Open A Clinic To Cultivate Myself Chapter 178 The First Building

Ning Tao leaned in Xin Zhiyu's ear and whispered, “You know, I cured Mr. Barnes in your ancestral temple. I saw a lot of spirit tablets of the Zhu family over there. I am very curious why there are so many the Zhu family's spirit tablets in your ancestral temple. And according to their names, they seem to be women's spirit tablets.”

Xin Zhiyu looked Ning Tao in the eye and said warily, “Why do you ask?”

“Didn't I just say? I'm curious about that,” Ning Tao emphasized.

Xin Zhiyu did not answer immediately. He seemed to be hesitating, and didn't believe Ning Tao.

Ning Tao moved slowly as he reached for the firewood chopper on the Bugatti Veyron's hood.

Xin Zhiyu immediately said, “In ancient times, a woman of the Zhu family once offered help to one of my ancestors. Since then, the men of our Xin family have married some women from the Zhu family.”

“I see. Will you marry a woman from the Zhu family?” asked Ning Tao casually.

Xin Zhiyu scornfully replied, “What era is it now? I'll marry whoever I want. There were men of our family who didn't married the woman from the Zhu family. This is not my family rules, just a sentiment.”

They regarded it as a sentiment to marry the Zhus women. Ning Tao dismissed this, but kept a straight face and inquired, “Is Zhu Hongyu the wife of one of your ancestors?”

A puzzled look came over Xin Zhiyu's face. “Who's Zhu Hongyu?” he asked.

He didn't look like he was lying. It was impossible for him to touch the spirit tablets on the shrine, because in Hua Country it was disrespectful to ancestors. Thus, it was normal for him not to see the “Zhu Hongyu” behind the blank spirit tablet.

Not satisfied, Ning Tao continued, “Have you ever heard from your mother or father talk about it?”

Xin Zhiyu thought for a moment and answered, “Does my mother have a sister?”

His reaction was further proof that Xin Zhiyu had no idea of the secret behind the blank spirit tablet, or of Zhu Hongyu's existence in history.

Ning Tao stopped asking. If he went on asking, Xin Zhiyu would probably suspect him. He reached for the firewood chopper on the hood.

Xin Zhiyu got nervous. “You said it, so keep your word!”

Ning Tao put the firewood chopper into the medicine chest and said blandly, “Of course I mean what I say. I'm not cutting your car. But don't mess with me again. I get so impulsive sometimes that I can't control myself.”

He was telling the truth. Even he himself would be afraid of him in the evil state, but Xin Zhiyu obviously did not take his warning seriously. When he said this, Xin Zhiyu's eyes flashed a hint of hate, but it was hidden deep.

Ning Tao didn't care. He walked up to Liu Xian'er and Wu Xiaolin and said, “Okay, that's all right, please lead the way.”

“Yes, Mr. Ning, please follow me.” Wu Xiaolin politely extended his hand to him.

Liu Xian'er said to the other three, “Your honored guests, please follow me.”

Xin Zhiyu nodded and walked over.

Li Xiaofeng gave a cold snort, probably upset that Liu Xian'er and Wu Xiaolin didn't stop Ning Tao. However, he followed Xin Zhiyu through the gate.

“Cousin Xiaofeng, call the police. Let that b.a.s.t.a.r.d pay for your car and to ruin him! At the sight of him, I want to tear him up!” Xue Bao'er snorted.

Li Xiaofeng gave Xue Bao'er a stern look and reprimanded her, “Don't you think we're embarra.s.sing enough? That guy has the racing contract I signed. What's the use of calling the police? If word gets around, people will say I can't afford to lose.”

Calling the police would get Ning Tao in trouble more or less, but Li Xiaofeng couldn't accept losing face.

After climbing a stone staircase of hundreds of steps, the four guests came to the First Building. A large part of the hillside had been leveled, and the First Building stood in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by 12 stone towers. On the base of each stone tower were carved animal designs, including mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit and dragon. According to the visible animal patterns, it was not difficult to guess that the carved stone patterns at the base of the first floor should be the animal patterns of the Chinese zodiac.

In addition to the Chinese zodiac, each stone tower was inscribed with runes on its base. Ning Tao had read a lot of books left by Xuan Tianzi in the Sword Pavilion Cave, so he knew some of them, but he didn't know the meaning and use of this whole collection of runes together. After all, his research time was too short.

Just before Ning Tao arrived at the First Building and carefully observed it, Bai Jing walked out of the building.

She wore a long white dress, a pair of white shoes, with a white magnolia flower embroidered on the instep, which could only be seen with careful observation. Her white dress and white skin made her look like a fairy.

“Zhiyu, I'm really sorry that I didn't have time to meet you at the mountain gate.” Bai Jing didn't say h.e.l.lo to Ning Tao, but greeted Xin Zhiyu, and she addressed him kindly.

Xin Zhiyu felt so proud that he lost most of the anger he had received from Ning Tao. He smiled and said, “It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. I am very happy to meet you, Miss Bai. How could I bother you to pick me up?”

Bai Jing gave a sweet smile. “I'll make a cup of tea for you to apologize to you, and ask you to try my tea art.”

Xin Zhiyu smiled and said, “My heart is already full of antic.i.p.ation.”

Bai Jing then greeted Li Xiaofeng and Xue Bao'er. “Mr. Li, Miss Xue, I apologize for not greeting you properly.”

Li Xiaofeng replied politely, “Miss Bai, you're too polite. Thank you for the invitation.”

“Miss Bai, we're friends. You need not so polite.” Xue Bao'er responded politely. She even gave Ning Tao a defiant look particularly.

Ning Tao didn't respond. He though Bai Jing probably knew what happened outside the mountain gate, and gave him the cold shoulder to make Xin Zhiyu feel better. From the moment he discovered the secret behind the blank spirit tablet, he knew from the name “Zhu Hongyu” that Bai Jing's goal was to find the elixir prescription of the Ancestor-seeking Elixir. Since ancient times, demons had fascinated their prey when they harmed people. Poor Xin Zhiyu was still in the dark and had no idea. Even more laughable was his smug belief that he attracted his G.o.ddess's favor with his charm.

“Xian'er, you take the three guests in first. I'll come after a word with Doctor Ning,” Bai Jing stated.

“Okay, Senior Sister Bai.” Liu Xian'er extended her hand to the three and said, “Your three distinguished guests, please follow me.”

When Xin Zhiyu and Li Xiaofeng followed Liu Xian'er into the First Building, Xue Bao'er looked at Ning Tao again with disdain in her eyes. “Hum!”

Ning Tao just smiled faintly. Xue Bao'er's provocation was like a bug's provocation to him. So did he need to respond to a bug's challenge?

As Xue Bao'er had entered the First Building, Bai Jing said, “Ning Tao, I didn't mean to give you the cold shoulder, but…”

“No need to explain. You never gave me the cold shoulder,” Ning Tao stated with a smile on his face. “Everyone has their own reasons, and I don't want to know everything. I'm only here to find Qing Zhui and I don't care about anything else.”

He had already made it very clear—”Your intentions toward the Xin family are none of my business, but don't use Qing Zhui, and don't hurt Qing Zhui!”

Bai Jing giggled. “You see, I said my younger sister was very lucky to meet you, a kind and righteous demon master. Come with me. I'll take you to meet someone. After you see him, I'll take you to Qing Zhui.”

Ning Tao tentatively asked, “Is it Bai Sheng?”

Bai Jing nodded and turned into the First Building.

Ning Tao climbed steps of the First Building and walked into it.

Behind the gate was a large hall, but not dedicated to a Buddhist deity or a Taoist deity, but to a dead tree without branches and leaves. The tree's trunk and branches were silver, as if made of sterling silver, and it was all metallic and unusual.

Ning Tao stopped and asked, “What kind of tree is this?”

“You said you didn't want to know everything. Have you changed your mind in the twinkling of an eye?” Bai Jing ridiculed.

Ning Tao gave a slight shrug and replied, “Okay, just ignore me.”

Round the tree, there was a staircase behind. Bai Jing went up the stairs first and climbed slowly. Ning Tao followed and climbed the stairs. While walking, he quietly woke up the eyes and nose to make them enter the state of looking and smelling. Suddenly, he saw and smelled a lot of demon auras, and the source was the silver dead tree.

Ning Tao was shocked. “Was that tree a demon?”

Bai Jing stopped short and said in a hushed voice, “My teacher doesn't like anyone snooping into the secrets here. You are the guest, but you must obey the rules here.”

Ning Tao put an end to the looking and smelling of eyes and nose, pretended ignorance, and said, “I didn't do anything. Why are you so nervous?”

Bai Jing's sixth sense was very powerful. He had seen it at the time of the meeting in the Panjiayuan Market of Beidu. Then, as now, Bai Jing turned her back on him. He awakened the second state of the eyes and nose to detect her, and she sensed it and shot a sharp glance at him.

Bai Jing said nothing more than, “Come with me.”

Ning Tao followed her up to the second floor, then down a corridor and on. Not far away, Qing Zhui paused at a door and knocked.

“Adoptive father, Doctor Ning is here,” Bai Jing cried out.

Just now, she called Bai Sheng “teacher”, but now called Bai Sheng “adoptive father”. These two different names ill.u.s.trated a problem—Bai Jing and Bai Sheng had a special relationship. As Bai Jing's sister, Qing Zhui should also be Bai Sheng's disciple and adoptive daughter.

Ning Tao can't help but picture Liu Xian'er and Wu Xiaolin in his mind. They were not demons, but pract.i.tioners. He had already proved this, for when they met at the mountain gate, he saw from Liu Xian'er and Wu Xiaolin the spiritual energy of a true pract.i.tioner, not a demon.

The First Building of the Yinyue Mountain was really a mysterious and weird place!

Just as Ning Tao was thinking fast, a voice behind the door said, “Please come in.”

It sounded both masculine and feminine, and full of demon aura!