Maori Kogoro began to understand everything

"Why are you wearing glasses?"

"They say it makes you look smarter and more photogenic..."

Kojima Motoji looked helpless, shook his head and turned to Maori and said, "But this time it was really thanks to Detective Maori that we found the murderer right away. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to explain it myself."

"Nothing? Even without me, the police will eventually find out."

Maori simply greeted Ai and walked together tacitly, his expression still calm.

That's right, there's nothing to be surprised about a case like this, it's just a daily occurrence.

Chiba found a pistol in the interrogation room and a piece of paper with a message on it. The handwriting on it was messy, but the content was clear.

"Allow us to accept this world's best Shakugoritsu, the Thieves' Group of One Hundred Demons Night Parade..."

The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons is a murder and robbery gang that stole two of President Kojima's three scrolls half a year ago. Only the Wild Boar Scroll was spared because it was taken out for repairs.

President Kojima and his wife and the servants at home were only drugged, but President Kojima's beloved dog was killed by the leader's slit throat in the yard. The reason why they were able to determine that the other party was left-handed and had a certain shoe size was because of the clues left in the yard.

In addition, the thief leader muttered a few words when he left, and the president, who was still slightly conscious, happened to hear it.

"I'll spare you one name because we have the same name. Maybe we are distant relatives..."

"So that's how it is," Xiao Ai followed Maori and listened to the story of the case. She suddenly realized, "So the president specially held this competition and used the third scroll as bait to lure out the thief leader."

"Yes, President Kojima had forbidden calling the police in the first place. This time, he probably wanted to take the other party to the interrogation room alone for punishment, but they ended up arguing at the stairs..."

Maori deeply admired President Kojima's ability to commit suicide. According to the final confession of the fat man Kojima Iwakichi, President Kojima did ask him to go to the interrogation room for a talk. His malicious look made him unable to resist snatching the piece of paper used as evidence, which resulted in a murder.

"It was indeed written on that piece of paper that it was 'First Class', and it was an imitation of the message from the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. The character 'First Class' is composed of three circles, which most people would think is 108 or 801. Only people with preconceived notions would see it as 'First Class'. That's how President Kojima recognized the thief leader."

"Where's the paper?" Xiao Ai asked curiously, "Did you find it?"

"He was swallowed by the leader," Mao Li said with a smile, "but when asked whether he should induce vomiting, he chose to surrender..."

"Detective Maori!"

Kojima Motoji finished talking to his son Genta and called over, "Thank you for taking care of Genta. If it's convenient, how about letting me treat you guys once?"

"That's not necessary," Maori turned around and said, "Yuanta has helped me a lot, so it's my duty to take care of them."

It's okay for him to help get involved in the case. If it weren't for Genta today, he would probably have gone back directly and would not have come here specially to interfere in the case. Otherwise, even if he was a special consultant, Inspector Megure would have been worried.

"Really? I thought this kid would only cause trouble," Kojima Motoji touched his son's sweet potato head unexpectedly, but he didn't doubt it too much and laughed heartily, "Detective Mori is indeed Detective Mori, haha!"

"Uh……"

Mao Li could only smile awkwardly at this.

Yuan Tai, this little fat boy, is really a trouble maker. He eats more than anyone else, and he is also the most curious and capable of causing trouble...

……

After the case that happened at Nichiuri TV ended, Maori took Ai and Ran to the countryside to take a hot spring bath. Seeing the flying snow in the mountains, they couldn't help but think of the legend of the snow woman. However, the snowstorm in the place they visited this time was not as exaggerated as in the legend of the snow woman.

It happened that a festival was being held nearby. Maori sat beside the shrine with his neck hunched, shivering as he looked at the open space in the middle where many villagers wearing straw raincoats and holding torches were standing. Accompanied by bursts of drum beats, the villagers began to perform a mysterious festival dance, and they danced around the middle like ghosts.

I couldn't see the faces of the villagers clearly in the light of the fire. It was so cold and creepy...

Maori moved closer to Ai and found that Professor Agasa and Conan were also very cold. Conan, who was wearing thin clothes, was so cold that he looked like an idiot. He rubbed his legs and feet anxiously and waited for the festival to end.

Yes, we met again, but not here. Xiaolan called me this morning before we decided on a destination. She said we were all going to take a hot spring bath anyway, so why not go together? It would be more lively this way...

But why would we come here to watch the festival in such a cold weather?

An old priest who was presiding over the ceremony said in a suppressed voice, "During the Warring States Period, there was a general named Okihidetomo who once advised his lord, Ohara Genbu, to abolish the harsh policies that were harming the people. However, this caused Genbu to become furious, and Okihidemo's entire family was killed. In desperation, Hidetomo put on the armor he wore for the expedition, and after killing Genbu, he stabbed himself in the throat..."

"To this day, General Xiuyou's spirit is still wandering around. It is said that anyone who sees his spirit will end up dying. This Chonghua Xiuyou Requiem Ceremony is held to provide for General Xiuyou's wronged spirit. The straw raincoat used in the ritual dance symbolizes the armor that General Xiuyou wore when he swung his sword at Xuanwu..."

The priest paused, then said to the Maori people with his hands behind his back, "Tonight happens to be the 500th anniversary of General Hidetomo's death, so please enjoy this requiem dance slowly."

Maori half opened his eyes.

He was willing to believe in anything except ghosts.

The most terrifying people in this world are often humans. All the legends about ghosts and monsters killing people are ultimately just groundless tales, aren't they?

Either it was an accident or it was man-made...

"Ran," Maori said to Ran, who was fascinated by the sight, after the priest left. "Have you seen enough? Should we head to the hot spring?"

"Are we leaving?" Xiaolan looked at the ritual dance with some reluctance.

"What are you talking about? It's getting late..."

"The pass leading to the hot springs has been blocked because of the snow," said a handsome young man with long hair. "It's impossible to get through."

"What?" Maori was stunned.

"Dad, what should we do?"

"Let's find a place to stay nearby for the night," Mao Li said helplessly, "It won't be too late to soak in the hot spring tomorrow..."

"But I don't see any hotels nearby."

"I think this is the way to go," the young man said kindly, "There is a family with a big gate a little ahead. I am planning to go there too. If you don't mind, we can go together."

"Okay, okay," Dr. Agasa breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you so much for the trouble."

"nothing."

The group followed the young man out of the festival venue. Ai also jumped off the long wooden chair and looked at Maori who was motionless in confusion: "What's wrong?"

"It feels weird," Mao Li said helplessly, "I have a bad feeling..."

……

"Dong dong!"

Mori's rented car and Dr. Agasa's Beetle passed through the snowy mountain road one after another. The drum sound of the requiem became increasingly blurred and was gradually drowned out by the wind and snow.

"Can all of us really go with you?" Xiaolan asked the young man sitting next to the driver's seat worriedly.

"Yes, it's better to have someone with me," the young man smiled stiffly, "In fact, the male owner of the Daimon family is the president of Daimon Industries..."

"Oh?" Mao Li, who was driving, said in surprise, "Is it the famous President Daimon?"

"He is quite famous, but he is also a man who will do anything for money," the young man said with a displeased look, "He is always angry with his family, and he often argues with his eldest son about the next president. His eldest daughter-in-law also ignores the family and goes out to play all day. It is only a matter of time before she divorces his eldest son..."

"It sounds like you are quite familiar with them."

"Because I am their youngest son, my name is Daimon Ryoro, but I haven't been home for several years..."

During the conversation, the car quickly drove to the front of a large mansion. It had a very old-fashioned feel, as if we had returned to ancient Japan.

Maori got out of the car and looked at the brick and wood house in the snow. This old house looked like a wealthy family.

In the main house, Daimon Ryosuke led Maori and his group into the entrance hall.

"Brother, I'm back..."

"Liang Lang," a man with glasses and a wide chin frowned, "Why did you come back at this time?"

"We haven't seen each other for five years. You don't have to be so cold, right?"

The woman next to him who seemed to be the man's wife looked at Maori and the others with scrutiny: "Liang Lang, who are these people? Why are there so many people?"

"I met them at the Xiuyou Festival. I saw that they had no place to live, so..."

"Humph! You haven't been back for several years, and when you come back you bring outsiders with you!"

Maori and others suddenly felt a little embarrassed. The relationship within this family seemed to be quite tense, and it turned out to be a source of trouble for Daimon Yoshiaki.

"Mr. Liang Lang, I think we should..."

"What are you arguing about again?"

An old man in a kimono came out, frowning and looking quite dignified, but he became happy when he saw Daimon Ryosuke.

"Liang Lang?! You're finally back!"

"Dad..." Daimon Ryolang turned his head slightly, "The mountain is closed due to heavy snow now, so I want Mr. Maori and the others to stay here temporarily..."

"Mori?" The old man looked at Mori with eyes wide open. "Isn't this the great detective Mori Kogoro? To be honest, I have always admired you. Since we are so predestined, please stay here today!"

"what?"

"Hatsuho, go and help Mr. Mori and the others and Ryoro prepare the room!"

Compared with the eldest son and daughter-in-law, the old man was quite enthusiastic, not at all as unkind as the younger son Daimon Ryoro said.

"Everyone, please come with me."

The maid named Hojo Hatsuho led everyone through the right corridor to arrange the guest rooms. "Mr. Maori, the old man, and the little boy will sleep in the front room tonight, and Master Lianglang will sleep in the inner room."

"okay."

"Also, you can go to the yard from this walkway at the back. The snow scenery in the yard is really amazing. It's nice to go out for a walk."

Chapter 136: Rich families are full of gossips, and human hearts are stronger than curses

"Well, we'll go check it out," Xiaolan nodded with a smile, "Thank you very much."

"Mr. Maori," Daimon Yoshiro apologized to Maori, "I'm so sorry for what happened just now. My brother and sister-in-law were really inhospitable..."

"No, no, don't say that,"

Mao Li also smiled and said, "Actually, we shouldn't have come here so rashly. We are sorry for causing you trouble."

"That's not true," Daimon Ryoro said with a smile, "I didn't expect you to be a great detective. It's such an honor."

"Hatsuho-sister," Conan interrupted, "Excuse me, where is the toilet?"

"The toilet, just go to the end of this corridor... The toilet switch is a little hard to find, I'll go with you."

Hojo Hatsuho took Conan away and said to everyone, "I'll make tea for you guys, everyone take a good rest first."

Maori looked at Hojo Hatsuho's back. Somehow, even though it was just the first time they met, he always felt that there was something on her mind beneath Hojo Hatsuho's smile.

"what happened?"

Ai rolled her eyes and walked over to Maori, "You've been staring at me, are you getting horny again?"

"Look at what you said, I am that kind of person!"

"Ha ha……"

It was dinner time and it was still snowing outside, but it was quite warm inside the house. Everyone gathered in a tatami-covered Japanese-style room to have dinner. President Daimon and his eldest son and his wife were all present.

Perhaps because of their youngest son, Yoshiro Daimon, the couple still did not have a good face towards Maori and others, and the atmosphere during the meal was weird.

Although Mao Li regretted staying here at this moment, he still smiled and took the initiative to liven up the atmosphere and said, "Your house is really spectacular. It's really embarrassing for us to live in such a nice place."

President Daimon said, "No, this is an old house. It needs some renovation."

"Master," Hojo Hatsuho opened the paper door of the Japanese-style room, "The old lady said she is not feeling well tonight, so she needs to go to bed early..."

"Here we go again," President Daimon frowned slightly, "Mr. Maori finally came to our house today..."

"No wonder, how could my mother-in-law have eaten dinner today?" The eldest daughter-in-law, Kayoko, said sarcastically, "Let me tell you, every year on the anniversary of General Xiuyou's death, my mother-in-law would worship at the altar in the room until midnight, saying that was the time when General Xiuyou committed suicide. She once heard a sound and was scared to death..."

"Kayoko!" The eldest son, Kazuki Daimon, called out to his wife in a deep voice.

"This is the truth, what does it matter?"

"Mom's health has never been very good..."

"Yishu," President Daimon scolded his eldest son, "You don't have time to care about us old people. If you have time, spend more time on your work!"

The eldest daughter-in-law, Kayoko, smiled awkwardly and couldn't help asking, "Dad, regarding the next president candidate..."

"We're still eating now. We'll talk after we finish eating."

President Daimon calmed down and asked his youngest son with concern, "Lianglang, what are you doing now?"

"I'm a resident singer in the restaurant," responded Ryosuke Daimon.

"Ah? Why do you do such a dead-end job? Come back, Liang Lang, you should come back to your dad's company and help him, okay?"

……