My Wife is Unbeatable in the Whole World, Touch Me If You Dare!-Chapter 56: Turns Out I Am the Scoundrel

Boom!

As Song Jiaren gripped the dagger, a mountainous pressure descended from above.

The peddler's legs buckled, and he found himself pressed to the ground by an invisible force, unable to muster the strength to even lift his head.

Song Jiaren's expression remained indifferent as she tossed the blunted dagger onto the ground.

Housekeeper Wu, with a darkened countenance, stepped forward and waved his hand. Suddenly, two figures leaped out from the crowd and pinned the peddler to the ground.

Li Nuo was not only unangered by the attempt on his life but found it slightly amusing.

After much waiting, he had finally attracted another assassin.

According to Daxia Law, assassination—especially in the crowded streets—was extremely socially detrimental, its severity far exceeding that of a common assault.

Even if he were unharmed, the penalty would still be three years of penal servitude and exile for three thousand miles.

If Li Nuo had so much as a scratch that drew blood, the assassin would be sentenced to hang.

Article 258 of Daxia Law states: "For those who plot to murder, three years' penal servitude; if wounded, hanging; if killed, beheading."

By this statute, even if the previous female assassin wasn't a servant of the Li Family, she should have been sentenced to hanging.

Initially, Li Nuo was unfamiliar with Daxia legal principles and, guided by Pei Zhe's intentions, convicted her of assault rather than murder, hence could not surpass two years. But now he was no longer a greenhorn easily swayed by County Magistrate Pei's craftiness.

The peddler was under control yet still glared at Li Nuo with hatred, gritting his teeth, "Scoundrel, may your entire family die a horrible death!"

Slap!

Housekeeper Wu, fueled by anger, slapped the peddler across the face, sending several bloodied teeth flying. The peddler's face immediately swelled up, though the hatred in his eyes grew even deeper.

Housekeeper Wu turned to Li Nuo and asked, "Young Master, how should we deal with him?"

Li Nuo didn't hesitate and said, "Take him to the County Magistrate's Office."

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Two guards escorted the assassin away, and Li Nuo turned to Song Mu'er, who had been frightened by the ordeal, and said to Song Jiaren, "Wife, I need to go to the County Magistrate's Office. Please take Mumu home first."

Song Jiaren nodded and, before leaving, couldn't help but ask Li Nuo, "How... did you know he was an assassin?"

Li Nuo smiled and explained, "His hands were too white and tender. A peddler who hawks goods day in and day out on the streets of Chang'an couldn't possibly have such pale, soft hands. I became suspicious of him the moment I saw his hands..."

Song Jiaren inwardly admired Li Nuo for his meticulous observation skills but showed nothing on her face. Taking Song Mu'er by the hand, she said, "Mumu, let's go home."

After watching them leave, Li Nuo happily headed towards the Chang'an County Government.

Housekeeper Wu informed him that the peddler was a martial artist of the Inner Breath Realm.

For martial artists of the Second Realm, their lifespan would triple when sentencing.

A three-year penal servitude plus three thousand miles of exile amounted to an additional six days of basic lifespan, multiplied by three to eighteen days—equivalent to ten days of his typical judgments.

Li Nuo would be more than happy to see such assassins more often.

One a day wouldn't be too many for him.

Housekeeper Wu hadn't reached the government office with Li Nuo when a fragrant breeze swept past, and a figure appeared beside him, walking shoulder to shoulder.

Li Nuo turned to look at Song Jiaren but said nothing.

The Chang'an County Government.

Having heard that another assassin who tried to kill Li Nuo had been captured, County Magistrate Pei, County Governor Zhang, and County Captain Wang set aside their work and hurried to the court.

The young man was forced to the ground, and Housekeeper Wu stood in front of him with a stern face and said, "Speak, why did you try to assassinate the young master, and who sent you?"

The man lifted his head, chuckled coldly, and said, "Save your words. Kill or torture me as you please!"

Housekeeper Wu snorted disdainfully and said, "Quite the tough one. Shortly, I'll try every cruel torture on you one by one and see if you can still be so defiant..."

Not a trace of fear showed on the man's face, and with a mocking twist of his lips, he taunted, "Old man, if you don't try, you're my grandson. If I so much as grunt, I'm no man!"

"Good, good, good..."

Housekeeper Wu repeated the word 'good' thrice and looked towards County Magistrate Pei with a sinister tone, "Bring out all the torture instruments here. I want to see if his bones are as tough as his mouth!"

"Wait a moment…"

Li Nuo stepped out, glancing at Housekeeper Wu. Clearly, he was the victim here, but how had the situation seemed to change with just a few words from him?

Right now, it sounded like Housekeeper Wu was some malevolent villain, and the assassin instead seemed like a righteous hero who feared neither power nor sacrifice… This wasn't right!

Li Nuo approached the assassin, asking, "Have I ever offended you?"

"Pah!"

The man spat out a mouthful of blood and phlegm, but fortunately, Li Nuo dodged quickly enough to avoid it.

Housekeeper Wu, however, wasn't so patient. He kicked the man to the ground and said to Li Nuo, "Young Master, don't waste your words on him. Just drag him out and beat him to death to save us the trouble…"

"Beat to death my ass, do you know anything about the law…"

Li Nuo looked at him, speechless. If people could be beaten to death so casually, what use would the law be? If he were to actually do such a thing, how would he be any different from those murderous officials?

Moreover, caning was caning, and beating to death was execution. There was a three-degree difference between them. Caning someone to death on the spot was a severe violation of the law, and the officials involved would be suspended and prosecuted.

As a mere commoner, he certainly had no such authority.

Upon hearing Li Nuo's words, the man's sneer grew even more scornful as he mocked, "You cur, stop putting on airs. If you're a man, then give me a quick death. A loss of head is but a scar of the bowl's size, and in eighteen years, I shall be a hero once more!"

Li Nuo eyed the stubborn assassin, feeling that something was amiss.

Indeed, something was off.

Wasn't it… A criminal, in the presence of his victim, had no right to be so indignant and self-righteous?

Calling himself 'I' and 'this lad' while boasting about killing someone in the street?

Li Nuo stood before him and said, "If you want to kill me, at least let me know the reason."

The man curled the corner of his mouth with a sneer, "Li Xuanjing, that traitorous villain, forming cliques for selfish ends, abusing power, betraying trust, engaging in corruption, framing the innocent, murdering without blinking an eye… Such scoundrels should be eradicated by everyone. Today you kill one of me, but there are thousands upon thousands more like me. How many righteous people there are in the world, can you kill them all?"

Li Nuo was taken aback, about to say that the man had mistaken him for someone else; he was called Li Nuo, not Li Xuanjing.

But that name, Li Xuanjing, why did it sound so familiar?

Li Nuo quickly remembered that it was a name often written in the books Housekeeper Wu had brought from his father's study.

Oh, his father's name was Li Xuanjing.

Forming cliques, abusing power, betraying trust, engaging in corruption, framing the innocent, murdering without blinking an eye… none of these were flattering terms. Any one of them attributed to a government official could characterize that individual as a bad one.

When such words were associated with one person, without a doubt, that person must be a grand traitor, rotten from head to toe, inside out.

Li Nuo couldn't believe that his father, a man of elegance and charm, could be such a person.

So, he turned his gaze to the wife beside him.

Song Jiaren turned her head away.

He looked at Housekeeper Wu.

Housekeeper Wu looked up at the sky.

He turned his gaze to County Magistrate Pei.

Pei Zhe looked down at the ground.

It seemed everyone was avoiding the issue, even Housekeeper Wu, who revered his father to the utmost, uncharacteristically offered no rebuttal...

After being stunned for a good while, Li Nuo seemed to understand something.

He understood the grief and indignation in the female assassin's eyes.

He understood that arrow at the County Government's entrance, aimed straight for his life.

He understood why Pei Zhe, as the magistrate of a whole county, had to bow and scrape to him, why he tolerated his repeated provocations without a word of refusal, why all the officials he had encountered these days were grovellingly obsequious towards him.

He understood why the Minister of the Examination Bureau, even with great authority in hand, would choose to cut off familial ties, why Housekeeper Wu consistently obstructed his pursuit of Legalism, and why he required an incalculable number of guards, both overt and covert, whenever he went out...

At this moment, everything seemed to have an explanation.

Starting awake from a nightmare, could the villain really be me?