Outside Sky Clinic, sunlight greeted him, shining on his face. But it could not dispel the gloom in Ning Tao’s heart. Given his current strength, he still could not fight either Wu Yue or Nicholas Conway. His small group of followers also could not be compared to the Black Fire or Genesis Biotech Company.

It was an obstacle, but how could he overcome it?

Ning Tao mused to himself as he walked. Quite unconsciously, he came to the door of his rented courtyard house.

The married couple Huang Donglin and Fang Min had just come out of their house. Behind them was Huang Xiaopeng, playing with a toy gun.

Ning Tao greeted them. “Teacher Fang, Mr. Huang, good morning. Where are you two going?”

Huang Donglin smiled. “Oh, it’s Doctor Ning. Today’s weekend, right? We’re taking our son to the Underwater World.”

Fang Min gazed at his rented courtyard house and asked, “Why don’t Xiaoji come along with us? The kids can keep each other company.”

Ning Tao said, “That won’t do. It’s too much trouble for you.”

Fang Min answered, “No trouble, no trouble at all. Xiaoji’s a good girl. Do let her come with us. I will take care of her.”

But Ning Tao still rejected the offer. “Um, we have a family outing today. Please enjoy yourselves. We will take her out later.”

Disappointment appeared on Fang Min’s face. “Very well, we shall make a move. Xiaopeng, say goodbye to Uncle Ning.”

Huang Xiaopeng gave Ning Tao a Young Pioneer salute. He said very politely, “Goodbye, uncle.”

Ning Tao smiled and caressed Huang Xiaopeng’s head. “Outstanding. Hold your gun well. You can be a general in the future and protect your motherland.”

Huang Xiaopeng nodded heavily. “Yes!”

The family of three left.

As Ning Tao watched them depart, for some reason something odd kept bothering him. But he could not put his finger on it.

The Howling Celestial Dog dashed out of the door and wagged its tail at Ning Tao. “Dad, Mama Qing asked me to call you for breakfast.”

“Okay.” Ning Tao assented. He retracted his gaze from the family of three and entered the house.

Woof, woof, woof…

An odd-sounding ringtone suddenly rang out from a cell phone. It was the Howling Celestial Dog’s phone.

Ning Tao could not help but glance back. He found the Howling Celestial Dog deftly taking out his phone and standing erect, its paws holding the phone to its lips to talk.

“Delivery man? Is my dog food here? Good, good, I will pick it up right now.” The Howling Celestial Dog hung up the phone, turned and scampered out.

It bought dog food for itself?

Rich dogs were certainly different.

Ning Tao smiled wryly, shaking his head. He was about to go for breakfast when he suddenly remembered something and turned around.

At the door, a delivery man riding an electric motorbike was staring with strange eyes at the Howling Celestial Dog. In his one hand was a parcel, in the other a pen.

The Howling Celestial Dog was somewhat nervous. It could talk, but if it were to, the delivery man would suffer a cerebral hemorrhage out of sheer fright. It could also write a few words, but how different was this from talking?

Ning Tao said, “I’m coming, let me take this parcel.”

The delivery man said, “Your telephone number please.”

Ning Tao gave him the Howling Celestial Dog’s phone number and then signed.

The delivery man rode his electric motorbike away.

Ning Tao knocked the Howling Celestial Dog’s head with the dog food parcel. “If you want any dog food, tell Mama Qing or Mama Jiang. They will buy it for you. You will get into trouble if you purchase online, asking for home delivery.”

The Howling Celestial Dog grinned. “Okay, got it, Dad.” Saying that, he picked the parcel up in its mouth and scampered into the yard.

Ning Tao also turned, walking into the house. But he stopped after taking one step. He spun around and turned his eyes at the alley entrance.

Under the golden morning sun, an old white-haired man in Chinese Tang costume was walking slowly towards Ning Tao. He was wearing sunglasses and holding a sword. He seemed like an old man back from morning exercise.

But he was certainly no old man back from morning exercise. He was Sun Pingchuan.

Ning Tao narrowed his eyes at him. He said, “You’re indeed fast. Did you come on a plane or a flying sword?”

Sun Pingchuan said nothing, as he continued walking towards him.

Ning Tao said, “You dare to come alone to my house?”

The moment his voice faded, a huge crowd had gathered at the alley entrance. Their outfits were all different— some in Western suits and leather shoes, some in Chinese Tang costumes, others in down jackets. They looked like a motley group of white-collar workers rushing for work and passing by. But it was only a facade. Most of them were warriors with internal strength. A few were practitioners with spiritual power. All of them were armed, some with guns, others with daggers and short swords. Although they were not holding on to any, they could not hide from Ning Tao’s nose.

Sun Pingchuan was leading them and the other warriors were behind him. This large company was quiet. The aura they had accumulated was like a looming dark cloud, or an oppressive mountain!

“Okay, I take back my word.” Ning Tao shrugged. “What do you guys want?”

Sun Pingchuan stopped at the terrace steps leading to his door. His voice was frosty. “Give me back my granddaughter and we will go. Otherwise, I will level this place!”

Ning Tao said, “How absurd. Who is your granddaughter? You shouldn’t come after me if your granddaughter’s missing. You should report to the police.”

The corner of Sun Pingchuan’s mouth twitched. His right hand was gripping the sword hilt.

At this moment, Yin Molan, Qing Zhui, Bai Jing and Jiang Hao and the Howling Celestial Dog, which had just put down its dog food parcel, all came out. They stood behind Ning Tao, watching coldly Sun Pingchuan and his fearless warriors at the door. Both Qing Zhui and Jiang Hao were wearing aprons stained with flour, not quite complementing this scene.

The atmosphere had suddenly tensed. There was the smell of gunpowder in the air. It almost seemed that if someone were to spit, that sound would lead to an explosion.

“Where’s Wu Yue? She hasn’t come and her minions are making trouble here?” Ning Tao said. As he spoke, his eyes quickly swept the building across as well as the flanks of the alley. He summoned his states of looking and smelling. But other than the innate auras and odors of ordinary men, he could not detect the presence of Wu Yue. To him, if Wu Yue had not come, these men before him would not pose any danger.

“Let me ask a final time: where is my granddaughter? Hand her back!” There was vehement hatred in Sun Pingchuan’s voice.

Clack!

Qing Zhui unleashed her snake claws. She said coldly, “Sun Pingchuan, if you continue to treat Brother Ning with disrespect, I will kill you!”

Clang!

Sun Pingchuan unsheathed his sword.

This sword was not Wu Yue’s flying sword, but a specially refined sword. Although it was no magic tool, it must be some precious sword that could easily slice through metals and jade. As he unsheathed it, the temperature around them dropped.

Behind Sun Pingchuan, someone had pulled out a gun.

The atmosphere of the scene became even tenser.

Ning Tao raised his hands. “Everyone, calm down. Don’t be reckless. Sun Pingchuan, don’t you want to see your granddaughter? Fine, I will take you there. Follow me with your men.”

If they were to fight, Ning Tao and his small team would easily defeat Sun Pingchuan and his fearless warriors. But this was after all an urban district of Beidu. If a fight erupted, they would be surrounded by the police in less than 10 minutes.

Ning Tao walked down the terrace steps, ignoring that sharp cultivation sword in Sun Pingchuan’s hand. He drew close to his ear and whispered, “Your granddaughter is indeed in my hands, and I will take you to her. But if you want her back, you must exchange for her using Wu Yue’s elixir prescription.”

Sun Pingchuan gnashed his teeth. “How dare you—”

Ning Tao patted Sun Pingchuan’s shoulder and went in the direction of the clinic.

Qing Zhui, Bai Jing, Jiang Hao and Yin Molan, as well as the Howling Celestial Dog, all followed behind him.

Sun Pingchuan did not hesitate, following behind Ning Tao. He knew that both he and his fearless warriors were no match for Ning Tao and his team. But he was too desperate to care. In order to rescue his granddaughter, he would try anything.

As they walked, Ning Tao slackened his pace and said, “Senior Sun, do you still remember what I told you when we first met at the hospital? You don’t need to be scared of being blind in your eyes, but in your heart. You have served Wu Yue for centuries. The people you killed for her can make up a tuition class. Now that your granddaughter is in danger, you have to come alone. So where is she now?”

Sun Pingchuan snorted coldly, “Trying to sow discord? Don’t try this despicable trick on me. I have crossed more bridges than you have traveled on the roads!”

Ning Tao was not angry. “The truth is always ugly. Nor are you willing to face it.”

Sun Pingchuan snorted again, totally ignoring Ning Tao.

Bai Jing drew near Ning Tao’s ear. “Are you really taking them to your clinic?”

Ning Tao nodded.

Bai Jing said, “Good, then I’ll cast a spell in that alley and trap them there. Then we can exterminate them.”

Ning Tao said, “We’ll see how it goes.”

As Sky Clinic appeared in their sight, there were a few ordinary people in the alley. One was a pedestrian woman carrying soy milk and some steamed buns. There was also a middle-aged man pasting advertisements on the utility pole. Another woman was standing in the alley, watching Sky Clinic. She was dressed in a long, black skirt, her silhouette slim and graceful. Her long black hair cascaded casually to her shoulders, fluttering lightly in the morning breeze, exuding a gentle beauty.

But all these were not important. The important thing was, she was carrying a sword.

Ning Tao suddenly halted his steps.

The woman turned around and looked at Ning Tao with a smile. “You’re indeed no ordinary cultivating doctor. How did you end up with this clinic?”

That woman was Wu Yue.

Ning Tao felt shock and perplexity in his heart. Although he had been sowing discord, saying that Wu Yue had not come, he had been probing the surroundings with his states of looking and smelling, trying to detect her presence. Yet what shocked and baffled him was that he had not detected her innate aura until laying eyes on Wu Yue now. There was even the faint scent of a spiritual energy spring!

Wu Yue was right in front of him. But she was like a 3D projection under the sun. He could see her but could not detect her presence.

What was going on?

Could it be that in the later stages of the Small Nirvana Realm, she could hide her innate aura?

If he could not even detect her innate aura, he could not see her evil and good energies. Ning Tao now vaguely understood in his heart. No wonder he could not see any intense evil energy that night! This must have been the reason. Regardless of whether it was Nicholas Conway or Wu Yue, they could hide their innate aura. They were not really guarding against something, but it was a useful combat skill. Imagine if you could see him but not sense his presence. Once that enemy eluded your sight, how terrifying would his presence be!