The Strange Killing Intent Had Multiplied

Jiang Xia looked at the package Sherry had sent and spent a second expressing his gratitude internally.

Then he skillfully returned it.

The courier brought the package over, then left with it exactly as it had come.

After sending the visitor away, Jiang Xia picked up his coat, originally intending to continue on to the Detective Agency.

But after thinking for a moment, he set the coat back down.

Jiang Xia went into the study instead, walked to the bookshelf, and found an old Medical Record.

Mentioning Sherry always made him think of Health Medicine.

Thinking of medicine made him think of hospitals.

And thinking of hospitals...

Inevitably made him think of his Attending Physician—Kazato Kyosuke.

When Jiang Xia had first transmigrated here and was still lying around in the hospital like a corpse, he had recognized him—this refined-looking doctor seemed to be a Mini Boss.

Kazato Kyosuke had once been a surgical genius.

However, during one operation, a colleague had cut his hand, leaving him unable to hold a Knife again. He had no choice but to transfer to the Psychosomatic Medicine Department.

A year ago, Kazato Kyosuke had suddenly learned that his colleague had deliberately cut his hand back then.

In a fit of rage, he killed that colleague and disguised the scene as a suicide, successfully deceiving the police.

A year ago, when Jiang Xia had been hospitalized and heard that Kazato Kyosuke was his Attending Physician, he had cooperatively accepted treatment, hoping to collect the Ghost while Taking Advantage of the Chaos.

However, just like everyone else he had encountered since coming to this world—Kazato Kyosuke had no Ghosts on him, nor any Killing Intent.

Jiang Xia had been immediately disappointed.

So after leaving the hospital, he had never gone back for a follow-up visit.

But now...

Jiang Xia flipped through the old Medical Record, recalling what had happened yesterday.

After the world had changed, even someone who had died five years ago could become a Shikigami.

Then perhaps Kazato Kyosuke... might have more to offer?

Jiang Xia thought it over and felt tempted—he had nothing else to do anyway, so he might as well go to the hospital and see.

Soon, he turned on his Computer and logged into a Mailbox he rarely used.

Although Jiang Xia had always been skipping appointments.

Sherry, perhaps because she felt that Jiang Xia's parents had died saving her a year ago, and Jiang Xia's later hospitalization had been directly related to that—had persistently continued making appointments for him.

The hospital where Kazato Kyosuke worked would send patients their appointment date and reminders for their visit a week in advance.

Jiang Xia opened the Mailbox, his gaze passing over a large number of advertisements before stopping on an Email beginning with "Beika Yakushino Hospital."

At a glance, he saw that the appointment date was today.

...A miraculous and convenient coincidence.

Ever since he had gained the ability to collect Ghosts, it felt as though his European Emperor luck had quietly come back to life as well.

Jiang Xia stood up in high spirits, grabbed his coat, and headed out at a brisk pace.

On the way, Jiang Xia's phone Rang Once.

He opened it and found that Amuro Tooru had sent him another part-time job.

This time, it was helping out at an Izakaya.

Jiang Xia sympathized with his boss's busy life.

Then he decisively took leave and flaked on him.

Kazato Kyosuke was a famous doctor with a packed schedule. If he missed this appointment, he might not be able to get another one for a month.

Of course, he could also follow Doctor Kazato after work and have a chat with him after putting a sack over his head...

But collecting Ghosts was not entirely physical labor.

Sometimes, using the right method could yield twice the result with half the effort.

A rare chance to communicate peacefully with the target could not be wasted.

After arriving at Beika Yakushino Hospital and entering the consultation room.

Jiang Xia's gaze paused briefly on Doctor Kazato's calf.

Then, somewhat delightedly, he discovered that a Shikigami was indeed clinging to it.

Even more gratifyingly, high-quality Killing Intent coiled around Kazato Kyosuke.

—It smelled exactly like Hot Pot.

And it was Jiang Xia's favorite Mushroom Soup Base.

Jiang Xia's eyes brightened slightly. He took a quiet breath, composed his expression, and sat down.

A year ago, after Kazato Kyosuke killed his colleague, he successfully turned a murder into a suicide and escaped the law.

But good times did not last. Due to the victim's family's persistence, the case was about to be reopened.

One of the police officers on the investigation team happened to be Kazato Kyosuke's patient.

During treatment, Kazato Kyosuke learned of this. Worried that his murder would be exposed, he planned to strike first, kill every officer on the investigation team, and frame someone else for it.

Jiang Xia recalled this and silently counted the police officers Kazato Kyosuke had targeted.

...There really were quite a few.

No wonder there was so much Killing Intent, and it smelled so wonderful.

Inside the consultation room.

Kazato Kyosuke maintained a gentle expression as he exchanged a few words with Jiang Xia, who also looked gentle at first glance.

But the longer they talked, the more he felt a chill down his back.

As a perceptive doctor in the Psychosomatic Medicine Department, Kazato Kyosuke instinctively sensed that the problem lay with Jiang Xia.

Naturally, he did not think in supernatural terms.

Instead, he recalled certain cases of patients who had suddenly turned violent.

"..." Doctor Kazato pretended to reach for a Water Cup, using the motion to discreetly shift a little farther behind his desk.

At the same time, he glanced at the drawer from the corner of his eye.

Thinking of the Stun Baton, Tranquilizer Gun, Police Pepper Spray... he felt much more reassured.

Moreover, Kazato Kyosuke even had a Real Gun hidden in his bag.

—He had been a famous doctor for many years and had extensive Connections. Getting his hands on such things was not difficult.

After confirming his weapons, Kazato Kyosuke felt more secure.

When he looked at Jiang Xia again, he had resumed the appearance of a benevolent doctor and began the consultation.

Sitting beside him, Jiang Xia kept feeling as though a steaming pot of soup base sat before him, bubbling away.

He occasionally responded to Kazato Kyosuke while pondering in secret.

—If he wanted that fragrant, delicious Killing Intent, he could not let Kazato Kyosuke successfully kill anyone. Otherwise, once he succeeded, the Killing Intent would be internally consumed.

But correspondingly, after Kazato Kyosuke succeeded, the Shikigami on his leg would increase.

...Killing Intent or Shikigami—this was always a troublesome question for a Spirit Medium. And there was no option to take both.

Across from him, Kazato Kyosuke noticed that his patient was distracted.

After talking for a while, he felt the results were not very good, so he wrote out a form and told Jiang Xia to get a Physical Examination first.

Holding the Physical Examination form, Jiang Xia walked out of the consultation room and had no intention of returning.

He had already roughly figured out Kazato Kyosuke's condition.

What came next was free-choice time. There was no need to reread the prompt.

Jiang Xia walked along the hospital Corridor, and after going some distance, his thoughts gradually became clearer.

Murder Cases happened frequently in this world. Dead people were not uncommon.

There were not too many cases yet, but that might be because Conan had only just become Conan and had not fully awakened.

After some more time passed, serial Murder Cases would be everywhere, and Shikigami would not be hard to collect.

By comparison, rare-flavored Killing Intent was not something he could encounter every time.

Jiang Xia felt that, as a mature Spirit Medium, he ought to take a longer view.

...It had nothing to do with whether it was like Hot Pot or not. The main thing was to consider the bigger picture.

So this time, he would choose Killing Intent.

After seeing Doctor Kazato, Jiang Xia felt much better.

He walked down the hospital stairs. When he casually lowered his eyes, he spotted several familiar people coming up below.

—Mouri Ran, Mouri Kogoro, an unfamiliar doctor holding a pot of Morning Glory... and, of course, the ever-present Conan.

Jiang Xia stopped, his gaze settling on them and brightening slightly.

As he remembered it, when Conan and the Mouri Father and Daughter got together, a case was very likely to happen.

The four people climbing the stairs rounded the corner. When they looked up and saw Jiang Xia, they all stopped as well.

Conan looked at Jiang Xia, then at the sign by the stairwell.

He saw that the floor Jiang Xia had come down from housed Pediatrics, Pediatric Surgery, Otolaryngology, and...

The Psychosomatic Medicine Department.

Conan froze.

He had not expected to see Jiang Xia at the hospital, especially not Jiang Xia walking around alone and seeking treatment voluntarily.

"..." The neighbor who never went to the hospital was actually willing to accept treatment on his own?

Conan's fingers moved, and he instinctively wanted to take out his phone and tell Professor Agasa the good news.

As far as he knew, the professor had been worrying about this for a long time. He had practically been about to build a Psychosomatic Medicine Department robot and throw it into Jiang Xia's yard in the middle of the night.

However, before Conan could share the good news, his gaze shifted casually, and he suddenly realized something was wrong.

—The sheet of paper in Jiang Xia's hand, folded carelessly a few times, seemed to be an unfilled Physical Examination form.

If he remembered correctly, the Physical Examination departments were upstairs.

Yet Jiang Xia was clearly heading downstairs with a definite purpose.

Conan: "..."

How the hell was this a proper medical visit?

He was obviously trying to run away.

He silently turned toward Mouri Ran, sending her a hint.

He wondered whether Ran's Combat Power was enough to drag him back for the Physical Examination.

If not, Uncle Mouri could join in. That should be enough... probably.

Unfortunately, Mouri Ran and Mouri Kogoro were clearly not as observant as Conan.

Neither of them caught Conan's tattling signal.

Just as Conan took a deep breath and prepared to call out, "How strange! Brother Jiang Xia, are you going for a Physical Examination?"—

Jiang Xia spoke first from above the stairs.

He casually slipped the Physical Examination form into his pocket, looked at the doctor traveling with the main cast, and asked, "What are you holding...?"

The doctor held a pot of vivid Morning Glory.

Jiang Xia naturally recognized the flower.

He had only asked because he was making conversation.

—Running into Conan and Mouri Kogoro basically meant he could tag along on a case.

And then obtain Killing Intent or Shikigami.

It was difficult for a Spirit Medium not to be tempted.

Jiang Xia: "..." I need to find a way to join them...