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'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.