At the time, Tao Mian had indeed kept his promise and delivered the child to a family he knew in the mortal world.
The couple were merchants who had been childless for many years. Tao Mian had once helped them drive out an evil spirit, and the husband and wife, grateful for his kindness, sent gifts to Peach Blossom Mountain every holiday without fail.
Tao Mian knew the couple had always longed for a child. As it happened, sending the foundling to them was a perfect arrangement for everyone. The kind-hearted pair didn’t look down on the boy for his old scars and injuries-quite the opposite. They doted on him all the more because of them, and gave him the name Xue Han.
A family whose character he knew well. Tao Mian felt at ease leaving the child in the Xue couple’s care. He’d helped a lonely orphan find a home and repaid the couple’s years of gift-giving kindness-two good deeds accomplished in one stroke.
Afterward, he returned to Peach Blossom Mountain and never once went to visit the child.
Little Immortal Tao’s reasoning was simple: he shouldn’t meddle too much in Xue Han’s life. The boy had found a good home. His part was done.
But Xue Han didn’t see it that way.
His adoptive parents treated him wonderfully-beyond reproach. The Xue family already possessed considerable wealth, and as their only son, Xue Han wanted for nothing in food, clothing, or comfort. They even hired a tutor to teach him to read and write.
Though life in the Xue household was peaceful and worry-free, Xue Han never forgot the man who had saved his life.
He asked his adoptive parents about Tao Mian, but their answers were sparse-only that he was a cultivator who lived in the mountains, detached from worldly affairs, and rarely came down.
Xue Han nodded. He assumed Tao Mian simply found children troublesome and didn’t care to see him.
That was fine. He could go see Tao Mian himself.
The Xue family spoiled their only son, but they didn’t indulge him in everything. Something like traveling on his own would have to wait until he came of age.
Xue Han wasn’t the type to throw tantrums or wheedle. On the contrary, the agony of his early years had forced him to grow up fast. He was far more shrewd and calculating than anyone his age. He heeded his parents and his tutor, studied diligently, and earned their trust.
And so, on the very first day of his twentieth year-the day of his coming-of-age-he left the Xue estate and made for Peach Blossom Mountain.
Peach Blossom Mountain truly was a paradise on earth. Mist drifted like gauze, and layers upon layers of blossoms cast their shadows everywhere.
The surrounding villagers were all simple, honest folk. Xue Han, in his fine clothes, stuck out like a sore thumb.
He frowned and didn’t linger in the village. After asking for directions to Peach Blossom Temple, he set off alone.
The temple sat nestled among the peach groves, quiet and serene.
He stepped forward and knocked. No one answered.
Thinking he’d come all this way for nothing, Xue Han felt a sting of disappointment. He decided to wander the mountain instead-perhaps, with a bit of luck, he’d run into the immortal.
As it turned out, he did.
Tao Mian looked exactly as he remembered-not a single detail changed. That same ethereal, carefree bearing. A dark blue robe, as though a figure had stepped out of a painting and wandered into the mortal world by accident.
He drifted lazily among the blooming peach trees, perfectly at ease.
Xue Han’s heart leapt. One foot moved half a step forward.
Then he pulled it back.
Little Immortal Tao had been strolling along, minding his own business, when the branches above his head suddenly rustled. A youth swung down, hanging upside-down, and blocked his path.
“Master-“
The youth called out brightly. Tao Mian startled, then couldn’t help but laugh. He told the boy to stop being a nuisance and quit ruining his flowers. The youth’s expression shifted at once, and he sneakily tucked two or three broken branches of varying lengths behind his back.
Tao Mian saw it all but said nothing. He simply flicked the youth on the forehead.
The two of them chatted and laughed as they headed down the mountain together.
That day, Xue Han stood rooted to the spot for a very long time. He didn’t know how many hours passed. When awareness finally returned to him, his legs had gone numb.
…
“Do you know what I was thinking at that moment?”
Xue Han asked the question with idle curiosity, addressing the immortal who was trussed up tight. He got no answer-only a stubborn glare.
“I was thinking… someday, I’m going to chop down every last wretched tree on that wretched mountain of yours.”
“…”
Tao Mian shot to his feet-only to be yanked back down as the Immortal-Binding Rope cinched tighter.
“What do the trees have to do with anything?! Xue Han, that’s just taking your anger out on the wrong thing!”
“Not really. I just find them offensive.”
“Little Xue, oh, Little Xue. How did you go from being such an innocent, wide-eyed child to this-this twisted excuse for an adult? Where exactly did things go wrong…”
Xue Han thought back over his own life.
After returning from Peach Blossom Mountain, he’d grown much quieter. Around that time, the Xue family began handing the business over to him. He had a sharp mind for commerce and made it flourish.
He stopped mentioning Tao Mian entirely, as though he’d forgotten the man ever existed.
That lasted until Gu Yuan died of illness, leaving Tao Mian a considerable sum of “retirement money” from his disciples. Tao Mian had no head for managing wealth, so he asked the Xue family to recommend someone who could help.
That was when Xue Han volunteered, stepping in to take over the shops and estates.
At the time, Tao Mian figured Xue Han was practically family. Handing things over to him felt safe enough. And so he happily became a hands-off boss.
Xue Han, of course, had his own motives. The immortal was always trying to cut his ties with the mortal world. Xue Han was determined not to let him.
He’d thought this arrangement would forge a real connection between them. Given enough time, the distance between himself and his savior would surely close.
…
And then along came Lu Yuandi.
“Gu Yuan I could tolerate, but Lu Yuandi was a princess of the fallen dynasty-trouble followed her like a shadow.” Xue Han’s teeth ground together as he spoke. “You said you didn’t want to court disaster, and then you went and took in a royal orphan as your disciple?”
Tao Mian smiled awkwardly.
“She stole the chickens I was raising. I couldn’t just let her walk away, could I? My hand was forced.”
“So people have to wrong you first before you’ll give them the time of day, is that it?”
“Now that’s a twisted way of looking at it. Besides-if you resent it so much, why did you tell me you could cure Suiyan? You don’t hold a grudge against him?”
“No,” Xue Han said with a thin smile. “I hate every single disciple you’ve ever taken. Equally.”
“…”
Tao Mian snapped to attention. His legs were bound, but that didn’t stop him-he started hopping toward the door.
He needed to get out of here. Xue Han was even more of a lunatic than he’d been a few years ago.