Chapter 350 - 348: No Identity Is More Deceptive Than This

Chapter 350: Chapter 348: No Identity Is More Deceptive Than This

Xu Jing quietly calmed herself, feigning nonchalance as she said, "Alright, I understand, thank you for the reminder, little master. By the way, I came here recommended by a sister-in-law named Wu Cuihua from a nearby place called White Jade Village. Do you know this Sister-in-law Wu?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the young nun in front of her smiled, revealing dimples in her cheeks, and nodded, "Sister-in-law Wu? Of course, I know her. She comes here often; she’s such a good person and frequently brings us snacks to eat."

It’s good that she knows her. Xu Jing continued to ask, "I heard that after she began worshiping here, her son passed the scholar examination. I would like to know what she does when she comes here? I’d like to learn, so that my own wishes might also come true like Sister-in-law Wu’s."

The young nun also seemed to be aware of Sister-in-law Wu’s son passing the examination and smiled, "Sister-in-law Wu is very devout every time she comes to worship. During the time her son was taking the preliminary scholar exam, she knelt in front of the Great Power Buddha in our main hall for at least half a day. If we didn’t have to close the hall at night, she would have stayed even longer. But you don’t necessarily have to do exactly what she does. As long as you worship sincerely, your intentions will surely be conveyed."

Xu Jing smiled faintly and asked, "Is that so? What else does Sister-in-law Wu do?"

The young nun thought for a moment and said, "Other than that, there’s nothing special. She occasionally listens to our master give sermons, and because she has attended many times, our master even personally received her once.

However, I think the main reason Sister-in-law Wu’s wishes were fulfilled is due to her sincerity."

Master Xuan Yin personally received Sister-in-law Wu?

Xu Jing’s eyes twitched slightly. She asked, "Are the other people in your temple also familiar with Sister-in-law Wu?"

"Sort of. After all, she comes often, and we tend to remember patrons who frequently visit us."

The young nun paused and then hesitantly said, "You seem very curious about Sister-in-law Wu. Since you know her, it might be better to ask her directly."

Seeing the young nun becoming suspicious, Xu Jing quickly smiled and said, "I rarely come here, and it wouldn’t be convenient for me to specifically return to White Jade Village to ask Sister-in-law Wu how she worships. I forgot to ask last time we met. If I also go to listen to Master Xuan Yin’s sermon, would she personally receive me as well?"

From the beginning of their conversation, Xu Jing noticed that they were unaware that Sister-in-law Wu had passed away. She was happy to pretend as if she didn’t know as well.

She deliberately appeared very envious of Sister-in-law Wu’s ability to have her wishes granted, and the young nun no longer suspected her. After all, passing the examination was every scholar’s dream. Although Sister-in-law Wu’s son only passed the preliminary exam, it was still ahead of many others.

The young nun observed Xu Jing’s extraordinary attire, which made her somewhat curious about her relationship with Sister-in-law Wu but not surprised that she envied Wu’s son for becoming a scholar.

After all, unless they belonged to a distinguished and influential family, ordinary families, regardless of wealth, still had to compete in the rigorous examination process.

The young nun said, "I’m not sure about that. Many people want to meet our master every day. If our master met everyone, it wouldn’t be possible. Often, our master chooses whom to see based on intuition."

She paused again, hesitantly adding, "Sometimes, our master might also take the time to meet certain distinguished patrons."

These special patrons are typically of noble birth or those who have donated significantly to Jingyuan Temple.

However, these topics are too secular for those in monastic life, so the young nun only hinted at them.

If Xu Jing didn’t appear to be an ordinary person, the nun wouldn’t have added that comment.

Xu Jing immediately understood her implication and smiled slightly, "I understand, thank you, little master."

Saying this, they exchanged a Buddhist salute, and the young nun left on her own.

Unconsciously, Xu Jing watched her figure.

These monastics, due to their light and simple diet, indeed matched the characteristics of potential suspects based on physique alone.

Therefore, one cannot narrow down suspects merely by physical appearance.

To identify who is most suspicious is actually quite simple—just find out who in the temple recently met both Sister-in-law Wu and Jiang San alone.

Sister-in-law Wu was familiar with most of the nuns in the temple, so it’s possible she met any of them alone recently.

Fortunately, Jiang San’s whereabouts were quite clear. If she had contact with someone from Jingyuan Temple, it would only have been during her visits here. Knowing whom she met during her last two visits can lead us to the suspect...

Xu Jing was lost in thought when suddenly a familiar clear voice came from nearby, "I heard from my mom earlier that when my sister came here, she once invited Master Xuan Yin to personally counsel her."

Xu Jing’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly turned her head to see a handsome man in a dark robe, with narrow sleeves, leaning against a bare tree trunk, arms crossed. His fox-like eyes were deep and calm, with his lips slightly pressed. Meeting Xu Jing’s gaze, he coolly said, "And she was counseled twice."

Xu Jing was momentarily puzzled, not immediately questioning his mysterious presence. Her expression darkened slightly as she said, "Are you saying your sister met Master Xuan Yin both times she recently visited Jingyuan Temple?"

She immediately tried to recall the records that noted Jiang San’s recent visits to Jingyuan Temple.

The first visit was about half a month ago when Jiang San and her mother, along with her sister-in-law, stayed overnight in the temple.

The second visit was three days before the incident. Her mother accompanied her then as well, but they didn’t stay overnight.

She had just discussed with Xiao Yi yesterday that the perpetrator likely manipulated Jiang San by having a seemingly harmless identity.

No identity would appear more harmless or persuasive than that of the abbot of Jingyuan Temple!

Xu Jing’s heartbeat quickened slightly as she asked, "Has Jiang Erlang ever met Master Xuan Yin?"

She paused and then said, "No, since I’m here, I might as well see for myself..."

With that, she turned to walk toward the main hall. As she stepped forward, she saw Mr. Yao entering ahead of her and now coming out, accompanied by a nun about fifty years old with a serene and dignified appearance. Her aura was clearly different from the other nuns, exuding a peace that transcended the mundane, her eyes marked by the passage of time yet clear and profound. She was smiling slightly, speaking with Mr. Yao.

At the first sight of her, Xu Jing knew she was the abbot of Jingyuan Temple and currently the most suspicious—Master Xuan Yin.

But what was going on? How could Mr. Yao be with her?

Xu Jing was slightly taken aback. Not far away, Mr. Yao noticed her and looked slightly resigned as he called out, "Miss Xu."

As soon as he spoke, Master Xuan Yin’s gaze followed his, studying Xu Jing for a moment, then curled her lips with a smile and said, "So this is the renowned detective of the Western Capital—Miss Xu. I didn’t expect to have the fortune of meeting you today."