The Corpse Collector In Conan

28: THE STRANGE MURDEROUS AURA INCREASE

Jiang Xia looked at the package sent by Sherry and took a moment to express gratitude in his mind.

Then he skillfully returned the package.

The delivery guy came with the package and left it as it was.

*****

After dismissing the person, Jiang Xia picked up his jacket. He had initially planned to continue going to the detective agency.

However, after contemplating, he put the jacket back down.

Jiang Xia instead entered the study and walked to the bookshelf, searching for a medical record.

Whenever Sherry was mentioned, he couldn't help but think of health supplements.

And when he thought of the supplements, he thought of the hospital.

And when he thought of the hospital...

He couldn't help but think of his attending physician— Kazato Kyosuke.

When Jiang Xia arrived here and was lying in the hospital, he recognized him immediately—this polite and well-mannered doctor.

Once, Kazato Kyosuke was a surgical genius.

However, during one operation, a colleague intentionally injured his hand, rendering him unable to hold a scalpel. He was forced to switch to the cardiology department.

A year ago, Kazato Kyosuke learned that that colleague had deliberately injured his hand.

In anger, he killed the colleague and staged the scene to look like a suicide, successfully fooling the police.

*****

When Jiang Xia was hospitalized a year ago, he heard that his attending physician was Kazato Kyosuke. So he cooperated fully with the treatment, hoping to take advantage of the situation and rid himself of the ghost.

However, like the other people he encountered in this world, Kazato Kyosuke had no ghost or murderous aura.

Jiang Xia was immediately disappointed.

So, after being discharged, he never went for a follow-up visit.

But now...

*****

Jiang Xia flipped through the old medical record, recalling what had happened yesterday.

After the world turned corrupt, even people who died five years ago could transform into shikigami.

So, perhaps there would be much to gain from Kazato Kyosuke?

Jiang Xia contemplated for a moment, feeling somewhat intrigued. Since he had nothing better to do, why not go to the hospital and give it a try?

*****

Soon, he opened his computer and logged into a rarely used email account.

Although Jiang Xia had been avoiding medical consultations. 

But it is Sherry, on the other hand, trying hard to improve his condition.

A year ago, when Jiang Xia's parents sacrificed their lives to save her. 

Later, when Jiang Xia was hospitalized, she knew it was directly related to that incident. Therefore, she persistently helped Jiang Xia with his appointments.

The hospital where Kazato Kyosuke worked would send patients the appointment date and important instructions a week in advance.

Jiang Xia opened his inbox, scanning through several advertisements until his gaze stopped at an email with the subject line "Beika Central Hospital."

With a glance, he noticed that the scheduled date for the appointment was today.

...A magical and convenient coincidence.

He always felt that after being able to see spirits, his luck attribute was quietly increased.

Jiang Xia stood up in a cheerful mood, grabbed his jacket, and quickly headed out.

*****

On the way, Jiang Xia's phone rang.

He checked the notification and saw that Amuro Tooru had sent him another part-time job offer.

This time, it was to work as a general helper at an izakaya.

Jiang Xia sympathized with his boss's busy life.

Then he decisively requested time off and ignored the offer.

Kazato Kyosuke was a renowned doctor, and appointments were hard to come by. 

Missing this opportunity might mean waiting for a month to get another chance.

Although he could follow Dr. Kazato after he finished work and had a conversation in disguise...

But capturing spirits wasn't just about that.

Sometimes, the right method could yield twice the result with half the effort.

Having a rare opportunity to communicate peacefully with the target, he certainly couldn't let it slip away.

*****

Upon arriving at Beika Central Hospital and entering the consultation room, Jiang Xia's gaze briefly stopped on Dr. Kazato's lower leg.

Then, with a hint of surprise, he discovered that there was indeed a shikigami clinging to it.

What was even more gratifying was that there was a high-quality murderous aura lingering around Kazato Kyosuke.

—It smelled completely like a hotpot.

And it was Jiang Xia's favorite mushroom soup base.

Jiang Xia's eyes brightened, he took a gentle breath, managed his expression, and respectfully took a seat.

*****

A year ago, after Kazato Kyosuke killed his colleague and successfully staged it as a suicide, he evaded the law.

But the good times didn't last. Due to the persistence of the deceased's family, the case was about to be reinvestigated.

Coincidentally, one of the investigators in the team happened to be Kazato Kyosuke's patient.

While receiving treatment, Kazato Kyosuke learned about this matter. Worried that his murder would be exposed, he decided to take preemptive action by killing all the officers in the investigation team and framing someone else.

Jiang Xia recalled this twist and secretly counted the number of police officers that had attracted Kazato Kyosuke's attention.

...There were quite a few.

No wonder there was so much murderous aura and such a unique taste.

*****

Inside the consultation room.

Kazato Kyosuke maintained a gentle expression and conversed with Jiang Xia, who seemed equally gentle at first glance.

However, the more they talked, the more he felt a chilling sensation behind him.

As a wise psychiatrist, Kazato Kyosuke instinctively felt that the problem lay with Jiang Xia.

Of course, he didn't think in terms of the supernatural.

Instead, he recalled some cases where patients suddenly became violent.

"...," pretending to reach for a water cup, Dr. Kazato discreetly moved closer to the desk.

At the same time, he glanced at the drawer.

Thinking about the stun gun, tranquilizer gun, and police-grade pepper spray inside... he felt more at ease.

Moreover, Kazato Kyosuke even had a real gun hidden in his bag.

—After being a renowned doctor with a wide network for many years, obtaining these items was not difficult for him.

*****

After confirming the weapons were there, he felt more assured.

When Kazato Kyosuke looked at Jiang Xia again, he resumed his kind doctor appearance and began the consultation.

Sitting next to him, Jiang Xia couldn't help but feel like there was a steaming hotpot with Kazato Kyosuke, he contemplated.

—To obtain this delicious and fragrant murderous aura, Kazato Kyosuke must not succeed in killing. Otherwise, once he succeeds, the murderous aura will be internally consumed.

However, if Kazato Kyosuke succeeds, the number of shikigami on his leg will increase.

...murderous aura or shikigami, it's always a troublesome issue for a psychic. And there isn't an option to "have them all."

*****

On the other side, Kazato Kyosuke noticed that the patient seemed absent-minded.

After chatting for a while and not achieving the desired effect, he wrote a prescription and asked Jiang Xia for a medical examination.

*****

Carrying the medical examination form, Jiang Xia walked out of the treatment room door with no intention of returning.

He had already figured out Kazato Kyosuke's situation.

Next would be the time for free choice. There was no need to look back at the question.

*****

His thoughts gradually became clear as Jiang Xia walked along the hospital corridor.

In this world, there were frequent homicides, and deaths were not uncommon.

Currently, there weren't too many cases, but that might be because Conan had just transformed into Conan and hadn't fully awakened.

After a while, there would be serial murders everywhere, and Shikigami wouldn't be hard to come by.

In comparison, the rare taste of a murderous aura couldn't be encountered every time.

Jiang Xia felt that he should take a more long-term perspective as a mature psychic.

...It had nothing to do with hotpot or not. The main thing was to consider the overall situation.

So this time, he would go for the murderous aura.

*****

After seeing Dr. Kazato, Jiang Xia felt much more at ease.

He descended the hospital stairs, unintentionally glanced downward, and saw a few familiar people coming up.

—Mouri Ran, Mouri Kogoro, and a stranger doctor holding a pot of morning glories... Of course, Conan, who never missed a beat, was there too.

Jiang Xia's steps paused, and his gaze focused on them, faintly gleaming.

In his impression, whenever Conan and the Mouri father and daughter got together, there would easily be a case.

*****

The four people who were going upstairs walked past the corner and stopped when they saw Jiang Xia.

Conan looked at Jiang Xia and then at the signboard near the staircase.

He discovered that the floor Jiang Xia was coming down from had a Pediatrics department, Pediatric Surgery, Otorhinolaryngology, and...

Psychiatry.

Conan was taken aback.

He didn't expect to see Jiang Xia in the hospital, especially in this situation where Jiang Xia was walking alone and voluntarily seeking medical treatment.

"..." The neighbor who never went to the hospital agreed to receive treatment alone?

Conan's finger moved instinctively, wanting to take out his phone and share this good news with Dr. Agasa.

As far as he knew, the doctor had been worried about this for a long time, and he was one step away from creating a psychiatry robot and throwing it into Jiang Xia's yard in the middle of the night.

However, before Conan could share the good news, his gaze unintentionally shifted, and he suddenly realized that something wasn't right.

*****

However, unfortunately, Mouri Ran and Mouri Kogoro were clearly not as observant as Conan.

Neither of them received the distress signal from Conan.

Just as Conan took a deep breath, intending to exclaim, "How strange! Is Jiang Xia going for a medical examination?" Jiang Xia, who was ahead on the stairs, spoke first.

He casually put the medical examination form into his pocket and looked at the doctor accompanying the group, asking, "What are you holding...?"

*****

He was holding a vibrant pot of morning glories in the doctor's hands.

Jiang Xia, of course, recognized this flower.

His question was to find something to say.

—Encountering Conan and Mouri Kogoro basically meant the possibility of stumbling upon a case.

And further, it meant the chance to obtain a murderous aura or shikigami.

For a psychic, it was hard not to be tempted.

Jiang Xia: "..." I need to come up with a way to join them...