books44 Chapter 321 The Origin of Prisoners
Chapter 321 The Origin of Prisoners
The two, each burdened with their own thoughts, walked along the mountain path, one after the other. Along the way, they occasionally encountered a few residents who habitually went to worship, and brushed past Dokyo Masahiko, who had come in pursuit of Suzuki Sonoko, without exchanging many pleasantries.
The abbot gave them all the directions, and Fanze Zhenren led the way. Heimen Yaoye followed behind. After turning a few corners, they suddenly realized that the street scene nearby was becoming more and more familiar.
'That shop mentioned in the clue, could it be...?'
The sounds of their argument could be heard from across the street, one high and one low, a chorus of whispers from the villagers.
"...When the time comes, the time comes. There are no excuses."
"You keep raising the prices, claiming they're to protect residents? Protect what?!"
"The recent spate of murders!"
The two exchanged a glance, then strode off, following the sound to the scene of the incident.
In front of the grocery store, a stainless steel spatula stand lay haphazardly on the ground. A woman with cheaply dyed burgundy hair, dressed in revealing, tight-fitting clothes, and dressed like a typical hostess, stood with her hands on her hips in front of the store, a cigarette dangling from her hand, confronting the shop owner.
"call--"
Taking advantage of the landlady's attention turning to Fan Ze, she took the opportunity to exhale a large puff of smoke into the landlady's face, causing her to cough.
"Hahaha, what do old, faded mothers-in-law know about etiquette? Times have changed, and now you have to pay the price if you want to live a good life!"
"Cough cough cough, you rascal!"
The proprietress gripped the rough broom tightly, glanced at the black-suited bodyguard protecting the hostess, and her aura immediately weakened. She could only glare at the hostess with hatred.
"They are the local yakuza group in Izumo, the Cloud Mud Society." Just as Fanzawa Masato was getting angry, he heard the intelligence being whispered in his ear. "A year ago, in order to control the yakuza forces near Kyoto, the Mud Society sent some members to Izumo to set up camp. After incorporating and taming the local yakuza, they established the Cloud Mud Society, a subsidiary force of theirs."
"This woman is one of the many mistresses of the boss of your town. It won't be a big deal if you drive her away."
Smugly accepting the astonished gaze of Fanze, Heimen Yaoye blinked his right eye, loosened his collar, and feigned humility, saying:
"Why are you looking at me like that? With a mission to complete, gathering intelligence on local forces is a small matter that the shop owner and I can easily handle during our vacation."
"Humph..."
Fan Ze pushed him away and walked towards the scene of the conflict, but couldn't hide the smile on his lips:
"That's enough. Do you really think everyone is an easy target for your plundering of oil?"
"Ha! And who do you think you are?" The hostess was adjusting the gold bracelet on her wrist, which was as thick as a red bean. Upon hearing this, she swung her purse at Fan Ze's head.
Without even shifting his steps, Master Fanze dodged the attack and appeared in front of her in a flash. He grabbed her wrist and with a little force, made her weak and sore on the ground from the pain.
The bodyguard next to him wanted to step forward to help, but was blocked by a figure. A chilling killing intent locked onto him from green eyes, and he was like a frog being shone with a flashlight, unable to move.
"Auntie, are you alright?"
"Little Master Fanze... I'm fine, you don't need to get involved in this kind of thing."
One of the bodyguards in black on the other side seemed to recognize Fan Ze: "Boss, that's... his son, the suspect in this murder case!"
"what?!"
The hostess gasped, quickly stood up, and spat on the ground: "Tch. You've been lucky these past few days. Next time it won't be so easy!" Then, she swaggered away with two burly men, limping as they went.
After being helped up by Fanze, the shop owner took a step back, avoiding his gaze, and turned the conversation to Kuromon Haruya:
"Oh? I bought a lot of stuff earlier, sorry for the trouble!"
“No.” Kuromon Haruya helped lift the shelf as he walked closer with Hanzawa. “We were just looking for someone too.”
"Auntie, I've come to ask you something about Uncle. Is he home?"
"...this."
The proprietress glanced instinctively towards the back of the shop, then turned back, her eyes darting around, her fingernails trembling slightly as she gripped the broom. "He...he's not here. I don't know where he went drinking. Little Master, why don't you come back another day?"
"I have something very important to do. Why don't you give me his number and I'll call him now?"
"That's too much trouble and costs money. I just need to deliver a message..."
"Wenhua, let it go!"
A rough, hoarse voice drifted from inside the shop. A tall man with hair that covered his eyes and neat but unkempt beard and hair, clutching a beer bottle, lifted the curtain and waved in their direction: "Come on in."
The proprietress clutched her chest: "But!"
"Sigh! Those who need to know will know eventually. Let them in."
"Then excuse me."
Stepping onto the unfamiliar tatami mats, Kuromon and his companion followed the shop owner up to the second floor of the general store.
Pulling open the cabinet door, the shop owner casually tossed over two cushions, grabbed a bottle of liquor, and plopped down on the floor. As he chugged the liquor down his throat, his eyes, hidden behind his bangs, locked onto Fan Ze Zhenren:
"You're Fanze's son, aren't you? Good lad, you're just like your father when he was young."
Fanze Zhenren slapped his thigh and sat up straight: "You know my father?"
"Didn't you come here because of his matter?"
The shop owner grinned, and seeing that he didn't object, he took another swig: "Go ahead, what do you want to ask? I'll tell you anything I remember."
"I want to know what exactly happened to my father back then, how he lived in prison, whether he is dead or alive?"
"Hmph, that's a very long story."
When it came time to truly immerse himself in the memories, the shop owner carefully put down the bottle, not daring to let his drunkenness disturb that regrettable time.
"Your father gives off the same impression as you at first glance—ordinary and seemingly difficult to get along with. But once you actually get to know him, no one in the entire prison dislikes him."
He was thoughtful and considerate, gentle and polite, yet neither servile nor arrogant. If you had any difficulties, just plead with him and play the victim, and he'd readily agree to anything. To be honest, when anyone first heard of his crimes, no one could imagine he was a heinous criminal who murdered and dismembered a body.
During your time in prison, your dad mostly talked about his wife and you, but he only seemed truly alive when he talked about you. The rest of the time... how should I put it? He was like a broken spine, living like a walking corpse.
Squeak—
The cracking sound of his joints dislocating was heard, and the veins on Fanze Zhenren's fist, clenched on his knee, bulged, drawing the attention of the shop owner.
"Life in prison was both long and short, and everything was so boring!... That's why I remember that day so clearly."
He was clearly gazing at the clear blue sky outside the window, but beneath the shadow of his bangs, his eyes flashed with a glint of electricity.
"As everyone said, it was a stormy night that was rare in decades, and water even started dripping from the ceiling of the prison cell."
Our group of cellmates huddled together in the wind and rain when suddenly a thunderclap boomed outside, followed by a deafening earthquake. The lightning was so bright we could barely open our eyes, and by the time we realized what was happening, the walls of several cells had collapsed.
The last glimmer of light was extinguished.
The cold rain pounded on my body like bullets, each one making me shiver, but what was even more terrifying was the darkness outside the cell—the mountain forest emitted waves of chilling air that numbed me from head to toe, indistinguishable from the mountain wind or the howls of wild beasts, echoing in the night.
No one dared to move, not out of submission to the law or morality, but because he knew there were a few truly vicious criminals among the prisoners who would surely escape given the chance. But they didn't.
The night sky loomed far away, almost unreachable, and the gaping hole in the wall resembled a dark, gaping door.
He even thought no one would leave, until a bolt of lightning ripped through the night sky. Suddenly, as if subconsciously receiving a starting signal, everyone rushed out, rain mixed with ice pellets and pebbles, making one wish they had more eyelids. In the wind and rain, he felt a deep fear of nature and the darkness, a nakedness, the illusion of standing there completely defenseless, a feeling that could break a person in just a second.
“I desperately wanted to find someone to escape with, and then I remembered your father. As if possessed, I ran back a few steps and grabbed him, trying to get him to run with me. But the man stood there like a stalactite growing from a latrine, shook his head at me, and said while drinking rainwater:”
'No, I'm staying here. I want to wait until the day I'm released from prison, to see Shinichi Kudo openly and honestly, and to get an answer from him.'
Then there was another clap of thunder, and I escaped, not knowing where I went. The next day, dazed and confused, the prison guards found me and told me that a corner of the prison had collapsed, and they hadn't found the inmate.
"..."
Fanze Zhenren chuckled softly, shrugging his shoulder. "Maybe my dad went to become a fugitive."
"impossible!"
The shop owner's explosive rebuttal was like a thunderclap. He himself was startled, took a few steps forward, and placed a deep, heavy weight on Fan Ze's shoulder: "Unfortunately, that's almost impossible. Because your father was that kind of person, the kind who would rather die than escape..."
“Then,” Fanze choked up, lowered his head and wiped his face with his sleeve, “do you know what answer he wants from Shinichi Kudo?”
"I don't know either. But roughly, maybe they want to know what the way out is."
"Ha, is that so?" Fan Ze tried to move his facial muscles, but could only manage a dry laugh.
Forced to the edge of a cliff by someone, with all his struggles crushed and meaningless, he desperately wanted to know—in this situation, what would Shinichi Kudo do? How could he preserve his own happiness?
The shop owner scratched his face, looking bewildered, his eyes darting around: "Uh... but maybe he was swept away by the mudslide and lost his memory, and he's living somewhere else!"
"...Thank you for telling me this."
Fan Ze shook his head, staggered to his feet, and bowed deeply with the help of Hei Men Yao Ye: "We've disturbed you, we'll take our leave now."
"You—" The shop owner reached out to stop them, but couldn't utter a single word. He watched them close the door for a moment before finally speaking:
“Real person, I believe you didn’t commit the crime, but you’ve come back at the wrong time. Too many shady characters have been popping up in town lately.”
"If possible... leave as soon as possible and come back later. This town is too conservative. Nobody cares if you are innocent. Everyone only cares about whether everything can be changed and return to its original orderly and peaceful state. Even if it's just on the surface."
Hey.
The sliding door closed, and the two pairs of footsteps walked further and further away on the stairs. Downstairs, he heard his wife calling out to see the guests off. Only then did he tilt his head back and fall to the floor, unable to recover for a long time.
......
"Mr. Kuromon, thank you for being there to witness all of this. But I need to be alone for a while, so let's leave it at that for today."
"Okay, take care."
In the pitch-black pupils of Kuromon Haruya, his soul twisted and wailed, emitting a fragrance: "If you need anything, just tell me and Narumi. At worst, we'll just handle things with the local government."
"Ha, that's an exaggeration."
Fan Ze forced a smile, raised his hand to wave goodbye as he walked away, returning home following the memories of riding past the same route with his parents during his childhood.
Click.
Open the door to your home.
"Then I'll take my leave." "Okay!"
Fanze Zhenren quickly apologized to the customer who had been bumped: "I'm sorry, I didn't see you just now, are you alright!"
Holding a camera, the person, who seemed to be a guest of her cousin's classmate, waved her hand and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing." She quickly slipped out through the crack in the door.
hum-
My phone vibrated; it was a message from Asagi Narumi:
Just in case, have you prepared a gift for Kosaki's birthday the day after tomorrow? I heard they're going to celebrate at a nearby mountaintop restaurant, so I thought I'd ask you.
Ah, it's Saki's birthday! ...I even forgot about that, how irresponsible of me.
"Real person?"
Before he could finish replying and put down his phone, his mother called tentatively from behind the door: "I heard about it from Renzhi. Come and talk to me."
"I heard that Mr. Mori and Ms. Ran are actually close friends or acquaintances of Shinichi Kudo, right?... Why did you keep this from me?"
"I know you've never gotten over what happened back then, right? The worst thing I did that day was to leave you there, watching your father get identified. It was all my fault..."
"Don't talk nonsense. Living under the same roof, what mother doesn't understand her child?"
“I always thought that you went to Tokyo because you really wanted to let go of your hatred and start a new life! So even though I was very worried, I fully supported you and helped you with your expenses and luggage. I hope you can find your goals while you are away from home.”
When you said you'd made a best friend, I was so happy, I almost cried. And then there's the adorable Taro.
"So promise me, child, don't do anything foolish, don't go down the path of crime, okay?"
"...Um. I won't do that."
With heavy steps, he tumbled down the stairs, one step at a time, and returned to his room. He threw himself haphazardly onto the bed and covered his face.
"But it's too late, Mom. It's all too late."
I have joined the organization and become a criminal with countless lives on my hands.
There's no turning back now.