Misty Rain of the Old Times

The fighting took place some distance away, and Chen Xuan couldn't see the specifics clearly. He could only see the glint of swords and spears flashing in the setting sun in that direction, and at least a dozen people were fighting. Whether it was a group fight or a melee was unknown.

Turning his gaze back towards the small island, he realized that the purpose of this trip was to acquire the white cloudwood, and the fighting there could be ignored for the time being.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Xuan tentatively approached the small island, wanting to try to communicate with the crane to obtain the white cloud wood. It would be best to avoid conflict. It wasn't a matter of being afraid or not. If he fought with it, how much pain would it be if he got injured?

If all else fails, we'll think of something else.

As Chen Xuan approached, when they were about four or five miles apart, the crane perched on the white cloud tree lazily looked at him.

Such a distance is nothing to Chen Xuan, but ordinary people can't see that far at all.

Realizing that going any further would likely push him into its repulsive zone, Chen Xuan stopped. There was nowhere to put his feet around, so he simply stood on the water as if he were weightless.

Although he guessed that it was likely to be intelligent, Chen Xuan didn't know how to start a conversation or what to call it.

Judging from its appearance, it was definitely much older than Chen Xuan, but it was just a spirit bird after all. Calling it "senior" was one thing, but what else could it be called? Calling it "little bird" seemed a bit disrespectful.

Surprisingly, under the crane's gaze, Chen Xuan actually felt a slight discomfort. In his senses, it was as if an incomparably sharp sword was pointing at him from afar, and even he felt a chilling, cutting sensation.

If he was like this, one can imagine how someone below the Grandmaster level would tremble with fear just from a glance, like an ant facing a ferocious beast.

Just as he was hesitating about how to greet them, the white crane spoke first.

"What are you doing here? If you have nothing to do, get lost. Don't fall into the water again after just a few words and disturb my rest."

The voice was light and clear, not very distinct, but it was indeed a complete sentence, like a local dialect from a small place, which Chen Xuan understood.

The tone, well, it was a mix of boredom and curiosity, along with a hint of anticipation, but the person seemed to have a rather bad temper.

The key point is that it can actually talk, which surprised Chen Xuan even though he had expected it.

But they quickly came to terms with it. These beasts at this level were quite intelligent, and mimicking human speech was not difficult for them. They could understand human meaning, and with proper interaction and training, they could communicate normally.

Just like some puppies, they can understand some simple commands from their owners over time, so it's not unacceptable that this crane can talk and communicate.

However, what made Chen Xuan raise an eyebrow slightly was that its voice came from afar, and it actually carried a faint and agile sword intent without making a sound!
How to describe that sword intent? It's like white clouds in the sky, agile and ethereal, hidden in the formless, making it impossible to defend against.

It was only thanks to Chen Xuan's Grandmaster cultivation that he survived; otherwise, anyone with any Innate cultivation level would have been severely injured by the silent sword intent just from those words he uttered, and would surely have died soon.

I didn't sense any strong rejection or indifferent killing intent from it; rather, it seemed more like boredom. Even when it told me to get lost, it was as if it was more curious about my reaction.

The other person gave him a strange feeling, like someone who had been bored for too long finally encountering something interesting.

So, was the sound it uttered, which contained an invisible, deadly sword intent, intentional or accidental?
Considering that it is, after all, a beast, no matter how intelligent it is, it probably won't restrain itself from paying attention to these small details like a real human. Every move it makes will be instinctive, and it will do what it should do. Thinking of this, Chen Xuan immediately stopped worrying about it, just like worrying about whether a dog's bark will scare a child.

At this moment, Chen Xuan thought of the old friend Ling Yun had mentioned. Could that person be like this, who heard a crane's words from afar, was hurt by the invisible sword intent, was terrified, and died not long after he managed to leave?
It's probably true. After all, the crane didn't have such thoughts, but the difference was too great for an ordinary person to bear. Being human doesn't mean knowing the importance of such details.

In a flash of thought, since it seemed to understand human nature and could communicate, it must have spent a considerable amount of time with humans. Chen Xuan didn't treat it as a mere wild beast, so he greeted it politely, bowing as if to a human, "Hello."

Since no form of address seems appropriate, let's just respond with the simplest opening line.

Upon hearing those two words, the white crane, which had been using the canopy of the white cloud tree as a nest, tilted its pointed head, looked at Chen Xuan with some surprise, and asked again, "Human, aren't you afraid of me?"

Just a moment ago he was telling Chen Xuan to get lost, but now he seems to have forgotten about it. His thought process seems a bit erratic.

It has high intelligence, but is it just like a child with no consistency? After all, intelligence is not always the same as IQ, just like many people are very knowledgeable but do not understand human relationships.

With a smile, Chen Xuan replied, "You haven't shown me any hostility, so why should I be afraid of you?" "Helplessness?" It tilted its head again, as if trying to understand the word, then spoke haltingly, "Speak slower, I can't quite keep up."

Chen Xuan understood this. Although it could communicate, it couldn't communicate normally like a human. It often needed to think before it could understand even simple things, which might be because it hadn't communicated with people for a long time.

Then it said, "Human, you mean you're not afraid of me because I didn't attack you, right?"

"Use your hands?" You should say "use your mouth, your claws, your wings," so there are still barriers to communication between humans and animals, but that's the gist of it.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "Yes, we can communicate, so why should I be afraid of you?"

If it were someone else, they would probably say, "You probably think I have a good temper, but this crane isn't human, so you can't look at it with normal human thinking."

It seemed to have forgotten the previous conversation, and then said in its strange voice, slightly pleased, "Human, you are the twenty-ninth I have ever seen, but the only one who is not afraid of me and dares to stay and talk to me."

"Twenty-nine?" Chen Xuan was surprised. Did so many people come here? The previous twenty-eight were probably either killed by your words or scared away when they saw you.

It nodded in a human-like manner and said, "That's right, you are the thirty-second one I've met, the only one who isn't afraid of me. I've been here for forty-six years, and the lake has frozen and thawed fifty-three times. Of the eighteen people I've met, they either fell into the water to bathe after I said a word and never came up again, or they left in terror, not giving me a chance to say a second word. You are the first person in sixty-four years to listen to me say so much."

Chen Xuan: “…”

It actually said so much at once, but Chen Xuan was more and more confused as he listened. Wasn't it just twenty-eight a moment ago? How did it come up with thirty-two and eighteen? And you've been here for forty-six years, the lake has frozen fifty-three times, and then it became sixty-four years.

In a flash, Chen Xuan realized that although it was quite intelligent, it couldn't count and was rather confused about numbers, so what it said was completely nonsensical.

But one thing is certain: it has been here for at least several decades, and several dozen people have seen it. Every year, a very small number of people accidentally wander into this place, which is a normal frequency.

Anyway, judging from what it said, one can imagine the fate of the people it had seen. Countless people had perished in this lake, not even having the right to listen to a word it said. It's a miracle that old friend Lingyun was able to hold on or leave before dying.

No wonder Ling Yun avoided mentioning Bai Yunmu before. With this crane that kills without leaving a trace, ordinary people are simply courting death.

The key is that it has no distinction between good and evil. It didn't feel anything was wrong with so many people dying. It's fortunate that it has always stayed here. If it had such a simple nature, who knows how many people would have died outside without even knowing how they died.

Speechless, Chen Xuan hesitated before saying, "That would be my honor."

"I love to hear that," it said, raising its neck proudly, as if it had actually understood.

These strange beasts, which do not understand good and evil, are like a child holding a gun, which is the most terrifying thing. What if one day they get the urge and run outside?
In light of this, and considering that Chen Xuan hadn't forgotten the important matter, he asked, with a mind as unconventional as its own, "You've met so many people, haven't you ever thought about leaving this place?"

If it has the intention to leave, Chen Xuan might have to try to restrain this simple yet dangerous existence. He simply doesn't want innocent lives to be lost, and also, it's paving the way for obtaining the White Cloud Wood from it. After all, if it has the intention to leave, the White Cloud Wood won't be as important to it.

As a bird, how could it understand the complexities of human nature?

It shook its head decisively and said, "I'm not leaving. I'm old and too lazy to move. I want to stay here with Baiyun. He raised me and now he's asleep. I want to stay with him forever. Wherever he is, I won't go anywhere else. Besides, I remember Baiyun telling me not to wander off, because there are always people out there trying to make soup out of me. I don't really understand, but I listen to him. He also said that one day when I'm asleep too, I can talk and play with him again. I'm waiting for that day."

The tone of these words was innocent and expectant, and it was truly remarkable that they could express so much.

Chen Xuan gleaned a lot from these words. It was indeed kept in captivity and had long since recognized its owner. Once an animal recognizes its owner, it is forever. That's why it had stayed here all this time and had never left. Its owner, who should have been called Baiyun, was either a name or a title, but he had already died here. It had been guarding this place, waiting for the day when it would 'fall asleep' and play with its owner again.

All things have a spirit. It may not understand, but it regards its deceased master as its only one. A lie told to it has kept it here forever.

At the same time, Chen Xuan also noticed that although it was pure white, its feathers had lost their youthful and healthy luster, indicating that it was indeed old.

...(End of chapter)