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Master Tang
墨書 Inktalez
At the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, before the evening gathering, the city of Chang'an was enveloped in the glow of the setting sun, as if an immortal had scattered large amounts of fragmented golden flowers from above, draping this grand capital in a golden veil. The Eastern Market, located not far from the Vermilion Bird Gate, was bustling with trade at its peak, with crowds flowing like a sea and foreigners interspersed among them, dressed in all sorts of exotic attire, resembling a world expo.
"A thousand homes resemble a game of Go, twelve streets like vegetable plots. The palace opens to the nine heavens, and people from all nations pay homage to the crown." This couplet unexpectedly surfaced in the mind of Xu Zhen.
He stood apart from the crowd, leaning against a wall, cradling a leather scabbard in his arms, lazily chewing on a bitter tea stem while playing with a large Kaiyuan Tongbao coin in his hand.
The coin rolled and spun between his fingers, starting from his thumb to his little finger and back again, moving smoothly across the back of his hand. His fingers were nimble and quick, making the coin seem almost magical.
"They say that on one side of a yuan coin is a '1' and on the other side is a chrysanthemum. This shows how modern people's values are far less upright than those of Tang people; at least Tang coins had a hole in the middle."
Xu Zhen thought with a sense of dark humor; this had become part of his daily routine. Whenever he encountered something new, he always liked to compare it with the present world.
However, his attention was quickly drawn back to the crowd's exclamations. The area in front of the Red Pavilion was already packed with people. Xu Zhen watched as his colleagues stood tall and imposing while maintaining order, feeling a wave of bitter amusement inside.
Tang people were also unreliable; clearly just city management officials who were even less competent than local police, yet they took on such a mighty title as "Wuhou." It sounded impressive, but for an intern Wuhou like Xu Zhen, there was nothing real in his scabbard—only a wooden sword meant to intimidate.
The Red Pavilion was somewhat famous in the Eastern Market. Today, it seemed that some noble had graced them with their presence by organizing a grand performance featuring various acts. In front of the pavilion was even a White Elephant parading around, while on stage there were cages containing rare and exotic beasts. The audience was continuously shouting and cheering; it was impossible to describe the scene at that moment.
A San truly was an extraordinary nation; they had traveled thousands of miles to perform in Tang Chang'an. Although officially labeled as foreigners from India, once dressed in Barbarian Attire and wrapped in turbans, it was hard to tell which country they actually belonged to.
At that moment, an old bearded A San leaned on a Snake Staff and hobbled into the center of the stage, stopping on a prepared mat. Many spectators were puzzled but filled with anticipation; silence fell over them as they were captivated by this old man's mysterious aura.
A San thrust his Snake Staff into the ground and began chanting incantations, clearly performing supreme yoga techniques. Six or seven enchanting foreign women swayed their serpentine waists and curvy hips around A San, dancing gracefully while jingling bells and jewelry clinked together. Their exposed fair skin caught everyone's attention, leaving many young men parched with desire.
Two Barbarians stood guard on either side of the stage, occasionally spitting exotic fire oil from their mouths onto their torches, creating roaring fire dragons that amazed the crowd.
"Look! Look!"
The crowd erupted in commotion as Old A San placed his left hand on the head of his staff, formed a lotus seal with his right hand, and slowly crossed his legs, astonishingly levitating into the air!
"This is a Master from Buddha Country! It's a Living Buddha! Everyone come and pay your respects; it's a good opportunity to pray for blessings!"
It was unclear who started it, but soon a large portion of the crowd knelt down. Coins clinked as they fell into the purple-gold bowl placed on the mat in front of him, quickly overflowing. Others simply scattered money on the ground, and some even offered incense burners, sincerely bowing in worship.
The distinguished guests at the podium also applauded in approval, instructing their servants to continuously present rewards. Although the Hu people did not express excessive gratitude, their eyes burned with excitement.
Xu Zhenxin sneered coldly; he had not expected that this Indian levitation technique, known as one of humanity's top ten superpowers, would appear during the Tang Dynasty. Of course, as a former champion of the FISM (the Olympics of magic), Xu Zhen knew at least three methods to achieve such an effect.
However, within the grand context of the Tang Dynasty, achieving such a feat was indeed impressive for Old A San.
Even Lord Fang Zheng, who usually ordered Xu Zhen around, was now dumbfounded. He secretly tossed a few coins to the ground while muttering to himself, estimating that his chances for next year's evaluations had just increased significantly.
The Wuhou were too captivated by this almost supernatural yoga technique to maintain order. Most people were awestruck and began to pray quietly. Some even started to push toward Old A San, eager to touch this living deity!
"Clear out! Move aside!"
A voice boomed like thunder as the crowd parted to make way for seven or eight Black-Clad Warriors escorting a Noble Young Master directly to A San's front.
The Young Master, around eleven or twelve years old, had yet to mature fully. His delicate features were just beginning to take shape, making him strikingly beautiful, like a celestial child from a painting.
The Xu Zhen cast a glance at the Young Master, who was dressed in Barbarian Attire and wore a jade dagger encrusted with gems at his waist. Even in a capital where noble families were as common as dogs and royal relatives walked everywhere, he exuded an air of nobility.
The crowd was quickly dispersed. The Young Master pretended to be mature as he swaggered forward, not making any direct moves but circling around Old A San a couple of times. He then drew his jade dagger, intending to lift the old man's robe, clearly a bold child who enjoyed revealing secrets to show off his cleverness.
Two Dancers nearby tried to intervene but were met with fierce glares from the Black-Clad Warriors. Under the pressure of their intimidating presence, the Dancers could only cast pleading looks at the old man, who slightly opened his eyes and gently shook his head to indicate it was fine.
The Young Master snorted coldly, not directly touching the old man. He lifted the robe for inspection and tapped on the Snake Staff, his expression suddenly turning sour as he evidently found nothing resembling the hidden mechanisms he had imagined.
Seeing the Young Master appear, the managers of the Red Pavilion hurriedly reported back. Soon after, the short and stout Keeper stepped forward to mediate, welcoming the Young Master to the chair set up in front of the pavilion. The black-clad warriors flanked him on either side, creating an imposing atmosphere.
The old man sensed it was time and slowly lowered his legs to stand firmly on the ground. He drew out the Snake Staff while the Dancers collected the large coins scattered on the ground and removed the carpet, revealing intact blue bricks beneath. The crowd gasped in awe; those who had initially thought that the old man had prepared tricks on the ground were now convinced, their gazes filled with admiration and reverence for him.
"Interesting..." The Xu Zhen was slightly surprised when she saw the carpet removed and regarded the old man's skills with newfound respect.
This Young Master was clearly today's VIP. The Keeper quickly urged Elder Tianzhu to perform another trick; if they could win this young lord's favor, the Red Pavilion would truly become famous throughout Chang'an!
Elder Tianzhu wasted no time. Holding a lotus seal, he performed a monk's salute toward the chair before untying a three-foot-long grass rope from his waist. He raised it high above his chest and displayed it all around before casually tossing it into the crowd.
The people had long regarded the old man as a divine figure and immediately surged forward to snatch at the grass rope. A group of greasy Street Folk boys used their superior strength and size to seize it; however, their hands were slippery, and what they grabbed turned into a colorful long worm!
"My goodness!"
The men quickly shrank their pants and frantically tossed the long snake back onto the stage. The crowd, witnessing such a comical scene, burst into laughter, yet they regarded the old man with utmost reverence.
Xu Zhen narrowed her eyes, feeling a shock in her heart, for even she, the champion of magic, could not discern the trick behind the old man's performance!
Elder Tianzhu smiled lightly, removed his cloak from his back, placed it on the ground, and coiled the long snake within it. He stepped back a couple of paces and began to chant incantations once more.
On the platform, Noble Young Master revealed a look of surprise in his eyes. Forgetting his noble demeanor, he stood up from his seat, just like the other guests and commoners, stretching his neck to stare at the bundle on the ground.
“Maha Jieti Boruo Boluokeno!”
With a loud shout from Elder Tianzhu, the cloak on the ground stirred. A segment of rope emerged as if grasped by an invisible hand, soaring into the sky. The rope seemed endless, ascending towards the Azure Sky!
“I can't believe it! This is the lost Indian Rope Trick!” Xu Zhenxin was stunned by the spectacle before him, never expecting to witness such a miraculous feat in his lifetime!
“How is this possible?” Young Master’s fair face flushed with excitement, his small chest rising and falling rapidly, clearly astonished by this sudden display!
The onlookers could no longer contain their shock and awe. For the Ancients, such an event was nothing short of a Miracle! The atmosphere erupted as gasps and discussions filled the air. Large groups of people knelt down again, this time performing a full prostration in reverence!
The Elder from India turned pale as if he had exhausted all his magical power. Two men in black robes hurriedly helped him aside. The crowd erupted with cheers like a tidal wave, rushing forward to offer gifts. Pouches of money were directly presented onto the stage until they piled up into small mountains!
“If I had known it was this easy to make money, I would have grown a big beard and pretended to be A San instead of being a useless city manager!” Xu Zhen muttered angrily, her eyes fixated on the pile of money.
“Good! Good! Reward them! Quickly reward them!”
The Young Master took a long time to regain his senses, laughing heartily. The warrior on his left slightly bowed his head, pulled out a bulging money pouch from his robe, and tossed it at the old man's feet. With a clatter, the pouch burst open, spilling out numerous gold leaves the size of a thumb!
The old man's gaze lingered on the gold leaves for just a moment before he quickly disregarded these worthless items and nodded respectfully to the Young Master.
Princess Jinyang's eyes were sharp; as a magician, reading people's expressions was essential, and understanding their psychology was even more crucial. The old man's behavior was undeniably strange, unlike that of an ordinary foreign performer!
As wariness surged in her heart, the Young Master suddenly jumped up from his seat, abandoning his previous air of nobility. He stroked his chin with an air of seriousness and stepped into the arena, cautiously examining the upright Divine Rope. As his courage grew, he reached out and grabbed the rope, pulling it with all his might, but it remained as immovable as a pillar.
"Master, can this celestial rope truly lead to the heavenly realm?" The Young Master asked Elder Tianzhu with wide eyes full of wonder, his words laced with skepticism yet filled with shock and admiration.
Elder Tianzhu smiled slightly and replied in a somewhat stiff voice, "The old monk does not know where it leads. Young Master, your demeanor is extraordinary; you are no ordinary person. Why not ascend to Azure Sky and ask the heavens?"
The Young Master was momentarily taken aback, feeling a bit alarmed. Seeing the playful glint in the old man's eyes ignited his fighting spirit. Gritting his teeth, his fair face flushed as he prepared to climb the rope. The surrounding crowd cheered him on, and the Young Master felt immensely proud.
Several Black-Clad Warriors rushed forward to block him but were met with a single glance from the Young Master that sent them retreating to protect him instead.
Although he appeared delicate, the Young Master was agile and soon climbed halfway up into the air. The crowd below fell silent, only the sound of astonished swallowing could be heard.
However, the Young Master's figure quickly vanished into the mist, causing many Black-Clad Warriors to grow anxious. They hurriedly drew their blades and inquired about him. Elder from India slowly rose and clasped his hands together, saying, "It must be that Young Master is enchanted by the scenery of the celestial realm and has lost track of time. Allow me to guide this young noble back!"
Without further ado, the old man also climbed onto the rope. However, just as he reached over the second floor of the Red Pavilion, the rope suddenly slackened and fell with a rustle. The old monk cried out in surprise as a shadow plummeted to the ground!
"Oh no! This is not good!" Princess Jinyang recalled what she had read in an ancient text about Divine Rope and felt her heart sink. She rushed into the crowd to see that the shadow was merely Elder Tianzhu's long robe; there was no sign of him anywhere!
"What is going on!"
The Black-Clad Warriors immediately sensed that something was wrong. They pushed aside the Dancer and the Robe-Wearing Stranger, only to find the long robe and grass rope left behind, while the Young Master and Elder Tianzhu had vanished without a trace!
"This is bad!"
Cold sweat broke out on the Black-Clad Warriors as they scanned the area, but with the crowd surging, there was no sign of the old man or the Young Master!
With a clang, the long knife at their waists was drawn. The Black-Clad Warriors swiftly subdued the group of foreign individuals. The leading warrior, with a fierce beard, bellowed like thunder, "Everyone kneel down! Otherwise, you will be killed without mercy!"
In Chang'an City, under the emperor's feet, the citizens were well-behaved. Upon seeing weapons drawn, they all immediately fell to the ground. However, among the crowd, there was no sign of the old man at all!
The Black-Clad Warriors were growing anxious and shouted to the warriors behind them, "Why aren't you sending a signal yet!"
The warrior quickly came to his senses, unfastened the hand crossbow hidden beneath his black clothing, and pulled the trigger. A bolt shot into the sky with a sharp whistle, piercing through the crimson evening clouds, casting a shadow of dread over all of Chang'an!
"This old man definitely has something up his sleeve!" The Xu Zhen spat out a bitter tea stem and quietly slipped away from the crowd. Based on her analysis of ancient texts regarding the Indian Rope Trick, she estimated his likely location and soon found herself on a crowded street. Scanning her surroundings, she quickly spotted a figure in a long robe touching the ground. Without making a sound, she quickened her pace to follow!
(Note: The Indian Rope Trick is a real ancient illusionist act. The Divine Rope, also known as Heavenly Rope, is considered one of history's first illusions. There are many accounts of it in both Eastern and Western cultures; its authenticity remains to be verified. Interested readers may wish to look it up.)
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