Hou Niao arrived at the gates of the Guan Residence without an invitation or a visiting card...
An invitation was not strictly necessary when paying birthday respects. All who came were guests, there to congratulate the birthday celebrant. But without a visiting card, things became difficult: you could not even prove your identity. What if an enemy had come to cause trouble?
For a moment, they were at an impasse. Hou Niao knew that someone of his standing should not make a fuss at the gates. If he drew a crowd of onlookers, he would not only lose face himself but might cost the host face as well.
"I've come from a distant country, and it isn't convenient to disclose my name or background. An old friend of Guan Gong entrusted me with this visit. Arguing here will do none of us any good. How about this: take a message to Guan Gong. Tell him an old acquaintance from Mist Marsh has come, and he'll understand."
The gatekeeper did not dare slight him too much, either. His line of work called for a discerning eye. If he kept bringing trouble down on his master, even turning friends into enemies, how could he last long as a gatekeeper?
The cultivation world contained far too many strange people and inconceivable happenings for mortals like them to understand. As far as he was concerned, there was never any harm in asking more questions and consulting his master.
After a few courtesies, he went into the inner hall. He returned shortly afterward, his expression considerably more respectful.
"The master asks that you make your own way into the main hall. He has many guests with him and cannot get away just now..."
With the little girl on his back, Hou Niao stepped into the