The master of Xuanji Tower, Ah Jiu, is a recluse who rarely leaves the building. Unless someone threatens to blow up Xuanji Tower, she spends her days locked inside, forging swords and sharpening knives, never stepping outside.

Her daily routine consists of only two things: recalling what she did before and remembering what she decided to do.

Her memory is terrible, there's nothing she can do about it.

Meeting here was a surprise for Ah Jiu, and even more so for Tao Mian.

"Ah Jiu... why aren't you in the tower? Did you go out?"

Before Ah Jiu could ask why he was climbing over walls, he took the initiative.

Speaking of this, Ah Jiu felt a bit aggrieved.

"A statue of a patriarch from the Tongshan Sect was damaged and needed repair. I asked them to send the statue over, but they refused, so I had to come to the Tongshan Sect myself."

"A patriarch statue?" Tao Mian was surprised. "Aren't those usually kept indoors? How did it get damaged?"

"Lightning struck it."

"…What a misfortune."

However, Tao Mian's curiosity wasn't entirely satisfied.

"You have no ties with the Tongshan Sect. Just for a statue, you'd leave Xuanji Tower and come all the way here?"

Ah Jiu sighed.

"I had no choice; they offered too much."

"…"

There's a reason why Tao Mian, Ah Jiu, and Xue Han became friends.

Ah Jiu came for the money, but she found many things uncomfortable here.

She couldn't sleep well in a strange bed. With nothing to do at night, she took out her knife to sharpen it and pass the time.

She was in the courtyard, sharpening her knife, when Tao Mian "showed up."

"Tao Lang, why are you here at the Tongshan Sect?"

"I'm here to kidnap someone."

Hearing that Tao Mian was going to kidnap someone, Ah Jiu didn't show any surprise. Instead, she nodded calmly.

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"Not bad, you've improved. Years ago, you were kidnapping chickens, and now you can kidnap people."

After a few casual exchanges, Ah Jiu's gaze turned to the other two disciples.

She first noticed Li Fengchan.

"Oh, Miss Rong Zheng, you're here."

Li Fengchan: ?

Tao Mian was a bit helpless and explained to Li Fengchan.

"Ah Jiu has a poor memory and face blindness, mistaking you for my disciple."

"You're not Miss Rong Zheng?" Ah Jiu was still confused. "Could it be the sixth disciple? Is the sixth disciple also a girl?"

Ah Jiu was skilled in crafting, but her words were often off the mark, so Tao Mian had to introduce her.

"This is the sixth disciple. Little Six, come and meet Uncle Ah Jiu."

Shen Bozhou obediently stood still until it was his turn. When Tao Mian called him, he stepped forward a few steps and bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Uncle Ah Jiu."

Ah Jiu nodded with a smile.

"Very good, very good. Is the Frost Cold sword I gave you still handy?"

"Replying to Uncle, Liu Chuan's talent is not high, and his swordsmanship is not refined, so the sword's powers have not yet been revealed."

Ah Jiu waved her hand.

"What powers could my sword have? It's just sturdy and durable. Liu Chuan, the sword's powers ultimately depend on you.

I gave your master Tao Mian so many weapons, yet he doesn't use them. He swings that broken peach branch around all day, and still, no one can match him."

Tao Mian, hearing the first part, thought Ah Jiu was going to praise him, so he proudly stepped forward, only to be half-criticized and half-praised, leaving him amused and exasperated.

"Ah Jiu, that peach branch is from a thousand-year-old immortal peach tree, rare and precious."

"Precious? On your Peach Blossom Mountain, aren't they growing all over the place?"

Ah Jiu teased, her eyes turning back to Li Fengchan.

Li Fengchan, unable to join their conversation, felt a bit lost. Ah Jiu smiled gently at her.

"What is the name of this beautiful young lady? I haven't seen you before."

Li Fengchan grew more nervous.

"My surname is Li, and my name is Fengchan. You can just call me by my name, Miss Jiu."

"Are you Tao Mian's seventh disciple?"

"I'm not. At most, I'm his... accomplice?"

Li Fengchan became a bit unsure of herself.

Ah Jiu couldn't help but laugh, then turned to scold Tao Mian.

"Teach the young ones something good, don't always be so disrespectful."

Tao Mian replied confidently.

"I didn't teach them; they learned on their own."

Listening to their conversation, Li Fengchan was a bit surprised. This Little Taoist Priest seemed just over twenty, how could he be "disrespectful"?

Ah Jiu spoke whatever came to her mind, her eyes shifting among the three, not finding Rong Zheng.

"Oh, Tao Lang," her tone suddenly became light, "how is your fifth disciple?"

"…Ah Jiu, she's still alive."

"Then I'm relieved."

Far away, Rong Zheng sneezed again.

Who was praising her this time?

The three kidnappers lingered in Ah Jiu's small courtyard for a while before remembering their mission.

"By the way, Ah Jiu, do you know where Xun San lives?"

"Xun San?" Ah Jiu struggled to recall, "I just arrived at the Tongshan Sect today and only met a few people. But there was one particularly annoying disciple..."

Tao Mian nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, that's him."

"Oh, is he the one you're going to kidnap? Let me show you," Ah Jiu stood up slowly, pointing with her jade finger to the house next door, "it's right there, just climb over the wall."

Tao Mian saw how close it was and found it very convenient.

"Then I'll go. Little Six and Little Fengchan, you stay in Ah Jiu's courtyard. Too many people would just get in the way."

With that, Tao Mian left his accomplices behind and deftly climbed over the wall.

Xun San's residence was also a bamboo house, with a courtyard full of rare flowers and plants, each worth a fortune.

It was unclear where a disciple got the money to buy so many rare species.

He must have made quite a bit on the side.

Tao Mian glanced briefly at the courtyard, clicked his tongue twice, and prepared to enter the house.

He had a strict procedure for kidnapping: first, drug the person to sleep, then find a chair to tie them up tightly.

In his sleep, Xun San was unaware of everything happening around him. It wasn't until a bucket of cold water splashed on him that he realized his predicament.

His hands and feet were bound with the Binding Immortal Rope, a magical tool somewhat overkill for a mortal, but Tao Mian didn't care, as he had openly stolen it from Xue Han.

Xun San was a bit flustered, not knowing what had happened. Suddenly, a dark figure circled in front of him, chuckling sinisterly, particularly treacherous.

"…"

Xun San forced himself to calm down. At times like this, he mustn't let his momentum be suppressed, or he'd be at the mercy of the other party.

Suppressing the tension and tremor in his voice, he asked the black-clothed person.

"What do you want? Money or... something else?"

"…"

In his nervousness, Xun San misspoke, intending to say "money or life."

But the black-clothed person was also unconventional, weighing the knife in his hand, scrutinizing Xun San—

"Why don't you show me both?"

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