Amid laughter, a man flew out from the stockade. He was tall and powerfully built, with the back of a tiger and waist of a bear. His hair was casually tied into a knot, and his beard was a wild, tangled mess, as if it had not been tended in ages. Yet his eyes shone with divine light as they fixed on Daoist Huifeng without wavering.
This slovenly giant was Zhang Miaolin, Vice Head Zhang, the second-ranking figure of Siding Hall. He was crude by nature and hot-tempered; only when cultivating or deducing talisman arts could he settle his mind. He was quite an oddity.
Daoist Huifeng gave a wry smile. "The guests from Sword Discussion Pavilion and the Sea Merchant Guild are here. Junior Brother Miaolin, come and meet them."
"Sword Discussion Pavilion?" Zhang Miaolin's eyes bulged. "Where? Have they come to snatch the Eight Edicts of Shangqing for Summoning Dragons again?"
"When did we ever snatch it?"
Beside Daoist Huifeng, Ling Jiao's eyes widened. She seemed annoyed, yet even more curious. "Did cultivators from the Pavilion snatch the Eight Edicts of Shangqing for Summoning Dragons?"
"You're from Sword Discussion Pavilion?"
Zhang Miaolin rolled up his sleeves, actually preparing to start a fight on the spot. When talismanic radiance began to gleam in his hand, he finally noticed Ling Jiao's appearance as she trod upon empty air. He froze briefly, then hurriedly said to Huifeng, "Lend me the treasure talisman. This one's formidable!"
Daoist Huifeng raised a hand to stop him. "Fairy Ling Jiao is someone I invited back to help your Siding Hall through this crisis. Junior Brother, mind your manners."
"A crisis? What crisis?"
Daoist Huifeng was just about to speak when he sensed something and looked up. It was not only him. Inside and outside the