Ning Tao's embarra.s.sed reaction seemed to make Lin Qinghua realize the ambiguity in his words. "Er, I... I didn't mean that. I'm straight," he explained hurriedly. "I mean I know you're not a normal person. You are a pract.i.tioner, aren't you?"

Ning Tao nodded and admitted. The man in front of him was a new demon, not an ordinary person, so there was no need to cover up his ident.i.ty as a pract.i.tioner. What was more, since Lin Qinghua had developed the pill of ancestor seeking, it was impossible for him not to know the existence of pract.i.tioners and demons in this world.

"Are those materials that you want for alchemy?"

Ning Tao nodded again and said, "Yes, do you have any of them?"

"I just ran through your list," Lin Qinghua replied. "I've got at least a dozen you need, and I'll give them all to you."

Ning Tao brightened up instantly and exclaimed, "That's great. Hurry up to take me to have a look."

"I have something to show you first," stated Lin Qinghua. Then he went to his desk, opened a drawer, took out a piece of paper from it, and handed it to Ning Tao.

Ning Tao turned his eyes to the paper and saw a familiar line, reading, "Go to the Big Bowl Village of Black Dragon Mountain on the night of the 15th day of this lunar month. Not leave without seeing each other."

It was the same writing and content he had seen on the road.

The motorcycle rider wearing a bamboo hat naturally popped into Ning Tao's mind. He could not forget his pale green eyes.

"When did you get this note?" Ning Tao quickly collected his thoughts and asked.

"This morning," Lin Qinghua replied. "It was on my desk when I came into the office. I guess it came from the man who gave me the prescription and the spiritual soil. He seems to want to see me. I'd like to, but I'm a little scared, so I want to ask your advice."

Ning Tao pondered for a moment before responding, "You cannot get away with this. I will accompany you to meet him the evening of the 15th day of this lunar month. I want to meet that man, too, and see who he is."

"That would be wonderful. I don't get scared when you go with me," Lin Qinghua cried, looking quite happy.

"Now show me the materials," Ning Tao urged.

As he finished this sentence, Lin Qinghua fell to his knees in front of him.

"What are you doing?" exclaimed Ning Tao in surprise.

"I want you to be my teacher," Lin Qinghua popped out. "I also want to be a pract.i.tioner!"

Ning Tao was taken aback.

Lin Qinghua stated earnestly, "I've discovered a new world through this event, and I feel that what I learned is so trivial and even childish. I want to be a pract.i.tioner like you. Please to be my teacher."

With that, Lin Qinghua began to kowtow.

Ning Tao hastened to reach over and stop him. "Get up first."

"You agree to be my teacher?" Lin Qinghua asked, looking thrilled.

To his disappointment, Ning Tao shook his head and said, "No, I don't accept apprentices. You're not going my way, so I can't teach you. But if you need help, I can help you."

"But..." Lin Qinghua was very upset and wanted to continue to beg Ning Tao.

Ning Tao helped him up and said, "I can't be your teacher, but we can be friends."

As a born go-between of good and evil and the owner of the Sky Clinic, how could he accept a new demon as his disciple? In fact, he was unable to accept anyone as his disciple, because his cultivation method and the alchemy were based on his innate ability as a go-between of good and evil. Without this foundation, even a genius could do nothing.

Lin Qinghua heaved a sigh. "All right. I now take you to see those medicinal materials."

At this moment, Lin Qingyu opened the door with a cup of tea and warmly greeted, "Tao, I made you a cup of pu-er tea. Try my tea art."

Ning Tao took the tea and politely replied, "Thank you."

Lin Qinghua smiled and asked, "You didn't make a cup of tea for me?"

"You asked me to make a cup of tea for Tao, didn't you?" Lin Qingyu asked back in surprise.

Lin Qinghua shrugged and said, "Now I understand what it means for girls to lean toward outsiders. Well, too bad for me. Tao, you stay here and try my sister's tea art, and I'll go to the storeroom and get the materials."

Ning Tao wanted to go with him, but he was still holding the tea that Lin Qingyu had just brought, and it was a bit rude of him not to drink. So, he had to agree, "Okay, I'll wait for you here."

"Sit down, don't keep standing. Put the cup on the table and be careful not to burn your hands on it," Lin Qingyu said.

Ning Tao put the cup on the tea table and then sat down on the couch. As soon as he sat down, Lin Qingyu joined him. His eyes fell on her long legs like a bee drawn by flowers. The blue miniskirt covered only a third of her thighs, and she didn't wear stockings, so he clearly saw that her skin was as white and delicate as a jade. Besides, her legs were nice and well-proportioned at the level of a leg model.

The leg was a woman's second face. Obviously, Lin Qingyu's second face was also gorgeous.

Aware that Ning Tao was looking at her out of the corner of his eye, Lin Qingyu unconsciously pressed her legs together. The skirt she wore today was so short that her underwear would be exposed easily. Actually, she didn't usually wear such a short skirt, but she wore it today.

"Well, what were you talking about with my brother?" Lin Qingyu broke the awkward silence between them.

Ning Tao looked away, still feeling a little uncomfortable. "Er... we talked about something about herbs."

"You haven't told me why my phone was turned off for days." Lin Qingyu curtly changed the subject.

Ning Tao, keeping his righteous face, replied, "It's really because the phone was dead."

"I don't believe it. You're lying to me. That's not what you told Jiang Hao, right?" There was something tentative in her words.

Why was Jiang Hao involved in this?

Ring, ring...

Ning Tao's cell phone suddenly rang. He took out it, looked at the screen and went speechless, because it was Jiang Hao calling.

Ning Tao struck the key answer and said, "This is Ning Tao. Go ahead."

"Why was your cell phone off? I couldn't get through to you for days on end. Where have you been? What have you been doing?" Jiang Hao asked several questions in succession, hoping to know Ning Tao's situation during the past few days.

Ning Tao gave a wry smile and replied, "Well... My cell phone was dead."

Jiang Hao paused for a second and then asked, "Where are you now?"

She obviously knew what Ning Tao said was an excuse, but since Ning Tao didn't want to tell her the truth, she wouldn't ask further. This was the difference between her and Lin Qingyu.

"I'm at the botanical garden of Blueprint Biotechnology Company," Ning Tao replied.

"What are you doing there?"

"I need some herbs. What are you calling me about?"

Jiang Hao quieted for a minute before saying, "Give Lin Qingyu the phone. I want to talk to her."

Ning Tao momentarily froze, and then subconsciously looked up at the door.

Jiang Hao wasn't there.

It was incredible that she had such a precise intuition that Lin Qingyu was at his side.

Ning Tao gave another wry smile before handing his the phone to Lin Qingyu and saying, "Jiang Hao wants to talk to you."

"She wants me? What does she want to talk to me?" Lin Qingyu had a muddled expression on her face.

"I don't know. Do you answer her phone?" Ning Tao asked.

"Yes, why not? I'll see what she wants to talk to me," Lin Qingyu uttered as she took Ning Tao's phone and answered Jiang Hao's call.

Ning Tao was full of curiosity, wondering what Jiang Hao would talk to Lin Qingyu.

Lin Qingyu suddenly exclaimed in excitement, "Our botanical garden can't be sold? Why? It's the industry of our Blueprint Biotechnology Company. Why don't we have the right to sell it?"

It turned out to be this matter.

They said a few more words, and Lin Qingyu handed the phone back to Ning Tao, fuming, "That's going too far! She said the botanic garden will be seized and we can't sell it at auction!"

At this time, Lin Qinghua appeared at the door of the office with a cart. He just heard Lin Qingyu's words and asked in surprise, "Who wants to seal up this botanical garden?"

Lin Qingyu replied angrily, "Who? Jiang Hao!"

Then Lin Qinghua came in.

Ning Tao glanced at the cart outside the door and saw a dozen cardboard boxes. The boxes were all sealed with tape, so he could not see what was inside, but he had noticed a strong medicinal smell. Apparently, the cardboard boxes contained the herbs that he needed. But at this moment he could not open the box to check. Then he put the phone to his ear.

Jiang Hao's voice came through the phone, saying, "It's not up to you to decide whether to sell it or not. It's the scene of the murder of four men, and the laboratory of ancestor seeking. The case hasn't been investigated, who dare to sell it?"

Ning Tao gave a cough and said, "It's me, Ning Tao."

Jiang Hao was silent for two seconds, before she said, "You take what you need and get out of here. Someone will go and seize the botanical garden soon."

"Well, get it. Is there anything else?" Ning Tao believed that was not why Jiang Hao called him.

"I want you to make a house call to someone who's important to me," Jiang Hao said.

"Who is the patient?"

"My former superior. He is nice to me. I just learned that he was ill. I told him about you and he wanted you to treat him. Do me the favor, will you?"

"Sure, where is he?" asked Ning Tao.

"He's in Beidu now," Jiang Hao replied. "If you have time, I'd like to take you to Beidu. If you don't have time, I'll ask him to come."

Ning Tao thought for a moment and then said, "Since he's your former superior, I think it's better for me to go Beidu."

If it was another patient, he would ask the patient to come to Shan City, but Jiang Hao's case was different. Jiang Hao helped him a lot in the matter of Su Ya, and he owed her. In addition, Beidu was the capital city, gathering resources from all over the country. He wanted to try his luck there, and perhaps he could get the materials he needed.

"That's good. When are you free?" Jiang Hao's voice was full of joy.

"I'll be free in the next few days," Ning Tao answered.

"I'll book the ticket now. In the evening I will come to you and have dinner with you." Then Jiang Hao hung up before Ning Tao agreed.

Ning Tao put his phone away and turned to look at Lin Qingyu and Lin Qinghua who were whispering. "I know you are very resistant to the news, but please take my advice, don't fight the executive. Since ancient times, people do not fight with officials. Jiang Hao is just a person who carries out orders, and she can't be in charge of such things, nor can she be in charge of such things."

"I understood the people do not fight with officials. Now that they're going to seal the botanical garden, just seal it. We Lin family can bear such a loss."

Then Ning Tao added, "Qinghua, I expect there will be someone coming and asking you to help with the investigation, even asking about ancestor seeking. By then, you should also cooperate as far as possible, you will have trouble otherwise."

With a fake smile, Lin Qinghua stated, "I've made up my mind not to get in touch with the project anymore. They can do whatever they want with that stuff. If they come to me, I'll play it by ear. I will try my best to cooperate with them."

"Are those herbs for me?" Ning Tao changed the subject.

"I found these medicine listed in this botanical garden," Lin Qinghua said. "Why don't you have a look of them and see if it's true."

"No need for that," Ning Tao said. "You are an expert in it, and I'm sure you are not mistaken. Jiang Hao said, the men who are going to close down the botanical garden are coming up soon. Let's go."

Lin Qingyu curled her mouth up and said, "I'll get the car."