Chapter 290: Shrouded Legends

Penglai Pavilion can be cleverly hidden year-round, half-veiled in clouds! And as for the Eight Immortals Bridge, its design should showcase the unique traits of the Eight Immortals—perhaps even evoke the legendary spectacle of their sea-crossing in disguise. Using obvious wires or counterweights is too blatant. It would be perfect if that scene felt even more otherworldly!

Wooden duck? No way! The Eight Immortals must ride their own unique mounts—be it flying swords, floral baskets, or gourds. How can all that be arranged to even fit aerodynamics?

He glanced at the blueprint.

Xu Hao shook his head slightly before swiftly crossing out several elements with his pen.

Ever since two distinct marks appeared on his wrist, Xu Hao’s insight had become almost supernatural. Those ancient Long Kingdom legends—wooden oxen and flowing horses, flying wooden ducks, and more—were no longer secrets.

As for the underlying principles, only he knew; even with this blueprint, ordinary people couldn’t figure it out!

“Brother Hao!”

Just as Xu Hao was about to rethink his plan, Luo Peng hurried over from afar.

“What’s wrong, Little Luo?”

At that moment,

Xu Hao folded the blueprint and looked toward Luo Peng.

“Brother Hao, something’s happened.”

Luo Peng urgently explained in detail how the secrets behind Long Kingdom’s traditional magic tricks had been exposed.

“Is that so?”

After listening, Xu Hao’s expression shifted. “Could it be the work of those foreign magicians?”

“It’s possible! You can clearly feel they’re targeting our ancient traditional magic.”

“Have they unraveled everything?”

“Yes! Brother Hao, what should we do now? General Zhu said he received a call from the provincial authorities. They mentioned that as long as our Mingsha City contestants perform Long Kingdom’s traditional magic, it’s fine—others might switch to modern tricks. Do you think we should ask Daoist Master if he can improvise a few new moves?”

Luo Peng’s face filled with worry at that.

According to the report, they had completely abandoned the old tricks, yet Mingsha City still had to carry the banner of traditional magic.

“Have Daoist Master come up with some new moves?”

Xu Hao instinctively glanced toward the distant Artificial Island No. 2, where a temporary platform piled high with wood awaited, and Daoist Yougong was hard at work.

“I’ve seen Daoist Master conjure water out of thin air and perform the Three Immortals Returning to the Cave. Although his acts seem flawless, the internet has already—”

Luo Peng quickly interjected,

“No need! Daoist Master has plenty of moves up his sleeve!”

Coming back to focus,

Xu Hao waved his hand dismissively.

While other magicians rely on sleight of hand and visual tricks, Daoist Master operates on an entirely different level. Besides, his goal is to clinch the championship prize of over 35 million; he’s bound to reveal some truly jaw-dropping feats.

You might not trust any magician, but you can certainly rely on Daoist Master’s methods. If his acts weren’t so steeped in the fantastical that they barely translate to video, his casual uploads would have easily scared off Western magicians.

Moreover, just a couple of days ago, Daoist Master mentioned he’d participate in all three contest events.

He even detailed the acts he planned to perform.

Although the online videos haven’t surfaced yet, Xu Hao was 100% certain these acts were unbreakable—they just couldn’t be deciphered!

“But that video covers nearly every traditional trick!”

Even as Xu Hao remained calm, Luo Peng’s worry was evident.

“Don’t worry! We’ll keep to our own pace and ignore all the external rumors. Besides, this might be a blessing in disguise for our traditional magic—it’ll force them to innovate rather than just rest on old laurels.”

Xu Hao agreed.

“That’s true!”

Hearing this, Luo Peng fell silent.

Indeed,

a single viral edit had sown chaos, exposing inherent flaws within the traditional art.

“By the way, Little Luo, how’s the procurement of trees for the artificial islands coming along? In a few days, Daoist Yougong’s small island will nearly be complete, and then we need to add boulders and other materials!”

After a brief pause,

Xu Hao suddenly seemed to recall something and asked again.

To Xu Hao, the International Magic Competition was a minor affair compared to the monumental urban development of Mingsha City.

“Brother Hao, the trees have been shipped and should arrive in Mingsha City in a few days!”

At the mention of the trees, Luo Peng’s demeanor turned serious.

This time, the plan for the artificial lake and several artificial hills involved planting all-season evergreens.

Many assumed that the northwest winters in the Long Kingdom would be barren, but in fact, it all came down to willingness to invest.

If you’re willing to spend, anything is possible.

After all, northern evergreens come in abundance—camphor, osmanthus, cedar, and many more.

Consequently,

Mingsha City purchased over a thousand trees of each species from external sources.

Planted together, they wouldn’t look as monotonous as rows of pines—they’d give the three ‘Immortal Mountains’ a true Southern flair.

Of course,

the price was steep! Mingsha City spent an entire day’s profit—over 20 million—on these evergreens.

“That’s great! Once they arrive, let’s check with Daoist Master to see which species he needs so he can make his selection!”

Xu Hao nodded in agreement.

When it came to efficiency, Luo Peng’s skills were unrivaled.

“Understood, Brother Hao!”

As time flowed like the tides, Mingsha City moved at its own pace. Meanwhile, Park Qi Ye and Cui Xiaozhong schemed, and netizens buzzed—each on their own path, yet tension simmered.

January 20th,

Tourists cruising by the riverside guesthouse noticed that behind a tall construction site, a massive mound of earth, huge boulders, and piles of wood emerged, sparking widespread speculation and increasing curiosity about Haofang Culture’s ancient sci-fi drama.

On Lunar February 2nd—Dragon’s Head Day—under Fang Hou’s determined push, ‘Longmen Escort Agency’ was officially filmed. After Fang Hou sent the edited footage to Yun Province TV, preparations began for the series ‘Celebrating the Remaining Years.’ Three days later, with the help of Yan City TV, it was all registered! Meanwhile, Yan City TV signed a contract with Haofang Culture, purchasing the satellite platform rights for ‘Celebrating the Remaining Years’ at 4 million per episode.

On Lunar February 15th (March 7th in the Gregorian calendar),

‘Longmen Escort Agency’ officially premiered on Yun Province TV! As expected, during the peak tourist activities in Mingsha City, its debut ratings not only hit a new high but also broke records for Yun Province TV, earning both critical acclaim and massive viewership. Haofang Culture was instantly elevated to a revered status—netizens even remarked that while you might doubt any cultural company, you can never doubt Haofang Culture because they never produce a bad show.

Meanwhile,

at the tail end of Qixia Town, the Longmen Escort Agency also opened its doors to the public. Uncle Gong’s attire, Cai Badou’s style, and Bai Jingqi’s revolver became must-have props for escorting tourists, while Sheng Qiuyue’s catchphrase, ‘I’ll slice you so the peach blossoms bloom,’ swept the town.

On April 1st (April Fool’s Day in the Gregorian calendar)!

In H Country, through the joint efforts of Park Qi Ye and Cui Xiaozhong, domestic magic master Jin Shanfú was deliberately pushed into trending searches for his unprecedented, large-scale magic act at the Magic Competition, rekindling international interest in the event.

On April 10th, with only twenty days remaining until the International Magic Competition, Xu Hao, Zhu Qiang, and others entered a building resembling a government office gate at the city entrance. When they reappeared, they were standing at the east end of Mingsha Academy.

On April 13th, Xu Hao and Luo Peng were seen atop the finest artificial hill, where they began constructing Penglai Pavilion. At the same moment, a wisp of white smoke started to rise—and before long, it was already April 27th!

Now,

with only three days left until the International Magic Competition, magicians from around the world had begun arriving in Long Kingdom, and the Long Kingdom Sports Channel’s live broadcast team was gearing up to head to Mingsha City.

At 10 a.m.,

Zhu Qiang arrived at the Ancient Building Courtyard to meet Xu Hao.

“Brother Hao, I just got word that tomorrow afternoon, contestants from various countries will land in Mingsha City. Look…”

“Tomorrow afternoon?”

Xu Hao raised his hand to check his watch.

“Yes!”

“Alright, then we’ll dismantle the barriers tomorrow morning! Once the contestants arrive, we’ll usher them directly into the competition zone!”

“Understood, Brother Hao!”

Zhu Qiang nodded hurriedly.

“By the way, will the staff for the opening performance arrive this afternoon? Is our venue ready?”

After a brief pause, Xu Hao spoke up again.

“Brother Hao, Secretary Qin called to say that the staff have already reached Wei City and are resting there today. They’ll arrive in Mingsha City tomorrow morning, and the venue is all set—rehearsals can begin as soon as they get here!”