In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 218 Stepping on Pang Ban to Make the Emei Sect Famous?

Inside the Golden Hall, Abbess Miejue, Juechen, and Juejue were still discussing matters concerning the Beggars' Sect.

The three of them were unaware of this.

Two figures vanished silently from the sky above the Golden Roof Hall.

Inside the bamboo forest on the east side of Mount Emei, as Gu Shaoan accepted the tea handed to him by Su Xin with a smile, Gu Santong shook his head and said, "You two, master and disciple, are quite interesting. One of you keeps quiet about it, while the other knows but doesn't understand. Is it really worth making such a fuss over a matter concerning the Beggars' Sect?"

When asked by Gu Santong, Gu Shaoan said softly, "Master meant well and was worried that I would be affected by these trivial matters. Since that's the case, why should I, as his disciple, expose him?"

Gu Shaoan isn't a child; he doesn't want to take on everything himself.

It makes it seem like you can't do anything without him.

Abbess Miejue was, after all, his master.

They also have their own considerations and self-respect.

Just like when Gu Shaoan first entered the sect, his master, Abbess Miejue, would often let Gu Shaoan handle things on his own, while Abbess Miejue would cover for him.

Now that Gu Shaoan's strength has improved, what he needs to do is not to always stand out, but to protect his master in crucial moments.

Although Gu Shaoan did not say these things aloud, with Gu Santong and Su Xin's intelligence, they could easily guess what Gu Shaoan was thinking.

In response, Gu Santong sighed and said, "If my brat were as sensible as you, I'd go to the front mountain of your Emei Sect to burn incense every day."

When Cheng Shifei was mentioned, Gu Shaoan asked, "How is Brother Cheng doing lately?"

In response to Gu Shaoan's question, Gu Santong said calmly, "The last letter I received said that he had gone to the border region."

Gu Shaoan asked in astonishment, "The Great Yuan Kingdom?"

Gu Santong shook his head: "No, we're going to the border area where the three kingdoms of Wei, Yuan, and Sui meet. My friend said it would broaden Fei'er's horizons and let her see the people from the other two countries."

Immediately afterwards, Gu Santong looked at Gu Shaoan and said, "But speaking of which, I always feel that you're not as nervous as before after you stepped into the Condensing Yuan Formation Realm. Could it be that you made breakthroughs in other martial arts at the same time as breaking through to the Condensing Yuan Formation Realm?"

Gu Shaoan nodded and said, "I guess so! It might be uncertain if we were to deal with a top-tier expert like Zhu Wushi, but it would be more than enough to deal with the Demon Master Pang Ban."

Thinking of his own "Immovable as a Mountain" entry, Gu Shaoan couldn't help but smile slightly.

Seeing Gu Shaoan's smile, Gu Santong couldn't help but feel a sense of doubt.

Gu San informed Gu Shaoan that he had always acted prudently.

Even if he's 90% sure, he'll say he's 60% sure; he's by no means a complacent person.

Who is the Demon Master Pang Ban?

He can be considered a master on par with Zhu Wushi.

His mastery of the "Great Demon Seed Technique of the Dao Heart" is something no one dares to underestimate.

But Gu Shaoan now looked completely confident.

"Could it be that this kid has gained some new insights into the Emei Sword Manual?"

Gu Santong didn't press for details, and Gu Shaoan didn't bring it up either.

It's not that I don't believe in the ancient three paths, but sometimes, what is unknown to outsiders can be called the "trump card".

If it becomes public knowledge, everyone can take precautions beforehand, so what's the point of having a trump card?
Immediately afterwards, Gu Shaoan thought of the Beggars' Sect.

Others may not know, but Gu Shaoan does.

Based on the timeline, the real Shi Huolong is already dead. The current leader of the Beggars' Sect, Shi Huolong, is just a fake placed there by Zhao Min's people.

Why did they have to jump out just when Pang Ban's twenty-year term was about to expire, and they even seem to be making a big fuss about it?

Gu Shaoan did not believe that the other party's purpose was simply to obtain the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms".

At this point, Gu Shaoan can only think of two possibilities.

Alternatively, this time Shi Huolong and his group are backed by Pang Ban, and their purpose in making such a fuss is to escalate the situation, then make a grand entrance in the public eye, and take the opportunity to announce to the martial arts world that the Demon Master Pang Ban has returned.

Or perhaps this action is aimed at the Evil Sect.

After all, the disciple of the sect leader of the Evil Sect was a potential furnace that Pang Ban had long coveted.

If it's the former.
Thinking of this, Gu Shaoan had a sudden thought.

He then spoke softly, "Senior, what do you think of the idea of ​​our Emei Sect taking the initiative to issue an invitation and set a time to invite the Demon Master Pang Ban to Emei in person?"

Gu Santong was taken aback when he heard Gu Shaoan's sudden suggestion.

"What do you mean?"

Gu Shaoan said softly, "There's no such thing as being a thief for a thousand days and guarding against thieves for a thousand days. It's already June, and in half a month it will be the day when the Demon Master's twenty-year term expires. Rather than passively waiting for Pang Ban to come to our door, we should be upright and invite Pang Ban to come to the Emei Sect in front of all the people in the martial arts world."

"After Pang Ban returns defeated in front of all the heroes of the world, it might help my Emei Sect rise in status and make the banquets we hold for all directions go more smoothly."

The advancement of a sect's status is not solely determined by the situation of its disciples and masters.

It also needs to be divided into two steps.

First, one had to register with the imperial court.

After all, it concerns tax revenue.

As a martial arts force advances, the area of ​​its influence naturally expands.

The tax revenue that underworld forces can collect each year will also be greater.

According to the regulations of various dynasties, a second-rate power must have at least one martial artist who has returned to the Innate Realm.

A first-rate force needs at least one martial artist who has condensed their Qi into a powerful force.

Top-tier forces, on the other hand, require a martial artist at the Celestial Realm.

There is no specific requirement regarding the number of disciples.

Furthermore, every ten years, each martial arts faction needs to re-register with the imperial court to ensure that there are still martial artists at the Innate Realm within their ranks.

This move was both to ensure the imperial court had a clear understanding of the situation of various forces in the martial arts world and to prevent problems with tax collection in various regions.

The Emei Sect fell from first-rate to second-rate because there were no martial artists who could condense their inner energy into a powerful force after its founder, the heroine Guo Xiang.

The next two generations of the Emei Sect all dreamed of one day restoring the sect to its former glory as a top-tier power.

This goal has even become an obsession for Abbess Miejue and Abbess Wujue. Now, Gu Shaoan has successfully entered the level of Condensing Yuan Qi into Gang in terms of internal energy cultivation, and the Emei Sect naturally has the qualifications to re-enter the first rank.

To elevate the status of the Emei Sect, the first step is to go to the imperial court and re-register.

After registration, the imperial court will also designate new spheres of influence for the Emei Sect, depending on the circumstances.

The area was originally divided into three prefectures: Jiading, Yuzhou, and Xuzhou, which were then expanded to ten prefectures.

Once the imperial court has registered and identified the relevant forces, the Emei Sect will then send out invitations to various Jianghu forces within these ten prefectures, hosting banquets to all sides and declaring its sovereignty.

The imperial court will not get involved in this matter.

After all, the new spheres of influence have been defined. Whether the Emei Sect can find a way to get these martial arts forces to willingly hand over their monthly taxes is up to the Emei Sect itself.

In any case, the imperial court cannot afford to lose even a single copper coin from its 80% tax revenue.

Therefore, if the deterrent effect is insufficient, even after the Emei Sect has been registered and divided into new forces by the imperial court, some Jianghu forces in the prefectures and counties assigned to Emei will inevitably cause unrest.

There will inevitably be some trouble then.

Gu Santong, who was standing to the side, seemed to have realized what was going on and raised an eyebrow, saying, "You want to make the Emei Sect famous by stepping on Pang Ban?"

Gu Shaoan said softly, "Since they're already enemies, kicking them while they're down won't change our identities. It'll even benefit ourselves at their expense, so isn't that good?"

Previously, when Gu Shaoan considered the Demon Master Pang Ban, he only thought about how to deal with him and temporarily resolve the problem.

However, with the improvement of their current strength and trump cards...

Even when the Demon Master Pang Ban himself arrived, Gu Shaoan was not too worried.

In that case, why should Gu Shaoan be so polite?
After listening to Gu Shaoan's words, Gu Santong thought about it and realized that it was indeed true.

Since we've already offended them, what's the harm in offending them even more if we don't want to repair the relationship?
Thinking of this, Gu Santong clicked his tongue twice.

"The Demon Master Palace has really had the worst luck to mess with you. If Pang Ban really can't do anything to you this time, his old face, along with the Demon Master Palace's face, will probably be trampled underfoot by you and the Emei Sect."

"From now on, you will definitely be the number one enemy of the Demon Master's Palace."

Despite his words, Gu Santong seemed to have found some amusement, showing no sign of worry on his face, but rather a hint of excitement.

Gu Shaoan said calmly, "My Emei Sect isn't gold; it's impossible for everyone to like us. In the martial world, it's always more interesting to have a few strong enemies."

"After all, only then will we have more motivation to cultivate diligently until we defeat these so-called powerful enemies."

Gu Santong rubbed his chin and said, "That's true! If there isn't even an opponent or an enemy, this martial world is indeed boring. It's better to go to a brothel to listen to music."

However, as soon as he uttered those words, Gu Santong sensed something was wrong.

When Gu Santong turned his head and met Su Xin's gentle, watery eyes and faint smile, his face stiffened.

"Well, it's just a metaphor. You know I'm a martial arts fanatic. When I was young, I was single-mindedly focused on cultivation. Why would I go to a place like that?"

Gu Shaoan smiled gently as he watched Gu Santong anxiously profess his loyalty to Su Xin.

The tenth day of the month.

The main hall of the Golden Summit of Mount Emei.

The blazing sunlight streamed through the towering window frames, casting shimmering spots of light on the smooth, mirror-like gold-brick floor of the main hall. Instead of bringing warmth, it only amplified the somber and oppressive atmosphere within the hall.

Abbess Miejue sat upright in the main seat, quietly sipping her tea. The eyes of all the elders in the hall were fixed on the black invitation card that was being slowly passed from hand to hand, their faces ashen.

Inside the main hall, the air seemed to freeze, with only the faint sound of burning sandalwood.

The last Elder Jueming to read the post lowered her eyes as the contents of the post gradually came into view.

"On the first day of the tenth month, Shi Huolong, the leader of the Beggars' Sect, together with Yuan Guangbo, the deputy leader of the Evil Sect and leader of the Sea Sand Gang, known as 'Iron-Armed Divine Dragon,' Mai Jing, the leader of the Giant Whale Gang, and Shangguan Tiexiong, the leader of the Iron Fist Sect known as 'Iron-Armed Golden Knife,' jointly ascended to the Golden Summit of Mount Emei to 'demand justice' from the Emei Sect—a tearful appeal from Shi Huolong of the Beggars' Sect and all fellow martial artists!"

A moment later, Elder Jueming slammed the invitation shut and roared, "Damn it! This Shi Huolong actually has the nerve to gather other martial arts forces to put pressure on my Emei Sect. Does he really think that my Emei Sect has no one to rely on?"

Not only Jueming, but everyone else in the hall had a gloomy expression and their eyes were filled with anger.

"Not only that, but today in the martial arts world, rumors are rampant that our Emei Sect has 'seized' and 'coveted' the unique skills of other sects and is unwilling to 'return them to their rightful owners.' There are countless people stirring up trouble. Obviously, these rumors are deliberately spread by forces such as the Beggar Clan. It is utterly shameless!"

"The Sea Sand Gang and the Giant Whale Gang are just a bunch of third-rate forces. Do you really think they can affect my Emei Sect?"

The hall was instantly filled with angry shouts.

The elders either spoke out in anger due to their upright character, or suppressed their anger with livid faces due to their profound cultivation, or felt deeply humiliated by the other party's despicable methods.

Just as this oppressive and violent atmosphere was about to explode to its peak, Abbess Miejue suddenly placed the teacup in her hand under the table next to her.

The sound of the cup hitting the table wasn't loud, but it quickly silenced everyone, who all turned to look at Abbess Miejue.

Abbess Miejue's gaze calmly swept over the faces below, some indignant, some solemn, and some worried. There was no anger in her deep eyes, only a cold, sharp edge that had been tempered to the extreme.

After a few breaths, Abbess Miejue slowly spoke: "Don't even mention the Sea Sand Gang, the Giant Whale Gang is a bunch of third-rate trash. Even if they get together, they are nothing but a rabble."

"Dare to spread rumors and slander the reputation of my Emei Sect? Even if the Beggar Clan doesn't come this time, this humble nun will still demand an explanation."

Immediately afterward, before anyone could speak, Abbess Miejue abruptly changed the subject.

"I have summoned you all here today only to mention the Beggars' Sect. The real matter I want to discuss is something else entirely."

After a pause, Abbess Miejue asked, "I'm sure you all remember what happened at Bright Peak regarding Fang Yeyu, right?"

Although they didn't understand why Abbess Miejue would suddenly bring this up, the others in the hall nodded in agreement.

Upon hearing this, Abbess Miejue continued, "Not long ago, the Great Yuan Kingdom and the Demon Master's Palace sent top experts to infiltrate the heart of my Emei Sect under the cover of night, intending to annihilate my Emei Sect and capture Shao'an."

Upon learning of this, the expressions of those present changed drastically.

With the Demon Master's Palace and Pang Ban involved, no one had the mind to think about such trivial matters as the Beggar Clan.

However, before everyone could think further, Abbess Miejue suddenly spoke up: "The Demon Master Palace of the Great Yuan Kingdom has been causing trouble one after another for no reason. If we ignore it, it will only embolden the Demon Master Palace."

"Today, as the sect leader, I hereby issue this order to spread the word."

"On the ninth day of the tenth month, at the midday hour, our Emei Sect awaits the arrival of the Demon Master Pang Ban atop the Golden Summit, to learn from the great Yuan Dynasty's Demon Master's high skills."

All the elders were completely stunned, their minds blanked by Abbess Miejue's challenge to the Demon Master Pang Ban.

　There's a lot of setup involved! That's why these chapters were written so slowly! I'll try to post the next chapter before 10:30! Three chapters today!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)