"My third disciple is skilled in using poison."

Tao Mian reached out, intending to trouble the young woman to refill his wine.

However, she misunderstood, thinking the Immortal was inviting her to taste it, and leaned in to take a sip.

"……"

The Immortal's arm made a circle in mid-air, silently bypassing her and retracting.

He composed himself and continued the previous topic.

"My third disciple's talent in cultivation isn't particularly high, but she has a fondness for that small patch of herbs in the courtyard. She plants them herself, goes up the mountain to gather more, and can recognize even the rarest species. In this regard, I am far inferior to her."

The young woman, unable to taste the immortal brew, pouted with her cheeks in her hands. But as she listened to Tao Mian's story, she became entranced.

"I should have realized sooner... If she can identify good herbs, how could she not recognize poison?"

That night, the person Chu Liuxue intended to meet was none other than Tan Fang.

These former siblings hadn't seen each other for many years, both having shed their youthful innocence. Seeing each other again, they might even feel like strangers.

But Chu Liuxue didn't give this opportunity. She transformed into Tao Mian's likeness and invited Tan Fang for a night stroll.

The "Six Transformations of the Sky's End" has six forms. Those who master this technique can transform objects, plants, insects, birds, create clones, and perform Dream Prayer.

While in the mountains, Tan Fang never learned the last form, whereas Chu Liuxue only mastered the last one.

She had become so adept at transforming into her master's appearance that it was indistinguishable from the real thing.

No matter how many years passed, Tan Fang could never refuse an invitation from Tao Mian. So when the master sent a message the night before, Tan Fang waited in the agreed courtyard the following evening.

This courtyard was part of a villa Tan Fang owned in the Demonic Realm, used for leisure during the summer, and he rarely visited.

He had prepared fine wine and snacks, sitting quietly as he awaited Tao Mian's arrival.

Chu Liuxue climbed over the wall.

In line with the Immortal's character, if one could climb a wall, they would never use the door.

It had always been this way.

As she landed, she accidentally stepped on a rose by the wall. Looking up, Tan Fang, who should have been sitting by the jade table, appeared in front of her.

Chu Liuxue was momentarily stunned.

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She almost didn't recognize him.

Tan Fang had grown more handsome and rugged since his youth, his features more defined, his eyes deeper, with stars hidden within.

He had grown taller, standing straight and proud. If she were in her own body, she would have to look up to speak to him.

"Master? Why so silent?"

Tan Fang's gentle call pulled Chu Liuxue out of her thoughts.

She blinked and replied in Tao Mian's tone.

"The demonic aura here is overwhelming. It wasn't easy coming here. I'm feeling a bit nauseous."

Tan Fang hurriedly invited his master to sit.

"Master, please sit. I've prepared some refreshing wine for you to try."

Chu Liuxue followed him and sat down as he suggested.

The wine cups on the table were still placed together. Her fingers casually brushed the rims of both cups before choosing the one closer to her.

Tan Fang noticed nothing, naturally taking the other cup.

Under the moonlight, they clinked glasses and drank.

The sound of swallowing reached Chu Liuxue's ears, and she knew she had achieved her goal for the night.

The rest was simply to relax and chat with an old acquaintance.

Tan Fang had always been a chatterbox in front of his master, except for that one time; he never struggled to find topics to talk about.

The topics were mostly old stories from Peach Blossom Mountain. He knew Tao Mian wouldn't enjoy hearing about the years of conflict between him and his sister, so he deliberately avoided that period.

Coincidentally, Chu Liuxue didn't like hearing about it either.

Perhaps because she was disguised as her master, her long-time enemy didn't seem so detestable anymore. Chu Liuxue listened to Tan Fang, knowing that if it were her master, he wouldn't interrupt either.

Tan Fang seemed to pour out years of loneliness and solitude all at once.

He said the flowers in this villa were planted to resemble those on Peach Blossom Mountain. Whatever was in the mountain, he planted here. Unfortunately, the demonic aura made it difficult for plants to survive, requiring much effort to keep them alive.

Perhaps he was just clumsy, lacking talent in this area. The master and Liuxue were adept at tending to these delicate things, making everything thrive under their care.

One day, he saw the villa's steward's child playing in the courtyard. The child rolled up his clothes, shook the tree trunk, and then used his clothes to catch the falling flowers. He caught a handful and threw them into the air, laughing and trying to catch them again.

The steward stood nearby, pale with fright, about to intervene, but Tan Fang shook his head, signaling him to stay silent.

Then he stood in an inconspicuous corner, watching the child play all afternoon.

He remembered his days in the mountains. The first day he learned to climb trees, he wanted to climb every tree on the mountain. Liuxue was initially reluctant to follow him, but Tao Mian had instructed her to keep an eye on her brother.

Liuxue asked the master if her brother accidentally fell and died, could they bury him on the spot?

Tao Mian replied, not on the spot; there was a special place on the mountain for burying disciples. During Qingming, one broom would sweep from start to finish, convenient.

When Chu Suiyan heard his sister mimic these words, he immediately climbed down from the tree without hesitation.

But as he descended, he slipped, falling with a scream.

Instead of the expected pain, Chu Liuxue caught him.

Get up, you're not a three-year-old anymore, you're heavy.

At that time, Chu Liuxue's hands and arms were trembling uncontrollably, yet she held her brother tightly, pretending nothing was wrong as she spoke to him.

"Liuxue's arms couldn't move freely for seven days; I still remember... I always remembered."

Tan Fang set down his wine cup, his face smiling, filled with nostalgia and reminiscence.

His eyes fixed on the person opposite, and Chu Liuxue understood.

His recollection wasn't for the master; it was clearly for her.

"When did you realize?"

She asked in her own voice.

"From the beginning."

Tan Fang truthfully said, from the moment Chu Liuxue climbed over the wall, he knew her true identity.

"Because in the mountains, whenever I begged you to teach me 'Dream Prayer,' you would always transform into the master's likeness."

Tan Fang was familiar with Chu Liuxue, familiar with Tao Mian, and familiar with Chu Liuxue disguised as Tao Mian.

But he never told Chu Liuxue directly. This way, every time she transformed into the master to trick him, she felt a sense of accomplishment.

"You poisoned me, didn't you?"

Tan Fang no longer looked at the person opposite, slightly lowering his head, the smile on his lips unchanged, his fingers gently caressing the rim of the wine cup.

"It's useless, Liuxue. I know you're skilled with poison, so I was prepared."

Chu Liuxue looked at Tan Fang. They always had one watching while the other looked away. She didn't know when it started to be like this.

She said, it's useful.

"The poison didn't start today."

It began long ago.

----Manual Divider----

Tomorrow will likely be the last chapter of this part, and then the stories of the disciples mentioned in the introduction will conclude, leading to new stories.

Initially, the plan was to narrate the first three disciples' stories quickly, similar to Gu Yuan's style, and then adjust the pace for the stories after Liuxue, ending this opening part in about 20 chapters.

But as everyone can see, 50 chapters have passed, which is beyond my imagination.

The word count inflation also turned what was supposed to be a triple deadly strike into a continuous deadly strike.

Thank you all for sticking with it until now; your support is much appreciated!

Liuxue and Suiyan's story is about to end, though it might not be in just two chapters, maybe three, but it won't be rushed.

Each chapter is planned with the ending in mind before starting, meaning the build-up is for the disciples' endings, and a rushed ending would be meaningless.

The fifth disciple has already appeared, as you might have noticed. The fifth disciple is a cute and interesting person, and this part of the story will be more relaxed and light-hearted, so don't miss the upcoming parts~

Of course, the sixth disciple is a bit annoying, so I'm bracing myself for criticism in advance.

That's all for now, thank you all for following, commenting, and supporting. I'm confident I can write this well, let's keep going!