Ghost Detectives in the Detective World

Page 182

"W-what, that thing?"

Xiaolan was startled by the monk's sudden change of expression and quickly grabbed Matsuda's arm.

"This humble monk did not mean to frighten you, but on a rainy night like this, it would be better if you stayed here!"

The old monk spoke slowly, his face full of mystery.

"Because there has always been a legend in these mountains."

"Legend has it that somewhere in these mountains, there lives an ancient monster that loves rain and darkness and devours human souls... the Mist Tengu!"

"what!"

Ran was so frightened that she screamed and clung tightly to Matsuda's arm, refusing to let go.

Mori and Conan, who were standing nearby, were also terrified.

But after noticing Ran's actions, Conan's initial fear instantly turned into a sour jealousy.

"Sister Ran! How long are you going to keep hugging Officer Matsuda?"

"what?"

Reminded by him, Xiaolan realized the situation and quickly blushed as she let go of Matsuda's arm.

"I'm sorry, Officer Matsuda..."

"It's alright, I'm not like some petty person who likes to dwell on this kind of thing,"

Matsuda chuckled and patted Conan's head.

"You're right, aren't you, kid?"

After teasing Conan, Ran absolutely refused to leave the temple because of the old monk's story.

Reluctantly, Mori had no choice but to agree to let them stay overnight.

The old monk, after collecting the lodging fees from the four people...

His originally gloomy face instantly blossomed into a smile as bright as a flower.

He began to voluntarily act as a tour guide for the four of them, leading Matsuda and the others on a tour of the entire temple.

"These are my four disciples."

The old monk called out four young monks, each with a different appearance.

They are the eldest disciple, Kuan Nian, who is young and handsome, has been practicing in the temple the longest, and speaks very directly, giving people the feeling that he is easy to offend.

The second senior brother, Tun Nian, is extremely fat, has a huge appetite, is good at cooking, and is also a strongman.

The third senior brother, Mu Nian, was thin and skilled in carpentry. He was in charge of all the temple's repair work.

The youngest disciple, Xiu Nian, was a small, thin monk with a somewhat protruding head.

He wore glasses, his face was pockmarked and covered in freckles, and he was said to love reading and be quite intelligent.

When the old monk introduced his four disciples, Matsuda listened intently.

According to the system task prompts, one of these four disciples should be a blood relative of the victim of the Shanni Temple massacre.

"May I ask, esteemed masters, does anyone have siblings?"

Matsuda didn't beat around the bush and asked directly.

However, all four young monks shook their heads.

Is he trying to hide his identity?

Matsuda pondered to himself, preparing to go find the old monk again later to inquire about the origins of the four young monks.

"Hey, why are you asking these questions?" Conan asked curiously, tugging at Matsuda's sleeve.

"Nothing, I was just curious and asking casually," Matsuda replied casually.

Obviously, no one would believe that.

Although the Mori family was somewhat puzzled, they did not press the matter.

On the contrary, the old monk's gaze toward Matsuda suddenly turned cold.

……

Led by the old monk, Matsuda and his three companions visited the Yamanitei-ji Temple.

It must be said that although this mountain temple is located deep in the mountains, it is quite well constructed.

The central hall of the temple is magnificent and imposing.

Upon seeing it, Kogoro Mouri repeatedly praised it, but Kuan Nian's next words made him stop laughing.

"Esteemed benefactor, since you prefer this place, why not hold your funeral here after you die?"

"I'm not even forty yet, I don't have time to worry about these things!"

Mori's face darkened, and he lost all interest in looking at the main hall.

The group left the main hall and walked along the outer corridor.

Conan noticed a lock on a door and curiously went over to take a look.

But they found it was just an ordinary small room, but the ceiling was very high.

Noticing Conan's actions, the old monk's face immediately darkened.

"Master, what is this room for?" Mori asked curiously.

"It's nothing, it's just a meditation room!" the old monk explained casually. "Monks in the temple who violate the precepts are locked up here, but it hasn't been used for a long time now."

"Then why is it that only this sunny wooden wall is unpainted?"

Matsuda took a careful look around.

"And what is the purpose of this window below?"

"This is none of your business, so please don't ask any questions."

The old monk, with a gloomy expression, chose to refuse to answer.

Conan was still curious and wanted to ask something.

However, the four of them were just guests, so they naturally couldn't force their host to do something against his will.

The four continued walking and soon heard the sound of flowing water.

Following the sound, we saw the waterfall we had seen when we entered the temple!

Unlike the previous views of the waterfall from afar, this room at Shanni Temple was actually built right next to the waterfall.

Standing by the railing, the spray from the waterfall can hit your face directly.

"Dear benefactors, although the waterfall is a spectacular sight, please watch your step when admiring it."

Kuan Nian, who was acting as a guide for the group alongside the old monk, reminded them...

"The wooden planks here are constantly soaked by the waterfall's moisture, making them very slippery. Be careful not to fall."

"Wow, there are even cherry blossoms!" Xiaolan exclaimed in surprise.

It turns out that the water flowing above the waterfall carried down many cherry blossom petals that had fallen from the mountains.

These petals, caught in the water, flutter and swirl as the waterfall falls, creating a truly beautiful scene.

Xiao Lan quickly took out her camera and captured this rare and beautiful scene.

……

After visiting Shanni Temple, the old monk and Kuan Nian led the four back to the dining hall.

Second Senior Brother Tun Nian has already prepared a meal for everyone.

It must be said that the second senior brother's cooking skills are indeed quite good.

The four of them, Matsuda and his companions, were already exhausted from a long day, and seeing the delicious food on the table, they immediately began to eat heartily.

After dinner,

Xiu Nian and several other monks led everyone to their rooms for the night.

Midway through, Matsuda asked why there was a window beneath the room with the high beams.

"Well, actually, after that incident, the original wall was damaged, and Senior Brother Mu Nian repaired it back to that state," Xiu Nian replied.

"An incident? What incident?" Kogoro Mouri asked curiously.

Matsuda, on the other hand, recalled the bloody incident that had occurred at the Yamane Temple, as mentioned in the system's notification.

Chapter 223 Fame Showdown

“I’m not really sure about that either,” Xiu Nian shook her head. “That incident happened before I entered the temple, and I’ve only heard bits and pieces of what my senior brothers have told me about it.”

"It seems to be related to the Tengu..."

Xiu Nian was only halfway through her explanation when Kuan Nian interrupted her sharply from the side.

"Xiu Nian, stop talking. You shouldn't be saying this to the guests!"

"I'm sorry, senior brother, and all the guests!" Xiu Nian hurriedly apologized in a low voice.

Of the four disciples, only Xiu Nian came to Shanni Temple after that incident.

Matsuda pondered silently in his heart.

Judging from the system's prompts, the deceased's blood relative must have come here after their loved one's death, intending to seek revenge.

The most likely person is the young monk Xiu Nian standing before us.

Now that we have a suspect in the revenge plot, who is the target of that revenge? Which of these monks could it be?

……

Because of Kuan Nian's reprimand, no one else dared to speak up.

Conan, on the other hand, took advantage of being a child and shamelessly asked the question.

"Um, Brother Xiu Nian, I've been really curious about this 'Mist Tengu' you guys are talking about ever since we started, what exactly is it?"