Chapter 411: The Mermaid Swimming Upstream in Front of the Waterfall
Running all the way down the mountain, Shimabukuro Kimie was very confused.
If it weren't for the slight pain from the leaves hitting her face, she would have thought that everything that had just happened was a dream.
Even after returning to the shrine along the secret path, Shimabukuro Kimie still couldn't believe it. But as the time was almost up, she had no time to think about it and could only quickly change into the shrine maiden's costume. Then, accompanied by other shrine maidens, she brought the dugong arrow to the open space under the Mermaid Waterfall and began to prepare for the awarding ceremony.
When Youye and others came down from the mountain, many tourists had already gathered here, and the villagers on the island helped to build the venue and light the sacred fire.
The ceremony was about to begin and the noisy crowd gradually quieted down.
Shimabukuro Kimie was a little dazed as she looked at the burning divine fire, but fortunately she had already prepared herself mentally when she made the revenge plan, so there were no flaws on her appearance at this time.
By the time the ceremony began, she had completely returned to normal.
She held three dugong arrows solemnly and asked the three chosen people to come forward.
Naoko Kuroe and another lucky person walked out of the crowd excitedly, but the third person never showed up.
Shimabukuro Kimie forced herself not to look at the waterfall behind her, because she knew that the third person was hanging there.
She waited for a moment and urged the third person several times according to the procedure, but he never came forward.
"Isn't the other person Shoumei? Where is she?"
"Yes, doesn't she believe in the legend of mermaids? Shouldn't she give up the dugong arrow?"
The villagers who knew the situation couldn't help but talk about it.
Suzuki Sonoko looked around and sighed regretfully: "If I had known that she didn't want the Dugong Arrow, I would have bought the number plate. What a waste!"
The Dugong Arrow is awarded based on the number tag, regardless of whether the person with the number tag has changed.
This is also what Suzuki Sonoko heard from others.
It’s a pity that Naoko Kuroe and passers-by were unwilling to sell it, and Sumi Ebihara could not be found.
Yuya stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "She was obviously very happy when she got the prize just now. She shouldn't have given up. Maybe something delayed her."
Suzuki Sonoko sighed again and looked eagerly at the two lucky people who were waiting with joy in the center of the venue.
Hattori Heiji and Conan were also a little worried about the fact that Sumi Ebihara had not appeared yet, and this scene was really familiar. Many cases started like this before they happened.
Thinking that they heard what seemed to be screams on the mountain, everyone went up to check but found nothing. They only found strange drag marks and a small amount of fish scales on the shore. There was obviously something weird about the situation.
Hattori Heiji couldn't help but whispered: "Will something happen?"
Conan also had a bad feeling, but he still retorted, but his voice was a little weak: "Don't curse others..."
Saori Kadowaki is already missing, and if another Sumi Ebihara appears... wouldn't their trip be ruined?
This trip was paid for by Hattori Heiji, how nice it was to get it for free.
After waiting for a long time, the third person still did not show up.
Although it is rare for someone to draw a number but not come to collect the arrow, it does happen.
Shimabukuro Kimie let out a sigh, thinking that the man must be dead. So she pretended to be helpless and announced the start of the ceremony.
After awarding two dugong arrows to the two people, Shimabukuro Kimie announced the next step, lighting the "Light of Blessing".
The so-called blessing light is actually a firework that will burst into bright flames. It will rise into the air and explode under the waterfall, then illuminate the entire waterfall, symbolizing a bright future for the person who draws the dugong's arrow.
At the same time, this firework is also part of Shimabukuro Kimie's revenge plan.
The villagers lit fireworks, and as the flames exploded into the sky, Shimabukuro Kimie also began to chant blessing spells.
But immediately, the crowd began to stir.
Everyone was originally watching the fireworks, but as the fireworks exploded, under the bright light, they saw a figure hanging in front of the waterfall.
People with good eyesight immediately recognized it. It was the third lucky person who was hit by the dugong's arrow, Ebihara Sumi, who immediately screamed in fear.
Originally, she was supposed to be holding the dugong arrow, standing in front of everyone to receive the witch's blessing, but at this moment, she was hung in front of the waterfall with a rope around her neck and one hand raised high.
Her slender figure and the dress that clung to her legs after getting wet made her look like a mermaid swimming upstream against a waterfall...
……
More than ten minutes later, Youya and others followed the mountain road again and came to the river above the waterfall.
Hattori Heiji couldn't help but look at the strange mark and frowned.
Arriving at the waterfall, Yuya and Hattori Heiji pulled the rope together and pulled up Sumi Ebihara who was hanging below.
One end of the rope was tied to a thick wooden stake and nailed firmly to the shore, and the other end was wrapped around Sumi Ebihara's body, binding her neck and raised arms.
Yuya put the body by the river, and Hattori Heiji and Conan hurriedly moved closer to observe the rope tied to the body.
The thick hemp rope was wrapped around Sumi Ebihara's chest, tightly binding her neck and arms together. One could even see that her raised arms were somewhat deformed.
It looked as if someone had slipped and fallen into a turbulent river, then got entangled in a rope, and then was washed down the waterfall by the current, and finally hanged there until they found him when the fireworks exploded into the sky.
Hattori Heiji and Conan were a little annoyed. When they just came up, they guessed that someone had fallen into the water, but they didn't find anyone in the river. Why didn't they think of checking carefully by the waterfall?
If it had been discovered at that time, we should still have been able to save people, right?
But we can’t blame them. After all, who could have thought that a person who fell into the water would be hung in front of the waterfall by a safety rope?
Normally, you would think that you were being washed down a waterfall, right?
And when they got down there, no one noticed anyone falling.
I just put the matter aside for the time being and assumed that the person who screamed had run away in fright.
Yuya looked at the body on the ground without saying a word, his expression was very calm, no different from when he usually faced a crime scene.
Suddenly his expression changed, and he squatted down and grabbed Ebihara Sumi's wrist.
Hattori Heiji and Conan looked at this scene in surprise.
Yuya felt it carefully for a while, then checked her breath, his face changed and he shouted: "There's still a pulse, she's not dead!"
Shimabukuro Kimie's sad expression suddenly froze, and she looked at Yuya in disbelief.
The crowd suddenly became agitated.
"What did you say?!" The two detectives, one big and one small, widened their eyes in surprise. They were tangled up in hemp ropes with their arms twisted, but they were still alive?
This person's life is so important?
Didn’t they regret it in vain?
"But he has stopped breathing. We need to do CPR immediately!"
Yuya said and looked at Hattori Heiji.
Hattori Heiji was stunned and gave Yuya a big question mark: "What are you looking at me for? Hurry up!"
Youya was silent for a moment and said, "I won't..."
This was of course a lie, he just didn't want to save someone who had taken a life and had not repented.
"Ah?!" Hattori Heiji widened his eyes. No way, you are a famous detective, but you don't even know basic life-saving skills like cardiopulmonary resuscitation?
"Get out of the way, I'm here!" A middle-aged man wearing glasses rushed over, "I'm a doctor!"
The three detectives quickly stepped aside to avoid disturbing the enthusiastic doctor who was saving lives.
As Yuya stepped back, he glanced at Shimabukuro Kimie secretly and found that her expression was surprised but also relieved, but her hands were clenched tightly.
Yuya sighed in his heart: I'm sorry, I have to stop your revenge plan.
You can't ruin the rest of your life for someone like that.