Li Fengchan promised to help Tao Mian and Shen Bozhou sneak over the wall, and she kept her word.
They just had to wait until nightfall.
Before that, they needed to figure out dinner.
Li Fengchan, with eyes full of sincerity, took Tao Mian to tour their family kitchen.
"Little Taoist Tao, the poverty of our family is obvious."
"…"
Tao Mian looked at the pot, cleaner than his own face, and remained silent.
In the end, he sent Liu Chuan to buy six sesame cakes from the street.
One for Tao Mian, one for Shen Bozhou, and Li Fengchan took four for herself.
She awkwardly declined, saying she wasn't hungry, while devouring all four cakes.
Alright, Little Tao Immortal thought, a good appetite means a good mood, so eat as much as you can.
Two chairs in the main hall had just collapsed, so the three of them sat in a row on the steps outside, munching on their cakes, watching the sunset hang on the treetops.
With nothing much to talk about, Tao Mian asked Li Fengchan to tell them about her family.
Li Fengchan was straightforward and didn't like beating around the bush. Tao Mian had helped her out and even gave her food.
He could be considered a good person.
She had a lot to say but didn't know who to tell.
Li Fengchan didn't talk much about her family's glorious past; she spoke mostly about her father.
"Our family used to be in business, quite a big one, and we were wealthy. Unfortunately, my father, Li Sheng, was obsessed with the Tao. He learned business from my grandfather for over ten years, then one day, he rebelled and left home."
Tao Mian nodded.
That's how second-generation wealthy often are, breaking away from the family to pursue dreams, only to return and inherit the family business when those dreams shatter—perfect.
"You probably think he suffered outside and would come home crying," Li Fengchan saw through Tao Mian's thoughts and smiled, "but my dad is stubborn, the kind that ten oxen couldn't pull back. Back then, my grandfather almost turned the entire Beilu Prefecture upside down looking for him."
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"And he didn't find him?"
"No," Li Fengchan shook her head, "he found him."
Her grandfather found his son in a particularly remote mountain. He was in tattered clothes, shirtless, tanned, and thin, but his eyes were bright as stars.
"He was doing a handstand under a waterfall."
"…"
Hearing this, Tao Mian was moved, a touching story of a father finding his rebellious son, a cultivation version of a transformation show.
Then Li Fengchan told him her father was practicing acrobatics in the mountains.
From a business talent to an artist.
"May I ask if your father was trying to master a skill to make a living?"
Li Fengchan chuckled and shook her head again.
"Actually, he didn't have any skills. He said he found a master who had achieved immortality, but the master was a fraud who took all his money and ran. He thought the guy had ascended to immortality.
Later, my grandfather found him a proper teacher to teach him immortal arts. He learned a bit but had no talent. The teacher, feeling guilty after taking the money, suggested he try a different path instead of stubbornly sticking to one and blocking his own way.
But my dad didn't believe it. He practiced immortal arts more eagerly than eating. My grandfather got him a wife, but he ignored her for half a year. Eventually, the girl took the initiative, and that's how I came to be.
My dad thought I was a burden, he didn't like me. After my grandfather passed away and my mother died of illness, it was just him and me at home, staring at each other. He didn't like me, so he sent me away."
Li Fengchan spoke lightly about these things. Having an unreliable father, her life must have been tough.
But she spoke as if she never held a grudge.
"My dad said if he had to do it all over again, he would still do a handstand under that rushing waterfall. Even if he couldn't hold on for long, even if the slippery stones made him fall and hit his head over and over, he would still stand there, upside down."
This time, Tao Mian didn't respond, but Shen Bozhou spoke up.
"Did your father have any ambitions in life? Without a particular goal, it's hard to imagine why he would choose such a difficult path."
Li Fengchan nodded affirmatively.
"He did, he said he wanted to uphold justice."
…
Night fell, and it was time to climb the wall.
After chatting, the three at the Li residence prepared to head out. Li Fengchan mentioned that as a child, her family had ties with the Tongshan Sect, and she had stayed there for a while.
"But I didn't like cultivating, I was idle all day. The teacher didn't like me and said some things to the sect leader, and I got kicked out."
Li Fengchan tied her hair back with a hairband, gathering her hair while speaking to the other two.
"But I have a good memory, and as a child, I was idle, so I toured every place I could in the Tongshan Sect. Where do you want to go? Let me know."
After a moment of thought, Tao Mian replied.
"We're going to find Xun San."
"Find him? But the things taken into the mountain might not be with him; they should be handed to the steward or kept in a specific hall under the hall master's care."
Tao Mian had his own plan.
"I know. But we still need to find Xun San, then kidnap him and force him to tell us where the Li family's things are."
"…"
Tao Mian's words were shocking, but Shen Bozhou was unfazed, while Li Fengchan was so surprised her jaw almost dropped.
She turned her face away, covering it with her hand, and whispered to Shen Bozhou.
"Have you been tricked too? My dad was scammed by a Taoist and lost everything. Learn from the past!"
Shen Bozhou reassured her.
"Little Taoist Tao is richer than me, don't worry."
"Is he really a Taoist? How can he talk about kidnapping so lightly…"
Shen Bozhou hesitated a bit too.
"Occasionally taking on side jobs to supplement the household, perhaps."
"…"
Li Fengchan muttered, "What strange people," and didn't pursue the matter further.
"Xun San's place should be separate from the other inner disciples. He's made a name for himself in the Tongshan Sect over the years. I visited that place as a child, but I don't know if it's changed. I can take you there to try your luck."
"No problem, I'm all set."
Tao Mian replied loudly.
"You…"
Li Fengchan noticed a dark figure in her peripheral vision. She turned her head and was speechless.
In that short time, Tao Mian had dressed himself from head to toe like a night assassin, complete with a headscarf, mask, and night outfit.
Turning to look at Shen Bozhou, he was dressed exactly like Tao Mian.
Two black-clothed figures, and a young girl.
Li Fengchan was starting to worry about her safety.
"Am I the fool here? Are you two really from a proper Taoist temple?"
Tao Mian excitedly rubbed his hands together.
"Come on, let's go! This Immortal… This Taoist hasn't kidnapped anyone in decades, need to get back in the groove."
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