"You said just now that your master kept several cranes?" Chen Zhou asked thoughtfully.
Although Song Zi'an didn't understand why he was asking, he answered honestly.
"Reporting to my lord, there were five in total. Master loved cranes and often fed them spirit grain and spiritual meals."
"Among them, was there one that was the oldest and most spiritual?" Chen Zhou continued to press. "Called a Nine-Age Crane?"
Song Zi'an looked up abruptly, his face filled with surprise. "How did you know, my lord?"
"That's right, that crane is named Ling."
"He was Master's favorite. He understood human speech and could even help Master keep an eye on the cooking temperatures."
"Ling usually loved to crouch by the stove because it was warm there. Besides, every time Master finished a dish, the first person—well, the first one to taste the freshness was always him."
Chen Zhou: "..."
Case closed.
Wasn't this exactly the same old crane in his own Gathering Fortune Pavilion? The one that looked at the unaging pine with mutual disgust and would squawk in protest if even a single feather was plucked?
No wonder it always stared blankly at Widow Li's dining hall and had such a peculiar obsession with the stove, even standing on it on one leg when there was no fire.
It turned out it was missing its old master and waiting for that first bite of food.
That old crane had flown to the City of the Wrongfully Dead and refused to leave, likely not just because of the spiritual rhythm of the Gathering Fortune Pavilion.
It was more likely because it treated that place as its new home, waiting for a person who could never return.
Chen Zhou looked at Song Zi'an's eyes, which were full of hope, and sighed softly in his heart.
"Don't be in such a hurry." Chen Zhou raised a hand and pressed down slightly, signaling for him to stay calm.
"Your master's crane isn't in this deep palace. It's at my place."
"Huh?" Song Zi'an was stunned, his mouth hanging open as he failed to react for a long moment.
Chen Zhou cleared his throat and gave a rough description of the Nine-Age Crane crouching by the stove in the Gathering Fortune Pavilion, its fights with the unaging pine, and the incident where he plucked its feathers.
As Chen Zhou described it, Song Zi'an's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
"That's him... yes, that's definitely Ling."
"He's incredibly protective of his food, and he's the only one who dares to act wild on Master's stove. This is great... Ling is still alive, he's still alive!"
To Song Zi'an, the old crane was not just his master's pet; it was the only remaining connection between him and his master.
If the crane was still alive, it meant Master might also...
"My lord," Song Zi'an asked urgently.
"Since Ling went to your place, was there anyone with him when he arrived?"
"Was there an old man with a pot on his back?"
Chen Zhou shook his head.
"No."
Chen Zhou spoke the truth. "He flew over by himself with a few other cranes. After reaching the Gathering Fortune Pavilion, he simply refused to leave."
The light in Song Zi'an's eyes dimmed slightly, but it quickly flared up again.
"Since the cranes flew away, it means Master might have sensed some danger at the time and released Ling in advance."
Song Zi'an muttered to himself, as if trying to comfort himself.
"Ling is spiritual; he knows where is safe. The fact that he could fly to you, my lord, shows he knew you could protect him."
Immediately after, he frowned and looked at the eerie palace wall that had swallowed the paper crane.
"But if Ling is at your place, why is there such a strong scent of crane feathers here?"
"The scent lingers without dissipating, and has even seeped into the wall..."
Chen Zhou pondered for a moment, his gaze deep as he looked into the depths of the palace wall.
"Perhaps it was left behind when your master entered the palace."
"Since the crane flew away, it proves your master did encounter an irresistible force."
"But since there is a residual aura in this palace wall—enough to attract your paper crane—it means your master definitely came here and stayed for quite a while."
"It's even possible he left something here or made some kind of preparation."
Chen Zhou patted Song Zi'an on the shoulder, helping him settle his turbulent emotions.
"Don't worry. As long as he was here, there will be traces."
"Since this wall doesn't want us to see, we'll just look in a different way."
After comforting Song Zi'an, Chen Zhou told him to rest to the side and calm down.
Although Song Zi'an was burning with anxiety, he knew he had lost his composure. He could only suppress his impulses and retreat to the side.
Chen Zhou turned around, his gaze falling on Wu Gou, who had been eating spirit fruit and watching the show the entire time.
"Have you seen enough?" Chen Zhou asked with a faint smile.
Wu Gou chewed on the fruit and said indistinctly, "It's quite touching. But the walls in this palace are indeed interesting. Even this poor monk can't see through how many hungry ghosts are hidden inside."
Chen Zhou pointed at the ground beneath their feet. "Since you're here, it would be a waste not to do something."
"Don't you know an earth-traveling technique?"
"Go underground for me and investigate."
"Investigate what?" Wu Gou took a wary step back, clutching the spirit fruit to his chest. "Don't you even think about tricking me."
"Investigate the dragon vein," Chen Zhou said calmly.
"The dragon carp is so excited; it's been restless since we entered the palace. I need to know exactly what's down there before I can decide how to eat this meal."
"Not going!" Wu Gou shook his head like a rattle, the fat on his face trembling.
"Listen to yourself! Is that something a human would say?"
"There are so many dirty things underground, and you want me to go? I'm just a powerless toddler!"
Wu Gou widened his eyes. "And this is beneath the imperial palace. Who knows how many resentful souls and malevolent ghosts are down there?"
"If I get caught, with my tender skin and meat, won't they turn me into a snack?"
"I'm not going. If you want to go, go yourself. You're the fiend, your skin is thick."
Chen Zhou didn't waste words. He pulled Song Zi'an over and said slowly, "Once this is done, I'll have Song Zi'an prepare an entire Imperial Feast just for you."
"You can order whatever you want to eat until you're full."
"You've tasted his skills. This is a promise from a future Heavenly Chef."
"Deal!"
Wu Gou straightened his posture, pressed his palms together, and assumed a solemn, sacred expression. "If I do not enter hell, who will?"
"This monk shall make the trip. To save all living beings and to uncover the truth, it is my bounden duty."
With that, a flash of golden light erupted from his body, and he instantly sank into the ground, vanishing from sight.
Watching this scene from the side, Song Zi'an asked weakly, "My lord, will the master be alright going alone?"
"He really looks like just a child."
Chen Zhou smiled, looking at the spot where Wu Gou had disappeared. "Rest assured."
"The thing in this world that can actually treat him as a snack hasn't been born yet."
Ksitigarbha of Great Vows was a ruthless figure, and Wu Gou was a soul-shard of that ruthless man. If the dirty things underground provoked him, it was hard to say who would be eating whom.
Having sent Wu Gou away, Chen Zhou prepared to move as well.
The side hall was nice, but he hadn't come here to sleep.
During the banquet, he had heard that the old Emperor was bedridden with a serious illness and usually saw no one. There was also a very mysterious high offering in the palace who also never appeared.
Although Yin Wudao held power, it was clear that many secrets were still hidden deep within this imperial palace.
With so many secrets, Chen Zhou was very interested.
The palace was swarming with powerful ghosts and thick with death qi. For others, it was a dragon's pool or a tiger's den, but for an evil spirit, wasn't it just like his own backyard?
Nothing would be able to stop him.
Rate on N.U.
