Chapter 15

If there had been no one below at the time.

Or if Hoshino Ki hadn’t reached out to save them.

There would be two more fresh “corpses” in the temple now.

Ran Mouri’s expression was low, and she was very self-reproachful.

“Ran, it’s okay, look, aren’t I fine.”

Sonoko Suzuki immediately spoke to comfort her.

“Besides, you jumped down to save me too.”

Sonoko Suzuki saw Ran Mouri’s desperate rescue in her eyes.

This was the deep friendship between best friends.

“Hoshino-kun! Thank you!”

Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki expressed their gratitude to Hoshino Ki solemnly together.

“Hey, kid, sorry about that, I misunderstood you.”

Kogoro Mouri walked over.

And looked at Hoshino Ki in front of him up and down reluctantly.

Originally, Shinichi Kudo had just left.

And he thought no one was coveting his daughter anymore.

He didn’t expect another Hoshino Ki to appear.

His appearance was the type that Kogoro Mouri couldn’t stand.

A handsome guy!

Just like Shinichi Kudo, who always appeared in front of Kogoro Mouri.

Although his expression was very foul, and he always stole his business.

His personality was bad.

Annoying.

But he was always confident and handsome.

Kogoro Mouri couldn’t deny this point.

But Hoshino Ki now had strong facial features and fair, translucent skin.

Sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes.

A high nose bridge, thin lips.

Plus the appearance of not showing any panic even when surrounded by everyone.

His very calm and steady personality.

Actually looked even more handsome than Shinichi Kudo.

“Dad!”

Ran Mouri was angry.

Her own father.

Always held inexplicable hostility toward the boys who appeared around her.

“Hahaha, thank you, Hoshino kid!”

Kogoro Mouri faced his daughter’s fierce expression.

His attitude suddenly changed drastically.

He walked over enthusiastically and shook Hoshino Ki’s hands.

“You’re welcome, Uncle! It was the right thing to do.”

Hoshino Ki shook the other party’s hand back, being polite and courteous.

“Conan, and you! How do I usually teach you?”

Ran Mouri squatted down.

And patiently taught the “little kid” in front of her.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind.”

Hoshino Ki glanced at Conan, who had just reached his knees.

And looked at Ran Mouri indifferently.

Indicating that he didn’t mind being on the same level as a child.

“I’m sorry!”

Conan bowed his body very obediently to Hoshino Ki.

Although Shinichi Kudo had always been very “arrogant.”

But when encountering such a life-and-death matter.

He was still quite serious.

Hoshino Ki looked at Conan’s small face.

In anime game modeling.

You can change the protagonist’s hairstyle at will.

If you put Ran Mouri’s hairstyle on Conan’s face.

It seems they could overlap.

In other words.

“Is this your child?”

Hoshino Ki raised his head.

And looked at Ran Mouri calmly.

“Ahhh?!”

“No!”

“No!”

Everyone said in unison!

Ran Mouri and Conan were both flustered.

Kogoro Mouri’s entire face turned black instantly.

Only Sonoko Suzuki was covering her stomach and giggling.

“Oh! Excuse me.”

Hoshino Ki nodded.

Then turned and walked toward the temple.

“What’s wrong with this kid? How could there be such a young mother!”

Kogoro Mouri raised his fist and waved it incessantly.

“Too impolite!”

It seems.

He still hated “handsome guys” very much.

The night was deep.

Everyone returned to their rooms to sleep.

A good night’s sleep.

The next day.

Early morning.

Hoshino Ki tidied up his bed and walked out of the room.

Following the monk’s guidance, he came to the dining table.

And found that Conan and his group had all arrived.

Before Hoshino Ki could sit down.

“Ahhhhh!”

A scream came.

Everyone heard the sound of the scream.

And all got up “whoosh” to go to the source of the sound.

That was the location of the penance room.

Hoshino Ki followed the crowd’s footsteps and walked calmly.

“Head, head priest!”

Looking closely.

It was indeed the temple’s head priest, Ten-ei.

“Ahhh!”

Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki screamed.

Head priest Ten-ei had been hanged by someone with a rope on the suspension beam of the penance room.

There was no wind inside the room.

But his corpse was still swaying incessantly.

This was the first case Hoshino Ki had participated in.

If he hadn’t known the modus operandi beforehand.

He would have really thought that demons and ghosts were at work.

“Call the police quickly!”

Kogoro Mouri reacted first.

And asked his daughter Ran Mouri to call the police.

The sound of police sirens echoed through the temple.

Several police cars arrived outside Sanniji Temple.

Inspector Megure brought people to investigate Sanniji Temple.

“How did you discover the head priest on the beam?”

“An ordinary person entering the room shouldn’t look up first.”

Inspector Megure made a routine inquiry to the first witness who discovered the head priest’s corpse.

“It’s natural that I would discover it!”

“Because two years ago, the same thing happened.”

The monk in the temple explained.

“Two years ago, it was also in the same location...”

Although he suspected that someone had strangled Ten-ei first.

And then hung his corpse on the suspension beam.

But the structure of the “penance room” was very special.

It was a special room 2 meters long, 2 meters wide, and 3 meters high.

The wooden boards all around were lacquered and very smooth.

Only a very small skylight at the top was used for light.

It was impossible for a person to climb 3 meters along the smooth, straight wall to reach the suspension beam.

Of course, it was also impossible to carry a corpse through the skylight and climb to the suspension beam.

Because both the skylight and the suspension beam were too small.

Only one person could pass through.

The only explanation was in the folklore.

That the flying Mist Tengu entered through the skylight to do it.

Just when the case was at a stalemate.

“Isn’t the murderer him? Monk Shunen.”

Hoshino Ki suddenly spoke up.

Attracting everyone’s attention.

“This student, you say Monk Shunen is the murderer? What evidence do you have?”

Inspector Megure walked to Hoshino Ki’s side and asked anxiously.

“How dare you frame me!”

Monk Shunen’s face turned pale, and he hurriedly argued.

“Isn’t there an inflatable rubber boat in this room?”

Hoshino Ki looked calm and said indifferently.

“Plus this mountain waterfall...”

At this moment.

A cherry blossom petal drifted down from the suspension beam and landed on Conan’s nose tip.

Conan was very puzzled.

How could there be cherry blossom petals on the suspension beam?

Added to the two hints given by Hoshino Ki.

Suddenly, his inspiration flashed.

He finally understood the murderer’s modus operandi.

Hoshino Ki watched Conan’s actions from the sidelines.

Anyway, the old head priest was already dead.

Mission accomplished.

The rest was just to watch Conan “act” and cooperate with the police investigation.

It turned out the murderer treated the “penance room” as a rectangular container.

Used wooden boards to divert water from the waterfall.

The murderer strangled Ten-ei first.

Then rode the inflatable rubber boat.

Waited for the water level to rise to the suspension beam.

Then hung Ten-ei’s corpse on the suspension beam.

He himself escaped through the skylight.

And finally opened the door to release the water.

Because “Sanniji Temple” was close to the waterfall.

The sound of the waterfall was very loud.

Covering up the noise made by the crime.

The murderer’s intention in doing this was to disguise the murder as the work of the Mist Tengu.

In folklore.

The Mist Tengu is an ancient creature that likes rain and darkness.

And specializes in devouring human souls.

Gosho Aoyama, through Conan’s mouth.

Conducted a popular science lesson on Japanese Tengu culture.

Ancient people saw some meteors making very loud noises.

People who came from China to Japan said those meteors were dogs in the sky.

From then on, people called those meteors that made loud noises Tengu.

The Chinese believed that once such a meteor landed on Earth.

It was an ominous sign.

Later, this legend spread to Japan.

Tengu went from being a strange phenomenon.

To being misunderstood by everyone as a monster.

Mr. Aoyama is worthy of admiration.