A few people were sitting around the coffee table eating takeout. There was only one stool in the room and four fish demons were sitting on the floor. Ning Tao did not make an exception for himself and joined the few fish demons on the floor.

Takeout certainly could not compare to expensive delicacies, but the fish demons were enjoying the food in spite of that.

Ning Tao ate sparingly but he spoke a lot. “Be careful with ordinary people in the future, don’t kill them. Laoba, your punch from earlier was very dangerous. If it had connected with that person, they would definitely be dead.”

Wang Laoba smiled sheepishly, stuffing a rib into his mouth while nodding in agreement.

Ning Tao continued saying, “Also, I have to clarify some things with you if you are to join me. I’m a practitioner of the ways of Heaven. I treat illnesses and save lives, I also uplift goodness and punish evil. The Sky Clinic I took you to when we came here, represented the way of Heaven. If you do evil, it will suppress you, therefore you may do good but you shall not do evil.”

Ning Tao could absolutely not take these fish demons onto a flight from Beidu to Shiyan. They did not even know what identification cards looked like, so they could only go through the convenient door in the Sky Clinic. He had left a number of blood locks at the Celestial Dragon Ruins in Beihu province, and Mount Wudang was in Beihu. It was surely faster to go through the convenient way to the clinic than taking the plane.

Of course, there was also another reason why Ning Tao had taken the few fish demons through the convenient door in the Sky Clinic. It was to find out whether the clinic would suppress them or not. When he took the four fish demons in, the human face on the good-evil tripod neither grimaced nor smiled.

This was not unexpected. The fish demons of the demon village had lived a life almost isolated from the rest of the world, thus they were also far from the impurities of the secular world and had never been exposed to the myriad of temptations. Even if they wanted to do bad, there was nobody for them to do bad to. There was only one group of fish demons in the village. Who would cause another person trouble given that they were together every day?

Zhang Qianshu asked, “Master, but what if someone bullies us?”

Ning Tao said, “Then don’t be polite. Just fight or kill as necessary.”

Man Zuli giggled as he said, “Then good, we’ll follow you to uphold goodness and punish evil. We’ll fight or kill whenever necessary.”

Wang Laoba stammered, “If… Master wants us to fight… we’ll fight… If Master… wants us to kill… we’ll kill.”

Ruan Tianyin sighed, appearing to be somewhat bored. “It’s a pity I can’t fight. I’m so useless.”

Zhang Qianshu said, “You can fold the master’s blanket. You’re pretty good at it.”

Ruan Tianyin blushed slightly but did not disagree.

Ning Tao could not bear seeing her being this awkward and said to her, “Everyone has their own worth. You do too. Don’t put yourself down. Let me tell you, just the sea pearl in which you produce every month alone is a huge help to me.”

Considering that the sea pearl was one of the spiritual materials in cultivating the Ancestor-seeking Elixir, Ning Tao would definitely include her when he drafted soldiers from the demon village. If he could only take one of them, then it would have to be her.

Only then did Ruan Tianyin reveal a smile. She then put a deep-fried capelin into Ning Tao’s bowl. “Master, have a fish.”

Ning Tao smiled. When he was about to eat the fish, his cell phone suddenly rang. He took the phone out, glanced at it, then picked up the call.

Tang Zixian’s voice came from the other end of the phone. “Where are you now?”

Ning Tao said, “Beihu, Shiyan City. What’s your business?”

It was Tang Zixian’s voice, “I knew you would attend Spiritual Cat Deity’s new elixir launch. I called you to tell you that Master Fakong said your negotiation with Wu Yue is going to be at the Mount Wudang’s Ascension Cliff. He means that there will be many practitioners here tomorrow who could be witnesses for you. Right, the time is tomorrow night, it would start after Shan Yi’s new elixir launch.”

“Alright, then see you tomorrow.”

“Wait…”

“What else?”

“Have Su Shanshan and Meng Bo contacted you?” Tang Zixian asked.

Ning Tao said, “No, why are you so anxious?”

“Nothing, I’m just checking in. Alright, that’s all, see you tomorrow.” Tang Zixian hung up the call.

Ning Tao fell into deep thoughts.

Actually, he had guessed that Master Fakong would set this negotiation at Mount Wudang’s Ascension Cliff, so it came as no surprise to him. Yet, what he didn’t understand was that Spiritual Cat Deity was obviously Wu Yue’s subordinate and the Ancestor-seeking Elixir, which had turned Jiang Hao into a new demon, was most probably made by Shan Yi the Spiritual Cat Deity. Shan Yi first started the new elixir launch, then Master Fakong went on to set his negotiation with Wu Yue at the same place and time. After these events were strung together, he had an inexplicable sense of uneasiness in his heart.

“Master, anything troubling you?” Ruan Tianyin asked. Her shiny eyes were filled with concern.

Ning Tao then pulled himself out of his thoughts. “No worries, let’s eat. Then, you all may return to our room to rest. There are things to do tomorrow.”

“Master, I’m full. I’m going back to my room.” Zhang Qianshu stood up and left.

Man Zuli and Wang Laoba also took their leave, subsequently leaving Ning Tao’s room.

Yet Ruan Tianyin did not leave. She started clearing the food boxes and disposable chopsticks on the coffee table.

Ning Tao said, “No need to clean up. We’re only staying for one night. The hotel’s maids will be here to clean up the room tomorrow.”

Ruan Tianyin said in a soft and sweet voice, “Master, this is your room. It can’t be so messy. The smell of the food remnants will affect your sleep.”

Ning Tao smiled. He could not bother talking her out of it anymore. She could clean up if she wanted.

Ruan Tianyin cleared the coffee table in no time and threw the remaining food and food boxes into the bin. The food remnants in the bin emanated a terrible stench, but it did not pose a challenge to her as she was good at household chores. She lifted her pair of porcelain white arms, made pinching gestures, and started chanting something.

Ning Tao was curious and asked, “Tianyin, what are you doing?”

All of a sudden, a ball of bluish water mist was released from Ruan Tianyin’s body. The whole room was filled with a light fragrance, which resembled the scent of a flower valley after the rain. It was so pleasant and calming to the senses.

Old practitioners of the past were very particular about the environment and had many taboos. For example, any garlic or onion garnishing or spicy food would be deemed as a taboo to consume. Those unspeakable acts between men and women would not be committed either. It was said that it would deplete one’s energy and destroy their cultivation. Thus life was austere and insipid.

Nevertheless, most practitioners today had been secularized. They would eat barbecue and drink beer, eat whatever they wanted, and have any kind of sex they wished. They could enjoy the material world like any ordinary people and indulge in their feelings and desires. Their lives were merry.

To be honest, there was nothing bad about it. After all, who could survive the heavenly trial? Death was inevitable. Rather than suffering a life of austerity and going through days in tedium, it would be better to enjoy this dazzling material world and relish in the joys of life.

Ning Tao was also like that. Deep down inside him, he had never held the view of austere cultivation. He would eat whatever he wanted, do whatever he wanted. Yet now Ruan Tianyin had awakened a yearning in him for the austere cultivation of the ancient practitioners. He had the urge to practice breathing meditations on a mountainous cliff while facing the rising sun and meditate by the lake in the moonlight, just to relish in the inexplicable things and truths of the world.

This strange sentiment was all because of one person: Ruan Tianyin. The fragrance released from her delicate body did not only make the room smell pleasant but it also had the power to purify one’s soul!

“Master, I’ll go lay out the sheets for you.” Ruan Tianyin walked to the bed.

It was only when she spoke that Ning Tao had a sudden enlightenment. He walked out of the wondrous feeling of cliffs and lakes, and asked with a grin, “What trick did you use just now?”

Ruan Tianyin looked back at him and smiled. “This is the purification ability of my Essential Pearl. I’ve told you before, I can purify water and air.”

Ning Tao’s curiosity grew and asked excitedly, “Can you show me your Essential Pearl?”

Ruan Tianyin was slightly stunned. A blush somehow appeared on her beautiful face, her voice also obviously not normal. She mumbled, “Master, do you… really want to see it?”

Ning Tao did not think much, and said anxiously, “Of course, can you show it to me?”

Ruan Tianyin’s beautiful face grew even redder, “Right here?”

“If not, where else?”

Ruan Tianyin murmured, “Then… Master would have to take the lead, I can’t take it out.”

Ning Tao was slightly confused. “What do you mean?”

Ruan Tianyin seemed to be embarrassed to explain. She had already approached the bedside, immediately climbing into bed after taking off her shoes. In a shy, sheepish way, she said, “Master… you may do it…”

She bent her legs as she spoke.

It suddenly dawned on Ning Tao and he became extremely embarrassed. “That, that… I’m joking with you, come down quickly. I’m not looking, you should go back to your room to sleep.”

Only then did Ruan Tianyin heave a sigh of relief and quickly got off the bed, putting her heels back on. She glanced at Ning Tao, seemingly wanting to say something but did not. After a few awkward seconds, she escaped flusteredly from Ning Tao’s room.

Ning Tao heaved a long sigh. He did not succumb to Bai Jing, yet he had nearly succumbed to the clam lady. No wonder people tend to liken pretty women to demon spirits. He had just met an actual demon spirit!

Ruan Tianyin had left but the air she had purified was still so fragrant. The aroma was light like the scent of a flower valley after the rain, rejuvenating one’s senses.

Ning Tao’s heart skipped a beat and he quickly sat cross-legged on the sofa, practicing his grade three elementary cultivation method. Without the good-evil tripod around, there was no good energy or evil energy, but there were purification particles left in the air from Ruan Tianyin. He had a gut feeling that those purification particles from Ruan Tianyin would bring some benefit to his increasingly darkening Niwan acupoint and his basketball-sized internal core which had more black parts than white.

He did not know what exactly the benefits would be. It was, after all, just a vague feeling he had developed all of a sudden.

The answer was soon revealed.

With him absorbing Ruan Tianyin’s purification particles, this round of cultivation felt like he was soaking in a cooling spiritual spring. The impurities in his body were slowly decreasing, his spirit felt very at ease and comfortable.

Unfortunately, those purification particles were limited in quantity. After a round of grade three elementary cultivation method, they had been all replenished. The stench of the food waste in the bin could be detected again, which made him uninterested to continue with the cultivation.

After some preparation, Ning Tao activated his spiritual sense, entering his inner world.

Even though the changes were not obvious and that the black crack around the Niwan acupoint was still present, there appeared to be an additional bluish mist inside the Niwan acupoint.

Weren’t those the purification particles released by Ruan Tianyin?

They were being absorbed by the basketball-sized inner core suspended above the Niwan acupoint. Strands of the particles were entering it. He felt very comfortable during this process, as if his internal core was taking a bath.

It was effective indeed!

It did not strengthen or repair anything but such a bath was certainly beneficial for his health. If he could bathe his Niwan acupoint and inner core, it would definitely be beneficial to his cultivation.

After exiting the inner world, Ning Tao could not help but smile. He had indeed found a cultivation secretary. Not only could she fold blankets and tidy up after a meal, but she could also assist in his cultivation!