MWC – Chapter 38 Swords and Shadows

I AM DROPPING THIS NOVEL. IF ANYONE WANTS TO CONTINUE THEY CAN. IF POSSIBLE PLEASE SHARE THE LINK SO I CAN BINGE READ TOO.

In the lounge, Lu Ming was buried in writing something.

Li Mingxuan finally couldn’t hold back, “Your strategy might remove the point about me robbing things, but this will only make Li Xiaoyan seem more innocent in the eyes of the jury. Even if it’s not said that I beat her to death, won’t I still appear even more vile for injuring her?”

Lu Ming looked up at him, “You are already very vile. Why did she keep you around as her personal attendant? Because you’re lame? Because you don’t bathe? You know the real reason. This day was bound to come sooner or later, but you craved a comfortable life and harbored a sense of luck. I say, even if you’re sentenced to death, you deserve it!”

“You…” Li Mingxuan’s face turned pale and then flushed. He stood up abruptly, but then his eyes lit up. He sat back down, deep in thought, while watching Lu Ming continue writing swiftly.

“Qinghua, come here. I need you to do something for me!” Lu Ming waved at Chen Qinghua.

Chen Qinghua’s spirits lifted. He always felt that the things he’d been doing recently had little to do with the case and that he hadn’t really helped his boss.

But as he took the note Lu Ming handed him and read it, he was stunned.

The boss wanted him to gather all the information on accidents involving Lingwei cars. If there were victims, he was to meet with their families and understand the details.

“These next few days, focus on this. You don’t need to follow the case,” Lu Ming said.

“Alright…” Though Chen Qinghua was reluctant, he couldn’t go against his boss’s wishes.

“Qinghua, this task is very important. You must do it carefully and with dedication. Understand?” Lu Ming emphasized, “This could determine whether your brother Lu can establish himself here!”

In fact, Chen Qinghua was a few years older than Lu Ming, but the boss calling himself “brother” naturally indicated closeness.

Seeing Lu Ming’s serious expression, Chen Qinghua felt much more at ease and nodded, “Don’t worry.”

Wang Daan watched this scene with some helplessness. At least Chen Qinghua had something to do; from beginning to end, he himself was just a decoration.

At this moment, a bailiff gently knocked on the door, “Lawyer Lu, it’s time to start.”

…

Li Mingxuan was once again on the witness stand.

Liu Hanming paced in front of him, “Mr. Li Si, are you feeling better now? Can we start?”

Li Mingxuan nodded slightly.

“Mr. Li Si, according to your latest testimony, you struck Ms. Li Xiaoyan’s head with the statue that killed her, correct?”

“Objection,” Lu Ming raised his hand, “When Mr. Li Haoran struck Ms. Li Xiaoyan’s head, this statue was not the murder weapon.”

Liu Hanming spread his hands, “But it was indeed the murder weapon that killed Ms. Li Xiaoyan, wasn’t it? Lawyer Lu, according to your strict timeline, objective matters would become very confusing.”

Judge Cao nodded, indicating that the objection was overruled, and the witness needed to answer the question.

“Yes.” Li Mingxuan replied softly into the microphone.

“You were so understanding and empathetic towards Ms. Li Xiaoyan, yet in the end, you used an iron statue capable of killing someone to brutally hit Ms. Li Xiaoyan’s head?” Liu Hanming spoke in a surprised tone, turning to shake his head at the jury.

The jurors also shook their heads, feeling sad for the pitiful Ms. Li Xiaoyan.

Li Mingxuan remained silent.

“Were there any third parties in the room at the time?” Liu Hanming asked.

“No.”

“Did you see any third party entering Ms. Li Xiaoyan’s room when you left?”

“No,” Li Mingxuan shook his head again.

“So, you left the severely injured Ms. Li Xiaoyan, letting her struggle in extreme pain?”

Without waiting for Li Mingxuan to respond, Liu Hanming continued, “Moreover, you struck Ms. Li Xiaoyan’s head multiple times, didn’t you?”

“I did not!” Li Mingxuan looked up.

“Yes, you didn’t. You were just so understanding and empathetic towards Ms. Li Xiaoyan’s plight, yet in the end, you cruelly hurt her and left her severely injured. Then you returned to the apartment Ms. Li Xiaoyan rented for you, admiring those expensive ornaments, sighing, ‘Ah, what a lovely and pitiable person Ms. Li Xiaoyan was!’…”

Liu Hanming bowed slightly to the judge and jury, “I have no further questions.”

Leaving a pale-faced Li Mingxuan behind, he returned to the prosecution’s table.

Zhang Jingjing admired her mentor. She hadn’t expected that in just ten minutes, her mentor had thought of a way to break through and launched a beautiful counterattack, sweeping away the defense’s advantage.

Lu Ming stood up and walked to the witness stand.

“You know Ms. Li Xiaoyan well, don’t you?” Lu Ming asked.

“I somewhat understand her.”

“She could be considered your benefactor, right?”

“Yes, she hired me, allowing me to get a temporary residence permit. I was originally with a bunch of homeless people.”

“Did she often ask you to drink with her?”

“Yes.”

“As a servant, do you think you were qualified? Because you are lame, right?”

Li Mingxuan remained silent.

“Why do you think she hired you?”

Li Mingxuan still did not speak.

“Before you were disfigured, do you think you could be described as handsome?” Lu Ming said, “Please present evidence D19.”

It was a photo of Li Mingxuan standing beside Li Xiaoyan, a clipping from a tabloid. The photo clearly showed Li Mingxuan’s original appearance.

The clipping was sent to Judge Cao and the jury.

“By most people’s standards, you were quite handsome.”

“So, as someone who couldn’t perform a servant’s duties due to your disability, do you really not understand why Ms. Li Xiaoyan hired you? Especially since she often gave you expensive gifts?” Lu Ming pressed Li Mingxuan.

“Objection. The defense is maligning the victim with malicious speculation!” Liu Hanming raised his hand.

Lu Ming nodded, “I’ll rephrase my question.”

He looked at Li Mingxuan, “Ms. Li Xiaoyan was a very pitiful woman. You took advantage of her loneliness because you didn’t want to be a homeless person, right?”

Li Mingxuan bit his lip, remaining silent, his face turning pale and then red.

But his fists were clenched, and his body was trembling slightly.

“Witness, please answer my question!” Lu Ming raised his voice.

“Yes, I was deceiving her!” Li Mingxuan clenched his fists, suddenly looking up, almost hysterical, “I was being opportunistic, thinking nothing would happen! Because she was a kind woman, I knew she wouldn’t force me!”

“But I didn’t expect it, didn’t expect it at all!” Li Mingxuan shook his head in pain, “I really didn’t expect it…”

“But I didn’t kill her, I really didn’t kill her… How could I want to harm her?” Li Mingxuan lowered his head, muttering, “I didn’t kill her, I didn’t kill her…”

Lu Ming sighed softly, “Yes, Ms. Li Xiaoyan didn’t want to force you. It was a misunderstanding that led to a small conflict between you two…”

Liu Hanming raised his hand, “Objection. The defense is deliberately downplaying the brutality of the case. Ms. Li Xiaoyan’s death was not a small conflict!”

Lu Ming turned around, “I request the presence of the prosecution’s second witness, the forensic doctor Liu Kuang.”

“Liu Kuang, can you attend court today?” Judge Cao Guan asked calmly.

Liu Kuang had already testified yesterday, presenting the autopsy results. Lu Ming had only asked one question: Were there any fingerprints found on the murder weapon?

Liu Kuang’s answer was no.

Recalling him to testify again meant that if the witness didn’t have time today, the hearing would have to be rescheduled, which could delay the case for several days. This is often why cases drag on for long periods.

Prosecutor Liu Hanming was about to stand up and say that the witness was not nearby and needed further coordination. With multiple court cases possibly scheduled, the next session might not occur for another three or four days, giving himself ample time to prepare.

More importantly, the emotional impact created by the defense’s portrayal of the defendant as a tragic figure would fade over time.

At present, in court, he still felt somewhat at a disadvantage, reacting to the moves made by the defense.

This young, inexperienced lawyer named Lu Qianxing was causing him a pressure he hadn’t felt in the North Guan legal community for over a decade. It was almost like facing the elite foreign lawyers from the Eastern Sea District—an unbelievable experience.

Lost in thought, Liu Hanming was just about to excuse himself, claiming he couldn’t reach the witness, when the courtroom’s large wooden door swung open, and Liu Kuang hurried in.

Lu Ming immediately smiled and said, “Mr. Liu is here!”

Liu Hanming turned around, his expression tightening.

“Why are you here?” Liu Hanming asked as Liu Kuang approached.

“Wasn’t it your office assistant who called me and asked me to come?” Liu Kuang replied, looking surprised.

Liu Hanming glanced over at Lu Ming, feeling a sudden unease. This indicated that the opponent had anticipated every move in the case and was executing a step-by-step plan.

That was quite terrifying.

“Prosecutor, is your witness ready?” Judge Cao Guan asked again.

“Yes, yes…” Liu Hanming reluctantly adjusted his glasses. With the witness already in the courtroom, there was no reason not to let him testify. He couldn’t suddenly fake illness—he was a reputable barrister, and such a tactic could only be used as a last resort. Besides, Liu Kuang, being one of the most authoritative experts in the North Guan Forensic Office, wouldn’t go along with it.

Liu Kuang took the witness stand.

Lu Ming approached him, “I reviewed the forensic office’s autopsy report. Miss Li Xiaoyan’s skull was struck four times, correct?”

“Yes,” Liu Kuang nodded.

“No fingerprints were found on the murder weapon, the eagle sculpture, correct?”

“Yes,” Liu Kuang nodded again.

“Then why do you think there were no fingerprints?”

Liu Kuang thought for a moment, “In forensics, we base our findings on evidence and scientific facts without making assumptions.”

“Alright, then if I suggest that the murderer wiped the fingerprints off the sculpture, do you think that’s possible?”

“That’s highly possible,” Liu Kuang nodded once more.

“Mr. Liu Kuang, as I understand, during your initial forensic discussions, there was an opinion that the time interval between the four strikes could be quite long, especially the heaviest blow, which might have occurred more than three hours after the first blow. Is that correct?”

A flash of surprise crossed Liu Kuang’s eyes, but he remained calm, “Actually, with our current forensic techniques, we cannot accurately determine the exact time intervals between the blows to the victim’s skull. Therefore, we didn’t adopt that opinion after our discussions.”

Lu Ming nodded, “Since current scientific forensics cannot determine the precise time intervals between the four blows to the victim’s skull, does that mean, based on scientific evidence, you cannot rule out the possibility that the first and last blows could be more than three hours apart?”

Liu Kuang was momentarily at a loss for words.

Liu Hanming immediately furrowed his brow.

“Mr. Liu Kuang, please answer my question. You claim to respect science and evidence, so please answer: Based on forensic science and current evidence, can you rule out the possibility that the first and last blows to Miss Li Xiaoyan were more than three hours apart? Because one of your colleagues suggested this possibility.”

Liu Kuang thought for a moment, “It’s not impossible, but…”

Lu Ming quickly interrupted him, “Mr. Liu Kuang, the murder weapon had no fingerprints, correct?”

“Yes, as I mentioned earlier,” Liu Kuang replied impatiently, still wanting to return to the previous question, “Regarding the timing of the injuries…”

“Mr. Liu Kuang, you believe the four strikes happened almost simultaneously and were inflicted by the same person, right?” Lu Ming asked.

“Yes…” Liu Kuang began to explain.

“But you also said there is no scientific evidence to prove the exact time intervals between the victim’s injuries in this case…”

“Yet you insist that the four blows happened in quick succession and were inflicted by the same person.”

“Is this your scientific spirit?”

Liu Kuang was at a loss for words.

Zhang Jingjing listened in astonishment. The forensic officer was clearly no match for the novice lawyer. Not only was he rendered speechless, but the lawyer had also cleverly rephrased the incident as “four separate attacks,” making it sound as though several people had assaulted the victim, with the fatal blow being delivered by the last person.

If she wasn’t somewhat knowledgeable about defense tactics, she might have been misled herself.

Liu Hanming stood up, “Objection. I hope the defense will give the witness sufficient time to answer the questions.”

“That is not my obligation. He only needs to answer my questions. If further explanation is needed, Prosecutor Liu, you will need to use your cross-examination time.”

Liu Hanming frowned. The guy was right, but it was rare for defense attorneys to fully exploit all the rules like this.

Lu Ming turned back to Liu Kuang, whose face was now quite somber. “Mr. Liu Kuang, the forensic office concluded that the blows happened around the same time after some analysis. This conclusion involved some level of discussion and inference, correct?”

Liu Kuang, with a dark expression, but choosing his words carefully, said, “Forensic scientists are also human. We do discuss cases, but it doesn’t affect our findings. All our conclusions are based on scientific perspectives.”

Lu Ming nodded, “Since you have analyzed this case, then consider this: a murderer strikes the victim four times, wipes the fingerprints off the murder weapon, then calmly returns to his rented room without any intention of fleeing.”

“This person knows many people saw him enter the victim’s room and saw him leave after the murder…”

“He wiped the fingerprints to hide the fact that he committed the murder but let witnesses who saw him come and go freely, and then went back to sleep in his rented room?”

“Is this person suffering from schizophrenia?”

Liu Kuang shook his head, “That’s not my area of expertise. I won’t make any judgments.”

“He attempted to rape, committed robbery, and murder, wiped the fingerprints off the weapon, but then brazenly returned home, not caring if anyone saw him entering and leaving the victim’s room…”

Lu Ming turned to the jury and spread his hands, “I think there’s only one possibility: he was sleepwalking.”

Despite the case’s gruesome nature, some jurors couldn’t help but almost laugh out loud, quickly lowering their heads to suppress their amusement.

Liu Hanming stood up, “Your Honor, I have a psychology expert who can clearly explain the perpetrator’s psychological state. I request to summon him to testify.”

Judge Cao Guan checked the time, “Recess for half an hour.”

Lu Ming turned around, “Your Honor, as the second witness did not demonstrate expertise, resulting in issues with the chain of evidence, I would like to recall the prosecution’s first witness for further questioning. He is currently in the courtroom.”

The first witness, the manager of the Jincheng Hotel and the victim’s cousin, Du Laifu, was a key witness who saw Li Mingxuan enter and leave the victim’s room.

Although the prosecution had not planned to have him testify today, he loved to attend all the trial sessions. Since it was related to the case, he would always come to observe, and he was currently seated in the courtroom.

Judge Cao Guan looked at Liu Hanming, “Your expert witness can testify next. Let’s hear from the first witness again.”

Glaring at Du Laifu sitting at the back of the courtroom, Liu Hanming was infuriated. He had always wanted to scold him. Why did he have to get involved in everything? This was a murder case, and yet he treated it like a gossip session. Maybe his head was damaged when he was a kid—what a weirdo.