bookcurios Chapter 1964 The Old Bald Donkey Has a Guilty Heart
Chapter 1964 The Old Bald Donkey Has a Guilty Heart
“Benefactor Li!” Upon hearing this, Abbot Yuantong smiled helplessly. “A monk never lies. You believe I am a little Buddha, and you must have your own reasons for doing so. But whether I am or not, Heaven and Earth can bear witness, Buddha can see, and I can bear witness as well!”
Is this another denial?
Li Xiangnan narrowed his eyes, not rushing to answer, but coldly looking at Yuan Tong, pondering whether to reveal his hand at this moment!
In Pudu Temple, he discovered a secret passage related to hallucinogenic drugs, found that Monk Yuanda was involved in the bombing, and discovered that Yuan Neng was connected to Mu Zelin's death.
Once these clues are exposed, Pudu Temple will naturally suffer a heavy blow. However, if there is no conclusive evidence, then if Yuantong is the real mastermind, he will definitely try his best to hide all the clues and connections!
Revealing the truth now might reveal the old monk's reaction and potentially uncover his weaknesses, but it could also put him on guard and prevent us from discovering his true purpose for coming today!
Let's stabilize the situation a bit more!
Li Xiangnan silently clenched his fist, giving himself a mental pep talk.
"As for what Benefactor Li mentioned about the Mu family's past... this old monk does indeed know some things. The Mu family holds a prominent position in Yanjing and is known for their philanthropy. Our temple is just across the alley from the Mu family's residence, so we naturally have a connection! As for that clay figure..."
At this moment, Yuan Tong suddenly brought up the old story of the Mu family that Li Xiangnan had mentioned, pausing as if he was struggling to choose his words.
"That should be what I said before, it was indeed made by a craftsman like Clay Figure Zhang. As for why it ended up in the temple and was secretly hidden, I only found out that day!"
"This matter may involve some long-standing, private matters that are not worth mentioning. But I swear by Buddha that the making and hiding of the clay figure was not my doing, nor do I know the specific reasons. As for the young Buddha..."
Yuan Tong shook his head again, a bitter smile that seemed almost absurd on his face.
"Benefactor Li's comparison of me to such figures leaves me utterly bewildered! If I truly possessed such capricious means and unfathomable schemes, why would I be confined to this increasingly dilapidated ancient temple, spending my days worrying about the livelihoods of the monks and the weighty old and new debts, to the point of becoming emaciated and sleepless at night?"
These words were half explanation and half confession, and they were sincere and heartfelt. In particular, the last sentence describing his own predicament perfectly matched the haggard appearance of Monk Yuantong at this moment, making it extremely convincing.
He placed himself in a passive position, caught up in the past and unable to control his own destiny.
Li Xiangnan listened quietly, but his doubts did not dissipate; instead, they grew stronger.
Yuan Tong admitted that he knew about the Mu family's past and that his explanation of the clay figure was barely plausible. However, he cleverly avoided the Little Buddha's direct accusations and instead used his own confinement and haggard appearance to indirectly refute them.
He even stated upfront that Li Xiangnan might have his reasons for thinking he was Little Buddha, but Yuan Tong could attest to that he was definitely not!
This response neither completely cleared the suspects nor left enough room for ambiguity!
Truth and falsehood, reality and illusion!
It seems that dealing with a shrewd old monk like Yuantong requires more than using reverse psychology to test him.
If Yuan Tong were the Little Buddha, he would surely be cunning and shrewd. How could he easily expose himself with just a single test?
If he wasn't, then his conversation just now was flawless, and he even managed to gain some sympathy by using his haggard appearance.
Regardless, Li Xiangnan was certain he hadn't misjudged Yuan Tong's momentary shock and fierceness.
That's definitely not the reaction a completely innocent person should have.
"It was my rudeness!"
Li Xiangnan suddenly changed his tone, no longer being aggressive, but with a hint of apology, "This junior is really troubled by many things recently, and with various incidents happening in the temple, I had some doubts when I saw the abbot's sudden visit, so I spoke without thinking and offended the abbot. I hope the senior will forgive me!"
Li Xiangnan took a step back, both to ease the tension and to see what the old monk was going to do next, and to observe Yuan Tongjia's reaction.
Yuan Tong seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and his tense shoulders relaxed slightly.
“Benefactor Li, you flatter me. It’s only natural to have doubts when caught in the vortex! I came here today to discuss matters of Yuan Energy, but I never expected it to lead to such a misunderstanding! Alas, it seems that I am indeed deeply entangled with the karma here!”
"Abbot, please accept my condolences!" Li Xiangnan smoothly returned to the original topic.
At this moment, Yuan Tong raised his head with great sorrow and asked earnestly, "Junior Brother Yuan Neng...did he say anything before he left?"
Li Xiangnan looked at the other person and said honestly, "Master Yuan Neng's injuries were too severe. When he was sent to the hospital, he was already in critical condition and unconscious! By the time I arrived, it was too late to save him..."
"..." Yuan Tong suddenly felt a sudden urge to vomit, and his whole body shrank down.
"As for what he said, Captain Guo said that he was briefly lucid before he died, and seemed to want to say something. But his breathing was too weak, his speech was indistinct, and his syllables were broken..."
Yuan Tong paused, his voice trembling slightly: "What did he say? Even just one word..."
Li Xiangnan shook his head, looking regretful: "The situation was urgent and the environment was noisy at the time. He was also barely breathing, so it was impossible to tell! I only heard him call out 'Master'... If the abbot wants to confirm, he can go and have a good talk with Captain Guo!"
After hearing this, Yuan Tong sat there blankly, staring at the teacup in his hand, as if he had aged ten years in an instant. He murmured, "Is it Master...?"
Li Xiangnan was puzzled by his reaction.
The old abbot's behavior suggests he feels guilty.
Could Yuan Neng have some connection with their master?
What does that have to do with Senior Brother Yuanming, who died many years ago?
Taking this opportunity, Li Xiangnan quickly changed the subject and asked, "Abbot, Master Yuan Neng has had an accident, a fire broke out in the side room, and countless documents were burned. The temple is in such turmoil... This makes one wonder if something extraordinary is happening in your temple, or if you have offended someone..."
He saw Yuan Tong slowly raise his head, then looked directly into his eyes and said without hesitation, "Master Yuan Tong, have you ever considered that if you had chosen to cooperate with the police and told us everything you knew, perhaps none of this would have happened, your junior brother Yuan Neng wouldn't have died so tragically, and those crucial documents wouldn't have been burned..."
"Amitabha……"
Yuan Tong suddenly chanted a Buddhist prayer, his face contorted in a state of extreme anguish.
And this is exactly the effect Li Xiangnan wanted to see.
"I heard that Yuanming also died in some kind of accident decades ago..."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Tong was shocked. He stared at Li Xiangnan with his cloudy eyes in disbelief and asked in surprise, "How did Benefactor Li know about this?"
Li Xiangnan didn't answer. Suddenly, he grabbed Yuan Tong's wrist, pulled up the prayer beads in his hand, and shouted in Yuan Tong's astonished gaze, "Master Yuan Tong, of the 108 monks in your temple, only 98 remain, and you also have exactly 98 prayer beads..."
He leaned forward, raising his voice, "If you remain this weak, have you ever thought about who will be the next to die? Will you lose another bead?"