The old lady said excitedly, "Satisfied, I'm truly satisfied! If my husband saw your magic, I bet he'd get excited enough to stand up again. Do you always perform your magic here? I... I want to bring my husband to see your magic too."
Xia Liang simply smiled and said, "Now, are you satisfied?"
The old lady quickly nodded. "Satisfied, I'm truly satisfied! If my husband saw your magic, I bet he'd get excited enough to stand up again. Do you always perform your magic here? I... I want to bring my husband to see your magic too."
Xia Liang tilted his head and thought for a mont. "Mostly here, but of course, I might be sowhere else too."
Upon hearing this, the old lady nodded excitedly. "Thank you, thank you so much. I understand."
A roar of applause erupted from the crowd, even more fervent than when Xia Liang had perford his coin trick earlier. Everyone was shocked by his magic. This was true magic, flawless and sorcerous, making everyone's heart surge with excitent.
Peng Changye had wanted to claim that the orange Xia Liang conjured was just an illusion, but he abandoned that thought after the old lady ate one in front of everyone.
At that mont, he was utterly defeated.
"Now, you can fulfill your promise!" Xia Liang said, turning to look at Peng Changye.
"Apologize!"
"Apologize!"
The surrounding crowd naturally knew what Xia Liang was referring to and began to chant in unison.
Perhaps so might think Xia Liang was being petty, but he didn't see it that way. A bet was a bet, and it had to be honored. They were all adults; there was no room for childishly backing out. Besides, if Xia Liang had been the one to lose, Peng Changye would likely have been even more ruthless.
"I'm sorry, I was wrong. I apologize to everyone for my previous behavior. I'm sorry!" Peng Changye said, taking a deep breath. He bowed deeply to the crowd, his attitude sincere.
Despite his reluctance, he didn't dare renege on his word. Even as a celebrity, he feared the enraged crowd might beat him to death.
Seeing Peng Changye finally concede and apologize, Xia Liang rely smiled faintly, as if he had done sothing insignificant. He then helped the old lady into a nearby taxi. After watching the old lady leave, Xia Liang prepared to leave as well.
"Your magic is truly impressive; you've earned my respect," Peng Changye said, approaching him to make small talk as if their earlier conflict had been a trifling matter. "If I hadn't co here today, I would never have believed anyone could elevate magic to your level—without a single flaw or loophole. It's simply divine."
The audience hadn't left either. Instead, they all gathered around, wanting to see if anything else would unfold between Peng Changye and Xia Liang. After all, Xia Liang's performances—both with the coins and the orange—had been thrilling, and they hoped to see more. In fact, because of his performance, so had fallen deeply in love with magic.
"If you have sothing to say, just say it. No need to beat around the bush," Xia Liang said coolly.
For soone as flashy but insubstantial as Peng Changye, I have no interest in making acquaintances. Otherwise, I wouldn't have forced a public apology that cost him his dignity. Both his spoon trick and his fruit basket trick were riddled with flaws. They could hardly be called magic. I can't understand how soone like him ever beca one of the nation's top magicians.
"Ahem, I'd like to invite you to join my Magic Company," Peng Changye said, finally revealing his purpose after a mont's hesitation. "With your talent, I will definitely nurture you and make you shine on the world stage!"
"Heh."
Xia Liang was stunned for a mont, then burst out laughing.
A guy whose magic is at a beginner level, who hasn't even mastered his own techniques, is asking to join his company? The sheer thickness of this Peng Changye's skin is sothing to behold.
Even the surrounding audience burst into laughter after hearing Peng Changye's words.
"Hahaha, I've seen shaless people, but never soone so utterly brazen! Does he have any self-awareness at all?"
"Exactly! God Xia beat you fair and square. With your character, you want God Xia to work for you and stoop to your level? Dream on!"
"To say sothing like that... The arrogance of a capitalist truly is disgusting."
"What? I want to hear your opinion. Are you saying you don't want to make money?" Peng Changye said, his voice deep.
"You heard the crowd, didn't you? What they said is what I want to say," Xia Liang replied with a faint smile.
"Fine! It's good for a young man to have spirit, but do you really think your magic is so great?" Peng Changye sneered. "Your Coin Magic and your orange trick are nothing but minor sleights of hand. Soone like you, who has never experienced true large-scale magic, could never understand how awe-inspiring it can be! Your clever little shortcuts are useless. We'll et again!"
Peng Changye could no longer control his expression. He glared fiercely at Xia Liang, clearly still convinced that Xia Liang's abilities were based on nothing but cheap tricks. With that, he stord off with his assistant, the hostess, and the rest of his entourage.
I couldn't care less about his threats. Today, I used Coin Magic and an orange trick to crush him and prove his magic was worthless. Tomorrow, I can obliterate his career in the magic industry. As for the large-scale illusions he ntioned, haven't I perford enough of those? If Peng Changye really dares to challenge to a more dangerous large-scale magic duel, I'll make him question his life and whether he's even cut out for this profession!
With that thought, Xia Liang prepared to leave.
"Hey, God Xia, you're not performing anymore?"
"You're leaving already?"
The crowd was reluctant to see him go. They still wanted to watch Xia Liang perform; it was just too thrilling and spectacular. Whether it was the Coin Magic or the orange trick for the old lady, seeing it up close revealed that his magic was absolutely flawless, breathtakingly impressive, and without a single discernible vulnerability. It was simply magnificent! They had thought Xia Liang would continue performing after Peng Changye left, so they were surprised when he prepared to leave right away.
"Yep. See you all tomorrow," Xia Liang said with a smile. By the ti he got ho and had dinner, it was already eight o'clock.
「At the recording studio for "Magical Wondrous Night"...」
Peng Changye was backstage, his face grim.
The internet worked fast. The story of today's events had already gone viral, especially the magic duel with Xia Liang. It had been edited into a video, complete with a catchy, infuriating background track that painted him as the clown.
Peng Changye watched for a mont before angrily shutting off his phone. A staff mber soon ca to notify him that it was ti to go on. As Peng Changye walked toward the judges' panel, he saw many staff mbers and contestants looking at him with ridicule and disdain. It was another severe blow to his pride.
Finally, the recording began. Peng Changye stood up, picked up a microphone, and faced the live cara. Taking a deep breath, he forced a smile and spoke.
"To the Street Magician who beat today, I know you're watching this show. I wholeheartedly admit my defeat, but as I said, the tricks we competed with were just child's play. For a true magician, winning or losing with such minor magic ans nothing. A qualified magician proves their worth on stage by performing a large-scale illusion that is both thrilling and dangerous!
"Pausing here, Peng Changye took another deep breath.
"Now, I am challenging you to a duel on the stage of 'Night of Magic'! I have already invited my master, and together, we will challenge you to a hell-level Water Tank Escape! The loser will retire from the Magic Circle and never perform magic again! I will have the production team send you a formal invitation. The entire country will be our witness. If you have the guts to show up, I'll be waiting right here."
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