Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 266 Wooden Bird Subdues Dragon and Tiger

"The Crimson Spirit Sect must have a reason for doing this." Jiang Yun put down his carving knife. "Otherwise, there would be no need for them to assassinate a leading figure of the righteous path and incur the wrath of the righteous path."

"Whatever their motives," Chen Anran said, "the justice for Master Zhang must be served."

Upon hearing this, Feng Xiaolu turned to look at Chen Anran. Looking at his cold profile, the sadness in her heart seemed to find a foothold, and she nodded vigorously.

Huiming also stopped chanting the sutra and said softly, "Evil cannot prevail over good. Although we are weak, we should still do our best on this journey."

The atmosphere eased slightly, and Feng Lie couldn't help but become lively again, leaning towards the window and pointing to the vague outline of a mountain below, asking all sorts of questions. Feng Changyuan helplessly chatted with his younger brother. Qi Lan occasionally chimed in, seemingly quite knowledgeable about mountains and rivers from various places. Jiang Yun continued carving, the wood in his hands gradually taking on the shape of a crane with its head held high and wings outstretched.

Wei Qingyi quietly got up and sat down in the empty seat next to Chen Anran.

"Is your injury still stable?" She asked in a very low voice, so that only the two of them could hear her.

Chen Anran nodded slightly: "It's alright. The flow of spiritual energy is smooth now, and controlling this flying bird doesn't consume much energy."

Wei Qingyi hummed in agreement, her gaze falling on Chen Anran's right hand resting on the armrest. His fingers were long and slender, with distinct knuckles, and he was slightly clenching his fist, revealing the veins on the back of his hand.

"Don't be impulsive." Her voice remained cold, but carried a hint of barely perceptible concern. "Longhu Mountain is now at the center of the storm. Finding out the truth is important, but protecting yourself is also a responsibility to the sect and... to those around you."

Chen Anran turned her head to look at Wei Qingyi. Her eyes were clear, reflecting the flowing clouds outside the window, without any extra emotion, as if she were simply stating a fact.

"I understand, Second Senior Sister," Chen Anran said in a low voice. "We will advance and retreat together on this journey."

Wei Qingyi's lips curved slightly. She said nothing more and closed her eyes again, as if she were regulating her breathing.

Feng Xiaolu watched this scene unfold, her fingers tightening slightly as she gripped the backpack strap. She recalled Feng Changyuan's words, the chaotic thoughts she had had while tossing and turning last night, and the unspoken, natural understanding between Chen Anran and Wei Qingyi. Her heart felt like a tangled mess, heavy and uneasy, with a strange mix of emotions.

She shook her head, forcing herself to stop thinking and refocusing her attention on the scenery flashing past the window.

Time passed slowly in the flight. As the sun rose higher, the wooden bird pierced through the clouds and began to descend. Below, the outlines of the rolling mountains gradually became clear, with one peak standing out particularly majestically, its imposing presence resembling a coiled dragon and a crouching tiger, shrouded in mist.

We've arrived at Longhu Mountain.

Chen Anran controlled the wooden bird and slowly descended towards the relatively flat and open welcoming plaza on the side of the main peak.

Before they even landed, they could already see a crowd of people on the platform. Monks in various attire were either meditating alone or chatting quietly in twos and threes. Further away, there were also carriages arriving later.

The entire Longhu Mountain was closed off, and apart from cultivators, there wasn't a single tourist in sight.

The wooden bird folded its wings, its spiritual light subdued, and landed steadily in a slightly empty corner at the edge of the welcoming plaza. The hatch slid open, and Chen Anran stepped out first.

The hushed conversations on the welcoming plaza fell silent. Countless gazes were fixed on them, strongly recommending "Senior Sister, Stop Working, Go Home for Dinner!" They were directed straight to the exciting part. The gazes fell on Chen Anran and her group, but even more so on the enormous mechanical wooden bird that hadn't yet been put away. A mixture of emotions—surprise, awe, inquiry, scrutiny—was palpable in those eyes.

Longhu Mountain is one of the ancestral temples of Taoism. Although many cultivators come and go on a daily basis, such a large flying artifact, which is clearly in the style of ancient cultivation, has not appeared in the world for many years. Some of the older cultivators even showed reminiscence and amazement in their eyes.

"That's... a mechanical beast?"

"What an exquisite creation! The spiritual energy fluctuations are so harmonious; I wonder which school of thought created it?"

"Judging from their attire, they don't seem to belong to any well-known or prestigious sect..."

"Could they be a reclusive family?"

A murmur of whispers arose, then quickly subsided at the urging of some. Those who could arrive at Longhu Mountain at this moment were all prominent figures in the cultivation world or well-informed individuals; even if they didn't recognize the Yunyin Sect, they wouldn't rashly step forward to offend them.

Chen Anran remained calm, seemingly unaware of the gazes around him, and simply tucked the mechanical bird back into his sleeve, reducing it to the size of his palm.

Wei Qingyi stood half a step to Chen Anran's side, with Feng Xiaolu close behind. Feng Xiaolu tried to straighten her back, her eyes still slightly red, but she had already perked up, curiously observing the unfamiliar cultivators and their various attire around her. Huiming held prayer beads, his eyes lowered, silently reciting scriptures. The Feng brothers, Qi Lan, and Jiang Yun stood slightly behind, observing their surroundings with varying expressions.

Those present were all from neighboring sects and families, mixed with independent cultivators. People familiar to Chen Anran and his group, such as those from Maoshan, the Jiang family, and the Feng family, had not yet arrived.

Just then, a voice, choked with emotion and filled with sobs, came from the front of the crowd:

"Fellow Daoist Chen! Fellow Daoist Feng! Senior Wei! You...you've arrived!"

He Qingyun, dressed in plain white mourning clothes, with a mourning cap on his head, red and swollen eyes and a haggard face, quickly came forward, surrounded by several Longhu Mountain disciples who were also dressed in mourning clothes.

Chen Anran quickly stepped forward, helped He Qingyun who was about to bow, and said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist He, please accept my condolences. We also share the grief and indignation upon hearing of the matter concerning Elder Zhang."

He Qingyun gripped Chen Anran's arm tightly, his fingers trembling slightly, his voice hoarse: "Thank you... thank you all for coming. My master... died so unjustly!" He fought back tears, his gaze sweeping over the crowd behind Chen Anran. Seeing Feng Xiaolu's red eyes, his heart ached even more. "Fellow Daoist Feng..."

Feng Xiaolu sniffed and said in a hoarse voice, "Grandpa Zhang, he..."

He Qingyun shook his head, took a deep breath, and barely calmed himself down. He then stepped aside to lead the way: "This is not the place to talk. Please follow me. Longhu Mountain has arranged a temporary resting place for fellow practitioners who have come from afar. My master's memorial hall is set up in Qianyuan Hall. The grand ceremony will be held at Chenshi (7-9 AM) in two days."

He Qingyun led Chen Anran and his group through the welcoming plaza. Along the way, cultivators constantly nodded to He Qingyun, their eyes filled with sympathy and indignation. Chen Anran could clearly sense that the entire Longhu Mountain was shrouded in a heavy and oppressive atmosphere.

The deeper one goes, the denser the spiritual energy becomes, yet it is subtly mixed with an indescribable chill. As a sacred site of Taoism for thousands of years, Longhu Mountain's protective array has long been fully activated, with spiritual light appearing and disappearing throughout the mountains, indicating a heavily guarded defense.

"Since the night of the incident, the mountain-protecting formation has been operating day and night," He Qingyun explained in a low voice, his voice weary. "My junior sister said that since the thieves were able to sneak into the back mountain silently, there's no guarantee they won't attack again, so we have to be on guard."