Chapter 68: The Lu Family's Magic
Two months later, the North-South War gradually subsided, and the Grand Canal was reopened. Bao Han, Yin Chuan, and the others decided to return north along the Grand Canal. However, everyone continued to pursue the organization, and Luo Mei's participation in the investigation further strengthened their resolve.
Luo Mei, a perennial wielder of the underworld, often navigated the underworld and the underworld for years. Unlike Yin Chuan and Du Yunzhang, who relied on the information networks of larger gangs like the Cao Gang, she drew more of her information from the shady gray areas of the black market and gambling dens. This was a hodgepodge of good and bad people, and from the mouths of the underworld forces surrounding the canal, she could often uncover secrets that were difficult to expose in broad daylight. She simply ignored Du Yunzhang's advice, often wandering around on her own. Du Yunzhang had no way of dealing with her, so he could only let her do what she wanted.
One day, Baohan's ship arrived in Linqing, Shandong, and docked at a wharf belonging to the Cao Gang. Luo Mei, as usual, went ashore alone without saying hello to anyone.
Linqing, not far from Jinan Prefecture and situated along the Grand Canal, was a bustling commercial and trade-filled area, naturally thriving underworld businesses, including gambling dens, black market prostitutes, and prostitution. As Luo Mei traveled extensively, the gossip he gathered was mostly rumors of the Yuan government bribing criminals, but it was better than nothing. However, at the Jinpingcai hangout, many people were buzzing about the rumor that Lü Changhua, the head of the local magician Lü family, was planning to retire and become a Taoist monk. This intrigued Luo Mei—how could a magician planning to become a monk become such a hot topic in the local underworld?
Upon closer inquiry, I discovered that the Lu family, known as the "Jinping Cai Gua" magician, was a renowned family of artists in the central Shandong region. They were said to have established their own magic brand in Shandong during the Daoguang reign, earning widespread acclaim. By the time the magician's skills were passed down to the fourth generation, Lü Changhua, they had become the most renowned family of magicians in the Jinan area.
The Lu family's story caught Luo Mei's attention because their patriarch, Lu Changhua, suddenly decided to become a Taoist monk three days after Yin Chuan and his men escaped the organization's underground facility. Furthermore, the Lu family also happened to receive a female visitor, rumored to be a movie star. This led Luo Mei to suspect that the Lu family might be connected to Yu Zhenzhu, and perhaps the Lu family patriarch's decision to become a monk was also related to Yu Zhenzhu's visit.
Just as Luo Mei turned his attention to the Lu family, a Lu family magic show was happening in Linqing City. Although there was no Old Man Lu in the water sign, it still attracted Luo Mei to see what the Lu family magicians were capable of.
There's a saying in the magic world: "The trick's effectiveness depends entirely on the blanket." This mostly refers to the larger tricks performed on stage, known in the jargon as "luohuo," involving conjuring up goldfish bowls, charcoal braziers, and the like. The key is two words: binding, concealing, and hiding. However, this requires the performer to possess exceptional swiftness and mastery of the blanket-based props, ensuring the audience remains oblivious to the sleight of hand.
The performers in this performance were all apprentices of the Lu family troupe. The most prominent figure was a disciple of Lu Tai, the Lu family's great-uncle, named Jin Gui. Her skills were already impressive enough to hold their own on stage. Even without any Lu family members appearing on stage, the audience cheered incessantly, demonstrating the extraordinary nature of the Lu family's magic.
After the performance, Luo Mei noticed that the headlining actress, Jingui, and a rich, well-dressed young man had sneaked out of the magic troupe and headed straight for a hidden opium den in a deep alley, where they were puffing away. She followed them closely and overheard their conversation through the concierge. However, they didn't discuss the movie star who had visited the Lu family, but rather the flying thief and the mysterious death of the Lu family's youngest son, which piqued Luo Mei's curiosity.
Although their conversation was somehow hushed and inaudible, Luo Mei didn't want to give up. After waiting outside the door of the tobacco shop for a while, the two finally emerged. They looked energetic, as if they had satisfied their cravings for cigarettes. They walked out, chatting and laughing.
Luo Mei followed them nonchalantly, seemingly leisurely, but in fact he was keeping a close eye on the two of them without relaxing.
The two of them turned a few corners and came to a separate courtyard outside the city wall. They pushed the door open one after the other and went in. Luo Mei followed them to the door and only then could she see clearly the small sign hanging on the door frame with two words written on it - Lu's Residence.
This looks like the Lu family's residence, Luo Mei thought.
Just as she was lost in thought, someone suddenly patted her shoulder from behind. Luo Mei was startled and quickly turned around to look.
"Hey! What are you doing sneaking behind those two people?" The person who spoke turned out to be Du Yunzhang, and Yin Chuan was also behind him.
"Huh! You scared me to death!" Luo Mei sighed, "You've been following me?
"I saw you go out without saying hello, so I just wanted to protect you secretly."
"I don't need it! And don't sneak up behind people like a ghost next time. If I had a weapon, I might hit you without even looking."
"Tsk, I know you're capable of it," Du Yunzhang snorted. "But what's so special about those two people you're following? The Lu family?" He looked up at the sign on the door. "What does the Lu family have to do with our target?"
Luo Mei did not answer Du Yunzhang immediately. Instead, he took them to a teahouse across the street from Lu's house, ordered a pot of tea, and then told them about some information he had learned in Linqing in the past two days.
"Hmm... a female movie star once visited the Lu family of magic..." Yin Chuan sipped his tea, "I always feel that there is something wrong with this rumor."
"What's the problem?" Luo Mei didn't know what Yin Chuan meant.
"Think about it—first of all, how did anyone know a female movie star was visiting the Lu family? Could this movie star even have the words 'movie star' engraved on her head? A strange woman dressed so flamboyantly entered the Lu residence, and most onlookers would think she was some wealthy lady or daughter. How could she be associated with a movie star? Besides, Linqing isn't a major port like Shanghai or Tianjin, with foreigners and foreign goods everywhere. Few people here even know about foreign things like movies, so there's no way she'd even mention a 'movie star'.
"That's one thing. Secondly, how could a female movie star, suddenly visiting the home of a local magician in Linqing, be so brazen? Was she afraid outsiders wouldn't know? I've heard the entertainment industry in big cities like Shanghai is incredibly chaotic, with reporters from major newspapers and tabloids constantly haunting movie stars, afraid to miss any gossip. Although we all knew Yu Zhenzhu's true identity, from an outsider's perspective, her display of ostentation was a bit excessive.
"Also, what's particularly puzzling to me is how the so-called movie star's visit and Mr. Lu's decision to become a Taoist monk are connected."
"No, this is my own association, not someone else's."
Yin Chuan smiled. "Oh? Really? That's quite a coincidence. When I heard you say that the movie star's visit and the Lu family's Patriarch's decision to become a monk happened less than a day apart, I immediately thought there was some connection between the two."
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