Using the Truth to Tell a Lie / A Girl's Age Is a State Secret

In other words, at that time, Kusakawa Ryunosuke was out drinking with friends and couldn't possibly have harmed his wife. So why was there blood on his knife?

Framed?

It's certainly very possible, but what method did the murderer use? Why wouldn't a ghost notice if they stole the knife, killed the person, and then returned it?

"What dishes did you eat that day?" Shinji Hirako asked.

"There's sushi, boiled lobster, and homemade pickles."

"How often do you two drink together? Can anyone prove you two are friends? Don't tell me it's always just the two of you drinking together," Shinji Hirako asked.

"We... can only get together for drinks about once every six months. After all, everyone has their own work, and there's nothing we can do about it."

"Six months..." Shinji Hirako wrote down all of this information.

"Very good, the information you provided is very useful. If all of this information is true, Kusakawa Ryunosuke might be released in court at the next hearing. Thank you very much for your cooperation!" Shinji Hirako grinned.

"What are you saying? We're all colleagues, shouldn't we help each other out?" Kujo Yomotsu said.

"Then you shouldn't skip work to go drinking next time," Shinji Hirako replied half-jokingly.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."

Take care.

As Kujo Yomotsu reached the door, Hirako suddenly called her back.

"Oh, right, I forgot to ask you something. What's Kusakawa Ryunosuke's favorite dish?" Shinji Hirako asked.

Kujo Yomotsu didn't expect the other party to ask this question so suddenly, and hesitated for a moment before replying, "My favorite food is probably tofu with nuts!"

"Nut tofu! I love it too. But... you just said you only get together once every six months, so why isn't your friend's favorite nut tofu on the table?" Shinji Hirako's face instantly darkened, and he leaned forward slightly, releasing a small amount of Reiatsu.

Kujo Yomotsu felt an immense sense of oppression, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Maybe...maybe I forgot... Ryunosuke isn't the petty kind of person, he definitely won't care," Kujo Yomotsu said.

"Are you really his friend? I asked Kusakawa Ryunosuke privately before, and he told me that his favorite dish is stir-fried shrimp. Why does it become tofu with nuts when it comes to you?" Shinji Hirako asked with a curious expression and a sinister smile.

Sweat beaded on Kujo Yomotsu's forehead, and a hint of panic crept into her previously composed smile, "His favorite dish doesn't necessarily refer to one specific dish; it could be many. Tofu with nuts and stir-fried shrimp are among his favorite dishes."

Shinji Hirako suddenly reached out and tapped his head. "Oops! Look at my memory, I completely forgot that when I interrogated him last time, I didn't even ask him what he liked to eat."

Kujo Yomotsu's smile froze on his face.

Blanch!

"When I interrogate him next time, I'll ask him what he likes to eat, and I'll bring some in for him. Do you have anything else to say, Secretary Kujo?" Shinji Hirako stared at the man before her with eyes like a cat hunting a mouse.

Chapter 147: Deceiving People with the Truth

Kujo Yomotsu had lost her initial composure; although she still wore a smile, her eyes gleamed with a cold light.

Completely disregarding the other party's status, Shinji Hirako stared coldly at him, and the two began a silent standoff.

It might have taken a second, or it might have taken several seconds.

A voice suddenly came from Yamabuki Chidori's office.

"Come on, everyone, have some watermelon! This watermelon was just picked and chilled in river water! It's very sweet!" said Yamabuki Chidori.

Hane Hane Chiyo was happily munching on a slice of watermelon when this sound instantly broke the eye contact between the two.

"Mr. Hirako, I'm going back to work now. You can come and ask me again if you have any questions." Kujo Yomotsu had a fake smile on her face.

"There are still so many questions that haven't been answered. Don't worry, I will definitely ask you," Shinji Hirako said with a forced smile.

He originally thought it was a simple murder case, but he never expected that High-Ranking Noble would protect Kusakawa Ryunosuke.

Judging from his current behavior, Kusakawa Ryunosuke is a complete coward.

Throughout his school years, his grades were consistently among the worst. Even after joining the Gotei 13, he didn't achieve much. To make matters worse, his wife cheated on him, and his sword was used as a murder weapon without his knowledge.

Whether it's his career or love life, this loser is a complete failure in life.

Yet this good-for-nothing actually had a High-Ranking Noble protecting him.

What exactly is going on? Does this person harbor some unknown secret?

Shinji Hirako went to Yamabuki Chidori's office to eat watermelon, carrying the notes she had just taken.

Hane Hane Chiyo, like a hamster, wiggled her pink cheeks as she distributed the sliced watermelon to everyone.

"How did the questioning go? Did you get any new information?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.

Shinji Hirako casually tossed the transcript he had just taken onto his desk.

"Can you see anything unusual in this transcript? I have a bad feeling about it!" Shinji Hirako said.

In Shinji Hirako's eyes, there was no concept of a superior. He unceremoniously took a slice of watermelon and ate it.

Yamabuki Chidori didn't care about these trivial matters and carefully read through the transcript.

The record is accurate to every word, and you can even sense the tone of voice between the two people from the text.

"Judging by appearances alone, there shouldn't be any problem," Yamabuki Chidori said. "But Kujo Yomotsu lied."

Shinji Hirako's heart skipped a beat. Through his final probing, he could tell that Kujo Yomotsu and Kusakawa Ryunosuke probably didn't know each other, or at least hadn't been in contact before this case.

Although Kujo Yomotsu wasn't exactly an elite, she was still the head of High-Ranking Noble. Why would she become good friends with a good-for-nothing from a Low-Ranking Noble?

As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together.

In a normal social circle, the people in this circle are roughly the same in terms of ability and wealth, which is why they can hang out together.

If Kusakawa Ryunosuke were a powerful Shinigami, he wouldn't need to be Captain or Lieutenant-level; even as a regular Seated Officer, multiple factions would come to court him.

However, Kusakawa Ryunosuke's strength ranks second to last in the entire Seventh Division.

The one in last place is Prosperity, a Shiba Inu kept by the Seventh Division.

How could someone like that possibly become good friends with the head of High-Ranking Noble family?

The two of them would never have any contact at all.

Just as it's impossible for someone to be friends with someone thousands of miles away, someone they've never met, and someone with whom they have no way of contact.

"How did you figure that out? Was he eavesdropping behind the door just now?" Shinji Hirako asked, his eyes wide.

"Of course I wasn't eavesdropping. How could I be so low as to do that? Look at this transcript, especially the description of this banquet. Doesn't it feel like you're relaying someone else's words?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.

"Huh? What do you mean? I don't understand."

Yamabuki Chidori continued, "In other words, Kusakawa Ryunosuke was indeed drinking that night, and this person's identity is very mysterious and cannot be known to outsiders. So Kujo Yomotsu took on this person's identity, and the food and drink on the table seemed to be relayed to him by the person who was drinking with Kusakawa Ryunosuke —what was on the table, what kind of alcohol they were drinking..."

Shinji Hirako's gaze grew serious.

"In other words, almost everything described in this confession is true. On the night of the incident, Kusakawa Ryunosuke was indeed drinking with a mysterious person, and even got completely drunk. The only thing Kujo Yomotsu concealed was the identity of the person he was drinking with. Mixing a lie into all the truths—that's what makes a master of deception!" Yamabuki Chidori laughed.

Those who practice the Dao of Way of Sitting and Forgetting all use this method.

It's too easy to see through fake things, but what if you use real things to deceive people?

Especially things like language and writing.

If even one word or punctuation mark in an entire article is incorrect, the meaning and expression of the whole article will be completely different.

Furthermore, deliberately concealing or adding information makes it even easier to mislead others.

For example: Zhang San kills someone with a gun.

If you only look at these six words, everyone would think Zhang San is a murderer.

But what if we add some information?

"Zhang San was a policeman who shot and killed an escaped murderer."

The six characters are still there, but their meaning has undergone a complete transformation.

"What exactly is Kujo hiding? How can someone possibly command the head of a High-Ranking Noble family to do things for him?" Shinji Hirako suddenly stood up, wanting to ask Kujo Yomotsu.

"What's the rush? Sit down, sit down! He's deliberately hiding the truth. No matter how much you ask, he won't tell you. You think you can torture him? Times have changed. If this were two hundred years ago, humph, I could skin him alive and then soak him in salt water, making him suffer agonizingly, wishing he were dead. If he still wouldn't talk, I'd use the Kido to heal his wounds and repeat the process until he confessed. Now I'm old and soft-hearted," Yamabuki Chidori sighed.

Shinji Hirako felt a chill run down his spine; even the most ruthless demons in the Eighteen-Layer Hell weren't as vicious as you.

As expected, none of those people from the old era were mentally sound.

"So what should we do?"

"Lure the snake out of its hole. Since he wants to protect Kusakawa Ryunosuke, then we'll release him at the next court hearing and see how these people behave. Don't forget, the final interpretation of the law and the rules rests with me," Yamabuki Chidori said smugly. "Furthermore, if the murderer isn't Kusakawa Ryunosuke, shouldn't the other person be thoroughly investigated?"

Chapter 148: The girl's age is a top secret

As the case has progressed to this point, it's pretty much certain that Kusakawa Ryunosuke is just an unlucky good-for-nothing. Even if he watched his wife cheat on him, he might not have had the guts to pull out a knife and kill her.

Therefore, Inuta Ranpo became the prime suspect.

The blood-stained clothes that cannot be used as evidence, the family crest missing at the scene, and his wife's strange behavior all raise suspicions.

"I understand, this is my investigation of Inuta Ranpo." Shinji Hirako finished the last bite of watermelon, then took another piece from the table.

"Hey, that watermelon is mine!" Yamabuki Chidori shouted, but Shinji Hirako had already run far away using Flash Step.

"This kid! He's really impatient." Yamabuki Chidori slowly took out another whole watermelon from under her office desk, cut it in half, and gave me half.

The correct way to eat watermelon is with a spoon!

Shinji Hirako had only run a few steps when he realized that someone was following him, staring at him with a smile.

"Captain Hane Hane! Why are you following me? I don't have time to play with you right now. I have work to do. Don't you understand that this is a matter of life and death?" Shinji Hirako said.

"I only followed you because I found your investigation interesting. You're going to investigate a suspicious woman, right? Don't you think it'll be much more convenient to have me with you?" Hane Hane Chiyo laughed. "What if that woman tries something inappropriate with you? I can protect you."

Shinji Hirako suddenly asked a very crucial question, "Captain Hane Hane, I heard... your real age is over four hundred..."

"Inch Punch, Heaven Opening!" Hane Hane Chiyo punched Shinji Hirako in the chin.

Despite her poor motor skills, this punch she threw exuded the aura of "Night Guy".

Shinji Hirako flew a great distance like a spinning top.

Hane Hane Chiyo bowed gently, her face full of tenderness. "What question did you just ask? I didn't hear you clearly!"

"It's nothing, I meant how about I treat you to dinner later?" Shinji Hirako said awkwardly.

Indeed, no matter when, a woman's age is always the biggest taboo.

The two arrived at Inuta Ranpo's house again and saw Yumiko hiding something in her sleeve, looking very flustered.

"Oh, it's you, young man! You barged into a woman's house without my permission. You're getting more and more grown up. And this time you even brought a little sister with you?" After a brief moment of panic, Yumiko quickly regained her composure.

Although Shinji Hirako saw that the other woman was hiding something in her sleeve, he couldn't be sure that what she was hiding was related to the murder. If he ordered Yumiko to take off her clothes, and then the woman sexually harassed him, wouldn't he be at a huge loss?

"By the way, young man, is there anything else you need? If not, I have some things to take care of here," Yumiko said hurriedly.

Just as Shinji Hirako was about to probe for information, Hane Hane Chiyo suddenly said, "We've discovered that the real murderer in this case is your husband. The other suspect will be released soon, and you'll be notified to collect your husband's body."

Yumiko's pupils dilated.

"This... this is impossible..."

Shinji Hirako smiled slightly. As expected of a loli over four hundred years old, her move of striking a chord with the enemy was brilliant!

If this woman truly cared about her husband, she would never sit idly by and wait for her fate.

If this woman didn't care whether her husband lived or died, that would be a different story.

"Hmph, it's best if that kind of person is dead. He already has me, yet he's still flirting with other women outside. He deserves it." Yumiko's attitude suddenly reversed 180 degrees, and she seemed completely unconcerned.

"Is that so? Then let's go." Hane Hane Chiyo said calmly, then quickly pulled Shinji Hirako away.

After the two left the courtyard Shinji Hirako said, "What are you up to? I haven't asked you the question I wanted to ask yet!"

Hane Hane Chiyo pressed her delicate fingers to her lips, signaling Shinji Hirako to be quiet, and then drew her Zanpakuto.

"Kiri ni Kagami!"

The Zanpakuto's blade transformed into a hazy mist, obscuring the two figures.

About ten minutes later, Yumiko hurriedly got dressed and prepared to leave the house. As she reached the door, she suddenly tapped her wooden clogs, which made a "clack-clack" sound.

Shinji Hirako now knows exactly what Hane Hane Chiyo wants to do.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.