I, the Buddhist who raises leopards in the Conan world

Shen Yuan suddenly leaned over, rubbing Gin's ear bone with his canine teeth, and whispered in Gin's ear: "Boss, next bet, the stubbornness of not admitting defeat is hidden in his warm breath. "I really want to have the upper hand!" Gin narrowed his eyes, and the hands clasped on his waist tightened slightly. Gin tilted his head back to reveal a fresh bite mark on his Adam's apple.

"Then it depends on your ability!" Outside the window, the night of Tokyo is still prosperous, and the light and shadow of neon lights shine through the gaps in the curtains, casting tiny spots of light on the black silk sheets.

Lightning lay in the cat bed in the living room, moved his ears, and finally chose to cover his ears with his paws.

Chapter 179: Amuro Toru's Special Invitation

The setting sun at Beika-cho 5-chome dyed the glass windows of the Mori Detective Agency orange.

Xiaolan placed the last dish of miso soup, and steam rose on the table.

"I'm starting to eat--" Conan's chopsticks were suspended in the air, and the white mist from the steamed fish blurred his lenses.

This afternoon, he followed the Junior Detective League to visit a new house in Go-chome. He always felt that there was something hidden in the kind smiles of the elderly couple Uto Hisa.

"Conan! Are you listening to me?" Xiaolan waved her hand in front of him.

"Ah?" Conan suddenly came back to his senses, and rice grains fell from the corners of his mouth.

Xiaolan puffed up her cheeks: "I just said that I have to go to a religious ceremony with my father the day after tomorrow and will be back very late. You have to stay and look after the house!" She reached out to wipe the rice grains on Conan's face, "Why didn't you listen? You are such a child!" Conan put down his bowl and chopsticks, scratched his head and said, "Oh, so, sorry, sorry!" Maori Kogoro stretched out his "iron fist of love" to greet Conan's head and said, "Really, don't think about things when you eat!"

"Dad!" Xiaolan hurriedly stopped him, "Didn't I tell you not to always bully Conan!" He didn't know that the resident of the new house in Go-chome, whom he had always suspected, was watching his every move with a telescope in the third-floor attic of the new house facing the detective agency.

——————The afternoon sun poured into the living room through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Shen Yuan was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, holding a pet-specific nail file in his hand, carefully trimming Lightning's claws.

The silver-gray cheetah lay lazily, its ice-blue eyes half-closed, and a comfortable purring sound came from its throat.

The cell phone on the table suddenly vibrated, and the name "Amuro Toru" appeared on the screen.

Shen Yuan pressed the answer button and turned on the speakerphone.

"Mr. Shen, I hope I didn't disturb you." Amuro Toru's gentle voice came from the loudspeaker.

"No," Shen Yuan didn't even raise his head and continued to grind Lightning's nails intently. "I'm grinding Lightning's nails at home. Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Amuro?" A chuckle came from the other end of the phone: "I made some venison jerky for Lightning, and thought of asking Mr. Shen to come to Poirot Cafe to pick it up!" He paused, with a hint of anticipation in his tone, "By the way, I've also prepared my specialty baked white fish, meatballs and pasta for Mr. Shen. Would you like to do me the honor of having dinner with me?" Before Shen Yuan could answer, Lightning's ears suddenly stood up, and his head suddenly approached the phone. He made a low purring sound into the speaker, and his tail swayed happily.

Shen Yuan couldn't help laughing: "Mr. Amuro, Lightning is saying hello to you!" He rubbed Cheetah's head, "It seems that not only you miss Lightning, but Lightning misses you too.

I'll take Lightning over for dinner!" Toru Amuro on the other end of the phone seemed very happy with Shen Yuan's answer, with an obvious smile in his voice: "Then I will welcome Mr. Shen at the Poirot Cafe!" After hanging up the phone, Shen Yuan pinched Lightning's ears: "It seems that you miss the officer's cooking skills very much!" Before going out, Shen Yuan first fed Lightning two balls of cat rice to ensure that it would not make a fuss in the Poirot Cafe because of being too hungry.

Then he put a leash on Lightning and decided to walk there instead of driving - just consider it Lightning's walk today.

The silver-gray cheetah strode proudly on the street, its elegant posture attracting the astonished gazes of many passers-by.

Shen Yuan put one hand in his pocket and held the rope loosely with the other hand, letting Lightning lead the way.

In a short while they arrived at the Poirot Café.

When I pushed the door open, the wind chimes rang crisply.

The coffee shop is very quiet today.

Only Toru Amuro was standing behind the bar, wiping the coffee cups intently.

Hearing the door open, he raised his head and his purple-gray eyes lit up slightly.

"It seems that Mr. Amuro is relatively free today!" Shen Yuan said with a smile.

Toru Amuro put down the cup in his hand and raised a gentle smile at the corner of his lips: "This probably means that it is rare and we can have a quiet dinner today?" After all, there are no guests, so naturally there will be no victims.

As he spoke, he reached out and rubbed Lightning's big head as he lay on the bar and greeted him.

"Welcome Lightning, I have prepared a special venison sandwich for you today!" Shen Yuan sat down at the bar and teased, "Is it because there won't be any cases?" Amuro Toru nodded, with some emotion in his tone: "Yes, Mr. Shen also knows that it is rare to have a quiet day without any cases near Beika Town!" Speaking of this topic, Shen Yuan subconsciously glanced at the stairs leading to the second floor in the corner of the cafe, and asked casually: "Why don't you see Conan?" Amuro Toru was slightly stunned, then looked at him with some amusement: "Because today is a school day, Conan hasn't finished school yet!" He paused and asked, "Mr. Shen, didn't you notice today's date?" Shen Yuan was a little surprised to hear Amuro Toru say that Conan went to school.

— Is it the "Grandchild of Death"'s turn to go to school today? How bizarre.

He couldn't help laughing: "Don't blame me, Mr. Amuro!" Shen Yuan spread his hands, "Because every time a case happens, Conan is at the scene, I gradually forget that he is still an elementary school student. I always feel that he never has to go to class!" Amuro Toru was also stunned when he heard this.

He carefully recalled the frequency of recent cases and suddenly realized something he had never noticed before - Conan... had he been skipping classes? Or rather, was he playing truant? Amuro Toru rubbed the rim of his coffee cup thoughtfully, thinking: It seems I need to find time to talk to Miss Xiaolan about Conan's attitude towards school.

Toru Amuro took out several exquisite food boxes from the thermos bag and skillfully put them into the microwave in the cafe to heat them up.

With a soft "ding" sound, Toru Amuro put on heat-insulating gloves and took out the heated food boxes one by one.

The baked white fish has a golden and crispy surface, and the melted cheese wraps around the snow-white fish, exuding a rich milky aroma.

The beef meatballs in the food box next to it are plump and juicy, the meat juices seeping into the mashed potatoes at the bottom, while the Neapolitan pasta is shining with the attractive sheen of tomatoes and olive oil.

"Considering that Mr. Shen might come late, I specially prepared food boxes that are easy to heat up!" Toru Amuro placed the steaming dishes on the table one by one. The golden cheese on the white fish was still trembling slightly. "This way the flavor won't be lost too much!" Shen Yuan looked at the delicious dishes in front of him and couldn't help but admire: "It looks very appetizing. I'm looking forward to Mr. Amuro's cooking today." Shen Yuan picked up a beef meatball with a fork. The moment he bit it, the gravy burst in his mouth. The aroma of black pepper mixed with the sweetness of onion made him couldn't help but admire: "Mr. Amuro's cooking skills are really amazing. The seasoning of this meatball is simply perfect!" Lightning had already impatiently moved to the bar. Toru Amuro smiled and put the special venison sandwich in his hand on a plate and pushed it in front of him: "This is venison tenderloin slow-roasted at low temperature. It should suit your taste!" The cheetah lowered its head to sniff, then enjoyed it with big mouthfuls, its tail wagging happily from side to side.

"Come to think of it," Shen Yuan rolled up a forkful of pasta, the sweet and sour taste of tomatoes blooming on his tongue, "Mr. Amuro was handling some detective commissions before? Why are you back to Poirot to continue your part-time job now?" Amuro Toru added some lemonade to Shen Yuan's glass, his purple-gray eyes looking particularly gentle under the light: "The previous commission has been resolved.

After all, I'm not as famous as Mr. Maori, so I don't have any new cases for now!" He smiled, "Besides, working here makes it easier for me to learn from Mr. Maori!"

"Mr. Amuro is too modest!" Shen Yuan took another bite of the white fish. The fish melted in his mouth, and the fresh fragrance of lemon perfectly neutralized the heavy cream.

"Mr. Shen, you're too kind!" Amuro Toru nodded slightly, then changed the subject, "Speaking of which, has Mr. Shen been assigned a new instructor?" Shen Yuan swallowed the meatball in his mouth and shook his head: "The school hasn't found a suitable one yet.

But I'm not in a hurry," he smiled meaningfully, "I've been doing some interesting part-time jobs lately!" Amuro Toru's gaze lingered on Shen Yuan's face for a second, as if trying to read something from it, but in the end he just picked up his coffee cup: "Then I wish Mr. Shen a happy part-time job!"

Chapter 180 The Detective's Late Return

The lights of the Poirot Café looked particularly warm in the twilight.

Shen Yuan poked the last piece of tiramisu on the plate with his fork, glancing towards the door from time to time.

Outside the window, the afterglow of the setting sun dyed the streets of Beika Town orange, and the shadows of the pedestrians were stretched out very long.

Traffic had thinned out during the rush hour, with an occasional car passing by, its windshield reflecting the last rays of sunlight, casting fleeting spots of light on the glass windows of the cafe.

"Conan should be back by now, right?" Shen Yuan put down his fork, frowning slightly, "The rush hour for getting off work has passed, even if he just played with his friends for a while, he should be back!" Amuro Toru, who was sitting opposite him and was clearing the plates, looked up at the wall clock when he heard this - it was already 6:45 in the evening.

The ends of his golden hair shone softly in the light, and a hint of understanding flashed in his purple-gray eyes.

"Could it be..." The two looked at each other, and then said in unison: "Another case?" After the words fell, both of them were stunned for a moment, and then laughed at the same time.

Shen Yuan laughed loudly, his eyes slightly curved: "It seems that Conan already has this stereotype in our minds!" Amuro Toru shook his head helplessly and stacked the plates together: "I feel that Conan's life is much more exciting than when I was a child. I didn't encounter so many cases when I was a child!" There was a hint of ridicule in his tone, and a hint of nostalgia for his childhood.

"I've never encountered this kind of murder case before coming to Japan!" Shen Yuan picked up the lemonade and took a sip, the cold liquid sliding down his throat, "I'm even more surprised about Conan's childhood!" Amuro Toru took the dishes to the sink behind the bar, and the sound of water splashing could be heard.

He turned his back to Shen Yuan and said, "If Conan hasn't come back by the time I close, I'll go look for him!"

"Then let's go together," Lightning just finished his sandwich at this time.

Shen Yuan stood up and handed over his plate and his cup, "See what interesting things the little detective encountered today!" The coffee shop became quiet for a moment, with only the sound of Amuro Toru washing dishes and the sound of Shen Yuan wiping the table.

"Mr. Shen," Amuro Toru suddenly spoke, his voice was particularly clear in the quiet coffee shop, "Do you regret coming to Japan because of the cases you encountered during your time here?" Shen Yuan stopped what he was doing and was stunned for a moment.

He didn't expect Toru Amuro to ask such a question.

When he turned to look at the other person, he found that Toru Amuro had finished washing the dishes and was leaning against the bar, looking at him intently.

Those purple-gray eyes looked particularly deep under the light, as if they could see through people's hearts.

"No," Shen Yuan put down the rag, the corners of his mouth curved with some depth, "Because I encountered... a very interesting part-time job," he tilted his head slightly, his eyes lingering on Amuro Toru's face for a moment: "And I also met such interesting people like Mr. Amuro and Conan!" He paused, and his voice became softer, "Now I feel that if I hadn't come to Japan to study in the first place, I would never know that life could be so exciting, and that's what makes people regretful!" Amuro Toru's eyes flickered slightly. He could feel the strange emotion in Shen Yuan's words, but he didn't delve into it - or rather, he didn't dare to delve into it.

His attention was completely attracted by Shen Yuan's words "It's nice to know him", and his heart was beating irregularly in his chest.

Would Shen Yuan regret not coming to Japan? Because... he'd met him? This thought swirled in Amuro Toru's mind, making him forget to respond for a moment.

It wasn't until Shen Yuan called out "Mr. Amuro?" in confusion that he came to his senses.

"Sorry, I was distracted!" Amuro Toru coughed lightly to cover up his gaffe, "I am also honored to meet Mr. Shen!" His tone returned to its usual gentleness, but his eyes were much softer than usual.

Just then, the door of the cafe was pushed open and the bell rang rapidly.

They both turned their heads at the same time—it was Conan.

The little boy stood at the door panting, his cheeks flushed from running, and his hair on his forehead was wet with sweat and stuck to his forehead.

He held onto the door frame, his chest heaving violently, obviously having run all the way back.

Shen Yuan looked behind Conan: "Conan, no one is chasing you, why are you running so fast?" He paused and asked, "Also, you came back so late, what happened?" Amuro Toru came out from behind the bar and handed him a glass of warm water: "Yes, Mr. Shen and I were just saying that if you don't come back, we will go find you!" Conan took the glass of water, gulped down a few gulps, and finally calmed down his breathing.

He put down the cup, wiped the corner of his mouth, and then talked about his experience just now - it turned out that after school yesterday, he and the Junior Detective Team were invited by the old couple Uto Hisahisa to visit.

Everything was normal at first, but Conan always felt something was wrong.

Especially when he noticed the three-story attic of the old couple's house, the sense of incongruity became even stronger.

"Why would an elderly person buy such a steep attic? It's so inconvenient to go up and down the stairs!" Conan pushed his glasses, and the lenses reflected a white light, "So after school today I... did a little investigation!" After listening, Shen Yuan bent down and flicked Conan's head: "Conan, you are so reckless!" He sighed, "Just because you think the elderly should not buy a three-story attic, you follow and investigate without authorization? This already involves illegal behavior!" Conan covered his forehead that was hit and looked up pitifully: "I'm sorry, Brother Shen, I know I was wrong..." Amuro Toru also pressed his temple, his tone was rarely serious: "Conan, no matter how smart you are, you can't ignore your child's body!" His purple-gray eyes looked directly at Conan, "If you encounter an emergency, you won't be able to cope with it!" Conan nodded quickly to admit his mistake, and then quickly changed the subject without waiting for the two adults to say anything.

He squatted down and rubbed Lightning's head: "Lightning, long time no see! You've become a lot stronger!" After that, he immediately stood up and ran towards the stairs, "I'll go upstairs first!" Shen Yuan looked at Conan's disappearing back, shrugged helplessly, and said to Amuro Toru: "It seems that the little detective didn't listen to us!" Amuro Toru shook his head, but the corners of his lips raised slightly, and a dangerous light flashed in his purple-gray eyes: "I will discuss Conan's problem with Mr. Maori and Miss Xiaolan later!" His slender fingers tapped lightly on the bar: "Tell me about Conan's recent...extracurricular activities!" He deliberately added emphasis on the four words "extracurricular activities", and the rhythm of his knuckles tapping reminded people of the countdown before the trial.

"Oh my~" Shen Yuan supported his chin with a playful smile on his lips, "It seems that our little detective will be able to experience the 'education of love' soon?" He glanced meaningfully in the direction of the second floor, "I'm really looking forward to how the little detective will grow!" Amuro Toru looked at Shen Yuan's actions and tone of voice at this moment, and was suddenly stunned.

——This posture, this tone, feels strangely familiar.

A figure in his mind said "How interesting" in the same excited tone.

But the scene was fleeting, and Amuro Toru couldn't remember where this sense of familiarity came from.

Lightning tilted his head, his ice-blue eyes staring towards the stairs, and a low gurgling sound came from his throat, as if agreeing with what the two were saying.

Chapter 181 The Detective's Counterattack

Shen Yuan had just said goodbye to Lightning and Amuro Toru at the door of Poirot Café when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him.

"Thump, thump, thump--" Conan rushed down the stairs holding a telescope. Seeing the two people standing at the door, he thought the cafe was about to close, so he shouted, "Brother Amuro, just close the door! I'm going to Professor Agasa's place and will come back later using the back stairs!" He waved hurriedly to Shen Yuan, "Brother Shen, see you next time, Lightning!" Before he finished speaking, he had already run away like a gust of wind, leaving only his back figure quickly disappearing in the night.

Shen Yuan raised his eyebrows and looked at the direction where Conan was going away: "If I'm not mistaken, what he just took out was a telescope, right? Is he starting his secret investigation again?" Amuro Toru looked thoughtfully in the direction where Conan was running, his purple-gray eyes narrowed slightly: "It seems that he didn't listen to what we said to educate him!" Shen Yuan looked down at Lightning.

The cheetah's ice-blue eyes were also staring at the direction Conan left, its ears erect, and a low snoring sound came from its throat, as if it was also accusing the little detective.

"Should we follow and see?" Shen Yuan suggested.

Amuro Toru was silent for a moment, then shook his head: "Forget it, let him go. He won't be willing to give up unless the doubts in his heart are resolved!" He paused and added, "However, when Mr. Maori comes back, I still have to talk to Mr. Maori about Conan's recent behavior!" Shen Yuan shrugged and said nothing more. He picked up two bags of venison jerky that Amuro Toru specially made for Lightning, then turned around and left with Lightning.

As dusk deepened, Shen Yuan let the lightning freely shuttle through the alleys in front of him and completed his walk.

The street lights stretched the shadows of the man and the leopard very long, swaying crisscrossly on the cobblestone road.

When they reached the vicinity of Ni-chome, Lightning suddenly raised its tail high and then changed direction. Shen Yuan thought that Lightning had met his financial sponsor, so he had no choice but to follow him.

Lightning suddenly stopped, his ears erected in alertness, his ice-blue pupils shrank into a thin line in the night.

Before Shen Yuan could react, the cheetah suddenly changed direction and pounced on a small figure that had just walked around the corner.

"Ah!" Conan was thinking about the cross-dressing "old couple" today, when he was suddenly attacked from behind by a strong force. His pupils suddenly shrank, and in an instant, countless possibilities of being attacked by a criminal gang flashed through his mind.

It was not until he felt a hot and wet touch on his face and the familiar smell of a beast penetrated his nostrils that he realized - "Lightning, Lightning?" Conan wiped the saliva on his face, "And Brother Shen? Why are you here?" Shen Yuan walked over slowly, "We took a walk after dinner, this guy led the way!" He pointed to the cheetah who was pressing Conan with its head, "I suspect he came here because of your scent!" Conan stroked Lightning's smooth fur, and suddenly a light flashed in his glasses, and a plan came to his mind, "Brother Shen," Conan showed an innocent smile, "I found out that my parents came back from abroad secretly, and wanted to play a prank to scare me.

Can you come to the detective agency and help me 'counter-scare' them a bit? "Shen Yuan raised his eyebrows. Now he knew what the small case Conan encountered today was. He was also looking forward to meeting the great writer Kudo Yusaku. He really wanted to see what the configuration of Conan's world's strongest brain was like.

Shen Yuan suppressed his smile and nodded pretending to know nothing: "Okay, Conan, I have known you for so long, but I haven't met your parents yet!" He deliberately showed a curious expression, "I'm also curious about what kind of parents can raise such a smart child like you!" As soon as he finished speaking, Conan's pupils suddenly contracted.

A flash of panic flashed through his eyes behind his lenses—he suddenly realized a fatal problem: he was now "Edogawa Conan," not Kudo Shinichi! If his parents showed up with their real identities, wouldn't everything be exposed? A drop of cold sweat slid down the back of Conan's neck.

He stole a glance at Shen Yuan, who was looking at him with a pair of deep brown eyes that seemed to see through everything.

Conan's Adam's apple rolled: Brother Shen's insight is amazing. If I suddenly change my mind now, he will definitely be suspicious... "What's wrong?" Shen Yuan asked with his head tilted, "Why do you look so ugly all of a sudden?"

"No, nothing!" Conan laughed dryly, his brain working rapidly, "I just... look forward to seeing my parents' frightened reaction," he continued with a stiff upper lip, "How about... we go to the agency and wait for them now?" Shen Yuan nodded: "Okay, then let's go and wait and see!" Conan turned around as if he had been pardoned, and led the way, praying madly in his heart: Dad and Mom, you must be more reliable! At least change your disguise and come again! The two of them and the leopard came to the second floor of the Maori Detective Agency.

The room was empty except for scattered papers and an empty cup on the desk.

"As planned, Brother Shen, you should sit with your back to the door first!" Conan pointed to the swivel office chair where Maori Kogoro often sat, "I will give you a signal when my parents come!" Shen Yuan sat down obediently and turned the swivel chair towards the window.

Lightning lay at his feet, its silver-gray fur gleaming metallically in the setting sun, its ears alertly perked up, picking up every tiny sound in the air.

"How exactly are your parents going to play a prank?" Shen Yuan asked with his back to Conan, stroking Lightning's head from time to time with his fingers.

"Uh... they like to play all kinds of roles," Conan stood by the door, staring nervously at the stairs: "They should dress up as killers from some dark organization to scare me, as a safety education or something!" His voice became smaller and smaller, and he explained far-fetchedly, hoping that if his parents mentioned anything about the Black Organization later, Brother Shen could take it as a joke.

Shen Yuan's shoulders trembled slightly, and he was obviously trying to hold back his laughter.

In this subtle atmosphere, heavy footsteps were heard downstairs.

"Here they come!" Conan lowered his voice, "Remember, wait for my signal!" The footsteps were getting closer, accompanied by the sound of a key being inserted into the keyhole.

The doorknob turned - Shen Yuan had his back to the door and could only hear footsteps coming in and stopping in front of the desk.

Suddenly, there was a clear sound of metal collision - the sound of a pistol being loaded.

"Brother Shen, take this opportunity to defeat him!" Conan's voice sounded at the right time.

Almost at the moment the sound was heard, Shen Yuan's muscles tensed instantly.

He tapped the ground lightly with his toes, exerted force in his waist and core, and his whole body rose up from the chair like a spring.

He supported himself on the edge of the desk with his left hand as a fulcrum, and his body drew a graceful arc in the air. His right leg swung out like a whip, accurately kicking the wrist of the black shadow holding the gun.