Chapter Sixty-Three: Investigating the Cause of Death

Looking at Qi Mengwei lying quietly on the hospital bed, Qin Yang let out a sigh. The police had already sent Yang Feng's body for examination. If no other cause of death was found, Qi Mengwei might truly have to face the charge of involuntary manslaughter. When that time came, Queen Fenghua, Qian Yafang, would certainly not let Qi Mengwei off easily. Not to mention that Qin Yang currently had no way to mobilize the Qin family's power—even if he could, if Qian Yafang was determined, he might not be able to save Qi Mengwei, who would at best have to spend several years in prison.

No one knew how much time had passed.

Qi Mengwei still hadn’t woken up.

Huang Zequn rushed in, flustered. Upon seeing Qin Yang, he said, “Old Qin, they couldn’t find anything new. The examination concluded Yang Feng died from a cerebral hemorrhage—his blood vessels burst. The cause was determined to be emotional agitation combined with a heavy blow. You know, when that part of a man gets attacked, it can easily cause blood to rush to the brain.”

“Does Qian Yafang know?” Qin Yang asked.

Huang Zequn nodded helplessly. “She’s already on her way back, and she’s almost lost her mind. Your mother is trying her best to calm her. You’d better take Qi Mengwei and run.”

“Run, my ass.” Qin Yang rolled his eyes. “Just wait outside.”

Huang Zequn didn’t understand what he meant, but still nodded and stood obediently by the door. Qin Yang glanced at Qi Mengwei, took a deep breath, and said, “Butler, absorb one hundred soul points from the jade pendant. I want to know what Yang Feng felt before he died.”

“Yes, sir.”

The butler faithfully carried out Qin Yang’s order.

In an instant, Qin Yang felt himself plunged into darkness, as if his entire body was being battered by countless impacts—each so slight, they could almost be ignored. His arms flailed unconsciously. Then, a not particularly intense pain struck his lower body, making Qin Yang draw a sharp breath. He had often tormented others in that area, and had always protected himself well, never imagining he would one day experience this himself.

This pain didn't come from his body, but was simulated by the hell realm—yet it felt excruciatingly real, putting his mind on edge. Just then, he suddenly felt a faint pricking pain at the crown of his head, mixed with an icy coldness. A sensation of life ebbing away slowly surfaced. It was a terribly real feeling of impending death—oppressive, despairing, his brain swelling with blood, eyes burning red. This wave of despair lasted only three or four seconds, but to Qin Yang, it felt endlessly long. When all sensation finally faded, he opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Damn it.” Qin Yang cursed under his breath, glanced at Qi Mengwei, then walked to the door and said to Huang Zequn, “Watch her. Until I get back, no one is to touch her. Otherwise, you’ll answer to me.”

“You’d better hurry. I can’t hold out for long,” Huang Zequn replied with a bitter smile.

With a grunt, Qin Yang made his way to another part of the hospital. Yang Feng’s body was temporarily kept in the morgue. From a distance, he saw Liu Yan and that ugly man talking with a forensic doctor.

Qin Yang hurried over. “Where’s Yang Feng’s body?”

“Qin Yang, Yang Feng’s death has already been confirmed,” Liu Yan said, shaking her head. “I know you’re worried about Qi Mengwei, but so far there’s no evidence to prove her innocence. Xiao Yi also examined the body—he found nothing unusual.”

Xiao Yi was the ugly man. Although Qin Yang had twisted his arm last night, he seemed to have recovered quite a bit—only his right arm still hung limp. Qin Yang knew his own strength; he would never have crippled the whole arm.

The forensic doctor handed over a report. “The preliminary ruling is accidental death.”

Qin Yang didn’t bother looking at the paperwork. He pushed open the morgue door, ignoring the icy air, and narrowed his eyes at Yang Feng’s body laid out on the central metal table.

“Qin Yang, what are you doing?” Liu Yan asked with a wry smile. “Qi Mengwei never meant to harm Yang Feng. Qian Yafang is already seething with rage. If you dare show any disrespect to her son’s body, she’ll never forgive you.”

Qin Yang ignored her, instead crouching carefully near Yang Feng’s head. Based on the pain he’d felt during his death experience, he quickly found a pinhole-sized mark on the crown acupuncture point—a tiny hole, so small that unless you were specifically looking for it, you would never notice.

Liu Yan glanced at Xiao Yi.

Xiao Yi stepped forward, eyes fixed on the tiny hole. “You think this is the fatal wound?”

“That’s right,” Qin Yang replied.

“But we didn’t find anything like a needle or other foreign object inside the body,” the forensic doctor said, intrigued. He took a mirror for a closer look. “We conducted a full-body examination.”

“What if it was an ice needle?” Qin Yang remembered the earlier sensation of cold, and spoke.

The forensic doctor’s face lit up. “That’s possible. Logically speaking, Qi Mengwei is physically frail and unlikely to have caused Yang Feng much harm. The only thing that could have been fatal is this pinhole. And it’s extremely unlikely that Qi Mengwei, in that situation, could have struck such a precise blow to Yang Feng’s head. This suggests a sneak attack by someone else.”

“Exactly,” Qin Yang affirmed.

Liu Yan asked, puzzled, “How did you know Yang Feng was ambushed?”

Qin Yang glanced at her. “The elevator’s surveillance was tampered with, and there are signs of movement at the upper air vent. Clearly, someone committed an assassination.”

The forensic doctor clapped his hands. “Good. I’ll report this immediately.”

As soon as the report was made, seven or eight police officers—members of the criminal investigation unit—hurried over. They were under orders to thoroughly investigate Yang Feng’s death. Though the case hadn’t spread to the public, it caused a huge stir internally, as it involved the two most powerful families in Jianghai City: the Qins and the Yangs. After all, Yang Feng died in the Qin family’s hotel, and for the sake of reputation, the Qins would want the truth. Qian Yafang would never allow her son’s death to go unexplained.

Under pressure from both sides, the officers had originally been inclined to charge Qi Mengwei, but this new discovery on the body left them all excited. First, they had met Qi Mengwei, and everyone’s first impression was that she was absolutely not a murderer. Second, solving a homicide was a great honor for any officer—especially one that directly and indirectly involved two great families.

Buzz.

Qin Yang’s phone rang. He answered, and heard Huang Zequn’s voice: “Old Qin, she’s awake. She’s a little unstable, and wants to see only you.”