69novels Chapter 253 Preparing to Take Action
Chapter 253 Preparing to Take Action
Chapter 253 Preparing to Take Action
Although their faces were still flushed, they were all basically sober now. The two apprentices were frightened, fearing that Kikuemon might get seriously injured from anger, while their master looked utterly disappointed.
He wouldn't be angry if his work was imitated; on the contrary, he would feel that it was his apprentice's recognition and respect for him. However, it would be hard for a ceramic master to forgive someone for selling his imitations as genuine works.
"How could Ryuichi do such a thing—"
Arita Yoshihiko supported Kikuemon and gently patted his back to help him catch his breath.
Kaoru Otani fell silent. After all, the conflict had suddenly shifted from a united front against a common enemy to an internal matter within the sect. Moreover, he had a gut feeling that Ryuichi Seto wasn't that kind of person, but judging from his behavior just now, he had indeed done those things.
After a moment of contemplation, Akutagawa Hiko said, "Mr. Seto doesn't seem like a very greedy person, and judging from his behavior just now, he may not have done this willingly; perhaps he was coerced."
His words gave Kikuemon a convenient excuse, and he nodded repeatedly: "That's right, that's right, Ryuichi is a good boy, it certainly wasn't his intention to do this!"
Immediately afterward, Kikuemon, as if grasping at a lifeline, tightly gripped the calmly composed Akutagawa Hiko's hand: "Detective Akutagawa, I need to ask you for a favor. Please help me find the person who coerced Ryuichi!"
Akutagawa Hiko naturally wouldn't refuse, and pretended to inquire about clues: "If it was coerced, then there must be some leverage or important people and things being threatened. What are you most concerned about, Mr. Seto?"
Kikuemon fell into deep thought.
Arita Yoshihiko scratched his head: "If I had to say what I care about most, it would definitely be my master and pottery, which is why it seems even stranger. This behavior is completely contrary to the character of a true potter."
Kaoru Otani glanced at her master, then hesitated before speaking, "Master is very famous, he must have many enemies. If someone uses Master to threaten us, it's possible—"
Arita Yoshihiko clenched his fist and clapped his hands, looking quite approving.
"Yes, although such an action might damage Master's reputation, I would do the same if someone threatened Master's life, even though they are unlikely to be interested in me."
Kikuemon did not jump to conclusions. In fact, both of his disciples made sense. The question was why this child did not come to discuss this matter with him.
He has offended quite a few people, directly or indirectly. That's how strange the world is. You might offend someone deeply just by glancing at them a little more or less.
Not only was he old and had seen countless strange people, but he also knew a lot about strange reasons for killing people because he followed detective stories. Therefore, he had no doubt that someone wanted to kill him.
Maybe it's some good-for-nothing potter who only knows how to bark and howl, and he resents this ceramic artist because he thinks that this artist is leading the trend and making it impossible for people to appreciate his work.
But if you're being coerced, wouldn't it be better to speak up and share the burden? I never knew this kid was so stubborn.
It's true that he may have offended many people, but he also has many friends, so there's always a way to resolve the situation.
Seeing that their guesses had gone astray, Akutagawa Hiko decided to steer the group back on track: "Do you think there might be an internal problem?"
Arita Yoshihiko and Otani Kaoru exchanged wary glances, trying to shield their master behind them, worried that he might become enraged and act recklessly after being exposed.
After all, despite the absurdity, the detective's abilities are beyond question.
Although Kikuemon was very pleased that his disciples respected their teacher, he never doubted these disciples whom he had personally trained.
After his talented son, whom he had groomed as his successor, died in a car accident, he was able to recover thanks to the care of his daughter-in-law and apprentices.
Kikuemon suddenly remembered that Akutagawa Hiko had only brought up the previous topic after his daughter-in-law had left, and he couldn't help but pluck a few more hairs from his beard: "Could it be Masuko?"
Akutagawa Hiko didn't say anything, he just sat there with his eyes closed, which said it all.
"What?!"
The two apprentices were also quite shocked, having no idea how Tsuchiya Masuko had become a suspect again.
"Wait a minute, is Ryuichi going to make a move on the young mistress now?!"
Kaoru Otani was surprisingly the first to react.
Due to psychological factors, the quality of his pottery had dropped significantly, and for several months he had not produced any pottery that met Masuko Tsuchiya's standards.
To relieve his distress, he chose to watch news reports about detective cases, which his master usually loved. He even made a special clipping collection, which he enjoyed reading and summarized some small tips.
It's self-evident what this person with a grudge is up to once they're out of sight.
The four of them stood up abruptly and ran towards Tsuchiya Masuko's room.
Although it's just speculation, in this speculation, whether it's the murderer or the victim, they are all family members, and both are very important members, so they can't help but be a little unhappy.
When Tsuchiya Masuko gets drunk, she usually sleeps soundly until dawn, completely unmoved, which is almost the same as being dead. In this situation, she has no power to resist at all.
Even a small child could easily kill Tsuchiya Masuko now.
Hiko Akutagawa was at the very back of the line, his eyes subtly switching to Byakugan, giving him a clear view of the entire house's layout.
Tsuchiya Masuko was fast asleep on the tatami mats, completely unsuspecting, while Seto Ryuichi took out the rope he had originally intended to use to hang her in the warehouse from his room, and decided with a complicated expression that he would skip all the fancy stuff.
After pacing around the room for a while, Ryuichi Seto's gaze gradually hardened.
"This can't go on any longer—"
The truth was exposed in an instant, and he didn't want to continue like this any longer. He only managed to fire one or two pieces of pottery over several months, which was a silent form of resistance.
However, even after selling so many counterfeit products, Tsuchiya Masuko was still not satisfied and threatened him once again to make more counterfeit products.
Human desires are like a boulder rolling down a mountain; once they begin, they cannot be stopped before they plunge into the abyss.
As long as he kills her and then commits suicide, his master will still be the revered national treasure-level ceramic artist, and his reputation will not be damaged by these imitations.
After thinking it through, Ryuichi Seto took a kitchen knife from the kitchen. After all, strangling someone and then hanging himself was too slow and risked being stopped.