“Hm?”
Lu Zheng and Lin Wan turned around and saw the young magician who had appeared first on stage.
Wu Junyi.
However, Wu Junyi no longer wore the smile he had shown onstage. His brows were lightly furrowed, his face expressionless as he looked at He Feixiang.
Wu Junyi said coolly, “Outsiders are not allowed to visit the magic backstage. You are not new to the business, so how could you make this kind of mistake?”
He Feixiang frowned. Although the magic community did have a rule and tradition that outsiders must not visit the backstage or learn about magic props, this generally referred to ordinary audience members or casual acquaintances.
Bringing a fairly close friend backstage, however, fell into a grey area where people could take it or leave it. Most turned a blind eye.
Anyone a magician brought in was almost always someone extremely close, and that person would never leak secrets outside.
Moreover…
This was the internet age. The mystery of magic was shrinking by the day. Most large-scale stage illusions now focused more on performance value because, if someone really wanted to investigate, the explanations for nearly all tricks could be found online.
Therefore, Wu Junyi picking on He Feixiang was purely personal resentment.
Wu Junyi held higher status in the circle than He Feixiang. He Feixiang did not wish to offend him, and, since the other man was using the rule about ordinary people not entering backstage, He Feixiang could not very well explain that Lu Zheng and he were close.
So He Feixiang said, “Brother Lu is not an ordinary spectator. He is also a magician.”
“Moreover…” He Feixiang glanced toward Deng Paopao and Sun Niangniang, who were surrounded by many people in the distance, his meaning clear yet unspoken.
“Hmph!”
Wu Junyi gave a cold snort, not sparing Sun Yao a single glance. He merely looked askance at Lu Zheng and Lin Wan. “A magician? These days anyone who teaches themselves one or two tricks online can call themselves a magician? Has the title become so cheap? It is simply laughable!”
The small conflict between Wu Junyi and He Feixiang attracted the attention of those nearby. Apart from the assistants of both men, two or three other magicians also watched the fun from the side.
Colleagues are often rivals. Although they too disliked Wu Junyi, none would step forward to help He Feixiang.
Wu Junyi kept his face blank, speaking condescendingly. “He Feixiang, this is a large theatre stage performance. It is not the same as the street magic and small-theatre magic you have always done. This is your first time taking part, yet you break the rules like this…”
He Feixiang clenched his teeth. He had no idea how he had offended Wu Junyi. The man had already picked on him before the show started, he had endured it then, yet now the performance was over and he was still being targeted?
“Wu Junyi, I have already told you. Brother Lu is not only a magician, he is also my friend.” He Feixiang argued, “I studied magic properly myself. I understand the rules. I do not need you to teach me.”
A sarcastic smile appeared on Wu Junyi’s lips. “You do not need me to teach you? This fellow is also a magician? Heh heh heh…”
Wu Junyi’s laughter was loud. His eyes were full of mockery as he looked at He Feixiang and Lu Zheng. “Fine, a magician? Where does your friend usually perform? How about giving us a little demonstration?”
Lin Wan stood beside Lu Zheng, her delicate hands clenched, feeling an impulse to lash out.
“Where does he perform? Ja…”
He Feixiang’s mouth twitched. He was about to mention the Japanese magician who had wanted to buy the rights to Lu Zheng’s trick, but Lu Zheng pulled him back.
Empty words were useless. The more one said, the more mistakes one made.
“Friend?” Lu Zheng’s expression was even colder than Wu Junyi’s. “Do not call me friend. I am not your friend.”
“Magician?”
Before Wu Junyi could speak, Lu Zheng interrupted with a cold laugh. “That exaggerated acting of yours, techniques that can be seen through at a glance, a mishmash of little tricks whose principles were exposed long ago, and you dare call yourself a magician? Who gave you the courage?”
Lu Zheng was not made of clay. Regardless of whether Wu Junyi was aiming at He Feixiang, the contempt toward himself was real.
He Feixiang could not help baring his teeth. He knew Lu Zheng’s sharp tongue. Sure enough, the moment he opened his mouth, Wu Junyi’s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
Here it comes! Here it comes!
They are clashing! They are clashing!
Tear into each other! Tear into each other!
The onlookers’ eyes lit up with excitement.
“A mishmash of little tricks?” Wu Junyi finally lost his composure and shouted angrily, “This is a magic art combination! What the hell do you know about magic!”
“Heh heh!” Lu Zheng gave another cold laugh.
Wu Junyi took several rough breaths, then could not resist sneering back. “You talk big, saying I am unworthy of being called a magician. Then why do you not show me a couple of tricks? Or are you someone who can only talk, who only uses his mouth for everything?”
As he spoke these words, his gaze flicked from Lu Zheng’s face to Lin Wan’s body for an instant.
That had become a personal attack.
Lu Zheng’s expression turned thoroughly icy. With a wave of his hand he cast a Freezing Curse that entered Wu Junyi’s body.
One month of serious illness would serve as a lesson.
Besides…
“Show a couple of tricks? Fine!” A smile appeared at the corner of Lu Zheng’s mouth. “I will perform two magic tricks. If you can explain them, I will apologise at once and leave. But if you cannot…”
Wu Junyi immediately replied, “I will also apologise, and from now on I will take a detour whenever I see you!”
“Deal! It is settled!” Lu Zheng nodded and agreed.
…
Using magic and the revealing of secrets as a wager to decide victory was quite a rare and exciting within the magic circle.
Such things had been more common when information was scarce, but they had become much less frequent now.
Therefore, even though it was only between Wu Junyi and an unknown magician, it still drew the interest of many magicians nearby.
Moreover, He Feixiang had risen from street magic to a large theatre, proving his own solid skill. When he declared Lu Zheng a magician and vouched for him, and did not stop him from accepting the wager, it meant Lu Zheng was probably no slouch.
If that was the case, things were about to get interesting…
The melon-eaters had already had their peanuts, melon seeds, and bottled water ready. The commotion here also attracted the attention of Sun Yao, Deng Paopao, and Sun Niangniang, who were not far away.
Sun Yao noticed fewer and fewer people around him, all heading to another corner. He frowned, walked through the crowd, and casually pulled someone aside. “What is going on?”
By the time the person explained everything, he had reached the inner circle. Naturally, Deng Paopao and Sun Niangniang, curious as well, each pulled a child along and followed.
Sun Niangniang laughed, “A magic duel, eh? This should be fun.”
Deng Paopao nodded. “Now we will have something to brag about later.”
Then the two looked up. Their first glance fell on one of the contestants, Wu Junyi. Their second glance fell on…
“Eh?”
Deng Paopao and Sun Niangniang stood there dumbfounded. They had never expected the other contestant to be Lu Zheng.
