating his own name.

After saying his name, he observed Li Shiming's expression and noticed that Li Shiming made no indication of recognition, realizing Li Shiming did not know this name.

He thought that Li Shiming was also a martial artist and would surely have heard of him, one of the top ten masters in Central Capital.

"I was ordered by Mr. Li Wenfeng, to take your head!" Big Beard didn't conceal anything, nor did he dare to, as Li Shiming's methods had scared him.

"What official position does Li Wenfeng hold?" Noticing that Big Beard referred to Li Wenfeng as Mr. Li, Li Shiming inquired.

"He is the Senior Secretary of Prince Shun Mansion." Big Beard spilled everything, not holding back anything, abandoning thought and simply answering as Li Shiming asked.

Even if Li Shiming was unfamiliar with the intricacies of Great Xia, he was still aware of some important news.

Prince Shun was the Third Prince, and also a significant contender for the throne; the post of Senior Secretary in Prince Shun Mansion was a position of the third rank.

Even though the power of a Senior Secretary in Prince Shun Mansion wasn't as great as that of a Magistrate of Nanling Prefecture, in terms of rank it was indeed two levels higher, and if Prince Shun became the Emperor, the growing influence of this Senior Secretary could reach right into the cabinet.

Thinking of the name Li Wenfeng, Li Shiming couldn't help but think of his father Li WenYuan, both having the Li surname and belonging to the generation of scholars.

"Watch him, and report to the officials early tomorrow morning!" He left the room and instructed the guards.

The next morning, the Ministry of Justice took over the case, and Li Shiming received Mr. Hu, Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice, at his home.

"Uncle Hu, I have seen you!" In the drawing room, Li Shiming bowed deeply, observing the formalities due to a junior.

The reason he called him Uncle Hu was that this Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Hu, was one of the several friends his father Li WenYuan had asked him to visit.

"Mr. Li has raised a fine son, who, at such a young age, has already become a scholar who will attend the grand examination!" Mr. Hu said with a smile as he lifted Li Shiming up.

"It's just a stroke of luck!" Li Shiming replied modestly.

"Since we are practically family, I'll speak candidly with you. Pei Xinlu has a significant reputation in the Central Capital, and those capable of soliciting his services wield power that is hard to shake. I hope you won't be too rash. After this incident, there shouldn't be anyone else daring to make a move against you," Mr. Hu said in a hushed tone.

Li Shiming already knew who was behind it all, but he didn't reveal it.

He had his plans. If he truly had no ability to defend himself, then he would indeed need the assistance of the officials.

But, being a cultivator, even if only marginally, dealing with common folk was not difficult for him, and no matter how strong they were, they could not withstand a single talisman.

Of course, he also discerned the underlying meaning in Mr. Hu's words: Pei Xinlu's guilt could be confirmed, but digging deeper might be difficult.

"My father told me that if I ever ran into trouble in the Central Capital, I should seek Uncle Hu's help. I'll listen to you!" Li Shiming said with a smile.

"Good, as long as you trust me, I will do my best to help you," Mr. Hu assured him, now relieved.

His visit this time was out of necessity. After hearing that Li Shiming had been the target of an assassination attempt, the Ministry of Justice, from the lower-ranking officials up to the Minister, were all on edge.

Though Li Shiming was just a scholar, he was a scholar at the age of fifteen, something that had already reached the ears of the Emperor.

With the quality of Li Shiming's essays for the Imperial Examination, as long as he made no major errors in the grand examination, he was bound to become an Advanced Scholar.

Moreover, many officials in the Central Capital were aware that if Li Shiming became an Advanced Scholar, his ranking would be very high, something the Emperor, who favored auspicious omens, would delight in—something no chief examiner could overlook.

Setting aside these considerations, Li WenYuan's connections in the Central Capital also directly influenced the attitude of the Ministry of Justice.

The purpose of Mr. Hu's personal visit was to ensure that Li Shiming, who could very likely become the auspicious sign heralding the new year, would be well taken care of, regardless of how the case progressed.

Besides, what Mr. Hu did not mention was that the Ministry of Justice had guessed who the mastermind might be.

Whether or not there was evidence, the Ministry of Justice would warn them that an incident involving Li Shiming in the Central Capital before the grand examination would be tantamount to causing trouble for the Ministry of Justice itself.

After seeing off Mr. Hu, Li Shiming summoned Steward Zhang.

"Young Master!" Steward Zhang bowed respectfully.

"Do you know Li Wenfeng? Tell me about him!" Li Shiming commanded.

The reason he asked Steward Zhang first was that he had no other connections in the Central Capital and had to start the investigation from his own household.

Upon hearing the name, Steward Zhang's expression showed hesitance.

"Are you unable to speak of it?" Li Shiming asked in a stern voice, following up.

"Young Master, Li Wenfeng is your second uncle. However, the master has broken off relations with that side of the family many years ago!" Steward Zhang had no choice but to answer.

This news astonished Li Shiming. He had considered many possibilities but had not expected that Li Wenfeng would turn out to be his second uncle.

An uncle hiring an assassin to kill his nephew seemed like a major family feud drama.

Li Shiming didn't get embroiled in such troubles; rather, he viewed the situation from a detached perspective.

As a cultivator, he would eventually transcend the mundane world. Additionally, the emotions inherited from his original body were only tied to his father, Li WenYuan, and not to this second uncle.