The cross-dressing master in the world of Detective Conan

Before Genta could even take two steps after jumping in, someone grabbed him by the collar and dragged him up, yelling at him in an unfriendly tone. Judging from his attire, he was probably a gardener or something.

"Sir, we are not bad people, we just happened to be passing by."

Upon seeing this, Professor Agasa quickly greeted the gardener, only to be met with a sidelong glance and a nonchalant question:

"Oh, and who are you guys?"

"We stopped to admire this villa because it was so magnificent. We wonder if we could go inside for a look?"

The professor smiled obsequiously at the old man, but given Genta's unauthorized intrusion, most people probably wouldn't have a good impression of him.

Just when Professor Agasa thought he would have to use a lot of persuasion to convince the stubborn gardener, a square-faced middle-aged man seemed to be startled by the noise and came over.

"I don't recall anyone coming to visit today, right? And who are these people?"

Kazama Kaoru and his large group made a big fuss; if they weren't mostly elderly people, women, and children, they might have been mistaken for a theft gang.

"Oh, this brat barged in without permission, and that old man with the stupid look on his face, I don't know what he does, said he wanted to come in and have a look."

"What do you mean you look stupid? I'm a scientist, you know!"

The professor has always been narcissistic; you can tell from the tone of his voice when he boasts about his inventions. How could he possibly stand being belittled like this?

Unexpectedly, the square-faced man standing to the side changed his expression after hearing this, and his fake smile became more genuine. He stepped forward and said to the doctor:

"Scientists must be much more intelligent than ordinary people like us, right?"

As the square-faced man spoke, his eyes were still discreetly observing Kazama Kaoru and the others, as if he mistook them all for the doctor's family members.

The old gardener was alright, just a bit short-tempered, but the square-faced man's reactions were rather strange, a discovery that made Kazama Kaoru more vigilant.

In this desolate wilderness, the chances of encountering a good person are slim.

With this in mind, Kaoru Kazama remained silent, pretending to be a family member who had come out for a visit. She silently observed the square-faced man's words and actions.

Author's Note on the Launch of Chapter 171

Actually, I didn't write a launch message for my last book, and I don't know if that's why it flopped. So this time, I'll be superstitious and write a message.

This book, released on May 1st, is my first attempt after my old book was banned for six months. It's still a Conan-themed book, perhaps out of nostalgia, or perhaps out of resentment at being banned.

The famous detective Conan, which accompanied me throughout my childhood, with its various bizarre murder methods and locked-room mysteries, led me to initially believe that Conan only featured locked-room murders.

If other people's childhood was Naruto, One Piece, Fairy Tail, or other anime, then my childhood was Detective Conan.

After reading three Conan books, totaling about 1.5 million words, I roughly understand why no one writes Conan. Just like how Dream of the Red Chamber among the Four Great Classical Novels will never be used as a storytelling performance, Conan is relatively unique compared to other action-packed anime.

It creates a grand worldview, giving you all sorts of characters to imagine, but it also confines you to a narrow cage, namely those cases that last for twenty-four minutes each.

Writing is easy, but writing well is really difficult.

I would like to thank all my readers for their support. Thank you for your understanding and encouragement, which has made this book possible. I am deeply grateful.

(I also tried using a nickname for myself, it's a bit cheesy.)

Chapter 172 is probably in a dream.

No one knew what the square-faced man was thinking, but after talking with the doctor, he very politely led everyone into the villa.

During the journey, the gardener, who initially seemed fierce and troublesome, started chatting with the professor. In the process, Kaoru Kazama learned that the interpersonal relationships in this villa were actually quite complicated.

The square-faced man in front of us, whom the gardener calls Master Aman, was the second husband of the wife who died four years ago. Her first wife's name was Zhenzhao. Judging from the chessboard in the yard and the lawn specially built according to the chessboard, he should have been a man who lived a good life. It's just a pity that he also died of illness six years ago.

Now, besides the servants, only the square-faced Master Aman, the former Master Zhenzhao and his wife, the young master Rezi, and the old lady in a wheelchair remain in this villa.

That young nobleman seemed quite gentle; they had met him on the road earlier. However, his squinty eyes made Kazama Kaoru a little more wary, since squinty eyes are not the mark of an ordinary person.

In addition, the gardener talked about a fire that had occurred in the castle four years ago, in which his wife died.

The tower connected to the castle was still dark, bearing the marks of the fire, making it look somewhat eerie and strange. However, our great detective was clearly very interested in that bizarre fire.

Kaoru Kazama was almost completely bewildered by the complicated relationships within this family. There was the First Madam, Master Zhenzhao, Master Aman, and so on. It just goes to show how rich people really know how to have fun.

"Hey, are you really that interested in the love triangles and feuds between wealthy families?"

"Come on, I was just curious about the sudden fire."

Even though our great detective is just gossiping, he still insists that it's out of a thirst for the truth.

The children were quite excited, touching this and that, after all, this was a typical European castle, which is quite rare in an island nation.

Upon opening the gate, the first thing you see are several huge photographs. The one placed in the center is the owner of this castle, with the wife and Mr. Zhenzhao on either side.

That gardener seemed to have been charmed by Professor Agasa, going from initial disdain to now talking incessantly, giving the impression of a split personality.

Just as the gardener mentioned that Master Zhenzhao greatly admired his elder brother, who was also a historian, an elderly woman in a wheelchair suddenly appeared behind them and made a comment:

"She often says that Dad is just an intellectual who spouts nonsense, right?"

The old lady sat in a wheelchair, her eyes narrowed and wearing reading glasses, so Kazama Kaoru couldn't see her expression clearly.

However, the gardener was so startled by the elusive old woman that he jumped three feet high on the spot.

What's more embarrassing than being caught gossiping about someone behind their back is when that person doesn't care at all and just gossips with you.

The gardener apologized repeatedly, but the old lady didn't seem to care much. Instead, she enthusiastically told these outsiders about her past, interspersed with many insights into life. Only after she finished rambling on did she remember to ask who these strangers were.

"Ah, they, they are all friends of Master Aman, and this one is a scientist."

Upon hearing the head of the household's question, the gardener hurriedly explained, even specifically mentioning Professor Agasa.

When the old lady heard that Professor Agasa was a scientist, she showed a different expression and asked him to help solve the mystery hidden in the villa, which aroused everyone's curiosity, especially the detective who was acting out his professional instincts.

"A mystery? What mystery?"

"Oh, is that so? It is said that the lord said something before he died: 'Whoever can solve the mystery of this castle will receive the most precious gift.'"

The gardener standing nearby explained, "I didn't realize that this gardener, who is said to have only recently arrived, already knows so much about the gossip and secrets of this castle. You could say he has the talent of a secret agent."

However, the first wife didn't reveal any useful information after that. Instead, she had a bout of dementia and kept muttering about wanting her daughter to come see her, which disappointed the great detective for a while.

"I advise you to curb your curiosity a bit, or you might end up getting into trouble again someday."

"Why do you say that? Have you discovered something?"

"I just felt that there was something wrong with this old lady, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it."

“I felt something was strange about this castle. I sensed it as soon as I came in. It might indeed be hiding some secret.”

"It's normal for an old castle like this to have an underground passage or something. You might even find crosses and corpses that were packed up from Europe."

Kaoru Kazama teased Conan, but who would have thought that his words would actually come true in this castle?

Of course, Conan is still just confused right now.

"Let's take a look around here. Such a magnificent castle is truly rare. We won't be able to see it again after we return to Tokyo."

And so, Kaoru Kazama led Ai and Akemi directly to the room in the center of the third floor.

He had long noticed that this proud girl was interested in these chess pieces, but he didn't want to behave the same way when he saw how enthusiastic the other children were.

This is the best place to see the chessboard-like lawn and chess pieces in their entirety. Right now, the children are still chattering away as they tour the corridor. Kaoru Kazama is increasingly convinced that he made the right decision.

Once children are involved, there's no going back to peace. I don't know how Conan can stand it.

"Xiao Xun, are there really crosses and dead people inside this castle?"

Mingmei wasn't afraid; instead, she was full of curiosity. After all, a woman's curiosity can kill a cat, even if she was dressed as a man.

"Actually, it's really hard to say. It depends on where the castle was brought from. If it's a castle built by the Knights Templar during the Crusades, then it definitely has secret passages."

"The Knights Templar, the Crusades? What does that have to do with anything?"

Just looking at the exterior of this castle, you wouldn't really guess how old it is. After all, castle owners are usually not poor; they would hire people to maintain and care for it.

"Because the Knights Templar at that time could be said to have also acted as the bank of the Crusader states, including the large amount of gold and silver treasures they had looted, they built many castles in Europe to store these assets and even engaged in banking business. With such a large presence, they naturally built secret passages to prepare for unforeseen circumstances."

"But we didn't find any Templar Red Cross insignia here. How can you be so sure?"

Ai's sudden voice reminded Kaoru Kazama, who was enjoying the breeze and was feeling a bit tipsy, of something.

That is, the mother of the Miyano sisters, Miyano Elena, is a genuine British person, and Ai was once sent by the organization to study in the United States, so she can be considered a half-foreigner.

"I'll flip through it when I'm bored. After living with me for so long, don't you know I'm a good kid who loves reading books and newspapers?"

"All I see is that you like to sleep. As for reading books and newspapers, that's probably something that only happens in dreams."

Ai Haibara, whose sharp tongue has become increasingly adept, now knows exactly how to shut someone up with a single sentence.

Of course, this achievement is inseparable from Conan's terrible elementary school experience.

Chapter 173 Xiaolan's New Fun

"Genta, Genta."

What are you two doing?

For some reason, Genta and Mitsuhiko, those two rascals, climbed out of the window, and now Mitsuhiko is holding Genta back as he's about to fall.

"Hang in there."

Kaoru Kazama was admiring the scenery by the window when she saw the dramatic scene. She rushed out the door and ran towards the room where Genta and the others were, not even paying attention to the surprised looks from Akemi and Ai.

"Don't let go, pull hard!"

The TV version wasn't as dramatic; Genta, weighing nearly 100 pounds, was actually pulled back by Mitsuhiko, who weighed almost a third less than him—it was practically against the laws of physics.

This time, it was thanks to Conan's timely arrival that Mitsuhiko was able to get a hand on him. However, due to Genta's mountain-like size, even though Conan and Ayumi arrived at the same time, they could only barely hold him back.

It wasn't until Kaoru Kazama rushed over and joined in with the strength of an adult that Genta was finally pulled completely inside through the window.

"Genta, can't you use your brain? This is the second floor. Can't you stop fooling around when you're looking out?"

"And you, Mitsuhiko, if he really falls, is it your fault or the professor's?"

Kazama Kaoru realized that these brats had absolutely no idea what danger was.

If this were done according to the Chinese education system, let alone wandering around a crime scene, even going on an adventure after school would get you beaten to a pulp.

"Alright, don't be so angry. It's good that everyone is okay."

Akemi also came in. She had seen the scene clearly. It was quite dangerous. He had fallen outside, and the only person holding him was the thin Mitsuhiko. Judging from his difficult appearance, it seemed as if he would fall at any moment.