Another Suspect / A Token of "First Love"

Not only Jiang Hang received a call, but Heiji Hattori also received several calls. Some of them seemed to be people from the Osaka Police Department secretly explaining the case to him. Judging from the calls, they were Heiji Hattori of Heiji Hattori's father.

In terms of intelligence, Heiji Hattori certainly has a huge innate advantage.

Besides the calls related to the case, his childhood friend Kazuha Toyama also called to inquire about the situation. After all, although Heiji Hattori often sneaked off to other places, he would usually come back at night unless he had said in advance that he was going to stay out overnight.

"Don't worry, I'm still investigating the case. It seems to be quite tricky, so I'll be staying in Kyoto tonight... You said you heard a woman's voice?" Heiji Hattori glanced at Shizuka Sakaki, who was chatting with Jiang Hang behind him, and then immediately responded, "That's Jiang Hang's assistant, the Jiang Hang from Tokyo. I think I mentioned him to you before. He happens to be traveling in Kyoto, so I brought him over to help with the investigation. Don't worry."

It's clear that Kazuha Toyama is very wary of the women around Heiji Hattori. If it weren't for the fact that Heiji Hattori hasn't been able to find any clues about his first love all these years, she might have come to Kyoto with Heiji Hattori.

After hanging up the phone, Heiji Hattori didn't mention Kazuha Toyama any further. Instead, he checked the time, then patted his stomach and said to Jiang Hang and Conan, "It looks like today's investigation can only end here. Let's find a place to have some dinner first."

Because they were preoccupied with the case, they simply found a restaurant and ate their fill.

"But the riddle on this picture is really baffling," Heiji Hattori remarked after they had eaten and drunk their fill.

"That's just because we haven't found the key to solve the riddle yet. Isn't that what riddles are all about?" Conan continued to ponder the meaning behind these riddles.

"It's already so late, and everyone must be tired after walking all day," said Shizuka Sakaki. "I've already contacted a car rental company and rented a car. The places we're going to tomorrow are all quite far away, so it will be more convenient to drive there."

Heiji Hattori did have a motorcycle, but it couldn't fit all four of them.

The places they went to today weren't too far, so walking or taking a taxi was fine. But tomorrow they'll be going to the mountains near Kyoto for research, which will require a car.

"Which hotel are you staying at tonight? I'll go get my motorcycle first," Heiji Hattori asked. His motorcycle was still parked near the antique market and he needed to drive it back.

"I'll go with you. I actually want to ask that boss about some things," Jiang Hang said, then looked at Shizuka Sakaki and Conan.

"Shizuka, you can go back now. We'll be back soon."

He then looked at Conan, implying that he wanted to go back first.

After all, Conan's stamina is only that of a six or seven-year-old child after shrinking. He's been busy all day, and it's clear that Conan's exhausted.

Conan shook his head at Jiang Hang.

Although he doesn't yet think Sakura Masazo is highly suspicious, there's nothing wrong with asking him about it when there are no other directions for investigation.

That's just the nature of the detective profession.

Conan was unwilling to walk any further, so it goes without saying that Shizuka Sakaki was even less inclined to. She had already walked half of Kyoto with Jiang Hang and Heiji Hattori today, so she didn't mind walking a little further.

Shizuka Sakaki's physical strength was already quite good, and after becoming Jiang Hang's assistant, she often had to go out and run around, so her physical strength was quite good compared to ordinary people.

Despite Shizuka Sakaki's objections, the group eventually returned to the antique market at night.

The antique market is noticeably more lively at night than during the day.

Moreover, it seems that most of the visitors are tourists who are interested in this topic.

During the day they were probably visiting those tourist attractions, and at night they came here hoping to find some souvenirs or valuable items in the antique market.

Of course, more than 80% of these people are unlikely to actually buy anything of value.

Soon, he found Sakura Masazo's antique shop again.

When the middle-aged boss saw Jiang Hang, the big boss, come to him again, he was initially a little surprised, but he quickly composed himself and approached with a smile.

"How's your investigation going today? Is there any good news?"

It seems he is quite concerned about the whereabouts of that Buddha statue.

Jiang Hang shook his head frankly. "To be honest, there was basically no progress. It was like we wasted a whole day. It was only when we passed by here after dinner that I thought I'd come back and ask the boss if he knew anything."

When Sakura Masazo heard that they hadn't found the kettle, a look of disappointment flashed across his face.

Then he shook his head. "When we first saw that letter, we kept wondering where the Buddha statue might be hidden, but we still don't have any clues. Besides, if even you famous detectives can't find any clues, how could we possibly know?"

Seeing that the shop owner seemed genuinely clueless, Jiang Hang didn't mind. He casually glanced around the shop before pressing for more information. "By the way, do you know where I can buy this book? I need this version."

Jiang Hang took out his phone, found the picture of Gikeiki Heiji Hattori had sent him, and handed it to the shopkeeper.

"I heard that members of the Genji Fireflies all keep this book. I also want to find some clues from it, but it seems that this edition of Yoshitsune's Gikeiki is very rare and not easy to find. Do you know anyone who has this book?"

Upon hearing Jiang Hang's question, a look of hesitation appeared on Sakura Masazo's face.

After pondering for a while, he gave his response.

"I've seen this Gikeiki- ki, before. It's quite a rare book, and the stories it records are all rather unusual tales... Wait here for a moment, I'll go ask my friend who runs a used bookstore, maybe he has some."

Upon receiving this answer, a smile appeared on Jiang Hang's face.

"Okay, I'll wait for you here. Remember to tell your friend that the price is not a problem."

Chapter 354: Chapter 352: Another Suspect

Perhaps because Jiang Hang said money was not a problem, Sakura Masazo brought good news to Jiang Hang and his group after making a phone call.

"I just asked my friend who runs a used bookstore, and he said he has a few Gikeiki. If you want them, you can go to his bookstore to get them now."

As Sakura Masazo spoke, he chuckled and made a hand gesture, explaining to Jiang Hang the price his friend had offered.

His asking price was certainly not polite; it was probably dozens of times, or even more, than the original value of the book.

However, considering that the book itself was not widely published and has been around for several decades, and that Heiji Hattori only had a cursory look at it through his father's connections, it is normal for the price to be a bit high.

More importantly, Jiang Hang wasn't concerned about the price of the book at all, but rather about Sakura Masazo's reaction just now.

When Jiang Hang first arrived here today, he simply scanned the surroundings with his Eagle Eye without observing carefully. After all, they had visited dozens of antique shops that day, and they had also inquired about the situation at several shops near the murder case that occurred in Kyoto.

If Jiang Hang were to conduct a thorough search of every store using Eagle Eye, it would be a huge, time-consuming, and labor-intensive project.

And you should know that this is an antique market.

There aren't many valuable things elsewhere, and they're easy to spot.

On this street, there is no shortage of valuable things. As long as Jiang Hang turns on his Revealing Eagle Vision, even if it can't compare to the blindingly bright light of the Twilight Mansion, it will still be a screen full of golden light that makes it hard to concentrate.

Therefore, unless necessary, Jiang Hang will not proactively activate his Revealing Eagle Vision after entering the antique market.

However, after narrowing down the target area and Sakura Masazo a suspect, Jiang Hang directly used Revealing Eagle Vision to observe and search for anything suspicious in the store, as well as Sakura Masazo's expression.

After Jiang Hang gradually eliminated the antiques in the shops, he soon noticed the golden light emanating from the other party's warehouse.

Besides the antiques that Sakura Masazo didn't display, there was also a book on the bookshelf.

Although Revealing Eagle Vision couldn't directly discern the book's title, the other party, when making the call and sneaking away to the warehouse, deliberately went to the book, took it down, glanced at it, and then hid it again.

Just by seeing the other party make that move through his Eagle Eye, Jiang Hang felt that the book was most likely the Gikeiki.

If that book really is the Gikeiki, then there is almost a 50% chance that Sakura Masazo is one of the members of the Genji Fireflies.

If Jiang Han is not mistaken, the "used bookstore owner" that the other party just contacted should be Saijo Taiga, who runs a used bookstore nearby and was mentioned by Ryuen from Sannō Temple this afternoon as a frequent visitor to the temple to worship and who also knew about the stolen Buddha Saijō Taiga.

That's perfect. Jiang Hang had originally planned to return to the hotel tonight and then sneak out to investigate the other party's bookstore and the other people Ryuen mentioned. Now he can go there directly and save himself a lot of trouble.

The secondhand bookstore owned by Saijō Taiga wasn't far from the antique market, and with Sakura Masazo leading the way, they quickly met the owner.

Saijō Taiga was a middle-aged man in his thirties with an ordinary appearance. He wore glasses and looked like a gentle and refined man.

Jiang Hang noticed that although the man looked quite refined, the calluses on his hands, the muscles in his body, and even the way he stood suggested that he was probably quite skilled.

Upon receiving a call from Sakura Masazo, informing him that Jiang Hang and his group were coming, he had already prepared the Jiang Hang Gikeiki and stood at the bookstore entrance waiting for them.

After meeting with Saijō Taiga, Sakura Masazo greeted her and then introduced Jiang Hang and his group to her.

Since Jiang Hang has not revealed his true identity yet, Sakura Masazo only focused on telling Heiji Hattori Saijō Taiga's identity.

However, it was clear that Saijō Taiga had already heard of Heiji Hattori, the famous high school detective from Osaka.

"I saw his interview in a magazine just a few days ago. Of course I know that the Abdominal Detective is so famous. This is the Gikeiki. I just received it not long ago. The only problem is that a page at the beginning of the book is missing. It must have been torn out by the original owner. However, the torn page is a blank page before the table of contents, so it doesn't affect the content of the book."

"Why don't you check it first, and see if you really want this book?"

Jiang Hang glanced at the other person and then took the book from their hand.

While Jiang Hang was flipping through the book, Saijō Taiga asked Heiji Hattori with great interest, "I saw in a magazine that Hattori, you met your first love in Kyoto eight years ago, and you even kept something she left behind and have been carrying it with you ever since?"

Heiji Hattori didn't take it seriously. He smiled and scratched his head, "There really was such a thing. I didn't expect that magazine to be so popular."

"Oh, it's true! I saw it in a magazine and thought the magazine staff were just making things up." Saijō Taiga smiled and then asked Heiji Hattori if he had found his first love yet.

"Well, we haven't found it yet. If you know anything about it, that would be great." Heiji Hattori shook his head and sighed slightly.

Just then, Jiang Hang, who was flipping through the Minamoto no Yoshitsune, suddenly said to Saijō Taiga and Heiji Hattori, "Speaking of which, when you met your first love, wasn't it at Sannō Temple? Although the monks there didn't know the young lady's identity, I heard from Master Ryuen that Mr. Saijo and his friends had been regulars at Sannō Temple for a long time. Why don't you take out that bead and show it to them? Maybe they'll remember it."

Upon hearing Jiang Hang's words, Saijō Taiga quickly waved his hand. "How could we possibly remember something that happened eight years ago so clearly?"

But just as he was saying he couldn't remember such details, he adjusted his glasses and said, "But if we could see what your first love left behind, we might have some recollection."

Chapter 355: Chapter 353: A Token of "First Love"

When Heiji Hattori took out the crystal bead he had kept for eight years from the sachet in his pocket and handed it to Saijō Taiga and Sakura Masazo, Jiang Hang could clearly feel that the two of them focused their attention entirely on the crystal bead after it appeared.

With Eagle Eye's help, Jiang Hang could even feel Saijō Taiga unconsciously clenching his other fist, as if Heiji Hattori might have been about to commit murder and robbery if he were alone there.

Upon seeing this action, Jiang Hang immediately became alert.

He had only intended to casually follow the other person's words to probe their understanding, but he didn't expect that these two people seemed to care quite a bit about the crystal bead.

Of course, the two of them quickly controlled their expressions, making it impossible for anyone to tell that they cared about the crystal bead.

Only Jiang Hang, with his Eagle Eye ability, and Conan, whose observation skills are equally strong, might notice this.

Normally, Heiji Hattori would have noticed, but since they were discussing Heiji Hattori's first love, it distracted him and prevented him from noticing the change in the expressions of the two people opposite him.

At this moment, Jiang Hang couldn't help but wonder why they cared so much about that crystal bead, and what it had to do with them.

On the other hand, after controlling her expression, Saijō Taiga carefully examined the crystal bead in her hand.

He then glanced at Sakura Masazo beside him before shaking his head at Heiji Hattori: "Sorry, I don't remember. It looks like it might be an ornament on a necklace or bracelet. I can ask around and see if anyone I know can find one that matches... Can I take a picture of it?"

It seems that Saijō Taiga is going to the warehouse to take a picture of the crystal bead as a favor.

However, Heiji Hattori had obviously already prepared these things.

"It would be great if you could help me. Although I have been to Kyoto many times, I have never really asked anyone about this before."

As Heiji Hattori said this, he picked up his phone. "But there's no need for that. I already took the photos before, so I'll just send them to you now. We can also exchange contact information. If you know them, please be sure to contact me."

Although Heiji Hattori didn't think he could find his first love by relying on the other person, he still had to at least show his attitude.

Upon hearing Heiji Hattori's words, Saijō Taiga's hand holding the crystal bead trembled slightly, but he quickly smiled at Heiji Hattori and returned the crystal bead.

"If that's the case, then that's for the best. I'll go ask those people who frequently visit the Sannō Temple to see if they have any girls in their families who are the right age."

Saijō Taiga said this, but his gaze remained almost entirely fixed on the crystal bead that Heiji Hattori had put away.

Meanwhile, Jiang Hang was observing their actions while flipping through the Gikeiki.

Apart from the missing page at the beginning, the book was quite complete, so Jiang Hang promptly transferred the agreed-upon money to Saijō Taiga.

However, although he made a fortune from Jiang Hang, it was clear that Saijō Taiga was not satisfied with that. When he saw that Jiang Hang and his group were about to leave, he suddenly stepped forward and extended an invitation to Jiang Hang.

"Speaking of which, everyone must have been busy with investigations all day. A friend of mine is the young master of a Noh Theater nearby. If you want to relax and watch a play, I can ask him for a few tickets."

Saijō Taiga continued, "If you're not interested in Noh Theater, there's a nice teahouse nearby where you can rest tonight and see a very authentic Kabuki performance."

Noh Theater is a classical Japan musical theater, and it is considered a part of Japan traditional culture, with a history much longer than Kabuki.

But it's clear that Jiang Hang and his friends don't really have much interest in going to the theater to watch Noh Theater or to a teahouse to see a Kabuki performance.

Even Heiji Hattori waved his hand in refusal. "It's not time to rest yet. Let's talk about it after we've resolved this matter."

Although Saijō Taiga still wanted to say something, seeing Heiji Hattori's current attitude, he finally nodded. "In that case, I hope you can decipher the code on that map as soon as possible and find the stolen Buddha statue at Sannō Temple."

After saying goodbye to Sakura Masazo and Saijō Taiga, Jiang Hang and his group quickly returned to the hotel that the travel agency had booked.

Koharu Yoshino and the others hadn't returned to the hotel yet. If Jiang Hang remembered correctly, they were supposed to be going to a nearby theater to see a performance tonight. If it was a coincidence, the performance they were going to see tonight might be the same one that Saijō Taiga had just invited them to.

With several hundred people, they could probably book the entire theater.

In short, they are estimated to be returning later than usual.

An extra room was booked for Heiji Hattori. After Shizuka Sakaki returned to her own room, Conan, Jiang Hang, and Heiji Hattori gathered in Jiang Hang's room to discuss their findings from the day.

"Jiang Hang's guess might be correct. There are indeed problems with Sakura Masazo and Saijō Taiga."

Conan was the first to state his opinion. Although his observation skills were not as good as Jiang Hang's, who had the Eagle Eye cheat, compared to normal people, Conan's observation skills were like having a cheat code. It was not too surprising that he would notice the strange things about Saijō Taiga and the other person.

Upon hearing this viewpoint, Heiji Hattori's expression became considerably more serious.

Although his attention was somewhat distracted by his "first love," he was, after all, a famous detective, and he could easily notice anything unusual.