However, as they nodded, the children suddenly surged forward, their stiff and gloomy expressions resembling those in a classic neon horror movie.

“I advise you not to do this,” the leader of the group said, uttering words inappropriate for his age, “otherwise, you will surely be cursed by the White-Haired Ghost!”

After saying that, the group of children scattered in a flurry and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The treasure-hunting team, stunned by the implications of the statement, stood there dumbfounded, looking at each other in bewilderment.

“'White-haired demon'…” Wada murmured a few times, then turned to Tendo Shiro, “What is a white-haired demon?”

“It’s a local legend.” Tendo Shiro’s voice was still as pleasant as ever, but his tone had become low.

"It is said that he is a white-haired devil wielding a pickaxe. Anyone who comes to search for Amakusa Shiro's treasure will be beaten to death by him and become a sacrifice to the vengeful spirits of the ancient times..."

The treasure-hunting team was stunned for a moment.

Or rather, those who regard "treasure" as a great goal in life are most willing to believe in such supernatural legends and are also the most superstitious.

While everyone was a bit lost in thought, Yoruichi Toyama quietly approached Takato.

"This act is so clumsy, isn't it?" He lowered his voice and said sarcastically, "Even if these ignorant fools believe it, do you think the police will believe that it was that 'white-haired ghost' who killed the person?"

Clearly, the premeditated murderer fabricated this ghost story partly to confuse people and create fear, thus giving him more opportunities to exploit.

On the other hand, as long as these people believe the story of the "white-haired ghost" and their thinking continues down this path, they will not realize that the murderer is actually a human, lurking right beside them.

However, when a murder actually occurs and the police get involved, they won't believe any of your ghost stories about killing people.

"...If the 'police' you're referring to is someone like Superintendent Akechi, then I'll admit you're right."

Faced with Yoruichi Toyama's吐槽 (tu cao, meaning to criticize or complain), Takato pondered for a moment before speaking.

"However, I advise you not to have too high expectations for the prefectural police in remote mountain villages like Kumamoto Prefecture."

Did you know that some police officers on rotation regularly offer incense to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva at dawn and dusk?

"Moreover, when a murder occurs in the deep mountains and wilderness, it's much easier to pin the blame on ghosts or monsters than to solve the case."

“Even the local people won’t bother to investigate.”

“Ignorance,” Gao Yuan’s dark eyes gleamed with a sinister light, “is like malice, and is the enemy of you righteous people.”

"This performance is going to be really good, hehehehe..."

...

Yoruichi Toyama had to admit that the “ignorance” that Takato had mentioned was prevalent in their current small group.

In their quest to unravel the mysteries of treasures hidden in the margins of ancient books or in folk tales, some of which may or may not even exist, they gradually descend into fanaticism and superstition, even highly educated individuals like Hazuki Mogami are no exception.

When the mixed-race high school student Emily took out two right-angled metal rods and claimed that they could detect buried objects underground, Yoruichi Toyama was speechless.

Kindaichi, who has always believed in the superstition of gacha pulls, also felt that his intelligence had been insulted.

However, all the treasure hunters watched Emily's actions with serious expressions, and Mr. Itsuki followed behind, looking half-believing and half-doubting.

Maybe... perhaps...

In their village, using a proper metal detector is a serious crime; you'd be dragged out and shot for fifteen minutes...

Yoruichi Toyama and Akemi beside her exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.

Gao Yuan, or rather "Mr. Mao," was quite dedicated to his role, and soon joined everyone in digging with shovels to verify Emily's "detection senses."

Naturally, aside from some ancient coins that are almost ubiquitous in places with historical sites, the group found nothing.

Although those coins were of little value in the antiquities market, the discovery was like an appetizer before the main course, whetting the appetites of those who were extremely keen on treasures.

The first day of sightseeing and exploration passed by in a lively and bustling manner.

Following Tendo Shiro, the group arrived at their pre-arranged accommodations.

The charming wooden cabins and the local open-air hot springs are a refreshing sight for those covered in mud and exhausted.

Kindaichi instinctively exclaimed "Wow!"

"Yes, there's a hot spring! Is it a mixed-gender bathing area?"

This blatant lewd statement was immediately met with the righteous and iron-fisted punishment of Miyuki.

“They’re separate!” Wada replied with a smile, then winked mysteriously.

"However, there's only a fence separating the men's and women's baths, so if any couples want to chat, it's not impossible..."

That's what they said, but Kindaichi, and even Yoruichi Toyama, immediately had a glint in their eyes.

A fence... huh? ...

In other words, if there's any larger gap...

"Great Detective..." A gentle, smiling voice suddenly rang in her ears, startling Yoruichi Toyama, who was lost in thought.

"What are you thinking about? Your face is all red!"

"Th-that...no!" Yoruichi Toyama stammered, but dared not look directly into Akemi's smiling eyes.

It's as embarrassing as getting caught cheating on a test by the teacher.

Fortunately, those who already knew about his relationship with Mingmei didn't delve too deeply into it, simply treating it as playful banter between a young couple.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!