Chapter 292: Mingsha City’s Stirring Up of the Magic Competition

“What’s wrong?”

Upon hearing this,

the Chief Leader and the Deputy Leader furrowed their brows and looked straight at the door.

“Leader, Mingsha City is stirring up a storm again. It won’t be long before it trends online!”

A Staff Member said hurriedly.

“Trends? Isn’t the Magic Competition yet to start? And there’s no opening ceremony performance over there either.”

The Chief Leader and the Deputy Leader exchanged uneasy glances.

A few months ago,

under pressure from public opinion, they had no choice but to give Mingsha City a chance to participate. Back then, there was great worry—fearing that Mingsha City might use this opportunity to create another uncontrollable disaster.

Later on, Long Kingdom’s traditional magic act was completely exposed on overseas sites. While it infuriated many, it also brought a slight sense of relief.

Although the other contestants eventually had to resort to modern magic, looking back, Mingsha City’s ancient magic act wouldn’t have been so mysterious as to fuel more talk of the Zhu You Technique.

But wouldn’t you know it—just three days before the International Magic Competition, Mingsha City stirred things up again.

“Leader, the competition venue in Mingsha City just opened this morning!”

The Staff Member instinctively exhaled deeply.

“A competition venue? Can a venue really trend online?”

The Chief Leader and the Deputy Leader were visibly stunned as they exchanged looks.

“Leader, look at this.”

The Staff Member quickly handed over his phone and added,

“Netizens originally thought the new barricades in Mingsha City were for a film shoot. Who would have guessed it’s all for the International Magic Competition?”

“So Mingsha City is going all out for the Magic Competition?”

In astonishment, both took the phone in a hurry.

They had always assumed Mingsha City wouldn’t invest so much for such a niche event. Besides, rumors online had hinted at a film project, so naturally they thought the pre-built venue would be used.

“Huh? This…?”

Coming back to their senses—and then taking a closer look—they couldn’t help but gasp in unison.

It wasn’t until much later

that both finally looked at the Staff Member with expressions of sheer disbelief.

“Is this really Mingsha City? The one in the Northwest?”

“Yes!”

“How on earth did they pull this off?”

At that moment,

the two were at a loss for words.

Earlier, a video was playing on the screen. In it, an island sat serenely in the middle of a vast lake. To the west, a mountain soaring 400 to 500 meters tall revealed a lush, rugged lower half with clusters of golden eaves tucked away in dense woodland.

And that wasn’t all.

The mountain’s peak was completely hidden by clouds, obscuring everything above its midpoint.

Moreover,

three islands in the lake were shrouded in mist. The video even showed two white red-crowned cranes flitting among the clouds and several black awning boats drifting across the water. At a glance, it resembled a celestial retreat from a myth.

There’s no place like this anywhere in Long Kingdom.

“So it’s trending because people think this place is too beautiful to be in a desert in the Northwest?”

After a long pause,

the Chief Leader asked again.

“Leader, there’s some truth to that!”

The Staff Member nodded, then shook his head slightly.

“What else?”

The Deputy Leader was momentarily taken aback.

“At around 11 AM, some onlookers reported that several ‘immortals’—near the base of that mountain—were seen flying onto a small island, either riding on flying swords or balancing on gourds. It was simply astounding!”

It is said

that many tourists were so terrified they immediately knelt and kowtowed on the spot.

“Immortals too?”

With a clatter of exasperation, the Chief Leader could take it no longer and stood up abruptly.

“Yeah, there are ‘immortals.’ Coupled with the cranes drifting in the mist, many netizens now say that Mingsha City’s venue looks even more magical than the Magic Competition itself!”

“A venue more magical than the competition?”

“Leader, what do we do now? After seeing this, many netizens are linking the lake to Taiyi Hospital. They’re posting that the Zhu You Technique works flawlessly here. Some even claim that if you take the Huangdi Neijing to Mingsha City to cultivate, you might actually achieve immortality.”

“Take the Huangdi Neijing to cultivate?”

At this, the Chief Leader was at a loss for words; his chest felt tight, as if he might vomit blood.

The Magic Competition was held in Mingsha City to make people believe in science. Now, one scene has shattered that faith, inspiring the public to head over and try their luck with the Huangdi Neijing.

“Leader, let me call and get some clarifications! Then we can decide our next move.”

After a moment of thought,

the Chief Leader waved his hand, signaling the Staff Member to resume his duties.

“Alright, Leader!”

Once the Staff Member left, the Deputy Leader couldn’t help but add,

“Leader, should I call the Ancient Architecture Institute to find out what’s really happening? We need to clarify matters to the public before they all run off with a copy of the Huangdi Neijing, thinking they’ll become immortal in Mingsha City.”

“Yes!”

The Chief Leader immediately nodded in agreement.

Beep beep beep! Two minutes later, the Deputy Leader placed his phone on speaker and dialed Li Jue’s number.

“Director Li, I need to ask you something!”

As soon as the call connected, the Deputy Leader got straight to the point.

“Leader, you see…”

In the next moment, Li Jue’s voice came through.

“Director Li, what’s the deal with Mingsha City’s newly built venue for the International Magic Competition? I heard that as soon as it opened, many tourists knelt and kowtowed there.”

Without missing a beat, the Deputy Leader pressed on.

“Leader, I already asked Director Xu about this. He said it’s merely one of Mingsha City’s performance projects. Perhaps the act was so realistic it left the public in awe!”

Li Jue chuckled and said,

“A performance project?”

“Yes! Director Xu mentioned that the artificial lake and faux mountain were constructed to meet the demands of top magic contestants.”

“Then what about those ‘immortals’ seen flying in the mist?”

The Deputy Leader’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Leader, those ‘immortals’ are simply extras from Mingsha City. Although the artificial lake was built for the International Magic Competition, it will eventually serve the tourists. All those extras were made to look like the Eight Immortals.”

“So they’re just playing the Eight Immortals!”

Nearby, the Chief Leader let out a small sigh of relief upon hearing Li Jue’s explanation.

“And what about the white cranes? Were they also brought in to create an atmosphere in Mingsha City?”

After a pause, the Deputy Leader couldn’t help but ask again.

“Leader, according to Director Xu, it appears the general manager of Mingsha Labor orchestrated it. Mingsha City has a wildlife rearing license, so they imported some animals from outside. The fog over the lake was created with dry ice, and the trees on the small island were expensive northern evergreens purchased to achieve this look. I must say, the general manager’s imagination is quite something.”

It seemed as if, knowing what the Deputy Leader wanted to hear, Li Jue unloaded everything he knew.

“Oh, now I get it!”

On hearing this,

both the Deputy Leader and the Chief Leader exhaled in relief.

At last, there was a reasonable explanation! If the public knew the truth, they wouldn’t all rush off with the Huangdi Neijing to Mingsha City for immortal cultivation.

After fielding a few more questions, the Deputy Leader hung up and turned to the Chief Leader, saying,

“Leader, you see—”

“Quick, notify the Staff Member to issue an announcement. Tell everyone to trust science and disregard those misleading self-media posts. And get a few experts to explain about the mountain trees, so netizens have nothing to grip onto.”

“Yes!”

But as the Deputy Leader turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something and called back.

“Leader, why do I still feel uneasy?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Mingsha City still has one more contestant. Don’t you think that if one scene causes this much stir, it’s a little excessive?”

“Don’t worry! That contestant will perform Long Kingdom’s traditional magic act. It’s already been fully exposed—he’ll probably be eliminated as soon as he steps on stage.”

The Chief Leader shook his head and said.

“Oh! That’s a relief then!”

Sometimes, it’s better if the authorities don’t issue an official explanation. Once they do, the already chaotic online chatter only intensifies—like adding gasoline to a fire. Even the International Magic Competition ends up trending online.

“Now it seems anyone can play the role of an expert!”

“You said it!”

“They claim the white fog on the lake is from carbon dioxide dry ice. But how do you explain the mid-mountain fog on the slopes? I’ve never seen carbon dioxide fog float so high!”

“And they argue the trees on the islands are due to Mingsha City planting four-season evergreens combined with a heat island effect, making them look as if they’re from the South! Seriously, Mingsha City is tiny—there aren’t enough cars to create any significant heat island effect.”

“I think the most absurd part is those red-crowned cranes! No matter how you look at it, they don’t seem like they were imported from a zoo. If they had, they would have flown off ages ago. Why are they lingering around the three artificial islands?”

“Well, in my opinion, the only plausible explanation is those ‘immortals.’ They’re probably extras from Mingsha City, but how are they able to float around so effortlessly, standing atop the clouds without wires or constraints? It’s almost magical! Even after landing, they mix with everyone like normal folks—it’s truly comparable to a grand magic show.”

“I doubt any grand magic show could have that effect. With the mist and red-crowned cranes, it’s like witnessing a live myth!”

“That’s true!”

“No matter what, I’ve booked my trip to Mingsha City! I must see these islands for myself. Experts just babble in their offices—real answers come from experiencing it firsthand.”

“Hehe, so are you planning to bring the Huangdi Neijing?”

“Absolutely! Why not? At the very least, I want to try out the Zhu You Technique as described in the book—this artificial lake is clearly different from anywhere else in Mingsha City!”

“No problem.”

“I’m coming too!”

The more they chatted, the more excited the netizens became. Various posts flooded in—some discussing Mingsha City, others about Three Immortals Mountain, and still others speculating about the International Magic Competition. Of course, the hottest topic remains Mingsha City!

Sure enough,

in the coming days, Mingsha City will be overwhelmed by tourists, especially at Three Immortals Mountain and Penglai Pavilion.

No surprise there,

since the artificial lake and islands haven’t been fully opened to the public yet, but have already piqued everyone’s curiosity. One can only imagine the chaos when they are finally accessible.

But what these tourists don’t know is that a warning sign has already been hung along the banks of Mingsha City’s artificial lake. It doesn’t mention deep waters or caution parents about children, nor does it ask for environmental protection—it boldly states, “No Zhu You Technique or Huangdi Neijing cultivation allowed. Anyone caught will be taken away by the Mingsha City Guards.”

And that’s not all.

At the entrance of Taiyi Hospital, another warning sign is up. It clearly reads,

“This hospital does not sell the Huangdi Neijing or any other traditional medicine literature. If needed, please visit the Scripture Hall at Langya Pavilion.”