"Who might you two be..."

Though the steward was puzzled, his expression remained warm and welcoming as he proactively inquired about the identities of the two unfamiliar visitors.

Tao Mian took out a letter from his pocket.

Upon seeing Xue Han's private seal, the steward's demeanor became serious, indicating he had guessed their background.

After carefully reading the letter, he folded the paper neatly and returned it to Tao Mian with both hands.

"So, you are the esteemed guests invited by Shopkeeper Xue. My apologies for the oversight. Please, follow me into the manor for a brief rest. The manor's owner will be here shortly."

The steward's attitude was extremely respectful, suggesting that the Xue residence and the manor's owner shared a close relationship.

Tao Mian nodded and said, "Thank you, steward," as he prepared to lead his disciple inside. Just then, the sound of a sedan chair being set down came from behind.

More guests?

The steward remained composed, first instructing the manor's servants to guide Tao Mian inside before attending to the new arrivals.

Judging by his expression, it seemed these new guests were the ones he had truly been waiting for.

Curious, Tao Mian felt the urge to turn back and take a look.

But a hand tugged gently at his sleeve, pulling him down.

It was Rong Zheng.

For some reason, the Fifth Disciple looked flustered, her face pale, as she kept squeezing against him, as if trying to hide herself.

"Little Tao, let's go inside quickly..."

Tao Mian glanced at his disciple, asked nothing, and turned to the waiting servant, whispering, "My disciple is unwell. Please take us to the guest room as soon as possible."

The servant bowed slightly, extended his arm, and pointed down a path, inviting them to follow.

Rong Zheng walked close to the wall, afraid of being seen by the guests outside.

Tao Mian was puzzled, and just then, he heard the steward outside say—

"Pavilion Master Du, you must be tired from the journey."

Pavilion Master Du...

Du Hong?

Tao Mian was a bit surprised.

So, the owner of Phoenix Rest Manor had dealings with the Floating Pavilion?

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

This was something Tao Mian hadn't anticipated, and he guessed Xue Han wasn't aware either. However, Tao Mian thought, given the manor's size, it was unlikely that the two parties were here for the same reason, and the chances of meeting were slim.

He was about to comfort his disciple, telling her not to worry, and that if worst came to worst, he could help her disguise herself.

Then he heard the steward say—

"Valley Master Su, you've come as well."

...

Su Tianhe!

This time, it was Tao Mian's turn to change his expression. He cursed silently, and hurried along with his disciple.

Why is he here?

Su Tianhe was a name Tao Mian never wanted to mention.

The deaths of his Third and Fourth Disciples were directly or indirectly related to him.

Yet, Liu Xue had not expressed hatred towards him in her letter, and had even entrusted Sky's End Valley to him, leaving Tao Mian with no grounds to act against him.

After all, Sky's End Valley was one of Liu Xue's legacies, and Tao Mian was reluctant to see it destroyed by outsiders.

As for Su Tianhe, Tao Mian didn't even want to recall him, hoping never to meet him in this lifetime.

This man was inscrutable to Tao Mian, too adept at disguising his intentions, and overly ambitious.

Tao Mian could never have imagined that a chance encounter would lead to the current situation.

Back then, he had regarded him as a guest who had wandered into Peach Blossom Mountain, sharing freshly picked immortal peaches with him.

If only he had known, he wouldn't have shared the peaches, but instead driven him down the mountain.

Tao Mian thought indignantly.

The conversation outside grew fainter, and soon, the servant led the two guests to their respective rooms.

Tao Mian briefly inspected the room's furnishings, finding no issues, then went next door and gently knocked on his disciple's door.

Rong Zheng's earlier state was concerning.

A voice responded from inside, and soon, the door opened from within.

The Fifth Disciple had composed herself, regaining her usual energy, and greeted Tao Mian warmly.

But the immortal was perceptive, immediately noticing her forced demeanor.

"May I come in?"

Rong Zheng stepped aside, allowing her master to enter. Tao Mian's sharp eyes caught sight of deep bite marks on his disciple's palm, likely self-inflicted in an attempt to control her emotions, and still not healed.

It seemed that Pavilion Master Du had left a significant psychological shadow on Little Hua.

Tao Mian sighed inwardly.

He thought to himself, how could a killer be so cheerful and outgoing?

It didn't match the reading experience from his past life at all.

Tao Mian found a spot to sit casually and gestured for the distracted Rong Zheng to sit across from him.

He spoke with heartfelt honesty.

"You know, we're genuine frauds."

"...?"

"I've never dealt with exorcising ghosts in my thousand-plus years of life. Peach Blossom Mountain never required me to have such skills. But now that we're here, they certainly won't let us leave easily."

"So... what do we do?"

"I've thought it through," Tao Mian explained his plan to his disciple in a serious tone reserved for important matters. "Tonight, if we can catch the ghost, we will. If not, we'll climb over the wall and escape."

"..."

What a brilliant lousy idea. Rong Zheng was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure how to respond without making their conversation seem absurd.

Tao Mian noticed her disdain and was displeased.

"What, do you underestimate your master's wall-climbing skills? Young people shouldn't be too arrogant. One day you'll understand: it's better to live long than to fight well, and it's better to escape quickly than to have deep skills."

"I believe you, Master. Please, spare me your twisted logic."

"This is the essence distilled from years of experience."

Tao Mian continued spinning his tales with relish, feeling thirsty, and poured himself a cup of tea.

During this time, Rong Zheng didn't miss a single expression on his face.

She realized she had lost her composure earlier. As long as that person existed, even without speaking, it felt like her heart was being crushed.

She had nowhere to escape and, in desperation, sought help from the immortal she had known for less than three days.

The immortal pointed her in a direction without asking anything.

Rong Zheng could hardly believe such fortunate things existed in the world.

"Little Tao, you..." She hesitated, finally voicing her thoughts, "Are you really not going to ask? Earlier, I..."

Tao Mian quietly observed his disciple.

"It's not that I don't want to ask," he said, "I was just so engrossed in sharing my life philosophy that I forgot."

Then he leaned in.

"Can you tell me now? I'd like to hear."

"…"

Rong Zheng suppressed the inexplicable anger rising within her. Now she understood why Tao Mian's friend always seemed to have a bad temper.

The immortal indeed had a knack for being infuriating.

Seeing his disciple not respond for a long time, the immortal clicked his tongue in disdain.

"If you don't want to talk, forget it. I've lived long enough, and I'm never short of stories."

"Actually, I—"

Rong Zheng began, and Tao Mian leaned in again.

"Didn't you say you didn't want to listen?"

"Listening won't hurt. But you don't have to speak."

Back and forth, Rong Zheng felt a bit helpless.

The immortal was irritating, but her previous complex and gloomy emotions had dissipated.

"Never mind, let's talk about your ridiculous plan first."

"How can you call it ridiculous? It's the most practical..."

As the master and disciple chatted, Tao Mian grew thirsty and wanted to pour water. At that moment, a hand reached over and poured tea for him.

Tao Mian thought it was his disciple finally showing filial piety, but when he looked up, he saw Rong Zheng across from him eating, holding a piece of tea cake in each hand.

...

Whose hand was that just now?

While still puzzled, suddenly, there was a knock on the door from outside.

It was the servant from earlier.

"Honored guests, my master requests your presence."