Chapter 183: Paper Crane

The cultivator who had just emerged also saw the woman transformed from a crane and asked a question with some curiosity.

“Aunt Crane, what are you doing here? Whose young attendant is this child?”

The newcomer wore a brown robe, appeared to be about fifty or sixty years old, and looked at the child Aunt Crane was holding with a puzzled expression. The child seemed unfamiliar.

“Oh, Elder Huang, this child is a descendant of the Wei family who once showed me kindness. He also possesses spiritual potential and is preparing to enter our Jade Embrace Mountain. By the way, did you not see anything fly in just now?”

“Hmm?”

The brown-robed cultivator looked back instinctively, puzzled. Seeing his reaction, Aunt Crane knew he hadn't noticed anything.

The Cloud Comfort Tower, also known as the Seclusion Tower, was surrounded by a faint white mist. The paper crane was completely white, had no spiritual power fluctuations or aura, and had slipped directly inside the moment the restriction opened, so Elder Huang hadn't noticed it at all.

“Elder Huang, a paper bird just flew in, and I came here chasing it.”

Aunt Crane had no choice but to explain, as this kind of matter could not be concealed.

“It's a paper crane…”

Wei Yuansheng softly corrected her from Aunt Crane's arms.

“A paper crane?”

The brown-robed cultivator looked at Wei Yuansheng, then at Aunt Crane, thought for a moment, and then waved his hand backward to reopen the restriction.

“Let's go, we'll take a look!”

With that, he walked back into the Cloud Comfort Tower. Aunt Crane quickly followed, holding Wei Yuansheng. She had intended to bring the child here anyway, and Elder Qiufeng might also be inside.

The Cloud Comfort Tower's exterior was tall and its interior profound. Its area, hidden within the white mist, was quite substantial, containing a scripture library and numerous quiet rooms. Few people were seen, but some quiet rooms had closed doors with glowing talismans, indicating that someone was inside.

Aunt Crane briefly explained the Wei family to the brown-robed cultivator, and Wei Yuansheng clarified the origin of the paper crane, confirming it was indeed from Mr. Ji.

Meanwhile, at the top of the Cloud Comfort Tower, Qiufeng and his senior brother, True Master Yangming, were seated in a row on meditation cushions with three other cultivators. One of them was the previously unconscious “Junior Brother Zhao,” and the other two, dressed in feathered robes, were the two immortal cranes.

Opposite the five was another cushion, on which sat a middle-aged man in a green robe, appearing to be in his forties. He had a beautiful black beard that reached his chest, and he was carefully examining and contemplating a jade tablet.

“Nephew Zhao, so, when Senior Brother Pei instructed you and the two Crane Daoists to return the jade tablet, you had not yet encountered an attack, but rather met the demonic entities only on your way back to Dazhen?”

The man in green seemed to have finished interpreting the information on the jade tablet before he questioned those below him.

“Exactly. We were momentarily caught off guard and almost fell victim. If not for the two Crane Daoists' powerful magic and extraordinary escape speed, we would have paid a much greater price to return to Jade Embrace Mountain.”

One of the feathered-robed men continued the conversation with a hint of doubt.

“What's strange is that on that day, we didn't hesitate to expend our spiritual power to escape through the celestial gale outside the heavens. However, once we entered Dazhen territory, those demonic beings stopped pursuing us. If they were afraid of disturbing some so-called opportunity or destiny, their actions within the celestial gale shouldn't have affected the mortal world of Dazhen anyway.”

True Master Yangming, seated next to Qiufeng, said.

“This matter is indeed peculiar. Our Jade Embrace Mountain has never harbored any deep animosity towards the outside world, and this incident concerning the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion is still just a baseless rumor…”

“Brother, you are mistaken. Previously, in Bingzhou, powerful cultivators clashed. According to the local spirits and deities, the Dragon Lord of Tongtian River was present and, along with another powerful individual, acted to subdue a true demon and expel it from the Eastern Cloud Continent. Outsiders might not be aware of this, but the spirits and deities of Changchuan Prefecture witnessed it firsthand.”

The man in green, opposite the five, also frowned in contemplation.

“The Dragon Lord of Tongtian River has an unpredictable and eccentric temperament; it's surprising that he would intervene that time. Besides that true demon, who was the other individual? Could it also be a true dragon?”

Dazhen seemed to be becoming somewhat unfamiliar. It was already rare for a true dragon to reside in the great river, but now the situation appeared to have subtly grown more complex, and their Jade Embrace Mountain had been too slow to realize it.

“By the way, Uncle Ren, what did Senior Brother Pei's jade tablet say? Is it precise information from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion?”

The man in green shook his head, his expression a little strange.

“After closing their grotto-heaven, the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion seemed to have struggled with divination for a long time without any breakthroughs. Senior Brother Pei is helping them clarify the spiritual energies of Dazhen's mountains, rivers, terrain, wetlands, and forests, as well as the dynamics of the human dynasty. They plan to combine their efforts for another divination, but there won't be any results in the short term.”

“Alright, this matter is uncertain. For now, let's not let it disturb the cultivation of others in the mountain. From my calculations, Dazhen's spiritual energy shows no unusual activity. Spirits and deities watch over all prefectures and provinces, keeping them free of demons for a long time. Although the human dynasty shows signs of decay, there are no wars or major disasters. Despite its remote location in the Eastern Cloud Continent, it remains a peaceful land. Outsiders in cultivation would not fail to see this and cause trouble recklessly.”

Overall, the righteous path still holds the upper hand in the world. The collective aspirations of sentient beings, especially humans, give rise to numerous spirits and deities, a force that should not be underestimated.

Especially in Dazhen, a relatively peaceful era, stability is decreed by heaven. Those with a certain level of cultivation dare not cause trouble indiscriminately, at least not too openly, to avoid karmic retribution. Places where malevolent spirits run rampant are often those experiencing widespread instability and disaster.

The man in green's words essentially meant that there would be no immediate results, and he dismissed everyone to continue their individual cultivation.

Just as Qiufeng and True Master Yangming were leaving their uncle's seclusion chamber in the pavilion, a strange paper bird suddenly flapped its wings and flew towards them in a hurry.

By the time Qiufeng and his senior brother noticed the paper bird, it had already swiftly flown from a distance to their immediate vicinity, circling around Qiufeng.

“This paper bird? Whose exquisite spellcraft is this from the mountain? There are no fluctuations of spiritual power or energy!”

True Master Yangming was also very curious and reached out to catch the paper bird. However, the little bird flapped its wings faster, evaded his grasp, and then hovered about a foot in front of Qiufeng.

The other three outside also watched the scene with curiosity. The paper bird was so nimble. If someone were controlling it at that moment, there were no spiritual power fluctuations, and it didn't look like a mechanical device.

Qiufeng looked at his senior brother, then at the paper bird, and tentatively extended his hand, palm up.

Sure enough, the paper bird flapped its wings twice, then slowly landed in Qiufeng's palm. It then extended its paper neck and pecked his palm twice with its paper beak.

Instantly, information conveyed through the object flowed into Qiufeng's mind, making him clearly freeze for a moment.

When he came to his senses, the paper bird in his palm was unresponsive, as if it had reverted to an ordinary origami creation.

“Senior Brother, do you remember when I told you about meeting a powerful individual at Old Birch Mountain?”

“Of course, I remember. Why, is this paper crane related to him?”

True Master Yangming, puzzled, picked up the paper crane by its tail from Qiufeng's palm and examined it closely. No matter how he looked, it appeared to be just a piece of paper.

“That's right. This paper bird was folded by that powerful individual named Ji, used to convey information through an object. I need to explain this to our uncle. That other mysterious cultivator who took action in Bingzhou is very likely him!”

Having said this, Qiufeng dared not delay. He took the paper crane back from his senior brother's hand and returned to the quiet room. The other four also hesitated for a moment before returning with him.

About a quarter of an hour later, inside Uncle Ren's quiet room, not only were Qiufeng and the other five present, but Aunt Crane, holding Wei Yuansheng, and the brown-robed cultivator were also seated there.

The man in green, meanwhile, curiously held the paper crane by its tail, examining it up and down. He had been looking at it for quite a while, but no matter how he looked, it appeared to be an ordinary piece of paper.

Puzzled, he prepared to unfold the paper crane to examine it further. However, this action seemed to startle the paper crane. The crane, which had appeared to be a lifeless piece of origami, suddenly began flapping its wings, broke free from the man in green's hand, and flew into Wei Yuansheng's arms.

“Uh... it's actually alive?”

“Uncle, has this paper become a spirit?”

The man in green smiled.

“No, no. This is an unusual art of spiritual dexterity, surely a unique and ingenious method created by a powerful individual. However, this paper bird…”

“It's a paper crane!”

Wei Yuansheng whispered very faintly, causing the man in green to pause before continuing.

“Hmm, but this ingenious method gives the paper crane such spiritual vitality. If it is continuously nourished by spiritual energy, listens to the essence of the Dao, and its inner formation remains unbroken, it truly might one day mature into something extraordinary.”

“Can even a piece of paper become a spirit?”

The brown-robed cultivator exclaimed in surprise, to which the man in green smilingly retorted.

“Even stones can gain sentience, so why not paper?”

As he spoke, the man in green reached out and the paper crane in Wei Yuansheng's arms was immediately drawn to him, returning to his palm. However, the paper crane was now “playing dead” or “dormant.”

A small flame appeared in the man in green's hand, and he manipulated the fire closer to the paper crane. The paper crane, “panicked” by this, darted away again, this time flying to Qiufeng's side.

“See? It already has the instinct to seek good fortune and avoid disaster!”

Wei Yuansheng nervously clutched Aunt Crane's clothes and whispered into her ear.

“Aunt Crane, what about my father?”

Qiufeng seemed to have heard this as well. After looking at the child, he voluntarily stood up and bowed to the man in green.

“Uncle, I will personally go and bring Wei Wuwei here.”

“Good, go ahead!”

Wei Wuwei's entry into Jade Embrace Mountain together would naturally be without issue. If they could find out Mr. Ji's whereabouts, Jade Embrace Mountain also intended to send someone to visit and investigate.