Chapter 148: The Endless Cycle of Retribution

Liu Jingye watched the magician's every move nervously. Knowing Young Master Feng's style and ambition, he wouldn't be surprised in the least if Young Master Feng manufactured an accident to kill the fatty.

Especially seeing the magician looking somewhat nervous and reserved at the moment, he increasingly felt that something fishy was going on.

The box containing the fatty had already been covered and locked with iron chains. Normally in such situations, there would either be a secret compartment inside the box, or the iron chains on top would be locked in a cross shape, dividing the lid into four small sections so that one could be opened and the person could wriggle out.

Right now, however, the box looked as if it had been bound tightly in every direction without a shred of spare space.

The magician picked up a black cloth, covered the entire box, and then walked around it several times chanting mumbo jumbo. Suddenly, he whipped away the black cloth. In an instant, a blinding flash of fire surged up on the stage, as if something had exploded, accompanied by thick smoke.

The smoke dissipated quickly, though, and when people's vision recovered, everyone was dumbfounded.

The wooden box on the stage had vanished. In its place was a large iron cage, and the fatty inside had disappeared as well, replaced by a large black boar with white patches that was making snorting sounds and chewing on something.

"Damn it, they've taken this too far!" Liu Jingye exclaimed.

"This is a blatant humiliation!" Tang Shiya also saw through the trick. After all, having moved in the entertainment circle, she had seen plenty of the ugliest sides of human nature involving backstabbing, deceit, and mutual mockery and humiliation.

On the other side, Young Master Feng took the lead in applauding and burst into loud laughter. Since he was surrounded by his own people as well as many eager to butter him up, they naturally chimed in to humor him. For a moment, the atmosphere became extremely lively, filled with a burst of laughter.

Gao Jing, the fatty's refreshing beauty bodyguard, stood anxiously in front of the stage, staring at the seven-to-eight-hundred-pound boar on the stage with clenched fists, at a complete loss.

Amidst the uproarious laughter, the fatty Tan Yixing also slowly walked out from backstage while clapping, a smile on his face. He even walked over and teased the big fat pig, stopping just short of taking a picture with it.

The expression on Young Master Feng's face grew even more smug. He wanted to use this to humiliate the fatty and at the same time observe his reaction. If the fatty flew into a rage, it would show he lacked poise and was completely unworthy of being his rival; if he swallowed the insult and had no countermeasures, it would prove he lacked competence and was similarly unworthy of being his rival.

In recent years, Young Master Feng had been thriving in the provincial capital, growing increasingly powerful. Even high-ranking provincial officials had to curry favor with him. Dignitaries and nobles appeared increasingly insignificant in his eyes, and his confidence and ambition swelled rapidly. He believed that the people in the core circle of the capital might not even possess his abilities—they were just born lucky, and he was fully capable of replacing them, especially that fatty Tan Yixing.

"Good, good! As expected of a top-tier magician, first-rate tricks!" the fatty praised happily, showing no trace of anger. In Young Master Feng's eyes, however, this was merely an attempt to salvage his final shred of dignity.

"The fatty should counterattack, and it ought to be a thunderous, sharp counterattack. He should seize this opportunity to teach Young Master Feng a harsh lesson and puncture his arrogance," Liu Jingye thought to himself. "If he can't even manage this much, I won't acknowledge any talk of sworn brotherhood anymore."

The fatty returned to his seat with a beaming smile, and Young Master Feng took the initiative to propose a toast to celebrate the arrival of the Third Young Master of the Tan family and pay tribute to the artist who had delivered such a splendid performance.

The banquet reached its climax at this point. Afterward, Young Master Feng suggested that everyone take to the dance floor, and the socializing time officially began.

At Young Master Feng's command, all the gentlemen present stood up. Some took their female companions by the hand, some went to invite others' partners, some prepared to exchange partners, and a portion set their sights on Tang Shiya.

Tang Shiya reacted with extreme promptness and pulled Liu Jingye to his feet.

"I don't know how to dance at all," Liu Jingye said with a wry smile.

Tang Shiya replied readily, "Just look around to see how many men here actually know how to dance. It's nothing more than hugging a woman and swaying around... In this kind of setting, dancing is merely a formality; the purpose is to show off one's female companion. Women here are nothing more than accessories used to set off a man's status, prestige, and wealth."

Tang Shiya spoke with a seemingly nonchalant air, but deep aversion was hidden underneath.

Liu Jingye smiled and asked, "Then what kind of fortunes do the men who usually dance with you possess?"

Tang Shiya's smile turned somewhat bitter. "You might not believe it, but in all the time I've been in the industry, I've only ever danced with my father—though that will never happen again in the future."

"Oh, right, you mentioned last time that your father had a severe gambling addiction and owed a massive debt, forcing you to socialize with people you'd rather avoid. How is it now? Has the debt been resolved?" Liu Jingye asked.

Tang Shiya shook her head and said, "Easier said than done. That's a huge sum of money, and with compound interest, it doubles every single day. My current income is barely enough to help him hold the line, but once my popularity fades, I'll truly be powerless to help.

I can foresee my future path: either I'll be driven to a dead end by him and forced to marry some multi-millionaire old man, or I'll disregard everything, leave him to his own devices, and go run a small restaurant with my mother."

"Surely it's not that pessimistic?" Liu Jingye said helplessly. Yet gambling ruins lives; it is comparable to drugs, akin to a quagmire from which one cannot extricate oneself once fallen in.

"The truth might be even more pessimistic than I realize," Tang Shiya said. "I always feel that his troubles go beyond merely owing gambling debts; it seems he's caught up in some other leverage as well. Every time he calls me, he acts as if his life is on the line.

What's even more infuriating is that he won't tell me the truth anymore. He only calls me for help when trouble arises, forcing me to do things I'm unwilling to do. Sooner or later, he'll force me into a marriage, or else sell me off..."

Tang Shiya said this with a mixture of hatred and helplessness. Looking at her, Liu Jingye felt she was deeply pitiful, and through her, he saw the ugliness hidden behind the veneer of glamour.

Liu Jingye had touched upon Tang Shiya's painful memories. The immense pressure and anguish pent up in her heart needed an outlet, and opening the floodgates, Tang Shiya said nostalgically, "I truly don't know how my father became like this. He used to be so gentle, accompanying me from childhood to learn dance and musical instruments. Whenever I felt tired, he would encourage me, relieve my stress, and play with me. He was arguably the person I loved most in this world. But now, he has changed completely—he has changed into someone I no longer recognize..."

Sensing that Tang Shiya was on the verge of tears, Liu Jingye quickly said, "Alright, alright, on such a joyous occasion..."

"Huh?" Tang Shiya looked at him in confusion.

Liu Jingye hastily corrected himself, "I mean, at this grand banquet, let's stay happy, leave the sad things aside, and dance a proper dance. Just pretend I'm your dad!"

"Huh?" Tang Shiya's voice rose a notch.

Liu Jingye said helplessly, "Or how about you just sell me off to pay back your dad's debts?"

"Pfft, how much are you even worth?" Tang Shiya said dismissively, though her eyes were filled with amusement and gratitude. After bantering with him for a while, her mood improved considerably. "Alright, let's dance—and don't step on my feet!"

By the time the dance ended, Tang Shiya was limping, blushing scarlet, and refused to even look at Liu Jingye.

Whether intentional or accidental, this guy either stepped on her feet, suddenly let his hand slide down onto her backside, or stumbled and crashed headfirst into her arms. This wasn't dancing; it was outright harassment combined with intentional battery.

"Come on, everyone! For the sake of this pleasant evening, let's raise our glasses once more and drink to the hope that our lives will grow better and better," Young Master Feng proposed, holding up his glass once again.

The crowd responded enthusiastically, and the atmosphere at the venue became extremely lively. Everyone resumed their seats, and the female host took the stage once more. "Dear distinguished guests, at the request of several VIPs just now, we will once again invite Mr. Magician to take the stage and perform for us. Please welcome him with warm applause."

"Is this what they call an encore?" Liu Jingye asked.

Tang Shiya nodded, still avoiding his gaze, her face burning red like fire and her heart pounding like a startled fawn.

The magician made another brilliant entrance, though he had changed into a different outfit—a glittering, gorgeous performance costume that looked exceptionally dazzling.

Wardrobe was a magician's most important prop. Aside from concealing objects, flamboyant attire could also distract the audience's attention, making it easier to perform their tricks. The art of magic hinges primarily on the character for deception—composed of the radical for numbness on top and ghost on the bottom. In other words, once the audience's minds are lulled into numbness and carelessness, the magician works his ghosts underneath.

"Dear VIP friends, thank you for your enthusiasm," the magician said. "What I am going to perform next is a special program, a brand-new act I recently created myself that has never been performed before. I won't spoil it—please look forward to it."

Warm applause erupted. The magician appeared calm and composed, slowly closing his eyes like an old monk in meditation or a qigong master about to channel his internal energy.

Crisp drumbeats sounded, the rhythm accelerating from slow to fast, and the atmosphere grew increasingly solemn.

The overhead lights began to extinguish one by one, and slowly the entire venue plunged into pitch-black darkness where one couldn't see their own fingers, let alone the magician on stage.

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out from the stage, and the overhead lights instantly snapped back on, shining with an extraordinary brilliance that made it difficult to keep one's eyes open.

With a strange 'puff' sound, flames soared into the sky and thick smoke rolled outward.

People watched in astonishment as the magician on the stage had actually caught fire. Raging flames burned fiercely across his body, and dense smoke billowed around him. He had turned into a human torch, dancing wildly on the stage as heartbreaking, piercing screams burst through the air.

"Good! Absolutely fantastic!" The fatty Tan Yixing suddenly stood up, clapping his hands and shouting in praise.

The crowd immediately chimed in one after another, their cheers shaking the heavens. Such a breathtaking performance was truly unprecedented, and moreover, it looked terrifyingly real.

Only a few people present did not clap and cheer. Among them was Young Master Feng, whose face wore a grave expression; Gao Jing, whose expression remained detached; and Tang Shiya, whose face showed a look of tension and fear as she tightly gripped Liu Jingye's hand.

Liu Jingye squinted his eyes as he watched the struggling human torch on the stage collapse to the ground and roll continuously, though his movements grew increasingly sluggish and his screams gradually faded away.

Liu Jingye muttered under his breath, "Is this the retribution brought upon him for humiliating the Third Young Master of the Tan family? It came far too swiftly and ruthlessly!"