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

"Look closely, that shimmering stuff looks like gold dust!" Conan pointed out.

Just then, a voice came from behind them: "That fragment has appeared before!"

"Chief Detective Toyama!"

Chapter 276 All Squinty-Eyed People Are Monsters

Goro Otaki exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"I heard there was a self-immolation incident here, so I came to take a look. I didn't expect to find something similar to the one in the case of the burned corpse." Ginjiro Toyama's gaze lingered on the fragment.

"Uncle Ginjiro!" Hattori Heiji greeted him, then quickly asked, "Could you tell me more about it?"

“A few days ago, a charred body was found in the outer flood diversion channel, and there were similar fragments on the body.”

After a pause, Ginjiro Toyama continued, "Actually, this kind of fragment appeared thirteen years ago, also from the outer flood channel, and also from charred corpses!"

Kogoro Mouri's eyes widened as he muttered, "Then isn't it very likely a serial murder case?!"

Hattori Heiji understood. No wonder his father had personally intervened in the arson case; it turned out to involve an old case from over a decade ago.

"The previous fragment had the number 848 on it. Based on my and Heizo's speculation, these fragments are likely fragments of treasure, and are related to a certain treasure."

Speaking of "treasure," Ginjiro Toyama glanced at the four members of the tour group.

"Treasure? Could that scroll be a treasure map?"

All eyes turned to the scroll.

Hattori Heiji opened the partially burned scroll, which contained only the character "龍" (dragon).

Kogoro Mouri said disappointedly, "There's nothing up there!"

Heiji Hattori, however, thought of a possibility and simply threw away the umbrella, letting the rain wash it away.

Before Goro Otaki could say anything more, patterns and words appeared on the blank scroll.

"As expected!" Hattori Heiji smiled and explained to everyone, "On the left and right sides of the Sakura Gate of Osaka Castle are dragon and tiger stones that guard the castle tower. Whenever it rains, dragon and tiger patterns will appear on them!"

Conan stared intently at the patterns on the scroll and said in a deep voice, "I know what the treasure is."

"Legend has it that Toyotomi Hideyoshi's treasure, known as the Golden King, was such that after each victory, he would add a small gourd to his horse's staff, which was called the Thousand-Layer Gourd!"

Conan got more and more excited as he talked, completely unaware that everyone was staring at him.

Only after explaining the origin of the treasure did he realize he had said too much. He quickly scratched the back of his head and chuckled awkwardly, "I saw this on TV before. I thought the pattern looked like a gourd."

"Kid, you've got a real talent for deduction!" Heiji Hattori said with a grin, taking the opportunity to pat Conan's head.

Kogoro Mouri remarked, "This kid just likes watching weird TV shows."

After teasing Conan, Heiji Hattori got back to the main point: "Those three people were probably silenced because they were fighting over the treasure!"

"But Chief Detective Toyama, how did you and the Chief Detective deduce that it was related to the treasure from just two fragments?" Goro Otaki asked, somewhat puzzled.

Ginjiro Toyama explained, "Because one of the pieces looks like the mouth of a gourd, plus the number 884, and there's gold powder on the inside of the fragment."

"Uncle Yinshilang, since you already knew, why didn't you just say so?"

Ginjiro Toyama laughed and said, "Heiji, didn't you untie it quickly?"

Then, he glanced at the scroll in Hattori Heiji's hand: "If there is a dragon scroll, then the corresponding one is a tiger scroll, which may very well indicate the final burial location of the treasure."

The four members of the tour group who had been listening in finally couldn't hold back any longer and found an excuse to leave.

Goro Otaki tried to stop him, but Ginjiro Toyama raised his hand to stop him.

Watching the four figures leave, a hint of confusion flashed in Hattori Heiji's eyes.

Why did Ginjiro Toyama let the four go? Did he know something more?

As Hattori Heiji was pondering this, he saw Toyama Ginjiro pull Otaki Goro aside and whisper something to him.

Then, he walked aside by himself and made a phone call.

There really was something hidden!

Like his father, Ginjiro Toyama enjoys being a riddle teller.

Since that's the case, then he should find out the truth himself!

Just then, the police officers who had been sent out to search the area near the castle tower returned, one of them carrying a dry cell battery that had been placed in an evidence bag.

"Inspector Ōtaki, this was found around the castle tower!"

The dry cell battery showed obvious signs of being burned!

Heiji Hattori and Conan exchanged a glance. The presence of the dry cell battery further proved that Yuji Kato's death was a premeditated murder!

……

restaurant.

Since it was close to dinner time, everyone found a restaurant and had dinner.

"Why does this rain just keep going on and on?" Toyama Kazuha looked at the drizzling rain outside, feeling somewhat annoyed.

A perfectly good opportunity to have fun has been ruined.

Ikenami Shizuka said, "It has shrunk a bit. Let's go, while we have the chance, let's go see how Heiji and the others are doing with their investigation."

The group walked back to the castle tower, crossing a bridge called Gokuraku-bashi (Paradise Bridge).

The road was dark and crowded, perhaps because of the murder case; there were no tourists coming and going on the bridge either.

When Kitagawa Taki reached the bridgehead, he saw a person standing in the middle of the bridge.

The person stood with their back to the crowd, motionless, looking rather eerie.

He called out to the women, indicating that there was something going on ahead, and at the same time released his divine sense to investigate.

Only then did they realize that the person was none other than the squinty-eyed Shigehiko Wakisaka from the tour group.

He was wearing a diving suit with a women's trench coat over it.

As the girls shone their flashlights on him, he lit a lighter and pointed it in front of him.

Then, the flames quickly spread to his entire body. He seemed to struggle a few times before falling from the bridge into the river.

The girls exclaimed in surprise and rushed over to check what was happening.

A burning figure could be seen in the river, but it was no longer moving.

Kitagawa Taki, however, discovered that the person was actually Katagiri Maho, the woman from the tour group, while Wakisaka Shigehiko had already wandered away under the cover of night.

"what--"

Seeing someone self-immolate and die before their eyes, Xiaolan and Yuanshan Kazuha screamed in unison.

Kitagawa Taki squeezed Ran's hand. It was obvious from what had just happened that Wakisaka Shigehiko was the murderer.

The saying "squinty-eyed people are monsters" has once again been proven true.

But what kind of character is that old man, Kazuya Arihiro?

……

The Paradise Bridge and the castle tower are not far apart, and the surrounding police rushed over after hearing the commotion.

Along with them came Kogoro Mouri and two others.

Kazuha Toyama described what had just happened to the group.

The police also pulled Katagiri Maho out of the water.

Her burns were not severe enough to be fatal.

After examining him, Goro Otaki quickly determined that the direct cause of death was a severe blow to the back of the head.

"She must have hit her head on the bridge pier before falling into the water."

Kogoro Mouri pondered for a moment and said, "So, this was suicide?"

Chapter 277 Hattori Heizo

Hattori Heiji, however, did not think so. Considering the previous self-immolation and burning of corpses, he believed that this incident must also be a homicide!

"Kazuha, did you really not see anyone else?"

Kazuha Toyama shook his head: "No."

Hattori Heiji pressed further, "Did Miss Katagiri take anything besides the lighter?"

"No." This time, it was Ikenami Shizuka who answered him.

Yuanshan and Ye said weakly, "It looks like she set herself on fire."

"Idiot! Absolutely impossible!! There must be some evidence!"

Hattori Heiji yelled at Toyama Kazuha, threw down his umbrella, rushed to Katagiri Maho's body, and immediately ripped off the shroud to search the corpse for evidence.

Ikenami Shizuka frowned, about to reprimand him, when she saw a familiar figure walk up behind Hattori Heiji.

The man grabbed Hattori Heiji by the collar, lifted him up, and then, to Hattori Heiji's astonishment, punched him in the left cheek.

The punch landed squarely, and Hattori Heiji was knocked to the ground.

“Father…” Hattori Heiji looked at Hattori Heizo, his eyes filled with incomprehension, resentment, and indignation.

Hattori Heizo said with a stern face, "Heiji, don't let your temper cloud your judgment here. If you destroy the scene, how much trouble will it cause for our police?"

You're not investigating a case at all, you're just creating trouble. Someone gave you the title of Osaka's famous detective, and now you're getting cocky?

This haphazard method of searching for evidence will only hinder the investigation. We don't need an amateur like you here. Disappear from my sight right now!

Hattori Heiji lowered his head, clenched his teeth, and unconsciously tightened his fists after hearing these words.

After Hattori Heizo finished speaking, he turned around and covered Katagiri Maho with the shroud again.

Seeing this, Shizuka Ikenami didn't say anything, but silently stepped forward to help Heiji Hattori up.

But Hattori Heiji remained motionless, his head bowed, seemingly lost in thought.

Shizuka Ikenami sighed and didn't reach out to help him up again, but simply stood beside him holding the umbrella for Heiji Hattori.