Hidden Danger

The tiny black shadow beneath its wings kept wriggling, seemingly still struggling without giving up on escaping. The Little Paper Crane pressed down on it for a while, then cocked its head to one side and secretly peeked beneath its wing. After watching for a long time, it suddenly lifted one wing, then flapped it back down in a savage strike.

After smacking it seven or eight times in succession, the Little Paper Crane lowered its head again to inspect the little black shadow beneath its wing. The thing, scarcely bigger than an eye booger, had stopped moving. Only then did the Little Paper Crane release its wing, revealing a flea-like Strange Worm.

At this moment, new sounds came from the direction of the residence's kitchen—clearly audible were suppressed laughter, along with chewing and swallowing.

The Little Paper Crane raised its head and looked toward the kitchen. After a hazy, obscure, misty flicker of change passed over its head, everything above its neck turned into a lifelike crane head, only countless sizes smaller.

"Chirp..."

A soft crane's cry came from the Little Paper Crane's mouth, and the lively sounds from the kitchen abruptly fell silent.

The Little Paper Crane picked up the Strange Worm in its beak, flapped its wings, and flew up again toward the residence's kitchen, slipping in through a gap between the eaves and the wall.

With a creak, the kitchen door opened. The older Old Man Li held up a candlestick and leaned out, shone towards the courtyard.

"Dad, did you see anything?" "Yeah, Uncle Li, what was that sound just now?"

Using the candlelight, the old man narrowed his eyes and looked around, but saw nothing.

"It sounded like some bird call. Maybe some bird starving after the start of spring landed in the courtyard.