Tao Mian paid the fare and disembarked, walking along the embankment until he reached the largest bank in the city.

The clerks inside the bank barely glanced at him, dismissing him due to his plain and modest attire. Tao Mian looked around, unsure of how to reveal his identity, when a tall, thin middle-aged manager noticed the jade pendant hanging from his waist. His eyes widened, and he hurriedly bowed and approached.

"The chief manager is here? The deputy manager is waiting for you inside."

The clerks were so shocked their jaws nearly dropped. This young man, who looked barely over twenty, was the chief manager?

The manager smacked the back of the clerk's head, scolding him for not recognizing someone important. The clerk felt wronged, wondering which noble would dress so plainly.

Tao Mian watched their little drama with amusement and waved it off, signaling that it was enough.

The bank was bustling with people coming and going. The manager led Tao Mian through a private passage to the most secluded room.

The door was half-open, and the sound of pages turning could be heard inside, likely someone going through the account books.

The manager brought Tao Mian to the door, lowered his voice, and forced a smile.

"The deputy manager is inside. He left word that the chief manager can go in directly."

Tao Mian hesitated, not moving.

"Could you please lead me in?" he asked the manager.

The manager stepped back, laughing awkwardly, seemingly unwilling to face the deputy manager directly.

"Chief Manager, the deputy manager has given instructions, and we can't act recklessly."

Tao Mian took a big step back.

"With the chief manager here, what are you afraid of? I'll back you up."

The manager retreated three steps.

"Chief Manager, you're joking. How could I be afraid? It's just that the bank is busy, and we can't spare the manpower..."

The two of them stood at the door, politely arguing back and forth, neither willing to go in or leave.

Until a calm and clear male voice came from inside.

"Manager Li, you may go. Tao Mian, come in."

Manager Li wished he could grow two more legs, and after saying "I take my leave," he quickly fled.

Leaving Little Tao Immortal standing there alone.

"What, do I have to invite you in personally?" the voice inside said again.

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Tao Mian bolstered his courage, saying, "You’re not as obedient as you were when you were young, daring to call your benefactor by name," but he quickly walked into the room.

He wasn't afraid; he just knew how to assess the situation.

Inside, the scent of sandalwood lingered. Behind a large, heavy desk sat a young man in luxurious purple attire, holding an account book in one hand and fiddling with a rosewood abacus with the other. He didn't even look up when he heard the door close.

If the enemy doesn't move, I won't move.

Tao Mian remained silent, waiting to see what trick Xue Han would pull this time.

The young man didn't leave Tao Mian in awkward silence for long. After turning a page, he spoke.

"Finally willing to leave your little broken mountain?"

"What do you mean by broken mountain! Xue Han, watch your words."

Tao Mian warned the young man named Xue Han, though his tone lacked confidence. Xue Han smiled slightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

Little Tao Immortal was all too familiar with that smile and immediately sensed trouble.

"You... huh?"

Three golden ropes appeared out of nowhere, clinging to Tao Mian's clothes like snakes, binding him tightly. Tao Mian was both shocked and panicked, struggling with all his might.

"Don't struggle; the more you move, the tighter it gets," Xue Han leisurely reminded him.

"A Binding Immortal Rope! Xue Han, you're really twisted now! Using such a powerful artifact on your savior! Let me go!"

Tao Mian flopped on the luxurious carpet like a fish out of water, flailing about.

Xue Han's mood improved, and he restrained his smile, slowly walking over to Tao Mian and bending down.

His fingers hooked the rope, testing its tightness, and he was very satisfied.

Tao Mian glared at him.

The young man in purple pretended not to see, personally bringing over a chair, crossing his legs, and shaking out his robe as he sat calmly in front of his former benefactor.

"Your little disciple won't die anytime soon, and you don't seem anxious. Why not stay as a guest at my residence? I'll personally entertain you."

"Pfft, is this how you treat guests?" Tao Mian turned his face away. "This Immortal is busy, no time for eating and drinking."

"Oh dear, you see, I'm getting old, and my memory isn't what it used to be. The method to save your disciple, if someone told me once, I wouldn't remember a thing," Xue Han feigned ignorance, tapping his head lightly with a paper fan.

Tao Mian: ...

"I'll eat, isn't that enough?"

"Don't look so humiliated," Xue Han's good mood was almost written on his forehead, "you won't lose out."

Hearing a hint of concession in his tone, Tao Mian's eyes shifted, and his mind became active again.

"Since I've agreed, then untie me."

"Well..."

Xue Han dragged out his words, seeing the hope rekindle in Tao Mian's eyes.

He snapped open the gold-flecked paper fan, hiding a sly, calculating smile.

"No."

"..."

Tao Mian was furious.

"You've changed, completely changed. You weren't like this when you were young."

Xue Han toyed with the tassel on his folding fan, replying sinisterly.

"Who should I thank for that?"

"..."

Tao Mian clamped his mouth shut again.

Alright, he was partly to blame.

The entangled history between Xue Han and Tao Mian could be traced back many years, to when Gu Yuan was about seven or eight years old.

Back then, Xue Han was just a child Tao Mian picked up by the roadside.

Or rather... a little monster.

It happened when Gu Yuan was playing on the mountain and was accidentally bitten by a rare venomous snake. The antidote required herbs that couldn't be found on the mountain, so Tao Mian had to go to the town's pharmacy alone to get medicine.

As he left the pharmacy with a string of medicine packets, retracing his steps, he was suddenly grabbed by the leg by a ragged child at a corner.

If it had been just an ordinary little beggar, Tao Mian would have given him some money and moved on. But the child had clearly suffered severe abuse, with marks and burns on his exposed arms and legs, and scars from sharp objects, a pitiful sight.

Tao Mian had walked ten steps past the corner, but remembering the child's injuries, he gritted his teeth and turned back.

The boy was still there, unconscious.

Tao Mian put the medicine packets into his storage pouch, scolding himself for his soft heart, knowing it would get him into trouble someday, and carried the frail child to a clinic for treatment.

The child he picked up was not seriously ill, just fainted from hunger. Since he wasn't sick, Tao Mian thought of secretly leaving some money for him and then leaving.

Unexpectedly, just as he was about to give the boy all the money he had, the boy opened his eyes and woke up.

It was better that he was awake. Tao Mian explained his intentions, hoping the boy would use the money to buy some food.

He needed to return to the mountain; his disciple was waiting for him.

But the boy just held onto the corner of his clothes, saying nothing, not even shedding a tear, just silently staring at him.

So stubborn, yet so pitiful and humble.

Tao Mian's head began to ache.

He was an Immortal Being, over a thousand years old, and naturally understood the importance of not forming earthly attachments. Having a disciple with a deep-seated vendetta was already troublesome enough; adding a child with an unknown background, how could he continue living his carefree life?

Tao Mian forced himself not to be soft-hearted, removing the boy's hand from his robe and reasoning with him.

"Look, we are strangers. I'm giving you all the money I have as a way to settle this chance encounter. How about that?"

The light in the boy's eyes dimmed, and he lay back on the bed, curling up like a shrimp, hugging himself.

Tao Mian closed his eyes, refusing to look, and handed the money pouch to the clinic's doctor before leaving without looking back.

...

Not even ten seconds later, he strode back in from outside.

"Fine, fine, I'll help you to the end! I'll find you a good place, but after that, don't bother me! I can't believe myself..."

He muttered under his breath, picking up the boy again.

It was early autumn, the sky a clear blue. Golden leaves covered the stone path in front of the clinic, a time of orange and green.

Even after many years, when Xue Han closed his eyes, he could still feel the warmth of that day on his face, transcending time.

The story began so beautifully...