"Unfortunately, due to time constraints, the information the police could find about the Twilight Mansion was very limited."
No one took his sensible opening remarks seriously. This guy's usual routine was to feign discomfort, but the thick stack of documents in his hand didn't lie.
Sure enough, he went straight to the point that Yoruichi Toyama was concerned about.
"This castle-like villa was built nearly a century ago and belonged to the then-famous and wealthy Karasuma family..."
"Karasuma?" Kaito Kuroba thought for a moment. "I think I've heard that name before..."
"Was that decades ago? I remember there was an incredibly long-lived and extremely wealthy man named... Oh right, Karasuma Renya!"
A wise nod indicates agreement.
"Yes, Karasuma Renya passed away 40 years ago at the age of 99, and this villa and the large number of precious works of art inside were auctioned off."
"But that auction... well, a tragedy occurred. You'll see the details later."
“After that, the villa was shrouded in ominous legends, changing owners one after another, but almost no one dared to live there.”
"And the last owner, who only recently purchased this villa, was... well, he could be considered a 'celebrity'."
When this was mentioned, Akechi changed his serious tone from when he talked about the auction tragedy, and became somewhat sarcastic.
Yoruichi Toyama and Kaito Kuroba also took the documents from his hands and quickly flipped through them.
"Daigami Shuzen? I remember this person is a detective?" Despite his young age, Kuroba Kaito, who had seen a lot, quickly realized.
He also glanced at Yoruichi Toyama.
"A gourmet detective..." Yoruichi Toyama read the text from the file with a hint of helplessness.
Are all Japanese people just being childish and delusional? It's just a private investigator, why all the fuss!
Food detective, armchair detective, forensic detective...
“This person, Daishang Zhushan,” Mingzhi added, as if to explain, “besides taking on trivial cases, he is also keen on appearing on television.”
"He was a guest on shows like 'Gourmet Kitchen,' where he would occasionally show off his mediocre cooking skills."
Dude, you've got a really sharp tongue!
Before Yoruichi could even make a comment, someone else stepped in as the straight man.
"No wonder!" Kaito Kuroba exclaimed in sudden realization. "I've never heard of this guy solving any serious cases. I was wondering how he got the title of 'famous detective'!"
“Probably because he’s a better cook in the detective world…” Akechi said.
"Is he the best at solving cases in the culinary world?" Kaito Kuroba said.
"These days, it's all about overall strength!" Yoruichi Toyama aptly summarized.
Applause is due here, hmm.
...
After their banter, the three of them resumed their research.
As Mingzhi said, apart from the fact that its owner has changed to Ōgami Shuzen and that Ōgami Shuzen himself is heavily indebted to usurers, there is nothing worth digging into about the Twilight Mansion now.
However, the tragedy 40 years ago, although it seems to have nothing to do with the present, is truly heart-wrenching.
Karasuma Renya was arguably the last member of the Karasuma family. Since there was no heir, all the collections in the Twilight Mansion were auctioned off in this villa after his death.
The auction was attended by social elites and upper-class individuals of the time, creating a very lively atmosphere.
Just as the auction was halfway through, two uninvited guests barged in.
He claimed to be a traveler who was unable to walk in the mountains due to heavy rain and wanted to take temporary shelter here.
The auctioneer initially wanted to refuse, but the two men produced some strange leaves, seemingly as a bribe.
The host then rolled those leaves into a cigarette and smoked it.
"Is it marijuana?"
Compared to Yoruichi Toyama, an ordinary young Chinese man who rarely comes into contact with drugs, Kaito Kuroba reacted much faster.
So, going abroad can broaden one's horizons, Yoruichi Toyama thought silently.
After all, China doesn't have beautiful scenery.
Mingzhi nodded silently, tapping the few lines of text on the document with his finger.
Those weren't words, but the blood flowing from living people.
...After that, everyone in the Twilight Mansion started using marijuana. Under the influence of hallucinogens, chaos ensued.
The celebrities, having lost their minds, engaged in self-harm and mutual killing, and by dawn no one had survived.
The two travelers who brought the marijuana have vanished without a trace.
Also vanished were the priceless collections of the entire Twilight Mansion.
Because the case involves too many sensitive figures, the police have blocked information from the public.
The abandoned Twilight Mansion fell into disrepair and remained untouched for a long time.
“However,” Yoruichi Toyama suggested, “is it possible that Renya Karasuma is behind this?”
"After all, his wealth was too conspicuous, so he could only transfer his assets underground by faking his death or being robbed."
Mingzhi glanced at him, his expression suggesting he was about to complain.
Kaito Kuroba is much more straightforward.
“You detective,” he said, “how can you be even more whimsical than me, a magician?”
"Karasuma Renya was a 99-year-old man at the time, wasn't he?"
"Even if he's not really dead, what purpose could he possibly have in doing something like this?"
"Are you planning to start a criminal organization?"
Wow, kid, you're really talented!
The great detective Ke Xue needs your kind of associative thinking.
Yoruichi Toyama thought to herself that she was being sarcastic, but on the surface she could only offer a polite smile.
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