The wind rustled the leaves, causing them to flutter and eventually fall from the branches.
A gust of cool air swept in through the open window, drying the blood that had spilled from the man who lay sprawled on the grounds, his body trembling uncontrollably.
When he attempted to kill earlier, Lucian punched upward with such force that his right hand bones shattered completely, bursting the skin and causing blood to gush out.
Lucian had also cracked his left hand, causing his bone to tear open his skin.
His shoulders were a gruesome sight, riddled with dozens of tiny puncture wounds, each no wider than a hair.
Both of his legs were twisted in different angles, making it impossible for him to move.
More blood slowly oozed from these holes, pooling beneath him in a crimson puddle, only to be slowly dry.
Lucian didn’t damage any vital areas, only targeting the man’s less important parts. Each insertion of the needle sent waves of excruciating pain through the assassin’s body without causing life-threatening injuries.
The agony was beyond anything the man had ever experienced, yet due to his strong vitality, he remained conscious, unable to fall into unconsciousness.
After lucian’s torturous interrogation, he had completely lost his previous ruthlessness and decisiveness.
His eyes now held only fear and desperation. His body trembled uncontrollably, occasionally twitching as residual pain coursed through his nervous system.
As Lucian used a chair to sit in front of the man, he asked, his voice lacking any emotions,
“Now, tell me who sent you.”
The assassin had already had his mask removed by Lucian, revealing his face. It was a young man in his early 20s with black hair. His face was one that could easily be lost in a crowd.
“If you answered me truthfully I’ll let you go.”
Lucian added.
Although the man knew that Lucian’s promise was likely a lie, the unbearable pain and fear clouding his mind left him with no choice but to comply. His survival instinct overrode his judgement.
Lucian had already pulled out the panties form his mouth, so he spoke, his voice hoarse and barely above a whisper,
“It’s s-senior Xander who sent me… ngh… to k-kill you!”
He swallowed hard, tasting blood as he said. Earlier when Lucian forced the panties into his mouth, few of his teeth had also broken.
“Xander??”
Lucian’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of surprise passing through his crimson eyes.
It was unexpected, to say the least.
He had previously thought it might be his dear brother Julius or perhaps his so-called uncle Marcus who wanted to kill him early.
But he hadn’t considered that it would be the very person who was supposed to guide them out of this place the day after tomorrow.
A cool breeze swept through the room, causing the leaves outside to flutter like restless spirits. The candlelight flickered, casting dancing shadows on the walls.
Lucian’s snow-white hair swayed gently, framing his face that now had a contemplating expression.
“Why did he want to kill me?”
Lucian asked, his voice calmed.
The man didn’t hesitate to answer, his voice stammering in rush,
“I-I don’t k-know… he only told me to kill you, nothing else…”
Sweat beaded on his brow, mixing with the tears and blood that stained his face.
“What’s your Cultivation Realm?”
Lucian asked. He didn’t continue with the previous topic, as the young man kept insisting that he didn’t know the reason.
Lucian could more or less guess the reason behind, but he wasn’t sure if it was Marcus who ordered Xander to kill him, or if it was Xander’s own decision!
The assassin swallowed hard, wincing as the motion sent a wave of pain through his brusied and battered body.
“8th stage of the B-body Strengthening!”
He spoke out slowly.
Lucian’s eyebrows rose slightly, a flicker of surprise passing across his face before it settled back into its usual expression.
“Then why did he send you? Didn’t he guess that my strength could improve?”
Lucian’s voice was calm, curious.
Seeing the man’s horrified expression, Lucian didn’t press further. Perhaps he thought he was still the same, only able to kill mid-stage Body Strengthening Realm cultivators. That must be why he sent this man at the 8th stage, thinking he would be enough to kill Lucian.
A faint smirk played on Lucian’s lips as he pondered this. The candlelight flickered, casting dancing shadows across his face, making his crimson eyes seem to glow.
Lucian didn’t continue to ask this question, instead he asked the most important question that had been bothering him, halting this breakthrough,
“Hey, why can’t I break through to the 9th stage?”
The bloodied young man’s pupils contracted. Even with his panic-stricken mind, he couldn’t help but wonder how, despite being at the same stage, the disparity between them could be so vast.
It was as if they were from two completely different world!
The assassin’s brow furrowed, confusion momentarily overriding his pain and fear.
“W-what? You… you’re also at the 8th stage?”
He stammered with disbelief.
Previously he thought this man before him might’ve already reached 9th stage. And that was why he could easily defeat him.
Lucian’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing in their crimson depths.
“Answer the question,”
He said, his voice menacing.
The assassin swallowed hard, his throat constricting painfully as he gulped down a mixture of blood, saliva, teeth and the juices.
The metallic taste barely hit his mind as he struggled to form a coherent response.
“N-ninth stage,”
He said, his voice hoarse and trembling,
“is called Meridian Awakening. You’ll need a cultivation technique to break through from the 8th stage to reach the peak of Body Strengthening…”
He paused, coughing weakly, speckles of blood staining his lips.
Lucian suddenly stood up, his eyes seemed to be blazing with an intense fire.
In a flash, he was at the assassin’s side, his hands gripping the man’s broken shoulders.
“Ughh…!!!”
The sudden movement sent shockwaves of pain through the assassin’s body, eliciting a pitiful whimper.
“Tell me how can I get a cultivation technique?”
Lucian asked, his voice trembling with barely contained excitement. Even though now Lucian had an idea of how to get a technique, he still asked.
The assassin’s eyes widened in fear at Lucian’s sudden outburst. He could feel the young man’s fingers digging into his shattered bones, sending jolts of pain through his entire body.
The pain was excruciating, yet he dared not cry out.
Lucian’s mind raced, pieces of the puzzle finally falling into place.
The stagnation he had felt at the peak of the 8th stage — something was missing — it all made sense now.
He needed a cultivation technique, a guiding to channel his energy and break through to the next realm.
“You need to become a disciple of the sect to get a c-cultivation technique,”
The man replied stammeringly.
As soon as Lucian got his answer, he swiftly swiped the needle across the man’s neck.
Whoosh!!
Puchi!!!
A thin red line appeared on the man’s neck, quickly blossoming into a crimson flower. The assassin’s eyes widened in shock and horror.
“Yo..u…!!!”
he gurgled, his broken hands instinctively clutching at his throat.
But it was useless. The wound had already cut open his artery, life was pouring out of him with each passing second.
Lucian stood, watching indifferently as the light faded from the assassin’s eyes,
“Just as I promised, I let you go, but to hell!”
The man’s body twitched and convulsed, his broken legs kicking weakly against the floor.
As the assassin’s life ended, the door to the room creaked open.
Eloise slowly stepped inside, her eyes widening as at gruesome scene before her.
The flickering candlelight cast eerie shadows across the blood-splattered floor.
Eloise’s gaze darted from the assassin to Lucian, who stood over the body with an eerily calm expression.
His snow-white hair gleamed in the dim light, a stark contrast to the crimson stains on his hands and clothes.
Even she has killed before, but she felt her breath catch in her throat as she watched Lucian’s face. There was no flicker of emotion as he observed the man’s final moments.
She still couldn’t believe how much Lucian had changed. For a moment, she even thought that her nephew might’ve been possessed.
Lucian turned around, his crimson eyes meeting Eloise’s shocked gaze.
A small smile played on his lips, a stark contrast to the gruesome scene behind him.
Seeing Lucian, Eloise soon recovered, her lips curled into a seductive and mischievous smile. To her this Lucian was more sexy, she even felt her pussy wetting at his manly appearance.
“Aunt, you came at the perfect time,”
He said calmly, his voice smooth as silk,
“Call your death guards to clean this mess. Normal guards won’t do.”
As he approached, Eloise could smell the metallic scent of blood clinging to him.
He walked to her, and before she could ask anything, he kissed her lips.
Eloise’s eyes widened at the sudden kiss, but she didn’t pull away.
Smooooch~~
Instead, she leaned in, hugging Lucian’s blood-stained body.
When they finally parted, her cheeks were flushed, and her breath came in short, quick gasps.