In the second year of Wanyan (1861), January 17, night——
Edo, Kanazawa family residence——
"Brother! Brother! Brother!"
"Um?"
Kanazawa Chusuke, who was completely immersed in the file in his hand, was awakened by the call of his sister Kanazawa Qin.
"Xiaoqin, what's wrong?"
He turned his head as if he had just woken up from a dream, and looked at his sister standing behind him.
"You actually have the nerve to ask me what's wrong..."
Kanazawa Qin put her hands on her hips and said dissatisfied:
"Look how long you have been sitting in front of the table? At least an hour, right? Didn't you promise me that you would stand up and move around every half an hour you sat in front of the table? Be careful like your father.
That way, you will suffer from back problems at a young age!"
Kanazawa Chusuke was startled, then turned to look at a candle lamp placed on the corner of the table. The originally brand-new and complete candle body was now only a small piece the size of a thumb.
"Ah, sorry sorry!"
Kanazawa Chusuke touched his head and showed an apologetic wry smile to his sister.
"I was concentrating on the investigation, but I accidentally got too involved and even forgot about the time..."
Check - Hearing these words, Qin's eyes suddenly flickered slightly.
"The love affair... still has no progress?"
"Ah... um."
Zhongsuke hesitated for a moment, then nodded gently.
"After all, there are very few clues, and this is not the only case I have on hand. I have other cases to take care of."
"However, there is still some progress in the situation - I already know what force is secretly selling this medicine."
"Oh?" Qin blinked curiously, "What kind of force is it?"
"I can't tell you this."
Zhongfu smiled.
"I can't reveal confidential information to ordinary people who have nothing to do with you."
"what the hell……"
Although she was complaining, Qin was very self-aware and did not ask any more questions.
The "medicine" and "eucalyptus" mentioned by Tadatsuki were the "strange red-purple pills" that he had been investigating carefully since the end of the "Kai Mountain Bandit Crusade".
At that time, when the leader of the Souma clan, Yokokura Keinosuke, was forced into a desperate situation by Aoto, he swallowed a red and purple pill with a strange color, and then his whole person became abnormal.
He is not afraid of pain, has weird emotions, and looks like crazy. After suffering serious injuries that ordinary people would faint from the pain even if they did not die suddenly on the spot, he can actually continue to fight with a knife like a normal person...
This is not the first time Qingdeng has seen this strangely colored pill.
When he had just traveled to this world and arrested Xunzaburo who had killed the woman he had been secretly in love with for decades.
During the fireworks display, when he killed the insane Tada Koemon who was killing innocent people on the street, Aoden had seen this weird pill.
It would be fine if I only met him once, but I met him three times in a row, and all the people I met who had this medicine had one thing in common: their emotional state was like that of a madman with a broken head.
Anyone with a normal IQ should be able to sense that there is something wrong with this medicine.
Adhering to the simple idea of "doing business first", Aoto collected all the pills on Yokokura Kinosuke's body, and then reported the existence of the pills to his superiors.
What a coincidence: Zhongsuke also knew this medicine.
One of his drinking buddies, with whom he had a fairly good friendship, bought a special painkiller from nowhere in order to suppress his pain.
According to this person, the effect of this painkiller is very significant.
Just take one pill and your whole body will feel comfortable, and you will no longer feel any pain or discomfort.
And the shape of this painkiller... is exactly the same as the strange pill Qingdeng handed over!
After Tadashi's drinking buddy started taking the painkiller, he gradually became mentally disordered and behaved strangely.
In the end, he was stabbed to death for picking trouble with a group of samurai on the street for no reason.
Zhongsuke strongly suspected that it was this strange pill that caused his friend's mental problem!
Tadashi is a warm-blooded man who is famous for his loyalty and affection.
He immediately decided to investigate this drug thoroughly!
Find out what this medicine is and who or what force is selling it!
So, he took the initiative to apply to his superiors for the job.
Someone recommended himself, and his superiors were naturally happy and relaxed. They readily approved Zhongsuke's application.
For more than a month, Zhongfu has been investigating this drug wholeheartedly and day and night.
Many times, I am so busy that I don’t even bother to eat.
It is very common to sit in front of a desk like this now, flipping through files and losing track of time.
"Brother, it's important to do the funeral..."
Qin put her hands behind her back, twisted her fingers tightly, turned her head to the side, avoiding eye contact with her brother, her fair right foot without socks crossed a semi-arc, and was placed behind her left foot, tapping her small toes.
Tatami continued the words coyly:
"But you must also remember to balance work with rest... If you are exhausted, don't expect me to take care of you."
Looking at his sister who obviously cared about him but didn't dare to look at him because of her strange pride and shame, a gentle smile gradually appeared on Tadashi's cheeks.
"Okay, okay."
Zhongsuke raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
"I understand. I will pay more attention to it in the future. I have to cherish my body more than you think."
"Humph!" Qin folded her hands on her chest and snorted coldly, "When did you not say that? It's true!"
Zhongsuke smiled helplessly.
At this moment, from the corner of his right eye, he suddenly caught a glimpse of the scenery outside the window next to him.
It snowed lightly this evening.
The scattered snowflakes covered the land of Edo with a layer of elegant silver.
Zhongsuke looked out the window, and then looked at his sister who was still having an awkward moment.
"...Xiaoqin, let's go for a walk."
As he spoke, he took off the thick feather fabric from the hanger.
"Huh?" Qin asked in surprise, "Why did you invite me out so suddenly?"
"Didn't you just say that? We need to balance work and rest. I have been too busy with work recently and haven't had a good rest for a long time. The weather tonight is very good, it is a sunny day, and it is not very cold either.
It's suitable for going out for a walk. Besides...it's been a long time since we two brothers and sisters chatted together."
"Well..." Hesitation appeared on Qin's pretty face.
"What?" Zhongsuke put on a playful expression, "Don't you want to take a walk with your brother? Or are you saying that you are not free now?"
"...Brother, please wait for me while I go change my clothes."
…
…
The Kanazawa brother and sister walked side by side on an embankment with pretty good scenery.
"What a comfortable wind..." Zhongsuke took a deep breath, "I really hope we can have such good weather every day."
"Brother, you are obviously a lot older, but you still always say things that sound like a child."
Qin covered her mouth and teased.
"What do you mean by being old?" Zhongsuke asked angrily, "I'm only in my early twenties this year, okay? It's at the peak of a man's prime."
The two brothers and sisters chatted about topics that seemed to have some content but also seemed to have no content.
From today's weather to recent trivial matters in life, then to the recently popular kabuki actors, and then to the beautiful swords that I happened to encounter in the blacksmith shop a while ago...
Although they talked about some random things, none of them found this time boring.
At this moment, Qin, who was quietly listening to his brother's talk, suddenly stopped and his expression went blank.
Her eyes were staring straight at a tall figure not far ahead.
The owner of this back figure is about 1.75 meters tall. Although the ridge is not very broad, it inexplicably gives people a very reliable feeling.
A back view full of masculine charm...
A particularly familiar figure from the back...
In the next breath, Qin's body seemed to get rid of the control of consciousness and started to act automatically——
She hurried forward... no, she stepped towards the direction of the back, and shouted: "Tangerine..."
After just a few syllables, the owner of the back figure turned the corner and revealed his profile.
He has narrow eyes, a wide and flat nose, and a slightly dark complexion due to being in the sun for a long time.
A face full of Satsuma characteristics...
Not that man’s face…
"..." Qin took back her outstretched hand with a look of disappointment.
"Xiaoqin, what's wrong?" Zhongsuke asked, following his sister's gaze.
Then, he saw the Satsuma man whose back looked like someone.
Zhongsuke's expression was stunned.
He instantly understood what was going on with his sister's abnormal reaction just now...
For a while, no one spoke anymore.
The harmonious atmosphere that originally filled the relationship between the brother and sister disappeared.
Just as Zhongsuke was thinking hard about what to say and what to do to lift the heavy atmosphere... Qin took the initiative and said:
"Brother, still... you haven't found Mr. Tachibana?"
"Uh...this...this..."
Tadatsuki hesitated, thinking about how to give his sister a decent and concise answer.
But after a moment, he slumped his shoulders in a self-defeating manner and let out a long sigh.
"I, my grandson-kun, and Mizushima-kun have all used their magical powers...but they still haven't found Tachibana-kun..."
"Is that so..." Qin lowered her head and eyelids, her steps no longer as cheerful and relaxed as before.
When Zhongsuke saw this, he immediately shifted his gaze at a loss.
In order to restore his sister's good mood, he took a deep breath and added:
"But! Xiaoqin, you don't have to look like this!"
"Although we haven't found Tachibana-kun yet, what is certain at the moment is that Tachibana-kun is not dead! At least he did not die in the fire at Kodenma Town Prison Yashiki!"
"The officers from the administrative office, the town fire department and the prison police have searched all the ruins of Kodenma Town, but they have not found Tachibana-kun's body. This means that Tachibana-kun did not die in the fire that night!"
"The reason why Mr. Orange disappeared and has not shown up until now... According to my grandson's inference, the most likely reason is that Mr. Orange is lurking somewhere to recuperate!"
"Recuperate?" Qin tilted her head.
"Well, yes! This is what my grandson thought: On the night when the prison house in Kodenma Town was on fire, Tachibana-kun tried his best to escape, but fell to the ground due to lack of physical strength."
"Fortunately, at this critical moment, someone or a force who was close to Mr. Orange arrived, rescued Mr. Orange, and took him to a secluded place for treatment."
"Due to the severe injuries on his body, Mr. Tachibana is still in a coma or has difficulty moving, so he has not appeared in public until now."
"And the person or force that rescued Tachibana-kun also did not disclose Tachibana-kun's current location for some reasons."
Qin listened carefully to the end.
"Brother, is there any basis for my grandson's conclusion...?"
"Uh..." Zhongsuke smiled awkwardly, "Hahaha... To be honest - there is no solid basis, it is entirely my Sun Tzu-kun's personal conjecture and intuition."
After hearing this, Qin immediately flattened her red lips in frustration.
"What... there is no defensible basis - isn't that just making it up?"
"That's true...but don't underestimate my grandson! My grandson has a very good mind and a lot of experience in business affairs, so what he said is still worthy of reference!"
Although what I just heard was just the hypothesis of my grandson Chutaro, and not an ironclad theory with actual evidence, the expression on Qin's face improved a lot after listening to it.
Mr. Orange is still alive - this sentence is the best comfort for Qin at the moment.
"Speaking of which... although I have met my grandson several times, I have never been very familiar with him... I only know that he is a master of breaking eucalyptus and is very smart..."
As if trying to hypnotize herself, "My grandson Chutaro is a well-known 'famous detective', so his words can be believed," Qin kept talking about all the great things about my grandson.
"Haha... my grandson..." Zhongsuke shrugged with a strange expression, "Actually, I don't know him very well either."
Qin suddenly opened her eyes in surprise.
"Brother, aren't you and my grandson very close friends?"
Zhongsuke raised his eyebrows:
"Do you have to know each other's ins and outs to be friends? You're not asking for a wife."
"Although my grandson always smiles and is very easy to get along with, I have never seen him interact with anyone, and he rarely discloses his private life to outsiders. So, let alone me, even if he has the same relationship with others,
Even Tachibana-kun and Mizushima-kun, whom he has a close relationship with, know very little about him.”
Qin nodded as if understanding, and then sighed softly:
"I originally thought that... Mr. Tachibana, who is as smart as my grandson, would be able to deduce Mr. Tachibana's whereabouts based on the clues left at the fire scene..."
"Hahaha! My grandson is indeed very smart, but no matter how smart he is, he is still a human being, not a god!"
After laughing to his heart's content, Zhongsuke raised his big, thick palm and patted Qin's shoulder.
"Qin, don't worry, Mr. Tachibana is definitely still alive. Maybe tomorrow, he will appear in front of us alive and kicking."
"Brother..." Looking at Zhongsuke who had a confident smile on his face and tried his best to comfort her, a soft smile gradually appeared on Qin's face.
"so what--"
At this time, Zhongsuke put on a bad smile.
"When Tachibana comes back to us safely, stop hesitating and holding back. Go boldly pursue Tachibana!"
"Varied……?!"
In an instant, Qin's cheeks were stained with red clouds.
"Brother, brother, brother, brother, brother! You, you, you, you, you, what are you talking about! I, I am to Mr. Orange... I am to Mr. Orange..."
"Don't lie, don't quibble."
Zhongsuke made a serious face.
"Who do you think I am? I am the eldest brother who grew up with you! Don't I know about your little thoughts? In front of me, you don't have to be evasive or secretive! Tell me, you
You like Mr. Ju very much, right?"
"I...I...I..."
Qin hesitated, her head lowered to the limit, and her chin almost touched her plump chest.
Looking from Tadashi's perspective, Qin's face can no longer be seen, only her delicate red ears can be seen.
"to be honest!"
Zhongsuke pressed forward step by step.
"I...I...I...Xi, Xifan..."
Because she was too nervous, Qin accidentally bit her tongue and ate the screw.
After such a big embarrassment, her ears, which were exposed to Zhongsuke's sight, immediately became even redder, as if they were about to bleed at any time.
Seeing that Qin finally told the truth and expressed his true feelings, Tadashi grinned and smiled happily.
"That's right! Since you like someone, you should say it openly and bravely! What's the matter with keeping it in your heart?"
"I've known for a long time that you like Mr. Orange."
"You obviously like him very much, why don't you pursue him boldly and proactively?"
"Every time I see you being gentle and never taking the initiative, I feel anxious in my heart!"
"I...what's the point of pursuing Mr. Orange..." Qin bit her lower lip, "Even if I don't hesitate and try my best to show my kindness to Mr. Orange, Mr. Orange will not like me..."
"Brother, you have never practiced swordsmanship at the Little Chiba Sword Hall, so you probably don't know something. Tachibana-kun and the daughter of the Little Chiba Sword Hall...that is, the 'most beautiful woman in Edo' Chiba Sunako."
The relationship is very good."
"Most of the people in the Chiba Sword Hall, including me, can tell that Tachibana-kun likes Miss Saunako."
"And Miss Zuo Nazi... I'm sure: Miss Zuo Nazi has a good impression of Mr. Tachibana."
"This man is a talented man and a beautiful woman, and we are in love with each other...how can I get involved..."
Having said this, Qin stretched out her hand to smooth her hair on her temples, and then let out a few self-deprecating laughs.
"No matter how hard I try... I am still just 'Little Zuo Nazi'... I cannot replace the real Zuo Nazi's position in Mr. Ju's heart..."
As soon as Qin finished speaking, Chutaro curled his lips in disdain.
"Bullshit 'Little Zuo Nazi'! You are you, and Miss Zuo Nazi is Miss Zuo Nazi! You are two completely different people!"
"Miss Zuo Nazi is indeed an outstanding woman full of charm, but Xiaoqin, you also have your own unique charm!"
Qin raised her little face, whose red glow was gradually fading, and stared straight at her brother.
"Oh? For example? Is there anything attractive that I have that Miss Sanako doesn't have?"
"Uh... well... for example... for example... for example... for example... for example..."
Zhongsuke "talked about it" for a long time, but he still couldn't come up with a word with detailed content.
The atmosphere is getting colder and the eyes are getting colder...
Qin narrowed her eyes and gave Zhongsuke a cold gaze.
"Brother... you are terrible... At this time, you have to tell me one thing that makes me better than Miss Zuo Nazi, right?"
Zhongsuke's face turned red from suppressing his emotions. In order to deal with the embarrassing situation, he said urgently:
"Zongzong, anyway! Since you like Mr. Ju, don't hide it! Take the initiative to pursue him!"
"Anyway, Mr. Ju is not married yet and has no fiancée. You still have a great chance!"
"Tachibana-kun is roughly the same age as me, so I know how to attract men of this age. I can teach you..."
Qin's sigh interrupted Zhongsuke's words.
"Oh...brother, stop talking."
"I... don't want to think about such long-term things now. I just hope that Mr. Orange can come back safely as soon as possible. Other than that, I have no other thoughts."
"Xiao Qin, you..." Zhongsuke planned to say something more, but after seeing Qin's expression at this time, he forced the words that had already flowed to his mouth back into his stomach.
The two brothers and sisters were silent and walked quietly...
After a long time passed like this——
"If Tachibana-kun returns safely... I will consider working hard to create a close marriage between the Kanazawa family and Tachibana-kun..."
Suddenly, a soft word spoken in a timid tone dominated Tadashi's ears.
Zhongsuke was stunned for a moment, then turned his head hurriedly, looking at his sister next to him in shock and surprise.
At this moment, Qin's delicate little face was once again filled with a shy blush.
After Zhongsuke looked over, she reached out and grabbed a handful of hair from her temples, as if to cover up her shyness, and used the hair to cover half of her face.
"When that time comes...brother, you have to teach me how to attract a man of your age..."
"Hahahaha!" Zhongsuke looked up to the sky and laughed, his laughter full of joy and relief, "Of course! No problem! I will teach you everything you have! If necessary, I can also be your 'spy'
, help you find out what Mr. Orange’s preferences are!”
The harmonious atmosphere was like ripples caused by the wind blowing through a calm lake, centering on the two harmonious brothers and sisters, and spreading in all directions.
There is an atmosphere of harmony and friendliness all around.
However...in the next moment, everything changed.
In this small space, dominated by the Kanazawa brothers and sisters, a tense atmosphere instantly arose that made people gasp.
The person who created this atmosphere was Tadashi.
Tadashi, who had been laughing happily until just now, suddenly changed color on his face.
He suddenly became extremely solemn, and there was no joke in his solemn expression.
Tadashi turned his head and stared at the shadow in front of him. At the same time, he raised his hand at lightning speed and grasped the saber at his waist.
Brother, what's wrong? Qin originally wanted to ask this, but at this moment, she suddenly heard the sound of someone's breath and footsteps coming from the side in front of her... that is, where Zhongsuke was currently staring!
"who?!"
While she was drinking, she lowered her body weight and got into a fighting stance.
Snap, snap, snap...
The light but powerful footsteps were like rhythmic bells, hitting the hearts of the brother and sister one after another.
"Oh~ As expected of the 'Huo Fu Dog' and 'Xiao Zuo Na Zi', their senses are sharp."
A young man with a delicate face and tall figure, holding a red sheath knife in his hand, slowly walked out of the shadows.
"Mr. Kanazawa Chusuke, Miss Kanazawa Qin, when we meet for the first time, you can call me Rakshasa."
As the young man...that is, Rakshasa's words fell, Zhongsuke and Qin heard commotion coming from around them.
Like cicadas emerging from the ground, a dozen figures emerged from the darkness around the brother and sister.
Without exception, these people are all warriors armed with double swords.
In just a blink of an eye, Tadashi and Qin were surrounded by unknown people.
"Who are you?"
Tadashi, who saw that the opponent was not a good person, drew the knife in his hand.
Qin also pulled out the wakizashi that she carried with her at the same time.
Even the daughter of a samurai family is not allowed to wear a sword, so this wakizashi is the only weapon on Qin's body.
"The dog of fire..." Rakshasa sighed softly, "You know too much... I can't allow you to continue investigating..."
The words have not yet fallen——
Peng!
A huge kicking sound resounded throughout the world!
I saw Rakshasa stomping on his hind legs. He was obviously nearly ten steps away from the Kanazawa brothers and sisters, but only a moment later, he appeared in front of Tadatsuki and Qin, as fast as teleporting!
ever!
The sound of the sword being drawn and the two sword lights burst out almost simultaneously.
The silver-white sword light and... the red blood splashed by the sword light were so dazzling in the dark night.
Thump, thump...
Zhongsuke and Qin, who were each stabbed once, fell limply in a pool of blood.
*******
*******
Rakshasa: I came out to collect the appearance fee~~
Today is a big chapter of nearly 7,000 words, so please vote for me! By tomorrow, our orange will be back - guess where the orange is now?
Please give me monthly votes! Please vote for recommendations! (Leopard Head Cries.jpg)
This chapter has been completed!