At the junction of the three counties of Okayama, Hiroshima and Kagawa, there is an island in the middle of the Seto Inland Sea called Prison Gate Island. In fact, the correct name of this island should be Beimen Island. Various legends have been circulating on the island for a long time. Beimen Island has a good reputation.In the era of Junyou Fujiwara, pirates were rampant near the island.All ships entering the heartland of Japan through Akama Pass were often harassed by pirates in the Seto Inland Sea. Although the power of these pirates ebbed and flowed, and each led the way for three to five years, they never disappeared and had a long tradition.Especially during the Yoshino Dynasty era, they were the most powerful.

People call these pirates Iyo pirates, because their lairs can be found from the coastline of Iyo to the islands of Suinan and Binanan. Because today's Prison Gate Island was the channel leading to the north at that time, it was called Beimen Island. There is also a saying that in the early Edo period, there was a tall man named Goemon, who was six feet seven inches long, on this island. When he traveled around, he fought and made troubles. Uemon Island, but it was unknowingly rumored to be Prison Island. Which one is correct, North Gate Island or Goemon Island?I don't know why it has evolved into Prison Gate Island, but everyone seems to agree.

It is said that in the old shogunate era, this island was the territory of a certain Chinese vassal. The island is covered with red pine forests, and the islanders use extremely primitive methods to fish.It is said that these fishermen are descendants of pirates.Because the princes who manage the island regard it as a sanctuary for criminals in his domain, it has gradually been given the ominous title of Prison Gate Island. No one can tell how many people were sent to this island during the three hundred years of the Edo period.Although a small number of them were pardoned and returned to their hometowns, more people died of old age here, and most of them married the offspring of pirates; During this period, he married a woman on the island and gave birth to a child.

After the Meiji era, although the exile system was abolished by the vassals, the residents on the island rarely intermarried with other island residents due to their strong xenophobic psychology and the influence of the environment. Most of them are descendants of pirates or criminals. So how do the police investigate when crimes are committed on this island?Mr. K, who once worked as a teacher on a small island in the Seto Inland Sea, said: "There are about a thousand people on the island where I live, and they are all related to each other. It can even be said that the whole island is like a big family. Therefore, if any criminal case occurs, the residents on the island will have different opinions on the case. Be consistent. The police from out of town come here to handle the case. There is nothing they can do. For example, things or money are stolen. When the police find the suspect, they have already reconciled themselves. What's more, they will tell the police, That thing was not stolen, but it was forgotten somewhere..."

This is true of all islands in the Seto Inland Sea, not to mention Prison Gate Island, which is full of descendants of pirates and exiled criminals!If any case happened on this island, one can imagine how difficult it would be for the police to handle the case. However, the world is unpredictable, and it is just a coincidence that a case happened here this year, and it was a terrible case. This is a series of planned murder cases, full of evil spirits, which really fits the terrible name of Prison Gate Island.And this series of terrible cases is even more absurd to the point of making people feel like a nightmare.

However, I have to make it clear here: Prison Gate Island is not an isolated island, it is just a small island in the Seto Inland Sea. No matter how remote it is, the island still has electricity and a post office. At the same time, there is a regular bus every day. The liaison ship from Bitakakasaoka. The incident happened in late September of the 21st Showa era when a 35-ton liaison ship "Bailong" left Litong port, and the cabin was full of passengers.Among the passengers, some were farmers with a little spare money, who made a special trip from God Island to Shiraishi Island to eat fish; others were fishermen and women who came from other islands to Honshu to buy various daily necessities.The islands in the Seto Inland Sea are rich in fish, but they do not produce rice, so people on each island trade fish for rice.

On the old and dirty tatami mats in the cabin, it was crowded with passengers and luggage, and there was not even a place to stay. In addition, the smell of sweat, fish, paint, gasoline, and gas filled the entire cabin and was disgusting.Fortunately, the olfactory nerves of these fishermen and farmers are very dull. Not only do they not care about the smell, but they can also talk and laugh loudly with the sound of waves hitting the side of the boat. And in a corner of the cabin by the window, there was a man in a woolen hakama and a slack hat. Now even cats and dogs wear suits, so this man with matching eyes gives people a feeling of being out of place with the surrounding environment.

This man has an ordinary appearance and a short stature. Although his skin is tanned, he can't feel how strong he is.His clothes are more characteristic. In that era, men who still insisted on wearing kimonos must be very stubborn! The Seto Inland Sea is blue and clear, and there are picturesque islands everywhere, but this man is always leaning against the window, staring out the window, indifferent to the beautiful scenery, deaf to the noisy chatter and laughter in the cabin, and his eyes are hazy. sleepy. When the boat sailed from Shendao to Baishi Island and Beimu Island, many passengers disembarked one after another, and now there are hardly many passengers on board.Three hours after leaving Kasaoka Port, there were only three passengers left in the noisy cabin of the "Hakuryu".

"Wow? Aren't you a monk from Qianguang Temple? Why didn't I see you just now? Where have you been?" An exaggerated man's voice came, waking up the man sitting by the window from his sleepiness come over. He looked back and saw a man of about forty-five or sixteen, wearing an ill-fitting khaki suit, who he knew was a fisherman.But it was not the fisherman who caught his attention, but the monk from Qianguang Temple. The monk looks to be seventy years old, but he is tall and strong, with a physique like a mature man, giving people a sense of weight.His eyes are clear and gentle, but piercing; he wears a coat over a white kimono, and a jacquard-patterned veiro cap on his head.

Deep crow's feet loomed in the monk's gentle smile. "Oh! It's Zhuzang! I didn't realize you were on this boat." The monk spoke calmly. "There are so many people... Where did Master go?" Takezo asked again. "Me! I'm going to Wu City to get the bell." "Is that bell still there? Is it the one donated during the war?" "Well, it's fine, it hasn't been melted down." "Are you going to get it... Where is the bell?" "Hahaha, no matter how strong I am, I can't carry that bell back! I'm going to go through a formality this time, and then I'll find the young people on the island to bring it back."

"Congratulations, the bell is still fine. How about it! I'll carry it too, okay?" "Okay! Ha! Diao Zhong also took off his armor and returned home just like a human being." The monk smiled and spoke softly. Takezo suddenly leaned over and said: "By the way, I remembered when you mentioned going back to your hometown. Our family's Yiyi is going to go back to his hometown soon." "Yi?" The monk looked at Zhuzang's face with a suspicious attitude, and asked: "How do you know? Was it notified by the army?" "It wasn't from the army. The day before yesterday... No, it was the day before yesterday! A man who was in the army with Ah suddenly came to the island and said that Ah Yi wanted him to tell us that he was alive and in good health. He wanted us to rest assured, and he Maybe I can come back in the next round or the next round. Sanae was very happy to hear that, not only invited the man to dinner, but also gave him many gifts!" "Well, did that person go back?" "Stayed on the island for one night and then went back. Alas! If Kaemon of the main family is still alive, this kind of thing will not happen." Takezo said somewhat angrily. "Yes! It wouldn't be so if he was alive." The monk closed his eyes, and said feeding. At this time, the man who was listening to the conversation between the two came over: "Excuse me, are you a monk from Prison Gate Island?" "I understand, you are..." The man took out a letter from the briefcase, opened the envelope, and took out a piece of paper folded into thin strips and handed it to the monk. The monk took the note with some doubts, and saw that it said "Please pass it on to Kindaichi Kosuke", and then he suddenly woke up and looked at the face of the man in front of him again. "This is Wantai's handwriting!" The monk said with a look of surprise. The man in the hakama nodded. "Are you Kosuke Kindaichi?" The monk looked at him again. The man in the hakama nodded again. "The name of the recipient is me, village head Araki, and Dr. Koan Murase. May I read it first?" "Of course, please." The man in the hakama said naturally. The monk then unfolded the folded note and folded it back to its original shape after reading it. "Leave this letter to me for now." As the monk said, he put the note into the envelope, took out a large paper bag from his arms, sealed the envelope in it, then slowly turned around, looked at the man in the hakama, and said confidently: "Prison Gate Island is the most suitable place for quiet recuperation. That's why my wife, Mrs. Araki, introduced me, Village Chief Araki, and Dr. Murase to you." The man in the hakama nodded. "Will it cause trouble for everyone? I also prepared some rice..." The man said shyly. "That doesn't matter. Although the island doesn't have everything, it shouldn't be a problem for you to eat and live alone. You were introduced by my family, and no one will refuse you. You can live as long as you want. How long, just...Mr. Kindaichi..." The monk hesitated to speak. "Please say." "Why doesn't my family's Guitou Wantai come back?" "The devil..." The man paused, looking a little embarrassed. "Did he die in battle?" Takezo asked. "No, he could have been demobilized and returned to his hometown in August this year, but he was on the demobilization ship..." "Have you been killed?" The monk asked with great concern. "No, anyway, the government will send a notice soon, but I really hope that I will notify you first." "What a pity!" Takezo put his head in his hands and cried out in grief and indignation. The three of them were silent for a long time, all staring blankly at the sea. After a long time, the monk said: "I absolutely won't let the separation benefit from it." The Seto Inland Sea is picturesque on weekdays, the sea is blue and clear, and the waves are calm; sometimes when the big waves come, there is a different scene, and you often hear the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, making people think that a storm is coming soon . The "Bailong" sailed forward in this unpredictable inland sea.