Shi Feiyang walked along the streets of Chengdu, cradling his Iron Umbrella in one arm.
He picked out passersby and asked them, "Would you like to buy an Iron Umbrella? This umbrella can ward off blades, fire, and water, and keep all demons and evil spirits at bay. The price is fair..."
Most people found this baffling, but his sumptuous brocade robes and extraordinary bearing made him look like the young master of some wealthy household. They did not dare curse at him casually, and merely waved him away.
A few curious souls wanted to test the umbrella. Shi Feiyang handed it over, but when they reached out to take it, they found it as heavy as Mount Tai. Had he not kept supporting it with one hand, it would have crashed to the ground.
This drew a crowd, who gathered around him and clamored for him to open the umbrella so everyone could see.
"I mustn't open it! I mustn't!" Shi Feiyang said. "This umbrella draws upon Yin-Yang, follows the five elements, is divided according to the eight trigrams, and receives the qi of the Circumcelestial Cycle. Once it opens, the sky will cloud over. If things go wrong, we might even get a downpour."
Everyone accused him of boasting. "Which family's young master are you, being so mischievous? You must have learned a trick or two from some traveling magician and come out here specially to make fools of people!"
Shi Feiyang cheerfully argued with them, endlessly praising his umbrella. The passersby all talked at once, and soon the street grew noisy.
Now, a Sword Immortal happened to be passing overhead. Seeing the crowd gathered below, he casually glanced down and caught sight of the Iron Umbrella in Shi Feiyang's hands. He immediately recognized it as an extraordinary