Chapter 7: Trickster

There were too many people, he couldn't squeeze over, so Lin Jue simply stood on the steps of the street beside him, tiptoed and looked ahead.

Sure enough, magic tricks were being performed.

Only seeing a piece of empty space two feet square surrounded by the crowd, a wooden table was placed in the empty space, a man in cloth clothes sat in front of the table, three bowls in front of him, a few peach pits, changing them back and forth in the bowls.

It was playing the trick of the three immortals returning to the cave.

There were constant cheers and guesses from the surrounding onlookers, as if fighting wits with the trickster.

Lin Jue frowned.

He had seen this kind of trick, mostly relying on techniques and thinking guidance to operate. The higher the technique, the higher it is, and at the same time, the more he understands the onlookers' thoughts.

Looking carefully, he frowned even more.

If the empty space was wide enough, with only one person and one table, and people surrounded from all directions, if this man could still play this trick freely, relying on this world with monsters and magic, Lin Jue would reserve the possibility that "this man might really have some strangeness in him." However, the wooden table was placed with his back to the wall on the street, and there were not many people on the side behind the trickster, and several companions stood behind him, which was considered blocking the positions that were relatively easy to see through.

Lin Jue looked along these directions again.

The side and back were indeed easier to see through. Although there were not many people standing there, looking at their expressions, it seemed that some people really saw a clue.

It's just that maybe they didn't see it very clearly, or maybe they felt that the other party could have this technique, it was not bad, and there was no need to smash people's rice bowls for no reason, so no one came out to expose it.

Instead, many onlookers watched excitedly.

Mostly because it was rarely so lively usually, and rarely seen such strange performances.

Lin Jue didn't say anything, stood and continued to watch.

After a while, a middle-aged man with a beard covered it with a colored towel, changed out a copper basin, covered it with the colored towel again, and changed out water from the empty copper basin, then changed out koi fish.

The onlookers cheered repeatedly.

Many people opened their eyes wide, and their spirits were straight.

After the colored towel changed the fish, it was taking things from an empty box.

Besides taking fruits and vegetables, young cats and dogs, it could even take things carried by the audience on the spot. Someone started a fuss to take the red bellyband in the widow's house on the street, and it could actually be taken.

Lin Jue was half-believing and half-doubting, his brows tightly locked.

Keeping hope, and keeping patience.

Slowly, the time got later and later, the sun got higher and higher, and the flow of people on the street reached its peak.

Above the empty space ahead, the trickster's apprentice knelt on the ground to pick up money, and the older trickster walked around and said:

"Many thanks to all the patrons for your support; our arrival here has covered our travel expenses. In the performance just now, there were both genuine mysterious skills and hard-practiced techniques. I thank all the patrons for your enthusiastic support, and I also thank the discerning people who saw through it but did not speak of it. I, your humble servant, thank you all."

Saying that, he clasped his fists and saluted.

The onlookers were just watching with interest, and hearing him speak well, naturally there was another burst of cheers, making a fuss for him to come up with some more good-looking ones.

"Originally didn't eat breakfast, stomach was hungry, wanted to rest and drink some water. Since the onlookers want to see some good-looking ones, we naturally can't sweep the interest of all the nobles."

After saying that, he beckoned to the side.

A thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy ran over. In this cold spring season, he only wore a pair of pants, his upper body was bare, and he was so thin that his ribs could be seen.

"All onlookers! Those with money support the money field, those without money support the person field, but hope this scene can add some red fire to everyone's days! The little baby has performed few times, don't let the little baby be ashamed!"

It was still the older trickster who clasped his fists and spoke.

There is some talk on him.

That boy didn't say a word. As soon as he ran out, he ran two circles around the empty space, facing the onlookers and opening his mouth wide, as if to show his mouth to everyone.

There was nothing inside.

Then he took out a black pill, chewed it with malt sugar, put it in his mouth, chewed it, suddenly stared, raised his head and spat into the air.

"Boom..."

A large canopy of flames bloomed in the air.

The surrounding crowd was startled, and then this enthusiastic scene immediately brought a large burst of exclamations and applause.

Lin Jue was also unexpectedly surprised.

Don't know what that black pill is, but even if it is a drug that can burn, I didn't see anything that could ignite the fire.

Pondering, Lin Jue hurriedly went down the stairs and squeezed forward.

"Don't squeeze, don't squeeze..."

"Why squeeze?"

"Who is squeezing me?"

"You lad..."

"Excuse me, excuse me."

Successively, other pedestrians were attracted by the firelight and exclamations, coupled with the need to free up hands to protect the basket and medicinal materials, causing Lin Jue to spend a lot of effort, only then squeezing to the very middle.

"Boom!!"

Another canopy of flames exploded in the sky.

The surrounding audience was still excited and boiling.

What is called hot fire?

This is it.

However, the performance had already reached its end.

"Whoosh..."

That boy seemed very tired, panting, stopped, looked at the middle-aged man, and looked at the surrounding audience, didn't say a word, hurriedly lowered his head and clasped his fists.

Immediately a burst of clinking and clanging.

Many people threw money into the middle, or threw some fruits and vegetables, and some people put eggs on the ground and rolled them forward.

In this day and age, everything counts as a reward.

However, at this moment, an untimely voice sounded beside him:

"Watched for so long, finally saw a magic trick that can be called a real skill, but such a simple fire-hating technique, performing it at the temple fair, is it a bit fooling people?"

The voice was old, not lacking in contempt.

The crowd followed the sound and looked, it was an old man in cloth clothes.

"Who is this onlooker..."

The middle-aged trickster couldn't help but tentatively clasp his fists and speak.

"Considered a peer."

The old man said with a smile.

The middle-aged trickster's expression sank immediately upon hearing this.

The rest of the onlookers were stunned for a moment, and then many of them showed excited expressions of watching the show.

The atmosphere was already enthusiastic, and this was even more so.

"Although the old saying goes, peers are enemies. But we came here, reported to the local county official, paid money, and asked for the way, didn't offend anyone, didn't grab anyone's business." The middle-aged trickster pondered, then cautiously said to the old man, "Old senior is..."

"You didn't do anything wrong. The old man just came here a step later than you. When reporting to the officials, the officials said that someone had already reported, paid enough money, and occupied a good position. It just so happened that there was nothing to do today, so I came to stroll, and just happened to meet you." The old man simply walked out, laughing, "Originally wanted to see and learn, see what other skills the peers in other places have, didn't expect to see any powerful skills."

The tone was quite helpless, really as if there was no malice.

Even after saying this, he sighed:

"This person, when he gets old, talks a lot. What's in his heart, he really can't hold back, so he opened his mouth."

The middle-aged trickster's face was uncertain, and he looked at the onlookers around him again, so he had to take back his hand of saluting, saying: "Saying we are not powerful enough, it seems that old senior has something to instruct!"

"Instruction is not worth mentioning. You just performed, the only thing that can catch my eye is this fire-hating technique. It's just that this little baby practiced it, but it's only an introduction."

As soon as the words fell, the boy who had just performed looked around left and right, lowered his head and played with his hands, at a loss.

"Old senior is right..."

The middle-aged trickster originally lowered his posture in front of the onlookers, extremely polite and selling misery, which was a very good-tempered artist personality. At this moment, he couldn't help but sink his face:

"It's just that my child is still young, what does a little baby know? Old senior, don't shame him. This fire-hating technique, Liu has also practiced for many years, let old senior help palm his eyes and see the heat."

The onlookers heard this and immediately started a fuss.

Lin Jue also had a lot of interest.

Only seeing the middle-aged trickster also open the pottery jar, take a black pill, add malt sugar, chew it in his mouth, and at the same time, someone behind him beat drums and gongs and clapped cymbals.

"Dong-cha!"

A sound of drums and cymbals rang, the middle-aged trickster just happened to raise his head, and spat out suddenly with the sound.

"Boom!"

But it was not a fire that exploded and scattered in the sky, but a straight pillar of fire, rushing straight to the sky, the length was at least two or three feet.

This pillar of fire was very conspicuous. If the terrain was standing a bit higher, I'm afraid it could be seen from a few streets away. If it were night, I'm afraid the whole county could see the firelight.

Whether watching the doorway or watching the excitement, one could see that there must be some foundation in it.

The middle-aged trickster didn't stop, and continued to spit several times.

Coupled with the harmony made by the trickster team blowing, beating, clapping, and knocking, the atmosphere was well set off, and the onlookers' emotions went up another level.

It was clear that his skill was indeed deeper than that boy's, not only able to condense flames, spit fire into pillars, but also able to spit three or five times after eating a pill.

Then the middle-aged man ate another one, walked around the empty space, and spat the pillar of fire on the heads of all the audience, letting people feel the scorching temperature. He even found wood, put it in the fire basin, sprayed fire to ignite it, to show that the flames he spat were absolutely not a trick, but real material.

"Not bad, not bad..."

The old man applauded repeatedly and said: "This fire-hating technique of yours has some heat."

"Dare to ask old senior what instruction you have?"

The middle-aged trickster was also quite proud for a while.

"Instruction is not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning. It's just that maybe you onlookers haven't heard of it, don't know if peers have heard of it? The fire-hating technique originally has upper and lower grades." The old man said with a smile, "Lower grade fire-hating technique requires fire pills, fire oil, and other things to be put into the mouth to release, upper grade fire-hating technique does not need it."

The middle-aged trickster was shocked.

The onlookers also paused, and then suddenly roared, starting to discuss and shout.

"What upper grade? Perform it and let's see!"

"Compare it!"

"Old man, don't play tricks!"

"You old man are not particular, if you want to set up a stall to make money, go to the south of the city. People have been working hard here all morning, it's not easy!"

The old man initially declined, but under the constant shouting of the crowd, he finally walked out.

Only seeing him unhurriedly, not taking fire pills, just walking to the fire basin filled with wood and flames that the middle-aged trickster had just ignited, smiled at the crowd, and suddenly bent down to inhale.

"Inhale..."

Immediately, the flames became a roll, from thick to thin, as if they had spirit, rolling up and drilling into his mouth.

The onlookers couldn't help but quiet down.

Looking at the old man again, there was no difference.

He also opened his mouth to show, there was nothing in his mouth.

But suddenly opened his mouth and spat:

"Boom..."

Another pillar of fire rushed to the sky.

This stunned the onlookers.

Lin Jue also opened his eyes wide.

Although this pillar of fire was not as long as the middle-aged trickster's, and it was more scattered, he didn't eat anything, and this kind of trick of inhaling fire into the abdomen and then spitting it out, the visual impact was much greater.

For a moment, it was simply like an immortal's means.

"Everyone's kindness is hard to refuse, the old man couldn't decline, so I had to come up and show my ugliness. But please step back, the old man is advanced in age, his strength is not as good as this strong man and the younger generation, the fierce fire spat out is scattered, roasting everyone's hair and face, I won't be responsible."

"Boom..."

The old man, like the middle-aged trickster just now, walked around the empty space, spraying pillars of fire on everyone's heads, letting everyone feel the scorching temperature, and even roasting people's hair, to prove that the flames were not false.

Coupled with the sound of gongs and drums, it added to the crowd's horror.

"Boom..."

A flame flew over Lin Jue's head.

Lin Jue was one of the few people who didn't retreat, and even when the flames passed, he only protected the opening of the basket in front of him, not his head—this old man was really as he said, his strength was not as good as the young man, the flames were more scattered, Lin Jue immediately felt the scorching and surging power of the flames.

At the same time, there was a strange feeling in his heart.

Lin Jue suddenly remembered—

When he was in the Wang family ancestral hall in Heng Village, when the smoke spat by that monster attacked, he also had this feeling.

Just don't know if it is exactly as he thought.

Lin Jue was stunned, raised his hand to touch his head.

A few hairs were slightly curled. ===== CHAPTER 8 =====