Du Hong's whereabouts were unknown, and he hadn't shown up recently. Peach Blossom Mountain was no longer as peaceful as it used to be, with various groups causing disturbances.

Tao Mian had enjoyed a period of tranquility, no longer needing to deal with external disruptions. He spent his days tending to the flowers and plants in the courtyard, picking fruits in the back mountain, sipping tea for health, and watching the daily afternoon show—Little Hua chasing the chicken.

Time drifted by like the floating clouds in the sky.

The yellow chicken had completely fallen out with Rong Zheng and was very unfriendly towards the Immortal's fifth disciple. Whenever it saw her, it would twist its body and walk away, head held high, without looking back. As for Rong Zheng, she found endless joy in catching the chicken.

She was skilled, capturing the yellow chicken seven times and releasing it seven times.

Catch and release, release and catch, over and over. The yellow chicken, an old bird over a hundred years old, was on the verge of developing a psychological disorder. Every time it heard Rong Zheng's footsteps, it would fly to the rooftop.

It just goes to show, unless pushed, one never knows the potential of a chicken.

Noble Consort Xin had become more composed recently, and had grown larger. Once about the same size as the yellow chicken, or even smaller, now they were worlds apart.

To Tao Mian, this was a good sign.

The legendary phoenix was said to be thousands of miles long, soaring high and blocking out the sun. Its cry was said to pierce the clouds and shatter the skies.

Thousands of miles was obviously an exaggeration, but Tao Mian had seen its true form, which was like a small mountain.

That was when its power was at its weakest.

Now, under the nourishment of Peach Blossom Mountain's land and water, Noble Consort Xin's feathers were once again lush, and it had gained weight. Although it deliberately shrank its form, insisting on disguising itself as a hen, the disguise was becoming increasingly ineffective.

No chicken stands as tall as a house.

To make it easier for it to move around, Tao Mian had built another fence outside the courtyard wall. It wasn't that he wanted to go to such lengths, but Noble Consort Xin was attached to home and didn't like roaming the mountains, so the Immortal had to settle it this way.

Even though there was a courtyard wall between them, they were neighbors of sorts. Every day, the courtyard was noisy, and outside, Noble Consort Xin would stand on tiptoe, resting its head on the rooftop, watching the Immortal sip tea and Little Hua chase the chicken.

The most troubled in the household now was the yellow chicken.

The Immortal always had his hands in his pockets, indifferent. The Immortal's disciple was like a reincarnated hungry ghost, constantly chasing after it, baring her teeth and claws. Its only "kindred spirit" had now grown huge, like a giant monster, its head looming over the fence, instilling a sense of fear.

The yellow chicken was truly distressed.

For a while, it went on a hunger strike in protest, refusing food and water, and lost a lot of weight. Only then did Tao Mian's conscience kick in, and he scolded his mischievous disciple a couple of times, then went outside the courtyard to ask Noble Consort Xin not to exert peer pressure on the yellow chicken.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"The yellow chicken is a chicken, and you are a phoenix. Chickens have their own lives, and phoenixes have theirs. Chickens don't care about anything beyond their meals, and phoenixes shouldn't flaunt their height in front of them."

Noble Consort Xin listened, feeling aggrieved, trying to make itself as small as possible, tucking its feet under its wings, looking pitiful.

Tao Mian's heart softened again, and he couldn't continue his reprimand, so he patted its neck.

"Alright, it's my fault, I spoke too harshly. The trees on the mountain are bearing fruit; don't you like eating fruit? I'll take you to pick some."

Although Noble Consort Xin didn't like roaming, it enjoyed Tao Mian taking it for walks. As soon as it heard about going for a stroll, its eyes lit up, and it stood up again.

Tao Mian opened the small gate in the fence to let Noble Consort Xin out.

After some time, Noble Consort Xin had grown even larger, and the small gate was no longer wide enough. Tao Mian thought to himself that he should pick an auspicious day to make some modifications.

Keeping this in mind, Tao Mian raised his head and called into the courtyard.

"Little Hua, I'm going for a walk with Noble Consort Xin, want to join?"

Rong Zheng's voice echoed faintly, probably from the kitchen.

Accompanied by a few weak chicken clucks.

"A walk? I'm in, wait for me, Little Tao!"

Soon, as expected, Tao Mian saw the fifth disciple Rong Zheng, along with the yellow chicken she was holding.

An Immortal, a demon, a chicken, and a phoenix, four entirely different beings, went for a scattered walk.

The air was clear, and the mountains shared the same hue.

On the way, Rong Zheng casually plucked a blade of grass, enjoying destroying flowers and plants like her master. She held the leaf in her mouth and hummed a familiar tune.

Tao Mian recognized it as a nursery rhyme from Peach Blossom Mountain. He hadn't taught her, so she must have learned it from the children in the village.

Peach blossoms red, willow leaves green.

Carp leap ashore, spring waters crash.

Rong Zheng only sang these two lines, saying the rest was too sad, and she didn't want to learn it.

The first part was better.

Tao Mian also reached out, brushing past branch after branch of flowers. The mountain flowers, blessed with fertile soil and clear springs, nourished by the Immortal's spiritual energy, would bloom even more profusely next year, weighing down the branches.

The Immortal walking among them withdrew his slender hand. He suddenly realized he had never asked Rong Zheng a certain question.

"Little Hua, what kind of demon are you?"

Tao Mian's question was abrupt, catching Rong Zheng off guard.

"Huh? Little Tao, haven't you seen my true form?"

"…It seems we've never discussed this."

"Then let me show you!"

The disciple's response was enthusiastic, with no hesitation, ready to reveal at a moment's notice.

Tao Mian stood still, turning halfway to face his fifth disciple.

Rong Zheng casually formed a seal, chanting softly.

A demonic wind rose from the ground, swirling sand and dust, engulfing the girl's graceful figure.

The outline of the sand grew larger, towering higher, even surpassing the nearby peach trees.

The peach tree branches swayed in the wind, and the birds in the forest flew away in fright.

Tao Mian, with his face full of sand, looked up expressionlessly as the sand shadow grew to the height of two trees before slowly subsiding.

When the dust settled, a fiery red beast appeared before Tao Mian.

It resembled a red leopard, with five tails and a single horn. Its roar was like striking stone, crisp and deafening.

Ancient texts recorded this as a creature known as a "Zheng."

The one before Tao Mian could even speak human language, using the voice of his disciple.

"Little Tao," its voice was still a clear female tone, "how's my true form? Isn't it impressive and majestic? Does it make your heart skip a beat?

Oh, should I just stay in the mountains like this? I can run fast and eat a lot. The yellow chicken would surely be mine."

The yellow chicken, suddenly mentioned, shivered behind Tao Mian, while the phoenix, as a divine beast, looked down on the demon before it.

And Tao Mian, with a cold, expressionless face, delivered a brutally honest remark—

"Change back."

"Why?"

"Too ugly."

"…"

The reverted Rong Zheng was so angry she didn't speak to him for two hours.

When it was time for dinner, she couldn't maintain her aloof demeanor and initiated a conversation with Tao Mian.

"Little Tao, you only take disciples based on looks. If they're not good-looking, you won't accept them. You're such a shallow Immortal, focusing on appearances and ignoring inner beauty. You'll regret it."

"Don't talk nonsense," Tao Mian picked up a fennel bean, "who said I only look at appearances? I only take disciples with tragic backgrounds. If they're not tragic, I won't take them. Of course, being good-looking is a bonus."

"…"

Such ordinary yet comfortable days passed by, with the Immortal, demon, chicken, and phoenix coexisting in harmony.

During this time, Rong Zheng secretly went out several times, and Tao Mian didn't question her. But he could guess that his disciple was likely investigating the Bone-Illuminating Mirror.

Once, Rong Zheng casually mentioned the Floating Pavilion while they were drinking tea under a tree. She said she heard from others that Du Hong seemed to be preparing for a minor tribulation this year and was being very cautious. So he hadn't shown up at the pavilion for a long time, handling matters through his trusted aides.

Also, the owner of the Hibiscus Mansion had passed away, apparently due to long-term melancholy and an incurable heart ailment.

Du Hong gave her a grand funeral but didn't attend.

The fragrance faded, and the hibiscus in the mansion withered overnight.

Whenever Rong Zheng brought up these matters, Tao Mian would listen patiently, rarely interrupting or commenting.

His disciple just needed someone to talk to, and once she had said enough, she would naturally let it go.

About two months later, the fifth disciple was still secretly traveling between the Demonic Realm and Peach Blossom Mountain, and the Immortal continued to pretend he was unaware.

Until this time, Rong Zheng brought back a new piece of news.

She said there was a lead on the Bone-Illuminating Mirror.