Conan: The Man Behind the Romance

Chapter 376: Guidance of fate, Crystal Palace or Madhouse?
"I can see that you are very curious about it and even want to try it yourself, right?" Hongzi said.

"A little bit, it is magic after all."

Yingsheng said honestly, "I don't have a very real feeling about the thing called 'love'. If your magic can make me fall in love with someone from the bottom of my heart, I really want to experience what it feels like."

"But there is one thing. Can that target only be you? Can you change the target to Xiaolan?"

Hongzi chuckled, "Do you think anyone can be a target of magic? Mao Lilan doesn't have the qualifications at all."

"Is it because of your appearance? Or is it something more metaphysical?" Yingsheng continued to ask.

"All."

"Is it because you haven't mastered your magic yet?"

"If you don't want it, just give it back to me." Hongzi stretched out her hand. "I've never seen a weird guy like you. Is this what a mentally ill person's broad thinking is like?"

"You said it was fate, didn't you? I'm just curious about how it will be achieved." Yingsheng pointed at the chocolate gift box, "Let me confirm again, what appeared in your divination is definitely this piece of chocolate, right?"

"One hundred percent sure."

Hongzi really thinks that Hotaru has a unique way of thinking. Even Kuroba Kaito has accepted the existence of magic very calmly, but their attitudes towards magic are also very different.

Kuroba Kaito seemed to have equated magic with his own magecraft, except that it was only of a higher level.

As for Yingsheng, after he realized the existence of magic, he regarded it as a force of a higher dimension, and all his thoughts were based on it.

Somewhat strange.

But maybe this is the normal reaction of a normal person after discovering the existence of magic, and Kuroba Kaito is the rough one?
"If I make a piece of chocolate that looks exactly like this, can you tell the difference in divination?"

Yingsheng asked again.

"Well... I probably can't tell it from the divination, but the effect afterwards is real. You can't just eat a piece of chocolate that has no effect and pretend to be my captive, what's the point of doing that?"

Hongzi said.

"I think there are only the two possibilities you mentioned."

"First, the person who ate the chocolate was not you. It was Kaito Kidd or someone else who disguised himself as you. You have a special identity now. There are many people who want to use your identity to contact the Fist of Blue Sapphire, and many of them know how to disguise themselves."

"The second is you. Out of your absolute confidence or some other idea, you took the initiative to eat the chocolate, wanting to understand what 'true love' looks like."

Hongzi's wine-red eyes shone with interest, "This is also the first time I've encountered such a strange situation. How will fate manifest itself?"

"Did the divination show the exact time when I ate the chocolate?" Yingsheng said calmly.

Hongzi felt a little bored and took a sip of red wine.

"The exact time is unknown, but we know it was a moonlit night. However, your appearance is exactly the same as it is now, and the light and shadow of Jianggutian High School appeared afterwards. Theoretically speaking, it was no more than a year and a half after that."

"This time span is too long. It seems more like a trick. Can't it be more precise?"

A lot can happen in a year and a half.

You have to know that it has only been forty days since Yingsheng traveled through this world.

"Damn it! This is a clip that peeks into fate. Do you think every witch is as powerful as Merlin?" The talented witch lady simply couldn't stand to hear such amateurish talk.

"Sorry, so can I learn magic?" Yingsheng was very curious about this unprecedented power system.

"You can probably learn spells and potions, but not orthodox red magic. You don't have the blood of a wizard." Hongzi looked Yingsheng up and down, "And the most important thing is, why should I teach you?"

"After the game this afternoon, I will take you to meet the Fist of Blue Sapphire. Can this be my gift to become your apprentice?" Yingsheng said.

"Hmph, still a little short."

Hongzi crossed her arms and said, "According to my divination, the Fist of Blue Sapphire was originally just an ordinary gem without any special features, but it will indeed explode with amazing power in the future. Thinking about the purpose of this martial arts tournament and the rituals to gather magic power, I came here to take a look out of curiosity."

"However, after meeting you and doing divination, I feel that you have bigger problems than the Fist of Blue Sapphire."

"If the martial arts conference is really a huge ritual, then your position is not only to preside over the martial arts conference, but also to preside over the ritual."

"So, you are actually a magician too, right?"

"Looking at your past information, it's probably..."

"dark magic?"

Yingsheng raised his eyebrows, "What you said was too jumpy, and there is no clear logical chain at all. You should at least provide some arguments or something."

Hongzi stared into his eyes for a few seconds, seeing nothing but calmness, and finally just snorted.

"I really don't know what's wrong with you, but there is a problem."

Yingsheng couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Hey, hey, why are you trying to do this? You're like some elementary school student."

He frowned and cleared his throat. "Miss, I'm telling you seriously, this is a society ruled by law, and you have to rely on evidence when speaking."

"……nerve."

Hongzi rolled her eyes at him, "What on earth did Chen Zhonghan tell you, and what is the ritual of the Blue Fist?"

"Isn't Her Majesty the Witch's crystal ball monitoring the entire process?" Yingsheng was quite curious.

"I watched for a while, but what you said were all polite words. The core issue was not touched upon at all. You must have communicated in private." Hongzi said bluntly.

Because Chen Zhonghan is a big liar.

Yingsheng secretly complained in his heart that the guy was simply the ultimate fun-loving person, and since he was old and had no offspring, he might as well take advantage of the situation and fool the whole world at once.

Moreover, even if the Fist of Blue Sapphire did not react at all, he could still argue that the victory in this martial arts tournament was still not grand enough and that it had to be on the level of a world war.

There is no way to disprove this statement. Even if any country hits him with an iron fist, he will not hesitate and will not care.

Yingsheng sighed, "Unfortunately, not at all."

"If the incident that happened in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department had not been semi-publicized, and if you, the witch, had not actually appeared before me, I would still not believe in the existence of magic."

At first, Yingsheng thought that this world was a purely technological world, and he was the only one who could rule it.

As a result, Hongzi jumped out and told him that there were still many hidden truths in the world.

Although judging from his performance, Hongzi's level seems to be just so-so, and his personality is relatively pure. He is not the kind of person with a hooked nose and a big head who wears a wizard hat and hides in a dark basement, refining some bubbling green poison every day.

But she was like a symbol, opening the door to a magnificent world for Yingsheng that he had never imagined before.

Hongzi looked at Yingsheng for a few more seconds, "I don't believe it."

"Believe it or not, since you don't want to go see The Fist of Blue Sapphire now, why are you looking for me?" Yingsheng asked.

"No, I still want to get close to the Fist of Blue Sapphire. It looks normal now, but it will shine brightly later. Maybe it is a special magical container. If I can carefully compare its state before and after, I may be able to learn something."

Hongzi clasped her hands together and looked at Yingsheng seriously.

"Please, please help me, Suigetsu-kun."

Yingsheng was speechless. "You know, I used to wonder if you were some kind of eternally youthful old freak. You look like a high school student, but your actual age could actually be my grandmother."

"but now……"

"I think that even among high school students, you can be considered as one of those who are ignorant of the ways of the world."

If the positions were reversed, Yingsheng would definitely go find a few high-ranking politicians from various countries, first demonstrate his strength, and then use magic to promise some benefits, such as eternal life.

No matter whether you can do it or not, just promise it first.

In short, it's a combination of coercion and inducement. Although we don't know Hongzi's specific strength, his individual strength is definitely beyond that of ordinary people, so it should be easy to do this.

In this case, he could just throw the Blue Fist on the ground and bounce stones. There was no need to ask Yingsheng for help so suddenly.

Hongzi gritted his teeth and said, "Compared to a guy like you who has a head full of conspiracies and tricks, everyone would seem simple!"

"Forehead……"

Yingsheng paused for two seconds, "I actually want to say, in my investigation, you don't have the personality of a queen, right? It seems that there is a difference in actual contact."

"Oh……"

Hongzi raised his chin slightly, revealing a hint of disdain in his half-closed eyes, "In other words, the descriptions of you in various materials are accurate. Are you really a masochist?"

Yingsheng looked calm, "I just want to verify something, but now it seems that I can't get the answer."

Yingsheng wanted to know whether Koizumi Hongzi's attitude towards him was affected by the previous [illusion], which would allow him to judge his own level of power.

But Hotaru knew very little about Koizumi Akako. He only met her as a classmate when he was investigating Kuroba Kaito.

Yingsheng didn't know how Koizumi Hongzi behaved in her daily life, nor did he know how she behaved when interacting with other people.

This aspect cannot be verified at the moment.

"Verify what?" Hongzi asked.

"Verify... Is there a possibility that the most beautiful person in the world in front of me will fall in love with me." Yingsheng looked into Hongzi's eyes, his eyes full of tenderness.

Hongzi stared at him for a few seconds, then turned her head away, "You are actually a succubus from hell."

"Oh, hell really exists?"

"Don't you even remember your own home?"

"So I was summoned from hell by the Witch-sama? Are there other magicians in this world?"

"..."

Hongzi regained his composure and asked, "Are you curious about these things?"

"Magic, who wouldn't be curious?" Yingsheng tilted his head and looked out the window, "What are those densely packed black spots on the green grass of Gardens by the Bay?"

"Of course it's people, the ones on the sea too, everywhere." Hongzi also took a look, "I know what you mean, just for the mysterious incident that is still uncertain, it has attracted the attention of the whole world. The attraction of magic is indeed huge."

"According to what you said before, they and we are all mediocre people." Yingsheng smiled, "The world is bustling, all for fame and fortune, which one do you think I can refuse?"

"I don't quite understand what you mean. Anyway, you agreed, right?"

Hongzi nodded her chin. Although it was just a subconscious action while thinking, it revealed a natural charm, fresh and romantic, without a trace of worldly vulgarity.

"As for the knowledge you want to learn about magic... well, I don't hate you, and it's not impossible for me to teach you some common knowledge."

"But, Shuiyue-kun." "In my investigation of you, it seems that you are a bad guy. You have killed at least ten people with your own hands."

"I'm telling you formally that I don't want you to use the magic knowledge I teach you to do evil."

Yingsheng fell silent.

More than ten people?

Is there a zero missing?

Her Highness the Witch is not omniscient and omnipotent. I don’t know whether I should be happy or sad.

It seems that just as I expected before, the mysterious side of this world has very limited power.

"Do you think the people I killed were good people or bad people?" Yingsheng asked.

"They are all human beings," Hongzi said.

Yingsheng was sure that Hongzi saw only bad guys, so he asked again: "Do you think that people come to this world with a mission?"

Hongzi was slightly stunned, "What do you mean?"

"Since you can observe the so-called destiny, you should have a deeper understanding of these things." Yingsheng crossed his hands in front of him, looking serious, "Even the dumbest person will look up at the stars someday."

"At that time, everyone would think about a question more or less, even if it was only a fleeting thought."

"What are they living for?"

"Your Highness the Witch, what is your answer?"

Hongzi just felt confused. She didn't understand why Yingsheng suddenly talked about this.

Thinking about the ultimate question...

Indeed, this is an experience that everyone will have.

But human beings still live in the world after all, who would think about these things every day?

"Have you ever heard the sound of dead trees falling on the steps of a courtyard? Does that empty echo also contain fate? Is it falling due to the gravity of the entire universe, or is it some kind of... inertia of life?" Yingsheng said.

Hongzi shook her head blankly, and when Yingsheng wanted to continue speaking, she quickly raised her hand to stop him.

"I can see that you are not only a mental patient, but also a very sick one. You can even be a doctor for others. Are those the same things you said to Gin before? Can you explain it more clearly? Just like the commentary of the game this morning."

Yingsheng thought for a moment, "Blood Eagle is a Viking punishment. It cuts open a person's back and breaks the ribs apart. It's blood red..."

"Stop! Stop!"

Hongzi interrupted quickly, "Next."

Yingsheng followed suit, "The Emperor, in the Tarot, represents moral precepts and prohibitions, rationality, authority, and supremacy."

"In other words, Gin has a mental problem, and you used this method to give him some kind of psychological hint so that he can always stay rational?"

Hongzi seemed to be thinking about something and couldn't help but chuckle.

"The Tarot cards suggest that compared to me, you are more like a gypsy. No wonder you said that about me before."

"Ha, it seems to be true. One cannot imagine what he has never seen."

Yingsheng spread his hands, "The remaining two, 'no good or evil' and 'dialectics', are literal meanings, you should be able to understand them."

"No."

"It is the same view of oneness, there is no good or evil, this world has never been a binary opposition, but only oneness."

Hongzi leaned back with an expression that said, "I see through your little trick."

"Are you trying to justify yourself? Those people you killed all deserved to die?"

"I don't think I need to make any excuses. I only told you so much because you don't seem to be aware of a problem."

"what?"

"Since your divination has proven that fate exists in this world, who killed them, me or the goddess?"

Hotaru smiled.

And Koizumi Hongzi's brain was in a mess.

Was it fate that those people were killed by Yingsheng?

I don’t know how much time passed.

Snapped--!
A crisp snap of fingers brought back her scattered consciousness. Hongzi looked up in a daze, and saw that Yingsheng had stood up and gave her a gentle smile that seemed to touch her soul.

"Let's go, everyone has finished their meal."

His eyes suddenly returned to their bright look, his heart began to beat faster, and Hongzi stood up suddenly, and the heavy white oak chair made a sharp sound on the obsidian floor.

"What's the answer?" she asked.

"I think free will exists," Yingsheng said.

Without waiting for Hongzi to continue speaking, Yingsheng picked up the chocolate box on the table and walked towards Xiaolan.

Before, everyone was attracted by the sound and looked at them. Seeing Hotaru coming, she glanced at Hongzi who was still standing there, and Suzuki Sonoko glared at Hotaru unhappily.

"It seems someone has used his professional expertise to deceive an ignorant little girl."

"Believe me, she knows the truth better than 99% of the people in this world. I can't deceive her." Yingsheng waved the chocolate gift box in his hand towards Sonoko, "Where is Kudo? I'm going to find him now and watch him eat this with my own eyes."

"I don't know. You can call and ask yourself." Sonoko looked at Hongzi who was walking towards them, "Koizumi-san, you have to be more vigilant."

Hongzi shook her head and looked at Hotaru, "I think something must have gone wrong, at least in this matter."

What she was talking about was naturally the incident of Yingsheng eating chocolate.

Judging from the current situation, there is no such possibility at all. In front of Yingsheng, Kuroba Kaito cannot disguise himself as him.

"The dust has not settled yet, who knows what will happen next." Yingsheng asked Yuanzi to borrow a cell phone, "My number is monitored by at least ten different forces. I don't care about it myself, but this is Kudo's private matter after all."

Sonoko was stunned and looked at Xiaolan.

Xiaolan understood what her best friend meant and sighed, "The last few times that Ying and I talked, we were probably in this situation as well, so... well... it was almost like discussing business. But in front of the power of the country, my intelligence would have been thoroughly investigated long ago, so it doesn't really matter."

Yuanzi's jaw dropped in shock. "You two are being watched by the whole world, and yet you can still be so calm?"

"Be your own subject, don't be the object of others. As long as your heart doesn't look, the eyes of those around you will have no power." Xiaolan looked at Yingsheng, "I think Yingsheng said this, there is nothing outside the heart."

Yingsheng smiled and nodded, "Lan, I feel you can at least make it to the top 16."

"Well... I'll try my best."

The others watched their conversation and felt something was strange.

There's an inexplicable sense of disobedience that goes against common sense, but I can't tell the specific reason.

Sonoko sighed and simply called Kuroba Kaito to ask for the address. Then she looked back and forth between Hotaru and Hongko.

"There's definitely something wrong with you two. I'm going to go too if you give me chocolates!"

She took Xiaolan's hand again.

"Xiaolan wants to go too!"

"OK, but you can't show up, it would be bad if Kudo is scared." Hotaru looked back at Gin, "Sir, are you going?"

Gin walked towards the elevator without looking back, "Be careful of Vermouth, I don't know what that guy wants to do now."

"Thanks for the reminder, is Vodka awake?"

"do not know."

"Please draw some of his blood for me and send it back to Tokyo. I want to conduct some research. If everything goes well, I might be able to completely solve your problem." Yingsheng said.

"Heh, you are really arrogant. You are too lazy to pretend."

Gin waved his hand. "If the new method you're talking about is the 'selfless' state in the vodka competition, then forget it. I don't want to really turn into stone yet, so your previous dialectical trick is enough for me."

Hotaru shrugged. "If that's the answer you would give rationally, then it's up to you."

“What if it’s sentimental?”

"Then I congratulate you. You may be able to attain the status of a bodhisattva."

"Tsk, this is inexplicable."

After saying this, Gin's figure disappeared into the closing elevator doors.

He never looked back.

Hongzi suddenly spoke up: "Have you always been so weird?"

Yingsheng showed a look of concern for the illiterate, and said softly: "Bodhisattva is the abbreviation of 'Bodhisattva', which means: awakened sentient beings. Didn't you already know what Gin's problem is? If he can achieve the same view as one, wouldn't he be enlightened?"

"..."

Hongzi turned to look at Xiaolan and the others, "Did you understand?"

Several people shook their heads.

"Maybe it's something like being able to perfectly control his emotions." Xiaolan said uncertainly.

"It sounds like an extremely high level of martial arts, um... it should be." Kyogoku Makoto touched his chin.

"It's not us who have problems, it's this guy who has problems." Sonoko, who never wastes time on internal matters, made the final conclusion.

"Let's go, everyone. Another elevator is coming up." Yingsheng took the lead.

"Will fate be revealed later?" Hongzi stepped into the elevator.

"Maybe, but I'm waiting for you to reveal the secret of that hell." Yingsheng said.

"Oh my god, you two are here again." Sonoko wailed, "Ran, kill them both, this place is turning into a madhouse."

(End of this chapter)