Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

Li Chunfeng also chimed in from the side, "Come on, this is a good thing! At the very least, Eldest Brother is building up your reputation. It’s not like it’s a bad one, right?"

Meanwhile, after listening to Lin Qingfeng’s embellished "heroic deeds," Mu Ling’s gaze toward Su Ling’er grew even more resolute.

’She truly is Miss Su! "Defeating the strong while weak," "unflinching in the face of death," "saving the common people"... With an Immortal of such courage and spirit, there’s no way Qinyao’s name can’t be cleared!’

’Just... one thing.’ Mu Ling looked at the pyramid before him, a monument to "violent aesthetics," then back at Lin Qingfeng. He couldn’t help but wonder, ’I have no idea how deep the relationship between this Immortal and this wealthy merchant runs. To think she’d expand his guest room into... this...’

’It’s a miracle this tower hasn’t already collapsed. But I suppose... Miss Su’s immortal arts must be so profound that a mere mortal like me just can’t see it!’

...

In a corner of Lin Qingfeng’s guest room, the wooden box was slowly opened.

Su Ling’er, Wang Xiedi, Li Chunfeng, and Lin Qingfeng, along with a grief-stricken Mu Ling, gathered around to look at An Qinyao, who lay quietly in the box.

"...So, what now?" Su Ling’er said, her throat feeling a little dry as she looked at the bloodless face—so familiar yet so strange. She instinctively looked at the others. "H-how am I supposed to... investigate? I... I’ve never done the work of a government coroner before."

"You are an Immortal of the Su Family," Lin Qingfeng said with a smile. "An Immortal’s methods are discerning of the smallest details. How could a mortal coroner possibly compare? There’s no need to sell yourself short."

Su Ling’er looked up at the ceiling, feeling like she was about to be suffocated by her Eldest Brother’s excessive praise. "E-Eldest Brother... you’re so experienced, well-read, and knowledgeable about everything under the sun... Don’t you... have any ideas at all?"

’Eldest Brother... please stop with the praise. I can’t take it!’

"I didn’t study forensic medicine. How would I know anything about this? Different fields are worlds apart. I’m just a merchant. When it comes to this, I’m completely clueless." Lin Qingfeng shook his head decisively, then looked at Wang Xiedi next to him. "Xiedi, do you have any ideas?"

Wang Xiedi also shook his head blankly, then turned a pleading gaze toward Li Chunfeng.

Li Chunfeng: "..." He silently raised his head and began to study the patterns on the ceiling while simultaneously drawing and sheathing his sword. CLANG. CLANG.

’The meaning was obvious: Don’t ask me. An autopsy... I don’t know anything about that either!’

Mu Ling watched as these fine gentlemen looked from one to another, completely stumped at the very first step of the examination. His heart sank.

’Wait... C-can they really find out the truth like this?’

Su Ling’er was also completely clueless. Steeling herself, she could only circulate her Divine Sense and carefully scan the body, trying to find any abnormalities. As one might expect, with her level of knowledge, she was bound to find absolutely nothing.

"Miss Su, esteemed Immortals," Mu Ling said, pulling a letter from his robes and holding it out with trembling hands. "This is... the suicide note found in Qinyao’s room."

Lin Qingfeng casually took it and unfolded it for a look.

Mu Ling added from the side, "The handwriting... it does seem to be Qinyao’s. But she... there’s no way she would have written something like this!"

Lin Qingfeng only glanced at it before snapping the suicide note shut with a SNAP and declaring in an unquestionable tone, "This suicide note is definitely a forgery!"

Su Ling’er thought he had found some flaw and quickly leaned in to ask in a low voice, "Eldest Brother? How can you tell it’s a forgery?"

"Do I even need to look? Mr. Mu has already said there must be an injustice! Since there’s an injustice, this suicide note, which proves she killed herself, must naturally be a forgery! Is there any problem with that logic?"

"Well... I think there might be a small problem with it."

’Seriously... Eldest Brother, *you’re* the one with the problem! You decided on the conclusion first and then reasoned backward that the evidence must be fake... Is that any way to solve a case?’

"Then just look at Mr. Mu’s grief-stricken expression," Lin Qingfeng said, pointing at Mu Ling. "Does that look like he’s faking it? Am I wrong to say he’s been wronged?"

’He’s a person with an entry!!!’

Su Ling’er waved her hand helplessly. "Ah, well."

’Forget it, I’ll just do it myself.’ So she once again circulated her Divine Sense, meticulously probing every inch of An Qinyao’s skeleton. But she wasn’t a coroner, so no matter how many times she looked, she couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

’Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her! That’s right! I might not understand this, but Eldest Brother... he definitely does!’

’He’s the Eldest Brother of the demonic path! No matter how much he acts like a lotus rising from the mud, unstained, at the very least, something as simple as the human skeletal structure should be as familiar to him as the cabbages in his own backyard!’

’What the bones of a normal suicide by hanging look like, and what they look like in a murder... he should, probably, definitely be able to tell at a glance! Eldest Brother must have just not wanted to get his hands dirty and didn’t even take a proper look!’

Thinking of this, Su Ling’er immediately pulled Lin Qingfeng aside and asked in a low voice, "Eldest Brother, I know you already have a clue. Um... if an ordinary person hangs themselves, what state would their cervical vertebrae be in? I imagine... with your experience, you must be crystal clear on this, right?"

"Huh?" Lin Qingfeng looked at her, astonished. "Wait, Junior Sister, where did you get the idea that I’m crystal clear on this? Do I look like the kind of person who studies this stuff for fun?"

Su Ling’er thought for a moment. She wanted to nod, but wasn’t sure if she should.

’But Eldest Brother, no matter how deep undercover you are in the demonic sect, you’re still the demonic sect’s Eldest Brother! Even if you were forced into it, you should have learned about these things! There’s no way you’re completely clueless!’

...

Lin Qingfeng looked at her, seeing her wanting to nod but not daring to, and was left speechless.

’You were about to nod just now, weren’t you! That’s it, right?! You totally were! Besides, my identity right now is a merchant, okay?! Can’t you respect the character I’m playing?!’

"I’m a respectable merchant, how could I possibly know about this stuff! I only know how to do business!"

Su Ling’er immediately went over, squeezing his shoulders and patting his back. "Oh, come on, Eldest Brother. It’s perfectly normal for a merchant to know a little about this! Business is business, after all. I’m sure knowing these things has countless ties to commerce. A great merchant like you needs to know this to bring villains to justice! It’s all for the sake of upholding justice in the world of trade!"

Lin Qingfeng put on a thoughtful expression... and then... thought of absolutely nothing! ’And what the hell does any of this have to do with business?!’

’I really don’t know any of this!!! Why would I study this stuff for fun? Am I hoping a giant hammer will fall from the sky and smash me into a pulp, but feeling like it’s taking too long? This is a society of laws! B-but wait, is this really related to business? Or was it, in ancient times? Why does this feel so damn unreliable?!’

With no other choice, he walked to the side, seemingly in deep thought with his eyes closed. In reality, a virtual panel that only he could see had quietly unfolded before his eyes.

[Thought Engine] — [Search Bar]: "What do the bones of a normal human look like after death by hanging, and how does one generally determine the possibility of homicide?"

[Initiating deep thought...]