Chapter 176: Jade Embrace Matters

At this moment, Ji Yuan's smile gradually faded as he observed Wei Yuansheng's fear. After a moment of thought, he pulled his chair closer to Wei Wuwei and leaned down to look at the boy.

"Little Yuansheng, would you like to go to Yuhuai Mountain? Do you want to cultivate immortality?"

"Me?" Wei Yuansheng asked, stunned, suddenly noticing his father's arms tightening around him.

"Ah, haha, Mr. Ji... Yuansheng is only four years old. How can he make such a decision? He doesn't know what's good for him..."

Ji Yuan glanced at Wei Wuwei, who instantly felt immense pressure, held his breath, and slowly loosened his grip.

"Exactly. I'm asking if *you* want to cultivate immortality. Up until now, your father, mother, and other elders in your family have likely been telling you what to prepare. But what do you want?"

A smile reappeared on Ji Yuan's face, one that immediately put Wei Yuansheng at ease.

Young as he was, Wei Yuansheng had a strong feeling that if he simply said, "No, I don't want to," this entire opportunity would slip away.

The foreheads of the Wei family elders present were subtly beaded with sweat, while only Wei Yuansheng's mother had a glimmer of expectation in her eyes.

Wei Yuansheng looked at his mother, then up at his father, before finally turning his gaze back to Ji Yuan.

Wei Yuansheng, of course, knew who Mr. Ji was. He hesitated for a moment before asking him, "Mr. Ji, are all immortals like you?"

Ji Yuan turned his head slightly, pondering. "There are certainly some similar to me, but they are very few."

Ji Yuan didn't bother to quibble over his personal definition of an immortal. After all, to ordinary people, anyone who cultivates immortality and possesses such magical powers is considered an immortal.

"Then, how much ability would one need to reach your level?"

Ji Yuan was about to say it didn't require much ability, but then he reflected. While many of the things he had accomplished involved unexpected turns, they were indeed far beyond the capabilities of ordinary cultivators. Moreover, while merely experiencing the mortal world might not demand immense magical power or profound cultivation, one could easily become lost over time. Those cultivators bold enough to refine their hearts amidst the mundane usually possessed significant spiritual attainment.

"Upon closer consideration, it requires considerable ability."

As soon as Ji Yuan finished speaking, Wei Yuansheng bravely asked another question.

"Are you really not going to take me as a disciple? Everyone says I'm very clever, and they're not just saying that because I'm the young master of the Wei family."

Ji Yuan smiled, shook his head, and simply uttered a single word. "No."

"Oh... even though I'm still a little afraid of the immortal mountain, I still want to go. I know it's incredibly rare for a mortal to encounter such an opportunity in a lifetime, and I'd definitely regret it if I didn't seize it."

As he spoke, Wei Yuansheng's small face tightened with conflict, and he clenched his tiny fists, declaring indignantly, "What's more, if I don't go, all the hardships I've endured studying for over a year will have been for naught. I just couldn't accept that!"

"Hahahaha... Excellent, excellent! So you've truly thought it through. This isn't just for your Wei family, but for you, little Yuansheng, too. Don't go around with such a worried face all the time. You understand it perfectly, don't you? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Ji Yuan chuckled heartily, then couldn't resist teasing the child.

Ji Yuan's laughter instantly lightened the atmosphere in the hall. Wei Yuansheng seemed to shed his earlier apprehension and began chattering, asking Ji Yuan questions about the immortal abode.

"Mr. Ji, is Yuhuai Mountain very big?"

"I'm not sure. I was hoping you'd tell me about it once you go!"

"You haven't been there before?"

"No."

"But what if I go and get locked up? How will I tell you then?"

Ji Yuan feigned a threat. "They wouldn't dare!"

"Can my father truly go as well?"

"That shouldn't be a problem."

"What about my mother? Can my wet nurse go too? And Xiao Cui!"

Ji Yuan rubbed his head. "I'm afraid that won't be possible..."

This situation greatly eased the minds of Wei Wuwei and the others present. Wei Wuwei mostly interjected only when necessary, making an effort to let Mr. Ji and his son converse freely.

Ji Yuan continued to chat with the imaginative child until midnight, thoroughly easing little Yuansheng's fears about the immortal abode. Eventually, Wei Yuansheng succumbed to sleepiness in Wei Wuwei's arms, bringing the conversation to a close.

Once Madam Wei had carried Wei Yuansheng away to bed, Ji Yuan took a strange object from his sleeve. To Wei Wuwei's eyes, it appeared to be a flattened paper bird.

"Uh, Mr. Ji, is this for Yuansheng?"

"No, this is for you."

Ji Yuan placed the paper crane on the table and turned to Wei Wuwei. "Watch carefully. When you arrive at Yuhuai Mountain, if you meet Immortal Master Qiufeng, hand it directly to him. Also, instruct him to fold down the paper crane's wings like this, and then pull it open from the middle."

Ji Yuan folded as he spoke. After the final two steps were completed, the paper crane astonishingly lifted off the table, circled Ji Yuan twice, then Wei Wuwei twice, before settling back down. Like a real bird, it even twisted its paper head to peck at a lower corner, subtly refining the edges that Ji Yuan hadn't perfectly smoothed out.

Many of those present watched this scene in stunned silence, speechless. Even those who had witnessed the old turtle controlling water couldn't help but be profoundly shocked by such miraculous immortal magic.

Ji Yuan smiled, quite pleased with his increasingly refined "paper crane technique." He picked up the paper crane and flattened it once more; the wondrous paper bird instantly reverted to a folded sheet.

"Did you see that clearly? If you don't manage to meet Immortal Master Qiufeng when you arrive, you can secretly unfold the paper crane, and it will find him on its own."

"Understood, understood!"

Ji Yuan nodded, stood up, and started to walk out. Wei Wuwei quickly rose as well.

"Mr. Ji, I... I'll escort you to the guesthouse to rest!"

Ji Yuan paused, turned his head, and said, "No need. Please convey a message from me to little Yuansheng."

"Please tell me!" Wei Wuwei replied respectfully, vaguely sensing that Mr. Ji was preparing to depart again.

"Hmm, judging by his earlier demeanor, he seems to have some understanding of my ways. I presume the Wei family head told him?"

"Indeed! Sir, I hope you are not displeased?"

"Not at all, not at all, it's perfectly fine. Please tell little Yuansheng for me that I'm taking his wish to become an immortal like me seriously. It's a promise between us, and he mustn't forget it!"

"Certainly, certainly! I, Wei, will definitely relay the message to Yuansheng and urge him on!"

Ji Yuan nodded, then cupped his hands in greeting to the Wei family members, who had all risen inside the room. "Then I shall take my leave. There's no need for you all to see me off."

Having said this, Ji Yuan opened the hall door and stepped out. Wei Wuwei and the others immediately rushed after him; one simply couldn't *not* see him off. Yet, as they stepped outside, they found no trace of Ji Yuan in the corridor or the courtyard. Instead, the few maids and servants who had been waiting by the door quickly bowed to the emerging group, greeting them in unison.

"Patriarch!"

Wei Wuwei looked around. "Did any of you see how that esteemed gentleman who just came out departed? Did he ascend into the sky?"

The four servants standing nearby exchanged glances. One of the older ones replied with slight hesitation, "Patriarch, the door suddenly opened just now, but only you all walked out a moment later."

Hearing this, Wei Wuwei paused in surprise, then exchanged bewildered glances with his third uncle and the old steward.

While the Wei family was destined for an excited, sleepless night, Ji Yuan had already flown towards Ning'an County. He hadn't returned in years and quite missed that peaceful little courtyard from the past. He had heard that Master Yin had gone to another province to serve as prefect, so the entire Yin family must have moved with him. He wondered what the Ju'an Small Pavilion looked like now — if the dust was three inches thick, or if the jujube tree had bloomed...

Approximately eight or nine hundred *li* from Desheng Prefecture stood Mount Yucui. Its landscape varied from steep to gentle, stretching for over five hundred *li*. Within it lay a mountain range perpetually shrouded in mist, a place where even seasoned mountaineers often became lost and returned to their starting points. This misty range was precisely where Yuhuai Mountain, a renowned immortal abode in Dazhen, was located.

However, at this moment, the Cuiyun Mountain Range was far from its usual tranquility. Two immortal cranes had just returned, their feathers visibly ruffled and marred with streaks of blood. On the back of one of the cranes sat a cultivator, who also appeared severely dispirited.

"Caw!"

The two immortal cranes flew one after another into the cloud-shrouded area. Their long cries echoed as the mists automatically parted before them. After passing through layers of mist, the white fog at the center suddenly vanished, revealing a brighter scene even in the night. Scattered buildings stood majestically amidst seemingly perilous mountain peaks and cliffs, while small bridges over streams lay hidden within tranquil, deep valleys.

"Caw!"

The two immortal cranes moved with great speed, or perhaps more accurately, seemed unable to slow down. With immense momentum, they slid onto a flat-topped hill. Their wings flapped as they landed, but their legs were unsteady, causing them to collapse onto the ground, and the cultivator on one's back rolled off.

"Screech!"

The mountain's guardian immortal crane, with wings beating like wind, was the first to arrive. It landed beside the person and the two cranes, transforming into a woman dressed in feathered robes. "How can this be?" Stunned, she quickly marshaled the surrounding spiritual energy. She could discern that both cranes and the individual had completely exhausted their magical power.

The cries of the immortal cranes had already alerted the immortals of Yuhuai Mountain. By the time the cranes landed on the flat-topped hill, four individuals had already arrived, riding the wind, and simultaneously descended onto the summit.

"Junior Brother Zhao! Crane Auntie, do you know what happened?"

"I've only just arrived. Immortal Master Zhao and the two crane Daoists are still unconscious."

"Their magical power is exhausted."

"Where is Uncle Pei? Didn't they go to the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion together?"

"Calm yourselves. Take Junior Brother Zhao and the immortal cranes to Shuyun Tower for healing and care."

Several cultivators and the immortal crane cast their spells together, riding clouds to fly towards a building situated on a nearby high peak. With a flick of a sleeve, streams of light flashed from within the building and parted, allowing the group to fly inside.