The human race has one truly effective weapon, and that is the bow…

Crossbows, long spears, swords, one-handed spears, shields, battle axes, poleaxes, halberds, whips, iron rods, maces, clubs, harpoons, hooks, ropes, and fist weapons.

Upon reflection, it’s not just one, but collectively they are called the Eighteen Arms.

–Mark Twain1

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“There were no guests in this hotel from the start, except for the litigants and the two guardians. From now on, anyone attempting to leave their spot will be considered the culprit and may be arrested.”

…Is that so? Fine, I’ll play along.

Mixed with Lestrade’s response, the uproar from the people on the other end of the phone line could be heard.

Along with the sound of chair legs scraping the floor, occasional curses were heard, indicating that everyone was quite flustered.

Of course, it’s completely understandable.

Among the dozen or so people gathered in the lobby, if one doesn’t feel uneasy upon hearing that a murderer is hiding among them, it’s one of three things:

They are the culprit, they are fearless, or they are quite confident in their abilities.

If they belong to the first category, they would likely be too nervous to speak properly by now.

For me, it was regrettable that I couldn’t directly observe the expression of the culprit at this moment.

“Now, several questions might be arising in your minds.”

I decided to explain the truth of the incident in a way that matched the understanding of those listening.

“For example, who is the culprit that killed Sir Fawcett? How was the culprit able to commit murder without being seen by anyone in the perfectly sealed hotel room? If not that—”

However, everything has an order.

At this moment, it was necessary to focus sequentially on the questions that seemed most distant from the core of the incident.

“You might be wondering how the sound from an ordinary phone could resonate throughout the hotel lobby.”

A sigh could be heard from the other end of the receiver. It seemed there was someone quite perceptive among them.

“Perhaps the Post Office officials have an inkling. As you might have guessed, I am currently using Brain Stopper instead of a battery to make this call.”

As soon as I finished speaking, I could hear the postal officials murmuring.

…Indeed. If the use of Brain Stopper allows for telegraphs to be sent over long distances, it should also be possible to amplify the phone’s volume.

Is that what’s important right now?! The Minister has passed away!!

Aren’t we waiting to find out who the culprit is right now?!

Ignoring their voices, I recalled the events in London.

Leaving Watson at Scotland Yard, I went to meet the Postmaster General, stating that I needed to learn the mnemonic of the Brain Stopper for the investigation.

‘You want to recreate Brain Stopper just by hearing the essentials? Go ahead and try. The martial arts of Kunlun are deeper than you think.’

Sir Fawcett recited the formula without any explanation, but that was enough for me.

My intelligence is beyond what ordinary people can even imagine.

Even my esteemed master often looked disgusted when imparting his teachings.

‘Understood. Then, may I ask you to guard for a moment?’

That day, I indulged in the luxury of having the Postmaster General stand guard, and during a tea’s time, I managed to freely activate the Brain Stopper.

……

As I recalled the events of that time, the noise ceased, and I spoke again.

“As you know, Brain Stopper is the Heritage Essence of the Kunlun Cathedral. Although I am not a pilgrim, by fate, I was able to learn a fragment of its teachings.”

Having mastered Brain Stopper, I conducted a simple experiment myself, and as a result, I was able to perfectly uncover the truth behind this incident.

Surprisingly, the method the culprit used was so straightforward and clear that it required no lengthy explanation.

“In fact, Brain Stopper is the key to solving the mystery of this case.”

What do you mean by that, Holmes? How is Brain Stopper related to the murder?

Watson asked immediately after I finished speaking.

Her voice was trembling slightly, as if she was bewildered by the unexpected information.

“I’ll explain it slowly from now on. For now, you and Lestrade should keep an eye out to make sure no one escapes.”

Alright. If you say so, I’ll wait.

I must unravel the truth of the case as quickly as possible, if only for Watson’s sake.

The only regret was that I couldn’t smoke my pipe, given the nature of the place where I was sitting.

“The first thing that struck me as odd during the investigation was that the culprit’s martial skills had reached a level far beyond common sense.”

The most crucial clue in discovering what method the culprit used was found when Watson and I visited the Central Post Office directly.

Sir Fawcett, the greatest lightness skill master of the martial world, pledged on the honor of the Kunlun Sect.

He said that covering 100 miles in just a few hours is impossible for the human body.

“When I first checked the location of the crime scene and the testimonies, I was honestly shocked. It seemed impossible unless there were four murderers.”

Of course, I also considered the possibility that Sir Fawcett’s account might be incorrect.

In the martial world, countless hermits exist, including my master.

Among them, there might be a true martial artist who surpasses the officially recorded achievements of Sir Fawcett.

“But soon after confirming that all four murders were the work of a single perpetrator, it became a headache.”

It’s hard to imagine a human capable of circling the outskirts of London at half the speed of sound.

To think that someone capable of such transcendent movement could also master a mysterious technique to crush a victim’s skull in a locked room without leaving a trace.

If such a gentleman truly exists, it would be a miraculous case that defies the laws of martial physics.

“So I pondered if there might be a reason for a mysterious hermit to secretly intervene in corporate and governmental disputes. To conclude, there is no such reason.”

After all, someone of that level would have countless ways to make money legally or illegally without meddling in other people’s trials.

Moreover, as far as I know, there aren’t many individuals in both the White Chess Piece and Black Chess Piece who are that obsessed with money.2

At most, it would be someone like Neil Gibson3, the Yellow-Black Gold Demon of the American Murim.

But even someone of Gibson’s level couldn’t commit such incomprehensible murders.

As I reached that thought, the seemingly impossible chain of murders might have been carried out using a simple method.

The realistic hypothesis I came up with is as follows:

“If it wasn’t the work of a hermit, then there is only one possibility left. It means the culprit committed the murders without visiting the crime scenes directly.”

As soon as I finished speaking, the expected reactions came back.

Is that even possible?!

That’s absurd! How could the culprit have beaten the victim to death in a locked room without going there themselves?!

Apocalypse Now! A detective of the Orthodox faction discussing the sorcery of the Left Wing4!

People began to denounce me one after another as if they were inquisitors from the Zion Clan conducting a witch hunt.

My dear Holmes, if the culprit didn’t visit the scene as you say, then how do you explain the fist marks left on the temples of the reconstructed corpses?

Even Watson seemed puzzled.

As the successor of the Heavenly Demon’s Kung-Fu Lore5, I couldn’t help but sigh.

It’s astonishing that the people of the martial world are still bound by such old preconceptions.

This is the limitation of those who learned martial skills in academies.

On the other hand, even though he committed murder, the Phantom Fist’s idea deserves praise.

“It’s fortunate you asked, Watson. Your question is indeed the crux of this case.”

I have investigated many cases, but I have yet to see a specter passing through walls freely to commit a crime.

And if the culprit is a human with two legs, it’s only natural that a thorough Kung-Fu-based investigation would inevitably uncover traces.

“Try to remember carefully. What is the common factor in the four murder scenes? And recall the traces of the Phantom Fist that were left there.”

Hmm… First of all, all the scenes were locked rooms. The windows and doors were locked with Anti Kung-Fu Locks, yet there was no trace of the perpetrator.

“Are you sure there were no traces at all?”

The only marks were the fist imprints left on the victims’ heads.

“Could you elaborate on those marks?”

Watson hesitated a moment before answering.

The strikes that burst the victims’ heads were delivered by the Phantom Fist with his right hand. The fist was unusually large, and it was confirmed that the victims were attacked from different directions.

“Yes, you remember well. Additionally, I understand that right-handed individuals were struck on the right side of the face, while left-handed individuals were hit on the left. Am I correct?”

Watson was present with Scotland Yard when examining the bodies, so she would surely remember.

Now that you mention it, you’re right. It’s peculiar, come to think of it. If one were to target a southpaw, an ambush from the right would likely be more successful.

“Doesn’t it seem like there must be a reason? Try to recall the commonalities at the crime scenes once more.”

The murders at the Bexley mansion, the lawyer’s office in Enfield, and the buildings in Hillingdon and Croydon.

That’s right.

The most striking common factor at the murder scenes was—

That’s it! The telephone! The victims were attacked while answering the phone!

“Exactly. The weapon used in this series of locked-room murders was the telephone itself. The victims weren’t killed because they answered the phone; they died because they answered it.”

What?!

Watson asked again, almost frantically.

A telephone, you say. What kind of absurdity is that? Didn’t you just say that the culprit smashed the victims’ heads with their fists?

“The culprit transmitted the fist blast through the telephone line using Brain Stopper.”

Fist blast…?

To Watson, who asked in a bewildered voice, I explained the details of the incident once more.

“Once the call was connected, the diaphragm of the receiver vibrated intensely due to Brain Stopper, converting the electrical signal back into a fist blast. Just like how I increased the call volume earlier.”

A simple yet profound move used to annihilate an opponent from a thousand miles away.

1. TL/N: The original quote is as follows—The human race has only one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. ️

2. TL/N: White Chess Piece refers to the White Path, and in Murim terms refers to the Orthodox faction, while Black Chess Piece refers to the Black Path, which refers to the Unorthodox faction. ️

3. TL/N: J. Neil Gibson was a wealthy mining magnate and former United States senator who was Sherlock Holmes's client in The Problem of Thor Bridge. ️

4. TL/N: Unorthodox ways ️

5. TL/N: 1. Kung-Fu Lore refers to martial lineage. 2. It seems that the author intends to use the term ‘Kung-Fu’ in place of the term ‘Martial’… Damn it! ️