Chapter 150: Perform a Magic Trick for Some Fun
[Woah, 666]
[Professional, you win, you've won big time]
[This guy must read too many Xianxia novels, he's got a whole repertoire in his mouth]
[So, if I could sell copper to the Xianxia World, wouldn't I be the richest person in the Cultivation Realm?]
Lu Zheng handed the copper ring to He Feixiang, telling him to raise both hands flatly, about a foot apart, with the copper ring in the palm of his right hand.
"My cultivation level isn't high yet, so I can't perform any powerful Immortal Techniques. Let me just show you a Transportation Technique."
He Feixiang: ???
The onlooking tourists focused all their attention, and the live stream comments became sparse. Lin Wan's eyes sparkled as she stared unblinkingly at Lu Zheng.
Then Lu Zheng began sealing with his hand, rapidly changing through twelve Seal Techniques, chanting, "Supreme Infinite, reverse heaven and earth, the sun and moon rotate, Yin and Yang reverse, mountains and rivers topple..."
[Is this Transportation Technique? This is a World-Ending Curse!]
[This guy must read those novels where a punch destroys a star and a kick explodes a world]
[I just want to know what this Transportation Technique does, move the Earth into the sun?]
The next moment, Lu Zheng finished chanting, left hand supporting the right, the right hand forming a sword finger pointing at the copper ring in He Feixiang's right hand, then drew an arc towards his left.
"Quick!"
The copper ring immediately jumped from his right hand to his left hand.
"Wow—"
The onlookers all exclaimed in surprise because they saw clearly that He Feixiang's arms and hands really didn't move, there was no sign of exertion.
Lin Wan's beautiful eyes sparkled, looking at Lu Zheng with amazement and admiration.
In the live stream.
[Wow! Amazing!]
[Hello, I am Magneto, I think you have potential, I've decided to take you as my disciple]
[Hey buddy, I'm a wallet collector, are you interested in the trade? If so, contact me privately]
[Hmph, from his chants, I thought he was going to end the world, but it's just this?]
[Feixiang must have helped out, case closed!]
[Yeah, yeah, Magician, can't you even do this simple trick? Unless he puts it on the ground and does it again.]
...
"What the!?" He Feixiang stared dumbfounded.
In fact, among the people present, no one was more shocked than He Feixiang himself.
He was quite familiar with the tricks in magic, besides speed and technique, the most important were intricate mechanisms and special props.
The key point in his trick just now was in the long and short two sections of rope, the rest was his skill and performance, while the copper ring here was his own thing, just an ordinary copper ring.
This ruled out special props.
Moreover, whether he exerted force just now, if others couldn't tell, he knew himself, didn't he?
So He Feixiang stared at the copper ring on his left hand, dumbfounded, thinking how did he do that!
Seeing Lu Zheng raise both his hands and smoothly guide his qi down from his chest with an expression of having completed the task, He Feixiang bared his teeth, barely resisting the urge to ask.
This was a rule, if you figured it out, it's your skill, if you can't, it's their skill.
Glimpsing at the live stream comments, He Feixiang quickly explained, "Dear audience, this is truly my first encounter with this friend today, there's absolutely no cooperation! And I don't have that kind of force skill, if I really did, why would I be doing live streams or magic shows, I'd just perform special abilities and instantly land on the New Year's Gala, wouldn't I!"
[I don't believe you!]
[I won't believe it unless you let him put the copper ring on the ground and do it again!]
[Can the handsome guy cast a spell on my twin peaks? If so, I'll believe him]
...
It was just a spur of the moment, Lu Zheng naturally wouldn't do it again for the live stream's skepticism. So he added He Feixiang's contact, got the double ticket exchange code, waved to the onlookers, and left with Lin Wan.
A few young ladies seemed to want to follow, but after glancing at Lin Wan, they stopped in their tracks.
...
"Hehe, men's words, deceptive nonsense, you're into cultivation, and White Cloud Temple, and Lay Practitioner, why don't you just say you're Zhong Nanshan's direct disciple Yun Zhongzi," Lin Wan said with a low laugh.
Lu Zheng shrugged, "I'm really not..."
"Then what was that just now, Dragon Capturing Hand? Konghe Skill?"
"Oh, young lady, you sure know a lot." Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, "Recently been catching up on a lot of martial arts novels? Dragon Capturing Hand is in Jin Yong's 'Heavenly Dragon Eight Books', but there's no Konghe Skill."
Lin Wan smiled slightly, "You read inattentively, Dragon Capturing Hand is Qiao Feng's martial arts in 'Heavenly Dragon Eight Books', Konghe Skill is Xie Yanke's martial arts in 'The Knight's Journey', but he only mentioned it once."
Lu Zheng took a sharp breath, meeting Lin Wan's smug gaze, asked, "Do you slack off at work to read novels?"
Lin Wan: (°ー°〃)
"Go to hell!" Lin Wan, both embarrassed and angry, swung her fist at Lu Zheng.
"Hahahaha—"
...
Lu Zheng and Lin Wan chased and evaded each other, weaving through the crowd without bumping into anyone.
Passing by a small street stall selling accessories, Lu Zheng deftly circled it, then intentionally let Lin Wan catch up and lightly tapped him.
"Don't be mad, don't be mad, let me show you another magic trick, no, a spell."
"You joker!" Lin Wan glanced at Lu Zheng, then curiously asked, "What is it?"
"Look at my hands, see if there's nothing in them?" Lu Zheng extended his hands, empty.
"Wait! Let me check!" Lin Wan took Lu Zheng's hands, checking them thoroughly, rummaging through his pockets and sleeves.
Lu Zheng, "..."
Moments later, Lin Wan nodded satisfactorily, "Okay, what's next?"
Darn, if I were an ordinary magician, that'd be the end... Hmm, fortunately, I'm not ordinary.
"Watch closely!" Lu Zheng clasped his hands together, then shaken them left and right before making a motion in front of him.
"Here!"
He reached his hands towards Lin Wan's ear and then withdrew them, revealing a Minnie Mouse headband in his hand.
Lu Zheng waved the headband in front of Lin Wan, then put it on her.
"Huh?" Lin Wan looked surprised, "How did you do that?"
Lu Zheng didn't answer, just smiled and led Lin Wan to the shop's window, "I just got a headband from the store, how much is it?"
The clerk looked dumbfounded at the headband on Lin Wan's head, then at Lu Zheng, "Fifty, wait, when did you take it?"
"When you weren't paying attention." Lu Zheng replied with a smile, took out his phone to pay, and then led Lin Wan away.
...
In the afternoon, they watched two more shows, visited two indoor attractions, queued for a less crowded ride, and finally participated in the grand float parade, marking the end of their day's tour.
"One day feels like we only explored half." Lu Zheng looked at the map in his hand, "Not bad, luckily we have another pair of tickets, let's come back another weekend."
Then they saw He Feixiang, who had finished his livestream and was leaving with the cameraman and female assistant.
"Master! Great one!" He Feixiang waved, then ran over enthusiastically.
Lu Zheng smacked his lips, the title felt both familiar and strange, as if he had been called that before, but hadn't heard it in a long time.
"Master, we meet again, what a coincidence!" He Feixiang cheerfully extended his hand, "Let's formally introduce ourselves, I'm He Feixiang, a street magician. This is my assistant and girlfriend Zhang Fei, and this is the cameraman Da Chui."
"Hello, I'm Lu Zheng, unemployed." Lu Zheng shook hands with He Feixiang but didn't introduce Lin Wan.
"Master, did you learn magic on your own or from a mentor? You're amazing!" He Feixiang was excited, "I couldn't figure out that trick earlier at all, it was incredible, really! I think you should join the World Magic Championship!"
Although he was just a street magician, he had formally learned magic, with specialized training in techniques and performance elements, understanding the basics of most magic tricks. He knew how impressive a trick he couldn't see through was.
Magic is not about scale; a scene as grand or an effect as dazzling, yet easily seen through by insiders, isn't praiseworthy. What is praiseworthy is a trick that leaves even peers baffled, that constitutes the core value of a Master of Magic.
Throughout history and worldwide, those renowned were invariably known for their unique skills, ones other magicians couldn't replicate.
Thus, He Feixiang believed that with Lu Zheng's level, he could at least enter the threshold of the International Magicians Alliance.
An expert can see how capable another is with one glance.
Just like how a failed writer can tell if a new book has the potential to sell by thousands, just as Li Changyang believed Lu Zheng could top the UFC, He Feixiang affirmed Lu Zheng's exceptionally high level in magic, though he couldn't gauge how high it was.
"You're too kind, it's just a hobby, something to cultivate my mood, have fun with my girlfriend, no need to join any competitions or events." Lu Zheng shook his head and smiled.
He Feixiang blinked, looking bewildered, "Brother Lu, you haven't joined the Hua Country Magician Association?"
Lu Zheng blinked, equally bewildered, "Hua Country Magician Association?"
"Whoa!" He Feixiang exclaimed loudly, drawing attention and getting jabbed from behind by his girlfriend.
He shrank back, whispering, "Brother, you're a civilian master, too powerful!"
He quickly grew excited again, "Brother Lu, let me introduce you to the Magician Association. With your skill, it's only a matter of time before you enter the IMS and step onto the FISM stage."
Although He Feixiang was certainly older than Lu Zheng, he esteemed Lu Zheng as a fellow magician. Thus, calling him 'Brother Lu' carried no pressure at all.
Lu Zheng waved his hand, "No need, thanks, not interested."
...
Lu Zheng declined, leaving He Feixiang with no choice but to give up, though somewhat regretfully, "Brother Lu, now all great magicians are in the West. If you incorporated Hua Country xianxia spell elements into your magic, you'd certainly become famous, and it would also promote traditional culture."
Lu Zheng just smiled and exchanged a glance with Lin Wan.
Both recalled what Lv Tieling and Li Changyang had said last year: using kung fu in the UFC, reviving Hua Country's Chuan Wu.
It was rejected by Lu Zheng, and after a few visits, the topic wasn't brought up again. Then Lin Wan got injured, and they hadn't gone back since.
Unexpectedly, now a magician came into the picture—what would be next?
Lu Zheng found himself quite expectant...