The name Shen Bozhou had once appeared in Tao Mian's life, only to dissipate like ripples in water.

Even though it was brief, Shen Bozhou left no good impression on Tao Mian.

Immortals have good memories, but they choose to forget certain unpleasant people.

So when this name suddenly exploded in his ears, Tao Mian was momentarily stunned.

"What's wrong, Little Tao?" Rong Zheng, who was leading the way, was perceptive. She noticed the footsteps behind her falter. "Is something off?"

Tao Mian didn't hide anything from his disciple.

"I've met Shen Bozhou once."

"Shen Bozhou... that name sounds familiar," Rong Zheng frowned, trying to recall. The names she remembered were usually her assassination targets. "Ah, I remember. I met his brother, Shen Qinglin. He's a good man, though I was supposed to kill him at the time."

"...Did you fail the mission?"

"The assassination order was overridden. Someone paid a higher price to spare Shen Qinglin's life," Rong Zheng tightened her sleeves and pant legs before leaving the private room, preparing for any potential fight. "The Floating Pavilion and the Illusionary Truth Pavilion have nothing to do with each other, so I was uneasy about killing the young Shi Fu of the Illusionary Truth Pavilion. Luckily, things changed later."

She handed Tao Mian a blue embroidered sachet, asking him to replace the one that had lost its scent.

"We follow the money, not the people. Overriding an assassination order costs... a lot of money. I was worried about how to kill him without leaving a trace when Du Hong's new order came through. Then, the matter was dropped."

Rong Zheng briefly explained her slight connection with Shen Bozhou, or rather, Shen Qinglin.

She asked Tao Mian how he got involved with people from the Illusionary Truth Pavilion.

"It was just by chance. That time Xue Han took me to the Thousand Lantern Tower, and I met him."

"Judging by your expression, it seems it wasn't a pleasant encounter."

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

"…"

Seeing Tao Mian turn his face away, Rong Zheng teased, "Little Tao really wears his heart on his sleeve."

She went on to say that disliking Shen Bozhou was normal; his reputation in the Demonic Realm was quite bad.

"The Illusionary Truth Pavilion's Shi Fu Shen has two sons. The younger one was found later, and no one knows who his mother is. People outside mock him as a bastard conceived through trickery. Hmm? This sounds a bit like someone else's experience..."

As she spoke, Rong Zheng couldn't help but think of Du Hong, who had a similarly twisted personality.

See, the impact of an unfortunate family on a child's growth is significant.

But she, too, lost her parents young, yet she grew up lively, cheerful, generous, and utterly adorable.

It seems this depends on the person; you can't blame the environment entirely for a crooked tree.

"Shen Bozhou changed his surname after being brought back to the Illusionary Truth Pavilion, becoming a young Shi Fu of the Shen family. His only brother, Shen Qinglin, was trained by the old pavilion Shi Fu as a successor. It was a foregone conclusion who would inherit the pavilion."

"But unlike Du Hong, Shen Bozhou listens to reason. He seems resigned to his fate, content to be a playboy, indulging in pleasures without competing with his brother."

"Yet, even as a playboy, he's not well-behaved, causing trouble everywhere, leaving his brother to clean up his messes. Once, to cure a pretty girl, he disturbed the ancestral altar of the Lu Shu clan. The clan leader woke up to find their ancestor gone, and his roar nearly brought down the Illusionary Truth Pavilion."

Rong Zheng was truly unstoppable when gossiping.

Tao Mian listened with great interest, thinking he was merely hearing tales of outsiders, not realizing how it might relate to him.

"What kind of chosen brother is Shen Qinglin? Shen Bozhou causes such a ruckus, yet he tolerates him? They don't seem like particularly close brothers, do they?"

"Who knows? The rumors get more outrageous, with some saying Shen Qinglin and Shen Bozhou aren't brothers but father and son. Shen Qinglin had a prior engagement, which forced Shen Bozhou's mother to her death. Out of guilt, he brought Shen Bozhou to the Illusionary Truth Pavilion. His noble father couldn't allow his virtuous son to have such a stain, so he reluctantly played the father role again."

Tao Mian was confused by the tangled father-son relationships. No matter how he thought about it, the idea of Shen Qinglin and Shen Bozhou being father and son seemed too far-fetched.

He preferred to believe Shen Qinglin was a steadfast good man from the Demonic Realm, trying to reform his rebellious brother.

Enough idle chatter, Rong Zheng planned to leave with Tao Mian. Before completely leaving the private room, perhaps out of instinct, Rong Zheng blurted out—

"By the way, Little Tao, you said you had an encounter with Shen Bozhou, but it's best not to have any further dealings with him."

"Why is that?"

"Well... it's just hearsay. He's quite mad. No matter how good you are to him, he might turn on you."

Tao Mian vaguely remembered Xue Han also calling Shen Bozhou a mad dog. He thought he wouldn't have any more stories with Shen Bozhou, but he patiently accepted his disciple's advice.

"Alright."

Neither of them took this small episode seriously and continued with their mission.

They were heading to the attic of the Mist Tower.

The highest point of the Mist Tower was a small attic, inconspicuous, usually sealed with three locks.

Guests and the tower's singers and dancers were not allowed near it.

Outsiders didn't know, but Rong Zheng was well aware. This attic was used for discussions between Du Hong and the owner of the Mist Tower, the fox demon they had met downstairs.

Relying on this place's secrecy, many rare treasures were stored inside.

The Jade-Hiding Altar was one of them.

Tao Mian had previously asked Rong Zheng if the Jade-Hiding Altar was named for hiding priceless jade.

At that time, Rong Zheng was silent for a moment, then shook her head.

She said the value of the Jade-Hiding Altar lay in its body. It was crafted from special jade, infused with the craftsmanship of a century-old Shi Fu. Anything sealed within would remain uncorrupted for a thousand years, forever retaining its original form.

"It just sounds like a well-sealed jar. Why go to such lengths to retrieve it? I thought you never wanted to set foot in the Mist Tower."

When asked, Rong Zheng sighed.

She said she indeed didn't want any entanglements with the Mist Tower or the Floating Pavilion, but what was sealed in the Jade-Hiding Altar was very important.

Because it contained her Shi Fu's ashes.