Finest Servant - Chapter 194

Chapter 194 Immortal Master Lin San (Part 2)

Lin Wanrong, imitating the style of Xuan Xuanzi, dipped the square ends and bodies of three wooden chopsticks in water. The chopsticks, of equal length, were combined and slowly inserted into a water cup.

As he watched the chopsticks sway gently, a taut sensation gripped Lin Wanrong’s heart. “I haven’t practiced this for several days,” he thought, “and I feel a bit rusty.”

Chuckling to himself, he imitated the fake immortal master’s behavior, circling the cup while chanting, “The Buddha, the Bodhisattva Guanyin, the great compassion mantra, please show your divine power!” With a slight slant, the chopsticks swiftly stabilized, standing straight up in the water.

The sight left the onlookers dumbstruck. When Xuan Xuanzi, the Immortal Master, performed this miracle, it was a result of sixty years of arduous cultivation. But how could Lin San, at such a young age, possess such a skill? Could he also be an immortal master?

Luo Ning and the Eldest Miss both covered their mouths in disbelief, unable to trust their eyes. Old Lady Luo, in a state of delighted surprise, exclaimed, “Little Brother Lin, where did you learn this magic? It is exactly like the old Immortal’s.”

Her words were a slap in Xuan Xuanzi’s face. His expression oscillated between shades of red and white, and he snorted dismissively, “Just a parrot imitating human speech.”

Lin Wanrong was about to take his leave upon achieving his goal, but upon hearing this, he couldn’t help but shake his head. “This Western Immortal is stubbornly unconvinced.” Smiling coldly, he retorted, “Immortal Master, I haven’t learned any magic, I just took a shortcut. I wonder if this small trick can enter your esteemed eyes?”

The room was filled with chatter, strange things happened every year, but this year seemed particularly abundant. It was beyond belief that a mere servant of the Xiao family could perform magic.

Xuan Xuanzi’s complexion paled, he remained silent. Lin Wanrong smiled, “Immortal Master, I have learned your magic. But I have a small trick of my own. I wonder if you can learn it?”

Xuan Xuanzi didn’t dare to respond. Glancing at Zhao Kangning, the Young Prince’s face was emotionless. With an almost imperceptible nod, Xuan Xuanzi had no other option but to grit his teeth and accept, “Go ahead and use it then.”

Lin Wanrong saw their gestures and sneered inwardly, ‘Damn it, they’re trying to gang up on me. This damn little prince is truly a cunning man.’

Just then, Luo Yuan rushed in from outside, nodding at Lin Wanrong. Feeling reassured, Lin Wanrong smiled at the old Daoist, “The trick I’m going to perform today is called ‘Burning Cotton Thread.’”

As he was speaking, Luo Yuan handed him a piece of cotton thread. Lin Wanrong touched it, it seemed freshly dried. Nodding at Luo Yuan, he waved the cotton thread around, announcing, “Everyone, what I have in my hand is a regular cotton thread. May the Young Prince and the Daoist check it.”

Zhao Kangning and Xuan Xuanzi both felt the cotton thread, it was slightly warm and damp, but nothing else seemed unusual. Both nodded. Lin Wanrong took back the cotton thread and grinned, addressing Old Lady Luo, “Old Birthday Star, could you please give me a copper coin?”

The old lady handed him a copper coin. Lin Wanrong threaded the cotton through the hole in the coin, tying it to a metal frame. The coin slid to the middle of the thread.

Lin Wanrong nodded, handing a candleholder to old Lady Luo, saying, “Today is the birthday of the Old Birthday Star, please grant us some fire.”

The old lady laughed, “Little Brother Lin, are you asking for fire to burn this cotton thread?”

“Exactly,” Lin Wanrong replied.

Luo Ning smiled as she glanced at Lin Wanrong, then assisted her grandmother over to the metal frame, holding up the candleholder, she lit both ends of the cotton thread.

Something peculiar happened. Even though both ends of the cotton thread were lit and were burning until they were charred black, they refused to break. The copper coin remained steady in the middle of the cotton thread, unmoving.

The people in the hall were greatly astonished. If the trick with the chopsticks in the water could be understood by some clever minds, this burning cotton thread was inexplicable. The old lady expressed her surprise, “Little Brother Lin, could you really be an immortal master?”

‘Immortal Master Lin San? Heh, you flatter me, old lady. My goal is to become a con artist.’ Lin Wanrong grinned without a word, cryptically saying, “I’ll explain it to everyone later. Immortal Master Xuan Xuanzi, would you like to give this a try?”

Before he could finish speaking, Luo Yuan and Guo Wuchang, holding two bundles of cotton thread, walked up to Xuan Xuanzi, smiling. ‘Damn, these two kids, they love to stir up trouble,’ Lin Wanrong chuckled to himself.

Xuan Xuanzi knew that Lin San had played a trick, but he couldn’t guess what it was. He looked at the cotton thread before him, moved his fingers a few times, wanted to take the thread, but finally refrained, saying, “I’ve never learned this immortality.”

“Immortality? Where did this come from?” Lin Wanrong laughed out loud, “Look at me, do I look like someone who has learned immortality?”

Seeing his green outfit and little hat, everyone saw him as nothing more than a lowly servant, definitely not resembling someone who could perform immortality, and they all burst into laughter.

By this point, everyone in the hall understood. If even Lin San could do it, it was certainly not immortality, but a sleight of hand trick from a street performer. However, everyone was still clueless about how the trick with the burning cotton thread was done.

Lin Wanrong laughed, “There’s no such thing as immortality in this world, it’s all just simple principles. Take this burning cotton thread, for instance, the principle is worth less than a penny. Everyone knows brine, right? The kind used for making tofu. This brine contains certain special substances. Soak the cotton thread in it for a while, then dry it over a fire, and the special substances from the brine will adhere to the thread. When you tie a coin with this thread and set it on fire, it seems like it’s burning, but in fact, only the surface of the thread is burning. The interior is protected by these special substances, cutting off the air, so it doesn’t burn off. If you don’t believe me, you can try it for yourself when you get home.”

Most of the people in the hall were sons of officials from various places, very few of whom had ever made tofu, and some didn’t even know what brine was. They only understood after this explanation.

Luo Ning let out a long “oh,” so it turned out that when Brother Lin sent Luo Yuan to the neighboring tofu shop to find brine, it was for this purpose. Luckily, Luo Yuan had dried the cotton thread, or else it wouldn’t have lit up, and he wouldn’t have been able to fool the Young Prince and the fake Daoist. Luo Ning saw him blowing his own trumpet, couldn’t help but giggle.

“As for standing a chopstick upright in water, it’s even simpler, using only the viscosity and buoyancy of the water. It’s all a matter of practice,” Lin Wanrong explained the principles behind the two tricks to the crowd. It was then that they finally understood. Had it not been for this contemptible so-called immortal master’s repeated provocations, Lin Wanrong wouldn’t have chosen to be the vanguard in debunking feudal superstitions. After all, street performers depended on such tricks for their livelihood.

Even though Prince Zhao Kangning was known for his self-restraint, he was visibly embarrassed at having mistaken a street performer for an immortal master. His face fell as he turned to Xuan Xuanzi and demanded, “How do you explain this?”

Xuan Xuanzi, who no longer held the air of an immortal master, fell to his knees in fear, pleading, “Forgive me, Your Highness, I beg for mercy…”

Zhao Kangning’s face turned pale as he ordered, “Ignorant rat! You dared deceive me! Take him away…”

“Hold on, hold on…” Lin Wanrong hastily intervened, bowing respectfully and saying with a smile, “Your Highness, today is the old lady’s birthday, and this Daoist priest came to bring her good luck and cheer. Just like the earlier horse and tightrope performances, it was all for entertainment. Please do not take offense.”

‘I wouldn’t have bothered with this if it weren’t for the old lady’s birthday and the rule against bloodshed. I would’ve dealt with him straight away. Putting on a show in front of me, he must be tired of living.’

Luo Ning, not wishing to see the Young Prince embarrassed, quickly followed Lin Wanrong’s lead and said, “Lin San is right, the old Daoist came to wish my grandmother a happy birthday. I beseech you, Your Highness, to spare him for my grandmother’s sake.”

Zhao Kangning took the way out they provided, “So be it, I won’t be unreasonable. Xuan Xuanzi, never again use these petty tricks to deceive people, or I won’t let you off lightly. Now get out!”

Xuan Xuanzi scurried away as laughter filled the hall. The celebration at the Luo residence was indeed worthwhile, not only had they witnessed an exciting battle of couplets, but also two intriguing performances.

Zhao Kangning forced a smile despite his embarrassment at losing twice in a row. He exchanged a few words, then took his leave. The birthday feast lasted until evening, wrapping up with a lively conclusion.

As Lin Wanrong was about to leave, his mind filled with concerns about Zhao Kangning’s connections with the White Lotus cult, a clear voice called out, “Brother Lin…”

He looked up to find Luo Ning approaching. She smiled softly at him and asked, “Brother Lin, are you worried that the Young Prince will hold a grudge against you?”

Lin Wanrong laughed it off. ‘Hold a grudge? He and I have never been on good terms. He was behind my abduction by the White Lotus cult. I’ve offended him countless times; one more time today won’t matter.’

“Yeah, I’m really scared. After all, he’s royalty,” Lin Wanrong said with a laugh.

Luo Ning gritted her teeth, “Brother Lin, don’t be scared. Although the Young Prince is tyrannical, there are plenty of people who can keep him in check. Even my father may not necessarily fear him.”

Lin Wanrong chuckled but didn’t respond. Suddenly, Luo Ning softly said, “Brother Lin, thank you for the gift you sent today, I really like it.”

“Gift? What gift? When did I give you a gift?” Lin Wanrong asked, surprised.

“The painting, ‘Returning Home in Wind and Snow’, has already been gifted to me by my grandmother,” Luo Ning declared, then raised an object in her hand, smiling, “And this too…”

The brilliant object she held was the diamond that Lin Wanrong had given to the birthday celebrant. ‘Oh no, I gave that to the old lady, not to you,’ he thought. Luo Ning seemed to read his mind and cheekily smiled, “You gifted it to my grandmother, and she passed it on to me. I consider it as a gift from you.”

‘This line of reasoning is a bit far-fetched,’ Lin Wanrong thought, shaking his head with a wry smile. ‘Well, let’s say it’s my gift to you then. I just hope it won’t attract any thieves.’

“Brother Lin, can you tell me where you learned these tricks?” Luo Ning asked, her curiosity piqued by the strange events that had transpired.

“Well, when I was young, I read an odd book called ‘A Hundred Thousand Whys’, filled with interesting stories,” Lin Wanrong made up on the spot.

“‘A Hundred Thousand Whys’?” Luo Ning frowned, “Who wrote this? How come I’ve never heard of it? Brother Lin, you’ve read so much.”

Seeing Luo Ning’s thirst for knowledge, Lin Wanrong felt a bit overwhelmed and was just about to make his escape when Guo Wuchang hurried over, calling out, “Lin San, come outside quickly. My cousin wants to consult you on a matter.”