Jade Stone's First Encounter

  Wu Lixiu has been practicing for many years and has a wide range of friends. As the 15th of August approaches, guests from all over arrive one after another. There's Cao Kuzhu from Qingjiangpu in Jiangsu, Lu Datou from Sichuan, Di Yin'er from Yunnan, Huang Zedong from Guizhou, Xiao Yuechan from Anhui, Jinzhenshengmu from Hunan, Hu Touchan from Shandong, Wu Xiang from Guangdong, Sanxian Qi Jingke from Fujian, and the most outstanding one, Lingying Botiantong.

  The Wudang Sect still consists of Zhuge Ying and his four companions. The Kunlun Sect, due to Wu Li's invitation, has brought along Yin Suotang from the abandoned disciples of Wushan Yuban Xia and Chichengzi, but none of the Four Friends of Kunlun have shown up, only sending their junior fellow apprentice Cheng Di with his disciple. The Maoshan Sect is represented by Liu Bu Xū, who had previously received the flying sword transmission book from Yue Qing and specially borrowed the True Spirit Position Industry Map from his brother.

  Apart from this, because Yu Fang Heng and the others were neighbors here, Si Taiyu sent out invitations. Not only did Baiyun Dashi attend in person, but also Miao Yi Furen Xun Lan came with a thick gift to congratulate him. Si Taiyu personally went to the mountain gate to welcome them.

  Situ Ping and Shi Sheng, Zhuang Yi these days made friends with Bu Tian Tong from Tudi Island. The four of them happened to be passing through the mountain path when they encountered a group of Emei Sect disciples going up the mountain. Miao Yi's wife saw Shi Sheng's face reveal a look of surprise and asked Situ Taixu, "I see that those few children have very good innate qualities, I wonder which sect's high-ranking disciple they are?"

  Cai Tai Xu replied with great respect: "The two men in yellow robes are disciples of the Wutai Sect, the one in blue is a disciple of Chunyang Sect's Ke Yizi, and the last tall and thin young man is a beloved apprentice of Shang Wuji from Beihai Tudigong Island."

  Xun Lan furrowed her brow slightly, then relaxed it and didn't say anything else, following Si Taixu to the right hall.

  Situ Ping and the other three also saw them. Bu Tian Tong said: "Just now that group of people, aren't they your arch-enemy Emei Sect?"

  Shi Sheng had only heard of it in the past, but had never seen a disciple of Emei Sect before. He curiously turned his head to look over, and Situ Ping pulled him: "Don't look! What's there to see? Let's go explore that dragon cave I just found."

  Shi Sheng gazed out and found that Xun Lanyin was also looking at him, their eyes meeting. A faint smile appeared on Xun Lanyin's face as she slightly nodded towards him. Shi Sheng struggled free from Si Tuping: "That Taoist nun doesn't seem to have good intentions! Since she's our old adversary, she must be brewing some sinister plot in her heart. Why don't we go over and listen to what they're saying?"

  "Absolutely not! My master said that the three saints and two elders of Mount Emei are the top-notch true immortals under heaven, and although Mrs. Miao Yi is slightly inferior to her husband, she also has boundless magical powers. My master himself claims that if he were to encounter them one day, he would definitely not be a match for them. If we were to go there and get caught, and then be presented before our masters, wouldn't that bring shame to our school? Wouldn't it make us the laughing stock of others?"

  Shi Sheng gave him a disdainful glance: "I naturally know that we are not the match of that Taoist nun, but this is Mount Lao and not Emei. As guests of the Lao Mountain sect, what's wrong with us going around to play? Can't we go wherever they are just because it's their place? If she bullies us because of her greater power, then that would be her shame. And if someone laughs at this, it will be laughing at them. What are you afraid of?"

  Situ Ping thought Shi Sheng made a lot of sense: "Shi'er is right, let's go, with Master and Wu Shibo around, what can they do to us?"

  The four of them were certain to hide from Mrs. Miao Yi, so they simply swaggered into the right hall.

  "There's a peony garden over there, with peonies growing taller than the eaves of the house!" Shi Sheng said. "Later we'll go there, I've heard Mother tell stories about the peonies on Lao Mountain becoming spirits, so let's use that as an excuse to argue about which peony has become a spirit and take the opportunity to use the Xuan Guang technique under the leaves of the flowers!"

  Tian Tong said, "Since the two families have been sworn enemies for many years, let's go see the peony. They will definitely be on guard. I think it's best to split up and make some noise to attract their attention."

  Shi Sheng said: "I see that they also have a child with them, similar to me. Why don't I go and compete with him in swordsmanship!"

  The four of them discussed it for a while and made up their minds. Shi Sheng and Zhuang Yi went straight to the Right Palace of the Taiqing Temple, where they had prepared a card that read "Shi Sheng of the Wudai Sect and Zhuang Yi of the Chunyang Sect pay respects to Madame Miao". As they were about to enter the main gate, they saw Duan Hunyuan's disciple, Gan Shen Zhi, coming out from inside. Gan Shen Zhi looked like he was in his thirties, short and stout, with a very strange appearance, golden yellow eyes that bulged out of their sockets, a flat face, wearing a black Taoist robe, with a pair of yellow hemp shorts on the lower half of his body, bare feet and rush shoes. On his chest, there was a faint spider shadow, about the size of a fist, with its teeth bared and claws extended, as if it were alive.

  Gan Shenpao followed Si Taixu to practice Taoism for many years, deeply understanding the grudges of Wutai and Emei schools. As soon as he saw Shi Sheng coming to the door, he secretly thought it was not good and hurriedly asked: "Inside are two seniors from the Emei school, do you want to meet in person?"

  Shi Sheng nodded: "That's right, this is our post." He handed the post to Gan Shen Zhi, "I've long heard of the great name of Miao Yi Furen from Emei Sect, and now I've come to pay my respects."

  Gan Shen Zhu instinctively felt that they were not coming with good intentions, and dissuaded them: "Mrs. Miao Yi has come from afar, all the way from Jiuhua Mountain, and is currently resting. Now disturbing her would make people say that our Cangshan Sect doesn't know how to treat guests properly. You two please consider my humble face and wait for a few more days, let's visit again tomorrow instead?"

  Zhuang Yi quietly pulled at Shi Sheng's sleeve, wanting to pull him away. Shi Sheng had originally intended to attract the attention of Miao Yifu, and didn't mind whether or not he could see her: "In that case, please help me send this letter in, Master."

  Hand over the post to Gan Shen, Shi Sheng and Zhuang Yi turned around and left, along the shaded path turned into the temple side garden, far away heard Si Tu Ping was arguing with someone: "What is your Emei school? This is Laoshan, not Emei! I'm willing to play wherever I want, can you afford it?"

  "Strange, I often heard people in Beihai say that the Emei Sect is tyrannical and lawless, bullying scattered cultivators without a strong backing, killing them at will, destroying both body and soul! Today I see it's indeed true."

  Shi Sheng and Zhuang Yi hurried over to see that Si Tu Ping was arguing with a boy who was even younger than him. The boy was wearing a small jacket with a high collar, had two braids on his head, and wore a golden necklace around his neck. He was the same boy who had followed Miao Yi's wife up the mountain earlier. Standing on top of the fake hill, he raised his chin proudly: "You bunch of evil demons and heretics, don't think I don't know what kind of wicked intentions you have! If you know what's good for you, get out of here quickly. If you keep making a racket, you'll end up with broken arms and legs, and it won't look good on the master's face."

  Shi Sheng rushed over and stood under the artificial hill, looking up to say: "Who are you? Let's exchange names before we fight."

  That little kid glanced at him and proudly said: "You bunch of little monsters, all of you listen up! I am the son of Miao Yi Zhen Ren, the leader of Emei Sect, and my name is Jin Chan!"

  Shi Sheng smiled and said, "So you're the little bastard born to Qi Xuanming and Xun Lanyin. Let me tell you, my name is Shi Sheng, this is my master's younger brother, Si Tu Ping, we are from Wutai..."

  "Ptoo! You wicked Five Tai Pai devil!" Jin Chan heard Shi Sheng call out his parents' names, and instantly stood up from the fake mountain in indignation.

  Shi Sheng didn't get angry either: "You say that our Wu Dang Sect is demonic, I'd say that your Emei Sect is evil!"

  "Nonsense! The Five Peaks Sect is the evil demon, our Emei Sect is upright and dignified, which sect in the world doesn't respect us? Slaying demons and eliminating evil, specializing in killing your kind of evil from the Five Peaks Sect!"

  Situ Ping sneered on the side: "That's right, your Emei School is best at shamelessly bullying the minority with the majority. In those years, it was agreed that one-on-one would fight swords, but three immortals and two old men joined forces to kill my master, among whom there was your shameless father!"

  Jin Chan's face turned red with anger: "You five are so cruel and ruthless, trampling on human lives, cultivating the Ten Demon Dao Fa, aren't you just evil demons?"

  Situ Ping retorted, "Using magic to kill is killing, but when your Emei Sect uses the Purple and Green Double Swords to kill people, it's not considered killing? You say we are ruthless and merciless, but I'd say you're slaughtering innocent people!" Situ Ping grew up following Yue Qing, who treated him like a son. Whether within the Wudang Sect or among fellow Taoist friends from various sects, everyone indulged him, spoiling him. Although he wasn't overly pampered, he inevitably picked up some of the arrogant and overbearing traits of the wealthy and powerful. Now, facing Jin Chan, he showed no weakness.