Chapter 81 The Illusion of the Past 1
Conan Edogawa had suspected that Gu Ze's true identity was connected to the organization, but he didn't expect it to be this close.
The elementary school student, Death, approached slowly with his hands in his pockets, without even considering whether it was a trap set by Gu Ze.
If Gu Ze wanted to harm him, he would have died eight hundred times over by now. Why bother putting on this act every day? Conan thought to himself.
Seeing that Conan was very cooperative, Gu Ze smiled with satisfaction, pointed to the chair opposite the table, and gestured for Conan to sit down.
"Congratulations, Conan, you've found the right answer."
"Do you have to be so mysterious?" Conan said speechlessly as he sat down in the chair.
Don't you think this is fun?
"Heh, not fun!"
"That's such a pity about all the arrangements I made..." Gu Ze said regretfully, taking an envelope out of the drawer.
"What is this?" Conan picked up the envelope and examined it.
It was an old, slightly yellowed envelope, plain and unadorned, without any patterns, and completely out of place with the house.
Gu Ze said in a calm tone, "It's a letter from my third uncle."
"Bidari!" Conan exclaimed. "Can I see it?"
"certainly."
[Ding! The mysterious you are finally about to reveal your true colors!]
Shinichi Kudo's approval rating +10]
Having received Gu Ze's affirmation, Conan didn't hold back. For him now, he would be grateful for even the slightest clue about the organization.
The handwriting on the letter was elegant and graceful, each stroke meticulously imprinted on the paper.
It says on it:
My dear is my nephew!
I feel very sorry about what happened to your parents. It was all because of me that you were persecuted by the organization...
Trust your third uncle. He's been in the underworld for a long time, and I'll protect you!
...
The letter was written in simple language, yet it contained a wealth of information.
In short, it tells the story of Gu Ze's third uncle, named Xia Mudingsi, codenamed Bard, who is considered a high-ranking member of the organization.
However, he did something that led to him being hunted down by the organization, which also implicated Gu Ze's family. Gu Ze's parents died as a result, leaving only Gu Ze alive.
After reading this, Conan felt a mix of emotions. No wonder the person in front of him knew so much about the organization.
[Ding! Shinichi Kudo feels deep sympathy for your past.]
Shinichi Kudo's approval rating +5]
"Now that you've seen it, you know!" Gu Ze's eyes suddenly turned sharp, with a hint of hatred in them.
He stared intently into Conan's eyes, completely devoid of his usual affable and friendly demeanor.
He started acting.
“I am the only survivor. My father, mother and uncle were all killed by the organization.”
“Over the years, I have been investigating the organization and have accumulated certain resources and intelligence.”
"The person standing before you is an avenger! A ruthless avenger who will stop at nothing to avenge himself!"
"So, Shinichi Kudo, this is why I'm helping you."
[Ding! Shinichi Kudo's approval rating +5]
After hearing Gu Ze's words, Conan was somewhat stunned.
"Hey, how long are you two going to stay here?"
At that moment, Ai Haibara pushed open the door, instantly breaking the heavy silence between Gu Ze and Conan.
A flash of light from the hallway outside shone in, dispelling the darkness inside.
"Those three kids are making a fuss about coming to find you, you'd better hurry."
"Haha, I know, I know," Gu Ze said sheepishly, instantly returning to his usual self.
He coughed lightly and said, "I have one last thing to tell you, and it's a little related to Ai."
"According to reliable sources, the organization sent a member from the United States to investigate Sherry's defection."
"That person's code name is..."
"Vermouth!"
"What!"
A brand new liquor name code entered Conan's ears, causing his pupils to constrict.
After returning from Gu Ze's manor, Conan's life returned to normal.
However, the main storyline of the original world continues in an orderly manner.
Conan encounters Vermouth, who is disguised as Dr. Araide, as well as FBI agents Jodie and Shuichi Akai.
It's another three-choice situation, leaving our protagonist Conan, who doesn't have any cheat codes, in a complete mess. He's either suspecting this person is Vermouth today, or suspecting that person is Vermouth tomorrow.
The full moon event will be here soon.
With such a lively and exciting event, how could Gu Ze not go and watch?
So, during a holiday, Judy invited Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki to go to a hot spring inn.
Because Jodie's identity remained a mystery, Conan, worried about Ran, insisted on going with them, eventually getting his wish after receiving a few eye-rolls from Sonoko.
"We're here!" Judy said in heavily accented neon. "This hotel is very famous online, and everyone who's been here raves about it!"
The first thing you see is an old-fashioned house, a two-story Japanese-style building with a corrugated roof and wooden walls. A flag next to the door reads "Tarot Astrology Hot Spring Hotel".
This ancient architecture and tarot/astrology are completely incompatible! Who came up with this name? Conan thought to himself, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Tarot Astrology Hot Spring Hotel! The hotel where someone died!” Sonoko Suzuki said, pointing to the building.
"What? Someone died there?"
Upon hearing her words, Judy immediately panicked. "Oh my god! I didn't even notice that when I was planning the trip! That's terrible! Oh no!"
Today, Judy invited Ran and Sonoko, but this happened, and she is largely to blame.
“It’s alright, Ms. Judy,” Sonoko comforted her. “That’s exactly what this shop is all about, and I’m really interested in it too.”
"I heard the killer is a madman obsessed with astrology and magic who committed a series of murders!"
"So terrifying!" Xiaolan swallowed hard, shivering slightly.
"Don't worry, the murderer is already in jail." Sonoko patted Ran on the shoulder. "Besides, I heard that the tarot readings inside are very accurate. Ran, let's go try it."
After saying that, Sonoko pulled Ran into the hotel quickly, while Judy followed behind dejectedly, seemingly still blaming herself.
Upon entering, the four were amazed by the interior decoration of the house; the inside and outside were completely different styles!
Crystal balls, crystal pendants, butterfly specimens, and six-pointed star diagrams filled the entire reception area at the entrance.
Conan took two steps back and looked at the wall outside the house, then went back into the room. This was a completely different world.
"It looks just like Hogwarts!" Sonoko couldn't contain her excitement and took photos with Ran, leaving the registration to Judy.
The receptionist kindly checked them in and then called over a sweet-looking girl to lead them to their room.
The little girl was wearing a purple uniform, had curly hair, and pointed ears; she was probably wearing fake elf ears.
The young girl led them up the stairs and enthusiastically introduced, "Welcome to the Tarot Astrology Hot Spring Hotel. I am your personal service guide, you can call me Amethyst..."
"The hot spring area on the first floor is open 24 hours a day. If you want to experience other services, such as fortune telling, you need to call ahead to make an appointment..."
After the introduction of the amethyst, we arrived at the guest's reserved room. Unlike the heavily renovated reception area, the accommodation retained its original charm.
"Then I'll leave first. If you need anything, feel free to call me anytime."
"Wait a minute, sister." Conan called out to Amethyst before she left.
"What's wrong, little brother?" She squatted down to look Conan in the eye.
"Has a murder really happened here?" Conan asked in a low voice, trying to gather information.
"Yes, but it happened before the hotel was established." Amethyst gave a polite smile, dutifully performing her duties.
"The crime scene is right next to the divination room. Our manager has preserved that place, but you'll need to pay extra to visit it."
"But those under sixteen can't go in. You can ask your older sisters; if they're interested, I can give them a discount..."
Amethyst started promoting her services, introducing various services to Conan.
Having seen all sorts of crime scenes, Conan said he wasn't interested at all!
A minute later, Conan finally saw Amethyst off and was about to go back to his room to rest when the door across the hall suddenly opened and a familiar voice came from there.
"Wow, Conan, so you're here too!" Gu Ze, wearing a bathrobe, stood at the opposite doorway.
"Ah, you're here too... Hey, Dr. Araide!" Conan then saw Dr. Araide behind Gu Ze, and his expression instantly turned sour.
How could there be two Vermouth candidates here?! Conan was stunned, frozen in place.
The mastermind behind it all, Gu Ze, keeps his achievements and fame hidden...
"Conan, Ran... hello there." Vermouth, disguised as Dr. Araide, greeted them gently.
The people on both sides knew each other, so of course they had to come out and exchange pleasantries.
Organization codename members, FBI agents, Death God Elementary School Student... plus Gu Ze, the only one who saw through the truth.
This is so much fun! Gu Ze squinted as he watched the scene unfold.
"Gu Ze is still so handsome, it's just his height... otherwise I would definitely be smitten," Sonoko whispered to Ran.
"Sonoko, that's a bit impolite of you to say it like that."
"Don't worry, he can't hear you."
Conan, standing next to Ran: Hehe, I heard that.
Gu Ze, who has excellent hearing: Hehe, I heard it too.
It's okay, it's okay, it's okay. His real body is all legs below the neck!
"Ahem, well, I'm going to soak in the hot springs now," Gu Ze said apologetically.
Then, he winked at Conan, who immediately understood.
"Brother Gu Ze, I'm going too!" he shouted, his short legs clattering behind Gu Ze.
"Brother Gu Ze, are you alone? Isn't the new doctor coming?" Conan asked as he ran.
Gu Ze shook his head. "He said he's not interested in hot springs."
Actually, it's because men and women shouldn't touch each other!
"By the way, how do you know Dr. Araide?"
“We’ve been friends for a long time.” Gu Ze stopped and looked down at Conan.
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