Chu Liuxue found Tao Mian halfway up the mountain.

She heard noises in the courtyard in the middle of the night and recognized the voice of the Immortal. Just as she was about to lift the covers and go out to greet him, she heard Tao Mian call Lu Yuandi's name.

The Emperor had actually come.

Lu Yuandi, who should have been dealing with the crown prince in the deep palace, appeared on Peach Blossom Mountain. This was not a good sign. Chu Liuxue retracted her leg back onto the bed, covered herself with the blanket, and counted the grids on the mosquito net.

When she thought the time was right, she finally walked out of the house.

With a mindset of giving it a try, she went up the mountain to search for Tao Mian.

There was still about an hour before dawn, and the mountain path was difficult to traverse. Chu Liuxue didn't expect to meet the Immortal smoothly.

But by chance, she really did find Tao Mian.

The Immortal was leaning against a peach tree, his eyes slightly closed, as if he were asleep.

Chu Liuxue approached and checked his breathing.

Alive.

Two people went into the mountain, but only one came out. She knew what had happened.

Sensing another presence, Tao Mian opened his eyes, his vision still somewhat blurry.

"Why are you sleeping here?"

Chu Liuxue squatted down to meet Tao Mian's gaze. The Immortal's eyes were vacant, as if he had suffered a great blow.

The girl sighed.

"If you want to cry, just cry. The cemetery is far from here; neither he nor she can see you."

Tao Mian said nothing.

"You're not made of iron; there's no need to hold it in."

This time, Tao Mian was willing to speak.

"It's embarrassing for a master to cry in front of his disciple."

"...Then I'll turn around and not look at you."

Chu Liuxue did as she said, shifting her squatting position so her back faced Tao Mian.

Tao Mian hugged the tree, first sobbing softly, then wailing loudly.

After a while of crying, Chu Liuxue's legs went numb from squatting. Unable to hold on, she began to console him.

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"You're over a thousand years old; why are you crying like a child?"

"You just said I didn't have to hold it in..."

"A little crying is fine, but if you cry yourself to death, I'll have to bury you."

"…"

A long beam of light appeared on the horizon, and the two tacitly stopped talking, quietly immersed in the dim pre-dawn scenery.

Chu Liuxue plucked a foxtail grass, rubbed its fluffy tip, and then held the root, drawing random lines in the sand.

"You can tell me what's on your mind."

"No, if I talk too much, you'll say I'm nagging."

"Just for today."

Tao Mian opened his mouth but suddenly didn't know where to start. The tree bark was rough against his face, and his clothes were smudged, gray and white, so disheveled.

He pulled a bitter smile.

"It doesn't matter; time heals all wounds."

"You can fool your disciple, but don't fool yourself. If I say the name Gu Yuan now, won't you feel sad?"

Tao Mian started sobbing again, and Chu Liuxue sighed.

"See, there's no need to force yourself to forget. If you're sad, cry. Being able to cry means you're still human."

"It sounds like you're scolding me."

"Don't overthink it; I'm just stating facts. Think about it, at your age, if you really cultivate to become an emotionless old Immortal, how boring would that be? I'd have to run away."

"...At least I still look like I'm in my twenties."

"But your heart is already barren."

The foxtail grass in her hand broke, and Chu Liuxue picked another nice one.

She asked him to tell her the story of the Emperor.

So Tao Mian began to speak, starting from the first time he saw Lu Yuandi, when she was stealing his chickens.

She was forced to stay on the mountain to practice swordsmanship until she left the mountain.

The rest of the story was known to all; she governed diligently, loved the people, and brought peace and prosperity.

In the end, she returned to Peach Blossom Mountain, back to where it all began.

Tao Mian recalled wandering the mountain with Lu Yuandi on his back, and the questions she asked him.

Little Tao, am I a good child?

Yes.

Am I a good disciple?

Yes.

Am I a good Emperor?

Yes.

Lu Yuandi smiled, content.

Great, now I can finally be no one.

Tao Mian talked for a long time until a red sun rose on the horizon. The night faded, and Peach Blossom Mountain was bathed in warm golden light.

The Immortal gazed at the dazzling brilliance, his eyes reflecting a light brown hue.

He stood up, the sound of his sleeves brushing the grass catching the girl's attention.

"Heading back?"

"Yes."

"Not sad anymore?"

"Sad," Tao Mian paused, looking back toward the cemetery, which was also dyed a brilliant red by the morning glow, the two tombstones leaning against each other, "but her return home is a great comfort to me."

After a lifetime, the leaves finally return to their roots.

...

After descending the mountain, Little Tao Immortal showed no trace of the previous day's overwhelming sorrow. He resumed his usual routine, waking up each day to the sound of Chu Suiyan's erratic swordplay and being coerced by Chu Liuxue to have breakfast.

The people from Sky's End Valley still hadn't given up on taking the young Valley Master back. They came in waves, and Tao Mian encountered them a few times.

Each time, he pretended not to see them. It was his disciple's personal matter, not his to meddle in.

He trusted his disciple to handle it properly.

Sure enough, each time Chu Liuxue sent them away without disturbing Tao Mian or mentioning it to him.

Both understood and acted as if nothing had happened.

Only once, when Chu Liuxue was out gathering herbs and Chu Suiyan was off playing somewhere, leaving Tao Mian alone at the Taoist Temple.

The people from Sky's End Valley came, and he ran into them directly.

On the west side of Peach Blossom Temple, there was a small peach grove, where the peaches were sweeter than those in the mountains. Tao Mian, with nothing to do today, took the temple's only remaining yellow chicken for a stroll.

Not long after Lu Yuandi passed away, Wu Changzai couldn't hold on either.

The yellow chicken was a proud rooster, strutting with arrogance. It couldn't be tied with a rope, so Tao Mian had to respectfully invite it out.

In the peach grove, he scattered some feed and nimbly climbed a tree.

Su Tianhe came to find the young Valley Master but didn't see anyone and was quite annoyed. He had been ordered by his father to find the young Valley Master or not return home. Su Tianhe had tried more than once to persuade his father to give up. That little girl wasn't interested in this; there was no need to force it. Dad, you're just old-fashioned. If it doesn't work out, why don't you take the position yourself?

Then his father swept him out of the house with a broom.

Sulking, Su Tianhe came to the mortal world and wasn't in a hurry to travel. He wandered around for many days before leisurely arriving here, coincidentally when Chu Liuxue wasn't at the Taoist Temple.

He thought it was just as well, treating it as a sightseeing trip.

By chance, he entered the peach grove and saw a plump rooster pecking around.

He frowned, looked around, and saw no one.

Su Tianhe took a couple of steps forward, intending to see if the chicken had become a spirit.

A peach hit the back of his head.

This pink peach was quite hard, though it was red. It made him grimace in pain, and he looked up to find the culprit.

A soft sleeve brushed over Su Tianhe's head, and he saw an Immortal in a sky-blue outer robe sitting leisurely on a sturdy branch, smiling at him.

The Immortal had an ethereal appearance and an extraordinary aura. His outer robe was tied with a knot, holding five or six peaches, casual and relaxed.

He held the peaches tightly in his arms and extended a hand to Su Tianhe.

"My fruit fell; could you please hand it to me?"

Su Tianhe was momentarily stunned, the peach in his hand soft and fuzzy. The yellow chicken was pecking at the feed, and as it pecked, it nipped at his long boot twice.

He thought, so there really are Immortals in this world, not just in books or paintings, but right in front of him, reflected in his eyes.