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.

    "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.