Chapter 296: Schemes and Surprises in Mingsha City

Does it hold a significant stake? About how much was invested?

After a brief frown and thoughtful pause, Xu Hao asked again.

“I don’t have the exact numbers, but one thing’s for sure—they weren’t insignificant. Dino Park Phase II allocated a vast area, which can host numerous projects.”

Fang Hou shook his head.

Xu Hao recalled that he had once visited Dino Park in Haishi; to fully experience its attractions, you’d need at least two or three days.

“Qiangzi, get someone to dig up more info tomorrow! I need an exact figure!”

Turning his gaze,

Xu Hao looked at Zhu Qiang.

“Alright, Brother Hao!”

“Brother Hao, what’s our move now? They keep stirring up trouble over there. If we don’t respond, Mingsha City will look like an easy target!”

Nearby, Luo Peng couldn’t hold back his remark.

In truth, Mingsha City’s vibe is worlds apart from Dino Park’s.

While Dino Park focuses on dazzling amusement attractions, Mingsha City is all about guesthouse check-ins. Many visitors come for the IP and the novelty of Long Kingdom’s ancient architecture; the only comparable area might be Dino Town.

Dino Town is a mixed-use zone for shopping, dining, and entertainment, somewhat like Langya Commercial Street yet distinct. It even features a central lake as vast as 56 football fields—reminding one of the lake at Mingsha Fudi.

However, Dino Town is located outside the park, unlike the layout of Mingsha City.

If there’s any direct counterpart, it’s the enchanting fairy-tale castle—Dino Castle, the tallest and grandest in the stars, mirroring the prominence of Lutai and Zhaixing Pavilion in Mingsha City, though its role is completely different.

While Dino Castle centers on amusement rides, Lutai and Zhaixing Pavilion serve as venues for lavish banquets in Mingsha City.

Most importantly, aside from attractions like the Protectorate and paid experiences such as wall cycling and Tengwang Pavilion, every other spot in Mingsha City is free to explore—unlike Dino Park, which charges an entrance fee.

So when it comes to competing with Disney-style magic, Mingsha City is a force to be reckoned with!

“What’s the plan? It’s simple!”

Xu Hao glanced at the sand table. “Little Luo, organize a proper amusement zone plan for the next few days. Since they’re set on having fun, let’s join them and see who tires out first!”

“An amusement zone?”

Luo Peng’s eyes lit up.

“Yes! When planning, gather a few staff for a brainstorming session—the bigger the ideas, the better! Leave the rest to me!”

“Should we match their standards? Many of Dino Park’s attractions are hugely popular and have a lot of fans!”

Luo Peng immediately asked.

“We must match them, but every element has to be rooted in our Long Kingdom’s traditional culture. There’s no room for Western fantasy here.”

Xu Hao nodded in agreement.

If we’re going to play, it has to be on par—otherwise, it’s just not fun.

“Understood!”

Luo Peng flashed an OK sign.

Late into the night, Mingsha City finally grew quiet—except near Mingsha Fudi, where a few furtive visitors were experimenting with the Zhu You Technique. Meanwhile, most proper guests had already succumbed to sleep.

Just then, a small boat with a black awning slowly navigated the river and entered the small lake at Mingsha Fudi.

“A black-awned boat at midnight?”

On the shore, several onlookers jumped in shock at the sight.

Before they could react, the boat dissolved into the lake’s mist, vanishing completely.

“What in the world is happening?”

Before the guests could whisper among themselves, a guard from Mingsha City called out from afar.

“To those of you sneaking around to light incense, please behave yourselves.”

“Come on, let’s leave! With the magic competition in full swing these days, Mingsha City’s security is on high alert. Once the contest is over, we can try again—I’m sure they won’t be this strict forever.”

“Agreed!”

Moments later, the guests reluctantly rose and left the lakeshore.

Splash!

What they didn’t know was that, half an hour later, the small boat docked beside a tiny island, and a dark figure leaped off.

Soon after, another dark silhouette appeared along the island’s edge and hurried over, saying, “You’ve arrived!”

“I had no choice—there’s so much to do during the day.”

One of the figures glanced around briefly.

“So, where do we start? The Huangdi Neijing is one of the three ancient marvels, and no one has mastered it completely— even the Old Dao of Cangshan only figured out half. Prepare yourself mentally.”

“Zhu You Technique!”

“Zhu You Technique? That’s basic enough. Besides, when building Biyou Palace, I set up a few things to better understand it.”

“Alright!”

Time flew by—three hours later,

the eastern sky over Mingsha City began to show the first hints of dawn.

“That’s it for today!”

“Alright!”

“Oh, and during the competition, keep an eye on the H Country contestants. Their magic might be aimed directly at Mingsha City.”

As one of the dark figures stood to leave, he paused to add,

“Don’t worry—I’ve got it covered. No one will take advantage of us.”

“Good to hear!”

By late April, the weather was already warm. At 7 AM, Mingsha City was brightly lit.

Maybe it was due to the International Magic Competition or the fact that Mingsha City had been trending for two days—by 7:30 AM the city buzzed with voices, especially young people. The ancient snack street was even livelier than some night markets.

“Do we need tickets for the opening ceremony of the magic competition?”

Some guests chatted over their meals.

“I don’t think so. The opening is on a temporary platform in the middle of the lake, visible from the shore.”

“Oh!”

“And what about the magic contest? I’ve always loved Ma Qian’s tricks but haven’t seen them live.”

“There should be a small-scale magic contest. I heard that, as usual, Mingsha Tourism will randomly select some guests staying at the guesthouses!”

“Random selection?”

“Yes!”

“Does that mean our chances are slim? Can scalpers get tickets?”

“Honestly, I think there’s no need to go in person this time. Since it’s a contest, it’s better to watch the live broadcast on TV. Besides, the venue will be packed, and some judges might block your view.”

“That makes sense, but I was hoping to grab a ticket just to stroll around Mingsha Fudi.”

“No need to rush. I heard that once the International Magic Competition ends, Mingsha Fudi will officially open its core area to tourists. Not only can you admire the view at Mingsha Ge, but you can also take a boat to the small island.”

“That sounds promising!”

“Exactly! For now, only the contestants, organizing committee, and live broadcast crew can access the core area.”

“So, tomorrow at 11 AM we’ll wait at the guesthouses?”

Amid the chatter, one guest remarked.

Tomorrow is April 30th—the International Magic Competition will officially kick off. The opening ceremony starts at 9 AM and ends at 10:30 AM, followed immediately by the small-scale magic contest.

And, “It’s up to you—I personally won’t attend the opening. Without Mingsha City’s participation, it just isn’t as exciting.”

“Understood!”

Meanwhile, as guests began debating the upcoming competition, over in Mingsha Fudi

several Long Kingdom contestants stepped out of a courtyard home, stretching luxuriously. “That was the most satisfying sleep I’ve had in years! I was even worried about adjusting to the northwest climate!”

One of them looked around and mused,

“When I climbed the mountain yesterday afternoon, I felt a cool breeze on my face—it wasn’t like the typical sandy wind of the northwest!”

After one spoke, another chimed in.

Notably, besides constructing Mingsha Ge and other iconic ancient structures, Mingsha City also built several Ancient Building Courtyards on the mountain and on small islands in the lake.

These courtyards function much like an Olympic Village, designed specifically for accommodating contestants and the organizing committee.

After the competition, these Ancient Building Courtyards will open as guesthouses along with Mingsha Fudi and be available for reservation.

Of course,

the guesthouse prices in Mingsha Fudi will definitely differ from those in other parts of Mingsha City.

“Feng Peng, Yue Dong, come over here, both of you!”

Just as the conversation was about to continue, Xie Feiyang, President of the Long Kingdom Magic Association, entered the courtyard. Surveying the scene, he addressed two young men,

“President, what’s the matter?”

Startled, the two quickly looked up at Xie Feiyang.

“Here’s the deal: We’ve just been informed that the small-scale magic contest is set up in the first-floor hall of Mingsha Ge. I’ll take you over to check out the lighting. If it affects your performance, we need to make adjustments early.”

Xie Feiyang continued.

This time, Long Kingdom has two contestants in the small magic contest, two in the medium category, and one in the large contest. As for the participant from Mingsha City, he’s considered a guest appearance, so the Magic Association didn’t recall him. All we know is that his stage name is You Gong.

And Feng Peng and Yue Dong are the two entrants for the small magic contest.

Feng Peng performs a card trick that creates something out of nothing, while Yue Dong plans a ring materializing from an egg! Unlike other contests, the magic competition doesn’t have preliminaries or semi-finals.

Everyone performs at once, and judges score on technique, artistry, innovation, visual impact, and audience reaction—with placements for first, second, and third in each category. Only a final composite score of 8.5 or above qualifies for the grand prize, as the standard is strictly set.

Even if a contestant wins first place, if their composite score doesn’t exceed 8.5, they still aren’t eligible for the grand prize.

Thus, a composite score of 8.5 becomes the first hurdle for all contestants.

“President, shall we head over now?”

At the mention of heading to Mingsha Ge, Feng Peng and Yue Dong immediately replied.

“Yes!”

Xie Feiyang nodded. But just as he was about to add more, his phone suddenly rang.

Ding, ding, ding.