Ning Tao followed Bai Jing inside, pulling out the Unbreakable Fan. He fanned as he walked. Bai Sheng was an old demon, and he had to be on his guard against demons because demons could hurt people.

The room behind the door was s.p.a.cious and bright, with plenty of Phoebe zhennan. Under the suns.h.i.+ne, the room was full of golden light, giving people a dream-like feeling.

An old man in white stood at the window, his back to the door. He had long white hair and a lean figure. Even though he had his back to the door, Ning Tao felt he was watching him when he walked in. The void of the room seemed to have an invisible net, and everything was under the old man's control.

“Adoptive father, Doctor Ning is here,” Bai Jing reported respectfully.

Ning Tao greeted, “Senior Bai, nice to meet you.”

Bai Sheng turned around. His eyebrows were black, his eyes bending upward, his lips red and his teeth white. His face had a fine line, and his skin was smooth, without any wrinkles.

His face was definitely better than that of all the handsome young men in the world.

Ning Tao was stunned. He didn't expect Bai Sheng to be like this.

Bai Sheng grinned, stepped forward and held out a hand to Ning Tao. “Doctor Ning, I've heard so much about you. You have lived up to your reputation.”

His voice was thin, not masculine, too feminine.

Ning Tao just came to himself. He reached out and shook Bai Sheng's hand. Bai Sheng's hand was smooth, boneless and more beautiful than most women's.

“Senior Bai, you flatter me. I didn't think you was such a beautiful person,” uttered Ning Tao politely.

Bai Sheng burst out laughing. The smile was very charming.

Ning Tao suddenly felt as if he was getting along with a special group of people in Thailand, but this feeling was hidden in his heart without any indication. In addition, in this short time, although he did not use the ability to look and smell, Bai Sheng sensed the smell of snake from Bai Sheng. He confirmed that Bai Sheng was also a snake demon.

“Nice talking. No wonder Qing Zhui likes you so much.” Instead of letting go of Ning Tao's hand, Bai Sheng pulled Ning Tao toward a tea table, saying, “Bai Jing, make two cups of tea. I'll have a good talk with Doctor Ning.”

“Yes, right away.” Bai Jing went down.

Bai Sheng took Ning Tao's hand to the tea table before releasing it. “Please sit down.”

As soon as Bai Sheng let go of his hand, Ning Tao breathed a sigh of relief in secret. Ning Tao felt goose b.u.mps the moment Bai Sheng held his hand.

When they were seated, Bai Sheng began, “Qing Zhui is a kid with a hard life. I didn't think she'd live long, but you came to her life and healed her. You are a cultivating doctor, and such people are very rare now.”

“Everyone has a destiny. I guess my meeting with Qing Zhui was fate,” Ning Tao said.

Bai Sheng raised his eyebrows while looking at Ning Tao and asked, “What about our meeting?”

Ning Tao was tongue-tied. What should he say?

“Hha… ” Bai Sheng smiled and said, “Then I'll get to the point. Qing Zhui is my daughter. You took her away, but you didn't give us any betrothal gifts. Is that appropriate?”

Ning Tao said calmly, “Senior Bai, what kind of betrothal gift do you want?”

“That depends on your sincerity,” Bai Sheng replied airily.

Bai Jing brought two cups of tea, putting one in front of Bai Sheng and the other in front of Ning Tao. Then she smiled and said, “Adoptive father, there are a lot of treasures in Ning Tao's clinic. It is not at all a problem for him to offer a betrothal gift which is worthy of Qing Zhui.”

Bai Sheng beamed and looked at Ning Tao, his pretty eyes full of antic.i.p.ation.

Ning Tao paused for a moment before suggesting, “How about the tripod in my clinic?”

“Hha.” Bai Jing smirked. “That tripod is too big and too heavy. I can't move it.”

“Have tea first. There is no hurry about betrothal gifts.” Bai Sheng picked up his teacup and took a sip, looking out the window.

Ning Tao also picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea. It was good tea, tasting clear and fragrant.

At the moment, Li Xiaofeng's voice came out of the window, “Miss Qing Zhui, why are you here?”

Ning Tao got up and went to the window. He looked through the window and saw Qing Zhui. She stood under a stone tower in the backyard, looking nervous. Li Xiaofeng, Xue Bao'er, and Xin Zhiyu were walking down a gravel path toward Qing Zhui.

Qing Zhui seemed to want to leave, but she couldn't.

Ning Tao suddenly realized that there was something wrong with the stone tower. Anger was immediately boiling up inside him. “Senior Bai, what do you mean by this?” he snarled.

Bai Sheng joined Ning Tao and his tone changed. “Doctor Ning, you're Qing Zhui's demon master, but I'm Qing Zhui's foster father. Do you think it's right to take her away from me for nothing? I want your small tripod. You give it to me, and I'll give you Qing Zhui, and she's yours from now on.”

He wanted the rotten broken tripod.

Ning Tao repressed his anger. “What if I don't give it to you?”

“You know, that rich guy named Li Xiaofeng has a crush on Qing Zhui. His family ownes United Communications, and now technology companies are quite well. If I marry Qing Zhui to Li Xiaofeng, everyone in the Li family will die within three to five years. Then their United Communications will be mine, won't it? And the other rich guy named Xin Zhiyu. He has feelings for Bai Jing. If I marry Bai Jing to him, his family will die with three to five years. Then their Grand Dream Company will be mine, too, right?”

He showed his hand.

When he first saw Bai Sheng, Ning Tao just thought he was feminine, but he was more insidious, selfish and greedy! He claimed that Bai Jing and Qing Zhui were his daughters, but in his eyes they were his property and tools to make money for him!

However, even after hearing Bai Sheng's words in person, Bai Jing didn't show any anger or discomfort. Instead, she appeared humble and respectful.

When Bai Sheng showed his true colors, Ning Tao calmed down instead. “As a demon, you don't focus on practice. What do you want all that money for?”

Bai Sheng sneered, “Focus on practice? The world is short of spiritual energy, and the old way leads to death. No matter demons or the pract.i.tioner have to be flexible to have a way out. Some foreign counterparts have made great achievements by combining cultivation with science and technology. I understand. I want money, I want to cultivate taking advantage of money.”

“To cultivate taking advantage of money?” Ning Tao had no idea what he meant.

“Is it hard to understand? Money makes the mare go. Money can make a man crazy; Money can buy a woman's virginity, a man's loyalty; Money can make couples against each other and make a brother an enemy; Money can even allow one country to attack another, regardless of the lives lost,” Bai Sheng said quietly. “Money can do anything. It is the source of all evil and desire. As long as you have enough money, you can build your own world. In that world everyone will wors.h.i.+p you, be loyal to you, and have endless desires for you. All I want is the wors.h.i.+p and loyalty and desire of the world. Is this not how the G.o.ds of this world came? There is no G.o.d in the world, but he who has many believers has become G.o.d.”

Ning Tao was shocked. Bai Sheng's words gave him a new understanding of the real cultivation world today. He had seen the magic tool combined with technology which belonged to the man who might be Nicholas Conway, and now he had come into contact with a new concept from Bai Sheng— to enter the cultivation by money!

Everything was evolving. Under the natural law of survival of the fittest, all sentient beings were fighting for life with heaven. How dare pract.i.tioners and demons lag behind?

Ning Tao's mind was racing, and his eyes turned to Qing Zhui again. Qing Zhui couldn't seem to see him, or Li Xiaofeng, Xin Zhiyu, and Xue Bao'er. She looked nervous and anxious, but did not dare to leave the circle drawn under the stone tower.

Bai Jing seemed to have guessed Ning Tao's mind, explaining, “It's Kunlun orpiment made by our adoptive father. It and the stone tower together form a step prison. Qing Zhui dare not step out. Under the influence of the Kunlun orpiment, she could not see people or hear voices outside.”

Kunlun orpiment was red orpiment, and snakes were afraid of it.

“She's your younger sister, and you're unique in her heart. How could you have the heart to do this to her?” questioned Ning Tao in a cold voice.

“Those who do wrong will be punished. I used to be locked up in the step prison by my adoptive father,” Bai Jing said lightly.

“I've made myself clear enough to be polite to you, Doctor Ning,” Bai Sheng said. “The time has come for you to show sincerity. Will you give me the tripod?”

“The last thing I want is to be threatened,” Ning Tao stated. “Let Qing Zhui out first and we'll talk. Then you'll see my sincerity.”

“I can let her go, but you better be honest,” Bai Sheng said. “One step down the wrong path and you're doomed.” After a pause, he ordered, “Xian'er, go and sweep away the dirt in front of your Senior Sister Qing.”

His voice was faint, but directed.

Liu Xian'er stepped out of a gra.s.s hut behind the stone tower, taking a broom and dustpan. Then he walked quickly to the stone tower to sweep away the Kunlun yellow orpiment that trapped Qing Zhui.

Wu Xiaolin also appeared, carrying a tray with three cups of brewed tea and an iron kettle for water. The three cups of tea were obviously to be served to guests Xin Zhiyu, Li Xiaofeng and Xue Bao'er.

Before Liu Xian'er could clean up all Kunlun yellow orpiment on the ground, Qing Zhui couldn't wait to jump out from the gap.

However, before Qing Zhui could look this way, Bai Sheng suddenly waved his hand, and the window made of Phoebe zhennan closed with a crash.

“Doctor Ning, I've released Qing Zhui. What about your sincerity?” Bai Sheng looked at Ning Tao with a strange look that seemed to read into his heart.