Open a Clinic to Cultivate Myself

Yin Molan put Hu Xiaoji down and backed away.

A thin mist enveloped Hu Xiaoji as she stood alone in the tomb.

“She can’t see us,” Bai Jing said.

Jiang Hao said, “Then does she see the same illusion as us?”

Bai Jing nodded. “She sees the same illusion as us. But we know that it’s an illusion. She doesn’t.”

Ning Tao said, “No more talking. Let’s see her reaction.”

Bai Jing and Jiang Hao stopped conversing. In fact, Hu Xiaoji would not have heard even if they were to sing. But their conversation would disturb Ning Tao’s observation.

Ning Tao’s eyes were locked on Hu Xiaoji, his heart filled with expectation and a little guilt. Regardless of whether she was a fox demon in her previous life, she was now only a child. She did not know her true identity and still went to school to learn the pinyin alphabet. It was a little cruel doing this to her. But both Western and local cultivation forces were raring to go, and the Western forces had even attacked Sunshine Orphanage. There was not much time left for him. He must do that to save more people.

Hu Xiaoji suddenly opened her mouth and cried, “Dad? Dad? Dad, where are you?”

In that instant, Ning Tao almost rushed to hug her, but he steeled himself and stayed where he was. He merely stared at her, observing all her reactions in the dark.

Bai Jing drew close to Ning Tao’s ear, her lips almost kissing his ear. “Brother-in-law, what’s inside that coffin?”

Ning Tao’s heart quivered. “The body of Hu Ji, no different from that statue. Also, the Picture of the Six Samsara Realms.”

“What else?” Bai Jing asked again, keeping her lips close to his ear.

Jiang Hao started to frown but did not react. She knew very well what Bai Jing was attempting. She was actually more wary of Bai Jing than of Qing Zhui. Right now, Bai Jing was taking this opportunity to flirt with Ning Tao, pretending she was doing serious work. But Jiang Hao could only bear with it.

Ning Tao tilted his head slightly backwards, and said, “Nothing else.”

“Okay, I got it,” Bai Jing said. She made a pinching gesture with both hands and started muttering an incantation.

The magic tool, the Bright Light of the Sea of Misery, suddenly released its demon aura, emitting a sinister light. The entire tomb was shrouded in that strange energy field it emanated.

Creak, creak, creak…

The lid of the stone coffin slowly opened.

Hu Xiaoji was immediately drawn to it. Her eyes stared at the stone coffin, as she walked gingerly towards it.

The lid of the coffin was now completely opened. A pair of hands emerged from the coffin, gripping its sides and slowly climbing up. First, the head, next the body, and finally its entire person hovered in mid-air. It was Hu Ji before she had reincarnated.

Over this side, Bai Jing muttered softly, “You’re back.”

Over there, Hu Ji spoke as she hovered in mid-air. “You’re back.”

Hu Xiaoji asked curiously, “Who are you, auntie?”

Over here, Bai Jing whispered, “I am you.”

Over there, Hu Ji hovering in mid-air said, “I am you.”

An illusion was still an illusion. She could only dub her voice. Such special effects created by the Bright Light of the Sea of Misery could not be done by most major movie companies.

“You’re lying. I don’t even know you,” Hu Xiaoji said.

“You know this picture?” Hu Ji beckoned her hand in mid-air and the Picture of the Six Samsara Realms soared up and hovered in the air.

Bai Jing had not seen the real Picture of the Six Samsara Realms. But all such pictures were similar and with some special artistic touching-up, the illusion created by the Bright Light of the Sea of Misery was nearly identical to the real picture.

Hu Xiaoji stared at the Picture of the Six Samsara Realms. She stared for a long time before saying, “What an ugly picture. I can draw better than that.”

Not even the Picture of the Six Samsara Realms could stimulate her and awaken the memory of her previous life.

Bai Jing continued muttering, changing the incantation.

A few skull fragments flew out of the stone coffin.

There were seven fragments, forming a complete skull. Then they broke apart and re-grouped into a skull again, repeating this process over and over.

Hu Xiaoji merely looked with mild interest at it, then shifted her eyes to the illusionary Hu Ji. She asked, “Auntie, are you an immortal? Could you conjure out some nice things for me to eat? Chocolate, nuts, fruit tarts… and ice-cream?”

Jiang Hao could not help but cursed. “You glutton.”

In mid-air, Hu Ji said, “I am you. I died after sustaining serious injuries. I was awaiting your arrival. You’re my reincarnation. Wake up now, wake up quickly.”

“Ptooey!” Hu Xiaoji spat. “Rubbish. I am Hu Xiaoji, a Form One student of Haidi Elementary. I am a good girl who enjoys learning. I will be an heir to the socialist system! If you try to trick me again, I will get my dad to fight you. My dad’s really awesome!”

Over this side, Bai Jing was sighing. She shook her head at Ning Tao. “I did everything but still failed. We should stop now.”

“Wait,” Ning Tao said. He suddenly remembered something, opening his small medicine chest to take out a porcelain vial, handing it to Bai Jing.

“This is…” Bai Jing could not guess Ning Tao’s thoughts.

Ning Tao said, “It contains an Ancestor-seeking Elixir. You can remove the stopper and put it by Xiaoji’s side. But don’t let the elixir touch her. Can you do that?”

“Yes.” Bai Jing immediately pulled out the stopper and a tiny glow of elixir light emanated from that porcelain vial. There was also an elixir scent which invigorated the senses.

Ning Tao was already holding his breath, since he was the only one who was allergic to the Ancestor-seeking Elixir. That was why only Bai Jing could do what he wanted.

Bai Jing pushed out the porcelain vial and it immediately flew towards Hu Xiaoji. The Bright Light of the Sea of Misery hanging overhead was emitting a wan light. It seemed to be acting as a lighthouse or some pilot, guarding that porcelain vial towards the direction it should fly.

In the twinkling of an eye, the porcelain vial had stopped beside Hu Xiaoji, its mouth half-tilted. The Ancestor-seeking Elixir inside the vial had poured out but did not drop to the ground. It was hovering in mid-air.

The elixir light and odor, as well as energy particles released by the Ancestor-seeking Elixir, had all come into contact with Hu Xiaoji. But she could not see them.

Hu Xiaoji’s reaction was now clearly different. She looked left and right, as if searching frantically for something.

“It has an effect!” Bai Jing was excited.

Ning Tao was staring straight at Hu Xiaoji, afraid of missing any details.

“Ah—” Hu Xiaoji suddenly raised her head and screamed, her hair standing on end. Her voice had a strong demon power in it, like an angry, rampaging wild beast!

In the air, the Bright Light of the Sea of Misery started to tremble lightly.

In the tomb, the illusion created by the Bright Light of the Sea of Misery also started to tremor. It seemed about to collapse any moment.

Bai Jing quickly recited the mantra, her incantation changing constantly.

The Bright Light of the Sea of Misery finally steadied itself and the illusion it created also stabilized.

Ning Tao felt great astonishment in his heart. Bai Jing was more powerful than Qing Zhui, but from he could see, Hu Xiaoji’s power might even exceed Bai Jing’s. Yet she was only a reincarnated child who had not awakened!

Was Hu Ji really a fox fairy in her past life?

But before Ning Tao could come up with an answer, a mature voice suddenly rang out from Hu Xiaoji’s mouth. “This Picture of the Six Samsara Realms is a counterfeit. Don’t think you can trick me with it!”

Ning Tao suddenly became excited. She had finally reacted!

Sure enough, Hu Xiaoji raised a finger to point at the seven skull fragments breaking and reforming in mid-air. “That skull fragment is counterfeit too. There isn’t a seventh fragment! I am also searching, hahaha…”

Ning Tao immediately froze on the spot.

If there weren’t a seventh fragment, did that mean his elixir prescription was complete?

Were they fighting over an incomplete elixir prescription over these centuries?

But this must be the reason why Nicholas Conway and the cultivation forces behind the Genesis Biotech Company had acted, after the sixth skull fragment surfaced!

But what good was an incomplete elixir prescription?

In that instant, countless questions arose in Ning Tao’s heart.

But at this moment, Hu Xiaoji walked towards the stone coffin, muttering continually. It was still that mature woman’s voice. “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.”

Every word and syllable recited by this mature voice sounded like an iron hammer hitting Ning Tao’s head.

Red attire? Did that mean the red attire worn by that bizarre woman?

Was she the elixir soul?

Must one find her to locate the complete elixir prescription?

Hu Xiaoji stopped before the stone coffin, saying menacingly, “What rats have barged into my tomb? Show your face now!”

The moment her voice faded, her knees went limp and she collapsed to the ground.

“Xiaoji?” Yin Molan was worried and about to rush over.

Ning Tao hardened his heart and stopped him. “Senior Yin, please wait a while more.”

Although Yin Molan was very anxious, he still restrained himself.

One minute passed, yet there was still no reaction from Hu Xiaoji.

“Retract the illusion!” Ning Tao was also anxious. While Ning Tao was reminding Bai Jing, Yin Molan had rushed over.

Bai Jing beckoned and the Bright Light of the Sea of Misery flew back into her grasp. It turned back into an ordinary lamp.

The illusion disappeared. Hu Xiaoji had collapsed in a pile of rubble, her eyes shut tight.

Yin Molan carried Hu Xiaoji up in his arms, asking with concern, “Xiaoji? Xiaoji?”

Hu Xiaoji did not respond at all.

Ning Tao said, “Don’t worry, Senior Yin. She’ll be fine.”

Only now did Yin Molan let heave a long sigh, still clasping Hu Xiaoji tightly in his arms.

Jiang Hao put the dropped Ancestor-seeking Elixir back into the porcelain vial and stoppered it. Then she handed it back to Ning Tao.

Ning Tao had wanted to use his allergic reaction to the Ancestor-seeking Elixir to see that woman in red. But he soon gave up this idea. The allergic reaction to the elixir might let him see remnant images from the past, but they were all arbitrary. He not only might not see what he wanted, more crucially, he could do nothing under those circumstances, even if he saw that woman in red.

At that moment when Hu Xiaoji recited the five-syllable quatrains, the six skull fragments had already formed the most complete elixir prescription. To go even further, he would have to seize the elixir prescription from those two parties!

A confrontation was unavoidable. It was impossible for him to take any shortcuts.

“Let’s go back first,” Ning Tao said.

A convenient door opened. The company and the dog all exited in a single file.