Chapter Ninety-Three: The Buddha with Twin Eyes

“This is like searching for a needle in a haystack. I thought there was only one temple,” Cheng Che said helplessly, hands on his hips as he leaned against the hood of the Jaguar, gazing at the entrance of Haichan Temple.

Chi Tan, exhausted, squatted beside the car after walking through the gate. “Brother Xiao Lin, we’re just here to visit the temple, and we’ve already paid respects to so many Buddhas. You can find the same in Beijing. Traveling so far, it’s just exhausting.”

Wu Cheng’an walked to the back, took a few bottles of water from the trunk, and handed them over. Then he walked over to Zhang Qinglin. “This approach isn’t working. We need to know his exact location.”

Zhang Qinglin took a sip of water and looked toward the setting sun. Indeed, this approach wasn’t effective. Even if they turned Tianhe County upside down, they might still come up empty-handed.

Just as they were fretting, a car sped toward them. The headlights made Cheng Che quickly shield his eyes, grumbling, “Who is that? It’s not even dark yet, why are they using their high beams?”

Zhang Qinglin got out from the back seat and stood to look. The car stopped in front of Cheng Che, the driver turned off the lights, and the person behind the wheel got out.

Several pairs of eyes turned toward the newcomer—it was Wan Qing. She walked to the Jaguar and said, “Looks like you found nothing. Let’s go. No use wasting time here.”

As she spoke, she patted the hood of the Jaguar and then turned toward her own car.

“Where are you going?” Cheng Che asked.

Wan Qing had already gotten back into her car, reversed to make a turn, and waited ahead for them.

Zhang Qinglin glanced sideways at Haichan Temple and said, “Let’s follow her for now.”

Wan Qing’s car continued north, driving straight into a mountain valley before stopping in front of a hotel called Good Luck Inn.

“Wan Qing, what are you doing here alone? How did you know we were here?” Zhang Qinglin asked as he sat down at a wooden table, eyeing her.

Cheng Che poured hot water into a cup and, before Wan Qing could speak, blurted out, “Do we even need to ask? It must be my aunt who sent you. So, how did you know we were at Haichan Temple?”

“My cousin asked me to come,” Wan Qing replied. “She said if Mr. Cheng told you about Wu Mingshi’s whereabouts, you’d be eager to leave immediately.”

“So you’ve been following us all along?” Cheng Che said.

“Yeah, but I realized by the third place you visited that you hadn’t found him.”

“Wait, do you know where he is?” Cheng Che leaned back in his chair.

Wan Qing lifted her chin. “Yes, I already know where he is. I’ll take you there first thing tomorrow morning.”

The next day, Wan Qing led Zhang Qinglin and the others toward a towering mountain before them.

The inn where they stayed was at the foot of the mountain; Wu Mingshi was said to be on the other side.

They climbed over the mountain and arrived at a mountain temple. Standing before the stone Buddha inside, Zhang Qinglin’s eyes suddenly brightened.

The statue was half a serene Buddha and half a fierce, terrifying face. Zhang Qinglin stood before it, recalling that he had seen a similar statue in Kunzhou over a decade ago, known as the Two-Eyed Buddha.

“Eight feet tall, clad in a golden robe, worldly life, a monk’s bowl; half demon, half Buddha, half good thought; a smile and a sorrow—the Two-Eyed Buddha.”

This statue symbolized the Buddha’s sorrow and pain facing the world’s evil, seeing faint goodness lingering in human hearts but unable to change human nature despite his compassion.

Wan Qing walked behind the statue. Not far behind it was a small Buddhist hall, its bricks and tiles aged. The place was remote, and most people avoided the mountain path, making it peaceful and serene.

Zhang Qinglin remained before the stone Buddha, his gaze suddenly sharp. From the direction of the hall, two figures approached—it was Xun Ge and his assistant.

Wan Qing was speaking with them when Cheng Che called Zhang Qinglin from behind the statue. They walked over to join Wan Qing and the others.

Seeing Xun Ge again, Zhang Qinglin noticed a change. His hair was shorter; his expression was somewhat dazed, his complexion sallow, and both hands heavily bandaged, as if he had been through something severe.

Xun Ge nodded slightly in greeting. “Alright, let’s leave it at that for now. The matter behind the tile kiln is up to you. I’ll be going first.”

“Take care of yourself, Xun Ge. Safe travels,” Wan Qing said, checking her phone and then looking at Zhang Qinglin and the others. “Wu Mingshi is in the backyard. You should go, but I feel I should warn you.”

“Is there an ambush?” Cheng Che asked.

“No, I mean it’s best if only one person goes in. If too many of you enter, he might refuse to meet. I have other matters, so I won’t go in with you.”

“Sigh, Wan Qing, are you going back to the inn tonight?” Cheng Che followed closely behind her, asking.

“Do you want me to go back or not?” Wan Qing’s lips curved slightly as she glanced at Cheng Che.

“Hey, big sister, of course, Cheng Ge hopes you’ll come back!” Chi Tan slung an arm over Cheng Che’s shoulder and called out playfully to the retreating Wan Qing.

Wan Qing didn’t turn back. She simply raised her hand in a wave and disappeared at the entrance.

“Who told you to talk? Get lost!” Cheng Che said.

“Alright, Cheng Ge, I saw you two drinking last night. I could tell. Look how pretty big sister is. You better seal the deal quickly, or she’ll be someone else’s,” Chi Tan teased.

“Kids don’t understand anything. Go play somewhere else,” Cheng Che retorted.

Chi Tan pouted, staring him down. “I’m an adult now!”

Zhang Qinglin and Wu Cheng’an headed toward the backyard, where there was only a meditation room. Two men in rough black cloth stood at the door.

Zhang Qinglin and Wu Cheng’an stopped in the courtyard. At that moment, Cheng Che and the others arrived.

“There really is an ambush. Lao Zhang, can you go in alone? Or should we come with you?” Cheng Che asked.

Zhang Qinglin took an old-fashioned steel pen from his pocket, handed to him by Mr. Cheng. “Not yet. You wait here. I’ll go in first to have a look.”

With that, Zhang Qinglin approached the meditation room, but the two men in black stopped him.

“You can’t enter here.”