Solving cases with Detective Conan's science? No, I'm a cultivator!

……

Before long, the group arrived at the Inubushi residence.

The Inubushi House is very large and has a distinctly traditional Japanese architectural style.

"Woof woof~"

As soon as everyone entered the yard, they saw an Akita dog.

Inubushi Yukihime stepped forward to comfort the dog: "No, Hachi, they're here to investigate Hotaru-nii-san."

At that moment, a middle-aged woman pushed open the door and came out of the house.

"Sachihime, didn't I tell you? When a dog barks, if you call its name and pet it, it will be considered as praising it."

"I'm sorry, Kako-nee," Inubushi Yukihime apologized.

Inubushi Kōko looked at Kitagawa Taki and his group, "Who are these people?"

"This is the famous detective Kogoro Mouri, this is the famous detective Heiji Hattori from Osaka, and this is the famous exorcist Taki Kitagawa from Tokyo."

Inubushi Yukihime introduced the three people to Inubushi Kaoruko one by one.

Upon hearing the names of detective and exorcist, Inubushi Kōko's expression changed.

"What are detectives and exorcists doing in our house?"

Hattori Heiji said, "We were commissioned by Mr. Kudo Shinichi, but he has been murdered, so we came here to find out what happened, such as the demonic hounds."

Inubushi Kōko looked enlightened: "Before leaving the Inubushi family, Mr. Shinichi did say that someone was using the cursed Flame Hound to try and wipe out the Inubushi family line."

Then, Inubushi Kōko changed the subject: "But this curse doesn't exist at all, and if this were to reach my foster mother's ears, it would be too heartbreaking for her."

Of course, there was no curse. Kitagawa Taki saw that none of the Inubushi family members seemed to be cursed.

Kogoro Mouri asked in surprise, "Is Ms. Sasomi also at home?"

Inubushi Yukihime explained, "She has been recuperating here, but she is almost always in a coma and cannot communicate with anyone."

……

The group first went to Inubushi Sasomi's room to visit the head of the Inubushi family.

There was also a doctor in the room named Inubushi Tomohiro, one of the eight adopted children.

Inubushi Tomohiro knelt down in front of the old woman and said, "She suffered a cerebral infarction and has been in this state ever since she fell ill last month."

Hattori Heiji asked, "Did Ms. Sasomi say who the fake adopted children are?"

Inubushi Tomohiro shook his head. "Well, I don't know either."

"Hmph, that Shinichi Kudo is a fake. He became the first traitor to flee the Inubushi family because he was afraid of the non-existent Demon Dog Legend."

A man pushed open the door and walked into the room.

Inubushi Kōko glanced at the man and said unhappily, "Zenya, don't say such things in front of your foster mother!"

Inubu Zen didn't seem to care. "Don't worry, she can't hear me anyway."

Conan looked at Inubushi Yukihime: "Yukihime-neechan, we're missing one person. Isn't he home?"

There were only four adopted children of the Inubushi family in the room; one person was missing.

Kazuha Toyama whispered to Akemi Miyano and Ran beside her, "Could it be that guy with the facial injury and the strange mask?"

Akemi Miyano covered her mouth and chuckled, "Kazuha, that's the Inugami family!"

“There’s also Miss Saki. She just went to town on business and probably won’t be back until tonight,” Inubushi Kōko said.

Yukihime, Kaoru, Hotaru, Mikako, Chiaki, Zenya, Shinichi, Saki.

The names of eight people flashed through Ai Haibara's mind, and she began to make some guesses about the matter.

Inubushi Yukihime suggested, "Let's all have a cup of tea before Saki returns! It's not appropriate to ask questions if everyone isn't here."

Inubushi Kōko glanced at her watch and said, "It's getting late. Let's have dinner with the guests first, and then let them rest well before doing anything else."

……

It was approaching evening.

Tea room.

Only Inubushi Yukihime was present at the Inubushi household; the others had not come.

Kitagawa Taki asked Inubushi Yukihime, "Miss Yukihime, could you tell me about the demonic dog?"

"Legend has it that during the Meiji period, the only daughter of the Inubushi family suddenly disappeared. The Inubushi family mobilized many people to search for her, but they could not find her. At this time, the Inubushi family's dog appeared, carrying the dying girl with its body covered in wounds."

"The enraged head of the Inubushi family whipped the dog severely and eventually burned it to death."

"But we learned from the girl who woke up later that it was a dog that saved her from getting lost in the mountains."

"The head of the family was filled with remorse and could only build a magnificent tomb for that dog."

"However, a fire broke out a few days later, and only the head of the family failed to escape. After that, rumors spread that the Inubushi family was cursed by the Flame Demon Dog."

Everyone else was a little scared, but Kitagawa Taki, Haibara Ai, and two staunch materialists—Hattori Heiji and Conan—remained calm.

Hattori Heiji propped his head up with his hand and said, "It sounds like just a legend."

Conan then asked, "Does that grave really exist?"

Inubushi Yukihime nodded: "Yes, it's right below that cliff from during the day."

Conan said, "Sachihime-neechan, can you take us to see it?"

Inubushi Yukihime readily agreed, "Okay."

Conan, Heiji Hattori, and Kogoro Mouri were the first to leave the tea room.

Ai Haibara called out to Yukihime Inubushi.

"Miss Yukihime, have you changed your name?"

"Eh? How did you know?" Inubushi Yukihime bent down and asked in surprise.

“My former name was Tamaki Tōe, but my mother changed it to Tamaki Sachi. Sachi-hime was the name my foster mother gave me after I came here.”

“Brother Hui…” Ai Haibara narrowed her eyes. Sure enough, she was right.

Seeing that Inubushi Yukihime was staring intently at her, Haibara Ai said in a childlike tone, "It was Kitagawa-nii who told me to ask."

Upon hearing this, the women all looked at Kitagawa Taki.

Kitagawa Taki looked completely innocent and, unable to explain, could only accept it...

When Miyano Akemi saw his expression, she understood and smiled at Kitagawa Taki.

After the group walked ahead, Kitagawa Taki grabbed Ai Haibara by the waist and scooped her up in his arms, saying fiercely, "Ai, do you want a spanking?"

Chapter 172 Isn't this Brother Cao?

Inside the car.

Kitagawa Taki asked, "Ai, have you discovered something?"

Ai Haibara, with her hands clasped behind her back, said, "Hakkenden."

Xiaolan asked curiously, "What is the Eight Dogs Tale?"

Kitagawa Taki didn't know anything about Hakkenden.

“A long novel,” Ai Haibara explained.

"When Lord Satomi Yoshizane saw that his castle was about to fall, he said to his beloved dog, Yatsufusa, 'If you can take the head of the enemy general, I will give you my daughter, Fushihime.'"

"So, Hachifusa charged into the enemy ranks and actually bit off the enemy general's head. In the end, Princess Fushi and Hachifusa went into seclusion in the deep mountains."

This opening is quite similar to the legend of Panhu!

Xiaolan's lips twitched. "What happened to that dog...? Was it cursed?"

"That's right. Satomi Yoshizane obtained the position of lord by killing the original lord and suppressing the traitor. The traitor's wife was a woman named Tamatsuchi."

"When Yu Zi was beheaded, she said, 'Even if my body is destroyed, my soul will become a vengeful spirit and curse my clan.'"

Akemi Miyano asked, "So, it was Yu Zi who cursed the dog?"

"Yes, but the curse placed on Hachifusa was dispelled thanks to Princess Fuki's constant chanting of Buddhist scriptures."

"Later, Yoshimi Satomi ordered his retainers to kill Hachifusa and bring back the princess, but in order to protect Hachifusa, the princess sacrificed herself."

"Just then, the princess's eight rosary beads scattered into the air and landed in the hands of eight swordsmen whose names contained the character for 'dog'..."

“Each of the eight prayer beads is engraved with a character: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, loyalty, trustworthiness, filial piety, and brotherly love.”

Kitagawa Taki murmured, "Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, loyalty, trustworthiness, filial piety, brotherly love..."

Based on Ai Haibara's question about Yukihime Inubushi's real name, Taki Kitagawa quickly figured out the key point.

"But what does this story have to do with what happened?" Xiaolan asked, puzzled.

Kitagawa Taki explained on his behalf: "Name."

“Shenyi can spell out the character Ren, Kaozi is Xiao, Zhihuang is Zhi, Yingci is Zhong, Chan is also Li, Meiwozi is Yi, Zuoji is Xin, and Dihui is Ti.”

"I see." The two women suddenly realized.

Akemi Miyano laughed and said, "Chairman Inubushi must really like the story of Hakkenden to have chosen such a name!"

"But Ai, you're so smart! You even thought of that!"

Xiao Lan sighed.

……

By the time everyone reached the bottom of the cliff, it was already completely dark.

"There really is a grave here!" Toyama Kazuha exclaimed in surprise.

There was only a solitary tombstone beside the mountain.

Ran leaned closer and read the words on the tombstone: "It reads: Tomb of Fusatarou, the brave dog of the Inubushi family."

"To avoid being cursed, we must offer a proper prayer." With that, Kazuha Toyama clasped his hands together and closed his eyes.