PDLP Chapter 1962 Master Yuantong, you must be the Little Buddha, right?
Chapter 1962 Master Yuantong, you must be the Little Buddha, right?
Li Xiangnan's heart sank suddenly, as if it had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand!
Abbot Yuantong?
Why is he here?
How could it be him?
In Li Xiangnan's previous deductions, after receiving the two bombshell messages "Grandma is in the back room" and "The account books are in my hands," the most likely ones to be unable to hold back and be the first to come and test the waters would be the subordinates sent by Little Buddha, disguised as various kinds of subordinates.
For example, there might be distant relatives who come to congratulate the Xu family on the upcoming birth of a child, old colleagues or friends who might come under some pretext, or even people who impersonate staff from the neighborhood committee or their workplace to come and record something.
At the very least, there's the Shangguan family represented by Shangguan Wuji, who has already visited once; the Han family, who may have had a direct impact on the death of Master Lang Zhipin; or many other prominent families in Yanjing who were involved in the Mu family fire years ago.
Although these prominent families don’t currently have any legitimate reason to visit the Li family, they can always find one if they look for one!
Li Xiangnan made extensive preparations and prepared multiple contingency plans. Wang Defa, Song Ziming, Gangfang, Zhang Long, and Zhao Hu were all keeping an eye on the unfamiliar faces entering and leaving the courtyard.
However, anyone can come, but Yuan Tong is the only one who cannot!
To my utter surprise, the first person to visit was Master Yuantong, the abbot of Pudu Temple!
This old monk was shrouded in mystery.
He is very likely the key figure who knows the past of the Mu family, and may also be someone whose investigation by the young master has some hidden connection with him.
He may even represent an independent or entangled force within the temple.
He had warned himself before entering Pudu Temple not to get involved in this mess.
but!
Now, he himself has willingly stepped into the center of this vortex that he calls a monstrous disaster!
What does he want to do?
Li Xiangnan really couldn't understand it!
Is he here on behalf of the young master to investigate the truth?
Or is there another purpose?
How could a monk, who usually has nothing to do, possibly enter the mortal world?
Countless thoughts and speculations flashed through Li Xiangnan's mind like lightning, bringing a chill of doubt and uncertainty, and even a vague sense of unease that things were slipping out of his control.
However, he didn't show it on his face; his eyes suddenly turned cold for a moment before returning to calm.
"Where is he?" Li Xiangnan asked in a deep voice.
Yuan Tong's personal visit is by no means a trivial matter.
He naturally needed to be cautious. Now that this guy was here, one thing was to find out his true intentions, and at the same time, he couldn't let him realize the trap he had already set.
Lan Cuihua's role is crucial. If Yuan Tong is Little Buddha's man, then he is likely here to verify the authenticity of the information she released!
“His identity is special. As soon as he entered, Brother Yuejin stopped him and asked the old monk to pay homage to Zhou Xiejun, saying that he wanted to pray for the child!” Song Ziming spoke very quickly.
Li Xiangnan's eyes lit up. "Brother Yuejin, you're quick-witted! Do you know why the old monk came here? Did he mention it?"
"He said he came specifically to thank you for taking care of the monks in the temple during this time! In addition, he also has some personal matters to discuss with you!"
"Private matters?" Li Xiangnan was somewhat surprised: "What private matters could an old monk like him have with me? That's strange!"
“Brother Nan, I think it might be related to Yuan Neng’s death! You were there that day, and the two monks Yuan Gang and Juexing who were sent to meet him were too grief-stricken to notice Yuan Neng’s condition when he died. The old monk might want to ask you something!”
"After all, we were fellow disciples, so they probably really wanted to come and ask you, the last person to come into contact with Yuan Energy! I feel that monks are quite concerned about karmic retribution in the next life!"
Li Xiangnan couldn't help but nod.
Zi Mo is right, that reason is indeed reasonable, and monks are indeed quite attached to the bonds of camaraderie among fellow disciples.
The image of a senior brother seeking the final words of his tragically deceased junior brother immediately comes to mind.
But Li Xiangnan absolutely refused to believe that things were that simple!
If Yuan Tong wanted to know his last words, he could have asked the police inside the temple. Guo Qian was there at the time!
Why choose this sensitive time to personally visit an ordinary person's home?
"Guests are always welcome! We'll have to deal with him then!" Li Xiangnan narrowed his eyes. "Here's what we'll do: you go and invite the abbot to sit in the main room. I'll make a call and come over! Tell my mother to prepare some tea!"
"Brother Nan, this old monk is a very cunning person, you should be careful!" Song Ziming couldn't help but remind him.
“I know!” Li Xiangnan’s vigilance rose: “Go tell Defa to keep an eye on the area around the courtyard, especially the backyard! Tell Cheng Kui to also increase his vigilance and see if any strangers are loitering around after Yuan Tong arrives!”
"Understood, I'll go right away!"
After making the arrangements, Li Xiangnan composed himself, made a phone call, and then leisurely headed towards the main hall of the central courtyard.
Inside the main room, Zhu Qiuju had already brewed tea and set out snacks to entertain the guests.
Zhang Long and Zhao Hu sat on the benches by the door, helping their father, Li Fugui, pound herbs.
The old monk Yuantong was sitting upright at the head of the octagonal table, still wearing his worn gray monk's robe, holding prayer beads, his eyes lowered as if in deep meditation, seemingly oblivious to the noises of the three people fiddling with the herbs.
But as soon as Li Xiangnan entered, he sensed that the old monk was shrouded in an extremely oppressive melancholy and exhaustion, and even a hint of barely perceptible anxiety.
"Amitabha! I apologize for my intrusion and for disturbing Benefactor Li's peace and quiet!"
Before Li Xiangnan could even greet him, the old monk opened his eyes upon hearing footsteps, stood up, and bowed with one palm.
His voice was hoarse and low than usual, his eyes were sunken, and his face was ashen, as if he hadn't slept well for many days.
"Abbot, you're too kind! It's an honor for me to have you here. Please have a seat!"
Li Xiangnan returned the greeting with a respectful attitude, but also with a hint of distance.
He glanced at his mother, Zhu Qiuju, who gestured towards He Dashuang's room next door. Knowing that Qin Ruobai had taken the child to play there, he relaxed and sat down opposite her. Without beating around the bush, he poured tea for her and got straight to the point:
"Abbot, what brings you here today? If I can help, I will do my utmost to fulfill the task entrusted to me!"
Yuan Tong took the teacup but did not drink it immediately. Instead, he rubbed the warm cup with his thin fingers. He seemed to have been caught off guard by Li Xiangnan's directness and fell silent.
He blew on the tea, paused for a moment, and then his voice carried a hint of unspeakable pain.
"Junior Brother Yuan Neng's passing... was too sudden and too tragic! As his senior brother, I failed to protect him properly, which is a sin! Now, I most hope to know his last thoughts and feelings, so that I may alleviate my remorse and have some guidance when I perform the ritual for his soul!"
Sure enough!
He did indeed come because of Yuan Neng's death!
But that's exactly what's strange about Li Xiangnan!
This certainly seems like the best reason to go and verify.
But would a single elemental energy really make Yuan Tong care so much?
Or was Yuan Tong afraid that Yuan Neng would reveal some "truth" before his death?
Li Xiangnan looked at the kind-faced old monk in front of him and frowned slightly.
Suddenly an idea struck him, and he asked, "Master Yuantong is the Little Buddha, isn't he?"
boom!
As the saying goes, "When a silver bottle suddenly breaks, water gushes out!"
The moment those words were spoken, the entire space seemed to freeze in ice, and even the temperature in the air dropped by nine points!
The scene was deathly silent...