After breakfast, Ning Tao took Bai Jing and Qing Zhui to temples. Yin Molan followed them on his motorcycle. His motorcycle could certainly carry people, but Bai Jing insisted on taking Ning Tao's electric bicycle instead of Yin Molan's motorcycle.

On the road, Yin Molan couldn't help shaking his head and sighing as he looked at the crowded electric bicycle with three people in front of him. “Buddy, you're the greatest talent I've ever seen, but those two snake demons are your fated tribulation. You must control yourself. They are pink skeletons. Qing Zhui alone can make you half to death. Plus Bai Jing, they can kill you.”

Ning Tao couldn't hear him, and Yin Molan wouldn't say it in front of Bai Jing and Qing Zhui.

This might be the fighting demon's prejudice against the snake demon, or his experience. Probably only he knew what it was.

The G.o.d's Will galloped all the way and attracted countless envious eyes.

They searched for temples one after another. Another day pa.s.sed. During the two searches, Ning Tao had gone to all the temples in the city that could be found on Baidu Map, but none of them had any trace left by the five girls. Ning Tao felt so depressed that he even suspected that his way of solving the case was wrong.

At dusk, the four emerged from a temple. Again, they found nothing. They all looked upset.

Bai Jing said, “Ning Tao, I have a suggestion, but I don't know if I should say it out.”

“Don't be so polite. Just say it,” replied Ning Tao.

Bai Jing stated, “Okay, I'll get to the point. Now is the time to search for Bai Sheng, not the five missing girls. I know you are a good person, but there are too many poor people in this world. Can you help them all? There are also countless wicked men in this world. Can you punish or kill them all?”

Yin Molan came over and said, “I think Miss Bai is right. Our priority right now is finding Bai Sheng and killing him, not finding the missing schoolgirls. You've tried your best to find them; it is providence that there should be no result.”

Ning Tao paused before saying, “When Qing Zhui and I first came to Guan City, we eliminated a criminal gang that kidnapped and sold women. That time we caught two wicked men, one called Zhang Weibiao, and the other named Zhang Lei. I interrogated them and learnt that there was also a leader of the criminal gang. But they did not know his name or address, except that they had heard someone called him Lord of Jar. I suspect the disappearance of the five deaf schoolgirls has something to do with the Lord of Jar.”

“Yes, I remember those two men. I killed them,” Qing Zhui interjected.

Ning Tao went on, “We couldn't find Bai Sheng, not even a clue, but the whereabouts of the five deaf students could lead us to the Lord of Jar. I suspect there is a connection between Bai Sheng and the Lord of Jar, and maybe they even…” He did not go on, for that was only the conjecture which had arisen from the visits to temples.

Bai Jing asked, “You mean Bai Sheng could be the Lord of Jar?”

Ning Tao gave a nod. That was his guess.

Bai Jing had an incredulous look on her face. “How is that possible? If Bai Sheng is the Lord of Jar, I should be aware. But I don't have the feeling that Bai Sheng is the Lord of Jar at all. Why do you think so?”

Ning Tao replied, “It's simple. One of the lions has to leave the den. Guan City is a city of moderate size, neither big nor small. How could it possibly accommodate two big shots? Also, have you ever seen Bai Sheng do bad things?”

“Didn't he do a lot of bad things?” Bai Jing asked back.

Ning Tao said, “I mean he did it himself.”

Bai Jing froze for a few seconds before responding, “No, he just sent others to do it.”

Ning Tao continued, “You run the company for him, but do you know what other industries he owns besides New World Technology?”

Bai Jing shook her head. “I… I don't know. He never tells me that.”

Ning Tao said, “That's it. Bai Sheng is on the way of cultivating relying on money, and New World Technology you manage for him has only one billion in a.s.sets. How is that enough?”

Yin Molan uttered, “He lied to his adopted daughter. That venomous snake is very good at disguise! Miss Bai, you've probably only seen one side of Bai Sheng, not the venomous side of him as a snake.”

“That's why I think the Lord of Jar is probably Bai Sheng. The Lord of Jar never showed his true face, and Bai Sheng even cheated and concealed his own daughter. There are so many similarities.” After a pause, he continued, “There is the last temple on Baidu Map that we haven't been to yet. I'd like to have a look. If you don't want to go, go back. I'll go alone.”

Qing Zhui said, “No way. It's too dangerous for you to go alone. I want to go with you.”

“I'm going, too. I want to see if there's another side of him,” Bai Jing uttered.

Yin Molan said, “How could I be spared something like this?”

The last temple was about 30 kilometers away from the downtown area of Guan City. It was called Temple of Dead Tree.

It took Ning Tao about half an hour to get to the destination on the Baidu Map, but it wasn't a temple, it was a village.

It was nightfall, so every house had lights on. In the blackness of the night, the village looked peaceful.

Ning Tao looked up, but instead of the temple, he saw a mountain standing alone on the plain. The mountain was thickly covered with vegetation, and Ning Tao didn't see a temple on that mountain either. He was depressed, wondering if the Baidu Map's navigation was wrong.

“Wait here for me while I ask for directions.” Ning Tao got off the electric bicycle and entered the village alone.

Not far into the village, he stopped at a farmyard. The gate was open and the family—a couple and their child of seven or eight years old—were having supper in the yard. On a simple folding table placed a pot of roast chicken with potatoes. The man was drinking a bottle of beer and the woman and the child was having the chicken. Although they did not eat delicacies, the family seemed very satisfied and happy.

Ning Tao knocked on the gate and politely asked, “Excuse me, can you tell me the way?”

All three of them looked at Ning Tao, and the woman's eyes were a little wary.

The man asked, “Where are you going?”

Ning Tao replied, “I want to go to the Temple of Dead Tree. I was guided by a map app, but I didn't see any temples. Is there a temple here called Temple of Dead Tree?”

Ning Tao was polite, energetic and handsome, which made the woman drop her guard. Before her husband answered, she said, “Are you looking for the Temple of Dead Tree? There used to be a temple here called Temple of Dead Tree. It got its name from a pine tree in the temple, but it's been torn down.”

“It's been torn down?” Ning Tao asked with a blank look.

“It's been torn down for years,” the woman added.

Ning Tao immediately got a feeling of oppression. It seemed that this trip was in vain. They had searched every temple they could find. He didn't know how to follow up if he didn't find anything according to the clue.

“Thank you.” Ning Tao thanked her and turned to leave.

The man suddenly called to him, “Buddy, it's so late. What are you going to the Temple of Dead Tree for?”

Ning Tao looked back with a smile and replied, “A master told me that if I went to the Temple of Dead Tree and made a wish, I would have a girlfriend this year. It happened to be the workday off, so I came over.”

The man said, “The Temple of Dead Tree has been demolished, but a temple is being built on the mountain north of the village. A wealthy boss bought the mountain. That was three years ago. My family also received tens of thousands of land sales.”

Ning Tao's heart did a flip. “What's the name of that temple?”

The man shook his head and responded, “I don't know. The temple is closed to the public. The mountain is walled in, so we can't get in. The temple is built on top of the mountain. If you just make a wish, you can burn incense and kowtow in front of the mountain gate. Sincerity can work wonders.”

Ning Tao said, “Thank you, I'm going to check it out.”

The woman smiled and said, “Young man, don't you have a girlfriend yet? You are handsome and easy-going. How about I introduce my niece to you? What company do you work for? What's your monthly salary? Do you have a house?”

“Er… Take your time. I have to go.” Ning Tao turned and walked to the entrance of the village. Along the way, he couldn't help but smile. He was just asking for directions and someone tried to set him up with a strange girl. Wasn't he too lucky in adventures with women?

As soon as Ning Tao arrived at the entrance of the village, Qing Zhui came up to him. “Brother Ning, did someone tell you where the temple is?”

Ning Tao replied, “The Temple of Dead Tree was torn down years ago, but there's a temple being built on that mountain. One man said someone had bought the mountain and built a temple on it.”

There was only one mountain. Without Ning Tao pointing the mountain, Qing Zhui, Bai Jing, and Yin Molan looked at the mountain behind the village.

Yin Molan's face changed. “Sitting in the north, facing south, there is only one mountain. It is either a dragon or a monument…”

Ning Tao asked curiously, “Senior Yin, I heard you said it was either a dragon or a monument. What does that mean?”

Yin Molan explained, “People buy mountains to build temples in order to get blessings. That mountain stands alone; it is either the dragon ascending to heaven or the monument. The dragon ascending to heaven refers to the underground dragon veins rising from the ground, forming a mountain pointing to the sky. If it is not the dragon ascending to heaven, it is the gathering of evil energy, forming the monument of underground ghosts.”

“I see. Then we have more reasons to see the mountain.” Ning Tao took the handle of the G.o.d's Will from Qing Zhui and got on it.

Without his warning, Qing Zhui climbed on the electric bicycle. She clung to his back and clasped her hands around his waist. Then Bai Jing also got on the electric bicycle. She clung to Qing Zhui's back and put her arms around her waist.

It was just an electric bicycle. Did they have to sit like this?

Ning Tao turned the switch and the G.o.d's Will headed for the mountain north of the village. Yin Molan followed with his motorcycle. The two cars disappeared into the night.