met free Chapter 1949 The Death of Yuan Neng
Chapter 1949 The Death of Yuan Neng
"Benefactor Li!"
Abbot Yuantong's words were as light as if they were whispered in someone's ear, yet they carried the weight of a thousand pounds.
"Some debts can never be repaid! Some paths, once embarked upon, cannot be turned back! This old monk is already old and frail, with little time left. But you... are still young, with a bright future! Listen to this old monk's advice, some things should end here! If you continue to investigate, I fear there will be a terrible disaster, not only destroying this ancient temple, but also... implicating countless innocent people... and even affecting your closest relatives!"
For the first time, his gaze was so clear, so deliberate, and so unreserved as it was directed toward the courtyard house behind Li Xiangnan!
Is this... a threat or a warning?
Li Xiangnan's pupils suddenly contracted!
Closest relatives?
Ruobai? Xitang? Mother? Grandfather? Grandmother?
Or is it that grandmother I've never met?
After Yuan Neng's accident, Abbot Yuan Tong took advantage of the moment when everyone had left to say these words to him. What exactly did he mean by that?
Is it a wish to never forget the bloody lessons of the past?
Or is it implying something else?
Does Yuan Tong know that Little Buddha is looking for his grandmother?
He even knew some of the Little Buddha's threatening methods?
Is this a way of implying that if he were to delve deeper into the secrets of Pudu Temple, he might be hastening the danger toward his family?
What dangers could this pose to Grandma?
"Abbot, are you reminding this boy or threatening me?" Li Xiangnan's voice turned cold, and his aura became chilling.
Yuan Tong smiled, a bitter smile that was almost pathetic.
“A monk never lies! I am not threatening you, but stating the facts! Thunder and rain are all cause and effect! Benefactor Li, you should think carefully!”
After saying that, he ignored Li Xiangnan, turned around and walked towards Yuan Hui, who was standing in the distance, and staggered into the depths of the Mahavira Hall.
That figure, silhouetted against the dim twilight and wisps of smoke, appeared both desolate and resolute.
As Li Xiangnan watched Yuan Tong disappear into the shadows of the main hall, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.
Yuan Tong's words weighed heavily on his heart.
What exactly does this old monk know?
Is it protecting something or fearing something?
Is there anything that can't be said clearly at once?
Do I really have to guess?
Is this how monks all speak? So secretive, full of witty remarks and Zen sayings, can't they just be straightforward?
"Little Li!"
Wang Defa and Song Ziming rushed over, their faces filled with worry and indignation. "That old bald monk's words are all sinister; he definitely knows something! We have to investigate him thoroughly!"
Li Xiangnan withdrew his gaze, took a deep breath of the cold winter evening air, and forced himself to calm down: "Zimo, what did Captain Guo say? Has the background check on Yuantong come down yet?"
Song Ziming shook his head: "Yuantong is a bit old. It seems he was born in the temple. Apart from being registered in the neighborhood in the 1950s, there's not much other information about him. Captain Guo is still investigating!"
Li Xiangnan nodded, then glanced at the indistinct temple buildings. "Anyway, he can't escape. Pudu Temple is now a key investigation area, and it's already under surveillance by Captain Guo! We can't use interrogation on this old monk, and besides..."
He paused, then said intently, "His last few words might not have been empty threats!"
"You mean... is it really possible that it could involve the family?" Song Ziming became nervous.
“We have to be careful. Don’t forget, Little Buddha knows where I live!” Li Xiangnan’s eyes sharpened. “But don’t worry, I have the ward and my comrades, and the Song family! We must find this ghost before we are truly safe! Now… let’s go, hurry to the hospital. Yuan Neng is the most likely person to speak first!”
The three of them dared not delay and quickly ran out of Pudu Temple.
The sky outside had darkened, and a few lights were lit in the alley. The ruins of the Mu family seemed like a vacuum, standing out as the darkest place in the capital city as the lights began to come on.
They got on the motorcycle, not caring about anything else, and sped off towards the nearest district hospital with the two of them on board.
The cold wind felt like knives on his face, but Li Xiangnan's heart was filled with a mixture of passion and unease.
Yuan Tong's words echoed repeatedly in his mind, colliding and intertwining with the various clues he had previously gathered, and then transforming into a series of possibilities.
Yuan Da may have been at the scene of the Mu family bombing. If he really made the explosives, how could a monk like him research such a thing?
If he really carried out the explosion, where did he buy the raw materials from, and how were they assembled?
Why haven't we found the corresponding workshop inside Pudu Temple? Is there some hidden room somewhere?
Could the fibrous tissue found in the black mud under Mu Zelin's fingernails in the police station morgue be the fabric of a monk's robe? Could it be one of the robes Yuan Da was wearing?
Yuan Neng isn't at the temple today. What did he go out to do? And what caused his serious injury?
Was he trying to escape? To get rid of his current entanglements? Or was he being silenced because he knew some secret?
But who was the person who brought him back?
Are these people hoping to unlock some secrets through meta-energy?
Does that mean that these people share at least the same stance as me?
Was the abbot of Yuantong Temple a participant or an informed party caught in the crossfire?
The motorcycle sputtered and rattled as it rolled along the cobblestone streets and then over the cement pavement, until the three-story gray brick building of the district hospital soon came into view.
The building was brightly lit, and Guo Qian's jeep and several sidecar motorcycles were parked at the entrance, creating a tense and solemn atmosphere.
As soon as Li Xiangnan parked his motorcycle and hurried into the hospital with Wang Defa and Song Ziming, he saw a figure sitting on the steps outside the hospital gate, smoking a cigarette with his head down. The scarlet cigarette butt flickered in the twilight.
It was Guo Qian!
Several police officers stood beside Guo Qian, all looking dejected and hanging their heads, creating a somber atmosphere that made one's heart sink.
Li Xiangnan's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition instantly gripped his mind.
He quickly jumped up the steps and ran over to ask, "Captain Guo, what are you doing sitting here? How is Yuan Neng? Did he survive?"
Guo Qian looked up upon hearing the sound.
This usually resolute and composed veteran police officer now had a face full of exhaustion, frustration, and an barely suppressed anger.
He took a deep drag on his cigarette, threw the butt on the ground, and crushed it with his foot, his actions displaying a violent outburst of venting.
He looked at Li Xiangnan, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but then he choked up.
In the end, all he could do was let out a heavy sigh, his eyes red, and shake his head.
Li Xiangnan's heart sank, and he suddenly grabbed Guo's arm: "Captain Guo, what happened? Say something!"
Standing beside him, Liu Yiming, his eyes red and his voice hoarse, answered for his captain: "Advisor Li... Yuan Neng... Monk Yuan Neng... he... couldn't hold on... he passed away on the way to the emergency room..."
"???"
"what?!"
Wang Defa and Song Ziming gasped in shock, both taking a deep breath and staring wide-eyed in disbelief.
Li Xiangnan felt a chill rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and his ears were ringing.
Is Yuan Neng dead?
Just die?