“You dare to strike!” The middle-aged man was livid. He raised his foot to kick Ning Tao's lower abdomen.

Ning Tao did not dodge, allowing the man's foot to kick him brutally on his lower abdomen. Since he had mastered Powerful Tolerance to Beating, even an off-road vehicle could ram against him without him feeling much. He could easily endure such a heavy kick without any problem.

The kick did not make Ning Tao collapse to the ground, spewing blood. He did not even shake. The middle-aged man was astounded and his right hand unconsciously slipped to the back of his waist.

There was a pistol holstered on his waist.

Ning Tao released that youth's hand and prepared to strike.

At that moment, a voice rang out. “What are you guys doing? Brawls are forbidden here!”

The middle-aged man retracted his hand. He smiled as the management staff walked over. “Nothing. We were just welcoming each other.”

The management staff of the camp looked at Ning Tao. “Do you have anything to say?”

Ning Tao shook his head, smiling. “Nothing. We were indeed welcoming each other.”

The management staff of the camp said with a solemn face, “You two had better not create any trouble. There are armed police here. They won't be merciful to any troublemaker.”

The middle-aged man turned to leave. The other youths also departed with him.

Ning Tao had wanted to ask the management staff who they were. But he gave up the idea after some thought. He was a stranger in a foreign land. What if the management staff knew these men?

The management staff also left, muttering to himself. He was speaking the local dialect. Ning Tao could not understand him at all.

Ning Tao also crept into the tent, watching the entrance directly opposite him. The fur on the Howling Celestial Dog's neck had stiffened. Qing Zhui was also standing by the entrance. She was showing her snake's claws and was ready to kill.

Ning Tao said, “Those people have left. You don't need to be so tense.”

Only then did Qing Zhui retract her snake's claws. “I want to kill those people.”

Ning Tao embraced her by her shoulder. “Calm down. Those guys aren't good men. They have taken a beating and will probably not rest. We will have our chances.”

His intimate embrace made Qing Zhui's anger vanish into the thin air. Her graceful, ravis.h.i.+ng face gave a smile.

The Howling Celestial Dog said, “Master, let me go and investigate those men. They might be discussing. I can overhear even their whispers.”

Ning Tao stretched out his hand to caress the Howling Celestial Dog's head. He smiled. “Go then. Be careful and don't sneak too near. Just eavesdrop on them from a distance.”

“OK!” The Howling Celestial Dog left the tent.

A dog's hearing is 16 times more sensitive than a human being's. They could even hear tremors at 100 kHz. Even the most advanced surveillance devices invented by men could not rival the ears of this divinely endowed hound. Besides, the Howling Celestial Dog was refined in the Heavenly Hound tripod. He was a thoroughly remolded cultivating dog.

Ning Tao believed more and more that the Howling Celestial Dog would become his indispensable a.s.sistant. It had the abilities to help him in many tasks.

“Brother Ning, what should we do now?” Qing Zhui asked.

Ning Tao seemed suddenly to have realized something. He frantically released his arm clasping Qing Zhui's shoulder. “Let's rest first. Once it turns dark, we will visit that temple and take a look.”

Disappointment instantly appeared on Qing Zhui's face. “Why are we visiting that temple?”

Ning Tao said, “Zhu Hongyu had visited this place before. She was murdered in the South Col of Mount Everest. I believe she must have visited that temple before. I'm here to unravel the mystery of her death. I want to collect clues from those places she had visited.”

He had the residual Ancestor-seeking Elixir and the Whisperer. Could he see her figure or hear her voice in places Zhu Hongyu had visited? He had no confidence at all, but he would not give up even with a smidgen of hope.

The last rays of the sun vanished in the sky. Darkness and cold enveloped them. Since they were on a high alt.i.tude, even the night sky was very blue. As the stars shone down, the sacred Mount Everest could be discerned clearly.

A bonfire was started on the campsite.

A few youths were surrounding the bonfire, roasting meat and drinking wine. A middle-aged man was also sitting by the bonfire. He gazed at Ning Tao and Qing Zhui's tent with grim eyes. By his side lay p.r.o.ne a dying Tibetan Mastiff. It seemed the dog could not survive this night.

“Master, one word from you and I will go and finish off that guy. I'll bring that girl to your bed.” The person speaking was that youth whose wrist had been crushed by Ning Tao. Even now, his wrist was still throbbing dully. Among these men, he was the one who harbored Ning Tao the greatest grudge.

The middle-aged man sipped a mouthful of wine and said in a low voice, “That man has undergone training like us. You won't be his match.”

“Master, we have weapons here. Why fear him?” another youth said.

These youths were all the disciples of the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man glanced at his watch face. “Let's finish our business first before dealing with that guy. Our buyer is already urging us. After the meal and drinks, we will set off.”

“Master, is there really a temple here? I have trekked this place twice and didn't come across it,” the youth whose hand was crushed by Ning Tao said.

The middle-aged man gave a light snort. “If you could detect the temple yourself, why would I need to come personally?”

The youth said hastily, “Master, you're right, you're right…”

No one had detected a dog p.r.i.c.king up its ears at a pitch-black corner behind the tent. Its forehead was inscribed with the character “Heaven.” It was eavesdropping on every word they were saying. As it listened, it muttered, “ABCD… SB… YZ…”

The Howling Celestial Dog must be the world's most studious dog in this universe.

In the tent, Ning Tao sat cross-legged on the ground, reciting the first line of “Your Text” repeatedly. Each time he recited it, the divine bell of the Way would toll in his mind. The toll would rea.s.sure him, calm him down and affirm his faith in the Way.

Qing Zhui had nothing to do. She lay on her side on the mattress, watching Ning Tao recite. She was originally in winter clothes, but had now stripped down to a pair of panties and a bra. She had a good reason to take off her clothes. She was feeling hot.

She had claimed that she felt hot in this snow-covered terrain. She wasn't crazy because she was a snake demon.

She did not know this was the reason why Ning Tao was reciting the same scripture line again and again.

In fact, it could be regarded as a way to cultivate his heart. In the face of a woman's temptation, if he could withstand it and train himself internally, it would do his cultivation a whole lot of good.

“Brother Ning, I'm cold. Come and hug me.” Qing Zhui's voice sounded weak and helpless. Yet she also resembled an angler with a line and hook, using an enticing bait.

Ning Tao opened his eyes and said helplessly, “You said that you were hot just now. Now you say that you're cold. Are you feeling hot or cold?”

“Cold.” Qing Zhui seemed very certain.

“Then put your clothes back on,” Ning Tao said.

Qing Zhui jerked her mouth and gave her winter pants a brutal kick.

Ning Tao sighed and walked over, lying down beside her. He stretched out his hands and hugged her. He really liked Qing Zhui as his destined concubine, and felt that he owed her a debt. So whenever she threw a tantrum before him, he would try to pacify her.

Ning Tao clasped Qing Zhui in his arms and her face beamed more radiantly than a flower. She breathed out on Ning Tao's ear. “Brother Ning, I have something to tell you.”

Ning Tao bore with the itch and his voice quavered. “Just speak nicely. Must you breathe on my ear?”

“Didn't the cla.s.sics say that a breeze by the pillow is most useful? I am creating breezes by your pillow.”

Ning Tao: “…”

It looked like he must enroll another pupil into the learning cla.s.s with the Howling Celestial Dog—Miss Qing Zhui.

“Brother Ning, what do you think of my sister?” Qing Zhui wanted to blow her “pillow breeze” into Ning Tao's ear.

“Your sister? She's very nice,” Ning Tao replied. “Just a little too coquettish.” But he would never admit it.

“Marry her then. Once you have a wife, I can become your lawful concubine. The two of us can serve and cultivate with you. Let's be an immortal trio, shall we?”

Ning Tao was astonished and felt a headache coming. “Did she ask you to say this, or did you tell me this yourself?”

Qing Zhui started chuckling. “Of course I did this myself. But I reckon she must be willing too. During lunch yesterday, she was flirting with you under the table. If she weren't willing, why would she do that?”

The case was solved.

But Ning Tao could do nothing to the real culprit.

“Say something. Won't you agree?” Qing Zhui swiveled her hips and pressed herself down on Ning Tao.

Ning Tao could feel a troubling heat surge up in his body. His blood and desire had converged in one spot. He was forced to recite in his heart: “When I was born, my parents left me.”

Tears gushed out from his eyes.

“Brother Ning, what's… what's wrong?” Qing Zhui found Ning Tao shedding tears incessantly. She instantly became tense and crawled out of his embrace, staring at him nervously.

Ning Tao said, choking back tears, “I suddenly remembered my deceased parents and felt upset. Let's talk about this some other time.”

Qing Zhui embraced Ning Tao and consoled him. “Don't be sad, don't be. I shan't talk about this anymore…”

From outside the tent came a sound. “Boohoo… boohoo…”

Ning Tao stretched out his hand and wiped away his tears. “Come in.”

The Howling Celestial Dog entered the tent. Once it saw Qing Zhui embracing Ning Tao, it turned around hastily. “I didn't see anything.”

Qing Zhui released Ning Tao and gave the Howling Celestial Dog's head a slap. “Kid, why are you running around pantless? Stop pretending to be decent!”

A radiant smile beamed on the Howling Celestial Dog's face.

Ning Tao asked, “Tell me, what did you overhear?”

The Howling Celestial Dog answered, “That middle-aged man is the Master of those youths. They seem to be a gang of grave robbers. I heard them talk about a temple, and about a buyer. Before I returned, they had already set off.”

Ning Tao's heart was stirred. “Were they heading for that ancient temple?”

The Howling Celestial Dog answered, “No. They were heading in another direction beside it.”

Ning Tao said, “Qing Zhui, put on your clothes. We shall tail them.”