During breakfast, Ning Tao read the local news. There was news about the five deaf girls missing, but there were many people commenting on the news that the five girls might have left school to do something because they were weary of studying. Some people said that deaf children were lonely and rebellious, and that the five perhaps had gone out together to have fun and would come back after a period of time. Until today, the police had not found any evidence of the crime, nor had it been classified as a criminal case. No wonder someone made a wild guess.
After breakfast, Ning Tao took Bai Jing and Qing Zhui to temples. Yin Molan followed them on his motorcycle. His motorcycle could certainly carry people, but Bai Jing insisted on taking Ning Tao's electric bicycle instead of Yin Molan's motorcycle.
On the road, Yin Molan couldn't help shaking his head and sighing as he looked at the crowded electric bicycle with three people in front of him. "Buddy, you'r
The lonely mountain was not high, only about 400 to 500 meters. It rose from the ground and looked very tall. At the foot of the hill was a wall of steel mesh several meters high with security cameras. Yet the steel mesh barrier was no obstacle for Ning Tao and the other three. The four people found a surveillance blind spot and went into easily. A newly-built asphalt road, which led to the top of the mountain, ended in a flat ground. A temple was built on that flat ground. The temple had three rows of rooms and three rows of side rooms on each side. The whole pattern was grand. Hanging on the lintel of the temple's front hall was a large plaque that said "Temple of Dead Tree". When Ning Tao saw the large plaque, he was filled with curiosity. "Isn't the Temple of Dead Tree torn down?" "We split up. Senior Yin, you and Miss Bai go to their monitoring room together, and I will go in with Qing Zhui to find clues. We'll meet at the
It was a natural cave with space about the size of a basketball court. The ground was treated and paved with stone bricks. Rocks and stalactites hang overhead. In the middle of the cave was a stone tower about 10 meters high, piled with strips of stone. The top was flat, but there was no statue or big jar on it. At the bottom of the stone tower, there was a stone ladder leading to the top. All the stones used were white marble, so the ladder was just like a road to heaven, which was made of white clouds. Dozens of girls knelt on futons on the ground. They wore white robes that were thin enough to show their backs and hips, but they seemed to have lost their sense of shame and didn't care. On either side of the girls stood a line of "security guards" in white uniforms, each standing upright and looking straight ahead, holding a bloody stick. It was like a procession of armed guards in the Church. With white uniforms and bloody sticks, they fo
Only within a second, Ning Tao pulled the gun and aimed at Bai Sheng. Yet he could not pull the trigger. Too many girls had already charged towards the sacrificial altar. They had all burned and fallen like moths attracted to flame. Despite knowing that they would die, they were still going to throw themselves into it. The deaf-mute girl who was going to bite Ning Tao had slipped from the pool of blood on the floor and cut her knee. Yet she did not seem to be in pain. After struggling to get up, she continued charging towards the altar. She waved her arms, and yelled with a mouth wide open, making "ahh" noises. Watching her back view had made Ning Tao felt an unprecedented sense of helplessness and misery. He was an inborn go-between of good and evil, upholding justice and fighting against evil were deep-rooted in his bones and blood. Yet he could only watch on as these innocent children descended into hell. He could not shoot,
Ning Tao got up from on top of Bai Jing and Qing Zhui. He was in a better state than Yin Molan, but his clothes were also tattered and torn, face bloodied. Qing Zhui and Bai Jing had also climbed up from the ground. With Ning Tao's protection, they were practically unscathed. "Brother Ning, are you OK?" Qing Zhui asked anxiously. Ning Tao shook his head. He did not say a word, only staring fixedly at the Soul-devouring Urn and Bai Sheng who was on top of it. The Soul-devouring Urn had devoured those innocent girls, and even including Bai Sheng's vassals. It had released him from the ropes bound to his hands and legs. Just after he had confirmed this situation and aiming his Mauser pistol at Bai Sheng, he immediately pulled the trigger. Bang! A gunshot was fired. A bullet flew in the direction of Bai Sheng. For a distance lesser than twenty to thirty meters, the time taken for the bullet to travel was
Whatever had happened in the cave of a mountain was like a story of a distant world to the villagers. If they did not see it and did not hear it, then what had it got to do with them? Back at Du Mountain, Ning Tao and Yin Molan found the God's Will electric bicycle and motorcycle at the foot of the mountain. After that, they sneaked into the Temple of Dead Tree on the mountain peak. There was not a single soul in the entire temple. Even the two people who were made unconscious, had already vanished. Ning Tao came to the second big hall, and pushed open the doors to the hall. There was also a sacred altar in the second hall, which housed a statue made of pure white granite. The statue was wearing a sharp-tipped hat, and its face was hidden. A white long robe was draped over its body, a flower vase in one hand and a tree branch was pinched in his other hand. After seeing it, Ning Tao could not help but berated. "Did
It had been raining continuously for a few days. The weather had turned chilly. Autumn had arrived. The time to pay for the clinic's rent was up. Before moving here from Garden Street in Shan City, the ledger of bamboo slips had indicated that the clinic's good-evil rent was 2,000 points and that the clinic would be upgraded. It seemed like the Sky Clinic had been upgraded every two months, or perhaps that rascal Chen Pingdao had driven it to the verge of shutting down. Therefore it desperately needed to be upgraded to a certain point, before it could stabilize. However, Ning Tao did not know what was the specific reason. Even though he was the owner of the Sky Clinic, his understanding of the Sky Clinic was relatively limited. He could only uncover them slowly. During the last time the Sky Clinic had upgraded, Ning Tao had attained the grade two elementary cultivation method, as well as pre-school punch skill. In two months' t
Qing Zhui had indeed gone to catch some fishes. There was a variety, and everything on the table was fish. Fried fish, grilled fish, steamed fish, stewed fish soup, and et cetera. When Yin Molan returned at dinner time, he did not wait before filling his rice bowl, and immediately sat down and ate while talking about the situation of late. "Zhu Hongqin has been staying in the Prosperous House every day. All she did was pray to Buddha and abstain from meat, and did not talk to anyone else outside of the family. Xin Changjiang and Xin Zhiyu have also remained out of the public eye, significantly reducing their contact with the outside world," Yin Molan said. Ning Tao said, "No need to watch over her anymore. Given Bai Sheng's means, it would be hard for you to tell even if he had contacted Zhu Hongqin." "Then I won't go. Watching over that old woman every day is really annoying..." Yin Molan then suddenly said, "Why is this fish soup so salty?
The archaeology team's campsite was within a valley. On both sides were mountains and the old-growth forest. A river ran through the mountains, rushing by the campsite with great force. The light from the setting sun had scattered across the valley. The slope facing the sun was bathed in gold, while the slope facing away was cast and obscured in darkness. Right beside a tent, the archaeology team's leader Ji Wengui and its main member Yang Chen were engaged in a discussion. Ma Tongtong and an older female specialist were washing wild vegetables by the river. They appeared to be preparing for dinner. "Man, I'm exhausted. Brother Ning, how are you not tired?" Jian Mi had indeed been tired after traveling for a whole day. Even before reaching the campsite, he had already seated himself on the grass patch while panting heavily. Ning Tao said, "I've practiced kungfu. This is nothing to me. How about I give you another massage, then