After leaving Ah Jiu's place, Tao Mian asked Rong Zheng where she wanted to go.
"The Snow-Embroidered Sword can't be retrieved for now. If you want to wait until it's repaired before heading to the next location, that's fine. Or if you wish to go to the Mist Tower immediately, I have no objections."
They stood in the bustling market, their striking appearances drawing the attention of many passersby.
Rong Zheng said she wasn't in a hurry; she was a bit tired and wanted to return to Peach Blossom Mountain.
Tao Mian agreed.
They took a carriage towards Peach Blossom Mountain. On the way, Rong Zheng asked Tao Mian why he didn't choose a faster method, as he was an Immortal and surely had teleportation talismans or something similar for quick travel.
Tao Mian's arms were filled with fresh flowers and fruits, along with scented sachets. These were thrown to him by young women as they passed through the market.
He picked two plump fruits, rubbed them on his clothes, handed one to his disciple, and kept one for himself.
"If I wanted, we could count to three and be home. But what's the point in that? Little Hua, life shouldn't always be about speeding up and skipping through. Some carry memories on their shoulders, while others see it as a burden. Rushing through life, in the end, you have nothing but the destination."
Tao Mian said that everyone lives until they die. Is death the important part? No, it's living that matters.
Rong Zheng was no longer a child; she had escaped death several times. She understood the wisdom in Tao Mian's words.
She said, though it might sound rude, she could somewhat understand how Tao Mian walked through the pain of losing a disciple.
"Parting and death are things worth contemplating for a lifetime," Tao Mian took a big bite of the fruit, the sourness making him scrunch his face, his words becoming muffled, "Though I am for longevity, this fruit is so sour it's going to make my teeth fall out!"
Rong Zheng laughed, broke her fruit into two halves, tasted it, found it sweet, and then shared it with Tao Mian.
Tao Mian, coughing, took it and bit into it, easing the sharp, sour taste.
The carriage creaked and swayed gently along the quiet country path. Rong Zheng finished her fruit, wiped the juice from her fingers, and suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, Little Tao, aren't we going to learn the Tong You Technique? We left it aside last time and haven't mentioned it since."
After eating, Tao Mian became lazy, lounging comfortably in the corner.
Lazy people have their ways; no matter how cramped the space, he could always find a cozy nook to tuck himself into.
It looked sloppy, but it was actually quite comfortable.
Hearing his disciple mention the Tong You Technique, Tao Mian seemed to only then remember it.
"Oh, that. Easy. If you want to learn, I can have the driver change direction and master it overnight."
"..." Rong Zheng couldn't help but look at him skeptically, "Little Tao, is your 'overnight mastery' reliable?"
"Reliable, reliable. In the next thousand years, you won't find anyone more reliable than your Shi Fu."
"But they won't live longer than you..."
Rong Zheng muttered softly, and Tao Mian pretended not to hear.
"Disciple, do you really want to learn? Let me warn you, your body can't handle too much strain."
"Then I'll learn it in moderation," Rong Zheng didn't hide her intentions, "Little Tao, there's someone I need to meet. I..."
A gust of wind lifted the carriage curtain.
Rong Zheng caught a glimpse of a round tattoo on the back of the driver's neck.
Her expression instantly tensed, and Tao Mian sensed something was wrong.
"The driver is suspicious."
Rong Zheng mouthed to Tao Mian.
The sun was high, and the driver wiped sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. He had been listening to the sounds inside the carriage and, hearing Tao Mian mention turning around, he called out.
"Honored guests, where exactly do you wish to go? The road ahead is difficult, and we need to detour. If we turn back now, it's still possible..."
Inside the carriage, there was silence, with no response.
"Sir?"
The driver lifted the curtain, only to find it empty.
Only two fruit pits rolled to the floor with the movement of the carriage.
The driver's face changed drastically. He tightened the reins, and the horses neighed loudly, coming to a stop.
A small mechanical bird was released from his bosom, circled twice in the air, and then flew off towards the demon realm.
...
Tao Mian and Rong Zheng used their magic to arrive at the foot of an unknown hill.
After Rong Zheng's warning, they had silently left the carriage.
Tao Mian didn't ask anything; he trusted Rong Zheng.
Rong Zheng took the initiative to explain to her Shi Fu.
"It was someone from the Floating Pavilion. That tattoo is their mark," her face turned pale, "Little Tao, Du Hong is a meticulous person. After I escaped from the Mist Tower, he no longer trusted me. So, he would definitely send other shadow guards to monitor you."
"What treasure do I have that's worth it? We have no grievances, so why cling on so relentlessly?"
Tao Mian was still a bit puzzled.
Rong Zheng shook her head.
"Little Tao, you may not know. Immortals are already very rare, and most keep their whereabouts hidden, elusive. The Thousand Lantern Tower dares to auction things at such high prices because they have confidence.
And demons and devils, they despise immortals yet pursue them because they have their own tribulations. They need to refine the immortal body to successfully cross their tribulations."
Rong Zheng's explanation made Tao Mian understand what Du Hong intended to do with him, but there was still something that puzzled him.
"Most immortals have already attained the heavenly way. Offending an immortal invites heavenly retribution. The Demonic Realm and demon realm are within the three realms; how can they easily escape the eyes of the heavenly way?"
"That's because..." Rong Zheng bit her lip, "because they have already mastered a way to conceal the immortal's aura and escape the heavenly punishment. When an immortal is captured, they first bleed them, extract their spiritual energy, then cut flesh, pull tendons, break bones to extract marrow, and finally refine the Three Souls and Seven Spirits.
Immortals generally have strong self-healing abilities, so the torture... is more prolonged. Some demons and devils don't complete these steps all at once but keep the immortal barely alive, slowly sustaining them. And... until the last step, the immortal remains alive."
Tao Mian couldn't help but hold his breath.
He wasn't worried about what might happen to him; he was thinking about how many immortals were forced to become sacrifices for these demons and devils to have such a clear and safe method.
"Little Tao, Little Tao... don't be sad," Rong Zheng was at a loss, "Stay calm, stay calm. True immortals are hard to capture by demons and devils. After all, they are immortals; they can't be defeated so easily. Those they can capture are only fallen immortals who have broken heavenly rules and been punished by the heavenly way. These immortals are different from you... Don't worry, as long as I'm here, I won't let the people from the Floating Pavilion harm you! Truly, truly."
Rong Zheng said "truly" twice, showing her determination to Tao Mian.
Afraid that Tao Mian wouldn't believe her, she explained why she defected from the Mist Tower.
"Though I grew up in the Floating Pavilion and spent years by Du Hong's side, risking my life for him, those one-sided sacrifices ended when he sent me to the Mist Tower.
I'm someone who values promises. I promised Du Hong to assist him, and I did. But he didn't fulfill his promise to me. He put me in the Mist Tower, seemingly to continue my mission and gather information, but in reality, he abandoned me. My body can no longer hold a sword for long, so he wanted me to use another way...
I escaped from the Mist Tower, but I have something important in his hands that I need to retrieve. So, I made a deal with him, and that's why I came to Peach Blossom Mountain... You know the rest.
Little Tao, I'm not someone who can't distinguish right from wrong. I know who treats me well and who doesn't. I promised you I wouldn't push my fragile body anymore. But if Du Hong dares to harm you, if anyone dares to harm you, I'll risk my life to ensure they don't have a good end."
Saying this, Rong Zheng smiled, her smile as bright as the spring sun.
"The immortals of Peach Blossom Mountain are formidable, but the 'Kite' isn't just a name. I want to live a long life, but I will never betray you, Little Tao, to live in disgrace.
Between the Floating Pavilion and Peach Blossom Mountain, I choose the latter. So, Little Tao, I won't let you be troubled."
Rong Zheng had only met her Third Senior Sister, Chu Liuxue, and hadn't seen her senior brother, Second Senior Sister, or Fourth Senior Brother.
But she thought if her senior brothers and sisters were here, they would make the same choice.
Or perhaps, among them, someone had already made a similar choice.
On the little boat, her Third Senior Sister's regrets made her sad.
She thought, if possible, let the grudges outside the mountain drift away with the wind.
She was willing to enter the mountain, willing to guard one person, one mountain, and a tree full of blossoms.