HCB Chapter 2096 The Buddha asked me to do three things!
Chapter 2096 The Buddha asked me to do three things!
Li Xiangnan's calm question fell silent, with no response from the courtyard except for the rising wind.
The little monk still tilted his head, staring at Li Xiangnan with his dark, hollow eyes, a naive and innocent smile still on his lips, the blood seeping out congealing into dark red marks on his lips.
The young novice monk did not answer immediately, seemingly savoring Li Xiangnan's unusual composure, or perhaps simply feeling that the question of what he intended to ask was too straightforward and not interesting enough.
Just as the oppressive silence began to spread, hurried and chaotic footsteps and low shouts came from all around the courtyard wall.
"South!" Hao Jian's voice was filled with unprecedented shock, anger, and shame. He was the first to leap down from the wall of the neighboring courtyard, landing heavily in the yard.
His face was ashen, and veins throbbed on his forehead. Behind him followed Zhou Yuejin, several capable members of the Song family, and Cheng Kui and others from the brothel.
Their expressions were solemn, their eyes filled with a mixture of shame for failing in their duty and shock at the bizarre sight before them.
Hao Jian rushed to Li Xiangnan's side and front in a few steps. Although he knew it might be useless, he still subconsciously wanted to form a barrier.
He spoke rapidly, his voice filled with anger: "I'm sorry, it was our negligence. The front and back doors, the rooftops on both sides, the alleyway entrance… none of the visible or hidden sentries detected anything amiss! The patrolling brothers said they didn't even disturb a stray cat! He…"
Hao Jian pointed at the little monk, "It's as if he suddenly popped out from underground, or as if he was always sitting on that wall, but we just didn't see him!"
These words made the already chilly atmosphere drop even further.
What level of skill do the people Hao Jian brought along have?
Du Xingyue, Ji Qingyue, and many seasoned veterans present all knew what was going on.
It's obvious at a glance that they are highly skilled fighters who have undergone rigorous training and real-world combat testing; their defenses are undeniably tight.
Even so, the young monk moved about as if he were in an empty place. This was not simply due to his skill, but rather to an inexplicable and sinister aura!
This makes people think of the magic tricks and illusions performed by many magicians among the acrobats who performed on Tianqiao in previous years, which makes them feel even more disheartened.
Shangguan Wuji and many people from the Ten Families of Yanjing exchanged glances subtly, their hearts sinking once again.
The little monk was indeed terrifying, but Li Xiangnan was clearly prepared!
Look at these people. They're either brothers from the brothel, big and burly, or members of the Song family, all with imposing builds, or Li Xiangnan's comrades, all exuding a murderous aura.
These people were supposed to be the ones dealing with them...
Thinking of this, Shangguan Wuji and the others were even more terrified of Li Xiangnan's methods!
That kid is a real beast, his wisdom is almost demonic!
Faced with the young monk's silence, Du Xingyue's expression grew even more gloomy. He glanced at the crack in the moon gate, where the figures of Zhang Long and Zhao Hu briefly appeared, along with the eight Vajra he had brought...
But he still felt it wasn't enough.
Before he arrived, before he even entered the courtyard, Zhang Long had told him that in addition to Li Xiangnan's overt preparations, there were also some people dressed in Zhongshan suits and carrying black umbrellas wandering around among the guests in the courtyard.
Du Xingyue suspected that those people were bodyguards from Zhongnanhai, the top official guards on the surface, and the people who could deliver information directly to the highest levels of government.
Although he knew that these people would not take action unless absolutely necessary, he still wondered if he should ask Zhang Long to inform them so that he could make preparations in advance.
Ji Qingyue frowned slightly, her chest heaving gently, and her cool gaze lingered on the little monk for a little longer.
The Ji family has a long history and unfathomable depth, possessing knowledge of many secret methods that are difficult for ordinary people to access.
The evil of this young monk is not simply a matter of pretending to be a god or a ghost, but a substantial existence rooted in a sinister lineage mixed with an abnormal mindset and methods.
She gently raised her hand, stopping the two women behind her from stepping forward.
Faced with such an unusual opponent, acting rashly might not be wise. Let's see how Li Xiangnan responds and what this little monk is up to.
The young monk seemed completely oblivious to Hao Jian and the others' arrival and their report, not even glancing at them out of the corner of his eye.
His attention seemed to be completely focused on Li Xiangnan, or rather, on what Li Xiangnan represented.
He stuck out his tiny tongue and slowly licked away the half-dried bloodstains from the corner of his lips. His movements were childlike in their nonchalance, yet they also exuded an unsettling, sinister quality.
Then he raised his hand, not pointing at anyone, but gently twirling the string of white finger bone prayer beads again. The beads collided, producing a faint but clear clicking sound, which, in the quiet courtyard, sounded like a death knell.
"The question of Benefactor Li is very simple!" The little monk suddenly smiled slightly, his voice clear and childish, yet it seemed as if there was a layer of ice between them.
He blinked, put down the steamed bun he had just taken a small bite of, and casually tossed the bloodstained and tooth-marked bun onto the bluestone ground.
Without even looking, he took another step forward, getting even closer to Li Xiangnan.
Hao Jian's muscles tensed, and he almost grabbed the stool in front of him. Song Ziming's hand was also on the clasp of the soft sword at his waist. Both of them were stopped by a very slight look from Li Xiangnan.
The young monk looked up at Li Xiangnan, as if he could see deeper into him. His calm tone made him all the more chilling.
"The Buddha has asked me to do three things!"
He held up a slender, white finger, the tip still stained with a bit of breadcrumbs and dark red.
"First, hand over the Mu family's account book to me today!"
He then erected a second one.
"Secondly, please bring out the old lady of the Mu family. I want to see if she is still alive!"
As he raised his third finger, his large, clear eyes slowly and deliberately swept across the entire room.
His gaze swept over Du Xingyue's ashen face, over Ji Qingyue's cold, scrutinizing eyes, over the group of ten representatives trembling like leaves in the corner, wishing they could disappear on the spot, and even seemed to pass through the wall to see the four bewildered old men inside the room...
Finally, that gaze, like cold spider silk, coiled back onto Li Xiangnan's face.
“Third,” the little monk’s lips curled into an almost innocent smile, but his voice was chilling, “those who touched the flesh, shed blood, and profited from the Mu family incident forty years ago, step forward and hand over the benefits you obtained!”
boom!
These three objectives and three matters were like three thunderbolts falling from the heavens, instantly striking everyone present and leaving them all speechless and frozen in place.
However, what was even more unsettling was his next sentence.
"Otherwise, at midnight tonight, the Mu family's great fire, which burned for three days and three nights back then, might reappear in Yanjing—"
"..."