Wei Lihua first instructed her two junior brothers to carry the unconscious Fu Yuqing to their mentor, then raised her slender wrist and took out a jade whistle, placing it gently against her lips and blowing softly.
From the peak came the distant sound of a crisp crane’s cry, and soon two white cranes with red crowns and black tails descended, appearing quite delighted upon seeing Wei Lihua. They spread their wings, stepped around her, held their necks high, and danced gracefully in circles.
Wei Lihua smiled, saying, "These two troublemakers are at it again."
Zhang Yan watched for a moment and also chuckled, "Are these the spirit birds raised by you, fellow Daoist?"
Wei Lihua gently nodded and said, "Our ancestor was originally a disciple of the Nanhua Sect. The disciples of Xuanling Mountain inherit much of the sect’s cultivation art, including the fondness for raising spirit birds and exotic beasts. Now, as Qingyu Sect is about to establish itself, while no formal rules have been set yet, there are already many taboos. These spirit cranes have long stayed within the mountain gate and know where they can and cannot go. Hence, I’ve summoned them to serve as your mounts for travel, fellow Daoist."
Having said that, she selected one of the spirit cranes, mounted it, and gestured, "Fellow Daoist, follow me."
Zhang Yan nodded and said, "Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment."
He raised his hand, formed a spell, and sent a sound note into the sea boat. Then, mounting the crane’s back, he could feel the soft and smooth feathers, as comfortable as sitting on a cushion. The spirit crane beneath him spoke in a crisp female voice, "Brother Daoist, make sure to sit tight."
Seeing the crane speaking without having transformed into a human form, Zhang Yan felt slightly surprised but smiled faintly and said, "Please show your skills, fellow Daoist."
The spirit crane let out a clear cry, took a few steps forward, and flapped its wings. With a few strong beats, it ascended to the clouds.
Wei Lihua also mounted her crane and flew up, side by side with Zhang Yan. She patted the crane beneath her and said, "Are you wondering why they can speak, fellow Daoist?"
Zhang Yan smiled and said, "I suppose it must be some secret spell from your sect. However, I’m curious—since your sect has such a Dharma technique, and the Peng Bird beside Master Guo is also quite majestic, why haven’t I seen it speaking ?"
The crane beneath him suddenly chimed in, "Brother Daoist, are you referring to the ’chatterbox’ beside Master Guo?"
Zhang Yan asked with interest, "Oh, do you know the reason behind this?"
The crane chuckled and said, "If you ask me about other things, I might not know, but I’m quite clear on this matter. That old bird has a notoriously loud voice and a habit of saying all kinds of inappropriate things, often scolding the sect’s disciples mercilessly. Yet it’s Master Guo’s mount, and no one can do anything about it. Eventually, Master Guo grew tired of its incessant chatter and sealed its mouth, forbidding it from speaking nonsense, which gave the rest of us some peace and quiet."
As it spoke, it appeared quite gleeful, likely having suffered losses to the Peng Bird before.
Wei Lihua feigned displeasure and said, "Xiao Yi, you seem to have plenty to say yourself."
The spirit crane jolted in fright and said in grievance, "Mistress, please don’t be angry. Xiao Jia is a silent one and there’s usually no one to talk to here. It’s quite dull, so I couldn’t help saying a bit more."
Wei Lihua chuckled and said, "Once our ancestor establishes the sect, our sect will grow stronger, and you won’t be confined to this small area anymore. There will be days when you can spread your wings and soar high."
The relationship between spirit beasts and their tamers is one of shared fortune and misfortune. If the tamer has profound cultivation and strives to better themselves, the status of their mounts will naturally rise. But if the tamer is lackluster and stagnant, then the beast can only blame its own poor luck.
As Zhang Yan and Wei Lihua bantered, the spirit cranes carried them to a lush valley filled with greenery, chirping birds, and fragrant blooms.
At this moment, a ray of light radiated from an octagonal cool pavilion on the opposite cliff. A round-faced woman in a green dress stepped onto an embroidered flying handkerchief and approached with delight, exclaiming, "Senior Sister Wei, you’ve returned to the mountain!"
She glanced at Zhang Yan with sparkling eyes and said, "Which island are you from, Senior Brother? You look quite unfamiliar."
The woman appeared around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with rosy cheeks, alluring almond-shaped eyes, a seductive figure, and a charm akin to a ripe peach. At first glance, Zhang Yan could tell she was of demon cultivator origin.
Wei Lihua quickly said, "Junior Sister Fu, this fellow Daoist Zhang is Master Guo’s friend and has come to attend the ceremony this time."
Junior Sister Fu cast a flirtatious smile at Zhang Yan, curtsied with a graceful gesture, and said, "Ah, a friend of Master Guo! I, Fu Hongyu, greet Daoist Zhang."
Zhang Yan nodded slightly and returned the gesture respectfully.
Wei Lihua pointed at the woman and said, "Daoist Zhang, do not underestimate Junior Sister Fu. She’s the head steward of our Xuanling Mountain."
Junior Sister Fu laughed heartily, her eyes curving like crescent moons, and said, "Head steward? Hardly that. I merely relay messages and run errands for the elders and fellow disciples. Daoist Zhang, you mustn’t believe Senior Sister Wei’s nonsense."