In the first year after Gu Yuan descended the mountain, Tao Mian named it the Year One of Yigou.

That year, the weather was favorable, and the village had a bountiful harvest. Little Girl Wang from Old Wang's family in the west of the village gifted Tao Mian a bag of rice and two baskets of eggs. She asked Tao Mian why Little Taoist Gu hadn't been seen for a while. Tao Mian replied that Little Taoist Gu had eloped with a young girl, taking his burial savings, and that one day he would catch him and subject him to the sect's rules.

Gu Yuan frequently wrote to Tao Mian, saying he couldn't return to the Cyan Vast Sect yet as the time wasn't right, so he had to stay outside, hiding his talents and biding his time. He was diligently practicing two cultivation techniques every day, never slacking off. The Reed Flower Chicken was with him, living a vibrant life, and they had found two little hens.

Tao Mian knew well that Gu Yuan wasn't neglecting his cultivation. Thanks to Gu Yuan, Tao Mian's progress in cultivation techniques was remarkably rapid.

"Having a disciple is indeed good," Tao Mian lazily basked in the sun, holding a piece of paper in one hand and a pen in the other, pondering what to write to his disciple.

"Learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to fall back. Gu Yuan, you must be doubly attentive when practicing your cultivation techniques."

Always stay vigilant.

"And also, remind the Reed Flower Chicken to take care of its health."

***

In the second year of Yigou, the village again had a bountiful harvest. With the protection of Peach Blossom Mountain, this small village always remained peaceful and serene. As usual, Little Girl Wang brought rice and eggs, asking when Little Taoist Gu would return. Tao Mian said Little Taoist Gu was flirting around and was wanted by the six Misses, who wouldn't let him leave until he married. Little Girl Wang laughed and said, "Taoist Tao, you're joking again."

Gu Yuan's letters came slower, and several times the messenger came without a letter for Tao Mian.

As winter approached, on a day when light snow was falling, Tao Mian fetched a pot of wine from the village, intending to warm it up and drink. Just then, the messenger was at the village entrance, shouting, "Taoist Tao, there's a letter for you."

Tao Mian thanked him, took the wine and the letter, and returned to the temple.

Inside the warm room, he rubbed his hands, placed the wine on the small table, and opened the letter first.

The two chickens were fortunate, enjoying the warm room, gathered around Tao Mian's feet.

Tao Mian unfolded the letter.

Gu Yuan's letter was hastily written, the words almost flying off the page. The gist was that he had begun to develop his own forces and made some friends. His first target was Dong Liangjun, one of Li Heshan's trusted aides, who had done many things to harm Gu Yuan's family.

Dong Liangjun was a Golden Elixir stage cultivator, with formidable strength. Gu Yuan had fought him once while masked and was at a disadvantage, nearly losing his life.

He hoped his master would come out of seclusion to help him eliminate the Dong Clan's influence.

Gu Yuan's letter detailed the Dong Clan's usual weapons and cultivation techniques, and how they had harmed his family, killing his aunt and uncle.

Tao Mian read the letter repeatedly, trying to find any mention of how Gu Yuan himself was doing, or how the Reed Flower Chicken was faring.

There was nothing.

He calmly folded the letter back to its original state, opened a small square wooden box, and placed the thick stack of paper inside.

The latest letter was placed on top, smoothed with the back of his hand, then closed tightly and put away.

Tao Mian sat sideways on the couch, with two small dishes and a cup of clear wine on the small table in front of him.

He sprinkled some rice, calling the two chickens over for a meal.

***

The next morning, someone knocked on the door of Peach Blossom Temple. Tao Mian stretched lazily and shuffled in his straw sandals to open it. Outside stood a stranger, a young man.

"I..."

The young man had come on behalf of Gu Yuan to fetch his master.

He had expected to see an old, white-haired Taoist priest and was worried about how to safely escort the old man to Cyan Vast Peak.

Unexpectedly, the person who opened the door was a handsome young man, seemingly just in his early twenties.

He wondered if he had come to the wrong place.

"Uh... Little Taoist Priest, I am Cheng Chi. May I ask where your master, Tao Mian, is?"

Tao Mian glanced at him, bent down to carry the two chickens outside, letting them roam and exercise.

"I am Tao Mian."

"You are... huh?"

Cheng Chi's mouth dropped open, his eyes wide.

No, no, it can't be!

"Little Taoist Priest, forgive my bluntness, but you look younger than Gu Yuan."

"He looks old." Tao Mian's gaze softened slightly as he looked at Cheng Chi.

"You're quite good with words, young man."

Cheng Chi was still in shock, but Tao Mian had already gone back inside to retrieve the luggage he had packed the night before.

And a peach branch he had prepared long ago.

"Let's go, I'll go down the mountain with you."

The two six-hundred-year-old chickens could take care of themselves, and the thousand-year-old flying cockroach didn't need his attention. In the second year of Yigou, Tao Mian left the place he had lived for over a thousand years for the first time.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

He wouldn't return until the peach blossoms bloomed the following year.

Gu Yuan worried that Tao Mian might not take care of himself while traveling, repeatedly reminding Cheng Chi to look after him.

Cheng Chi, however, found that this Taoist Tao wasn't picky at all. He went along with whatever arrangements Cheng Chi made for meals and accommodations and didn't ask about the Cyan Vast Sect or Dong Liangjun, remaining exceptionally calm.

Cheng Chi felt uncertain, as Tao Mian looked too young, and he wondered if his brother had been deceived.

When staying at inns, they usually had two rooms, but occasionally, when rooms were scarce, they shared one. Cheng Chi slept on the floor, while Tao Mian took the bed.

Taoist Tao said he was used to getting up early to meditate, and Cheng Chi said, "You meditate, I won't disturb you."

***

The next morning, Cheng Chi woke up to see Tao Mian sitting cross-legged, eyes closed.

Cheng Chi tiptoed around, trying not to disturb him, but accidentally stubbed his toe on the table leg, twisting in pain.

The commotion woke Tao Mian, who wiped the nonexistent drool from the corner of his mouth, still sleepy.

"Breakfast?"

"......"

That day, Cheng Chi wrote to Gu Yuan, urging him to find another helper quickly, as this young Taoist priest seemed like a fraud.

That night, however, assassins sent by the Dong Clan infiltrated their inn.

The assassins injured several people and broke into the bedroom.

Cheng Chi woke up from his sleep and drew his sword to fight.

But someone was faster!

Amidst the flashing blades and swords, under the moonlight outside the window, the room was suddenly filled with a chilling aura. Cheng Chi counted three intruders.

He wanted to join the fight but feared he might make things worse.

After three consecutive screams, the three intruders, bleeding and severely injured, fled through the window.

The candle in the room was lit by the little Taoist priest, who placed the dry peach branch on the table, revealing a section of the table with drops of fresh blood falling.

Yet the peach wood branch remained unstained by the blood.

"I spared their lives, but they will never be able to practice cultivation again."

Tao Mian said.

"Are you hurt?"

His clothes were clean, his hairpin undisturbed, like a lotus in the mud, untouched by the mundane world.

Cheng Chi looked into his eyes and realized how absurd his initial thought was that Tao Mian was only in his early twenties.

Appearances can remain youthful, but the eyes do not betray the passage of time.

In the days that followed, Cheng Chi clung to Tao Mian, who effortlessly repelled wave after wave of pursuers.

Occasionally, Tao Mian would deliberately sleep, leaving the task to Cheng Chi. At first, Cheng Chi didn't understand, but later he realized that perhaps Tao Mian was intentionally honing his skills.

If Cheng Chi couldn't handle it, Tao Mian would pull out the peach branch from under the covers and swiftly resolve any trouble.

***

Traveling this way, they finally arrived at a villa near Cyan Vast Peak. Gu Yuan, under the alias Ruan Su, was the owner of this villa.

He was slowly building his influence right under Li Heshan's nose.

Tao Mian was secretly brought into the villa, and that night, the lights in the villa owner's study stayed on all night as the master and disciple had a long talk.

The next morning, when Cheng Chi went to knock on the door, it was opened from the inside.

Tao Mian was preparing to leave.

Cheng Chi heard Gu Yuan's voice, saying, "Master, your disciple will surely make a name for himself and repay you a thousandfold."

Cheng Chi saw Tao Mian smile, but he seemed a bit tired. Disciple, Master only wishes for your safety and well-being.

Gu Yuan had been plotting for a long time, and Master Tao Mian was the final piece. With Tao Mian's arrival, all his plans were set in motion.

He strategized and finally faced the enemy.

Dong Liangjun brought twenty Golden Elixir and thirty Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, thinking they were more than enough to deal with the remnants of the old sect leader.

Unexpectedly, a jade-faced Taoist in a cyan robe suddenly appeared, wielding a three-foot peach branch, moving like a dragon, with unpredictable swordplay, cutting through the dozens of cultivators like a hot knife through butter!

Caught off guard, Dong Liangjun was utterly humiliated. The opponent disabled their cultivation techniques but spared their lives, not taking them to the brink of death.

Clutching his chest, coughing up blood, Dong Liangjun hoarsely shouted, "Who are you? Why do you help that little thief?"

The master stood under the moonlight, his tone as calm as smoke.

"I am his master."

The news that the orphan of the old sect leader, Gu Yuan, was reclaiming the sect with the protection of a formidable master spread throughout the sects.

***

With the warmth of spring, Gu Yuan wanted to keep his master for a few more days, but Tao Mian declined.

"The peach blossoms on the mountain have bloomed. Disciple, I must return."

Gu Yuan knew he couldn't keep him, feeling reluctant but pretending to be generous.

"Master, whenever you wish to come out for a walk, I'll send someone to carry you in a sedan chair."

Tao Mian smiled and said:"I straw sandals are humble, unfit for a high sedan chair. Disciple, when you have time, bring the Reed Flower Chicken back to the mountain for a visit."

Tao Mian left just like that, without a trace of wind or cloud, and no one could stop him.

***

Returning to Peach Blossom Mountain, life was unsettled for a while, with people frequently disturbing his peace.

Tao Mian never showed mercy to intruders, but he no longer disabled their cultivation.

He usually beat them black and blue before throwing them out of the courtyard.

Over time, the intruders found it pointless and gradually stopped causing trouble. Occasionally, when Tao Mian wanted someone to drink with, he would drag them out from hiding and force them onto a stone bench.

Pouring wine, sharing a meal.

Later, these people even helped him chop wood and feed the chickens, allowing Tao Mian to enjoy a leisurely life.

Gu Yuan's letters came less frequently each year. The disciple was a busy man, and the Shi Fu understood. Only Little Girl Wang inquired year after year.

Little Girl Wang, who once wore pigtails, had grown into a beautiful young woman, with more and more suitors, yet she waited in vain.

Tao Mian said, "Little Girl Wang, don't wait anymore. Little Taoist Gu has gone chasing the peach blossoms on the horizon."

Little Girl Wang was smart but stubborn. It wasn't until Tao Mian told her not to wait that she shed tears and gave up.

The peach blossoms on Peach Blossom Mountain bloomed and withered, and a few more years passed. Little Girl Wang married and had a daughter, living happily with her husband.

Tao Mian sat on the doorstep, shaking a rattle drum, teasing the toothless child. Little Girl Wang stood by, her temperament softened after becoming a mother, seeing things more clearly.

She asked if Taoist Tao was still waiting.

Tao Mian's expression was distant, unchanged from years ago.

He said, "The mountain is here, and I am here. The mountain and I will not leave. Those who leave are not pursued or awaited, only remembered."

Over the years, Taoist Tao had gone out a few times, each time to help his disciple.

When he left the mountain, Gu Yuan's enemies had to muster all their strength to deal with him.

The Peach Blossom Immortal had never tasted defeat.

The outside world believed that Tao Mian and Gu Yuan shared a deep bond as master and disciple. Gu Yuan's enemies tried every means to sow discord between them, unaware that Tao Mian was uninterested in external conflicts, only cherishing those sixteen years.

Master Tao never interfered with his disciple's decisions, and he didn't even seem like a master. If he wasn't out, he would lie in the courtyard, basking in the sun and napping.

Only once did Tao Mian get angry with Gu Yuan.

Huo Xinglan was Li Heshan's right-hand man, and Gu Yuan asked his master to intervene.

Tao Mian charged into the Huo Family alone, only disabling Huo Xinglan and his sworn younger brother.

He left the Huo Family, taking the two main culprits. But an hour later, Gu Yuan sent another group to annihilate the entire Huo Family.

Upon hearing the news, Tao Mian was furious, pushing open the study door of the villa. Gu Yuan and his trusted subordinates were there, forced to pause their discussion.

Gu Yuan dismissed his subordinates, personally offering Tao Mian a chair and tea.

Tao Mian refused to sit.

He said, "Gu Yuan, when you were young, I took you up the mountain. We watched the peach blossoms bud and the green grass sprout, nurturing your spirit with the essence of nature. Eighteen members of the Huo Family, including children and the elderly. When your swift blade fell, did you consider your master's painstaking efforts?

Why do I meddle in worldly affairs when I leave the mountain? Why do I only disable cultivation techniques without taking lives? Disciple, you seek revenge for your parents and the position of sect leader, and I won't stop you. But Master fears that in fighting demons, you'll become entangled in the mire, ultimately dooming yourself to hell!"

Despite Tao Mian's earnest words, Gu Yuan listened to none of it.

He said, "Master, you are too naive. The Huo Family, cruelty and treachery are written in their blood. If I'm not ruthless today, Master will have to visit my grave tomorrow. Li Heshan treated my Gu family the same way. I was a child in swaddling clothes, and he sent eight waves of pursuers, determined to exterminate us.

Children grow up, learn hatred, and will stop at nothing for revenge. I know this well because I've walked this path."

He said, "Shi Fu, I'm already trapped."

"Where is hell? I look around, and everywhere is hell."

Tao Mian was escorted back to his room by Cheng Chi. In his later years, Cheng Chi recalled that scene as if it were yesterday.

He followed half a step behind Tao Mian, feeling that Tao Mian was like a porcelain vase with ice patterns, the cracks constantly eroding the intact parts, like a spider's web.

The Reed Flower Chicken finally couldn't hold on. Leaving Peach Blossom Mountain, its vitality waned.

As a chicken that lived too long, Tao Mian gave it a grand burial, placing its ashes in a palm-sized box, and left Cyan Vast Peak with it.

The once jovial Taoist Tao suddenly became quiet and withdrawn, speaking only a few words with Little Girl Wang, rarely leaving his door.

Letters from the Cyan Vast Sect ceased to arrive.

***

Five or six years passed, and the long-broken correspondence suddenly resumed, from one letter every six months to every three months, two months, one month... Little Girl Wang heard from a traveling merchant that the Cyan Vast Sect had a new leader, a young man named Gu.

The door of Peach Blossom Temple often opened again.

Tao Mian received the latest letter, where Gu Yuan rambled on about sect affairs. Initially, he mentioned major events like changing hall masters, but now it was all trivial matters like relocating trees at the mountain gate and chickens fighting in the mountain, each topic dragging on.

The ending was always the same—Shi Fu, I've sent someone to bring you here to enjoy a peaceful life.

Tao Mian felt it unnecessary. If the disciple was doing poorly, he would help. If the disciple was doing well, he didn't need to show up. He had been to the Cyan Vast Sect once, with a large crowd in attendance, and he didn't like it.

Time passed day by day, and Little Girl Wang's daughter reached marriageable age. Another letter from the Cyan Vast Sect arrived.

It was still about trivial matters, but the ending was different.

This time, Gu Yuan said, "It would be nice to see Master."

Tao Mian sensed something unusual, feeling a bit flustered. He hurried to the Cyan Vast Sect overnight, without packing anything.

All the way, he thought about the letters over the years.

My peach blossom has died; I don't know how to plant it. When will Master come to take a look?

The fish in the pond were taken by a cat. The cat lingered for a few days, and I couldn't bear to chase it away. Now it has harmed the carp family in the pond. Master, come and see this cat; you always get along well with these furry creatures.

I've been doing good deeds, not blaming Master for being angry at my cruelty in the past.

This morning, a strand of silver hair appeared at my temple. Master, you might still look like you did when I was young. When we meet, don't mistake me.

The peach blossoms have finally bloomed; it would be nice to see Master.

***

The Cyan Vast Sect was in great mourning; Sect Leader Gu Yuan had succumbed to a long illness and ascended to the heavens.

Tao Mian touched the dark coffin, recalling the day he lifted a baby from the bath. The sun was warm, and the mountain sparrows sang in harmony.

He said, "Yigou, let's return to Peach Blossom Mountain."