Chapter 306: A Twist in the Magic Show

“So the results are out? President, what position did I come in?”

At these words,

several people hurriedly stood up.

“This time our luck is extraordinary — you’re number five!”

Xie Feiyang stepped over to a small table, poured himself a cup of tea, downed a gulp, and declared.

“Number five?”

Ma Qian and the competitor beside him exchanged a quick, knowing glance.

That order really was a golden spot! “And what about David from Country M?”

Snapped back to attention,

Ma Qian quickly asked again.

In his eyes, David was the biggest rival in large-scale magic.

“David’s luck isn’t great this time. He’s slotted in fifteenth, but don’t underestimate his strength; we can’t be complacent.”

Xie Feiyang continued.

Eighteen competitors from various countries have joined the large-scale magic contest this time. As the event drags on, both the audience and judges might suffer from visual fatigue or be swayed by the earlier magical displays.

The small-scale magic contest is a living example of that.

“President, then what about You Gong?”

As he nodded, Ma Qian looked at Xie Feiyang once more.

Although You Gong didn’t clinch first place in the medium magic round — putting aside personal grudges — he still has some tricks up his sleeve.

“You Gong drew first this time again.”

Xie Feiyang smiled.

“First up again?”

Ma Qian stood there, dumbfounded.

There are only three rounds in total, yet Mingsha City’s You Gong has drawn first twice. That kind of luck is simply unbelievable.

But as Ma Qian refocused, a hint of worry darkened his eyes. “Wait a moment, President, you don’t expect You Gong to stir up trouble again, do you?”

The scenes from the first small-scale magic round were still vivid in memory. The trick ‘Scattering Beans to Form Soldiers’ has become a mystery that no magician has ever fully unraveled.

He was truly afraid that You Gong might repeat his act.

If he repeats the small-scale magic performance, then the subsequent competitors really wouldn’t stand a chance.

“That’s unlikely!”

At these words, Xie Feiyang waved his hand with unshakable confidence.

“You Gong specializes in the traditional magic of the Long Kingdom. His medium-scale performance shows that his strength has already begun to wane.”

“That may be so!”

After hearing this,

Ma Qian’s concern eased considerably.

Mingsha City is renowned for its grand showmanship. If there’s a chance to set the stage ablaze, no one in the Long Kingdom would let it slip by.

“No matter what, tomorrow morning you must stay calm. Any tension will ruin your magic’s effect! Besides, fortune is clearly smiling on us today — defeating David and winning the championship is well within our reach.”

“Understood!”

Time flowed as the tide; one night passed in a blink and soon it was 8:00 AM the next day.

By the lakeside of Mingsha Fudi, the area was already packed to the brim! Just last night,

some visitors even camped out by the lake with yoga mats and green coats, all to secure a front-row spot.

Such is reality.

Online, netizens who follow the large-scale magic contest had already either booted up their computers or turned on their TVs. Their mindset was simple: they just wanted to see who would claim the heavyweight championship!

“Although I’m from the Long Kingdom, I think David has a better chance at winning. Ma Qian and Jin Shanfú’s overall skills are slightly inferior to his, and with Jin Shanfú withdrawing, it doesn’t help. I also heard that David spent over ten days setting up on that small island — something he’s never done before.”

A netizen commented.

“That may be true, but it’s not set in stone. Ma Qian also spent over ten days arranging his setup, and being placed fifth in the official drawing is a golden slot.”

Someone sparked the discussion, and soon more netizens joined in the comments.

“Hold on. Have you forgotten about You Gong from Mingsha City?”

“You Gong? Sure, he’s impressive, but when it comes to large-scale magic, everyone knows the Long Kingdom’s traditional magic is our weak spot. Plus, he’s first up.”

“Exactly. Stop fixating on Mingsha City and You Gong. They’ve already done a fantastic job in the contest, now it’s time for the other Long Kingdom competitors to step up!”

“That’s right! Every time something traditional pops up, Mingsha City always carries the torch. It’s getting hard to watch.”

“What can you do.”

Minute by minute,

as netizens and the live audience buzzed with talk, the competition officially began. The host stepped onto a wooden stage set up in the center of the lake.

The contest judges also appeared on the platform, with a large projection system set right in front of them.

Not only could they see the performers up close, but the projection also showed intricate details. Even some of the lakeside audience could catch glimpses on the light screen.

“Good morning to everyone watching this on TV. You are now viewing the stage of the International Magic Competition’s large-scale magic round. Up next is competitor number one, You Gong.

He hails from the host city, Mingsha City. His act is titled ‘Yulong Manyan’.”

After a brief introduction,

the host left the stage. The live camera then shifted to a small island on the far right.

Boom, boom, clang! However, to the surprise of both the judges and the audience, the first images to appear were not of You Gong himself but of two enormous, auspicious, papier-mâché beasts.

One was a chubby, round flounder, and the other was a sinuous giant creature resembling, yet distinct from, a centipede.

And that wasn’t all.

As the drums and gongs began to sound, scores of youths dressed in traditional costumes started maneuvering the papier-mâché beasts. These performers were none other than You Gong’s apprentices.

Meanwhile, You Gong led the procession at the front with a colorful feather fan in hand.

“What’s this about? Is it like a festive parade on the fifteenth day of the New Year? I don’t recall traditional magic ever including this.”

The scene left the judges exchanging puzzled looks.

The spectacle was not much different from a traditional dragon or lion dance on a festival day, except for the uniquely crafted papier-mâché mascots.

Boom, boom, clang! Even more surprisingly, as the rhythm of the drums and gongs intensified, the performers began shouting slogans:

“Celebrate our traditional culture, preserve the heritage of Long Kingdom’s traditional magic. Trust science! Banish feudal superstitions!”

Pfft! As the slogans sank in, many lakeside tourists sputtered their drinks all over themselves.

“Wait, what on earth is You Gong doing?”

“Who knows!”

“Could it be that the magic show is turning into a traditional cultural performance?”

“At this rate, it wouldn’t be surprising.”

Unbeknownst to the crowd as the noise grew louder, the dance troupe suddenly shifted formation.

The flounder papier-mâché beast started playfully moving along the shore. With a decisive flick of You Gong’s fan, the beast leaped high—CRASH—sending one of the youths tumbling into the lake.

Roar! In the next moment, a massive flounder emerged from the water, howling at the sky as it began spouting water and mist. Then, in a flash,

the flounder transformed into an eight-zhang-long Yellow Dragon.

The Yellow Dragon danced amid the swirling clouds, exhaling draconic breath and roaring mightily, its cries echoing throughout Mingsha City. At the same time, multicolored rays flashed in the mist.

This breathtaking spectacle lasted for several seconds before the Yellow Dragon dove back into the lake, reverting to a flounder. Moments later, the flounder sprang up once again onto the shore, then its head swayed and its body morphed back into the papier-mâché beast.

“Wha—what is that?”

Looking around, the entire audience and judges fell into a stunned silence, their eyes wide in disbelief, completely lost for words.

Just as the crowd began to recover, You Gong’s performance wasn’t over yet. With another flourish of his fan, a second papier-mâché beast stirred to life.

It moved about the stage with impressive agility,

when suddenly, an illusion resembling a mirage appeared on its back — an enormous divine mountain, complete with fantastic celestial birds, miraculous flora and exotic fruits, and even auspicious creatures striding across cloud-like platforms.

Roar! As the mirage grew increasingly vivid, a massive pressure seemed to radiate outward. Particularly for those standing by the lake, the illusion felt as real as an actual celestial mountain.

Just as several onlookers reached out to grasp this mystical mountain, the vision began to fade and shrink, until finally the small island housing Biyou Palace merged back into one.

Elsewhere, the lantern-like paper-crafted fish performed a final transformation: leaping into the air to become yet another Yellow Dragon, roaring into the sky before plunging back into the lake and disappearing completely.

After a few more seconds, calm gradually returned to the scene. At the lakeside, only You Gong remained; all the youthful performers and papier-mâché beasts had vanished without a trace.

And that marked the official end of You Gong’s traditional magic performance.

“Wha—what just happened?”

After a minute or two of absolute silence, the scene exploded with cheers.

“I just saw a real dragon!”

“Dragon’s roar! So that’s the famous dragon roar!”

“Celestial mountains, Yellow Dragons diving into lakes — this isn’t magic, it’s something beyond magic.”

“That overwhelming presence just can’t be faked!”

“It’s a feng shui treasure! A feng shui treasure!”

“Whoa, I need the blessing of the Yellow Dragon to get rich this year!”

With a thud, someone suddenly began kneeling and praying fervently at the spot where the Yellow Dragon dove into the lake.

Some Long Kingdom folks are just like that — always jumping on the bandwagon.

Once they saw someone kneel, others followed suit. In just a few minutes, the entire rim of the small lake had transformed into a domino effect of kneeling spectators.

In Yan City’s Second Ring,

at the second-floor meeting room of the Ancient Architecture Research Institute, Li Jue, Liu Shan, Cao Jun, and Xu Hao were intently studying a projection screen detailing specific clauses. “Xiao Xu, since the dormitories and classrooms at Mingsha Academy are fully equipped, can we begin relocating the Long Kingdom Traditional Medical Academy this summer?”

After a pause, Li Jue looked toward Xu Hao.

“I have no issues on my end.”

“Then…”

“Dean. Dean!”

Just as Li Jue wanted to add something, the meeting room door was abruptly pushed open.

Bai Ming, the head of the Ancient Architecture Institute’s office, burst in looking frantic.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

At that, everyone turned around in surprise.

“Dean, over in Mingsha City…”