The Elixir is for You, The Poison is for Me

#715 - Battle of Laws

Chen Tong's wooden box looked unremarkable.

The things inside were also unremarkable. The top layer held several sets of bowls and chopsticks, along with various bottles and jars.

The middle layer contained writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, as well as some miscellaneous daily necessities. The bottom layer mainly held his clothing.

Chen Tong first took out two small bottles and a small bowl from the top layer, then took out a brush, inkstone, and a gavel from the middle layer. Next, he took out a paper figure that had been cut out from the bottom layer.

The paper figure appeared to be a general, clad in armor, holding a spear in his hand, looking quite imposing.

Chen Tong arranged these items one by one on top of the box.

Then, he looked up at Lu Jing and Xia Huai and said, "Since there are two of you, shouldn't I be allowed to find a helper too?"

"As you wish."

Lu Jing readily agreed.

So Chen Tong looked around and said to the young woman singing Peking opera, "I trouble you, Miss Xiaolian, to grind the ink for me."

"Me?"

Xiaolian was a little surprised, but upon hearing this, she stood up and gracefully walked to Chen Tong, poured some water into the inkstone, and picked up the inkstick, ready to start grinding. However, she then heard Chen Tong say,

"Hold on, let me add some fairy powder."

As he spoke, he opened the two small bottles and poured some powder into the inkstone, before allowing Xiaolian to continue grinding the ink.

As Xiaolian's wrist rotated, the clear water in the inkstone began to change color.

However, it didn't turn black like ordinary ink, but rather had a golden sheen, which looked very magical.

Upon seeing this, everyone couldn't help but click their tongues in wonder.

The old man who was performing with the monkey even shouted directly, "Oh, could this really become immortal water!"

Chen Tong then said to Xiaolian, "That's enough."

So Xiaolian put down the inkstick and returned to her position.

Chen Tong grabbed the writing brush, dipped it in the golden liquid in the inkstone, and then carefully dotted it on the eyes of the paper figure.

As Chen Tong spoke, he began to shake his head, and then he muttered incantations in his mouth, "Emptiness and oneness, close to the Way, the knowledge of the true spirit, the root of creation, a dot to awaken, the work of Zhou Tian, the Supreme Immortal Lord, hurry, hurry, as the decree commands!"

After saying this, he lowered his head and blew a breath on the paper figure.

As a result, the paper figure still didn't move, as if some being in the heavens didn't want to give Chen Tong face.

So Chen Tong became anxious, picked up the gavel from the side, and slammed it down hard, shouting, "Lazy thing, why aren't you getting up!"

And after he said this, a miracle finally happened.

The paper figure actually stood up from his wooden box!

Then, with a push of its legs, it jumped onto a porcelain bowl that was placed on the wooden box, and there it held the spear in its hand, thrusting left and right, looking quite convincing.

After finishing, it even did a 'returning horse spear' move, struck a pose, and then its body went limp and slipped off the bowl.

Chen Tong was quick to grab the paper figure in his hand.

A burst of cheers and applause immediately rang out in the cabin.

The old man who was performing with the monkey even made the monkey on his shoulder do somersaults, while saying, "As expected of Immortal Chen, this is a trick that really opens people's eyes!"

A look of triumph appeared on Chen Tong's face as he looked at Lu Jing and Xia Huai.

As a result, he saw that the two of them were cracking melon seeds, just like the guests in the tile house who came to watch his performance.

When Lu Jing saw him looking over, he even gave a thumbs up and said, "Indeed, you have a skill."

"It's your turn."

Chen Tong's expression was a little unsightly.

Lu Jing and Xia Huai's relaxed attitude made him feel underestimated.

"No need, I can do it alone."

Lu Jing's words made Chen Tong's already unsightly expression even gloomier.

He had just said that there were two people on the other side, so he had also called Xiaolian to help, although it was just for show. But Lu Jing had immediately countered with a one-against-two move, which put him at a disadvantage.

This also made Chen Tong feel that he had been tricked by Lu Jing again, and he coldly said, "Hmph, just showing off some petty cleverness, I want to see how much real skill you have."

Lu Jing smiled and didn't argue, but only said to Chen Tong, "Can you lend me a piece of paper? And also, can I borrow your scissors?"

Chen Tong was stunned when he heard this, "What are you going to do?"

"Cut out a paper figure."

"Cut it now?"

"Cut it now," Lu Jing nodded.

Now everyone else in the cabin was stunned.

This... this is too bold, isn't it?

Although Chen Tong said that the bottle contained fairy powder, and he recited fairy spells after dotting the eyes, and even had a little friction with the paper figure when he was pressed, scolding the other party a few times, he had put on enough of a show.

But these were actually just performance needs, used to increase the sense of mystery and divert attention. Perhaps it could fool those amateur spectators, but they, who were wandering performers, all knew it well.

Color magicians rely half on technique and half on props. This is almost a consensus in the industry.

Lu Jing came up and asked Chen Tong for scissors and paper, which meant he directly gave up half of the props, so how powerful was his technique?

Or were he and his wife really just bluffing swindlers as Chen Tong said?

"I don't lend out my things," Chen Tong shook his head and said in a stiff tone.

Lu Jing didn't force it, and turned to the others and said, "Then who can lend me some?"

"Use my scissors, I have a pair, because I usually make my own clothes," Xiaolian said.

"I have paper, is raw Xuan paper okay?" Then a chess player also said.

He was also very curious about how Lu Jing was going to perform this trick.

"It's fine," Lu Jing really didn't mind, took the scissors and Xuan paper and glanced at them, then pinched his fingers and performed the most basic paper-cutting technique.

After finishing, he didn't drag his feet, and directly started cutting.

He couldn't cut out a lifelike paper figure like Chen Tong, he just cut a few strokes at random, barely able to make out a human shape.

It had a head, feet, a body, and two arms, as awkward as it could be.

However, it was this sloppy little paper figure that made people unable to look at it directly, but after landing, it ran away, first circling around Lu Jing twice, and then running towards the outside of the cabin.

Taking advantage of the moment when everyone was distracted, it disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Including Chen Tong, everyone in the cabin was dumbfounded.

For a full quarter of an hour, no one spoke, and it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop on the ground.

After a while, Lu Jing clasped his fists, "I've made a fool of myself. If there's nothing else, my wife and I will go to rest first."

Master Bai Er then woke up from his dream and quickly said, "I... I'll take you to your room, there happens to be a spare room on the boat."