In the main hall of Prince Shun Mansion, Prince Shun sat in the seat of honor, looking indifferently at Senior Secretary Li, who was bowing beside him.

    "I am very disappointed in the trouble you''ve caused, fruitlessly losing Pei Xinlu!" Prince Shun said with a heavy voice.

    "It is my fault, who would have known that such an expert was hidden beside that little beast!" Li Wenfeng acknowledged, knowing Prince Shun''s temper, and bowed his head.

    "Pei Xinlu is already dead. The news from the Ministry of Justice is pressing down. If there is another next time, it will reach my father, and you will not have another chance to make a move!" Prince Shun said blandly.

    He didn''t care about Li Wenfeng''s assassination attempt, what he cared about was the death of Pei Xinlu; the Ministry of Justice did not want to escalate the situation over a minor figure like Li Shiming.

    Although the incident had a significant impact, as long as Li Shiming did not die, the situation could be controlled within a certain range.

    Thus, Pei Xinlu died on the way back to the Ministry of Justice, which outwardly explained as suicide.

    This explanation was reasonable. A master who had lost both arms and legs would lead a very miserable life even if he survived, and Pei Xinlu''s enemies would certainly not let him off.

    But Prince Shun knew this was the Ministry of Justice showing goodwill towards him, as well as a warning that the matter should be put to rest.

    Otherwise, with the Ministry of Justice''s experience in handling criminals, how could they let Pei Xinlu have the opportunity to commit suicide, or to say, Pei Xinlu''s death was not a suicide at all.

    "I have caused trouble for Your Highness!" Li Wenfeng still bowed his head as he replied.

    "I don''t like Li WenYuan either. Use the mansion''s connections to give that youngster some trouble, now go," said Prince Shun, waving his hand.

    "Yes, Your Highness!" Li Wenfeng left the hall.

    His eyes were filled with murderous intent, but he also understood that the best opportunity had been lost, and it was impossible to take action against Li Shiming again.

    He only wanted to take revenge on Li WenYuan and could not possibly risk his own future for a junior like Li Shiming.

    The reason why he made his move on the first night after Li Shiming''s arrival in Central Capital was because the news about Li Shiming hadn''t spread out, and Li Shiming''s death that day would have had the smallest impact.

    Once Li Shiming visited friends of Li WenYuan, especially after becoming an Advanced Scholar through the grand examination, any attempts at assassination would have much graver consequences.

    Talismans were his last resort for saving his life, and he wouldn''t use them unless absolutely necessary.

    Having learned from his experience with the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill,'' he took care to note all the important aspects of the ''Geng Metal Skill'' and practiced drawing the complex Geng Metal runes without using Spiritual Power.

    Only after the runes he practiced drawing on the large IBM z15 server were without the slightest error did he begin to contemplate the intent behind the ''Geng Metal Skill.''

    The purpose of the ''Geng Metal Skill'' is to kill pests that harm Spirit Plants, which are spiritual insects. Metal-type spells cause them the most damage.

    The ''Geng Metal Skill'' may not be powerful among spells, but it is the most flexible and easy to control; it produces a fine Geng Metal Needle that minimizes damage to the Spirit Plants while eliminating the pests.

    Of course, when said to not be very powerful, it is all relative.

    Compared to spells focused on attack, such as the Ice Arrow Skill and Fireball Technique, the ''Geng Metal Skill'' lacks the freezing effect of Ice Arrows and the scorching effect of Fireballs, merely adding a bit of sharpness.

    As a low-level spell, the ''Geng Metal Skill'' only releases a small Geng Metal Needle, and even with added sharpness, its power isn''t much enhanced.

    But the ''Geng Metal Skill'' is still an attack spell, producing a strike that is not something the mundane world can withstand.

    Had he possessed the ''Geng Metal Skill'' last night, he would have been able to handle the situation much more easily, dispatching a worldly expert like Pei Xinlu with a single use of the skill.

    However, the greatest challenge in learning the ''Geng Metal Skill'' lies in grasping its intent.

    Luckily, if the intent of a spell is sensed correctly, it will produce a reaction in the Cultivator learning the spell.

    For other Cultivators, successfully comprehending the intent would require a long, painstaking process of slow, gradual effort.

    Li Shiming, however, organized videos of small, sharp objects on the large IBM z15 server, then used all five senses to immerse himself in the environment, thereby deceiving his body into achieving an understanding of the ''Geng Metal Skill''s'' intent.

    After many trials, a video of metal bullets flying through the air and piercing several targets evoked a response in him.

    His fingers drew the Geng Metal runes in the void in front of him, a step he completed with ease. Then, he loaded himself with the sensed intent.

    The Geng Metal rune transformed into a beam of golden light that pierced through the tiles beneath his feet, leaving behind an extremely small hole.