Crack!

A bloody light flashed. A hand dropped to the ground.

But it was neither Ning Tao’s hand nor the Howling Celestial Dog’s canine paw. It was Gongga’s, grasping a Tibetan saber.

“Ah—” Gongga shrieked. He pinched his right wrist tightly with his remaining left hand. He was trying to stanch the bleeding in his severed wrist, but blood still kept gushing out.

Tashi Dorje suddenly flipped over. He threw the Tibetan saber he had just pulled out onto the ground, then dropped to his knees.

Ning Tao shifted his sight to the tent curtain which had been rented into two by the force. His one hand was fondling the Howling Celestial Dog’s head, keeping it from acting recklessly.

A woman was leading a white-haired old man into the tent. There was a translucent flute in her hand. The old man was carrying an antique erhu.

Sun Pingchuan and Sun Lanxiang had arrived.

Gongga did not even bother about his severed hand. He sank to his knees. Both he and his father had their heads bowed, not daring to even glance at Sun Pingchuan and Sun Lanxiang. Their bent knees were clearly shivering.

As far as this Tibetan father and son were concerned, their power was enough to secure eminent positions in the martial arts world, especially young Gongga. If he were to join show business, he could easily upstage the present kung fu superstars in the business. But right now, they were like mice seeing a cat, kneeling before Sun Pingchuan and Sun Lanxiang, shivering incessantly!

“Doctor Ning, you’re indeed fast. I thought we were before you, but you have already arrived,” Sun Pingchuan said, opening his mouth.

Ning Tao said blandly, “Is that why you had dug a pit for me here? Is this what you call cooperation?”

Sun Pingchuan’s face turned in the direction of Tashi Dorje and Gongga. Although he was blind, his eyes seemed to be glaring fiercely.

Sun Lanxiang said, “Just one word from you, Doctor Ning, and I will kill them now.”

Terror appeared on Tashi Dorje and Gongga’s faces. Their legs shivered even more violently. Ning Tao only needed to say the word “Yes” for them to get killed. They were planning to assassinate Ning Tao, so why would Ning Tao spare them?

Ning Tao’s tone was mild. “Forget it, they were instigated by someone and became that person’s murder tools. What good will it do to kill them?” He glanced at Tashi Dorje and Gongga who were still kneeling and said, “You two may go.”

The corner of Sun Pingchuan’s mouth twitched slightly, but he said nothing.

Tashi Dorje and Gongga appeared as though they were granted amnesty. The two of them crawled up from the ground and walked out.

“Wait.” Ning Tao called out to them.

Tashi Dorje and Gongga’s knees wobbled, instantly feeling they were at death’s door again.

Ning Tao said, “Your hand.”

Only now did Gongga realize. But he did not dare take away his left hand to pick up his right which had dropped to the ground.

Tashi Dorje was the one who went back and picked up the severed hand. He glanced at Ning Tao and said, “Thank you.”

Ning Tao said, “Go back and tell Song Chengpeng, our last business isn’t over. I will put this one under his account too.”

Neither Tashi Dorje nor Gongga dared to speak. They quickly left the tent.

Although they did not say who, their reaction had already revealed who their instigator was.

But when Tashi Dorje and Gongga had reached the tent entrance and Tashi Dorje was about to lift the curtain, Sun Pingchuan suddenly played a tune on his erhu.

Zing!

The erhu strings screeched a tune.

Two crescent-shaped qi were suddenly released by the two erhu strings. There seemed almost no delay in time, as they hurtled instantaneously towards Tashi Dorje and Gongga. The two men froze and then collapsed to the ground. After hitting ground, their bodies split into two!

What was terrifying was that the two qi did not stop but continued sundering the tent. Two deep gashes appeared on the earth.

A bloody stench immediately permeated the tent.

The Howling Celestial Dog glared furiously at Sun Lanxiang and Sun Pingchuan, its canine eyes ferocious.

Ning Tao fondled its head and asked slowly, “What do you mean by this? An exhibition of force to me?”

Sun Pingchuan said mildly, “Don’t get us wrong, Doctor Ning. These two men dared to assassinate you and deserve death. Although you won’t kill them because you’re merciful, we can’t spare them. This is no exhibition of force, but proof of our sincerity in seeking your cooperation.”

A light smile appeared on Ning Tao’s lips. “You can turn black into white so well, even making it glitter. If I say you aren’t sincere, it will seem my fault.”

Sun Lanxiang stared at Ning Tao. “Tell us your plan.”

Ning Tao said, “Lin Qinghua asked me to meet him on the northern slope of the Holy Mountain. I will give him what he wants and he will release my friend. Well, here I am. My plan is to sit for a while and then set off for the Holy Mountain.”

“You’re giving the elixir prescription to Lin Qinghua?” Sun Lanxiang’s voice sounded cold.

Ning Tao glanced at her. “Then what should I do?”

Sun Lanxiang said, “If you give in this time, they will do it again the next time. After that, more people will act like them.”

A cold sneer hovered on Ning Tao’s lips. “There won’t be a next time. Whoever threatens my friends or family will have to die. I’ve already planned a special revenge package for the Black Fire Company. After rescuing my friend, I will settle scores with that company. Let me remind you two, if you have anything against me, come after me, not my friends or family. If you scheme something against them, I will plan another revenge package for you too. I will show up with my ledger at your door.”

“Humph!” Sun Pingchuan snorted coldly. “Over the past centuries, no one had dared speak to us like that. Young man, don’t be arrogant. Sometimes, you must trim your sails. I’ve seen too many young geniuses like you, now all dead.”

Sun Lanxiang raised the flute in her hand. The flute which seemed carved from white jade suddenly released a strange spiritual power field. That spiritual power field was like a mire, turning the air stagnant.

The magic tools of this grandfather and granddaughter— the flute causing stagnation like a mire, and the erhu emitting vigorous qi that could sever gold and jade— were perfect complements. If they intended to kill right now, who in this world could escape them?

But it was Ning Tao who was sitting here. Wisps of spiritual power released by the flute were entangling him like a rope, but he seemed not to mind in the least. He was still so composed, without being in the slightest ruffled.

“Is the elixir prescription of the Ancestor-seeking Elixir with you?” Sun Pingchuan asked, his voice low and threatening.

Ning Tao answered, “Yes, it’s with me now. Do you want to see it?”

A brief excitement flashed across the grandfather and granddaughter’s eyes. Their spiritual power field which resembled a mire in this tent had instantly intensified!

“Are you two going to strike now?” Ning Tao asked indifferently. “You came to me and said we could be allies against the cultivation forces of the West. But you are really trying to seize my elixir prescription before Nicholas Conway.”

Sun Pingchuan’s lips quivered, but he said nothing. He seemed to be wondering whether or not to strike.

Sun Lanxiang was raring to go. Her eyes watching Ning Tao appeared like eyes observing a fish on a cutting board.

The atmosphere in the tent had suddenly tensed.

Ning Tao suddenly chanted in a low voice, “I rest within the womb, listening to the sound of the Way.”

Dong!

The divine bell sounded a toll. The stagnation felt by Ning Tao’s body and consciousness immediately dissipated. Every syllable of this recited sutra carried with its magic power, like a tide. The spiritual energy field in the tent was immediately flushed away in an instant, without even a particle remaining!

Sun Pingchuan and Sun Lanxiang were instantly flabbergasted.

Ning Tao said blandly, “In Beidu, I had a few helpers, so you did not dare to strike. So you two offered to form an alliance with me against those Western cultivation forces. Actually, you’re awaiting my confrontation with the Black Fire Company, waiting to profit from it. But just now, when you heard that the elixir prescription is with me and I only brought along a dog, you could not suppress the urge to seize it. Are you so sure you can kill me?”

Sun Lanxiang’s upper body leaned forward slightly. Her grip on the flute had clearly tightened.

Sun Pingchuan coughed once and Sun Lanxiang loosened her grip again.

“Doctor Ning, you’re too suspicious. Why would we do that? Practitioners value the virtue ‘trustworthiness.’ Before we repel those cultivation forces from the West, we are still allies,” Sun Pingchuan said.

Ning Tao said, “Alright, I will trust you two once more. Tell me, how do you intend to help me fight the cultivation forces in the West?”

Sun Lanxiang said, “We will follow and protect you.”

Ning Tao frowned slightly. “Lin Qinghua will only let me go alone. He said bringing another person meant he would behead my friend. If you are following behind to protect me, won’t my friend be dead?”

Sun Lanxiang’s face was totally expressionless. “We only care about you, not your friend. You don’t have to value the life of an ordinary man too much.”

At this moment, the Howling Celestial Dog had suddenly turned tense. It started to whimper.

Snowflakes fluttered on the Whisperer.

The Howling Celestial Dog’s voice suddenly resounded in Ning Tao’s mind. “Dad, there are people coming. Lots of them. We’re surrounded.”

Ning Tao gave a slight nod to indicate he had heard. On the surface, he seemed composed. “What kind of protection are you giving? You obviously won’t let me transact with Lin Qinghua.”

Sun Lanxiang said in a frosty voice, “We can’t help it if that’s how you see it. We don’t care either. In short, if you are visiting the northern slope, we will come along with you.”

“Are you two so sure I will do your bidding?” A faint smile appeared on Ning Tao’s lips. He did not look in the least angry.

Sun Pingchuan said, “Doctor Ning, don’t get us wrong. We only want to protect you.”

“I can’t afford such protection. You two enjoy yourselves, I’m making a move.” After he said that, Ning Tao got up and walked towards the entrance of the tent.

Sun Pingchuan said in a cold voice, “Doctor Ning, do you think you can really leave?”

Ning Tao suddenly spun around, a Mauser pistol in his hand.

Bang!