Ke Xue: Xiaolan delivers goods to your door at the beginning

"No need for formalities, Master Yuanhai, why don't we begin now?" Lin Xiaofeng deliberately gestured to check his watch. "We don't have much time, so it's best to resolve this as quickly as possible."

"Not much time?" Upon hearing this, the group of people looked puzzled.

At least the monks of Shanneng Temple who lost the Buddha statue were not in a hurry.

Lin Xiaofeng shrugged casually: "You may not know, but the theft of the Buddha statue has already involved five murder cases, and there may be more people killed in the future."

"What? Five murder cases?" Everyone was shocked.

Abbot Yuanhai asked, completely bewildered, "But... the Buddha statue in our temple was lost eight years ago. How could a murder case be brought up after eight years?"

Heiji Hattori and Conan, also filled with curiosity, stared at Lin Xiaofeng. Lin Xiaofeng's uninvited appearance meant things were definitely not simple.

280. Conan Edogawa x Heiji Hattori

Lin Xiaofeng didn't explain directly, but instead had some discussion with the people present. Everyone gathered here was a kendo enthusiast in private.

At this moment, Longyuan suddenly reminded everyone: "Since everyone knows that the Buddha statue of our temple has been stolen, please help us keep it a secret for the time being, because there will be a worship ceremony the day after tomorrow, and the abbot does not want to leak the news in advance, so as not to affect the reputation of our temple."

Vermouth said calmly, "It's been eight years since it was stolen, do you think it can still be kept secret?"

"That's right, that's right," Lin Xiaofeng chimed in.

Long Yuan smiled awkwardly: "Theoretically speaking, that's true. Besides, we did consider finding the Buddha statue back then."

"And then?" Hattori Heiji asked with concern.

Long Yuan was even more embarrassed: "The abbot said there was no need to look for it. He said that if we are destined, we may meet that Medicine Buddha again someday in the future."

Those who heard this were speechless.

Vermouth couldn't help but roll her eyes: "So you guys waited a full eight years?"

Long Yuan nodded.

Heiji Hattori looked puzzled: "Did you guys wait for it?"

Long Yuan lowered his head in embarrassment: "No."

"So you waited in vain?" Lin Xiaofeng concluded.

"But it's actually quite suspicious that he specifically prevented other people in the temple from looking for the Buddha statue," Conan whispered.

Lin Xiaofeng continued to ask, "Since the Buddha statue has been missing for eight years and your abbot isn't in a hurry, why did you invite high school detective Hattori Heiji this time?"

"It's because of this..."

Long Yuan took out an envelope from his pocket and explained, "I found this in the mailbox at the temple five days ago."

Lin Xiaofeng took it without hesitation, and detectives Conan and Hattori Heiji quickly gathered around.

"There's no sender's name, no stamp, and even the seal is loose. Is this a letter with no address, no mail, and no mail?"

"Lin Xiaofeng, open the letter first."

Lin Xiaofeng glanced at the two anxious people, calmly opened the envelope, and there were clearly papers inside.

The first piece of paper reads: "If you can solve this riddle, you will be able to find the lost Buddha statue."

The second one has no text, only a picture.

"The top three should be a cicada, a tengu, and a goldfish, the one in the second row is a chicken, but the one behind..." Conan frowned as well.

Hattori Heiji said softly, "And the three patterns in the third row are a violet, a tengu, and Mount Fuji, with an acorn on the right."

"So, this incomprehensible, worm-like pattern is the key to solving the mystery?" Vermouth couldn't help but interject.

"Hey, Lin Xiaofeng, do you have any ideas about this strange pattern?" Hattori Heiji couldn't figure it out immediately, and habitually started asking Lin Xiaofeng again.

"Not at the moment." Lin Xiaofeng shook his head.

Sitting opposite Long Yuan, he couldn't help but shake his head in disappointment.

Conan decisively decided, "Let's wander around first. Maybe we can find similar attractions or buildings in Kyoto?"

“Good idea.” Hattori Heiji immediately agreed. Since he had no clue what to do sitting here anyway, he might as well look around.

Seeing that his companion had agreed, Conan then looked at Lin Xiaofeng and asked, "Why don't you come along too, Lin Xiaofeng?"

Lin Xiaofeng subconsciously glanced at Vermouth beside him.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Go if you want to, I'll always be with you anyway."

"Conan, this woman is Shinichi Kudo's godmother, how come she's with Lin Xiaofeng? You're very familiar with your Shinichi brother, do you know why?" Hattori Heiji asked in a low voice.

"I think Shinichi's godmother, just like Shinichi's biological mother, has fallen in love with Lin Xiaofeng." Conan could only think in this direction.

"It must be tough for Lin Xiaofeng to be liked by both of Shinichi's mothers," Hattori Heiji said, expressing his sympathy for Lin Xiaofeng.

Conan couldn't help but roll his eyes at Heiji Hattori, muttering under his breath, "Your mom's the same."

Thus, two couples with zero romantic feelings for each other began their dates in Tokyo, enjoying a joyful time together. (The text then lists various names and phrases related to the two couples, including Lin Er Xiaofeng, Conan, Hattori, and a date in Tokyo.)

Suddenly, Hattori Heiji mentioned something: "When I came here before, I saw someone being robbed on the street, so I helped them out."

"And then?" Conan's attention was drawn to it.

Heiji Hattori laughed and said, "The aunt I helped back then seemed very grateful to me. She gave me a business card... Hmm, but the geisha next to her caught my attention more. She was a very young girl named Chiga Rei."

"Why do you care about her? Is she very beautiful?" Conan didn't understand.

Lin Xiaofeng glanced at the figure in the alley ahead and said, "It's probably because there's something about that girl that's worth noting."

“Bingo.” Hattori Heiji snapped his fingers and chuckled. “She’s a geisha, yet she has bandages on her knuckles. Usually, that joint only gets injured when shooting arrows; you wouldn’t even hurt it while chopping vegetables.”

"Kyudo?" Conan's expression turned serious. "Lin Xiaofeng, I remember the police report said the culprit was a master of both kendo and kyudo, right?"

"Yes, and those three guests at Saneng Temple are also kendo enthusiasts," Lin Xiaofeng reminded them.

Conan nodded slightly: "That's something we need to be careful about. Of course, we can't just suspect someone who's a master swordsman. Otherwise, Hattori would be the person we should suspect the most."

Hattori Heiji rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, "You really know how to scare people."

However, he then noticed that Lin Xiaofeng's gaze was fixed on the alley ahead, and couldn't help but ask, "What's going on over there?"

"There's someone here," Lin Xiaofeng replied simply and directly.

Hattori Heiji was speechless: "Of course I know there are people over there. My question is, why are you staring at that figure?"

· ······Requesting flowers· ····

"You'll find out soon enough... Oh, he's coming."

Before Lin Xiaofeng could finish speaking, a figure walked towards them from the alley.

The man was wearing a dark suit and had a serious, rigid appearance. There seemed to be something moving in his right pocket.

He walked straight up to Lin Xiaofeng and his companions, pulled out an ID, and said, "I'm Officer Ayanokouji from the Kyoto Prefectural Police Department. Are you four investigating the case of [Genji Hotaru]?"

"To be precise, it's the three of them, not me."

Vermouth chimed in. However, Inspector Ayanokouji ignored Vermouth.

"Police?" Hattori Heiji asked in surprise.

Ayanokouji calmly glanced at Lin Xiaofeng: "I know you, the rising star of the detective world, the savior of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Lin Xiaofeng, we meet again!"

"Oh, right. I almost forgot." Lin Xiaofeng scratched the back of his head; it was indeed their second meeting. Speaking of which, does the Kyoto Prefectural Police Headquarters allow pets to come to work?

. ..... ...

"Squeak, squeak, squeak." The squirrel squeaked a few times at Lin Xiaofeng.

Ayanokouji then said coldly, "I'm telling you, this case is not under your jurisdiction, detectives. Neither the famous Kanto detective Hayashi Kofumi nor the famous Kansai detective Hattori Heiji."

"Oh, so you know me. I thought you only knew Lin Xiaofeng." Hattori Heiji felt a sense of relief.

Ayanokouji teased the squirrel a few times with his finger and said, "I know that detectives are very curious, and I know that you have solved many big cases, but this is not Osaka, nor Tokyo, and it is not your territory."

"So we're not even qualified to solve cases anymore?" Lin Xiaofeng shrugged.

"Of course there is, but I don't want you to cause trouble, and I don't like detectives causing trouble for the police." Ayanokouji clearly knew Hattori Heiji's background, but he didn't give him any face.

After leaving behind these warnings that sounded like reminders, he turned and left.

"He seems to really dislike detectives? You two are being disliked," Conan warned.

“As a police officer, being repeatedly proven wrong by detectives is bound to make you unhappy. I think you understand that, right, Conan?” Vermouth ruffled Conan’s hair.

"Eh? Eh? Eh?" Conan was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.

I must have been found out, I must have been found out, I must have been found out...

“Miss Vermouth is right. Rather than disliking it, it’s more like she has a problem with us ‘outsiders’ who like to meddle in cases, right?” Hattori Heiji said, holding the back of his head with an indifferent expression. “I’ve heard of Ayanokoji before. He comes from a very powerful family and has been given a nickname: the Noble Inspector.”

"So, that's his privilege of bringing his pet to work," Lin Xiaofeng added.

“That’s right. That’s privilege,” Hattori Heiji affirmed.

281. No one is more beautiful than Bayonetta.

Walking through the quaint streets of Kyoto, the group changed their investigation location, but still found nothing. At least for Heiji Hattori and Conan, it was absolutely fruitless.

Lin Xiaofeng and Vermouth have gained something; they hold hands, like each other, and their relationship continues to grow as they become lovers.

Just then, a gust of wind blew around, carrying cherry blossoms that fell from above and landed on Vermouth's hair.

"How beautiful the cherry blossoms are!" Vermouth exclaimed, moved by the sight.

“No matter how beautiful the cherry blossoms are, they can’t compare to Sister Belle’s umbrella, and no matter how beautiful the cage is, it can’t compare to Sister Belle.” Lin Xiaolin followed Belle’s umbrella and continued her barrage of sweet words.

Vermouth knew perfectly well that Lin Xiaofeng was trying to make her happy, but she parted her red lips and giggled.

"Xiao Feng, you really know how to coax women. How many women have you said the same 'one, five, three' phrase to?"

"No, no." Wu Lin Xiao Feng looked completely innocent. "Sister Bei, you are the most beautiful woman in the world. I'm telling the truth."

Conan watched Lin Xiaofeng desperately trying to please his godmother, speechless. He was about to complain to Hattori Heiji when he noticed Hattori Heiji suddenly stop in his tracks.

"Cherry blossoms?" Hattori Heiji seemed to have his memories stirred.

"What's wrong?" Conan looked at the other person with suspicion. "Heiji-nii, is there something wrong with the cherry blossoms?"

Lin Xiaofeng turned around and said, "Hattori-kun, it was in such a beautiful scene that he was reminded of a certain beautiful girl, wasn't it?"

Conan immediately chuckled: "Is it Kazuha-neechan?"

Hattori Heiji immediately retorted, "It's not Kazuha! Besides, what does cherry blossom have to do with Kazuha?"

Lin Xiaofeng suddenly remembered something and asked, "Hattori-kun, why didn't Kazuha come with you this time?"

"I argued with her. But that's fine, I also find her annoying." Hattori Heiji looked completely unrepentant.

"Who are Heiji-nii and Kazuha-neechan?" Conan asked curiously.

Hattori Heiji snorted: "Every time I see cherry blossoms in Kyoto, I'm reminded of what happened eight years ago."

Vermouth said playfully, "Oh? Hattori-kun is quite something, isn't he? He's already picking up girls at such a young age?"

Hattori Heiji shook his head and continued, "Back then, I wanted to explore a temple in Kyoto by myself, but I accidentally bumped into a lattice window and fell to the floor, and then I passed out."

Lin Xiaofeng commented: "So you used to be a brat too?"

Conan chuckled, "Brother Xiaofeng, you're right."

Hattori Heiji almost choked on his breath, glaring angrily at the two of them: "I don't know how long I was unconscious, but when I woke up, I heard someone singing outside."

"Singing?" Conan's interest was finally piqued. "What kind of song?"

"The Handball Song is a kind of nursery rhyme. I saw a girl in a kimono outside bouncing a ball and singing the Handball Song."

Hattori Heiji's face showed obvious suspicion as he said this: "But when I went out to say hello to her, she was gone."

"Huh?" Conan, who was listening intently, twitched the corner of his mouth. "Hey, are you serious? Why did the art style suddenly turn into a horror genre?"

Lin Xiaofeng didn't chime in this time, casually saying, "The little girl must have been called away by her family at the time, so Hattori didn't see her when he chased after her."

“That’s what I thought too.” Heiji Hattori took out a shiny object from his pocket. “Although I haven’t seen her again, I found this at the scene.”

He held the object very carefully and said softly, "I have always believed that I will meet her again one day, so I have kept this very well all these years."

"What is that?" Conan leaned closer to examine it. It looked like a glass ball, but the shape was wrong.

“I don’t know what it is either.” Heiji Hattori shook his head and handed it to Conan. “I bring this with me every time I come to Kyoto, hoping to see her again.”

"So that's how it is. The girl you like is someone else. No wonder you're not very interested in He Ye." Lin Xiaofeng found it amusing.

Hattori Heiji quickly waved his hand: "That's not it at all. Even if I'm not interested in Kazuha, I don't have any special feelings for that person. I just wanted to return this to her..."