The Bone-Illuminating Mirror can reveal the skeletal and meridian structure of the entire body. It was crafted by a medical immortal a hundred years ago, passed down through three generations before being lost. Thirty years ago, it was accidentally acquired by the Floating Pavilion, only to be lost again.

The latest news is that it was obtained by the Thousand Lantern Tower through some channels, but it's unclear when it will be put up for auction.

Tao Mian had originally asked Xue Han to keep an eye out for any news and report back promptly. Xue Han sent him a letter with just two words—"Not helping."

The moment Tao Mian saw the letter, he felt reassured.

If Xue Han bothered to reply, it meant he had agreed. What the letter actually said was unimportant.

He didn't even open the letter; it was Little Hua who opened it while tidying up some days later.

Shopkeeper Xue had yet to respond, and Tao Mian wasn't in a hurry. He figured the Thousand Lantern Tower was holding onto the treasure, waiting for the right moment to auction it.

Rong Zheng wasn't pushing either, but she was secretly very concerned and never gave up on finding its whereabouts.

The Shi Fu and disciple sat facing each other, with a round table made from a cross-section of a thousand-year-old cedar between them. The grain was clear, with rings spreading like ripples.

This was a gift from Ah Jiu to Tao Mian not long ago.

Although immortals rarely walk in the mortal world, two close friends often thought of him, sending small trinkets every now and then.

Xue Han liked to send valuable and rare gifts, ones that wouldn't be duplicated for eight hundred years.

Ah Jiu preferred to make things himself—a wooden table, a few sets of tea utensils... he even sent a thin jade dragon once.

This thin jade dragon was a type of wind chime, made from long jade pieces carved into dragon shapes, hanging under the eaves. When the wind blew, they tinkled melodiously.

Tao Mian was very fond of it. Even when there was no wind, he liked to lift it and play with it, just to hear the crisp sounds.

Tao Mian dedicated a room to store the gifts from his two friends, regularly cleaning and airing it out. Some treasures were quite delicate and required careful attention, but he never found it bothersome.

In return, Tao Mian occasionally sent them things—a pot of homemade wine, talismans for safety, baskets of fresh mountain fruits. Sometimes he wanted to send something valuable but couldn't think of anything.

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When he wrote to ask Xue Han and Ah Jiu what they wanted, they both replied that they wanted Tao Mian to send a branch of mountain flowers.

In the mountains, there's nothing to give, so a branch of spring is a token.

A flower picked by someone cherished is, of course, an invaluable treasure in this world.

Back to the point, Rong Zheng took the initiative to talk to Tao Mian about the Bone-Illuminating Mirror.

Tao Mian rolled up his sleeve with one hand, using his right thumb to press the lid of the purple clay teapot. With a slight inward tilt of the wrist, the green tea swirled into the cup. Tea leaves, like lively fish, slipped from the spout into the cup, creating ripples.

Rong Zheng sat opposite, resting her chin in her hands, elbows on her knees, swaying slightly as she enjoyed the pleasing sight of the immortal pouring tea.

After spending a long time together, she discovered that Tao Mian was extremely meticulous in some areas while completely careless in others.

He loved tea and had collected several cabinets full of tea utensils—purple clay, porcelain, jade, gilded silver. The porcelain was further divided into sky blue glaze, celadon glaze, crabapple red... a dazzling array. There were cups, bowls, and saucers of various shapes and sizes for serving tea.

Of course, Tao Mian also had many tea utensils made from stone, bamboo, and wood—ordinary materials he often gathered and crafted himself in the mountains.

Occasionally, he would buy some from villagers. They would buy them as family heirlooms, only to find out they were fakes. Tao Mian would purchase them at a high price without revealing the truth.

Besides the tea, the wooden table held two dishes of light stir-fry and a few pieces of soft pastries. Rong Zheng picked up her chopsticks to grab some stir-fried beans and put them in her mouth to chew.

At this moment, Tao Mian finally completed his complex tea-drinking ritual.

"You said the Bone-Illuminating Mirror was stolen? How could that be..."

"It's true," Rong Zheng said, stacking the beans on her rice and taking a big bite, "I asked several reliable people. They said the Thousand Lantern Tower hasn't put the Bone-Illuminating Mirror up for auction because it was stolen."

"Stolen... why not search for it?"

"They are looking for it. But the Bone-Illuminating Mirror isn't considered a rare treasure that many covet, so the people at the Thousand Lantern Tower probably aren't in a hurry."

"What if they can't find it?"

"Probably nothing will happen. It's said the Bone-Illuminating Mirror was 'tricked' from an old beggar and didn't cost much."

Tao Mian paused, chopsticks in hand.

"Let's catch that thief."

"And then?"

"We'll snatch the Bone-Illuminating Mirror from him, use it, and then return it."

"…That sounds reasonable, but isn't it a bit off?"

"After returning it, we'll report the thief to the Thousand Lantern Tower and give them his name."

"…"

"Then we'll collect the reward money, seamless."

"Little Tao... sometimes I think, it's a good thing you became an immortal. Otherwise, you'd cause chaos in the world and still get away unscathed."

"You've given me an idea. When I get tired of staying on Peach Blossom Mountain, I'll do just that."

"I better keep my mouth shut..."

Noble Consort Xin and the yellow chicken had finished pecking at their rice and were strolling around to digest.

Tao Mian wasn't very hungry today. After taking a couple of bites of the food on the table, he put down his chopsticks.

"Little Hua, what are your plans next?"

The immortal shared his thoughts, which sounded absurd but were a plan nonetheless.

However, the final decision depended on what his disciple wanted.

Since following Tao Mian, Rong Zheng had become much calmer and less extreme when faced with choices.

She pulled out two yellow apricots from her sleeve, rubbed the dust off on her clothes, handed one to Tao Mian, and bit into the other.

"Actually, after retrieving the Snow-Embroidered Sword and my Shi Fu's ashes, my obsession isn't as strong. I wanted to use the Bone-Illuminating Mirror since my time at the Floating Pavilion. But Du Hong refused several times, never lending it. So stingy, just thinking about him annoys me."

She took a big bite of the apricot.

"If he had been more generous back then, we wouldn't have to go through all this trouble now."

Tao Mian was curious.

"The Bone-Illuminating Mirror is usually used to observe one's meridians and bones, typically by Shi Fu healers. Little Hua, if I may ask, do you want to borrow the mirror for medical purposes?"

"Diagnosing is just one of the Bone-Illuminating Mirror's functions, and it's widely known."

Rong Zheng shivered as a cool breeze blew, sneezing and sniffling.

Tao Mian handed her an outer garment to drape over her shoulders.

Rong Zheng held the garment's lapels, wrapping herself in it, and continued.

"The mirror has a little-known ability—it can reflect a person's memories, especially... a missing segment of memory."

The reason Rong Zheng wanted the Bone-Illuminating Mirror was to recover three years of lost memories.