plumnovel Chapter 70 Hidden Magical Tricks
Chapter 70 Hidden Magical Tricks
I'm full.
Song Quyou and Su Tang did not return directly to their residence, but instead strolled around the streets of Qiantang County to digest their food.
Today is a special day; the streets are celebrating the Nuo ritual.
Drums and gongs resounded throughout the homes, people prayed for good fortune, and exorcising processions roamed the streets and alleys, driving away evil spirits and bringing blessings to each household.
Walking down the street, lanterns, fireworks, vendors, and tourists all give way to the wide central road, stopping to let the "deities" who bring blessings and protection to the people pass first.
These "deities" have loud and captivating voices and frenzied and exaggerated dance moves, truly like gods descending to earth, leaving people in awe and mesmerized.
Tourists and vendors along the roadside couldn't help but clap and cheer.
Song Quyou stood by the roadside, watching as one hideous ghost face after another passed by.
They swallowed knives, breathed fire, climbed on knife racks, and even rolled, sat cross-legged, and bathed in hot coals over pre-prepared braziers.
It's heartbreaking to watch.
This was a group of villagers from the countryside. They were dressed in rough clothes, but they were really skilled. In the end, the short little devil was left behind, holding a gong and asking for a reward.
The tourists on both sides were generous, taking out copper coins and silver fragments and throwing them at the little devil. The masked man following behind bowed in thanks.
At that moment, the lark flew out and landed on Song Quyou's shoulder.
The man and the bird, who had gradually developed a tacit understanding, exchanged a glance, and Song Quyou knew that a new technique had been introduced.
Song Quyou was in a great mood. He took out some loose silver and tossed it lightly, and it landed on the little devil's gong.
The little devil was clever. Seeing the silver pieces fall into the gong, he bowed deeply in the direction of Song Quyou, his eyes shining brightly beneath his demon mask.
……
These people were performing the night exorcism ritual, followed by government officials and musicians from the music academy.
They wore "embroidered and painted clothes," wore masks of various shapes, and dressed up as generals, door gods, judges, kitchen gods, earth gods, and other deities and divine soldiers, holding golden spears, dragon flags and other ritual implements.
Before long, the government's Nuo ritual procession arrived in front of us in a grand procession.
Leading the procession were twelve deacons holding wooden signs that read "Avoid" and "Silence," followed closely by a retinue of ceremonial guards carrying golden maces and axes.
The deities dressed by the court musicians were exquisitely crafted, with auspicious clouds and mythical beasts embroidered on their robes with gold and silver threads, shimmering brilliantly in the torchlight.
The judge held the Book of Life and Death, his eyes wide with rage; the Kitchen God had a kind face and held five grains in his hands; Zhong Kui stepped on little devils, his beard bristling, and every step he took had the imposing presence of a giant.
For some reason, the cheers from the onlookers were not as enthusiastic as before; they became more reserved and just watched quietly, lacking the liveliness of the earlier gathering.
……
After the procession passed, the streets returned to normal, with tourists strolling around and vendors hawking their wares.
The two walked forward with the flow of people. Su Tang walked and stopped, looking around, but didn't buy anything.
Song Quyou, however, was drawn to the crowd not far ahead.
Song Quyou squeezed in; it turned out there was a Western Region foreigner inside.
He had curly hair, blue eyes, a high nose, and deep-set eyes. He was wearing a faded Hu robe and sat cross-legged on the ground, beating a Jie drum with cheerful sounds.
Suddenly, with the sound of cheerful drums, thick smoke rose from the Hu man's body, slowly engulfing everyone.
The thick smoke led everyone to a very, very far borderland, a place of indescribable desolation, with vast stretches of yellow sand, camels taller than city walls, and the setting sun that could turn the entire sky red.
Song Quyou held the long sword, and the lark in his arms poked its head out, looked around, and then quickly scurried back inside.
Russian.
Several Hu women emerged from the sand, swaying their waists and dancing the Hu Xuan dance to the beat of the drums, exuding a strong exotic charm.
The Hu women danced faster and faster, their skirts billowing and waving, their ankle bells jingling, their bright blue eyes captivating and mesmerizing.
Song Quyou watched for a while, twisting and turning with only a few movements. Apart from the thin, see-through clothes and the allure of desire, it was really rather boring.
He then summoned the Taiyin Mingxin Mirror, and a full moon shone in his eyes. The surrounding yellow sand and setting sun dissipated, and the people returned to their former state.
But at this moment, a cat-shaped plume of smoke appeared in the crowd, floating and moving through the air.
Song Quyou recognized it; the smoke was a kind of cat spirit, a vengeful spirit, unique to the Western Regions.
The book records that the people there often kept it as a pet, and it was extremely stingy and protective of its home. It would often help its owner steal gold and silver, or help its owner guard its wealth, not allowing anyone else to touch it.
Song Quyou frowned slightly, his gaze following the cat-shaped plume of smoke. He watched as it deftly scooped out small pieces of silver and copper coins from the purses of the stunned passersby. Its skillful movements clearly indicated that it was an experienced hand.
The Hu man continued to beat his drum, his eyes half-closed, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.
Song Quyou sighed softly and blew a breath, instantly changing the rhythm of the Jie drum. The surrounding crowd seemed to wake from a dream, looking around in confusion.
The cat-shaped plume of smoke that was weaving through the crowd suddenly stopped, as if it had been choked, and with a "poof" it dissipated into a wisp of smoke, with a few pieces of silver clinking to the ground.
The Hu man suddenly opened his eyes, a hint of panic flashing in his blue pupils.
As everyone came to their senses, they heard the sound of silver coins scattering on the ground. Some people reached for their purses and cried out in alarm that they had been robbed, prompting passersby to instinctively reach for their own purses as well. Others picked up the pieces of silver from the ground, looking bewildered, and the scene became somewhat chaotic.
Just then, a group of officials in black robes, carrying knives, were patrolling the streets and happened to pass by.
Seeing the commotion, the official hurriedly squeezed in, sized up the blue-eyed foreigner before him, and shouted:
"The government has ordered that any barbarians who use illusions to deceive the people should be expelled immediately."
The Hu man's expression changed, he stood up, bowed, and said in broken Mandarin:
"Officer, please forgive me, I am merely a performer to make a living. This smoke illusion is a family-inherited magic trick, and I had no intention of offending you..."
Before he could finish speaking, several people in the crowd who had lost money started shouting.
"I can see that now. It's an ancestral skill, an ancestral thievery. Shameless bastard."
"If you had just performed honestly, we would have given you a reward, and everyone would have been happy. But you insisted on engaging in this kind of theft. You deserve to be caught today. Now you can expect a beating."
……
The constable in black waved his hand: "If you have something to say, we can talk at the yamen. Men, take him away."
Two constables stepped forward and grabbed the Hu man's arms. The Hu man tried to resist, but he was already held up and could not break free. He could only let the constables take away his drum and bedding from the ground.
The bailiffs led the barbarian away, and the man who had lost the money followed closely behind, heading towards the yamen (government office).
The crowd gradually dispersed, muttering about how unlucky it was, and went off to find their own amusement.
After all, it's a holiday, and nobody wants to fuss over these things.
……
The moon gradually rose above the treetops.
The two strolled back to the mansion.
After returning to his room, Song Quyou hurriedly entered the Emerald Pine Pot Heaven.
Within the pot-shaped pool, ancient pines rustle, and the water ripples.
Song Quyou gently stepped across the small pond and came to the desk. He looked at the three new techniques on the scroll: swallowing knives, breathing flames, and sitting in fire.
All three arts are said in the book to originate from human theatrical arts.
Sword swallowing: Can swallow weapons.
Flame-breathing: Able to swallow and breathe fire.
Sitting in the fire: Sitting comfortably in the fire, the fire cannot burn one's body, and one is not afraid of being burned by the fire.
Looking at these three techniques, Song Quyou recalled the group of villagers who played the Hu (a type of Chinese bowed instrument) at night.
The man swallowed the knife, burying the entire short blade into his throat. His Adam's apple bobbed, and the onlookers gasped in surprise. But then, with a clasp of his hands, the knife slid out of his sleeve.
The fire-breathing creature had no kindling; it simply opened its mouth and unleashed a fiery dragon, illuminating the streets and alleys.
They rolled and sat cross-legged on the fire pit, their skin pressed against the glowing embers. They rubbed the embers against their bodies, sparks flying everywhere, yet they remained unharmed.
At the time, I thought it was just a rural gimmick, but now I realize that it actually contains magical techniques and secrets.
Song Quyou silently memorized the three techniques.
Silently practicing the sword-swallowing technique, he felt a slight coolness in his throat, and a surge of energy spread out in his throat.
When Song Quyou first tried to use it, he dared not swallow the swords. Instead, he drew a golden needle from his waist and slowly put it into his mouth.
The golden needle slid in along the tongue, and the moment it touched the throat, the layer of flat air gently enveloped it, supporting the entire needle. It felt cool in the throat, like holding a piece of ice, but without any stinging pain.
Song Quyou felt a slight stirring in his heart and tried to swallow.
The golden needle slid smoothly into my abdomen. I could feel that the needle was enveloped by a gentle, clear energy, suspended between my stomach and intestines, without harming my internal organs in the slightest.
He used the incantation again, and a cool sensation swept back from his throat. The golden needle retreated along the original path and landed in his palm, clean and new, without even a trace of water.
Having demonstrated his sword-swallowing technique, Song Quyou then tried his flame-breathing technique.
He took out a paper crane, which suddenly transformed into a crimson firebird in his palm. He put it in his beak, and then his breath condensed into a point of fire in his chest.
Following the trick, Song Quyou gently exhaled the flames. The flames in his chest swelled slightly, and a red line, as thick as a finger, flashed with fire as it shot out of his mouth, drawing an arc in the night.
Reflected on the pool water, the entire pool of shimmering water was tinged with a layer of red.
However, this fire is a purification talisman fire, which only burns away impurities and will not scorch other objects.
There was another technique, "Sitting in Fire." Song Quyou performed the incantation, and his body was immediately enveloped in a hazy aura that adhered to his entire body without causing any discomfort.
Unfortunately, there were no braziers around, so we couldn't verify it.
The three techniques of swallowing knives, spitting flames, and sitting on fire all originated from the performers of Nuo opera in rural areas, and each has its own unique application.
Swallowing knives allows one to conceal weapons, breathing flames can catch opponents off guard, and sitting on fire provides a life-saving ability that makes one impervious to flames. Today's gains can be described as substantial.
……
For several days in a row, the courtyard was unusually undisturbed.
Besides nurturing his flying sword every day, Song Quyou spent his time drawing talismans and meditating.
Su Tang was quite content with her leisure time in the courtyard, spending her days petting the cats and looking at the account books; nothing of great importance came up.
But leisurely days never last long.
Before the festive atmosphere of the New Year had even dissipated, the county magistrate, along with two constables, arrived at the door.
"My benefactor."
Song Quyou put down his work, stood up, and bowed, saying, "Sir, you should still be at home with your family on your day off. How come you have time to come here?"
The county magistrate of Xu County returned the greeting with clasped hands:
"My benefactor, since the canal was built in Qiantang County, evil spirits and monsters that were rarely seen in the past have begun to run rampant, causing trouble everywhere."
The prefectural government ordered all townships and counties to return to their posts ahead of schedule and post notices to recruit talented individuals to recommend to the prefectural government. My county is right next to the prefectural government, and seeing that I could not find any capable people, I thought of my benefactor.
Upon hearing this, Song Quyou frowned slightly and did not immediately agree.
Seeing this, the county magistrate bowed and continued, "My benefactor is so righteous. Of course, I will not wrong him or let him have done his work in vain. Please accept this small gift."
As he spoke, the county magistrate took a brocade box from his attendant behind him and respectfully handed it over.
Song Quyou did not reach out to take it. He glanced at the brocade box and said indifferently:
"Your Excellency misunderstands. I was merely thinking about the evil spirit. In that case, I will pack up the talismans and head to the government office. Please take this gift back."
"My benefactor, please don't be in such a hurry to refuse."
The county magistrate pushed the brocade box forward another half a step and continued:
"This is silver approved by the government, specifically for recruiting talented individuals. How can we let our benefactor suffer a loss when he is so righteous? As the saying goes, 'repay kindness with kindness,' please accept it."
After bidding farewell to the county magistrate of Naxu County, Song Quyou returned to his room, collected some neatly folded talismans, picked up his longsword, put on his bamboo hat, and prepared to head to the government office.
Seeing him packing his things, Su Tang closed the account book, gently placed the charcoal on her lap aside, and stood up, saying, "Junior brother, I'll go with you."
Song Quyou fastened the straps of his straw hat, shook his head and said, "Senior Sister, just focus on keeping an eye on the accounts. If there's anything important, Junior Brother will call for you."
Song Quyou followed the bluestone path and arrived at the prefectural government office.
After he identified himself, a middle-aged man who looked like a clerk came forward and led Song Quyou to a large hall.
The lobby was bustling with people from all walks of life, filled with lively chatter and a large number of seats.
Judging from their appearances and attire, there were scholars who never put down their books, Taoist priests who were deep in thought, martial monks with their eyes slightly closed, wandering knights who drank freely, fierce butchers who picked their teeth, and beggars in tattered clothes...
These people had all sorts of weapons, including iron fans, longswords, monk's staffs, butcher knives, and even a curved bamboo stick covered in grease that the beggar was holding.
Song Quyou found a corner to sit down, without even taking off his straw hat, and simply placed his long sword across his lap, closing his eyes to rest.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a middle-aged official in a blue robe walked out from behind the hall. According to the crowd, he was the Vice Prefect of Qiantang County, surnamed Shen.
Judge Shen looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept well for several days.
"My righteous friends."
The noisy lobby gradually fell silent.
Judge Shen cupped his hands in greeting, his voice hoarse: "The reason I have invited you all here is because a thorny matter has arisen in Qiantang County."
Magistrate Shen suddenly paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled heroes and righteous men, and said:
"However, we must make things clear before we start. I am extremely grateful that you all came here."
But after hearing the confidential details of the case at the government office, there will be no turning back. If you have other business to attend to, please leave. Go to the door, collect two copper coins, and go home.
After Judge Shen finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment.
The wandering swordsman slammed his wine gourd on the table and laughed heartily:
"My lord, please don't frighten us. We've traveled the world, what strange things haven't we seen? If there are evil spirits causing trouble, we'll just slay them!"
The butcher, picking his teeth, echoed in a muffled voice:
"That's right, I've slaughtered pigs my whole life, why would I be afraid of a bird demon? If any demon sees my menacing aura, it'll be so scared it'll kowtow. I'll kowtow to it back."
"Amitabha Buddha, Judge Shen, we have come here specifically to exorcise demons, how could we fear mere evil spirits?"
Judge Shen sighed and continued:
"In that case, I, Shen, will speak frankly."
The case began before the new year, when the abbot of Lingfo Temple in the north of the city was engaged in a magical duel with someone, who beheaded him with a single sword strike, leaving him dead inside the temple. This matter was originally under the jurisdiction of the local government, but the imperial exorcism guards intervened…”