Wright opened his pocket notebook, which was filled with handwriting.
[Cipher left by Joseph]
[A - Ari]
[Y - Vir]
[B - Lib]
[Danger - Leo, Cap, Sco]
[Sco - Oph - Sgr]
"The puzzle Joseph left corresponds to the zodiac constellations in astronomy."
"Aries, Virgo, Libra, Leo, Capricorn, Scorpio, Ophiuchus, Sagittarius."
Wright explained them in order.
"'Danger' is marked next to Leo, Capricorn, and Scorpio. Perhaps it's suggesting that these three constellations symbolize danger? Probably, I'm just guessing."
"Sco - Oph - Sgr, Scorpio - Ophiuchus - Sagittarius, maybe that's some kind of sequence? It's not very clear at the moment."
"As for the A, Y, and B in front, I'm sorry, I have no clue about that yet."
"Impressive, Detective Wright!" Watson looked amazed, and took a glance at Holmes while he was at it.
"Astronomy... Hmph..." Holmes remained expressionless and snorted. "In short, the intersection of these events is this Clavius Seminary. We must go and investigate."
...
The cold metal door of the police station closed behind them. It was nearly dusk, the chill of late autumn in Boston was deepening, and lead-gray clouds hung low.
Holmes took a deep breath. The scent of grease, dust, and the salty, damp air from the distant bay flooded his nostrils as his gray eyes swept across the street.
"Sheriff Marcus's car is over there."
Wright's voice had a hint of imperceptible tension as he pointed to a slightly old but well-maintained station wagon in the police station parking lot.
His fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of his trench coat pocket; his agoraphobia made him feel slightly uneasy in the open space.
Catherine followed closely beside Watson, her face as pale as paper, her eyes staring blankly at the ground, as if she hadn't yet fully detached from the horror of the morgue.
"Wait, something's up."
Holmes signaled for everyone to stop and gestured for Watson to be on alert.
A black SUV was parked at the entrance of the police station. The muscular man driving it was smoking while watching the entrance.
The smoking brute noticed Holmes and his group walking out of the police station, stubbed out his cigarette, and walked straight toward them.
"Ahem, everyone, let me introduce myself. My name is Gan."
"I know you've encountered some unusual matters, but think about it carefully, that really doesn't concern you, does it?"
"Why not go home, have some brandy, get a good night's sleep, and let these annoying things just pass? Stop getting involved in these troublesome matters. Smart people don't meddle in other people's business, don't you agree?"
"Is his tongue... fat?" Watson leaned into Holmes's ear and whispered teasingly.
"Don't mock my tongue!" Gan glared at Watson with wide eyes.
"Hey! Your tongue might not be flexible, but your ears are quite sharp," Watson couldn't help but mutter under his breath.
Holmes didn't respond, but instead looked at the corner of a blood-red mask peeking out of Gan's pocket.
Gan noticed Holmes's gaze but didn't hide it. Instead, he took the mask out and proudly boasted, "This is a symbol of my status!"
Holmes withdrew his gaze and said quickly, "You don't want the Joseph matter to blow up, nor do you want anyone to continue investigating."
"Since this mask is a so-called symbol of status, it means you aren't acting alone. You must have the support of a secret power behind you."
"This also means that if we don't stop investigating, someone might try to harm us."
"However, without offering anything, just trying to persuade us with words, isn't that a bit..."
"I can give you a generous compensation fee..." Gan rolled his eyes and said.
"Straightforward. Double it!"
"You!" Gan frowned, but then seemed to think of something and relaxed. "Well, it's not like it's not negotiable."
"What do you choose?" Holmes turned to ask Wright and Catherine. "I am definitely going to continue the investigation, and my dear friend will certainly accompany me, but for the sake of your safety, you can stop here."
"If we succeed, I will inform you of the results; or if we fail, you will have avoided getting stuck in the mire."
Wright raised an eyebrow. "I'm quite curious. If I don't get to the bottom of this, I probably won't be able to sleep."
"I must find out why my brother turned out like this!" Catherine murmured, her face pale.
Holmes looked at Gan.
"Sorry, you heard them. Your proposal has been unanimously rejected."
"We'll see about that."
Gan's expression darkened, and he sneered, preparing to leave.
"Wait, I think you should go inside the police station and stay for a while."
Watson stepped forward quickly and blocked Gan.
"Oh my god! This is too terrible, the partners of justice have caught me!"
Gan didn't resist. He laughed loudly and allowed himself to be escorted into the police station by Watson.
Afterward, the group went to the parking lot and quickly got into the car.
Wright sat in the driver's seat, inserted the key with slightly stiff movements, and the engine started with a low roar.
Holmes sat in the passenger seat, leaning slightly forward, his gaze piercing through the windshield as he scanned the streets gradually shrouded in twilight.
Catherine curled up in the back seat, arms wrapped around herself like a frightened little beast; Watson was on the other side of the back seat, with his shotgun carefully laid across his lap, its heavy weight providing a sense of reassurance.
Holmes opened the glove compartment, took out the pistol and ammunition inside, and handed them to Watson.
"Hmm? You gave me both the pistol and the shotgun, what will you use?" Watson asked, puzzled.
"I have another one."
As Holmes said this, he pulled another pistol from his trench coat.
"Hiss, you didn't..." Watson gasped, guessing the truth.
"It's fine, just borrowing them from the police station temporarily. Besides, we are helping them solve their trouble. Don't worry, we'll return them after the case is solved. If we fail, we won't need to return them anyway."
"You always have an excuse."
Watson's mouth twitched a few times, and he gave up on prying further. The more firepower, the better, of course.
Wright gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. "Clavius Seminary has been run by Claire Corinna for many years and is deeply rooted. Breaking in like this is no different from entering a lion's den."
"On the contrary," a faint arc crossed Holmes's lips. "A chaotic lion's den is the ideal hunting ground for a fox. The information Joseph passed on with his life derives its value from its 'immediacy'."
"The enemy's conspiracy is at a critical stage. Their actions must have loopholes. Their rhythm being disrupted is our opportunity."
He paused and turned his gaze to Wright. "You mentioned that the Theological Seminary is built against a mountain with complex terrain. Do you have a map?"
Wright controlled the steering wheel with one hand and pulled a small leather notebook from his trench coat pocket with the other, quickly flipping to a page and handing it to Holmes.
It contained a detailed sketch of the terrain in the Mount Buri area, with winding mountain roads like a coiled giant serpent, and the Theological Seminary situated on a steep platform.
"The only path," Wright said with gravity. "This mountain road has countless twists and turns, especially the final section near the Theological Seminary, which is the famous 'five consecutive hairpin turns.' The visibility is extremely poor. Once blocked, the consequences are unpredictable."
Holmes tapped his finger lightly on the starting point of the mountain road on the map, then glanced up at the rearview mirror.
"So, the hunt has begun. The identities of the hunter and the prey are not so certain anymore. Watch our rear, Watson, we are being followed."
Watson turned his head sharply.
Sure enough, a massive, jet-black SUV, like a lurking beast, slid silently out of the shadows on the side of the police station, following them at a steady pace about a hundred yards behind.
The dark windows blocked any prying eyes, reflecting only the shimmering lights of the city as they gradually lit up, cold and mysterious.