Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

Chapter 171 Turning stone into gold

Because of Yi Yang's need for the spirit-splitting formation, their headquarters imprisoned countless demons. Because of this, the White Lotus Sect gained a lot of hatred in the demon community. Once the protective formation was broken, the elders of the little demons came to settle scores one by one.

When the parents arrived, everyone naturally went back to their own homes and mothers. However, considering that some of them had rather explosive tempers and might easily injure others if they started fighting right away, the task of dealing with the monsters was given to Qingyangzi and Jingtaojun.

The two of them were proper Taoist masters with high martial arts skills. Just by standing in front of them, the monsters would know not to act impulsively. Even if they did act impulsively, a single blow of their whisks would make them behave.

In addition, Qingyangzi had stayed in the main camp, and although it was not for long, it was enough for him to get a thorough understanding of the situation. He knew exactly how many places had organized demon-catching operations, and he also knew where the most small demons were captured. As an insider, it was very convenient for him to solve certain problems.

Moreover, it's only an exception when a powerful demon comes knocking. Most of the lesser demons that get captured are mountain spirits without any backing. Many of these little guys are just called "demons" and their fighting power is probably not even as good as a mortal who knows a little bit of martial arts. If you let them go home on their own, Liu Qingyuan is afraid that they will run away and get lost.

Another task for Qingyangzi and Jingtaojun was to send these little monsters back along the previous transport route. This task can be simply summarized as "releasing them back to life".

Jingtao Jun still can't understand the original's thought process of sending two Taoist priests to release small monsters everywhere. Could it be that because his and Qingyangzi's color schemes are not "ordinary", they were arranged to come into contact with monsters in this way?

The two released the monsters all the way to the outskirts of Chang'an City, where they encountered a man circling by the river, seemingly looking for something.

From the moment they left the area, returned the little monsters, and walked back here, the man lingered by the river, impossible to ignore.

Upon closer inspection, one can see that this man is also a cultivator, and his cultivation level appears to be quite high, as if he has already entered the path of immortality.

So here's the question: what could such a capable person have lost that would make him so anxious?

"Where did they go...where did they go..."

"This fellow Taoist."

"Who... Ouch!"

In his anxiety, the man heard someone speak beside him. Judging from the address, it seemed to be a "fellow traveler." Without thinking, he turned around and was met with a blue and white expanse. Startled, he took a few steps back and stepped on a small stone by the riverbank. Just as he was about to fall into the river, Jingtao Jun pulled him back with his whisk.

Seeing the opponent's move, which was comparable to a flat fall, Jingtao Jun suddenly doubted whether he was seeing things. Was this really someone who had already entered the path of immortality?

But aura doesn't lie. This man is indeed no ordinary person. If he were a demon, they couldn't sense any demonic aura at all. His spiritual energy is stronger than that of many fox spirits. Even if he hasn't truly joined the ranks of immortals, his cultivation level must at least be at least "half-immortal".

"Why are you so alarmed, fellow Daoist? I, Jingtao Jun, do not consider myself a bad person."

Seeing that the person had regained their footing, Jingtao put away his whisk.

"...I apologize for the inconvenience; I didn't see it clearly just now."

After standing still, the man looked at the two people in front of him. Whether it was Qingyangzi or Jingtaojun, their appearances were different from ordinary people, but they were not "scary" at all. At most, their colors were a bit too bright.

He was so focused on finding something that he didn't even see what the person calling him looked like when he turned around. He only caught a glimpse of a large expanse of blue and white, which contrasted sharply with the surrounding greenery. That's why he took a few steps back without paying attention to his footing.

Looking closely now, the large expanse of blue and white turned out to be the clothes and hair of the person in front of him. A little further away, there was also a red and white color scheme. Although these two colors of hair were a bit unusual, even the gods in the heavens had similar appearances, and the man quickly accepted it.

"What are you looking for, fellow Daoist? My friend and I were passing by when we saw you lingering here for quite some time."

"This one……"

The man's lost item was very important. He looked at the two people in front of him; they didn't look like ordinary wandering Taoist priests, but rather like celestial beings. If so, it shouldn't be a problem to tell them.

"Have you two seen a stone nearby? It's about half the size of a palm and has a crystal-clear surface."

"Stone?"

Upon hearing this, Qingyangzi and Jingtaojun exchanged a glance, not understanding why a stone would make the other party so anxious.

"No, what's the difference between this stone and the stones in the river?"

When they released the monster, they didn't see any special stones. The other party kept searching along the riverbank, so they guessed it was some kind of special treasure in the river.

"No, it's not a river stone."

Realizing the two might have misunderstood, the man quickly explained.

"I see that you two are also immortals, so I will not hide anything. I once traveled with Baozhenzi and he gave me a gem, a treasure that immortals use to turn stones into gold. I lost it a few days ago when I was drunk and lost control, so I have come back today to look for it."

The man's name was Zhen Sheng. He had learned some magic tricks to turn stones into gold through this gem, and now that the gem was lost, he was naturally very anxious.

“I’ve searched along the river three times already; the gem has probably been picked up by someone.”

Although Zhen Sheng is now worthy of being called a "master" and can perform the magic of turning stone into gold without that gem, it doesn't mean he doesn't need that gem anymore. After all, it's a treasure, and who wouldn't feel heartbroken if he lost it?

What he feared most was that the gems would be picked up by ordinary people. Ordinary people didn't know the secret to turning stones into gold, nor did they know the rules. If they accidentally used it, things would get chaotic.

"You two really didn't see it? That rock is similar in shape to this one."

As he spoke, Zhen Sheng pulled a black stone from his sleeve. It was about half the size of his palm and had no translucent surface; it was just a rough black stone.

This should be the medium through which Zhen Sheng himself performed the art of turning stone into gold. It is not quite the same as the one given to him by Bao Zhenzi, but according to him, the two stones are basically the same in shape. His own stone is black and looks inconspicuous, while the one given to him by Bao Puzi is crystal clear and looks more like jade.

If it looks more like jade, it is indeed easier for someone to pick it up.

“We have some connections with the monsters in the area, so perhaps we can help you keep an eye out for them.”

A gemstone capable of turning lead into gold is indeed an extraordinary item, but it's also a treasure that can easily cause trouble, and should be taken seriously.

The two had just returned the captured little monsters from the neighborhood to their homes, so they didn't need to worry about connections. However, if a mortal picked it up, it would be really hard to find, and it would very likely be sold as jade.

"Sigh, drinking leads to trouble."

Zhen Sheng picked up a twig from somewhere, sat on the ground, and started writing and drawing on the ground in front of him with the twig.

Wait, where did the cushion under this person's butt come from?

Qingyangzi and Jingtaojun stood on either side of him, looking down at Zhensheng's movements on the ground. The two of them, one holding a fan and the other a whisk, with Zhensheng sitting in the middle, made a symmetrical and harmonious scene. Anyone who didn't know them would think that the three of them had known each other before.

Looking at the patterns on the ground, it's clear that Zhen Sheng is trying to find out where the gem he lost has gone through divination.

"I should have known better than to drink so much. I must have been acting crazy while drunk..."

Zhen Sheng sat cross-legged on the ground, drawing with a twig in one hand and calculating with the other in front of him, constantly complaining about his negligence. He looked busy, but his busyness was orderly.

Putting aside the fall they made when they first met, Zhen Sheng was indeed a cultivator with real strength. He was very skilled in this divination process and quickly obtained the answer.

"It really was picked up by someone else. Let me count again to see who it was... Oh no!"

After figuring out who had picked up the gem, Zhen Sheng's eyes widened, and he sprang up from the ground. If the people standing on either side hadn't retreated quickly, the three of them would have bumped heads together.

"Why is it him?"

After standing up, Zhen Sheng threw down the branch and clutched his head in distress. He recognized the person who had picked up the gem, but he would have preferred that the person opposite him was a complete stranger.

"Fellow Daoist, do you know who it is?"

"I know, but he... sigh."

Thinking about the answer he had just received, Zhen Sheng couldn't help but sigh.

“It was an old friend of mine. Although he was a mortal, he had seen me use magic. He probably picked up the gem because he remembered this black one of mine.”

A former friend—the emphasis isn't on "friend," but on "former"—we hadn't seen each other for over a year due to some conflicts.

As it turned out, he picked up the lost gem. They hadn't seen each other for over a year, and now that the incident was over, it was inevitably awkward.

"We had a conflict before because of this magic that turns stones into gold. Now that we're going again, I don't know if he'll be willing to return the stones."

Zhen Sheng's friend was an ordinary mortal. The two had shared drinks and become close friends. When their relationship was good, whenever his friend was in trouble, Zhen Sheng would use his black stone to conjure up some silver for him to use in an emergency.

This spell looks like cheating, but Zhen Sheng keeps the rules firmly in mind. Every time he conjures up silver, he calculates it in advance so that the amount of silver given is just enough for his friend to solve the problem, without any leftovers.

Gold and silver are precious and are wealth that everyone desires. While the ability to turn stone into gold is indeed miraculous, it can lead to disaster if exploited by greedy people. Zhen Sheng's friend, who came from a poor family, had tried to learn the art of turning stone into gold after witnessing it, but Zhen Sheng refused. Later, when the friend received emergency funds and wanted more, Zhen Sheng laughed at his greed and ultimately did not give him any extra money.

If they had continued like this, their friendship would have continued. But one day, Zhen Sheng got drunk at a dinner party, and his friend actually tried to find his black stone and take it away!

Zhen Sheng is no ordinary person; he uses a special method to store things on his person. Not only did his friend fail to find the stone that could conjure money out of thin air, but he also woke Zhen Sheng up because of his excessive movements.

Zhen Sheng was greatly disappointed by his friend's behavior and no longer wanted to associate with him. So he changed his residence, and the two did not see each other for more than a year.

Two former best friends parted ways because of the Midas touch, but more than a year later, they are about to meet again because of the Midas touch.

"Do you need any help? Mr. Jingtao, though I am not very capable, I do have some experience in negotiations."

Jingtao was somewhat interested in the gem that could turn stone into gold. He had already given it to all the little monsters in the area, and as the saying goes, work and rest should be balanced. He and Qingyangzi should also have some "leisure" to relax on.

"This kind of thing should definitely not fall into the hands of greedy people."

Qingyangzi was also willing to help. He approved of Zhensheng's rules for performing the art of turning stone into gold, as well as his attitude towards greedy people. He believed that there should indeed be some rules to restrain such a thing as turning stone into gold.

If the friend who was truly born had indeed taken the gem with the magic of turning stones into gold, Qingyangzi would advise him to use some forceful means to get it back. Judging from previous experiences, the two friends have already broken up.

"Thank you both for your kindness, but the divination indicates that I can go alone."

Zhen Sheng didn't want to trouble others too much; losing the gem was his own mistake.

"Once I get the gems back, I'll have to consider quitting drinking."

The falling out with that friend happened after I got drunk, and now losing the gemstone is also due to excessive drinking. All the bad things are related to alcohol. Maybe he should drink less in the future.

"It is fate that we met you two. Once the gem is retrieved, I will treat you to drinks."

"...Didn't you just say you were going to quit drinking?"

"Ah, haha, that's right..."

Judging from this, this fellow practitioner's path to quitting alcohol is likely to be very difficult.

Knowing who had picked up the gem, Zhen Sheng stopped lingering by the river and immediately went to find the friend he hadn't seen for over a year after their argument.

Even if Qingyangzi and Jingtaojun hadn't come, he would have chosen to divine directly anyway. But after meeting the two of them, he felt that they were no ordinary people and might have found the gem before him.

It's obviously better for a skilled cultivator to find such a treasure than for it to be seen by demons or mortals, because everyone knows that such treasures are precious and cannot be used casually, as using them might bring trouble upon oneself. The best solution is to return it to its rightful owner.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans. The real gem was not only picked up by a mortal, but also by someone he knew well who had coveted the magic of turning stone into gold.

"Turning stone into gold means an endless stream of wealth. If you had this ability, Qingyangzi, what would you do?"

"Unearned wealth may eventually backfire."

"It's just a suggestion, so please tell me."

Zhen Sheng didn't demonstrate it to them, so the two didn't know what true alchemy was like, nor did they really want to possess such a heaven-defying magic; they were just chatting casually.

"If we could truly turn lead into gold, any financial problem could be solved."

Qingyangzi began to think, and then...

"In this way, the reconstruction plan for Shenglongkou, which was previously unable to be implemented, can be restarted!"

"you mean……"

Jingtao Jun's smile froze as he recalled some unpleasant memories. Qingyangzi's next words immediately confirmed his suspicions.

"The Twelve Palaces of the Holy Dragon!"

Speaking of this, Qingyangzi got excited.

"As long as we don't have to worry about the finances, the formation of the Twelve Palaces of the Holy Dragon can be realized, and we can even turn lead into gold. We can directly forge twelve sets of golden armor, so that everyone is the same color, and we can quickly find our allies when fighting in groups against the enemy."

"..."

Jingtao wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say. Qingyangzi's naming and plan were really too... He shouldn't have started this!

The person who brought up the topic regretted it, but Qingyangzi, the one being asked, began to talk on and on.

"Sword Immortal Traces mentioned wanting a set of armor, and he'd definitely like it if it were made of gold. Then, we can build twelve residences at the Sacred Dragon's Mouth, each with its own distinct style, from bottom to top, requiring intruders to overcome layers of obstacles..."

"Alright, we'll talk about turning lead into gold later."

Jingtao couldn't stand it anymore and pulled Qingyangzi towards the city.

"Since we're in a big city, let's go explore."

"I think the flying structures like those on Jingxuan Island weren't creative enough. How about all twelve residences could fly and attack? Jingtao, what do you think? Ideally, they could also be assembled together in a critical moment, that way..."

"Alright, alright, we'll talk about that later. Let's go to the city first."