I didn't press the old monk on this question. I called over Liu Heshang. When the death of the old abbot was mentioned, Liu Heshang seemed quite sad. He said, "One night about a month ago, the old abbot fell ill. The doctor said he wouldn't last long, but I didn't expect him to die the night after two days."
"Were you by the old abbot's side that night?" When I asked this question, I surprisingly found a look of panic on the old monk's face.
"No, I went to the restroom a few times. When I came back the last time, I found the old abbot lying flat on the bed, his limbs straight, and no breath!"
"Didn't he die sitting up?" Gao Mingqiang asked curiously.
He must have seen in TV shows that those accomplished masters all died sitting up, so he thought of that.
"Normally he should have, but he was stretched out then, with an unwilling and fearful expression on his face, looking a bit..." Liu Heshang said, looking up at the old monk not far away, who was glaring at Liu Heshang.
I quickly noticed the old monk: "It seems the old abbot's death is very problematic. If my guess is correct, it's definitely related to you!"
My gaze fell on the old monk, who angrily cursed, "What evidence do you have to prove I did it? The doctor clearly said he was in critical condition!"
"Is that so? Then you mean you're in cahoots with that doctor!" I deliberately guessed.
The old monk was clearly nervous. I saw his pupils contract slightly: "You're talking nonsense. I'm not familiar with that doctor at all!"
"Heh, I was just guessing. I didn't expect you to be so nervous!"
I pretended to leave with Gao Mingqiang first, and behind their backs, I asked He Xin to help find that doctor. After Gao Mingqiang went down the mountain, he said to me, "We're just leaving like this?"
"Of course not, we're going back now!" I suddenly said. Gao Mingqiang immediately showed a cunning smile.
When we made a surprise comeback to the temple, the old monk was yelling at the people in the temple: "You guys better not say anything carelessly, you know? These are police officers. If we're exposed, we'll all die! Don't forget, we're just here to lie low!"
I turned on the voice recorder. After it finished recording, I appeared before them. Seeing us, the old monk was horrified but deliberately maintained his composure and said, "Officer, why have you returned?"
"I forgot to bring a lighter." I deliberately went to the old abbot's room and took the lighter. Before that, while they weren't paying attention, I installed a camera in a flower bed in the corridor.
This time, Gao Mingqiang and I really left. Back at the police station, He Xin found the doctor for us. Upon confrontation, we discovered that he had indeed colluded with the old monk to kill the old abbot, and it was for a valuable item, which was none other than the sarira.
It seemed my guess was right. I had Gao Mingqiang lead people up the mountain and directly arrest the old monk and others.
In the interrogation room, I said to the old monk, "Hong Xuemin, 61 years old. You were previously involved in a cultural relic trafficking case and were sentenced to 20 years. You've just been released, and you've committed another crime, killing the old abbot and taking his sarira! Tell me, where did you sell the sarira?"
"I don't know what you're talking about?" Hong Xuemin denied.
I took out the voice recorder and played the audio we had recorded. Soon, Hong Xuemin cursed, "Were you deliberately trying to set me up when you came back last time?"
"Otherwise, Hong Xuemin, I advise you to confess immediately. Otherwise, it won't do you any good. Given your situation, there's still a chance for leniency, or even the death penalty!"
"I don't want to die! Officer He!" Unexpectedly, Hong Xuemin was so afraid of death. That's right. I directly threatened him, "Tell me honestly, how did you cooperate with the doctor to murder the old abbot?"
"We just added a little extra to the medicine. I sold the sarira on Huangyuan Street, not far down the mountain. That's where they sell antiques and also buy them. I made some money from selling the sarira!"
"Huangyuan Street? Do you remember which shop?" Gao Mingqiang asked.
"I remember, it's called Tang Ming Zhai. A friend introduced me, saying they could get a higher price!"
I observed Hong Xuemin's micro-expressions and found that he wasn't lying. I continued to ask, "Were others involved in the crime like you?"
"No, they just knew I sold something. They didn't know about the abbot's death; they all thought it was natural causes."
"Then why did you scold them and tell them not to speak carelessly?"
"Because I was afraid that if they mentioned selling the sarira, it would easily lead to them thinking I killed the abbot!" Hong Xuemin said sheepishly.
"Forget it. At least you've helped us now and can be considered to have made meritorious contributions. If we find the suspect through the clue of the sarira, your sentence will be reduced!"
I left these words and directly left the interrogation room. The next step was to find Tang Ming Zhai.
I went to the technical department, and with He Xin's help, we quickly located Tang Ming Zhai. It was indeed on Huangyuan Street.
This place is our city's internationally renowned antique commercial street. Many famous antiques are sold here, and there are also many luxury goods sold here. Many antique lovers come here to purchase or admire.
When we arrived at Huangyuan Street, we realized how bustling it was. Almost every area was crowded, and the noise was extremely loud. It seemed that people like us were not suited for such a noisy place, but there was no choice for the sake of the investigation.
Gao Mingqiang kept following me. I didn't know what Liu Yuning had found out on her end, and she hadn't contacted me.
As we ventured deeper into Huangyuan Street, we were looking everywhere for the location of Tang Ming Zhai, but we couldn't find it after searching for a long time. I then went up to an old man selling things from a street stall and said, "Sir, have you heard of Tang Ming Zhai on Huangyuan Street?"
"Tang Ming Zhai? That place is a bit hard to find, but they have good stuff inside! It's in the corner at the end of the street. Go to the end of the street, turn left, then turn right, and walk about 500 meters, and you'll see it!"
It was so complicated, no wonder Gao Mingqiang and I couldn't find it. Thanking the old gentleman, we followed his directions and, after a distance, indeed found Tang Ming Zhai. The design style of this place was quite classical, with a predominantly green and blue color scheme, and it was decorated with Tang Dynasty style layouts everywhere. Even the eaves and steps had a strong Tang Dynasty atmosphere. Hearing footsteps, a middle-aged man in a Tang suit politely came out and said to us, "Gentlemen, what kind of luxury goods are you looking to buy?"