It was impossible to escape.

With a flick of Xue Han's finger, Tao Mian, who had struggled to reach the door, fell to the ground with a cry.

This Binding Immortal Rope was truly formidable; who knows where Xue Han had found such a high-grade item.

Tao Mian could untie it, but he needed time.

And Shopkeeper Xue clearly wouldn't give him any.

Lying on the ground, Tao Mian groaned. Xue Han rose from his chair, walked over, and crouched down in front of him. His dark eyes met Tao Mian's, pupils vertical and eerily strange.

Before he passed out, the last thing Tao Mian heard was, "Too restless, better take a nap."

When he regained consciousness, the surroundings had changed.

Tao Mian guessed this was probably Xue Han's residence. The place was lavishly decorated, with a thick layer of wool carpet on the floor and furniture made of dark, heavy sandalwood. Antiques and potted plants were everywhere, yet it didn't feel cluttered, showcasing the owner's taste and style.

The Binding Immortal Rope on him had been removed at some point.

Tao Mian stood up, stretched his wrists, and surveyed the room.

He took the fruits from the platter on the table one by one, then held the glass plate, half the depth of his palm, and vomited.

...

What kind of incense was burning in this room!

Tao Mian was surrounded by a strange and intense fragrance, making him dizzy. He staggered around, trying to find the source of the scent.

Finally, he discovered a gilded three-legged bronze incense burner hidden behind a coral bonsai, with smoke curling up from it.

Suppressing the nausea in his stomach, Tao Mian covered his nose with his sleeve, intending to extinguish the incense.

Someone pushed the door open and stopped him.

"If you put out that incense, you can forget about saving your disciple."

"Xue Han?"

A familiar voice came from behind. Tao Mian turned around to see Shopkeeper Xue, now dressed in different clothes, along with a male servant.

Xue Han raised a hand, and the servant took the fruit platter from the table and closed the door, leaving space for the two to talk privately.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

The door closed silently.

Tao Mian asked Xue Han about the purpose of the incense. Xue Han approached, took a paper packet from his sleeve, and opened it to reveal brown incense.

He bent the paper into an arc and poured the incense into the burner. As the incense heated, the room's scent grew stronger, making Tao Mian feel even more uncomfortable. He bent over, supporting himself on a nearby shelf with one hand and covering his mouth with the other, his brow deeply furrowed.

"If you... ugh... have a grudge against me... just say it, don't... ugh... play these tricks."

Tao Mian's breath was weak, but unlike before at the bank, Xue Han didn't retort. Instead, he sighed and advised him to endure it.

"This incense comes from the Demonic Realm, called 'Soul Return.' Burn it for three days, and it can suppress the aura of living beings. If you don't get rid of your 'immortal scent,' you'll likely be devoured alive when you enter the Demonic Realm. I'm doing this for your own good."

"Demonic Realm?" Tao Mian managed to say two words before feeling nauseous again. He paused, his face contorted, before continuing, "You want to take me there?"

Xue Han personally brought over a cushioned round stool for him to sit on. After Tao Mian sat down, the nausea subsided a bit, but he was still dizzy.

"Your little disciple's sudden narcolepsy is a symptom that some demons experience before reaching adulthood. This illness can be minor or severe. At its mildest, it just means sleeping more hours at night. But from your letter, he also faints during the day, which suggests it's more serious. Is he sleeping longer and longer? If left untreated, he won't survive the transition to adulthood and will sleep eternally."

Xue Han's words were true; Chu Suiyan's condition was indeed troublesome. Tao Mian pondered for a moment. Despite both being demons, Chu Liuxue showed no signs of illness, indicating it wasn't a common condition.

If it's uncommon, it means it's hard to treat.

"There is a way to cure it," Xue Han said, pouring Tao Mian a cup of calming tea to ease the irritation caused by the incense. "It requires a special prescription. I have the recipe, and most of the ingredients are in your residence, except for one crucial component that requires us to go to the Demonic Realm."

"What is it?"

"Fat of the Henggong Fish."

Henggong Fish. It lives in Stone Lake, a lake perpetually frozen. It grows seven to eight feet long, resembling a red carp.

Xue Han wanted to take Tao Mian to the Demonic Realm to obtain this rare medicinal ingredient.

Tao Mian held the teacup with both hands to prevent it from slipping due to dizziness. He sipped the tea and tilted his head in thought.

"So we need to fish in the lake? Forget it, I can catch anything but fish... let's just scoop them up!"

"..." Xue Han paused, "Have you considered that we could also buy them?"

"Oh," Tao Mian suddenly understood, "Then let's buy them. Isn't there plenty of money in the account?"

"Money isn't the issue; the issue is that having money doesn't guarantee you can buy it," Xue Han teased, squinting his eyes with a smile, "This time, we're going to 'bid.'"

...

The evening after Tao Mian left, Chu Suiyan finally woke from his dream.

He seemed to have no memory of the conversation with his sister that night and couldn't recall why Tao Mian had left the mountain.

When Chu Suiyan asked about his master's whereabouts, Chu Liuxue was slightly taken aback.

"You don't remember anything?"

"Um..."

The boy's face was pale, his energy slowly dissipating from his body, and even his speech and movements became sluggish.

Even for a short sentence from Chu Liuxue, he took a while to respond slowly.

Chu Liuxue said that Tao Mian had left the mountain to find medicine for him and would probably take some time to return. Chu Suiyan looked apologetic, unconsciously clutching the edge of the quilt with both hands.

"I've caused trouble for Master again."

"…"

Chu Liuxue couldn't stand his self-pitying look and threw the freshly washed and dried clothes onto her brother. The clothes scattered, covering his head and face, enveloping the boy completely.

Listening to her brother's muffled cries, watching him fumble to pull the clothes off his head, only to get more tangled, Chu Liuxue stood with her hands on her hips.

"Banknote said, don't overthink it, just rest well. If he finds you weak and thin when he returns, he won't bother with you anymore."

"Huh? Did Master really say that?"

Chu Suiyan feared nothing more than being ignored by the Immortal. He hurriedly pulled his head and face out of the clothes and promised his sister.

"I'll eat well and sleep well."

"You should sleep less."

Mentioning food, Chu Liuxue left the bedroom and soon returned with dinner for the two of them.

She ate quickly, and after finishing her portion, she watched Chu Suiyan closely to ensure he finished his meal.

Chu Suiyan initially ate normally, but midway through, his eyelids drooped, and he lost his energy.

Chu Liuxue squeezed his wrist through his clothes, and the boy shivered, forcing his eyes open to take a few more bites.

Seeing he had eaten enough, Chu Liuxue let him rinse his mouth and wipe his hands before clearing the dishes.

After dinner, it was time to walk the chickens. With Tao Mian gone and Chu Suiyan asleep, the task fell to Chu Liuxue.

With a handful of feed, Chu Liuxue walked around, scattering it as she went, with two roosters pecking behind her.

When she reached the southwest corner of the courtyard, where a crabapple tree was in full bloom, a shadow stood beneath the flowers.

Chu Liuxue showed no sign of alarm or vigilance, as if she hadn't seen anything, and continued her walk with the chickens.

As she passed the crabapple tree, she lowered her eyes and said to the shadow—

"Don't come again; I won't go back with you."