Ning Tao pushed open the gate of the fenced courtyard. The door of the illuminated house also opened.

An old man walked out of the door.

Their eyes met.

Ning Tao suddenly lost control of his emotions and dashed forward.

The old man lifted a hand and made a gesture for him to stop. He said nervously, “Calm down! Listen to my explanation… ”

Fancy running into him by sheer accident after searching so far and wide! In plainer jargon, it meant “so where can you hide now”?

This old man was none other than the Taoist Heavenly Hound, Chen Pingdao.

The moment he inherited Sky Clinic, Ning Tao had been searching for him. Yet Chen Pingdao seemed to have evaporated from the face of the earth. He had no news of him at all, let alone knew his whereabouts. But now, Ning Tao had found him unexpectedly in this secluded cave during his African expedition!

Their re-encounter was a fortuitous one, but also destined by Providence.

The fury in Ning Tao's heart surged and then subsided just as quickly. Just now, outside the forest, before Qing Zhui had spat out her tongue and detected his odor, Ning Tao had already guessed who the person hiding here was. This was why he had made them stay outside the forest and entered it alone.

He merely felt upset over Chen Pingdao, not aggrieved. He was unhappy that Chen Pingdao had tricked him into taking over Sky Clinic, and then fled. Ning Tao was then a complete greenhorn. If Chen Pingdao had even casually tutored him, he would not have suffered so much, like a man treading on thin ice.

But Chen Pingdao was also the one who inaugurated his cultivation life. If it weren't for him, he might still be an intern serving in a small hospital in some town. He might be in a relations.h.i.+p with a country girl, before marrying and having children. His whole life would have pa.s.sed in a nondescript way―busy but with no achievements. This was not at all the life he wanted. Although Sky Clinic had given him great stress and his soul might dissipate anytime he failed to earn enough treatment fees, he enjoyed his present life more. Right now, if Sky Clinic were to give him a choice and let him return to his former life, or remain its owner, he would have chosen the latter. He did not want an ordinary, hectic yet pointless life.

After a brief silence, Ning Tao sighed. “Forget it. I had thought more than once how I would clobber you when we meet again. But I can't, even though we have met.”

Chen Pingdao smiled. “Yes, let's be done with that. We're not enemies, so why should you clobber me?”

Ning Tao suddenly waved his hand.

Whoos.h.!.+ Chen Pingdao suddenly jumped up. When his figure stopped again, he was already on the rooftop of the thatched hut.

The same situation. Another cultivating doctor who wasn't good in fights, but very handy when it came to escape.

Ning Tao touched his wet hair and stared at Chen Pingdao. “Given your cowardice, how did you survive two thousand years?”

Chen Pingdao said shamelessly, “I am a timid person by nature and never take a risk. Look, I even hid here to keep you from finding me. No problem for me to live another two thousand years here.”

Ning Tao said, “Come down. Your cultivation is far above mine. If you're so afraid of me clobbering you, you will be the b.u.t.t of jokes.”

Chen Pingdao had no intention to get down from the roof. While Ning Tao was speaking, his eyes suddenly s.h.i.+fted to outside the forest. His expression instantly tensed. “You have even brought along two helpers!”

Both were born go-betweens of good and evil and also owners of Sky Clinic. Chen Pingdao could also summon his eyes into a state of looking. He could detect Qing Zhui and Jiang Hao's innate auras.

Ning Tao said, “They are my women. I was afraid you would get scared, so I made them stay outside. Come down and let's talk. I have things to ask you.”

Chen Pingdao stared suspiciously at Ning Tao. “You swear you won't hit me?”

Ning Tao spread out his hands and was at a loss for words. “I really give up. What are you afraid of?”

Only then did Chen Pingdao jump off the roof. But he still kept a distance from Ning Tao.

Ning Tao walked to a stone table in the yard. He sat down on a stone stool next to the table and pointed at the opposite seat. He said, “Let's sit down and talk.”

But Chen Pingdao did not go over. “It's okay. You sit and I'll just stand. What do you want to know from me?”

Ning Tao did not expect Chen Pingdao to chat with him like an ordinary man. He asked casually, “Why are you here?”

Chen Pingdao said, “I've lived for over 2,000 years. This world isn't big and I know which places are suitable for seclusion. When Admiral Zheng He sailed the western seas, I was his physician on board. We happened to sail to Africa and discover this place. I left a blood lock here and would now and then visit it to cultivate some trees and flowers. Look at this thatched hut. It took me 70 years to build.”

70 years to build a thatched hut. He was indeed lazy beyond belief. If this hut had been a property in Hua Country, its property deed would have expired.

Chen Pingdao stared straight at Ning Tao. “After I handed you the clinic, I came here to live in seclusion. I never thought you would find this place. How did you find it?”

Ning Tao said, “I'm treating a chieftain here, and found some spiritual energy emanating from a cave. So I discovered this place.”

“Didn't the phantom bats bite you to death?”

“You want them to?”

Chen Pingdao was startled a little and frantically waved his hand. “I don't have such malicious thoughts. I can be considered your half Master at least. I cleansed your bone marrow and meridians, and handed Sky Clinic to you… ”

“Humph!” Ning Tao could not help but fume over these words. “You deceived me and made me sign a soul contract to inherit the clinic. Then you simply left. I knew nothing and yet must pay rental fees. If I weren't lucky, I would have died. And you still dare call yourself my half Master!”

Chen Pingdao gave a sheepish smile. “Well… Aren't you doing well now? Young people have to undergo trials. I can foresee that your future success will be great!”

Ning Tao said, “Forget it. I never thought I would meet you here, nor have I ever wanted to settle scores with you. So let's forget the past. Tell me, is the Heavenly Hound tripod your tripod?”

Chen Pingdao shook his head. “Although my sobriquet is the Taoist Heavenly Hound, that is not my tripod. It belonged to a go-between of good and evil in the magic ancient age. I did use it to refine elixirs, but the results weren't good. But I often used the delicate perfumed tripod. That one was pretty useful. It belonged to another go-between of good and evil in the magic ancient age.”

“Does every go-between of good and evil have his own refining tripod?” Ning Tao asked.

Chen Pingdao replied, “I believe so. Once the clinic promotes to a certain level, your cultivation will reach a corresponding realm. Then you can have your own exclusive refining tripod. The clinic will provide you with the relevant instructions. However…”

“However what?”

“However, I'm not completely certain about that. You ought to know, the clinic had never promoted after I inherited it. It never reached the level where I could have my own tripod.”

“The clinic had never promoted under you?”

“A promotion means that the rental fee will increase. Would I be so stupid to do that? I worked hard to refine elixirs and cure people, punis.h.i.+ng the wicked. Every day was hard. Even so, my lifespan had been docked five times, each time 200 years! In other words, it docked 1,000 years off my lifespan. Otherwise, I wouldn't have looked so old!” As he came to this point, he suddenly became enraged. “Sometimes, I felt like setting fire to that clinic!”

“So how did you run it?” Ning Tao had always been curious how Chen Pingdao managed to nearly bankrupt the clinic.

Chen Pingdao smiled bitterly. “I went around looking for patients with merits of good intention and sins of evil intention. But no one believed me. Even if someone did, few would sign on a prescription pact. Especially villains. Would they have obediently signed if you wanted to hack off their hands, feet, or even kill them?”

Ning Tao had a deeper understanding of Chen Pingdao now. This guy was not only incredibly lazy and cowardly, he was also pedantic and inflexible. Had he gotten another helper like Qing Zhui and tricked those villains, Sky Clinic would not have tottered on the brink of bankruptcy.

“There are fewer and fewer kind people in this world, and more and more wicked ones. It became hard to earn treatment fees. And refining pills required money too. The clinic wasn't earning money and I felt it more and more meaningless. As I treated patients, I was also looking for a successor. Heaven did not fail me, I finally found you. I am not suited to running a clinic, but you are…” He seemed to be worried about provoking Ning Tao and soon changed the topic. “It seems that you haven't managed to promote the clinic either. Is your rental fee ¥400 yet?”

“¥400?”

“I don't believe so. It's difficult to earn a good-evil rent of ¥200, let alone ¥400.” Chen Pingdao seemed to be very certain.

Ning Tao's nostrils gave a disdainful snort. “¥400? My monthly rent is now ¥4,000.”

“What?” Chen Pingdao was so shocked his lower jaw fell to the ground.

Ning Tao continued blandly, “In addition to the ¥4,000 rent, I have also opened two doors of the Scriptures & Scrolls Store.”

Chen Pingdao walked quickly to the stone table and asked impatiently, “Tell me quickly what those two stores contain.”

Ning Tao said nonchalantly, “Why should I tell you?”

Chen Pingdao was instantly stunned to the spot. He was indeed feeling very anxious, but since Ning Tao was not willing to tell him, he was too embarra.s.sed to ask. Yes, at that time he tricked Ning Tao, the latter was still a naive student. He was certain Ning Tao would not live beyond a month. Yet not only had Ning Tao increased the rental fee to ¥4,000 a month, he had even opened two doors of the Scriptures & Scrolls Store. As a failed swindler, he had no right to question him.

Ning Tao smiled. “However, if you can tell me what level this clinic can ultimately achieve, I will tell you what those two rooms contain. I can even bring you to visit the clinic again.”

Chen Pingdao heard him and frantically waved his hands. “No, no, no, I won't visit that clinic again, even if you clobber me to death. I have tricked you once and am still feeling guilty. I won't deceive you a second time. You asked me what level the clinic can ultimately reach. I don't know that either, because no one had ever reached that level. Also, I don't know the clinic's origin, so don't ask me that.”

“Do you know the origin of the rotten broken tripod? Whose tripod was it?” Ning Tao asked.

Chen Pingdao said, “I don't know that either. I used it to refine elixirs, but the results weren't good.”

There was an indescribable feeling in Ning Tao's heart. This twerp didn't even know that the rotten broken tripod could be used to mend magic tools. It no longer seemed surprising for him to have run the clinic nearly to bankruptcy.

“So how do you turn into a dog? You must know this!” Ning Tao's eyes were staring straight at Chen Pingdao.

Chen Pingdao said, “I do not turn into a dog, but possess the body of one. My spirit goes out of my body and enters a dog's. After that, I can control the dog. I believe you are still very far from that level, right?”

Ning Tao nodded. He was still only at the Core Formation Realm. Chen Pingdao had reached the Out-of-Body Realm. Ning Tao still must overcome the Nascent Soul Realm, so of course he could not do that.

Chen Pingdao smiled complacently. He had finally saved himself some face.

Ning Tao asked again, “I am now only in the Core Formation Realm. How large was your inner core when you were in the Core Formation period?”

Chen Pingdao slowly stroked his silvery beard and started chuckling. He raised his right hand and made a circle the size of a ping pong ball. Then he said patronizingly, “I am untalented and my core is only this big. You are now in the Core Formation Realm, so how big is your inner core?”

Ning Tao stretched out his hands and made the shape of a volleyball.

Chen Pingdao tottered, almost falling off the stone stool.