Chapter 13 chapter Ten
Shizuma returned to the room, smoking a cigarette while staring at the ceiling in ecstasy.A wisp of blue smoke floated vertically upward like a blue dragon ascending to the sky, and then gradually dissipated when it touched the ceiling.Although he was very worried about Hesheng and Qiucai brothers and sisters, Shizuma had no face to meet them. After all, he made a promise to them a few days ago, saying that he would definitely catch the murderer of Haruna... As a result, he wanted to die on the first snow day. Xia Cai's plan was realized first, although Xia Cai did not do it voluntarily.If I had known it would turn out like this, I might as well let myself meet the murderer in front of the small society; if only I was the one who was killed, then there would be far fewer sad people!
Speaking of which, the ancient legend about Chuxue has something to do with the legend of Sugaru?Shizuma suddenly wanted to know that.Although it happened in the Edo period, so it should not be directly related to the legend of Sugaru, but he chose to commit suicide by diving in Ryugafuchi, which is regarded as the domain of the gods. There should be some intentions in it.
Maybe the so-called "Daughter of Murder Karma" is related to this legend?If that's the case, it's not surprising that the Qinzhe family didn't know about it.The objects of their interest should only be related to Sugaru.
Thinking back carefully, when Hisaya told Shizuma the legend, he didn't seem to say clearly who he heard the story from.
I don’t know if Meiying knows this ancient legend——
Unknowingly, the eyes have been dyed white by the sprayed blue smoke.Shizuma hurriedly got up and opened the doors and windows to take a breath. At this moment, Yamashiko in a suit came into the room.It was only after asking that he had been staying in his room since the police arrived.
"I couldn't go in to attend the meeting because I was suspected, but Mr. Yamashina, why didn't you go in to accompany Miying instead of me?"
However, Yamashina sternly refused on the grounds that "now is not the time for me to come forward. This is also a test for Meiying". "However, the policeman himself is obviously negligent, so how can he blame Miss Meiying! As the first case of a detective debut, this burden is too heavy, right?"
"Thank you for worrying about my little girl, but if you can't pass this test, you won't be able to inherit the name of Yuling Meiying. Detectives are not gods, but when detectives fail to prevent incidents before they happen, they often have to bear a lot of criticism. There is no lack of being cursed or ridiculed; if you choose to be a detective, you must accept this fate. Once you bear the signboard, you have to bear these difficulties. Before her mother met me, she also endured it alone... ...Besides, even if I want to help her, I don't have that ability; after all, I'm just a praiser of Yuling Meiying."
Yamashina's words reveal the stern side of being a father, but it is also evidence that he trusts his daughter.Jingma even envied Meiying to have such a father.
"Can I have one?"
Realizing that Yamashina was referring to cigarettes, Shizuma handed them out.
"I quit smoking after Meiying was born, but when I encountered such an incident, I couldn't help but think of myself when I was a criminal policeman. It's been seventeen years."
As if trying to justify himself, Yamashina lit a cigarette.
"Has the previous Miss Meiying ever encountered this kind of failure?"
"Yes, there have been several times. There have been new victims in front of her eyes. In addition, there was also an incident that she couldn't solve until the end. It's just that every time I experience such a thing, I always feel that she has become Double, or even triple, stronger."
Shan Ke stared into the distance, holding a cigarette in his mouth, showing the look of missing his dead wife.
"What kind of incident was that unresolved?"
"It was a murder in a family with a long history in Akita. There were several suspects, but in the end they couldn't locate one person. The case seemed to be in a maze. She said at the time that the murderer was smarter than her, even though she knew the murderer She already knew the candidate, but because there was no solid evidence, she didn't say her name in the end, even to me. That incident happened four years before her death, and after that, she still often Thinking of that incident, I regret it. At the same time, she also told me many times that she is not a god, but she must get as close to God as possible.”
Breathing out a wisp of blue smoke, the expression on Shan Ke's face was a bit lonely.
"Even a person known as a famous detective will have troubles..."
Meiying is only seventeen years old.Thinking that she will embark on a road full of thorns in the future, Shizuma can't help but feel very pitiful.
"It's because of being a detective. You can't let the expectations around you overwhelm yourself. The worst thing is to retire. You have to have this level of awareness. Not just detectives, but anyone who has left great achievements in the world. problems that must be faced. And the work of a detective is related to human life, so the pressure is even greater. Although Meiying's mother never talked about her retirement even once, in my opinion, she always has such a state of mind .”
(That is to say, if Meiying cannot solve this incident, will it have to face retirement at the same time as its debut?
Shizuma thought so, but he didn't say it after all.
"Mr. Yamashina, it's as if you were born for Miss Mikage."
Hearing this, Yamashina smiled lightly and said:
"It's an exaggeration to say that. It's just that I hope that my little girl can become a detective who will not disgrace the name of Yuling Meiying as soon as possible. My only dream is to see her solve the Akita incident just mentioned. The incident that my mother can't solve , to be resolved by the daughter, this may be worthy of the name of surpassing the mother. However, after all, it was nearly twenty years ago, and the relevant people and the murderer are probably no longer alive. However, even if the person is dead , the incident will still remain. I have recorded the details, and after Meiying has accumulated enough experience as a detective, I will let her try to solve it again... But before that, let's not solve the immediate problem first. This incident, everything never started.”
"Miss Meiying can solve it smoothly?"
As soon as the words came out, Shizuma regretted it.This is not something you should say in front of your father.However, Shan Ke did not take offense.
"She has to solve it, otherwise it means that her seventeen years of life have been denied, and the rest of my life will also be... Besides, Meiying is fine. I believe in this child's strength."
"Mr. Yamashina, who has watched Ms. Meiying grow up all the way, said so, so she must be right."
"Before meeting me, my wife has always struggled alone. But Meiying is different. When encountering difficulties, if there are people around to help, it will be a great strength. This is what my wife told me in the past, and it makes me the happiest A word. Right now, Meiying is not only surrounded by me, but also you, Classmate Tantian."
"Me?" Shizuma was taken aback by Yamashina's sudden name call.However, Yamashina's expression was very serious, it didn't look like he was joking.
"I am very grateful to you. Because Miying was raised like that, she hardly gets close to anyone except me. I think it may be God's will to know you before she meets the first incident. Houmeiying will be counting on you."
"……yes."
Not knowing how to answer, Shizuma could only respond in this way.At this time, the door of the room was opened forcefully.
"Father, I couldn't find you in the room, so you were with Shizuma. Also, haven't you quit smoking?"
Mikage's right eye looked at Yamashina and Shizuma in turn.
"It's just reminiscing about the past."
Yamashina stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. "Yeah, I've heard a lot about Meiying."
Shizuma also echoed.
"It seems that your friendship has become very good. I don't know what you said, but Shizuma, get ready to go!"
"Go? Where are you going?"
"You'll know when you come with me. Aren't you my trainee assistant? Why do you still have time to chatter here leisurely?"
After saying what she wanted to say, Meiying turned her back to Shizuma.
"I see." After Shizuma yelled and stood up, she saw Shan Ke smiling calmly.
Mikage took Shizuma to the Kazami Tower.Located on the west side of the Qinzhe mansion, around the chalk-colored rock tower standing on the slope, at this time, as if expressing condolences for the death of Xia Cai, the cold and strong mountain wind blows; The wind swept away, and the ferocious wind made people feel this way.Because there is an earth wall blocking it, it should not fall, but looking at the wall that has been in disrepair for a long time, it is really frightening.Meiying weighs much less than Jingma and wears clothing with a larger surface area, so walking is much harder than Jingma, but she still tries to walk to the tower, whispering "That's right" "Look, there are indeed traces of someone passing by here." The sun gradually rose, and the surrounding snow almost melted; but perhaps because it was located on the back of the mountain, there was still a little snow left at the entrance of the Kazemi Tower, leaving footprints on it.However, the shape of the footprints is almost unrecognizable, and what remains can only be said to be traces after the footprints have been erased. "However, it's amazing that you, Mei Ying, can find this out. Even the police didn't notice it." "The opposite of unreasonable is consistency. This is one thing with two sides. Do you remember Mr. Iwakura's words? On the night of Haruna's accident, he heard footsteps going from the side room to Kazami Tower." "In other words, it makes you think that this time it might also have something to do with Kazami Tower? But, what did the murderer do at Kazami Tower? This time, he didn't put his head on the dragon's head... Could it be that , Did the murderer come to hide the murder weapon?" "I don't think so. It's easy to know who has entered and exited the Kazami Tower. If so, how could the murderer hide the murder weapon in such a place!" Jingma's deduction was flatly denied by Meiying.The attitude was so decisive that even Shizuma himself was dumbfounded. "Then, why did the murderer come to Kazejian Tower?" "I'm investigating this right now. Even if you're just a trainee, you can't even judge this kind of thing yourself. Is it too exaggerated?" Maybe it was because she was impatient with the cold wind blowing her hair and clothes all the time, and Meiying's way of speaking was more harsh than usual. "You, cheer up a little bit, okay?" Just when Meiying wanted to enter the tower, Shinsheng pushed open the door and walked out from inside.The two happened to bump into each other face to face, and Shen Sheng had an expression like meeting a bear on the mountain road, not only "Wow!" With a loud cry, he took two or three steps back and fell to the ground.I didn't expect a big man to behave so timidly and embarrassingly. "Are you all right?" Meiying inquired with concern about Shino who stood up while patting the dust off his buttocks. "Oh, it's okay. I was shocked to meet you all of a sudden." There was an unnatural smile on Shinsheng's face, and of course Meiying noticed it too. "Is there anything you want to do when you come to Kazejian Tower?" "nothing……" Shinobi said vaguely. "Whenever I feel tired, I will come here. After Chuncai, even Xiacai has been subjected to that kind of thing, and the police search is so rude, so I want to come here, hoping to calm myself down." His words seemed to be seeking sympathy, and his strong and dark face showed a weak expression. "Can you keep this matter a secret for me? Faced with Xia Cai's murder, everyone has worked very hard. If my family members know that I am the only one who came here to escape without authorization, I really don't feel embarrassed." Although he understood Shinsheng's mood, his low profile was really extraordinary, even to the point of flattery. "As long as it has nothing to do with the incident, I will never say it. I promise you. It's just that I have a few things I want to ask you, can I?" Meiying's tone did not allow him to say no, so Shinsheng could only nod helplessly and say, "Okay." "Mr. Shinsheng, were you here last night?" "No." He shook his head in denial. "What about spring vegetables?" Meiying continued to ask, but the answer was also. "...I only come during the day. I am alone in the room at night, there is no need to come here." What he said made sense at first glance, but after seeing his embarrassed appearance just now, one couldn't help but doubt the authenticity of what he said. "He's lying." After Shinsheng left, Meiying covered her mouth with a fan and said so assertively. "Why do you know he's lying? But that's what I reasoned too." "Don't confuse you with me. Shizuma's conclusion is just a pure feeling, isn't it? And it's a conclusion based on your limited experience and narrow observation of people. That kind of thing is not 'reasoning'." (Looks like I was wrong again, I really shouldn't have used the word reasoning... Jingma thought to herself, and Meiying stared at him with displeasure. "I'm sorry, mine is just a pure impression. Then, how did Meiying deduce it?" "Because Mr. Nobuo's shoes are covered with snow. However, there are no footprints left by him on the snow, and all the footprints have been carefully erased. Besides, if he came when the snow has dispersed and On the exposed surface, there will be no snow on the shoes. In other words, the person who stepped on the footprints just now is Mr. Nobuo." "In other words, he came to Kazami Tower to erase the footprints left by him last night?" "It should be like this. It's just that, in that case, you don't need to enter the tower, so he must have annihilated some kind of similar evidence in the tower. There are several possible reasons for this, and I probably can Imagine what the reason is. In short, let's go to the tower to investigate first." The two searched around the tower for thirty minutes, but found nothing. Of course, there may be, but Meiying didn't say it, after all, there was no disappointed expression on her face. "...By the way, let's go to Naho and ask." Mikage didn't explain why it was Naho.Anyway, it's the same as before, as long as you follow her, you will understand! Walking out of the tower, Meiying quickly walked back along the way she came. While walking back, Shizuma asked the police about the result of hearing the testimony of everyone. The last person to see Xia Cai last night was Qiu Cai.Because it was a day when there was no "professor", Xia Cai kept chatting in Qiu Cai's room, and only returned to her room after nine o'clock.Xia Cai didn't seem particularly strange, except that she felt lonely because she had to sleep alone in the small shrine. It was estimated that Xia Cai's death was around eleven o'clock, but during this time, including the servants in the mansion such as Sanae and Gensuke, no one had an alibi. "The murderer's luck was too good to be true." Even if the mansion is divided into three buildings, there are still quite a few people under each roof; it turns out that no one has an alibi, which really can only be said to be the murderer's luck.Meiying will not be reconciled, and there is nothing it can do. On the contrary, the commuting servants all returned to their homes in the village in the early ten o'clock, so their alibi was all confirmed after asking their family members. "However, no matter how lucky the murderer is, it's time for this good luck to end." Needless to say, Mei Ying meant that she would do it herself. Not knowing if there is an answer to where she is going now, Mikage tidied up her wind-blown clothes, opened the door of the east annex, and went to Naho's room on the second floor.
"What's the matter? I think I've just told all I know!" After the door opened, Naho stood there with a displeased face.Maybe it's because she didn't expect Meiying to come to her.As if to cover up his inner turmoil, those eyes with long eyelashes stared at Meiying even harder. "Because I have a new question to ask you." "Even Xia Cai was killed, you didn't play any role at all, but you still want to continue playing your detective family wine?" It was a sarcasm right away, but Meiying entered the room without a care. Naiho room is filled with the kind of stylish and ornate furniture that would appear in the background of a fashion magazine.Although the east annex building is not as old as the main house, it is still an old-fashioned building. Unexpectedly, there is only a door across it, which gives people the illusion of stepping into a high-end apartment in a metropolis. Think about it carefully: Qin Zhe's family not only has a higher status in the village, but also runs several companies. Even if they have this level of luxury, it is not an exaggeration to say that other people's rooms are too simple. The room was filled with the scent of roses, so strong that it seemed to be concocting perfume in the room.However, perhaps because the windows had just been closed, the room temperature was almost as cold as outside. "Last time, you said you would be fair and objective to me." "I did." Perhaps feeling the crisis from the atmosphere emanating from Mikage, Naho nodded with a bit of vigilance. "In that case, please answer me honestly: Did you go to Kazami Tower last night?" How destructive this problem is can be seen from the instant paleness of Naho's beautiful face. "It's enough to have your reaction. It doesn't matter if you don't need to answer." "I didn't kill anyone!" Facing the back of Mikage who was about to turn around and leave, Naho yelled as loud as she could.The ease with ease just now has disappeared, and the beautiful face twitches. "At present, I can still trust you first. I don't care what's going on with you, but my investigation is absolutely fair and objective. Besides, I will not disclose personal privacy that has nothing to do with the incident. As long as it is confirmed that it is related to I will not tell anyone about anything unrelated to the incident." "Thank you." Reassurance and humiliation are intertwined in this sentence.Maybe seeing the opportunity, Meiying turned around again and asked: "I want to ask you a few more things, okay?" "Okay. Anyway, it's useless to hide anything from you now. If you hide anything else, it will only be self-defeating, and it will make people doubt me even more." Naho, who was at a disadvantage, straightened out her messy hair, nodded and spoke in a self-defeating manner. "If you could think this way from the beginning, the investigation would have been smoother. No one found out about your incident at all, but it's not that I can't understand your desire to hide it." "and then?" Not wanting to listen to Meiying's preaching, Naho urged her to ask questions quickly. "What time was your tryst with Mr. Nobuo?" "It's past twelve." Naho replied.Only then did Shizuma finally realize that there was an unethical relationship between Naho and Nobuo, and that the place where the two had a tryst was the Kazami Tower in the mansion. "After Chuncai was killed, did the two of you meet in private?" "yes." Naho nodded in acknowledgment.From this point of view, the mysterious footsteps heard by Iwakura should be one of her and Nobuo!The unlucky love between the two seems to have started half a year ago. "The contact method for the two of you to have a tryst is to use the stone lantern in front of the ancient shrine, right?" "Brother Shensheng told me that he knew a good place. Why do you even know this?" "Because I'm a detective." Mei Ying said it as a matter of course.Indeed, although the person who witnessed it was Shizuma, this kind of bravado is probably necessary for a detective. "Thank you for your cooperation. In this way, at least some mysteries have been clarified. Also, needless to say, you should also know that it is better not to meet privately for the time being, right? The case has developed into serial killings, and the police will be stationed everywhere in the mansion .” "Of course we know! I don't want to experience this kind of humiliation again!" Naho yelled hysterically, her shoulders heaving violently. "However, I will not break up. Maybe you have misunderstood, but I am serious. I really love Brother Shen Sheng, and I want to marry him, not because he is about to become the head of the family. The superficial reason. Besides I also don't expect him to divorce Mr. Sugaru and marry me. I can always be his shameless woman. I still have the awareness of this. If my mother heard this, she would probably faint on the spot. So... that's all, please don't get in my way." Tears slid down his cheeks.Shizuma thought to himself, this is not at all like what Naho would say; however, he immediately realized that he did not understand Naho as he imagined.Contrary to her appearance, she is actually a dedicated woman. "I won't misunderstand. I'm a detective." Bowing and bowing, Mikage quietly left Naho's room. "In the end, what I went to monitor was an unethical tryst that had nothing to do with the incident!" After leaving the east annex, Shizuma complained softly.After all, she just promised Naho, so no one else should hear about it. "It doesn't matter, detectives are like this; if you are afraid of working in vain, then you can't do anything! Besides, thanks to Shizuma who discovered the secret of the stone lantern, I can connect the clues." "...But, in this way, the clues to solve the case are reduced again." However, Meiying was not disappointed at all. “It’s nice to filter out the noise to improve the consistency. Also, the inconsistencies can be seen more clearly.” "Is that so... Then, in this way, the suspicion of Naho and Nobuo will disappear? After all, after killing people, there is still a happy mood in the mood, which is too hard to imagine." "You drew conclusions too early. Who knows if they are the kind of people who rely on the excitement after killing to help sex! Shizuma may not know, but in rape and murder cases, the proportion of raped corpses is surprisingly high High." Shizuma stared at Mikage intently while feeling the rage of gastric reflux.Perhaps she has met far more people than Shizuma so far, but these words are still not what an innocent girl should say.However, Mei Ying didn't care, talking about this kind of thing was like discussing which idol star is popular... "What's wrong?" Sensing that something was wrong with Shizuma, Miying stopped in her tracks. "Ah, it's nothing... In that case, it's no wonder Haruna hates Naho." "I think she must have witnessed the tryst between the two of them two months ago. Not to mention Naho, Shino is his father, so he can't discuss this kind of matter with other people. Besides, this is not looking for It’s a problem that can be resolved through discussion. All Haruna can do is stare fiercely at the woman who stole her father. If she’s not dead, she might go directly to one of them to negotiate.” "But let's forget about Naho. After Haruna was killed, Nobuo was able to continue to have an affair without being moved. It's really unbelievable." Although there is no connection at all so far, Shizuma still can't help but think of his father from Nobuo.In an instant, a surge of anger welled up in his heart, and Shizuma couldn't help spitting on the ground.The police officer watching him from a little distance couldn't help but frowned when he saw his impolite attitude, but immediately turned around to perform his duties. "Only this part is an area that I cannot interfere with. Maybe he has no other way to resolve his grief. Of course, I also look down on this kind of behavior." "You're so calm. If Mr. Yamashina has a mistress, what will Miying think? Ah, but Mr. Yamashina is single now, so it's not an affair." The seventeen-year-old girl's indifferent attitude towards men's and women's love affairs made Shizuma couldn't help but talk poorly. "My lord father would never do such a thing." Without even moving her eyebrows, Meiying categorically denied Shizuma's hypothesis. "That's right, I've already told the police about what Jingma did last night. Your footprints were left on the snowy mountain road openly, and it's impossible to deny it." Xia Cai's funeral will be held in two days.Unlike Haruna back then, only the people living in the mansion participated quietly, in other words, it was a secret burial. Haruna's mourning ceremony will be held in half a month, and it seems that Xia Cai's formal funeral will be held at the same time.After all, once the Kotozhe family holds a funeral, the condolence visitors from outside the village will be counted in units of hundreds of people, so there is no way to do it, but compared to Haruna, Shizuma can't help but feel lonely for Xia Cai. For the Qinzhe family, it is natural to want to hold the pre-spiritual sacrifice when the incident is resolved. Therefore, at the Chinese dinner table the next day after the incident, Da Hong repeatedly emphasized to Meiying the urgency of solving the case, knowing that this Chinese meal will be eaten. Mikage, who was on pins and needles, still attended on time, but only replied lightly, "I see." The next afternoon after the funeral, Mikage stopped Iwakura, saying that she wanted to ask him some doctrinal questions. "That's all right, but when you stopped me, I thought you were going to force me to confess!" From the small shrine to the back door of the main house, there are traces of visitors' shoes, and all the family members except Iwakura have their own shoes.Of course, Iwakura himself discovered this a long time ago, so he made this statement. However, after investigation, it was confirmed that the scorched marks under the altar were produced less than a day ago, and they were from burning liquid gas, so it is almost certain that they were burnt marks from a lighter.There are seven smokers in Kotozuri's house: Tatsu, Nobuo, Masahiro, Hisaya, Minako, Deng, and Gensuke. Iwakura does not smoke, so the police seem to have not focused on him. "I'm not the type of detective to use intimidation to get the truth." "Then I'm relieved. How about this, how about talking in my room? It's better not to let people hear some things." Iwakura sensibly invited Meiying to his room for a talk. As mentioned before, Iwakura used the two rooms on the first floor of the annex, but this time he brought Shizuma and Mikage into the study.In addition to a window on the front wall of the study room, the walls on the left and right sides are full of bookcases.Unlike the ones in the small room behind Xiaoshe, the bookshelves here are all newly painted bookcases, but the number of books is far more than that of Xiaoshe.Including many ancient books without backs, stacks of old materials bundled together, and books in modern editions, etc., are neatly arranged in the bookcase. There was a desk by the window with a small radio and bookshelves.Other than that, the only furniture that attracts attention is the air conditioner. As for the daily necessities in the quiet horse house, such as TVs or wardrobes, small refrigerators, electric kettles, wardrobes, etc., they are not seen. There was even a heavy bookcase in the alcove, looking as if it would be crushed by the books.It seems that this "study" is actually a room purely for research. Iwakura bent down on the tatami and took out the cushions for Shizuma and Mikage. "If it's here, it's okay to talk about slightly dangerous topics. Of course, it's NG to believe it or not, Sugaru-sama." Iwakura still raised one corner of his mouth, revealing a mocking smile. "...Ah, by the way, I'm so rude that I didn't serve tea to the guests. There are green tea and coffee, which one do you want?" "You're welcome." Meiying responded politely.However, Iwakura insisted: "I have always been a guest here, and occasionally let me pretend to be the host." "Then, please give me tea." Mikage ordered tea following Iwakura's wishes, and Shizuma followed Mikage to make the same choice.Like a child helping with housework for the first time, Iwakura walked out of the room happily. Mei Ying sat on the cushion and looked around the room. "Although there are many repeated books, there are also many books that are only found here. Especially the ancient legend about suicide by diving in Longzhiyuan, I didn't see it in the warehouse of Qinzhe's house. I think it must be because That has nothing to do with Sugaru-sama directly." "Meiying also knows about that?" "I heard from Hisaya-san that it was the first day I went to Kotono Onsen. Shizuma too, right?" "Yes, I heard about it the year before last." It seemed that this was a regular topic of Hisaya's chats.Shizuma was a little disappointed. "What happened to that?" "It's nothing, it's just that everyone's interest is focused on the Sugaru legend, so I was thinking, maybe this incident has something to do with this legend..." "It should not be possible." As usual, Shizuma's assumptions were always easily dismissed by Meiying. "If only Haruna was the case, it might be possible, but even Natsuna was killed in the mansion, so it has nothing to do with that ancient legend. Besides, Shizuma, why do you think I can't even investigate this kind of thing? arrive?" Mei Ying's gaze was as sharp as the tip of broken glass.Jingma had no choice but to apologize obediently.It is also the job of the assistant to flatter the detective, and Shizuma has already known it very clearly in the past few days. At this moment, the door opened, and Iwakura walked in holding a tray with teacups.He seemed to have seen the scene of Shizuma's apology. "Student Tantian, what have you done?" Iwakura asked without any surprise.It seems that he sees himself as the confused Hachibei-like existence in the famous period drama.Shizuma couldn't help but blush. "So, what do you want to ask me?" After taking a sip of tea to moisten his throat, Iwakura asked Mikage. "It's about the 'Origin of Sugaru'. The book of origin, which can be regarded as the original, is more concise than the later developed version, but there is still one thing I don't understand, so I want to ask you. I think Iwakura Mister must have read the book of origins, right?" So it is called "Confused Eight Soldiers" "Of course. That's the first book I read. And before I came here, I was told to read it for preview. But, is Sugaru's origin so difficult to understand?" "yes." Meiying tidied up her red trousers, sat upright and said, "It's the part about Sugaru. The first generation Xugaru inherited the bloodlines of the mother with the power of the gods and the father with the power of humans, so they defeated the dragon. I can understand this. In addition, I can also understand why only half of the mother's power can be inherited, because if it is fully inherited, and then the father's power is added, the offspring's power will become stronger and stronger. Relatively, It will appear that the power of the first generation of Xuqing has been weakened. In addition, the inheritance is not half of the father's power but all, it is to highlight the difference between the power of gods and the power of humans. But I can't figure out why the son also Can inherit half of the power from the gods, but can not inherit the human power from the father at all? Why can’t the father and the son inherit the same man? If you want to highlight the superiority of the daughter, you can set it so that the son can only accept it. Father's power, isn't this more natural? I don't want to offend the content of the myth, but there must be some reason for it?" "As expected of a detective, the focus is really interesting. I didn't think too much about it. I simply interpreted it as the fact that women are more receptive than men... I see, it's really worth thinking about hearing what you said." Iwakura slapped his knees, then stared at the ceiling and fell into a long exam. "This is what I think of now... In order to maintain the authority of the matriarchy, the daughter must have some kind of advantage. The difference in receiving power between men and women is for this. At this time, if, as Miss Meiying said just now, the son If you can only accept the power of your father but not your mother, the power of the Kotozuri family will become unable to expand outward, right? Because although the Kotozuri family is a matrilineal family, Japan is a traditional patrilineal society. The sons of the Zoro family cannot inherit power. This point is very clear just by looking at the current Koto Zoro family. Those who hold real power, whether it is the current head of the family, Mr. Dahong or the next Mr. Nobuo, are all son-in-laws. Like Mr. Hisaya Mr. He Changhong is called the offshoot of the paternal line, and his class is inferior to the main family, so he can't hold his head up in front of them. I think the same will be the same in the future. In contrast, Ms. Naho, who is of the same generation as Mr. Hisaya, is You can enjoy the treatment of living in the main family's mansion. However, being a descendant of Sugaru is still very important to the offspring of the paternal line. Without this blood relationship, they will not have enough status when they are independent outside the village. On the contrary, when the offshoot of the matriarchal line wants to be independent outside, it is difficult to be accepted. However, it may be too realistic for me to explain the legend from this angle?" "No, because I haven't been thinking in the direction of this kind of practical benefit, Mr. Iwakura's analysis is worth referring to. It is obviously a matrilineal family, but the actual power is actually a man. This may also be the result of running in with social customs. Thanks for your comments." After politely thanking her, Meiying drank the green tea in her cup in one gulp. "You're welcome. This is what I came up with on the spur of the moment. It's my honor to be your 'reference'. But this topic is very interesting. I think I will continue to do some research here. Especially how future generations explain it. The origin of Sugaru, I really want to know. The times are changing, and the way of explanation will change accordingly. If there are any new discoveries, I will let you know." "Then I will trouble you. However, the discoveries in a short period of time should be limited." "After all, there are too many ancient books here. This family likes to record for generations, and there are still a lot of materials sleeping in the warehouse. Even the books in this room, I have only read half of them." Have already seen half of it?Shizuma couldn't help being shocked.Just half of the book collection here is probably more than the books I have read in my entire life! "Also, I don't know if it's helpful to your understanding, but the so-called 'Xu Qing' is actually another name for bees in the old saying. You see, bees are also a matriarchal society with the queen bee as the apex, right? Thinking about it this way, perhaps Xu Qing Origin is at the stage of conception, and it may have been planned to create a matrilineal family." "In that case, does this Mr. Sugaru, who is imprisoned in the imperial shrine, also have a deadly sting like a bee?" 美影又说吓人的话了。 “谁知道呢。不过，我可不同意'被禁锢'这个说法喔。” 脸上虽是一副迷糊样，岩仓嘴里却是一针见血。
告别岩仓的房间后，美影说要自己整理情报，便上了二楼。在房门前分手时，她还像“鹤的报恩”故事里一样转头说什么“绝对不可以偷看唷”；静马只好无奈反驳，“就算想偷看，屋里也还有山科先生啊”结果得到的回答却是“他现在去外面散步了”见习助手突然得了个空，静马先在屋里抽了一会儿烟，心情却是怎么也无法平静。原本一心想来琴乃温泉求死，一直等着初雪降临，现在初雪也下了，自己却变得把解决事件看得比死还重要了。不过，如果死的是达紘或岩仓的话，想必自己不会如此关心这次的事件；或许是两名稚嫩少女惨遭杀害，激起了自己心中站在社会公理角度对凶手的义愤吧！静马如此说服自己。 总而言之，现在自己还是一样闲闲没事做，但又没那个胆子像山科一样去散步，只好继续躺着放空吞云吐雾。三十分钟后，连烟都抽完了。虽然住进宅邸前，已经从琴乃温泉的自动贩卖机囤积了一定的量带过来，但一个星期下来也都抽光了。其实静马并不是烟抽得那么凶的老烟枪，但手边一旦没了烟还是很令人焦虑。尽管不想一个人回村子里买烟，但想想如果只到琴乃温泉倒也无妨；这么决定之后，静马便拖着沉重的身子站了起来。 一走进主屋，静马立刻发现和生站在最西侧的秋菜房间门口。夏菜死后，伸生和昌紘一直轮流睡在秋菜房门前守护。警察当然也配置了大幅人力在宅邸周围盯梢，不过达紘并没答应让他们进入屋内。明知凶手就潜在宅邸之中却无计可施，别所刑警想必正恨得牙痒痒的吧！ 静马正想出声向和生打招呼，和生却似乎没发现静马的存在，于是他只好默默从旁走过。没想到就在此时，和生的身体像失去支撑一般摇摇欲坠。 静马急忙冲到和生身边搀扶住他，看到他脸上那憔悴的模样，让人不禁想说，这就叫做面露死相吧。原本和生的身体就孱弱，现在又连续失去两个心爱的妹妹，整个人更是虚弱了。而一问之下才知道，伸生因为公司有事，从昨天晚上到现在都是和生努力守在这里。 "Are you OK?" 和生的身体抱起来简直就像棉花一样轻。 “叫医生来好吗？” “不，只要回房间休息就能恢复了，而且昌紘舅舅很快就要来交接了。” 和生坚持着要一个人站好，但才一会儿身体又失去重心。 “靠在我肩膀上先回房间吧。昌紘那边我待会跟他说。” 尽管如此，和生还是坚持不回去，似乎就怕这段期间秋菜会被凶手袭击。 “我了解了。那我现在去通知昌紘先生过来，你坐在这里等。” 因为无法达成共识，静马只好用强迫的口气命令和生坐下，自己则快步跑到东侧别馆去。他叫起在自己房间休息的昌紘，说明情况后请对方过去交接。 “种田先生。” 让和生在棉被里躺好后，他发出虚弱的声音问着： “什么时候才能抓住凶手？” 静马无法直视和生的表情，可是也不能不看他。和生透过自己看到的是美影，静马迎上和生的眼神说： “没问题的。美影一定会将事件解决。” 静马再次将这句曾经辜负小姊妹们期待的话说出口。他清楚感觉得到，自己说出这句话时的口干舌燥。 静马走出和生房间时，刚好遇到走廊上的纱菜子。她是听说和生倒下的事而来看护他的。“秋菜的修行怎么办？” 要是她也得住进小社的话，看和生这个样子，难保不会去守在寒冷的屋外。 “这件事确实引起争议，暂时是决定让她在自己房间里进行。” 纱菜子那双本就有点下垂的凤眼垂得更低了。“小社那样子也无法继续使用，是不是；要盖新的又还没决定。但修行是一定要进行的，所以我是希望能让她就在主屋里修行。” “我也觉得这样比较好。御社以前也是从山里的古社搬过来的吧，可能是因为不方便或危险的关系，才移到现在的庭院里；既然如此，小社改设在主屋里，应该也不会有什么问题才对吧？” “种田先生你见过古社了啊？我只在小时候去过，后来就没再去了。” 御社和小社以及古社，对琴折家来说应该都是最重要的圣域。纱菜子这番话令静马感到相当意外，一问之下，纱菜子才告知： “其实我小时候在古社外被虎头蜂螫到过，还因此躺了好多天。那之后我就因为害怕而不敢……” 纱菜子的语气简直像在对神父忏悔一样。才刚听岩仓说“须轻”就是蜜蜂古语中的别名，现在又听到曾代替须轻继承人修行的纱菜子因为害怕蜜蜂而不敢靠近古社，静马不禁觉得真是个奇妙的巧合。 “不好意思，对您说了这么莫名其妙的事。” 纱菜子说着，快步走进和生的房间。
晚餐后，静马将和生倒下的事告诉美影。 "That's it." 她露出从未对静马展现过的同情脸色。“不能再拖下去了。这家里的男人不多，再这样看守下去，各个的身体都要面临极限了。” “还没发现破案的线索吗？” “下雪明明只是巧合，凶手却为何特地穿上会让夏菜起疑的来客用鞋到小社去？只要能弄清楚这点，就会大有进展。我已经锁定两个人了，问题只在下一步该怎么进行。” 美影不经意脱口而出的话，令静马大吃一惊。 “锁定两个人了？已经进展到这个地步了吗？” 两人之中有一人是凶手，不就是五十对五十的比例吗！ 没想到静马的反应却似乎又惹得美影很不高兴，像平常那样举起扇子往静马鼻尖戳去。 “怎么？静马难道以为我会像大学生写毕业论文那样，整天在古文书里大海捞针找答案吗？” 这话根本就是在讽刺静马声称做田野调查，却每天前往龙之首杀时间的举动。 “不，当然不是这样……可是既然已经知道这么多了，怎么不跟警方说……” “要是推理错误怎么办？难道要让无辜的人蒙受杀人污名吗？这时得慎重行事……不过，就算是为了和生，我也得要尽快找出真相。” 美影睁大的右眼，展现出她的决心。隔天下午，美影便宣布她已经解决了这次的事件。
Notes:
Mikage took Shizuma to the Kazami Tower.Located on the west side of the Qinzhe mansion, around the chalk-colored rock tower standing on the slope, at this time, as if expressing condolences for the death of Xia Cai, the cold and strong mountain wind blows; The wind swept away, and the ferocious wind made people feel this way.Because there is an earth wall blocking it, it should not fall, but looking at the wall that has been in disrepair for a long time, it is really frightening.Meiying weighs much less than Jingma and wears clothing with a larger surface area, so walking is much harder than Jingma, but she still tries to walk to the tower, whispering "That's right" "Look, there are indeed traces of someone passing by here." The sun gradually rose, and the surrounding snow almost melted; but perhaps because it was located on the back of the mountain, there was still a little snow left at the entrance of the Kazemi Tower, leaving footprints on it.However, the shape of the footprints is almost unrecognizable, and what remains can only be said to be traces after the footprints have been erased. "However, it's amazing that you, Mei Ying, can find this out. Even the police didn't notice it." "The opposite of unreasonable is consistency. This is one thing with two sides. Do you remember Mr. Iwakura's words? On the night of Haruna's accident, he heard footsteps going from the side room to Kazami Tower." "In other words, it makes you think that this time it might also have something to do with Kazami Tower? But, what did the murderer do at Kazami Tower? This time, he didn't put his head on the dragon's head... Could it be that , Did the murderer come to hide the murder weapon?" "I don't think so. It's easy to know who has entered and exited the Kazami Tower. If so, how could the murderer hide the murder weapon in such a place!" Jingma's deduction was flatly denied by Meiying.The attitude was so decisive that even Shizuma himself was dumbfounded. "Then, why did the murderer come to Kazejian Tower?" "I'm investigating this right now. Even if you're just a trainee, you can't even judge this kind of thing yourself. Is it too exaggerated?" Maybe it was because she was impatient with the cold wind blowing her hair and clothes all the time, and Meiying's way of speaking was more harsh than usual. "You, cheer up a little bit, okay?" Just when Meiying wanted to enter the tower, Shinsheng pushed open the door and walked out from inside.The two happened to bump into each other face to face, and Shen Sheng had an expression like meeting a bear on the mountain road, not only "Wow!" With a loud cry, he took two or three steps back and fell to the ground.I didn't expect a big man to behave so timidly and embarrassingly. "Are you all right?" Meiying inquired with concern about Shino who stood up while patting the dust off his buttocks. "Oh, it's okay. I was shocked to meet you all of a sudden." There was an unnatural smile on Shinsheng's face, and of course Meiying noticed it too. "Is there anything you want to do when you come to Kazejian Tower?" "nothing……" Shinobi said vaguely. "Whenever I feel tired, I will come here. After Chuncai, even Xiacai has been subjected to that kind of thing, and the police search is so rude, so I want to come here, hoping to calm myself down." His words seemed to be seeking sympathy, and his strong and dark face showed a weak expression. "Can you keep this matter a secret for me? Faced with Xia Cai's murder, everyone has worked very hard. If my family members know that I am the only one who came here to escape without authorization, I really don't feel embarrassed." Although he understood Shinsheng's mood, his low profile was really extraordinary, even to the point of flattery. "As long as it has nothing to do with the incident, I will never say it. I promise you. It's just that I have a few things I want to ask you, can I?" Meiying's tone did not allow him to say no, so Shinsheng could only nod helplessly and say, "Okay." "Mr. Shinsheng, were you here last night?" "No." He shook his head in denial. "What about spring vegetables?" Meiying continued to ask, but the answer was also. "...I only come during the day. I am alone in the room at night, there is no need to come here." What he said made sense at first glance, but after seeing his embarrassed appearance just now, one couldn't help but doubt the authenticity of what he said. "He's lying." After Shinsheng left, Meiying covered her mouth with a fan and said so assertively. "Why do you know he's lying? But that's what I reasoned too." "Don't confuse you with me. Shizuma's conclusion is just a pure feeling, isn't it? And it's a conclusion based on your limited experience and narrow observation of people. That kind of thing is not 'reasoning'." (Looks like I was wrong again, I really shouldn't have used the word reasoning... Jingma thought to herself, and Meiying stared at him with displeasure. "I'm sorry, mine is just a pure impression. Then, how did Meiying deduce it?" "Because Mr. Nobuo's shoes are covered with snow. However, there are no footprints left by him on the snow, and all the footprints have been carefully erased. Besides, if he came when the snow has dispersed and On the exposed surface, there will be no snow on the shoes. In other words, the person who stepped on the footprints just now is Mr. Nobuo." "In other words, he came to Kazami Tower to erase the footprints left by him last night?" "It should be like this. It's just that, in that case, you don't need to enter the tower, so he must have annihilated some kind of similar evidence in the tower. There are several possible reasons for this, and I probably can Imagine what the reason is. In short, let's go to the tower to investigate first." The two searched around the tower for thirty minutes, but found nothing. Of course, there may be, but Meiying didn't say it, after all, there was no disappointed expression on her face. "...By the way, let's go to Naho and ask." Mikage didn't explain why it was Naho.Anyway, it's the same as before, as long as you follow her, you will understand! Walking out of the tower, Meiying quickly walked back along the way she came. While walking back, Shizuma asked the police about the result of hearing the testimony of everyone. The last person to see Xia Cai last night was Qiu Cai.Because it was a day when there was no "professor", Xia Cai kept chatting in Qiu Cai's room, and only returned to her room after nine o'clock.Xia Cai didn't seem particularly strange, except that she felt lonely because she had to sleep alone in the small shrine. It was estimated that Xia Cai's death was around eleven o'clock, but during this time, including the servants in the mansion such as Sanae and Gensuke, no one had an alibi. "The murderer's luck was too good to be true." Even if the mansion is divided into three buildings, there are still quite a few people under each roof; it turns out that no one has an alibi, which really can only be said to be the murderer's luck.Meiying will not be reconciled, and there is nothing it can do. On the contrary, the commuting servants all returned to their homes in the village in the early ten o'clock, so their alibi was all confirmed after asking their family members. "However, no matter how lucky the murderer is, it's time for this good luck to end." Needless to say, Mei Ying meant that she would do it herself. Not knowing if there is an answer to where she is going now, Mikage tidied up her wind-blown clothes, opened the door of the east annex, and went to Naho's room on the second floor.
"What's the matter? I think I've just told all I know!" After the door opened, Naho stood there with a displeased face.Maybe it's because she didn't expect Meiying to come to her.As if to cover up his inner turmoil, those eyes with long eyelashes stared at Meiying even harder. "Because I have a new question to ask you." "Even Xia Cai was killed, you didn't play any role at all, but you still want to continue playing your detective family wine?" It was a sarcasm right away, but Meiying entered the room without a care. Naiho room is filled with the kind of stylish and ornate furniture that would appear in the background of a fashion magazine.Although the east annex building is not as old as the main house, it is still an old-fashioned building. Unexpectedly, there is only a door across it, which gives people the illusion of stepping into a high-end apartment in a metropolis. Think about it carefully: Qin Zhe's family not only has a higher status in the village, but also runs several companies. Even if they have this level of luxury, it is not an exaggeration to say that other people's rooms are too simple. The room was filled with the scent of roses, so strong that it seemed to be concocting perfume in the room.However, perhaps because the windows had just been closed, the room temperature was almost as cold as outside. "Last time, you said you would be fair and objective to me." "I did." Perhaps feeling the crisis from the atmosphere emanating from Mikage, Naho nodded with a bit of vigilance. "In that case, please answer me honestly: Did you go to Kazami Tower last night?" How destructive this problem is can be seen from the instant paleness of Naho's beautiful face. "It's enough to have your reaction. It doesn't matter if you don't need to answer." "I didn't kill anyone!" Facing the back of Mikage who was about to turn around and leave, Naho yelled as loud as she could.The ease with ease just now has disappeared, and the beautiful face twitches. "At present, I can still trust you first. I don't care what's going on with you, but my investigation is absolutely fair and objective. Besides, I will not disclose personal privacy that has nothing to do with the incident. As long as it is confirmed that it is related to I will not tell anyone about anything unrelated to the incident." "Thank you." Reassurance and humiliation are intertwined in this sentence.Maybe seeing the opportunity, Meiying turned around again and asked: "I want to ask you a few more things, okay?" "Okay. Anyway, it's useless to hide anything from you now. If you hide anything else, it will only be self-defeating, and it will make people doubt me even more." Naho, who was at a disadvantage, straightened out her messy hair, nodded and spoke in a self-defeating manner. "If you could think this way from the beginning, the investigation would have been smoother. No one found out about your incident at all, but it's not that I can't understand your desire to hide it." "and then?" Not wanting to listen to Meiying's preaching, Naho urged her to ask questions quickly. "What time was your tryst with Mr. Nobuo?" "It's past twelve." Naho replied.Only then did Shizuma finally realize that there was an unethical relationship between Naho and Nobuo, and that the place where the two had a tryst was the Kazami Tower in the mansion. "After Chuncai was killed, did the two of you meet in private?" "yes." Naho nodded in acknowledgment.From this point of view, the mysterious footsteps heard by Iwakura should be one of her and Nobuo!The unlucky love between the two seems to have started half a year ago. "The contact method for the two of you to have a tryst is to use the stone lantern in front of the ancient shrine, right?" "Brother Shensheng told me that he knew a good place. Why do you even know this?" "Because I'm a detective." Mei Ying said it as a matter of course.Indeed, although the person who witnessed it was Shizuma, this kind of bravado is probably necessary for a detective. "Thank you for your cooperation. In this way, at least some mysteries have been clarified. Also, needless to say, you should also know that it is better not to meet privately for the time being, right? The case has developed into serial killings, and the police will be stationed everywhere in the mansion .” "Of course we know! I don't want to experience this kind of humiliation again!" Naho yelled hysterically, her shoulders heaving violently. "However, I will not break up. Maybe you have misunderstood, but I am serious. I really love Brother Shen Sheng, and I want to marry him, not because he is about to become the head of the family. The superficial reason. Besides I also don't expect him to divorce Mr. Sugaru and marry me. I can always be his shameless woman. I still have the awareness of this. If my mother heard this, she would probably faint on the spot. So... that's all, please don't get in my way." Tears slid down his cheeks.Shizuma thought to himself, this is not at all like what Naho would say; however, he immediately realized that he did not understand Naho as he imagined.Contrary to her appearance, she is actually a dedicated woman. "I won't misunderstand. I'm a detective." Bowing and bowing, Mikage quietly left Naho's room. "In the end, what I went to monitor was an unethical tryst that had nothing to do with the incident!" After leaving the east annex, Shizuma complained softly.After all, she just promised Naho, so no one else should hear about it. "It doesn't matter, detectives are like this; if you are afraid of working in vain, then you can't do anything! Besides, thanks to Shizuma who discovered the secret of the stone lantern, I can connect the clues." "...But, in this way, the clues to solve the case are reduced again." However, Meiying was not disappointed at all. “It’s nice to filter out the noise to improve the consistency. Also, the inconsistencies can be seen more clearly.” "Is that so... Then, in this way, the suspicion of Naho and Nobuo will disappear? After all, after killing people, there is still a happy mood in the mood, which is too hard to imagine." "You drew conclusions too early. Who knows if they are the kind of people who rely on the excitement after killing to help sex! Shizuma may not know, but in rape and murder cases, the proportion of raped corpses is surprisingly high High." Shizuma stared at Mikage intently while feeling the rage of gastric reflux.Perhaps she has met far more people than Shizuma so far, but these words are still not what an innocent girl should say.However, Mei Ying didn't care, talking about this kind of thing was like discussing which idol star is popular... "What's wrong?" Sensing that something was wrong with Shizuma, Miying stopped in her tracks. "Ah, it's nothing... In that case, it's no wonder Haruna hates Naho." "I think she must have witnessed the tryst between the two of them two months ago. Not to mention Naho, Shino is his father, so he can't discuss this kind of matter with other people. Besides, this is not looking for It’s a problem that can be resolved through discussion. All Haruna can do is stare fiercely at the woman who stole her father. If she’s not dead, she might go directly to one of them to negotiate.” "But let's forget about Naho. After Haruna was killed, Nobuo was able to continue to have an affair without being moved. It's really unbelievable." Although there is no connection at all so far, Shizuma still can't help but think of his father from Nobuo.In an instant, a surge of anger welled up in his heart, and Shizuma couldn't help spitting on the ground.The police officer watching him from a little distance couldn't help but frowned when he saw his impolite attitude, but immediately turned around to perform his duties. "Only this part is an area that I cannot interfere with. Maybe he has no other way to resolve his grief. Of course, I also look down on this kind of behavior." "You're so calm. If Mr. Yamashina has a mistress, what will Miying think? Ah, but Mr. Yamashina is single now, so it's not an affair." The seventeen-year-old girl's indifferent attitude towards men's and women's love affairs made Shizuma couldn't help but talk poorly. "My lord father would never do such a thing." Without even moving her eyebrows, Meiying categorically denied Shizuma's hypothesis. "That's right, I've already told the police about what Jingma did last night. Your footprints were left on the snowy mountain road openly, and it's impossible to deny it." Xia Cai's funeral will be held in two days.Unlike Haruna back then, only the people living in the mansion participated quietly, in other words, it was a secret burial. Haruna's mourning ceremony will be held in half a month, and it seems that Xia Cai's formal funeral will be held at the same time.After all, once the Kotozhe family holds a funeral, the condolence visitors from outside the village will be counted in units of hundreds of people, so there is no way to do it, but compared to Haruna, Shizuma can't help but feel lonely for Xia Cai. For the Qinzhe family, it is natural to want to hold the pre-spiritual sacrifice when the incident is resolved. Therefore, at the Chinese dinner table the next day after the incident, Da Hong repeatedly emphasized to Meiying the urgency of solving the case, knowing that this Chinese meal will be eaten. Mikage, who was on pins and needles, still attended on time, but only replied lightly, "I see." The next afternoon after the funeral, Mikage stopped Iwakura, saying that she wanted to ask him some doctrinal questions. "That's all right, but when you stopped me, I thought you were going to force me to confess!" From the small shrine to the back door of the main house, there are traces of visitors' shoes, and all the family members except Iwakura have their own shoes.Of course, Iwakura himself discovered this a long time ago, so he made this statement. However, after investigation, it was confirmed that the scorched marks under the altar were produced less than a day ago, and they were from burning liquid gas, so it is almost certain that they were burnt marks from a lighter.There are seven smokers in Kotozuri's house: Tatsu, Nobuo, Masahiro, Hisaya, Minako, Deng, and Gensuke. Iwakura does not smoke, so the police seem to have not focused on him. "I'm not the type of detective to use intimidation to get the truth." "Then I'm relieved. How about this, how about talking in my room? It's better not to let people hear some things." Iwakura sensibly invited Meiying to his room for a talk. As mentioned before, Iwakura used the two rooms on the first floor of the annex, but this time he brought Shizuma and Mikage into the study.In addition to a window on the front wall of the study room, the walls on the left and right sides are full of bookcases.Unlike the ones in the small room behind Xiaoshe, the bookshelves here are all newly painted bookcases, but the number of books is far more than that of Xiaoshe.Including many ancient books without backs, stacks of old materials bundled together, and books in modern editions, etc., are neatly arranged in the bookcase. There was a desk by the window with a small radio and bookshelves.Other than that, the only furniture that attracts attention is the air conditioner. As for the daily necessities in the quiet horse house, such as TVs or wardrobes, small refrigerators, electric kettles, wardrobes, etc., they are not seen. There was even a heavy bookcase in the alcove, looking as if it would be crushed by the books.It seems that this "study" is actually a room purely for research. Iwakura bent down on the tatami and took out the cushions for Shizuma and Mikage. "If it's here, it's okay to talk about slightly dangerous topics. Of course, it's NG to believe it or not, Sugaru-sama." Iwakura still raised one corner of his mouth, revealing a mocking smile. "...Ah, by the way, I'm so rude that I didn't serve tea to the guests. There are green tea and coffee, which one do you want?" "You're welcome." Meiying responded politely.However, Iwakura insisted: "I have always been a guest here, and occasionally let me pretend to be the host." "Then, please give me tea." Mikage ordered tea following Iwakura's wishes, and Shizuma followed Mikage to make the same choice.Like a child helping with housework for the first time, Iwakura walked out of the room happily. Mei Ying sat on the cushion and looked around the room. "Although there are many repeated books, there are also many books that are only found here. Especially the ancient legend about suicide by diving in Longzhiyuan, I didn't see it in the warehouse of Qinzhe's house. I think it must be because That has nothing to do with Sugaru-sama directly." "Meiying also knows about that?" "I heard from Hisaya-san that it was the first day I went to Kotono Onsen. Shizuma too, right?" "Yes, I heard about it the year before last." It seemed that this was a regular topic of Hisaya's chats.Shizuma was a little disappointed. "What happened to that?" "It's nothing, it's just that everyone's interest is focused on the Sugaru legend, so I was thinking, maybe this incident has something to do with this legend..." "It should not be possible." As usual, Shizuma's assumptions were always easily dismissed by Meiying. "If only Haruna was the case, it might be possible, but even Natsuna was killed in the mansion, so it has nothing to do with that ancient legend. Besides, Shizuma, why do you think I can't even investigate this kind of thing? arrive?" Mei Ying's gaze was as sharp as the tip of broken glass.Jingma had no choice but to apologize obediently.It is also the job of the assistant to flatter the detective, and Shizuma has already known it very clearly in the past few days. At this moment, the door opened, and Iwakura walked in holding a tray with teacups.He seemed to have seen the scene of Shizuma's apology. "Student Tantian, what have you done?" Iwakura asked without any surprise.It seems that he sees himself as the confused Hachibei-like existence in the famous period drama.Shizuma couldn't help but blush. "So, what do you want to ask me?" After taking a sip of tea to moisten his throat, Iwakura asked Mikage. "It's about the 'Origin of Sugaru'. The book of origin, which can be regarded as the original, is more concise than the later developed version, but there is still one thing I don't understand, so I want to ask you. I think Iwakura Mister must have read the book of origins, right?" So it is called "Confused Eight Soldiers" "Of course. That's the first book I read. And before I came here, I was told to read it for preview. But, is Sugaru's origin so difficult to understand?" "yes." Meiying tidied up her red trousers, sat upright and said, "It's the part about Sugaru. The first generation Xugaru inherited the bloodlines of the mother with the power of the gods and the father with the power of humans, so they defeated the dragon. I can understand this. In addition, I can also understand why only half of the mother's power can be inherited, because if it is fully inherited, and then the father's power is added, the offspring's power will become stronger and stronger. Relatively, It will appear that the power of the first generation of Xuqing has been weakened. In addition, the inheritance is not half of the father's power but all, it is to highlight the difference between the power of gods and the power of humans. But I can't figure out why the son also Can inherit half of the power from the gods, but can not inherit the human power from the father at all? Why can’t the father and the son inherit the same man? If you want to highlight the superiority of the daughter, you can set it so that the son can only accept it. Father's power, isn't this more natural? I don't want to offend the content of the myth, but there must be some reason for it?" "As expected of a detective, the focus is really interesting. I didn't think too much about it. I simply interpreted it as the fact that women are more receptive than men... I see, it's really worth thinking about hearing what you said." Iwakura slapped his knees, then stared at the ceiling and fell into a long exam. "This is what I think of now... In order to maintain the authority of the matriarchy, the daughter must have some kind of advantage. The difference in receiving power between men and women is for this. At this time, if, as Miss Meiying said just now, the son If you can only accept the power of your father but not your mother, the power of the Kotozuri family will become unable to expand outward, right? Because although the Kotozuri family is a matrilineal family, Japan is a traditional patrilineal society. The sons of the Zoro family cannot inherit power. This point is very clear just by looking at the current Koto Zoro family. Those who hold real power, whether it is the current head of the family, Mr. Dahong or the next Mr. Nobuo, are all son-in-laws. Like Mr. Hisaya Mr. He Changhong is called the offshoot of the paternal line, and his class is inferior to the main family, so he can't hold his head up in front of them. I think the same will be the same in the future. In contrast, Ms. Naho, who is of the same generation as Mr. Hisaya, is You can enjoy the treatment of living in the main family's mansion. However, being a descendant of Sugaru is still very important to the offspring of the paternal line. Without this blood relationship, they will not have enough status when they are independent outside the village. On the contrary, when the offshoot of the matriarchal line wants to be independent outside, it is difficult to be accepted. However, it may be too realistic for me to explain the legend from this angle?" "No, because I haven't been thinking in the direction of this kind of practical benefit, Mr. Iwakura's analysis is worth referring to. It is obviously a matrilineal family, but the actual power is actually a man. This may also be the result of running in with social customs. Thanks for your comments." After politely thanking her, Meiying drank the green tea in her cup in one gulp. "You're welcome. This is what I came up with on the spur of the moment. It's my honor to be your 'reference'. But this topic is very interesting. I think I will continue to do some research here. Especially how future generations explain it. The origin of Sugaru, I really want to know. The times are changing, and the way of explanation will change accordingly. If there are any new discoveries, I will let you know." "Then I will trouble you. However, the discoveries in a short period of time should be limited." "After all, there are too many ancient books here. This family likes to record for generations, and there are still a lot of materials sleeping in the warehouse. Even the books in this room, I have only read half of them." Have already seen half of it?Shizuma couldn't help being shocked.Just half of the book collection here is probably more than the books I have read in my entire life! "Also, I don't know if it's helpful to your understanding, but the so-called 'Xu Qing' is actually another name for bees in the old saying. You see, bees are also a matriarchal society with the queen bee as the apex, right? Thinking about it this way, perhaps Xu Qing Origin is at the stage of conception, and it may have been planned to create a matrilineal family." "In that case, does this Mr. Sugaru, who is imprisoned in the imperial shrine, also have a deadly sting like a bee?" 美影又说吓人的话了。 “谁知道呢。不过，我可不同意'被禁锢'这个说法喔。” 脸上虽是一副迷糊样，岩仓嘴里却是一针见血。
告别岩仓的房间后，美影说要自己整理情报，便上了二楼。在房门前分手时，她还像“鹤的报恩”故事里一样转头说什么“绝对不可以偷看唷”；静马只好无奈反驳，“就算想偷看，屋里也还有山科先生啊”结果得到的回答却是“他现在去外面散步了”见习助手突然得了个空，静马先在屋里抽了一会儿烟，心情却是怎么也无法平静。原本一心想来琴乃温泉求死，一直等着初雪降临，现在初雪也下了，自己却变得把解决事件看得比死还重要了。不过，如果死的是达紘或岩仓的话，想必自己不会如此关心这次的事件；或许是两名稚嫩少女惨遭杀害，激起了自己心中站在社会公理角度对凶手的义愤吧！静马如此说服自己。 总而言之，现在自己还是一样闲闲没事做，但又没那个胆子像山科一样去散步，只好继续躺着放空吞云吐雾。三十分钟后，连烟都抽完了。虽然住进宅邸前，已经从琴乃温泉的自动贩卖机囤积了一定的量带过来，但一个星期下来也都抽光了。其实静马并不是烟抽得那么凶的老烟枪，但手边一旦没了烟还是很令人焦虑。尽管不想一个人回村子里买烟，但想想如果只到琴乃温泉倒也无妨；这么决定之后，静马便拖着沉重的身子站了起来。 一走进主屋，静马立刻发现和生站在最西侧的秋菜房间门口。夏菜死后，伸生和昌紘一直轮流睡在秋菜房门前守护。警察当然也配置了大幅人力在宅邸周围盯梢，不过达紘并没答应让他们进入屋内。明知凶手就潜在宅邸之中却无计可施，别所刑警想必正恨得牙痒痒的吧！ 静马正想出声向和生打招呼，和生却似乎没发现静马的存在，于是他只好默默从旁走过。没想到就在此时，和生的身体像失去支撑一般摇摇欲坠。 静马急忙冲到和生身边搀扶住他，看到他脸上那憔悴的模样，让人不禁想说，这就叫做面露死相吧。原本和生的身体就孱弱，现在又连续失去两个心爱的妹妹，整个人更是虚弱了。而一问之下才知道，伸生因为公司有事，从昨天晚上到现在都是和生努力守在这里。 "Are you OK?" 和生的身体抱起来简直就像棉花一样轻。 “叫医生来好吗？” “不，只要回房间休息就能恢复了，而且昌紘舅舅很快就要来交接了。” 和生坚持着要一个人站好，但才一会儿身体又失去重心。 “靠在我肩膀上先回房间吧。昌紘那边我待会跟他说。” 尽管如此，和生还是坚持不回去，似乎就怕这段期间秋菜会被凶手袭击。 “我了解了。那我现在去通知昌紘先生过来，你坐在这里等。” 因为无法达成共识，静马只好用强迫的口气命令和生坐下，自己则快步跑到东侧别馆去。他叫起在自己房间休息的昌紘，说明情况后请对方过去交接。 “种田先生。” 让和生在棉被里躺好后，他发出虚弱的声音问着： “什么时候才能抓住凶手？” 静马无法直视和生的表情，可是也不能不看他。和生透过自己看到的是美影，静马迎上和生的眼神说： “没问题的。美影一定会将事件解决。” 静马再次将这句曾经辜负小姊妹们期待的话说出口。他清楚感觉得到，自己说出这句话时的口干舌燥。 静马走出和生房间时，刚好遇到走廊上的纱菜子。她是听说和生倒下的事而来看护他的。“秋菜的修行怎么办？” 要是她也得住进小社的话，看和生这个样子，难保不会去守在寒冷的屋外。 “这件事确实引起争议，暂时是决定让她在自己房间里进行。” 纱菜子那双本就有点下垂的凤眼垂得更低了。“小社那样子也无法继续使用，是不是；要盖新的又还没决定。但修行是一定要进行的，所以我是希望能让她就在主屋里修行。” “我也觉得这样比较好。御社以前也是从山里的古社搬过来的吧，可能是因为不方便或危险的关系，才移到现在的庭院里；既然如此，小社改设在主屋里，应该也不会有什么问题才对吧？” “种田先生你见过古社了啊？我只在小时候去过，后来就没再去了。” 御社和小社以及古社，对琴折家来说应该都是最重要的圣域。纱菜子这番话令静马感到相当意外，一问之下，纱菜子才告知： “其实我小时候在古社外被虎头蜂螫到过，还因此躺了好多天。那之后我就因为害怕而不敢……” 纱菜子的语气简直像在对神父忏悔一样。才刚听岩仓说“须轻”就是蜜蜂古语中的别名，现在又听到曾代替须轻继承人修行的纱菜子因为害怕蜜蜂而不敢靠近古社，静马不禁觉得真是个奇妙的巧合。 “不好意思，对您说了这么莫名其妙的事。” 纱菜子说着，快步走进和生的房间。
晚餐后，静马将和生倒下的事告诉美影。 "That's it." 她露出从未对静马展现过的同情脸色。“不能再拖下去了。这家里的男人不多，再这样看守下去，各个的身体都要面临极限了。” “还没发现破案的线索吗？” “下雪明明只是巧合，凶手却为何特地穿上会让夏菜起疑的来客用鞋到小社去？只要能弄清楚这点，就会大有进展。我已经锁定两个人了，问题只在下一步该怎么进行。” 美影不经意脱口而出的话，令静马大吃一惊。 “锁定两个人了？已经进展到这个地步了吗？” 两人之中有一人是凶手，不就是五十对五十的比例吗！ 没想到静马的反应却似乎又惹得美影很不高兴，像平常那样举起扇子往静马鼻尖戳去。 “怎么？静马难道以为我会像大学生写毕业论文那样，整天在古文书里大海捞针找答案吗？” 这话根本就是在讽刺静马声称做田野调查，却每天前往龙之首杀时间的举动。 “不，当然不是这样……可是既然已经知道这么多了，怎么不跟警方说……” “要是推理错误怎么办？难道要让无辜的人蒙受杀人污名吗？这时得慎重行事……不过，就算是为了和生，我也得要尽快找出真相。” 美影睁大的右眼，展现出她的决心。隔天下午，美影便宣布她已经解决了这次的事件。
Notes: