The scout had originally intended to rest his feet and gather some news along the way, but on second thought, he returned to the street and headed toward West City with his head lowered.
After a series of winding turns to shake off any pursuit, he arrived before a seemingly unremarkable house and knocked several times.
An old man with a pallid, bluish face came out to open the door, leaning on a cane. Seeing him, the old man said little, merely stepping aside and ushering him in.
Just under an hour later, in the Public Opinion Hall at the Azure Cloud Sect's Headquarters.
A cute spirit monster with long, prominent ears and a snow-white body, much like a jade rabbit, suddenly lifted its forelegs off the ground and stood upright.
Its ears stood high, as though it had heard something. Then it raced to a nearby desk and, using its paws in place of a brush, swiftly inscribed symbols on a sheet of paper.
This spirit monster was called a Truth-Hearing Rabbit. It was said to be a sacred descendant bearing the bloodline of the exotic beast Truth-Hearing from remote antiquity, a creature of exceptional intelligence and spiritual awareness.
In the Cultivation World, many female cultivators liked to keep such spirit monsters as pets.
But in the Azure Cloud Sect's Public Opinion Hall, they were all important tools for transmitting messages.
After meticulous training and nurturing by the Creature Rearing Office, most could faithfully remain at their posts, helping record confidential documents and correspondence.
Seeing the Truth-Hearing Rabbit's unusual behavior, a nearby officer put down his brush and stepped forward to take a look.
Before long, his expression turned grave. He picked up the encrypted message and approached an adjoining room.
"Hall Master!"
"Come in."
Inside sat a slightly