Chapter 311 - 297: Has She Made Any Enemies Recently?
[Cognition Engine in deep thought mode...]
[Analyzing user query: Determine cause of death.]
[Analyzing user objective: Perform autopsy without professional tools, but with the use of Divine Sense.]
[Analyzing user motive: High probability of user engaging in a retro Xianxia role-playing game... Or, has the user encountered genuine trouble?]
[Conclusion: Regardless of the user’s intent, I will provide the most professional report. If you, the user, have encountered genuine trouble, please report it immediately. The Adam professional team will ensure your safety. In case of a crisis, the Sledgehammer will descend from the heavens for you! (Payment required)]
[Cognition Engine now performing cross-database search for you...]
[Search parameters: Forensic science database, human anatomy atlas, historical criminal investigation cases, player behavior database (filtering keywords: coroner, autopsy, murder)...]
[Search complete. Generating comparative report...]
The next moment, a [Forensic Analysis Report V3.2-beta], as detailed as any textbook, unfolded on Lin Qingfeng’s virtual panel, complete with various illustrated examples:
[I. Core Distinctions in Hyoid and Neck-Related Injuries]
Types and Mechanisms of Hyoid Bone Fracture: Suicidal hanging typically results in fractures of the hyoid’s greater cornu (unilateral or bilateral), with smoother fracture ends... Homicide (e.g., strangulation disguised as hanging) may present with fractures of the hyoid body, comminuted fractures...
Thyroid and Cricoid Cartilage Damage: Such cartilage damage is less common in suicidal hangings... Homicidal strangulation is often accompanied by fractures of the superior cornu of the thyroid cartilage... Neck soft tissue damage: ...
[II. Key Differentiators in Ligature Mark Morphology]
Location and Direction of the Ligature Mark: In suicidal hangings, the mark is often located between the hyoid bone and the thyroid cartilage, forming a "horseshoe" shape... In homicidal strangulation, the mark often encircles the entire neck (a closed loop)... Characteristics of the mark: ...
Lin Qingfeng stared at the jumbled mess of professional terminology and high-definition 3D anatomical diagrams, feeling a massive headache coming on.
"What the hell does this have to do with business!" he muttered.
’Whatever, I’ll just have Junior Sister handle it anyway,’ he thought. ’Why should I bother memorizing all this stuff?’
’A total waste of brain space! Besides, in the real world, autopsies have long been an all-in-one service performed by AI robots. They’re far more professional than any human. A medical examiner would need special cybernetic implants just to compete with a robot. Who even does this manually anymore?’
Without a second thought, he selected all the content on the panel, packaged it into a stream of information, and crammed it all into Su Ling’er’s mind via his Divine Sense.
WHOOSH! Su Ling’er felt as if an encyclopedia of homicide, thick enough to crush a person, had been instantly shoved into her brain.
An endless torrent of knowledge about hanging—human skeletons, muscle tissues, forensic analysis—flooded her sea of consciousness, filled with terms she had never heard before!
She was dazed for a moment, then she paused, seemingly processing the information. A look of sheer horror crossed her face as she abruptly looked up at her senior brother.
’He knows so much detailed, almost cruelly precise knowledge about determining murder! He knows it all like the back of his hand!’
An image involuntarily formed in her mind: a young Senior Brother, locked in a dark room filled with anatomical models of corpses. The legendary arch-demon of the demonic sect stood over him with a whip, forcing him to complete set after set of "Corpse Identification" exercises from a series called *Five-Year Simulation, Three-Year Practicum*...
’No food if you can’t finish, and if you can’t memorize it, you’ll be strung up to experience it firsthand...’
Everything she had observed in Anhe City made Su Ling’er realize that perhaps her senior brother wasn’t a bloodthirsty person by nature. The truly cruel one was the person who forced him to become this way—the true arch-demon behind the Guixi Sect!
’That accursed demonic sect!’
Su Ling’er forced down her fear and began to cross-reference the vast knowledge of hanging and homicide her senior brother had given her. At the same time, she activated her Divine Sense, conducting an incredibly detailed comparison and examination of An Qinyao’s body.
Time ticked by, second by second. Finally, her Divine Sense settled upon the small hyoid bone.
An almost imperceptible anomaly appeared in her perception! On the fracture surface of the hyoid bone, there was a "pressure point indentation" caused by unnatural force!
If not for the guidance of her senior brother’s ridiculously specialized knowledge on hanging, combined with the microscopic probing of her Divine Sense, it would have been nearly impossible to distinguish this indentation from a minor, natural flaw in the bone!
The dust had settled.
Su Ling’er slowly retracted her Divine Sense and let out a long breath.
She walked over to Mu Ling, looked into his eyes, which were filled with both hope and fear, and said with absolute certainty, "Mr. Mu, Miss An... was indeed murdered."
She briefly explained her findings and conclusion.
"Celestial Maiden... oh, Celestial Maiden!" The moment Mu Ling heard the confirmation, he could no longer contain his emotions. He fell to his knees on the spot and began to wail. "I knew it! I knew Qinyao would never have killed herself! It was those damn officials! They treat human lives like dirt!"
"Mr. Mu, please get up," Su Ling’er said softly. "This matter... can’t be judged so hastily. After all, to be able to kill someone with such a sophisticated method and perfectly disguise it as suicide, the killer... is an extreme professional."
"As for who it is, that will require further investigation."
...
After confirming that An Qinyao’s death was a homicide, Su Ling’er had Mu Ling, who had calmed down slightly, sit in a chair in the guest room and began to question him carefully about the details leading up to the incident.
"Mr. Mu, think carefully. Where was the last place you saw each other? What did she say before she left? Has she had a falling out with anyone recently?"
Mu Ling was lost in painful memories. He slowly shook his head. "It... it was all very normal. That afternoon, right here at the Yuelai Inn, we were discussing which guests to invite to our wedding... She... she even smiled and said that after we were married, she was going to replace all my old, worn-out clothes..."
As he spoke, his voice grew choked with sobs again, his eyes filled with confusion and disbelief. "Qinyao... she was always so kind to everyone, just a truly good-hearted person. She loved to go shopping with her best friend, Liu Yue, and sometimes they would even hand out congee to the poor. Whenever she saw miserable beggars and vagrants, she would always give them some money... She couldn’t even bear to be harsh with a stranger, so how could she have made an enemy? It makes no sense... it just makes no sense..."
...
「Meanwhile, elsewhere.」
Deep within a dark canyon crevice, the player "Ji" slowly regained consciousness.
He shook his still-groggy head, trying to recall the last thing he saw before being forcibly logged off... It seemed a shadowy figure with a Cultivation level far beyond his own had flashed before him, and then he was sent flying before falling directly into a [Stunned] state.
After that, he knew nothing...
’What the hell attacked me? Or did I trigger a hidden quest? To think it could put me in a forced stun for so long... I had no choice but to log off and play a bit of *Cyber Odyssey* from that other company. I just now got the system notification that I could log back on.’
Muttering to himself, he looked around. When he saw his surroundings, his expression instantly turned to one of excitement...