Phantom Thief of Heart!but conan

Chapter 1203 The Fate of Return

"Dream? What dream?"

Looking at the two detectives whose expressions suddenly became serious, Tang Ze raised his eyebrows and asked directly.

It's hard to say whether this is one of the sequelae of the intuitive system. Hattori Heiji doesn't know whether his clairvoyance is too high or he has some special ability, but he always acts like a prophet and receives "divine revelations" in his dreams.

...Although this time it's extremely ridiculous, we still need to take it seriously. After all, Hattori Heiji rarely has such a lucid dream for no reason.

There is no apparent danger at the moment, and the genuine first love has been basically confirmed, so the problem definitely doesn't lie here.

So the two detectives naturally had nothing to hide from the client, so they told him everything related to the dream.

"What a dream..." Tang Ze held his chin and fell into thought.

Hattori Heiji rarely speaks without a purpose. He took this nonsensical dream so seriously, he must have sensed its unusualness.

Carefully considering the plot of the dream, Tang Ze offered a solution: "I think we could ask the abbot Yuanhai of Sannoji Temple. Maybe he knows my parents."

"Eh? You mean, you might have really come to Sannoji Temple at this time in the past?" Hattori Heiji was stunned when he got such an answer.

"It's very likely." Tang Ze nodded. "Because, after all, I'm the only one living in Kyoto. I live in the mansion left by my father's family, and he doesn't really like living here. He chose to keep me in Kyoto because he was worried that moving to a big city like Tokyo would be too complicated."

The complexity here of course refers to the power of the organization.

Both of Tang Ze's parents studied medicine, and both were working surgeons when they discovered his autism.

To be a top surgeon in Japan, there is no reason not to go to Tokyo, as can be seen from Kiharagawa's situation.

"Have you forgotten? My father was Kiharakawa's senior, which means they went to the same school. He studied medical school in Tokyo and of course stayed in Tokyo after graduation. My mother was recommended here through my father's connections and works in the same hospital as him. They both actually lived in Tokyo for a long time. So it's normal that you dreamed of me, as I don't live far away. But to say that you dreamed of my parents... that shouldn't be an ordinary encounter."

Maybe they came here to investigate the Buddha statue.

After Saijo Taiga's palace was breached, his secret treasure was taken out.

The image of the Medicine Buddha, which was made entirely of gold in the temple, turned into a slightly worn bamboo sword after returning to reality.

It is obvious that even if Saijo Taiga joined Hotaru Genji and became a bandit, he was only making a choice that suited his own nature. It was only after he comprehended the "Yoshitsune Ryu" that distortion occurred.

From then on, he was no longer Musashibo Benkei of Genji Hotaru, but a monster possessed by Yoshitsune, who was willing to give up everything for his obsession.

In his mind, the statue of Medicine Buddha is just a prop for exchanging wealth. The important part is that it is very expensive, not the statue itself.

So when Hoshikawa Teru arrived at Gyokuryu Temple, he first found the statue of Medicine Buddha according to Tang Ze's request, and then discovered that it had the light of a secret treasure. This part had nothing to do with Saijo Taiga.

That X-alloy-like light is completely a property of the Medicine Buddha statue.

But based on the time when the case occurred, just as Hattori Heiji said, the time doesn't match.

Genji Hotaru's men had already stolen the Buddha statue in the morning. If Hattori Heiji hadn't knocked himself unconscious, he might have witnessed something.

So the Tangze couple, who arrived only in the evening, would definitely not have the chance to see the Buddha statue with their own eyes.

"If they want to touch the statue, they must have the abbot's permission. After all, it's a treasure that's only exhibited once every twelve years. It wouldn't make sense for anyone to just look at it." Tang Ze touched his chin. "Perhaps it was around this time that the abbot and his men discovered the statue was stolen."

No matter how diligently they clean, the monks of Shanneng Temple would not clean once in the morning and again in the afternoon.

The members of Genji Hotaru, who had thoroughly scouted the area, must have paid attention to their working hours in order to find the opportunity to steal.

If Tang Ze's parents hadn't come to see, they wouldn't have discovered the problem until at least the next day.

In light of this, some of the abbot's earlier remarks become more subtle.

"I'll go ask." Tang Ze simply stood up. "It's no use just guessing."

"Are you going alone?" Conan got up and asked worriedly.

The probability of something happening to Karasawa when he was left alone during his travels was obvious to all, which was why Hattori Heiji did not share the dream with him immediately.

The case of Genji Hotaru had nothing to do with Karasawa, so it would be inappropriate to put Karasawa in danger because of their words.

If the case had not been concluded, they would not have raised this issue in front of Tang Ze.

"Abbot Yuanhai doesn't seem to be a bad guy at the moment. Don't worry, even if the monks from Shanneng Temple want to harm me, they can't defeat me."

Thinking of Tang Ze's fighting ability this time, the two detectives who really couldn't refute it: "..."

"Moreover, because of the actions of two certain people who have kept their achievements hidden, it is not convenient for you to meet them now, right?" Tang Ze glanced at Hattori Heiji's newly changed baseball cap and pointed out again.

The two detectives who returned the Buddha statue also covered the statue with the baseball cap that Hattori Heiji had damaged during the battle.

You acted cool and then ran away, and now you want to go back and see him. How presumptuous of you.

The two detectives, who were unable to object, said: "..."

The guesthouse they stayed in was not far from Sannoji Temple. To be on the safe side, Tang Ze changed into the yukata again before going out.

After all, according to Hattori Heiji's dream, this dress or a similar design was really worn by Karasawa when he was a child.

If the abbot had come into contact with his parents, he would probably tell him the relevant situation after seeing these clothes.

As their case progressed, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom.

In the courtyard of Shanneng Temple, petals were flying like snow. Long Yuan was holding a broom, sweeping the stone path in the courtyard in an orderly manner.

He looked up and saw Karasawa who had returned with Mouri Kogoro. He bowed and without asking any questions, he silently led him to the Buddhist temple where the Buddha statue was placed.

“Esteemed benefactor, you have come after all.” Abbot Yuanhai, standing in the Buddhist hall, turned around and smiled at Tang Ze. “You and your father look remarkably alike.” Tang Ze glanced at the Medicine Buddha statue displayed on the open shrine behind him and blinked. “I have a rough idea of ​​what might have happened. So, didn’t you suspect that the theft of the Buddha statue was related to my parents?”

Strictly speaking, the Tangze couple and they were the first people to discover that the Buddha statue was stolen.

It just so happened that on the day of the theft, two people came to the door and wanted to see the Buddha statue alone, which was quite suspicious.

"You're joking. Both donors come from well-off families and are well-educated. They wouldn't be interested in the temple's small assets. And since they haven't seen the statue in person, its significance to them cannot be verified." Abbot Yuanhai shook his head. "Why would you doubt them?"

"So you did agree to let them see the statue?" Tang Ze tilted his head and asked, expressing his only confusion. "Why? The Medicine Buddha statue has been protected for so long. Not everyone can see it, right?"

Whether it is a tourist gimmick or there is really some special reason, at least until now Sannoji Temple has been faithfully implementing the rule of only showing the Buddha statue once every twelve years.

If everyone can just take a quick look, what's the point of this exhibition that's held every twelve years?

Kogoro Mori and his companions were able to visit freely because the main Buddha statue had been stolen and there was nothing to see, but that didn't mean they could visit freely.

"I can't quite explain what their theoretical research in this area is all about, but it certainly sounds fascinating." Abbot Yuanhai laughed, not hiding anything. "Buddhism cultivates the self, never seeks external things. But it would be a blessing to witness firsthand how faith can transform the outside world."

When he said that, Tang Ze understood.

The Karasawa couple, who were already engaged in the study of cognitive psychology at the time, came for this purpose, just like they had gone to the dugong festival at Shimabukuro Kimie's house.

Just like Tang Ze's theory that magicians can incubate X-alloys, including the many examples he has encountered, it is basically certain that the role of cognition in this special world is more obvious than originally set, and many phenomena can be observed with the naked eye. The Tang Ze couple, who studied X-alloys so deeply, must have noticed this.

Tang Ze guessed that this was probably the reason why Haibara Ai told the two detectives that they liked to go to local temples or churches no matter where they were.

The power of faith can make Shimabukuro Kimie the island's secret treasure, and naturally it can also give the Buddha statue a certain power.

This is why Yuanhai agreed to the request of the Tangze couple who came to see the Buddha statue without saying a word.

It would be an encouragement for any believer to witness the embodiment of faith and love.

After confirming this information, Tang Ze asked, "So what you told Detective Maori before, about why you didn't call the police, and that the Buddha statue would naturally return when the time was right...was that also the reason?"

Abbot Yuanhai nodded as expected.

Tang Ze understood.

The statue of Medicine Buddha is roughly equivalent to the secret treasure of Sannoji Temple.

Just like the hall master can sense others' intentions towards his secret treasure and will do his utmost to protect it, the place where the secret treasure is produced is inseparable from the secret treasure.

Thinking back, in order to sever this connection, Shimabukuro Kimie resolutely chose to sink her hometown into the sea, which made some sense.

Otherwise, it would be easy to produce the effect in the K-series story, that is, no matter how much you want to escape, you cannot escape the fate of having to return in the end. She may not be able to escape so easily and will eventually have to return to the island.

This is the effect of the secret treasure itself, and not just anyone can take it away.

Of course, Genji Hotaru's people could not consider such metaphysical things - a group of people who stole artworks and Buddhist statues all day long had indeed lost their reverence for religion long ago - so they came and stole, and ran away after stealing.

However, the Tangze couple, who had already realized part of the "truth", naturally knew very well that the exhibition once every twelve years was the destiny of the return of the Medicine Buddha statue, and naturally, the secret treasure would also come back.

So when the twelve-year deadline was about to expire, the leader of the Genji Hotaru died of illness, and made a foolish move that whoever could find the Buddha statue would be the next leader.

Then the subordinates fought each other until they became like black-eyed chickens, and finally fell apart and were slaughtered by Nishijo Daikawa, who had the most intense desire among them.

Nishijo Taiga himself could not escape the law, and the power he had cultivated for many years was taken away by the police. The detective who was attracted by the police finally returned the Buddha statue to its rightful owner.

This is not only the best way to show the unfolding of retribution, but also the power of inviolable cognition.

"At the time, the Genji Hotaru were very active. This wasn't the only Buddha statue stolen in Kyoto; many temples suffered severe damage." Abbot Yuankai sighed slightly. "None of their treasures were ever recovered. So, when I discovered this, I immediately thought of calling the police."

Kyoto, as can be seen from its road structure, is a city that imitates the capital of Tang Dynasty China from beginning to end.

In Japan, where Shintoism is flourishing, Buddhism, a religion shaped by foreign culture, is certainly strongly denied by them and has always been subjected to a lot of oppression and attacks.

Kyoto has preserved many ancient Buddhist statues that have been passed down through the ages, and it is a rare place where such statues are relatively well preserved.

The Buddha statues here are quite valuable, and the more you steal, the less there are. Genji Hotaru was very active in the past, but later became much quieter because he had almost destroyed all the valuable Buddha statues.

How could Shanneng Temple at that time not fear such theft? This was the most famous treasure of their entire temple, the one that most supported their existence.

"The two donors told me very confidently that as long as we maintain a peaceful mind, firm faith, and run the temple well, it will naturally return. When the time comes, just let everything take its course."

Tang Ze looked at Yuan Hai strangely: "They said that, and you really dare to believe it."

Even for Tang Ze himself, who has become the Phantom Thief of Hearts, these theories are newly summarized.

His parents are pure theorists. They haven't even confirmed whether the Buddha statue has been modified due to cognition, but they dared to stop others and call the police. They are really brave.

...Of course, we cannot deny the possibility that they want to shirk responsibility and do not want to be involved in a criminal case.

We are all doing scientific research in an organization, and it is impossible to be inflexible in moral bottom line.

"Of course not." Yuan Hai, perhaps sensing Tang Ze's subtle assessment of his parents, was amused. "They showed me a certain possibility. I think that's why you came looking for me."

As he said this, he took out a box from behind the shrine and handed it to Tang Ze.

Before reaching out to take it, Tang Ze narrowed his eyes and quickly scanned it with his third eye.

Then, one saw a dazzling light that was almost blinding.

(End of this chapter)