Ke Xue: I have a knife, and you still dare to fight me?

Once everyone was seated at the dining table, Professor Agasa looked around and noticed someone was missing. He asked, "Where's Conan?"

Kurokawa Tsuki stared intently at the old woman sitting across the table, still trying to figure out how to start the conversation.

Genta was the first to speak, replying, "I think he's definitely hiding somewhere, trying to scare us!"

The young master of the castle agreed, "Is that so? Then let him come out on his own when he feels hungry."

"That's right! I'm going to start eating!"

Yuan Tai said carefree, his eyes were only on the delicious food on the table, nothing else mattered.

Ai Haibara's eyes showed a hint of worry, after all, she also felt that Conan's constitution was indeed a bit dark.

She looked at Kurokawasaki Tsuki beside her and asked with her eyes: Is Conan alright?

Kurokawa Saki gave her a reassuring look: Don't worry, everything is fine.

Ai Haibara was finally relieved.

She nodded.

Since Kurokawa said that guy is fine, then there's nothing to worry about.

Since things have come to this, let's eat first as a sign of respect!

Everyone sat around the dining table, eating and chatting.

During this time, the castle lord once again mentioned the treasure hidden in the chess manual.

They asked Professor Agasa and the others if they had any clues.

Ai Haibara glanced silently at Tsuki Kurokawa beside her.

They found the latter still eating quietly.

So Ai Haibara quietly stuffed food into her mouth.

No matter how enthusiastically the people at the table were chatting.

The two of them ate with complete focus, undisturbed by anything else.

Then, the castle lord brought up the tower where people had been burned to death a few years ago.

He also mentioned that two years ago, a new maid went to that tower, was haunted by the vengeful spirits inside, got lost, and starved to death in the forest there.

Upon hearing this, Professor Agasa and the others could no longer sit still. They took the three little ones and the others in the castle and set off to find Conan.

At this moment, Kurokawasaki Tsukiya finally put down his knife and fork.

Because he was full.

Ai Haibara also put down the bread in her hand.

It was definitely the right choice to eat quietly with Kurokawa Saki.

Professor Agasa also leaned close to Tsuki Kurokawa and said that he already knew from Conan that Tsuki Kurokawa was also someone who knew Shinichi Kudo's identity.

"Kurokawa, let's go find Conan quickly. I wonder if he's discovered something."

"it is good."

Kurokawasaki Tsuki nodded, then stood up.

A light rain began to fall outside the castle.

The group searched around the castle but couldn't find any trace of Conan.

The rain intensified, and with no other option, the group had to return to the castle.

Ayumi was so anxious she was about to cry.

"Kuro, Kurokawa-nii-san, please find Conan quickly, okay...?"

"Don't worry, Conan is lucky and won't get into trouble. I think he should still be inside the castle. Let's go back and look for him again."

Kurokawasaki Tsuki squatted down in front of Ayumi and comforted her.

However, he certainly wouldn't reveal Conan so quickly; this was a rare opportunity for Ai Haibara to undergo a trial.

He wanted to see if Ai Haibara could wield a sword in an emergency and whether she could apply what she had learned to actual combat.

His opponent was just a woman who liked to ambush from dark corners; he felt that Ai Haibara could handle her.

Ai Haibara silently watched as Kurokawasaki Tsuki gently comforted Ayumi, lost in thought.

Forced by the increasingly heavy rain, the group returned to the castle.

Professor Agasa sidled up to Ai Haibara and Tsuki Kurokawa and said, "Shinichi is really something, disappearing for so long, making everyone worry."

Kurokawasaki gave Professor Agasa a heads-up: "Something might have really happened to him. Maybe he's been trapped in some kind of trap, or maybe he's been captured by someone."

Ai Haibara made an even more startling statement: "They might have already been killed, they might already be dead."

The doctor looked somewhat flustered.

"N-Nani!?"

He forced a smile and said, "How about we split up and keep looking for him?"

Kurokawasaki Tsuki nodded.

"Then I'll go look over there. Ai, you go with the Doctor over there. Remember to protect yourself and the Doctor."

Ai Haibara nodded: "I understand."

"correct……"

After taking two steps, Kurokawasaki Tsuki turned around and then turned back to remind him, "You must stay close to the professor and not get separated from him."

Ai Haibara replied without turning her head, "Okay—"

After giving his instructions, Kurokawa Saki Tsuki continued walking in the opposite direction.

As for why he chose to go this way, it's because there's also a secret passage leading underground.

Besides that, he also wanted to find out what the treasure actually was.

He had already deciphered the chess notation.

In a dark corner.

The ugly, old woman was secretly observing the three of them, including Kurokawa Saki.

On one side was a tall, young, and strong man who looked formidable.

On the other side was a frail-looking little girl carrying a large bag on her back, and accompanied by a fat, gray-haired old man – a group of elderly and frail individuals.

Even a fool would know which option to choose.

Without hesitation, the old woman picked up her stick and crept towards Ai Haibara and Professor Agasa.

Kurokawasaki felt the gaze behind him shift away from him.

So they still chose to target the elderly and children? How pathetic.

Following the clues in the riddle, Kurokawa Saki first moved the portrait. After finding the treasure, he couldn't help but smile.

I'm afraid that old woman would be furious if she knew that the treasure she went through so much trouble to obtain was actually such a treasure.

After examining the treasure, Kurokawa Saki felt around on the wall and quickly found a wall that could be flipped over to enter the secret passage.

After entering the dark passage, I activated my Sharingan, and the surrounding environment became clearly visible.

He could still see Ai Haibara's side through the wall.

He slowly walked towards the hidden door near Ai Haibara, quietly waiting to see how she would deal with the approaching old woman.

Meanwhile, Ai Haibara was with Professor Agasa, planning to contact the police.

The castle is located deep in the mountains and forests, and there is no cell phone signal at all. The only option is to try to find a landline phone.

They walked along the road and finally found a landline phone at a corner.

Just as they were about to dial, there seemed to be some movement on the other side of the corner.

A somewhat familiar hat fell to the ground.

Professor Agasa stepped forward and picked it up.

"It's Shinichi's hat, and there are bloodstains on it!"

Ai Haibara also came up and took the hat from the doctor's hand to examine it.

She frowned.

Was Shinichi Kudo really attacked? Is he still alive?

Just as she was lost in thought.

Suddenly, the wall behind me opened up a crack.

"Oh? It seems like we can go in from here?"

Professor Agasa placed his hand on the wall and gently pushed it open, but it was pitch black inside.

"Did Shinichi fall into this?"

Ai Haibara frowned.

Professor Agasa pulled a flashlight from his pocket and went straight inside.

Ai Haibara also turned on her watch and flashlight and went inside.

However, she was cautious and first looked at the corner of the wall.

I shone my watch on it.

An old and ugly profile appeared before Ai Haibara's eyes.

The old woman's glasses reflected the light.

At the same time, the wall was instantly shut.

She raised her stick, ready to strike the doctor on the head.

"Doctor, watch out behind you!"

Ai Haibara shouted immediately.

"what!"

Dr. Agasa wanted to turn around.

But it was too late.

Ai Haibara quickly untied the sword pouch behind her and drew out the bamboo sword inside.

Fortunately, Ai Haibara's shout saved the old woman from hitting her on the head with that stick.

But he still took a solid hit to the back.

Professor Agasa collapsed to the ground in pain.

"ah--"

Ai Haibara charged forward, swords drawn, her hands on her sides.

The old woman turned around and swung a stick at her.

However, Ai Haibara dodged it with a sidestep.

Then he slashed the old woman's calf hard with the knife.

"Ugh, damn brat."

The old woman cursed.

Ai Haibara didn't waste any words with her.

Because Kurokawasaki Tsuki had told her before that villains usually die from talking too much.

So once you've succeeded, don't stop; keep beating the villain until he can't speak anymore.

"what--"

Ai Haibara slashed at the old woman's calves and abdomen, one cut at a time.