Yin Molan put Hu Xiaoji on the bed and covered her with a blanket.

Ning Tao whispered, “All of you go outside and wait for me. I would like to talk to her alone.”

Jiang Hao, Bai Jing and Yin Molan, together with the Howling Celestial Dog, left Hu Xiaoji’s room. The last who left was Bai Jing, who was closing the room door. But just before the door was shut, she poked out her head and mimed to Ning Tao the words, “You owe me a favor. How are you going to repay me?”

Ning Tao turned his head away, pretending not to have seen.

Bai Jing spat out a long tongue from her mouth, trembling nimbly, even faster than an insect’s wings. But no one knew what she meant by such an action.

Bai Jing closed the door.

Ning Tao shifted his eyes to Hu Xiaoji’s face. She was sleeping very soundly. He reached out and touched her forehead, injecting a whiff of spiritual power into it. Her eyelids trembled and she soon opened her eyes.

“Dad, was I… asleep?” This were the first words Hu Xiaoji said after she awoke.

Ning Tao observed her reaction and asked, “Xiaoji, do you feel any discomfort?”

Hu Xiaoji replied. “No. I only feel drowsy. Yawn…”

Ning Tao quietly summoned the state of looking in his eyes, and then observed Hu Xiaoji’s condition again. Finally, he felt assured. In the ancient tomb in the temple in the mountains, he was worried that Hu Xiaoji might suffer from the after-effects of the illusion and the Ancestor-seeking Elixir. But she seemed to have only undergone some “awakening” then. Now she was back to her former self, still that young girl Hu Xiaoji.

But even so, Ning Tao still felt somewhat guilty in his heart. “Xiaoji, that…”

“What?”

“Dad is sorry.”

“Really?”

Ning Tao nodded. He did indeed feel very guilty.

Hu Xiaoji stretched out a small hand to Ning Tao. “Then get me something nice to eat. Make up to me that way.”

Ning Tao was speechless.

After chatting a little with Hu Xiaoji, Ning Tao let her sleep and went out of her room.

Outside the door, Yin Molan, Bai Jing, Jiang Hao and the Howling Celestial Dog were all waiting for Ning Tao. They advanced the moment he left the room.

“How is she?” Yin Molan asked with concern.

Ning Tao said, “She’s fine, don’t worry.”

Yin Molan started to chuckle. “Good, good. It’s good that she’s fine.”

Bai Jing glanced at Yin Molan and said, “I fought her midway up the mountain. I know how powerful she is. If she has really awakened, she can kill you any moment when she’s upset. Will you still treat her as your granddaughter?”

Yin Molan said angrily, “That’s my business, you don’t have to care.”

Bai Jing frowned. “Old Man Yin, I was just concerned. What kind of attitude is that?”

Ning Tao said, “The two of you, stop quarreling. Let’s talk serious business.”

Jiang Hao said, “Tao, what did Xiaoji mean by those words in the tomb?”

Ning Tao’s thoughts returned to that scene again. His mind kept recollecting that moment when Hu Xiaoji had lightly awakened. For some strange reason, he started to recite, “Open seven passes with seven lives. The six realms summon my body and my body remains in existence, but my soul is in the underworld. Not that it cannot return, but a red attire is binding me. To find the elixir of immortality, first capture the elixir soul.”

Bai Jing said, “I understand what an elixir soul is. It’s something only an elixir of immortality will possess, like the tool soul of a magic tool. But what do ‘open seven passes with seven lives’ and ‘a red attire is binding me’ mean?”

Ning Tao explained, “‘Open seven passes with seven lives.’ This meant Zeng Xunlong and his six disciples trespassing that temple in the mountains. In other words, they sacrificed themselves for the Immortal Graves. From how it looks, that Picture of the Six Samsara Realms must be linked to Hu Ji’s rebirth. As for the red attire, I will occasionally see her under the allergic reactions of the Ancestor-seeking Elixir. She must be the elixir soul Hu Ji meant.”

“What did she mean by ‘my soul is in the underworld’?” Yin Molan could not stifle his curiosity and asked.

Ning Tao thought for a while but shook his head. “I’m not sure about this line. I believe ‘the underworld’ doesn’t mean our traditional hell.”

“Not hell? What place is that then?” Jiang Hao also asked curiously.

Ning Tao answered, “Perhaps… a former time period.”

“A former time period?” Yin Molan, Bai Jing and Jiang Hao all said almost simultaneously. Even the Howling Celestial Dog widened its canine eyes, staring at Ning Tao.

A former time period was a very abstract concept. But it really existed. Even a second ago would count as a former time period. But who can turn back time? If time could be reversed and humans were allowed to go back, this world would not have been so imperfect. For example, had someone given Hitler’s father a condom, the Second World War would not have happened.

But no one could turn back time.

The future was the same. Who could skip this second in the present and enter the next second before all other beings?

No one could.

Human beings lived for the present. This was not only a philosophy of life, but also a scientific truth.

Ning Tao smiled wryly. “Why are you all looking at me like that? I don’t understand it too. Perhaps there may be a way to reverse time. Didn’t Hu Ji say, ‘my body still remains in existence, my soul is in the underworld. Not that it cannot return, but a red attire is binding me’? From what she recited, it seems only her body has reincarnated. Her soul still remains in the former time zone, searching for the elixir soul in red dress. But she is bound and cannot return. To get the complete Ancestor-seeking Elixir, we must first locate that elixir soul.”

“Wait…” Yin Molan suddenly interrupted Ning Tao’s words. “The souls of a practitioner and a demon are their Nascent Souls. That soul remaining in the former time period may very likely be her Nascent Soul!”

Ning Tao’s heart quivered. Yin Molan’s words seemed to have touched him. He had an inspiration, but for the moment could not put it in words.

“Let me say something too,” Jiang Hao said. “Tao, you mentioned that there might be some way you can enter a former time period. I feel that you can do it through the Ancestor-seeking Elixir. With that elixir, you can go back into a former time period.”

Ning Tao said excitedly, “That’s right! This is what I meant. I seem to have thought of that too. The Ancestor-seeking Elixir is a special way for someone to go back in time. You can think of it as a medium. But only your Nascent Soul, not your entire being, can go back in time.”

Bai Jing smiled. “Three heads are really better than one. Such a complicated matter has been resolved by you three, each offering a personal perspective. And you people make it sound so likely. Can it really be true?”

“A likelihood of nearly 90%.” Ning Tao’s answer was simple but very persuasive.

The smile on Bai Jing’s face gradually vanished. She did not really believe it, but Ning Tao was so certain that she was forced to see it from their perspectives. A Nascent Soul going back in time, searching for the soul of an elixir of immortality. Even to her, a well-informed snake demon who had lived for centuries, it was totally bizarre!

The four of them suddenly turned quiet.

Hu Xiaoji had awakened somewhat. These words appeared to have touched the truth, but were merely the tip of an iceberg. There was still a massive fog shrouding it!

Ring ring, ring ring…

An incoming call suddenly rang out on Ning Tao’s cell phone.

Ning Tao took out his cell phone and glanced at it, then raised a finger to his lips.

Yin Molan, Bai Jing and Jiang Hao immediately held their breaths. They did not need to guess who the caller was.

Ning Tao swiped up the reception panel. “Speak.”

From the cell phone came Lin Qinghua’s voice. “Tomorrow evening, meet me on the northern slope of Holy Mountain in Western Province. You should know that place. Bring with you what I want. Come alone, or I’ll behead Ge Ming. Don’t think just because we know each other that I’m joking. I will make good my threats.”

Ning Tao said coldly, “I want to hear Ge Ming’s voice.”

Two seconds later, Ge Ming’s voice was suddenly heard on the phone. “Save me, Tao…”

Just one sentence. He did not even have the time to shout, when the phone was taken away.

“I’ve said what I should. See you tomorrow evening.” Lin Qinghua hung up the phone.

Ning Tao was fuming. He had nearly crushed the cell phone in his hand.

Jiang Hao grabbed Ning Tao’s hand. “Don’t be anxious, Tao. Let’s think of a way together.”

An icy feeling spread up his arm, permeating his entire body. His anger instantly subsided somewhat. Qing Zhui was a good seducer, but Jiang Hao was a specialist in extinguishing raging fire in the body.

“What did he say?” Bai Jing asked.

Ning Tao said, “We are to meet on the northern slope of Holy Mountain, where Zhu Hongyu was killed. The time is tomorrow evening, but I must go alone.”

“You’re going alone?” Jiang Hao immediately rejected this preposition. “It won’t do. Too dangerous. He had dug a pit for you to jump in.”

Bai Jing also said, “This time, you must be calm and not fall for his trap. It’s okay to go save him, but we must come along with you. Take my sister along too. We’re a family. How can we let you take the risk alone?”

For her and Jiang Hao, Ge Ming’s life was not important at all. What mattered was Ning Tao.

Ning Tao was silent for a while before he said, “Yes, we are a family and will battle this together. All of you get prepared. We will first visit Tingri’s camp. That place’s some distance away from northern slope. We will camp there and study the situation.”

A few minutes later.

In Sunshine Orphanage.

A convenient door opened and Ning Tao walked out. One glance, and he could see Qing Zhui at the window staring out.

“Brother Ning!” Hearing a noise behind her, Qing Zhui turned around and immediately threw herself into Ning Tao’s arms.

Ning Tao embraced her and whispered, “Nothing happened here, right?”

Qing Zhui answered, “Yes. The bodies have all been disposed of. Su Ya is awake.”

“Is Su Ya…” Before Ning Tao could finish his words, he saw a familiar figure passing by the window. It was Su Ya.

Under the illumination of the street lamps, her face was still so delicate and pretty, somewhat immature. Her entire body exuded a youthful, bubbly demeanor.

In that instant, Ning Tao wanted to call out for her to stop. But he could not emit any sound.

“Li Xiaoyu! You’re a rebel, aren’t you? Hold it right there for me!” Su Ya sprinted away and he could no longer see her.

Ning Tao sighed, feeling downcast in his heart.

“You want to see her?” Qing Zhui asked.

Ning Tao shook his head. “What good will that do? She no longer remembers me. It’s better for her and this place to be unconnected with me. Let’s go to the Western Province.”

“What for?” Qing Zhui asked.

“To kill them!” A cold gleam flashed across Ning Tao’s eyes.