CHAPTER 308: 131. TEASING THE ALOOF POLICEWOMAN, THEN ENTERING THE WIDOW’S DOOR_2

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Abbot Kiyoka returned to the room, carrying a tray of food.

The tray contained simple biscuits and dried fruits, along with some grilled fish.

Kasahara Fumi silently picked a few items at random and brought them to her mouth. After confirming there was no issue, she gave Fujiwara Reya a look, signaling it was safe to eat. When they first entered, Fujiwara Reya thought she was overreacting, but after seeing the Black Lily, he was surprised by her caution.

Abbot Kiyoka sat opposite them and didn’t speak.

After eating a bit of the fish, Fujiwara Reya finally looked up and glanced at the Black Lily beside him: "This flower is very nice, what kind is it?"

"This is a Black Lily." Abbot Kiyoka’s voice was somewhat restrained.

"Oh, black lilies are rare..." Fujiwara Reya mused for a moment, "I’ve been in Minami-Izu for over a month now, and haven’t seen them anywhere. Are they a special product of the temple?"

Abbot Kiyoka glanced at the tea room door, then returned his gaze to Fujiwara Reya.

"No," he hesitated a bit but decided to be honest, "Mrs. Tanemura brought them from Tochigi County and gave me some."

Fujiwara Reya and Kasahara Fumi exchanged a look.

’Confirmed!’

’Beware of deceit.’

After pondering for a moment, Fujiwara Reya changed the topic: "How much Yellow Pine Jade did Mrs. Tanemura take from the master here?"

As expected, the inevitable question came... Abbot Kiyoka sighed internally and trembled for a while: "3806 grams."

Upon hearing this, Kasahara Fumi immediately took out a notebook from her canvas bag and slowly wrote "3806 grams" on a blank page with a ballpoint pen. She gripped the pen tightly, as if carving with nails on bricks, giving the words a unique flair.

One gram of Yellow Pine Jade can reinforce a barrier with a cubic meter of space.

grams could reinforce an area of 3806 cubic meters. Such a barrier isn’t large, roughly enough to cover a small villa.

"What was the price?"

"110,000 yen per gram."

"Tsk tsk, more expensive than gold."

"It wouldn’t have sold for such a high price in the past." Abbot Kiyoka slowly exhaled a breath, "It’s only in the past half-year that the price has surged, at the start of the year it was 40,000 yen per gram, now it’s 110,000."

"No wonder you couldn’t resist selling it." Fujiwara Reya nodded in understanding.

Kasahara Fumi changed her sitting position, sitting with her legs together beside Fujiwara Reya, leaning over the notebook, recording.

"Did Mrs. Tanemura mention its purpose?" Fujiwara Reya continued to ask.

"Her home is in the mountains, she’s planning to use the Yellow Pine Jade to create a barrier to keep insects, snakes, and mice out."

"Do you believe that reason?"

Silence descended.

No sound could be heard in the tea room, except the chirping of summer cicadas coming from the window.

Abbot Kiyoka stared intently at Fujiwara Reya’s face for a long while before slowly shaking his head. His expression looked very tired, his face appearing older and more haggard, with occasional long sighs. The sound of his sigh was curious, "glug glug," as if something was stuck in his throat, making it uncomfortable to hear.

Fujiwara Reya didn’t rush him and didn’t want to see his expression either, so he looked out the window instead. Along the Bodhi Tree in the courtyard, countless cicadas were uttering their short, sorrowful cries, flying to and fro. The sound of the waves could be faintly heard, and the sea breeze lifted the corner of the yellow-green curtain, brushing against the mat and making a sound like rustling bamboo leaves.

After a long time, Abbot Kiyoka’s voice, now aged significantly, was heard again.

"Whether Mrs. Tanemura’s words are true or false isn’t for a poor monk to judge."

Kasahara Fumi knitted her beautiful eyebrows and was about to speak when Fujiwara Reya gently tugged at her sleeve.

Then, this cool-headed police officer obediently lowered her head.

"Indeed, it’s not for you to judge." Fujiwara Reya slowly stood up, looking down at him, "To be more precise, that’s my responsibility. Please take me to see Mrs. Tanemura."

Abbot Kiyoka seemed surprised, staying motionless in front of the tea table.

He had prepared many things to say... It hadn’t even started, and it’s already over?

"Abbot Kiyoka, please!" Fujiwara Reya said politely.

Though his voice wasn’t stern, his gaze carried the oppressive air of authority, leaving Abbot Kiyoka unable to refuse. He could only stand up and lead the way.

They left the side temple and headed towards the back mountain.

The summer sun was blazing, and not a single tourist was around.

As they passed a Jizo statue, Fujiwara Reya, pulling Kasahara Fumi along, clasped his hands in prayer.

"Sister Fukaeri, what did you wish for?"

"Wish?"

"Don’t tell me you just bowed like that?"

"Yes." Kasahara Fumi cast a sidelong glance at this dull little boy.

An almost unfamiliar indifference enhanced the elegance of her profile. Fujiwara Reya gazed at her profile, whispered: "I just wished to Jizo, hoping to melt Sister Fukaeri within three months."

Kasahara Fumi stumbled a little, nearly falling.

"Told you wearing high heels to climb mountains was a mistake, now you know!" Fujiwara Reya gloated, raised his leg, and ran.

"Dream on!" Kasahara Fumi cursed through clenched teeth.

The trail paved with stones stretched forward. Upon exiting the temple’s rear gate, a clear stream appeared alongside the road, with beautiful aquatic plants swaying on its surface. They passed a small wooden bridge, where white flowers resembling apricot blossoms or something else were blooming by its side.

Fujiwara Reya stood on the bridge, admiring the flowers for a few seconds.

Three or four white ducks emerged from the bridge, quickly gliding away with their deep yellow webbed feet. Lying on the sparkling water, their pristine feathers shimmered with silver light.