Tao Mian, although aware that the person before him was no ordinary figure, couldn't help but quip when he saw Shen Bozhou's face, appearing so miserably in front of him again—
"Oh, isn't this the second young master Shen? How did you end up like this after just a few days?"
He didn't know what Shen Bozhou had gone through, but given his cat-disliked, dog-repellent personality, getting beaten up was only a matter of time.
But to end up at Peach Blossom Mountain? Was this fate, or misfortune?
Tao Mian fell into his own thoughts, quietly observing the unexpected guest.
Under his gaze, the latter seemed to become uneasy. He appeared truly out of his mind, his eyes vacant and unfocused. Even seeing Tao Mian in front of him elicited no reaction.
Gone was the arrogance and unruliness from their first meeting at the Thousand Lantern Tower, and the kindness and courtesy from their reunion at the Mist Tower.
His personality changed constantly, each time completely different.
It left the Immortal baffled.
Could he have a split personality?
While the Immortal was still pondering, Shen Bozhou suddenly moved.
He raised his left hand, the palm still covered with dark red scabs, seemingly intending to harm the Immortal.
The villagers remained vigilant, and seeing him about to act, they loudly warned Tao Mian.
Little Tao Immortal almost drew the peach branch hidden in his sleeve, but at that moment, Shen Bozhou's figure swayed and he fell heavily to the ground.
With one hand still in his sleeve, Tao Mian, who had half-drawn the peach branch: ??
Faking an injury?
The villagers were puzzled, thinking the Immortal had reached such a pinnacle that he could slay without drawing his sword, and they cheered and praised him.
The Immortal was speechless, waving his hand to tell them to tone it down.
"This person came from outside the mountain, his background unknown, and he's seriously injured. I'll take him back to the Taoist Temple to prevent him from hurting others when he wakes."
Stolen story; please report.
As Tao Mian spoke, he took out a porcelain bottle from his robe and handed it to the village chief.
"This is medicine for healing. Please give it to the injured villagers. Apply it to the wounds twice a day."
Tao Mian handed the medicine bottle to the elder, then crouched down, looping Shen Bozhou's arm over his shoulder to support him.
"You really are heavy..." Little Tao Immortal, who had never done much heavy lifting, muttered, turning to bid farewell to the villagers.
"I'll take him back to the Taoist Temple first."
"Immortal," the village chief still worried, "this man looks fierce. Even if you save him, he might not be grateful. Don't force yourself."
Tao Mian's clean face was accidentally smeared with blood, but he looked up and smiled.
"Thank you for your concern, village chief. I know what I'm doing."
And so, Tao Mian slowly brought Shen Bozhou back to the mountain.
Even though he knew that someone with the surname Shen was no easy character.
The reason Little Tao Immortal was so determined to bring Shen Bozhou back was not only to solve a problem for the villagers but also because his long-lost system had suddenly come online.
On his way to the village entrance, the notification sound startled the gentle Immortal so much he almost swore.
It nearly scared the Immortal to death.
With so many people around, Tao Mian couldn't deal with the system immediately, choosing to solve the villagers' problem first before attending to his own matters.
As it turned out, the two troubles were one and the same, saving effort but also causing the Immortal some distress.
Why did his sixth disciple have to be Shen Bozhou?
Setting aside his emotions, gathering information was the priority.
The system had been offline for so long that Tao Mian was rusty with many operations.
He clumsily opened the disciple information.
[Congratulations, Host, on acquiring your sixth disciple.]
[Disciple Name: Shen Bozhou]
[Background: Second young master of the Illusionary Truth Pavilion]
[Qualification: High-Grade Water Spiritual Root (damaged)]
[Background: Shen Bozhou is the illegitimate son of the Illusionary Truth Pavilion's master, with an older half-brother, Shen Qinglin.
As a child, Shen Bozhou was accidentally abducted and nearly became a live sacrifice. He was saved by Shen Qinglin, who happened to pass by, and was brought back to the pavilion. Through a token, it was confirmed that Shen Bozhou was indeed his blood-related brother.
Shen Bozhou was flamboyant and unruly, his tragic childhood leading to a twisted and extreme personality, often causing trouble. Fortunately, the Illusionary Truth Pavilion was powerful, and Shen Qinglin was very indulgent, allowing him a few good years.
During a painting boat outing, Shen Bozhou got into a dispute with a companion and was hit on the head with a wine jug, drastically changing his personality. He became amiable and friendly, losing his previous arrogance.
Unfortunately, the good times didn't last. The Illusionary Truth Pavilion was besieged by three rival factions, and the pavilion master died violently. The eldest son, Shen Qinglin, fought valiantly but was ultimately defeated. To avoid posthumous humiliation, he self-immolated.
Shen Bozhou had half his spiritual root removed, becoming a cripple. He fled desperately and, by chance, ended up at Peach Blossom Mountain.]
[The above is the disciple "Shen Bozhou" information. Please nurture him with care.]
[Congratulations, Host, on unlocking the novice rewards: "Ice Sword Technique" *1, "Forget River Art" *1]
Tao Mian read through Shen Bozhou's information from start to finish.
Tragic, tragic, tragic.
One tragic wasn't enough; two more were needed.
The Immortal, secluded in the mountain and indifferent to worldly affairs, hadn't realized such earth-shattering changes had occurred in the Demonic Realm.
He vaguely remembered Xue Han mentioning the Illusionary Truth Pavilion, which should have been a formidable force, yet it suffered such a ruthless annihilation.
That friendly young man, Shen Qinglin, whom he had only met once, was also gone.
Leaving Shen Bozhou all alone.
Tao Mian sighed.
The world outside had changed drastically with each passing spring, as mountain flowers bloomed and fell.
Tao Mian looked down at Shen Bozhou, lying on the bed, covered in blood and deeply asleep.
Troublesome.
His sixth disciple came with a deep-seated vendetta, and they had some unpleasant history.
But he did save him at the Mist Tower, even if it was more of a hindrance, his intentions were good.
Tao Mian felt conflicted.
When in doubt, ask the golden finger, he blurted out—
"May I ask... can you return a disciple once they're accepted?"
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