Chapter 406: Paper Crane Child

At the Zhu Residence, Zhu Cheng was still worried about his father’s anger, fearing he had delayed an important matter. However, when Zhu Yanxu returned, the entire Zhu family noticed the old man was refreshed and in excellent spirits, even speaking more gently than usual.

Over at Ju'an Pavilion, Ji Yuan returned to the courtyard only after Zhu Yanxu had completely departed. A moment later, a quiet clamor suddenly erupted within the courtyard.

"Phew... he's finally gone!" "Yes, indeed, that man certainly lingered!"

"Exactly, he stayed until sunset!" "That uninvited old man!"

"Oh, I was stifled!" "Me too!"

"You weren't as stifled as I was." "Nonsense, I was even more stifled!"

"What kind of pastries did he bring?" "From Miaowai Lou, the kind the Master likes best."

"Oh, how thoughtful of him!" "He's an official, you know." "And huadiao wine, huadiao wine!"

"What's huadiao wine compared to the wine from the Master's Thousand-Dipper Pot?"

All this chattering emanated from the large jujube tree, coming from the little characters who had been suppressed and silent for half the afternoon due to Zhu Yanxu's presence.

Ji Yuan rubbed his forehead but didn't scold them. He walked into the courtyard to admire the work he had completed that afternoon.

The ink on the four characters had long since dried. An ordinary person would simply find the calligraphy beautiful, and even those truly versed in the art would be impressed. However, upon closer inspection, they wouldn't discern anything extraordinary, for while the characters contained profound meaning, their spiritual essence was subtle and not outwardly apparent.

This plaque, however, was far from simple. With the completion of the most crucial upper section of the "Marvelous Laws of Heaven and Earth," Ji Yuan's cultivation had naturally transitioned and refined itself. Observing the little characters during this period had also greatly benefited him in his understanding of written language.

Thus, while these four characters were not a written decree, nor a more potent imperial edict, they evoked not merely the name of a small courtyard, but also a profound inner meaning.

Holding the plaque, Ji Yuan returned to the courtyard entrance. With a single hand, he lifted the plaque, and the wooden sign flew up by itself, settling perfectly into its original spot.

"Excellent, a fresh new look!"

Chuckling, he entered the courtyard, closed the gate, and then sat at the stone table, taking out the stack of letters to read.

As expected, two of the letters were from Monk Huitong, one from Lu Chengfeng, three from Du Heng, and a considerable number—perhaps twenty or thirty—were from the Yin family.

Ji Yuan already knew the contents of Monk Huitong's letters from his time at Daliang Temple, so he merely opened them, scanned them, and set them aside.

Ji Yuan opened the remaining letters one by one. They contained no major news, but rather shared observations, sought answers, and mostly recounted everyday matters. He couldn't help but smile knowingly as he read them.

While letters naturally couldn't capture every detail of life, reading them made Ji Yuan feel as though he had experienced the events of those years and witnessed the growth of the Yin family's two sons.

Nearly a thousand li away, above Jadeite Mountain, a paper crane was rapidly soaring on a gust of wind. Its wings beat so quickly they left trails of afterimages, and its flight speed had reached the peak of its existence as a crane.

Upon reaching a mist-shrouded area above Jadeite Mountain, the little paper crane's speed began to slow, and its wing-flapping frequency returned to normal.

Hovering high in the air, it looked down upon a vast expanse of nearly pure white mist. However, the little paper crane, having visited once before, knew that this was the entrance to the illusion array of the Yuhai Sacred Realm.

After descending a little and circling the mist a few times, the paper crane did not enter from the very center. Instead, it circled to a certain point at the edge, then plunged headfirst into the mist, much like diving into a large cloud of cotton candy.

Unlike ordinary mountain dwellers who easily got lost, the paper crane's flight path was remarkably clear. It circled and weaved, turning east and west, sometimes clockwise, sometimes counter-clockwise—never flying in a straight line. The illusion array of Yuhai Mountain seemed to be no obstacle for it, at least as far as its confusing properties were concerned.

Approximately half an hour later, the little paper crane emerged from the densest part of the mist and entered an area where the fog was considerably thinner.

The paper crane landed on a large rock, twisted its body, and looked up at the high sky around it. Seeing nothing, it tilted its head down, scanning its surroundings. Finally, it twisted its paper head as low as possible, looking at the large rock beneath it.

"Tap... tap-tap-clink... clink-tap-clink-tap-tap..."

The sounds, sometimes clear and crisp, sometimes harsh and jarring, echoed through the valley. They varied in volume, sometimes soft, sometimes loud, and were intermittently yet rhythmically sustained.

"Kraa... kraa..."

The cry of a crane came from the sky, echoing a few times across the horizon before fading into the distance.

"Thump... thump-thump... clink-clink-clink..."

This strange sound continued unabated.

Not long after, a gentle woman clad in a feathered robe emerged from the mist, looking towards the sounds from afar. After searching around, she finally spotted a large boulder upon which a small paper bird was ceaselessly pecking, having already carved a shallow pit the depth of a fingernail.

"Could that be a paper crane?"

This immortal crane was none other than the one with old ties to the Wei family. Although her turn guarding the mountain was almost due to end, she was still on duty.

The Crane Maiden was familiar with the appearance of this paper bird. Though she couldn't be certain if it was the exact same one, she knew it must be a paper crane crafted by the miraculous art of an extraordinarily powerful master, and thus, its significance was profound.

Recognizing it as a paper crane, the Crane Maiden dared not delay. She quickly revealed herself and approached the large boulder in a few steps. Upon her arrival, the paper crane ceased its pecking and looked up at her.

The Crane Maiden cupped her hands respectfully towards the paper crane and inquired.

"May I ask if you have come specifically to our Yuhai Mountain?"

The paper crane nodded, flapped its wings, and flew up to land on the Crane Maiden's shoulder. After glancing at her, it became still. The Crane Maiden surmised that it wanted her to take it to the Yuhai Sacred Realm.

The Crane Maiden quickly checked, found no malevolent aura on the paper crane, then took flight, guiding the paper crane through Yuhai Mountain's great array and towards the Yuhai Sacred Realm.

The news of Ji Yuan sending a paper crane to deliver a message quickly reached the Great Daoist Master currently on duty at Shuyun Tower. He immediately instructed the Crane Maiden to bring the paper crane to the top of Shuyun Tower.

Some time later, at the top of Shuyun Tower, there were not only the two Great Daoist Masters on duty but also a gathering of cultivators, including Qiu Feng. The paper crane rested in the palm of Great Daoist Master Ren.

The paper crane gazed at the broad-robed immortal cultivator sitting serenely in meditation. Fragments of memory flickered through its mind; this was the person who had once tried to burn it.

"I have understood Mr. Ji's message, and now I will relay it to you. According to this paper crane... ah..."

Daoist Master Ren paused mid-sentence, feeling as though the paper crane was staring at him with an odd gaze, despite the fact that it had no eyes. Frowning, he instinctively rephrased.

"According to the divine message conveyed by this paper crane attendant, Mr. Ji will be visiting our Yuhai Mountain in a while. This will be Mr. Ji's first time setting foot in our Yuhai Sacred Realm, so he must be properly welcomed and entertained. Furthermore, Mr. Ji seems to be planning to attend the Immortal Gathering at Jiufeng Mountain in Hengzhou, in the Northern Province, and has expressed interest in traveling with us!"

Great Daoist Master Ren instinctively lowered his head to look at the paper crane in his palm, sensing that the odd, fixed stare from the little paper crane had vanished, or at least softened considerably, the moment he uttered "paper crane attendant."

Below him, Daoist Master Yangming, seated cross-legged, spoke almost immediately.

"Martial Uncle, although the invitation to the Immortal Gathering was sent to our sect long ago, our Yuhai Mountain hasn't participated in that assembly for two jiazi cycles."

"But Mr. Ji intends to go!"

Another immortal cultivator interjected from below.

"Hmm, since Mr. Ji wishes to go, I believe our Yuhai Mountain could participate this time. It might even be a good opportunity. While the assembly itself may be uninteresting, it gathers many fellow practitioners, and it would be beneficial for us to make an appearance under Mr. Ji's aegis!"

Qiu Feng's words, though perhaps a bit uncouth, perfectly aligned with what many others were secretly thinking.

"Nephew Qiu speaks wisely. Junior Brother Ren, the events from over a hundred years ago concerned Grand-Martial Uncle Ziyu. So much time has passed; there should be no remaining issues. Perhaps we should send a message to Yuzhu Peak and seek their counsel?"

Another Great Daoist Master beside them spoke, eliciting nods from everyone. Soon, this message was relayed to Yuzhu Peak, the secluded cultivation area within Yuhai Mountain.

In addition to deciding to visit Jiufeng Mountain this time, the Yuhai Mountain sect also concluded that since Mr. Ji had returned to Ju'an Pavilion, it would be improper, both morally and respectfully, to simply wait for him to arrive. Instead, Yuhai Mountain should also pay him a visit.

After much deliberation, this significant task ultimately fell upon the two immortal cultivators, Qiu Feng and Yangming. They would each bring a disciple—Wei Yuansheng and Shang Yiyi—and the highly cultivated Ju Yuanzi would also accompany them.

The little paper crane had already departed Yuhai Mountain, flying rapidly towards Ning'an County. The magical energy Ji Yuan had imbued it with was not yet entirely depleted, so its wings continued to beat at a swift pace.

At this hour, Ning'an County was deep in the tranquil night, with stars twinkling overhead. Ji Yuan sat in his courtyard, enjoying Miaowai Lou pastries and sipping huadiao wine, a slight smile gracing his lips with each small drink.

'By day, I encounter villagers; by night, I meet spirits. This trip home feels just like going home for New Year's in my previous life...'

As this thought crossed his mind, a knock sounded at the courtyard gate.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

"Mr. Ji, Song Shichang is here to call. Would it be convenient for you to receive him?"

Outside the courtyard gate, the old City God of Ning'an County spoke while gazing up at the plaque above the entrance. It was clearly newly written that day, brimming with the charm of fine calligraphy, yet it appeared to be merely a designation, holding no supernatural power.

Ji Yuan swiftly approached the gate and personally opened it for the old City God. Upon meeting, they greeted each other with cupped hands.

"Old City God, I trust you have been well?"

"Greetings, Mr. Ji!"

"Please, do come in!"

"Certainly!"

Ji Yuan, seizing the opportunity to "borrow flowers to offer Buddha," conveniently used the items Zhu Yanxu had brought earlier to entertain the old City God.