Knife splashing

Chapter 142: Discussion in Brothel
"Performing with magic?"

Li Yan glanced at Shen Sanyou.

Shen Sanyou smiled and said, "Just watch, why are you in such a hurry?"

"They didn't use these things in the old days. Now they're just appetizers."

As expected, after the men from the Yang family won a round of applause, the opposing Wu family also sent out their own people.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
With heavy footsteps, a figure walked onto the stage.

This is an existence that can be called a giant.

He was half a body taller than an average person, and perhaps due to his development, his body shape looked a little deformed.

He is also full of muscles, like a mountain monster.

The giant man felt a little silly, his expression dull, and said in a muffled voice: "Well, let me show you a Wu Huo Kang Ding."

This is another traditional strength skill event.

During the Warring States Period, lifting a tripod to train strength was popular, especially in the Qin State. Wu Huo was a legendary strongman who was highly valued because of his ability to lift a tripod.

Although this big guy is a bit silly and can't use provocative words to liven up the atmosphere, he is more exaggerated than the man just now.

He actually lifted up the bluestone table in Hua'e Building and invited seven or eight guests to stand on it.

For a moment, there was thunderous applause all around.

Many people present here are experts. Although Wu Huo's performance of carrying the tripod is not as impressive as his previous performance of showing off his sword, he is still showing his dominance.

The giant's size was already strange, and coupled with his great strength, he was just like a guardian deity in a play, and naturally drew cheers from the crowd.

Li Yan touched his chin, thoughtfully.

This giant man also used the skill of body manipulation.

But unlike his opponents, he had a faint smell of wild beast, probably possessed by some wild fairy.

Although the performance was wonderful, Li Yan shook his head slightly, "They are all insidious methods. Although they can win applause for a while, if used for a long time, they will inevitably damage the body and cause a myriad of diseases. It is difficult to have a good end."

Whether it's a ghost or a wild fairy, possession is never a fun thing, let alone using it to unleash potential.

"That's why it's so rare." Shen Sanyou yawned, "Even they would only use this method at the critical moment."

Then the two sides fought again.

Among the tricks, one side performed jumping balls and swordplay.

This acrobatics has existed in ancient and modern times, both in China and abroad. It involves throwing a large number of colorful balls at the same time with the hands, or throwing and catching flying knives.

This time he was not possessed, but he was performing with the help of magical powers.

One side, relying on the powerful control of their spiritual roots, threw dense flying knives and balls into the air at the same time.

The whole room was filled with flying knives and balls, making the audience dizzy.

With the last move, the performer's flying knife flew up, piercing all the colored balls, and then fell to the ground with a crackling sound...

The other party used the magic whip technique.

He should have mastered the nasal ability and stepped into the dark energy.

With his eyes covered with a black cloth, he waved his magic whip, extinguishing the candles in all directions, while the candle below remained motionless.

Finally, the top was whipped with a whip, and another whip was wrapped around the pillar. The top jumped up and spun left and right on the rope.

These gyroscopes are all made of iron, and each weighs ten kilograms.

Li Yan figured out what was going on. The tactics used by both sides were not just a contest of acrobatic skills, but also a fight with weapons.

One is a master of hidden weapons.

The whip and the spinning top are probably some kind of strange weapons.

In the last show, all the ancient magicians used illusions.

One of them was playing a game called "rice turns into goldfish". In the ceramic basin on the table, grains and cereals were spinning rapidly with the spell. In an instant, water splashed everywhere and dense goldfish were swimming around...

Li Yan could see clearly that this was some kind of sleight of hand.

In fact, the ceramic basin was already filled with water at the beginning, but the extremely fast technique combined with the magic made people feel that rice had turned into goldfish.

The Wu Family Class opened his eyes.

Someone lit a brazier, and thick smoke with a powder rose up. Someone else drove the ghosts from behind, causing the thick smoke to swirl in the beams of the house.

On the beam, someone unfolded a huge scroll.

Combined with the looming light and shadow effects, it seems as if clouds are flying above the Hua'e Tower and a palace in heaven appears.

Several nimble boys dressed in white crane clothes jumped up and down, hanging on thin silk threads, with smoke coming out of their feet. They entered the heavenly palace like they were ascending to heaven and disappeared...

An old man cried out in amazement: "This... this is the long-lost Ascension Platform!"

It is rumored that during the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, this technique was performed in the Hua'e Xianghui Tower, which attracted praises from the Emperor and Consort Ming. It was unexpected that the Wu family troupe actually restored this technique.

Even Li Yan couldn't help but applaud.

The so-called layman looks at the excitement and the insider looks at the doorway.

Although he could see that all of these involved esoteric methods, this large-scale performance itself required the cooperation of countless people.

No matter what era it is placed in, it is always the main force.

Once this method was introduced, there was no suspense at all.

The old man from the Yang family opposite had a grim look on his face. After conceding defeat with a fist salute, he left Hua'e Tower with his apprentice.

To be honest, the abilities of both sides are very similar.

But the leader of the Wu troupe was more flexible in thinking and was willing to put in the effort to research and come up with new things, while the Yang troupe was still using the old programs, so they lost.

"How about it?"

Shen Shen Sanyou took a sip of wine and asked.

Li Yan nodded and smiled: "Senior is right, it is indeed a good show, which opened my eyes."

Shen Sanyou nodded and said to the woman next to him, "Hua Niang, I want to talk to Brother Li. Don't let anyone disturb us."

"Ah."

The woman stood up calmly.

She moved the positions of the screens around her to block the two of them, and hung yellow talismans and peach wood pendants on the screens, while practicing magic spells in her hands.

The atmosphere around them changed instantly, and the noise in the hall faded away.

Good guy!
Li Yan was surprised.

This is Qi Men Dun Jia mixed with the method of feng shui layout of residential houses.

It turned out that this woman was also a Taoist priest, skilled in formations. She used some unknown method to cover her body, but she actually fooled his nose.

There are so many strange people in the market...

Li Yan sighed in his heart.

Hua'e Tower is indeed expensive, but the things I saw tonight alone are worth the price. The aura here has been obscured, and there are formations interfering. Even if someone uses magical powers to detect, they probably can't hear what the two of them are saying.

Shen Sanyou then spoke, "Do you want to find out about Xuanmen?"

"That's right." Li Yan nodded and answered honestly.

I am inviting Shen Sanyou to a banquet today, so naturally I want to know more.

After all, after traveling for some time, what he saw and heard made him realize that what he had come into contact with was probably only the outermost layer of Xuanmen.

Wang Daoxuan didn't know, and since Luo Mingzi didn't say anything, he could only find out from Shen Sanyou.

Shen Sanyou asked: "What is Xuanmen to you?"

Li Yan frowned, "Junior doesn't quite understand."

Shen Sanyou pointed downwards.

On the stage, the martial arts troupe leader was still telling jokes to amuse people.

Shen Sanyou took a sip of wine and sneered, "Xuanmen may seem profound to outsiders, but to them, it is just a method to make a living, no different from ordinary martial arts methods."

"To those people in the Shangshan Dharma Lineage, it is also a technique to pursue their own interests and show the glory of the Dharma Lineage!"

"What is it to you?"

Li Yan was speechless, not knowing how to answer.

Shen Sanyou continued, "There are always talented people in Xuanmen. People like me are nothing."

"There has always been a division within Xuanmen. The limit that ordinary people can reach is the third floor."

“Even if one has average aptitude, if one can open up his magical powers, practice diligently for more than ten years, and have a good technique, one can reach the third floor.”

"On this Chang'an Road, it's easy to settle down and make a living. Serving dignitaries can also help you gain wealth for your descendants..."

"So I ask you, what are you asking for?"

"If that's all you want, it's enough now. Knowing too much about some things can only cause you distress."

Li Yan was silent for a moment, then bowed respectfully and said:
“I want to seek Dharma!”

“Seeking the Dharma…”

Shen Sanyou said leisurely: "There are many methods."

"For example, Taixuan Orthodox Sect, they tied themselves to the fate of Shenzhou, protected the four directions, suppressed evil and warded off disasters, so they were worshipped by the court and became the state religion."

"Shenzhou will not perish, and Taixuan Orthodox Religion will live forever!"

"The Shangshan lineage also wanted to learn this method, but they went the wrong way."

"There are some others who are also seeking the Dharma."

"Like the Doumu Palace on Mount Taibai, the goal is to study the mysteries of the stars and gain insight into the operation of the Great Dao..."

"Some Taoist medical schools seek to save the world with their medicine and be sincere, while some Buddhist schools seek to save all living beings..."

"This is the Dharma!"

"With the Dharma, there is the Tao in your heart!"

“Life is like morning dew, which disappears in an instant. No matter how powerful the magic is, it is only for self-protection. If there is no truth in one’s heart, it is like a blind man touching an elephant, and it will never be possible to enter this door.”

Li Yan was silent for a moment, thinking back to his experiences these days, and suddenly raised his head and said, "Junior, I want to go further."

"farther?"

Shen Sanyou sneered, "Eternal life? Becoming an immortal?"

Li Yan couldn't help but ask, "Is it really just an illusion?"

Shen Sanyou picked up the wine glass and took a few sips. He looked at Li Yan with a look of pity, "Once you have this thought, you will never live a comfortable life. Countless people have been ruined on this road."

“Becoming an immortal and living forever are just layman’s terms. If you can break through the limits of mortals and step onto the fourth floor, perhaps you will be able to touch something.”

"When the time comes, you can ask around..."

"What is a God Ascender?"

...

In the early morning, the white light shines through the paper window.

The snow outside had been falling all night, but it seemed to have stopped. Faint sounds of birds could be heard coming from the yard.

Li Yan had already woken up, but he lay in bed and refused to get up, muttering to himself while staring at the beams.

"The God Ascender..."

This was the second time he had heard the word.

The first time was when his cheap master led him into the Qinling Mountains in a madman manner, just because he didn't want the path to becoming a god that he had found to be buried.

At that time, I thought it was just a description.

Now it seems that it is far from that simple.

And from what Shen Sanyou said, ascending to godhood and becoming an immortal and achieving eternal life seem to be two different things.

Is it to make people become gods?
Just like those ancestors of the Dharma lineage...

Unfortunately, when he asked further, Shen Sanyou refused to say more and just dragged him to drink crazily.

Thinking of this, Li Yan stretched and prepared to get up.

Last night was a bit absurd, but he also gained a lot. Not only these secrets, he also learned why Hua'e Tower has a high status.

To outsiders, people who come here only seek a night of physical pleasure, but they can give much more.

Shen Sanyou knew many people in Hua'e Tower.

Li Yan only remembered that there were women coming and going around him from time to time, but at most they would just hug each other, and the rest was just relaxation.

They drank freely in the lobby, listening to the women singing ancient Tang Dynasty songs, Jiangnan tunes, various aspects of life, and "The Eastward Flow of the Great River"...

Last night was the first time he got drunk in his life.

He only remembered that he and Shen Sanyou staggered out of the door.

After sending him back to the palace courtyard, Shen Sanyou hugged the woman and ran to other courtyards to pretend to be a ghost and scare people...

At this moment, Li Yan also knew Shen Sanyou's choice.

He no longer wanted to seek the Dharma, nor did he want to seek wealth and fame through magic. He just wanted to indulge in short-term happiness, forget the pain, and live out the rest of his life...

Li Yan naturally wouldn't do that.

But this absurd night also completely relaxed his tense nerves, and his whole body felt clear.

This brothel discussion, it seems like I need to come more often in the future...

At this moment, the gate of the yard burst open, and the voice of Sha Lifei could be heard: "Brother Yan, Taoist priest, pack up and leave quickly, Old Sha has taken a big job!"

(End of this chapter)