Rebirth 78, the beginning of the marriage was broken off by the female educated youth

Chapter 1953 The Dispute Over Abbotship

Juexing raised her head, her eyes filled with tears, her expression a mixture of bewilderment and agitation typical of her age: "Li... Benefactor Li, my master... he never offended anyone, how did he die... who wanted to harm him..."

Upon hearing Li Xiangnan's words, Yuan Gang also opened his eyes and sighed, "Amitabha... This is a calamity, this is Junior Brother Yuan Neng's calamity..."

Seeing that the two were avoiding the topic of his words, Li Xiangnan spoke again and repeated, "Master Yuangang, since Juexing also said that his master was kind to others, then did he have any enemies in the temple? Or was there anything unusual recently? I am also very sorry for his death!"

Yuan Gang's eyes flickered. He looked at the uniformed police officers around him, then at Li Xiangnan, hesitated, and finally just shook his head.

"As monks, we are free from worldly desires, so what grudges could we possibly have? Junior Brother Yuan Neng is the abbot in charge of miscellaneous tasks in the temple. Apart from being strict with the disciples, he never causes any trouble. If any young disciples are ignorant, or if their dormitories are damaged or their monastic status is ruined due to their studies, he personally goes to fix them. He may be strict in words, but he takes great care of the disciples in his actions. I have seen it all!"

"These things happen occasionally, but they would never lead to his death! As for the abnormality, I usually manage the chanting and don't see my junior brother often, so I haven't noticed anything!"

This "Vina" is the elderly monk who is usually in charge of religious ceremonies, the use of bells and drums, and the discipline of the monastic community!

This was said tactfully, but it also revealed a hint of evasion.

Li Xiangnan could sense that this old monk Yuan Gang must know something, but like Yuan Tong, he seemed to have some reservations.

He turned to the impulsive young Juexing, “Little Juexing, you’ve been following Master Yuan Neng. Has he said anything unusual lately? Or has any stranger come looking for him? Why did he go out today, and did he tell you anything before he left?”

Juexing wiped away her tears with her sleeve and choked out, "Master... has been feeling uneasy lately! A few days ago, he would often sit alone in the meditation room in a daze. Sometimes when I got up at night, I would see the candlelight on in his room, as if he was looking at something! I asked him about it, and he only said that it was some old diaries, and that recalling the past made him feel agitated and he wanted to calm himself down!"

"I don't know why he went out today... As for the stranger... he didn't seem to be anything special!"

As soon as Juexing finished speaking, his eyes lit up: "Oh right, about half a month ago, a man dressed like an official came to see Master! They talked for a while in the guest room and then left. After that, Master's expression didn't look good!"

"A cadre-looking person?" Li Xiangnan and Guo Qian exchanged a glance. "Do you remember what that person looked like? What were their distinguishing features?"

Juexing tried to recall: "He was probably in his forties, of medium height, wore glasses, and spoke very politely! But the way he looked at people... it was a bit hard to describe! He seemed quite familiar with the temple; he found the master's guest hall on his own without needing directions!"

This description is vague, but it at least provides a direction.

Li Xiangnan asked a few more questions about Yuan Neng's daily routine, friendships, and finances, and Jue Xing answered them all without any apparent abnormalities.

Yuan Neng's entire being seemed to be a cautious and unassuming monk.

As they spoke, hospital staff and police officers were already preparing to transfer Yuan Neng's body to the police station's morgue.

Seeing his master's body covered with a white sheet, Juexing finally couldn't hold back and burst into tears in the corridor.

Yuan Gang also sighed, turned away, and couldn't bear to look anymore.

Seeing the genuine grief of the two monks, Li Xiangnan felt a slight stirring in his heart.

“Master Yuangang, Master Yuanneng died under mysterious circumstances. If the truth is not found out, how can his spirit find peace in heaven?”

"You are his senior brother, so you surely wouldn't want to see your junior brother die unjustly, would you? Such a murder has occurred in this pure Buddhist temple. If the root cause isn't eradicated, even Buddha might punish us!"

Yuan Gang's body trembled slightly, and he turned to look at Li Xiangnan with a complicated expression.

"I've been investigating cases in the temple for so long, and I've heard quite a few things! Before your previous abbot passed away, he was quite deliberate about the choice of his successor! It seems there were also different opinions among the Yuan generation of disciples?"

These words touched upon deep memories in Yuan Gang's heart, deepening the wrinkles on his face, and his eyes flashed with reminiscence and emotion, as well as a hint of barely perceptible sigh.

After a long silence, until Li Xiangnan's cigarette burned out, he lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard.

"Ah, that's all in the past! Back then, Master was in poor health and knew he was going to pass away! At that time, the temple... was indeed not very peaceful!"

"Junior Brother Yuanda is highly capable, has a wide network of connections, and enjoys a high reputation! Junior Brother Yuanming is profound in Buddhism, upright in character, and unmatched in academics! There are also several other fellow disciples, each with their own supporters!"

"There were indeed some calculations, both openly and secretly! But no one expected that in the end, Master would pass on his mantle to Senior Brother Yuantong, who was not showing off at the time and was just quietly tending the vegetable garden on the back mountain!"

"Oh?"

That's an interesting detail.

This is how Abbot Yuantong came to be the abbot.

Li Xiangnan narrowed his eyes and noted down this detail.

"After Senior Brother Yuantong took over, the temple gradually calmed down! He was kind and generous, never fighting or grabbing, and everyone lived in peace over the years! However... some grudges may have been buried in our hearts and never truly disappeared!"

“Junior Brother Yuan Neng was still young at the time and wasn’t involved much! But he was personally mentored by Junior Brother Yuan Ming, and he had a very deep bond with Yuan Ming…”

Li Xiangnan silently counted in his mind and asked in confusion, "Master Yuangang, who is Master Yuanming? I didn't see him listed in the temple's register."

Yuan Gang's face showed a momentary awkwardness, then he sighed and explained, "Junior Brother Yuan Ming... has been dead for twenty years!"

died?

Li Xiangnan's heart was shocked.

Suddenly, I felt that this Yuanming who suddenly appeared seemed to have some significance, perhaps related to the atmosphere and undercurrents of the entire Pudu Temple!

Otherwise, the old monk wouldn't have had such a noticeable change in tone when he spoke to him.

Yuan Gang didn't continue, but Li Xiangnan had already understood the implied meaning.

Yuan Neng was the junior brother of the deceased Yuan Ming, who may have been a competitor of Yuan Tong and others. The two had a very good relationship.

Beneath the seemingly tranquil power structure of the temple may lie subtle, unseen tensions.

Is Yuan Neng's death today related to this old story?

The temple appears to be not a monolithic entity; historical conflicts and interpersonal networks may well be the key to its success.

Li Xiangnan wrote down all this information.

"Advisor Li!"

At this moment, Guo Qian hurriedly came over, pulled him aside, and whispered, "Yuan Neng's body has already been taken back to the station. I'll take you back! Then I'll go..."

“I’ll go with you!” Li Xiangnan shook his head.

"Hmm? You..." Guo Qian noticed his knowing look and asked in surprise, "Have you come up with a new direction for your investigation?"

Li Xiangnan nodded slightly: "I was just thinking about it. Yuan Neng was so badly injured today, which may have touched a nerve with many people in the temple. Someone like him has died before... Even if we conceal the news of Yuan Neng's death, I'm afraid the temple is already in turmoil!"

"Since Yuan Neng's death can no longer be concealed, I plan to go back and see everyone's reaction! Especially Yuan Tong, Yuan Da, and Yuan Hui!"

He looked at Guo Qian and said, "I want to know, right now, who is smiling!"