Great Swordsman Ke Xue.

Chapter 140 Be wary of cautious cats
  Qingmizu Koji stopped talking to Haibara Ai, because his attention was quickly attracted by Mamiya Mitsuru in front of him.

Of course, at the same time, there was Conan walking in front, and he silently pricked up his ears.

"If these kids like it so much, I can treat you all to stay here for a night."

"Oh! Thank you so much!" Dr. Ali couldn't help but be overjoyed when he heard this. Of course he could drive back, but why not stay here for one night?

Seeing this, Mamiya Mitsuru smiled slightly and no longer concealed his purpose, "But there is a condition."

"condition?"

"I was hoping to use your clever mind to help me solve a mystery."

"Oh haha, no problem, I'll cover it!"

Dr. A Li was a little hesitant at first. If he wanted to pay, he didn't bring much cash. But when he heard the riddle, he glanced at Conan in front of him, then looked back at Koji Shimizu and Ai Haihara, then laughed and patted his belly generously and agreed.

Seeing this, Mamiya Mitsuru smiled with satisfaction, "Let's talk about what happens after that another time."

After saying that, he took the lead and left alone. At this time, the gardener couldn't help scolding the three little ones of the Young Detective Team again.

"You guys, be careful. You can't step on the lawn here."

"Huh?" Yuantai was immediately dissatisfied and took the opportunity to step on him a few more times.

Mitsuhiko and Ayumi were a little frightened, or rather they were more obedient, so they immediately didn't dare to move.

Conan turned around and took a look. He understood this time and said helpfully: "You guys, come out quickly. Other people's lawns are mowed very carefully."

"It's a chess board—"

Hui Yuan Ai spoke calmly to herself. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. Apparently she had never seen anyone mow the lawn like this.

The three little ones were soon called out. The gardener put his hands on his hips and looked a little better.

Dr. Ali looked at the black and white chess pieces in the yard that were almost a person tall, and then looked at the chess board. He couldn't help but curiously asked: "Why are they all made like this? Is it because our master likes it so much?" Chess?"

The gardener no longer looked as arrogant as before. When asked by Dr. Ali, he answered honestly: "I don't know about this. I just do a little pruning every day according to the instructions given to me by my old master, Mr. Sadaki." , just keep the way it is here.”

"I heard that this seemed to be the elder's last words before his death fifteen years ago. Lord Zhenzhao has never violated them."

Dr. A Li frowned when he heard this, because there were already three masters in such a short time, "The master you mentioned in the past? What about the one just now?"

"Ah, that is our current master, my wife's second husband, Master Aman. Master Zhenzhao died of illness six years ago, and our wife was also burned to death in a fire four years ago."

Now it's not just Dr. Agasa, even Koji Shimizu has narrowed his eyes.

Co-author, your master is no longer your master at all.

This is the disadvantage of recruiting a wife. This Mamiya has a domineering attitude, but in reality, he is just a dove occupying a magpie's nest.

"Fire—?"

"Now, look over there, that's the scorched stone tower."

Tabata Katsuo pointed out to several people that at the left rear of the castle, there was a majestic blackened stone tower that looked like it had gone through centuries of history.

When Shimizu Koji turned his eyes away, he had a vague bad feeling, but now it turned into a cold feeling.

It was like meeting the soul of Hideaki Hosaka in Teidan before, but it was much stronger than that time.

Combined with the gardener's words, his eyes suddenly became slightly solemn.

"Huh? What's wrong with you? Are you cold?"

Haiyuan Ai quite keenly noticed Qingshui Koji's strangeness for a moment, and raised her head to look at him.

Shimizu Koji didn't answer. He just shook his head and continued to listen. And if this situation had happened before, Koji Shimizu would most likely turn around and leave without hesitation.

Now, if he has to drag Dr. A Li and the others away, that's not impossible, but that way...
  In short - Shimizu Koji no longer has to escape, nor does he intend to escape anymore.

If the world embraces him, he responds with songs; if the world kisses him with pain, he responds with death.

Whether it is for himself, for Haibara Ai who has subconsciously regarded him as a safe and trustworthy person, for future Miyano Akemi, or for other people with close relationships in the future.

In the future, he needs to face everything head-on, and then - eliminate all threats.

"That year, in order to celebrate the eldest wife's birthday, my wife went back to the long-lost stone tower. She arrived in the middle of the night, but before dawn that day, tongues of fire shot into the sky."

"And at that time, it wasn't just the madam who was there. Her friends that the madam brought back with her, as well as the stewards and servants who had been serving the eldest madam for many years, more than ten people, all died in the fire."

There seemed to be some emotion in Tabata Katsuo's words. As he spoke, he led everyone to move forward.

"The only people in this family who escaped that disaster were the eldest lady who was sleeping in another dormitory at the time, and a newly hired servant like me, Mr. Aman."

"Oh, and there's that one over there, the only son of my wife and Mr. Zhenzhao, Mr. Guiren."

Dr. Conan Agasa, Haibara Ai, and Shimizu Koji all turned their heads and saw a rather young-looking man squatting on the lawn, looking up and down at a white chess piece.

Shimizu Koji just glanced at it and then looked away, and then for the first time today, he took the initiative to talk: "Wait a minute, you just said that the eldest lady is sleeping in another dormitory?"

His words also made the other three people react. Just now Tabata Katsuo said that his wife went to the stone tower to celebrate the eldest wife's birthday. How come the eldest wife is still alive?

"Ah, that is said to be because the eldest lady felt unwell that night and returned to the castle to rest early, leaving the place for the lady and her friends to continue celebrating."

Tabata Katsuo gave a reasonable explanation, but Shimizu Koji also paid attention, because not only the stone tower, he already felt that the atmosphere here was not so right.

Ever since——Mamiya Mitsuru told Dr. Agasa that he wanted him to solve a puzzle.

The special chess lawn, the instructions of the old man who died young, the last words of the great old man, and the young master studying the chess pieces.

Qingshui Koji was silent, took his hand out of his pocket, and dropped it in front of Haiyuan Ai's eyes.

Just like an adult gesturing to a child to hold hands, Koji Shimizu only acted subconsciously and did not remind Haibara Ai at all.

And Haihara Ai was stunned for several seconds. He looked up and saw the contemplative eyes of Qingshui Koji, and finally put his little hand in again.

Anyway, it's not the first time.

Although the feeling this time seems to be even more different than last time.

Haiyuan Ai felt the warmth coming from Qing Shuihao's second hand. She was a little absent-minded, but it was not because of this.

"What did you find again?"

"Huh?" Qingshui Koji came back to his senses, lowered his head and saw her eyes that suddenly became worried, and her soft little hand that had already run into his own.

"Um, it's nothing." Qingshui Koji shook his head lightly, and Haihara Ai's eyes suddenly became more confused.

Shimizu Koji wouldn't say that he just felt his hands were a little warm and took them out for some airing, nor would he say that it was because when he went to visit Mingmei recently, he held her little hand so many times that it became a habit.

He has gradually figured out Hui Yuan Ai's habits.

This guy is also very good at association, or in other words, he is very careful.

If Koji Shimizu said that he did it unintentionally, then Haibara, in shame and anger, might think that Koji Shimizu was teasing her on purpose, and then give him a fierce boomerang impact one day in the future.

But as long as he doesn't say anything, nothing happens.

(End of this chapter)