Open A Clinic To Cultivate Myself Chapter 314 Jiang Hao's Decision

But it was not the time to study that face. He was in no mood to study it.

“This place…” Only now did Jiang Hao have the chance to talk. She did not know how to describe her feelings. Everything which had happened just now and the Sky Clinic she was seeing before her eyes seemed like a dream.

Ning Tao released his hands. He did not hasten to explain what this place was. He was in no hurry to disclose his ident.i.ty as a cultivating doctor too. He merely stared at her, his heart full of sorrow, pity and some guilt.

He could not help but wonder: if he had been calmer and not been intimate with Jiang Hao in the movie theater, if he had not asked her to accept Qing Zhui as his “destined concubine”, she would not have signed that volunteer's agreement so impulsively.

Green fumes spiraled out of the good-evil tripod. The seven-star lamp, which did not need oil as fuel and would never go out, illuminated the entire room. Jiang Hao observed everything in the room. At first, she was curious, but she soon calmed down. She seemed to have understood something. Her eyes too s.h.i.+fted to Ning Tao's face.

They stared into each other's eyes. There was complete silence.

It took one minute before Ning Tao spoke. “This is my clinic, called Sky Clinic. I haven't brought you here before for a visit. I didn't expect to bring you here in this way. One more thing I have to tell you: I am no ordinary doctor, but a cultivating one. I treat illnesses to save people, but also to uphold Heaven's Way.”

“I… I can't describe that feeling, but the moment we entered this place, I understood. I saw the real you. What's more…” Jiang Hao paused for a while before continuing, “There's the real me. I can no longer be the same person again. Am I right?”

Ning Tao said, “You have taken the pill. Now, you're a new demon. I can cure you, but…”

“But what?” Jiang Hao asked.

Ning Tao felt his whole heart entangling like a knot. Keeping the truth from her would simplify matters, but he could not deceive her, since this concerned her entire life. He could not make the decision for her based on his own feelings.

“Say something. But what?” Jiang Hao was very worried. She was impatient to know the answer.

“Well…” Ning Tao hesitated for a moment before telling the truth. “You have two choices. Be cured of your illness, but remain as a new demon without removing your demon root. In other words, you will live on as a new demon…”

He could not continue. Right now, he still could not determine which category of a new demon she was. But no matter what, he felt bad that his girl had turned into a new demon.

“And the other choice is?” Jiang Hao was staring straight at Ning Tao. She felt a bad premonition in her heart. She was anxious.

Ning Tao sighed. “The other choice is to uproot your demon root and cure you. You will turn back into the person you were, and live the rest of your life as an ordinary person. But… you will forget me and this clinic.”

“No, I don't want to forget you!” Tears welled up in Jiang Hao's eyes. She did not give this even the slightest thought, rejecting this option.

The man she thought about all the time, whom she was willing to sacrifice everything… how could she simply forget him?

Ning Tao came up and caught her in his arms, consoling her. “Don't be upset. You can take the first option. Actually, it's not too bad to be a demon.”

“How can it be good to be a demon?”

Ning Tao answered, “We have probably been influenced by our traditional culture. Our instinct tells us that a demon is wicked and will do humans harm. So we feel an innate aversion to them. But demons can be good or bad, just like humans. I believe that even if you turn into a demon, you will be a good one.”

Qing Zhui was one example. She could kill and harm humans, but everyone she killed was wicked and she had never harmed a good person before. Wasn't she a good demon?

“Tao…” Jiang Hao struggled out from Ning Tao's embrace and stared directly into his eyes. She wanted to speak, but could not.

Ning Tao said to her, “You can tell me anything you want.”

“Have you ever liked me?”

Ning Tao gave her a smile. “I have. And I still like you.”

Joy appeared on Jiang Hao's brows. A somewhat bashful smile hovered on her lips. She had finally heard Ning Tao's true confession. Although it had come a little late, it held for her almost as much meaning as her own life.

Ning Tao continued. “After taking over this clinic, I have been busy. Each month, I need to collect a good-evil rent… Forget it, let's not talk about this today. I have to tell you, I once wanted to reject your love for a reason. I did not dare to be with you and kept an arm's length from you. Until I saw you today. Only now do I realize you are already deep in my heart, like a seed which had been quietly germinating. I also realized my feelings for you are so intense…”

“Wait.” Jiang Hao suddenly interrupted Ning Tao, her pale face blus.h.i.+ng.

Ning Tao started a little. “I'm telling you my true feelings.”

Jiang Hao's eyes stared lovingly at Ning Tao. “But your true feelings are so sappy. I'm getting gooseb.u.mps all over.”

Ning Tao was speechless.

Women must be the most complex creatures on this planet. They like to hear romantic sweet nothings, but claim they are sappy. They sometimes want something, but keep saying that they do not.

But in that brief instant when Ning Tao started, Jiang Hao suddenly drew near and kissed Ning Tao's lips.

Ning Tao's body instantly froze, but he did not stop her. He was feeling very tense inside, and his reaction was also very stiff. He was feeling anxious not only because of Jiang Hao's kiss, but also because of the good-evil tripod nearby.

Jiang Hao's hand had fearlessly reached to Ning Tao's body. She was panting. Women are after all emotional creatures. Once their feelings are aroused, they will be more daring than men.

“Don't…” Ning Tao's mouth uttered this m.u.f.fled word. But a pliant and somewhat sweet object entered his mouth, fluttering like kelp.

Om!

A toll suddenly resounded from the good-evil tripod. The entire clinic was instantly overwhelmed by a heavy oppression, like a ma.s.sive mountain overhead which would fall anytime.

Ning Tao hastily pushed Jiang Hao away.

Jiang Hao's knees had turned limp and had slumped onto the floor. She was s.h.i.+vering incessantly.

“Don't worry, I'm here. You will be fine.” Ning Tao consoled her and ran to bring the ledger of bamboo slips for a diagnosis.

Jiang Hao was so tense that she could not talk. Ning Tao asked her to hold the ledger of bamboo slips, and she did that. Then he asked her to give him back the ledger, and she did that too.

Ning Tao unfurled the ledger to read the diagnosis.

Information started to appear on the ledger, “Jiang Hao, born 1992. A righteous woman. Her first meritorious act: being filial to her mother, worth five merits of good intention. Her second meritorious act: an upright person who defends her country, worth 10 merits of good intention. Her third meritorious act: saving the lives of seven children, worth 42 merits of good intention… Her first sin: being disrespectful to her father, worth five merits of sin of evil intention. Her second sin: becoming a new demon, worth seven demerit points. Her third sin: killing seven people, worth 42 demerit points. Her merits and sins cancel out each other by and large. She has acc.u.mulated a few merit points. She can be cured with a merit of good intention prescription pact. Her demonic root will be removed.”

Reading this diagnosis, Ning Tao could not help but smile. But one second later, the smile froze on his lips.

She was an upright person with both meritorious acts and sins. After canceling each other out, she still had acc.u.mulated a few merit points. That was why the ledger had given her a merit of good intention prescription pact, instead of a sin of evil intention one. And her demon root would be removed.

One must know that every good person who was cured would forget Ning Tao and the existence of this clinic. In other words, if he had written her a merit of good intention prescription pact and Jiang Hao had signed it, she would be engulfed in green fumes and they would become strangers henceforth.

This simple situation had become complicated, because of her remaining merit of good intention.

“Hao, I have to explain the situation…” Ning Tao said.

“Tell me quickly. I'm feeling awful right now.” Jiang Hao's voice was quavering. Although she had not suffered the same level of oppression as Qing Zhui, it would be still hard for her, a new demon, to bear even a slight oppression.

“Let's talk outside.” Ning Tao could see that she was feeling terrible. He opened the door, taking along his small medicine chest.

Jiang Hao had wanted to clamber up from the floor, but her legs were too weak and limp. She tried twice, but failed to stand.

Ning Tao turned back and supported her hams with one hand and her waist with the other. He lifted her up and walked towards the door.

Once outside, Jiang Hao immediately felt much better. She turned to stare at the automatically shut clinic door. She felt as though she had experienced the ordeal of a lifetime.

Ning Tao placed Jiang Hao on the steps and sat down beside her. “I haven't finished. This clinic needs to collect a good-evil rent every month. The good comes from the merits of kind people and the evil from sins of wicked people. If I do not collect enough, I will need to pay with my life. I need to pay with one year of my life for each point…”

Jiang Hao was dumbfounded. As Ning Tao explained himself, she finally understood why Ning Tao had avoided her in the past, unwilling to accept her love and be with her. The rent each month was like a life-and-death struggle. He did not have the time or energy for romance.

“You have only a few merit points on your body. So I can only write you a merit of good intention prescription pact. You don't need to atone for your sins and your demon root will be removed. In other words, all you need to do is sign on your prescription pact. Then you can go back to your former self without any need to atone for your sins. But…” Ning Tao hesitated for two seconds before continuing, “But once you sign and accept treatment, you will forget me and everything about this clinic, once you depart.”

“No! I don't want to forget you!” Jiang Hao was instantly agitated. “I won't treat this illness of mine!”

Ning Tao reached out his hand and caught Jiang Hao's shoulder. “Listen to me first.”

Jiang Hao nodded.

Ning Tao continued. “This is no easy decision. You have to consider from different angles what kind of a life you want. Would you like to be a human, or a demon? You need to ponder and make a decision. When you have considered, I will tell you my thoughts.”

Jiang Hao raised her head and looked at Ning Tao. “I have already made up my mind. I don't want to forget you. I want to be with you. If this is the sacrifice I have to make, I am willing to make it. Don't ask me again. Tell me what you think. I'm sure you have a way out.”

Ning Tao felt touched in his heart. He drew close to her ear. “My solution is very simple…”