Open a Clinic to Cultivate Myself Chapter 326 A Sudden Upheaval

There were many tourists in the cathedral, yet it was very quiet.

After traversing the corridor, Ning Tao continued ahead. His eyes were overwhelmed by a miscellany of reliefs and frescoes from the Bible. He felt a dense feeling of time-worn history, as well as a sacredness unique to religious shrines.

“Sir, do you need a guide?” A young blonde woman with green eyes came to Ning Tao's side. She had an amiable smile on her face and was asking in Italian.

Ning Tao could not understand her, only giving her an awkward smile.

The young blonde woman with green eyes started to ask in halting Mandarin, “Sir, do you need an interpreter?”

Ning Tao sized her up. This young lady was in her early 20s, dressed in a white T-shirt, a pair of short vintage jeans and white sneakers. Her figure was tall and slim, and her features were pretty. Her innate aura was normal and she was not carrying any dangerous weapons.

Ning Tao asked casually, “You know Mandarin too?”

The young woman smiled. “I am learning Mandarin now. I'm very interested in the culture of Hua Country. I can act as your guide for free, so long as we converse in Mandarin. Would that be fine?”

Ning Tao nodded. “Very well. But I won't be staying here long.”

The young Italian lady gave Ning Tao a candid smile. “Thank you, mister. My name is Audrey. What is your name, sir?”

Ning Tao hesitated for a moment before answering, “Zhu Yuanzhang.”

Audrey extended a hand towards Ning Tao. “Hello, Mr. Zhu. Very happy to meet you.”

Ning Tao gave a smile. “Miss Audrey, I'm happy to meet you too.”

The two of them proceeded ahead. In a whisper, Audrey recounted the history and culture of Florence Cathedral, as well as some stories on the Florentine House of Medici. Her Mandarin was poor, but she told stories in an animated and interesting manner.

Ning Tao merely listened, now and then chatting with her.

When they reached the end of the hall, Audrey knelt down under an icon of Jesus and crossed herself, chanting a prayer in Italian.

Ning Tao did not kneel down to worship Jesus like this local. He raised his head and observed the gigantic dome overhead. There was a massive fresco painting on it, at least 200 square meters in size. There were frescoes on every level leading to the dome summit.

At this moment, Audrey stood up and also raised her head, gazing at the series of frescoes overhead. She whispered, “It's the Last Judgment, a work completed by Vasari and Zuccari. They spent seven years completing this fresco.”

Ning Tao's heart trembled and he remembered the line left behind by Hanks on the slip of paper. But his face was unruffled. “How magnificent. These old masters had perseverance and belief denied to ordinary men.”

“Would you like to go up and look? There's a staircase leading up. There are beautiful sculptures up there, including some by Michelangelo,” Audrey said.

“Alright, let's go up and look,” Ning Tao said.

The two of them mounted the stairs and went up, Audrey leading the way and Ning Tao following behind. Her voluptuous curves in her short jeans exuded a youthful sultriness. He could not help but give them a few more glances.

In this sacred place and in face of such voluptuous sexiness, he could not restrain his thoughts and started thinking about a problem which was bothering him. He was already over 20 and had a destined concubine, as well as a girlfriend. Yet right now, he was still a virgin. He could not understand why it was so himself.

They came to the last of nearly 500 steps, and arrived at not a dome summit, but an exhibition hall. There were many artistic works of the Italian Renaissance in this hall— oil paintings and sculptures. Some tourists were looking at these artistic works, a few seemed like overseas students from Hua Country. They were all very young. Some were whispering in Mandarin, others in Italian. One of the girls was even wearing the insignia of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze. She was obviously an overseas student.

Ning Tao shifted his eyes to look at Audrey. An almost undetectable change had come into his eyes.

“Mr. Zhu, why are you so interested in this cathedral?” As Ning Tao gazed at her, Audrey gave him a smile.

Ning Tao smiled. “I am only doing casual sightseeing. I'm not especially interested.”

At this moment, a familiar voice speaking in English rang out. “Doctor Ning, why are you here?”

It was Shalim Talman's voice.

Ning Tao did not turn back his head. He continued to look at Audrey.

Audrey did not give any special reaction. She merely said, “Mr. Zhu, anything you don't understand during your tour, I can explain to you.”

Shalim Talman came over. Behind her were Harley Poche and the two commando guards.

Only now did Ning Tao's eyes shift to Shalim Talman. He greeted her. “What brought you here?”

Shalim Talman said, “How can you forgo this cathedral when touring Florence?” She glanced at Audrey and asked, “Is this lady your friend?”

Ning Tao said, “We just got to know each other.”

Audrey shook her head, her eyes full of embarrassment. “Sorry, I don't understand English.”

Ning Tao's face wore a smile. “Never mind, she's my friend. Thank you for your explanations. I have to go.”

“Very well, goodbye.” Audrey bade Ning Tao farewell and then nodded politely at Shalim Talman.

Ning Tao walked towards the hall exit. “Miss Shalim, we have to return to the hotel.”

Shalim Talman started to frown. “I just came and haven't finished touring this cathedral. You have to leave yourself first.”

Ning Tao said, “Alright then, I will wait for you in the hotel.”

With these words, he turned and left.

Harley Poche watched Ning Tao's departing figure and gave a wry smile. “Who does he think he is? Must we go if he wants to leave? A smug yellow Chink.”

Ning Tao had overheard his words, but he did not turn back his head. After exiting Florence Cathedral. he surveyed around and started to walk down the street. Soon, he halted and took a photo of Giotto's Campanile with his cell phone. After taking the picture, he maintained his posture but rapidly turned off the screen. The dark screen instantly became a mirror.

Behind him, a middle-aged man carrying a guitar case also stopped. He raised his head to look at the signboard of a store on the street and walked in. His skin was dark and he was brawny with wavy hair. He looked like a Mexican.

Ning Tao kept his cell phone and continued ahead.

A middle-aged white woman emerged from the store. She followed behind Ning Tao from a distance.

Ning Tao could see the reflection of the middle-aged white woman from the shop windows. A cold smile hovered on his lips. He did not quicken his pace, still sauntering deliberately on the street.

After an hour, Ning Tao had roamed a few streets. Five people had successively followed him. The first, the Mexican, reappeared. He had changed his clothes and was now wearing a wig. The guitar case in his hand had turned into a briefcase. He had put on make-up and was like another man. Yet no matter how he tried to disguise himself, he could not mask his body odor.

In fact, Ning Tao had summoned his state of smelling in his nose. He could detect exactly where these four people were and the directions they were heading.

All five of them were carrying guns.

The hotel Shalim Talman was staying was just ahead. But Ning Tao went past the hotel door. Further ahead would be the boundary of Florence's ancient town district. Beyond that was an undulating stretch of hills, cloaked in dense foliage.

As Ning Tao continued ahead, he said to himself, “I have no enemies in Italy. Even if I had one, they would be men from the Black Fire Company. I came here through the convenient door and no one in the customs will have my entry record. The moment I came, I went with Joanne to Plaza Hotel where Shalim was staying. If I must pinpoint a place which had leaked my location, it must be Plaza Hotel. But were spies from the Black Fire Company there, or did someone deliberately reveal my whereabouts?”

He very naturally thought of Harley Poche— that jealous major general of Ruitian's special forces, the hereditary earl.

He continued ahead for a stretch, walking beyond the ancient town district.

Ning Tao crept into a forest and suddenly started to sprint towards the hills beyond it. He executed Ladder under Feet and the green grass beneath his feet were like coils of spring. He was racing even faster than those swordsmen in martial arts movies.

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The five tailing him dashed in from different directions, flanking the forested area which was shaped in a semi-circle. Unfortunately, they could not see Ning Tao, who was sprinting now in the forest faster than a wolf. They could not overtake him.

But Ning Tao did not sprint far. After dashing up a hill, he soon stopped behind a tall Chinese fir tree. He drew out his refined Mauser pistol and Unbreakable Fan. When he had got himself ready for combat, he summoned the states of looking and smelling in his eyes and nose. His eyes could see those five people following him, moving like colored balloons in the forest. He knew exactly how far each was and whose body was giving off what odor.

Of the five, the Mexican was the least adept at pursuit. But after entering the hilly forest, he failed to detect Ning Tao. He felt as if their target— that lad from Hua Country— had flown away like a bird the moment he entered the forest.

The Mexican gave his four companions a military hand signal. He signaled for them to disperse and search.

The rest of the four all assented. Holding their weapons with silencers, they all dispersed to search.

The Mexican man opened his briefcase and took out a miniature submachine gun mounted with a silencer. Pointing the muzzle slightly down, he went up the hill to search.

Chapter end