Pushing open the room door, Ning Tao entered Hu Xiaoji’s room. Hu Xiaoji was sleeping soundly but she immediately woke up once Ning Tao entered the room.

“Papa, are you going to tell me a bedtime story?” Hu Xiaoji got up from bed, holding her blanket, while staring at Ning Tao with eagerness.

Ning Tao walked to her bedside and sat down. He reached out to ruffle Hu Xiaoji’s pretty little head and said gently, “I won’t be telling you any bedtime story today. Let us father and daughter have a good chat.”

Hu Xiaoji blinked. “Papa, what do you want to talk about?”

Ning Tao said casually, “What did you learn in school today?”

Hu Xiaoji thought for a moment. “I learned the words, ‘field’, ‘sky’, ‘sweet’, ‘fill’. I know these words but I don’t know how to spell them, so the teacher punished me and made me stand in the corner with the broom.”

“Did you?”

“I did. I had to listen to Teacher Fang. I am a good child after all,” Hu Xiaoji said.

“Right, our Xiaoji is a good kid. Also, was that history knowledge test also done by Teacher Fang?” Ning Tao asked again.

Hu Xiaoji nodded. “Yep. She even told us the story of someone with the Li surname, saying that he was King Chuang. How impressive.”

Li Zicheng, also known as King Chuang, had a lot to do with the fall of the Ming Dynasty.

Ning Tao developed a very odd feeling inside him, and probed, “Then did Teacher Fang mention Crown Prince Zhu San and Zhu Hongyu?”

“Crown Prince Zhu San, Zhu Hongyu…” Hu Xiaoji muttered and thought very carefully before saying, “No, she did not.”

Ning Tao thought to himself, “Could it be just me overthinking?”

“Papa, you’re a little strange today, you keep asking me these weird questions, it’s no fun at all. I prefer you telling me bedtime stories.” Hu Xiaoji appeared a little impatient.

Ning Tao said, “Haven’t we agreed to not have a bedtime story tonight and just to have a chat? Also, if you don’t want to go to school anymore, just tell papa then you don’t have to go anymore.”

Hu Xiaoji pouted. “What kind of papa are you? Other people’s papa and mama would encourage their children to study well and go to a good university, yet you’re encouraging me to not go to school. I’ll tell Teacher Fang tomorrow.”

Ning Tao took out a piece of chocolate from his shirt pocket and stuck it in Hu Xiaoji’s hand.

Hu Xiaoji beamed immediately. “Good papa, I won’t tell on you anymore.”

If it were in the past, Ning Tao would definitely be amused by her but he simply could not find it in himself to laugh tonight. He watched Hu Xiaoji finish that piece of chocolate then opened the small medicine chest which he was carrying and took out an item.

“Ah!” Hu Xiaoji screamed and hid under her blanket.

Ning Tao was holding none other than the skull fragment he had taken back from the Emei Sect.

“Papa, keep it quickly! Ghost, ghost…Xiaoji is scared!’ Hu Xiaoji was hidden in her blanket, and her voice came from underneath.

Ning Tao said, “Xiaoji don’t be scared. Papa is here, no ghost will dare to come near you. You just have to look at this piece of bone and try to describe it using what you’ve learned then papa will reward you with a new school bag.”

Whoosh. Hu Xiaoji instantly lifted her blanket and reappeared. She said excitedly, “Really?”

Ning Tao nodded. “Yes.”

“Then let’s make a pinky promise.” Hu Xiaoji stuck her pinky out.

Ning Tao and Hu Xiaoji made a pinky promise. He even recited to Hu Xiaoji very seriously, “Pinky, pinky bow-bell, Whoever tells a lie will sink down to the bad place and never rise up again.”

After making the promise, Ning Tao handed the skull fragment to Hu Xiaoji.

Hu Xiaoji was slightly scared at first but she was a child after all. When she held the skull fragment, it was like nothing happened therefore she got used to it very quickly. She looked at the skull fragment then flipped it around. Looking at the prescription which was inscribed on it with Buddhist incense, she got excited again. “Papa, look, there are words!”

Ning Tao stared at her, observing her reaction. “Do you know the words on it? If you do, read them out.”

Hu Xiaoji read, “The Authentic Ambergris, two taels and seven maces. Black Jade Fungus, two taels and one mace. Wild Silk Potato, five taels and seven maces…”

She remembered all the names and quantity of the 18 ingredients on the skull fragment. She also recognized part of the secret cultivation procedure. She had read all of them. Yet, all she did was read. Nothing else was happening to her.

Hu Xiaoji then returned the skull fragment to Ning Tao’s hands, giggling as she asked, “Done, papa, where’s my new school bag?”

Ning Tao pat her hand lightly.

The door opened; Jiang Hao walked in with a new school bag with cartoon prints. It was very colorful and pretty.

Hu Xiaoji jumped off the bed and planted herself in Jiang Hao’s embrace. “Mama Jiang, you’re great.” Before Jiang Hao could say anything, Hu Xiaoji had taken the new school bag from Jiang Hao and jumped on her bed, examining her bag closely.

Jiang Hao got close to Ning Tao’s ear and whispered, “Is there still no reaction to her past life’s memory?”

Ning Tao shook his head.

“Do you really want to do this?” Jiang Hao asked again.

Ning Tao got up and said, “Let’s talk outside.”

Jiang Hao nodded and urged before leaving with Ning Tao, “Xiaoji, go to bed early, you still have school tomorrow.”

“I’m going to sleep now.” Hu Xiaoji snuggled in bed with her new school bag in her arms. It looked like she was going to hug it to sleep.

Who could have thought such a cute little girl was a thousand-year-old fox spirit?

Ning Tao and Jiang Hao left the room. Snow was falling inside the open courtyard; a thin layer of snow had already accumulated on the ground.

Yin Molan and Bai Jing approached them. Bai Jing asked, “How was it?”

Ning Tao said, “She had no reaction at all. It seems like we can only do that.”

Yin Molan said with a hint of worry, “Are you sure? I think it’s still too early. She’s still so young. It’s kind of cruel to do this to her.”

Ning Tao said, “The Western practitioner powers and the practitioner powers behind Genesis Biotech Company have already taken action. This means that they think that acquiring the prescription from us would make a complete prescription. We’re the disadvantaged party yet we have the greatest number of prescriptions. We’re their target, everyone wants a piece of us. If I could reawake Hu Xiaoji’s past life’s memories and get the complete elixir prescription from her, then I would not have to snatch the prescriptions from them. I’ll refine pills to make you all stronger. By then, would they still dare to act recklessly?”

“This plan is good but…” Yin Molan spoke then hesitated. He had been accompanying Hu Xiaoji to read and play chess every day and had developed a familial bond with her, and could not bear to see her being hurt.

Bai Jing said, “When did you become so wishy-washy? Isn’t it merely taking Xiaoji to visit her own grave? What’s the big deal? Didn’t you tell me just now that you also wanted to go take a look?”

Yin Molan shrugged. “Alright, take it as if I’ve said nothing.”

Ning Tao looked at Jiang Hao. “You’re Xiaoji’s mother. What do you think?”

Jiang Hao said, “I agree too. She’s no ordinary child to begin with, so her tolerance must be much stronger than ordinary children.”

Ning Tao said, “Alright, Sister Bai, I’ll leave it to you.”

Bai Jing nodded and waved her hand. A white lantern hanging by her door flew towards her and landed in her hand. She walked towards Hu Xiaoji’s room. The lantern lit up; its flame was flickering.

Ning Tao, Jiang Hao and Yin Molan followed Bai Jing towards Hu Xiaoji. During then, the lantern released a sea of white fog, which was streaming inside Hu Xiaoji’s room through the gaps of the door.

In that moment, Howling Celestial Dog ran over and bumped its head into Ning Tao’s leg. “Dad, I want to tag along to West Province.”

Ning Tao patted its head. “Then come along.”

It could be a helpful assistant after all.

Bai Jing pushed open the door. The room was filled with white fog. Hu Xiaoji could be vaguely seen curled up in her bed sleeping soundly. The school bag had already fallen to the ground.

Jiang Hao was about to go carry her but Yin Molan acted before her. “Let me do it.”

Bai Jing said, “Quick, she’s very powerful, my hypnosis will not last long.”

Yin Molan carried Hu Xiaoji from her bed while Ning Tao opened a convenient door, and the few of them entered one after another. After entering the Sky Clinic, Ning Tao did not bother observing the good-evil tripod’s facial expression and immediately opened the blood lock corresponding to the “Immortal Grave”. Another convenient door opened and when the few of them came out of it, they were already inside the Immortal Graves beside the Holy Mountain.

Their surroundings were pitch-black. The magical lantern in Bai Jing’s hand was unable to light up the entire area of the mountainside. However, a mountain entrance with the sign “temple in the mountains” written was seen very clearly, so were the stone steps and stone door behind it.

The stone door was open, it was complete darkness inside.

Ning Tao led the way. “Follow me.”

Bai Jing lifted her magical lantern high above to light their path. Jiang Hao and Yin Molan who was carrying Hu Xiaoji followed closely.

After entering the stone door, a big stone deity sculpture was illuminated and appeared within sight. It was a sculpture of a female deity of unparalleled beauty. All other sculptures suddenly paled in comparison to her.

“Is she Hu Ji?” Jiang Hao asked eagerly.

“Most likely. Follow me.” Ning Tao continued leading the way.

After passing the sculpture, there was a semicircle-shaped tomb behind. That day, when the “Picture of the Six Samsara Realms” escaped, part of the tomb and the mountain were destroyed, half of the tomb was buried by the collapsed rocks and soil. The stone coffin could no longer be seen.

Ning Tao said in a somber voice. “Sister Bai, let’s begin.”

Bai Jing spread her palm and the lantern in her hand was suspended in air. In that instant, light rays bent, the rock and soil which filled the tomb were gone, the part of the mountain which had collapsed were restored to normal. A stone coffin appeared in the middle of the tomb.

Bai Jing huffed a breath of air at Hu Xiaoji who was in Yin Molan’s embrace.

Hu Xiaoji suddenly opened her eyes.