Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 125 Camera

Nanjing, on the banks of the Qinhuai River.

The numerous constables, looking tense, shouted and drove away the people in the street.

At nearby intersections, soldiers from various garrisons were blocking the roads, prohibiting civilians from passing through.

One after another, luxurious carriages drove along the riverside road and stopped in turn by the roadside.

A large number of attendants and guards stepped forward, surrounding their respective masters as they disembarked from their carriages and boarded their ships.

Those who came were all important figures in Jinling City, the kind whose every stomp of their feet would cause a stir.

If the guests are women, then it is time for the maids and servants to step forward and pull up the curtain.

How could women of noble status be seen by the common people?

The only way for commoners to see a noblewoman in times of chaos is in a pot or on a bed.

The madam of Meixiang Pavilion laughed so hard that the pearl powder on her face fell off.

There was nothing we could do; too many important figures had come today, even the garrison eunuch had arrived.

The mastermind behind their family was inconspicuous among them.

These bigwigs could only offer them warm hospitality, bowing and scraping in response.

Inside the spacious cabin, the screens and partitions had been removed, and two rows of glass lanterns hung above, making it brightly lit.

The garrison eunuch arrived last, and a host of dignitaries and celebrities greeted him.

Han Zanzhou greeted everyone with a beaming smile, his enthusiasm and sincerity evident.

He was the most powerful man in Jinling City, that's for sure.

But he was essentially a temporary official, which meant he was only popular for the past few years.

When he retires, he'll just be living a comfortable life back in his hometown.

These nobles appeared to be low-key and unassuming.

But they are nobles, and their glory will continue for generations.

Under normal circumstances, both sides keep to themselves and don't interfere with each other.

Many nobles have come today.

Several truly powerful figures did not attend; instead, it was the heir apparent or other important family members who were sent.

Someone of Wei Guogong's status certainly wouldn't come, but he did send his heir, Xu Wenjue.

Recently, prominent figures and officials have been staying in Nanjing.

People such as Qian Qianyi, Ruan Dacheng, and Ma Shiying were present.

The younger generation, including Chen Zhenhui, were completely sidelined.

They were only qualified to be here because Lin Dao took the initiative to invite them.

Once the garrison eunuch was seated, everyone who was supposed to come arrived.

However, Lin Dao, who was the main person in question, did not show up.

Undoubtedly, this has drawn widespread discontent.

That's so disrespectful of the rules!

It wasn't that Lin Dao didn't understand the rules; it was just that he had encountered an unexpected situation and had to handle it urgently.

Fortunately, he soon appeared inside the cabin.

There's no penalty of three cups of wine.

Even powerful officials wouldn't give someone of his merchant background such a great deal of face.

I'm here today mainly to give face to the eunuch in charge of the garrison.

It was Lin Dao who sent out the invitations to everyone through the garrison eunuch.

The main point is to introduce that one possesses a divine artifact that has appeared in the world.

Lin Dao didn't waste any words and directly took out the divine weapon.

"This thing is called a camera."

"These are rare treasures that I found overseas."

"You'll know how it works once you use it."

All eyes were drawn to the small, slightly flat box in Lin Dao's hand, which had a circular ring protruding from the center.

What's so special about such a small item?

Chang Yanling, the heir of the Marquis of Huaiyuan, joked with Xu Wenjue beside him, "These are just some sound boxes. When you open the lid, little people come out and dance."

"I was amazed when I first saw it."

"But after playing with it for a long time, it's just a bit more exquisite."

Xu Wenjue smiled and nodded in agreement.

These things may indeed be rare, but where they are, they are the first to play with the newest and most novel gadgets!

Don't underestimate the power of the wealthy and powerful.

Even in the era of the Boarskin, which was known for its ignorance, their elites were well-informed about world affairs.

They actually know about the world's most advanced technologies.

It's simply evil, and it's forbidden to use it in order to keep the people ignorant.

"Lord Han".

Lin Dao stepped forward, raised his camera, and gestured to Han Zanzhou, "Please sit up straight."

Once Han Zanzhou was seated, Lin Dao raised his camera and snapped a picture!
After checking it for a moment, he stepped forward and handed the screen to Han Zanzhou, who was puzzled.

"Lord Han, please take a look."

Lin Daowan came earlier because he was busy changing memory cards.

The card contained many performance art photos of Lin Dao and Xie Daoyun, among others.

I only realized it when I needed it, so I rushed back to find a new memory card to replace it.

Those performance art photos are his private collection and cannot be seen by others.

He would never repair the camera.

"Hiss~~~"

Han Zanzhou's ability to rise to the position of eunuch in charge of Jinling demonstrates his high level of personal cultivation and character.

Seeing himself on the screen, he was still shocked.

"Who painted this so quickly?!"

However, something even more shocking happened.

As Lin Dao made his choices and performed his actions, a strange sound rang out, and a piece of cardboard suddenly emerged from the bottom of this peculiar little box!
Lin Dao took the photo, shook it, and handed it to Han Zanzhou.

The eunuch in charge of the garrison stood up abruptly, his hands trembling as he held the photograph.

“This, this, this~~~”

An uproar immediately erupted around them.

The performance of the eunuch in charge was truly astonishing.

Many people even stood up and looked in this direction.

What could possibly have caused the garrison eunuch to lose his composure like this?

"Whoo~~~"

Han Zanzhou forced himself to stay calm.

He stared intently at the Polaroid camera in Lin Dao's hand. "Zihou, what exactly is this?" "Could it be able to capture souls?!"

The surrounding noise grew louder, and most people stood up.

Chen Zhenhui and the others couldn't help but step forward to see what was going on, but were stopped by Qian Qianyi.

It's not their turn to get close.

The nobles stopped putting on airs and all stood up to gather around.

Looking at the clear photo of Han Zanzhou, and then at Han Zanzhou himself, they all started shouting like they'd never seen anything like it before.

Xin Chengbo instinctively shouted, "Could it have been drawn in advance?"

Lin Dao immediately raised his camera and pointed it at him.

"Huh?" Xin Chengbo subconsciously raised his hand and turned his face to avoid it, but then there was a cracking sound.

As another photo was released, everyone craned their necks to look.

Upon seeing the photo, Xin Chengbo, looking terrified, raised his hands to cover his face, and no one doubted him anymore.

Many people asked him, "Are you alright?"

Xin Chengbo searched himself up and down, and it seemed that nothing was missing.

"I feel a bit palpitated; could it be that my soul has been captured?"

"You're just scared," Lin Dao said bluntly. "Have a drink to calm your nerves."

People who have never been exposed to or even heard of related knowledge.

It's understandable that you feel apprehensive and fearful when you first encounter it.

Lin Dao held up his Polaroid camera and looked around. "Who else wants to take a picture?"

Personal portraits are nothing new.

There are countless paintings, including this one, that one, and those depicting ladies.

Even the most skilled painters and great artists...

It is absolutely impossible to draw it; it is so lifelike that it looks like a replica.

They look so alike, exactly the same.

And it's such a tiny thing, it just popped out with a click.

This completely overturned everyone's understanding.

Awe of the unknown gives rise to longing.

Pairs of eyes stared at the camera in Lin Dao's hand, their gazes filled with greed.

Merchants of the Ming Dynasty who were targeted by these people were doomed to ruin.

But Lin Dao was not afraid; in fact, he greeted them with great interest.

"If any of you are interested, please make your bids now."

There was no doubt that the bidding was extremely fierce.

Because Lin Dao didn't want silver, he initially offered gold.

Later, they became all sorts of rare and precious treasures.

After a round of competition, only Chang Yanling and Xu Wenjue remained to compete.

The garrison eunuch did not contest it.

Because he knew that Lin Zihou was a man full of bad intentions.

There must be more than one such wondrous object.

"Brother, let's not argue. I'll offer a piece of ambergris from the South China Sea!"

"Give it to me, Mei Niang of Baihualou. I won't compete with you. I'll offer a 300-year-old ginseng!"

"Bah! Meiniang is mine to begin with, I'll add another large pearl!"

"You don't know yet, do you? I've already styled your hair several times, and I'll add another piece of four-hundred-year-old golden sandalwood!"

"You bastard~~~"

The two sides started wrestling, and the cabin suddenly became lively.

With a smile on his face, Lin Dao slowly retreated from the cabin.

Standing on the deck, gazing at the end of the street.

The cover is in place; now it's up to the young guards to see if they can succeed.

If that doesn't work, then it'll be his turn to take matters into his own hands.

Chang Yanling and Xu Wenjue's identities are sufficient for them to appear here and compete for the treasure.

But the sons of the earls are not qualified to attend today's gathering.

They were playing in a more luxurious and larger building a few blocks away.

In terms of defense, they are also much more lax.

As evening approached, the group of young noblemen, who had to go home, came out chatting and laughing.

A group of beggars rushed out of the alley and bumped into the carriages of the Ningjin Marquis's mansion.

The coachman and his servants were furious and chased after him, shouting, cursing, and fighting.

Everyone's attention was drawn to it, and they watched the spectacle with great interest.

A small, thin figure darted out, skimming the ground like a raccoon dog.

He lunged forward and crashed into the carriage of the Marquis of Ningjin.

The figure swiftly climbed onto the bottom of the carriage and took out a brick-like object from his pocket.

Unpack the oil bag, attach the contents to the bottom of the carriage, and secure it with hooks and ropes.

He braced his body with his hands and feet, trying to get as close as possible to the bottom of the car.

With his face flushed and his luxurious clothes stained with the scent of rouge and perfume, the heir of the Marquis of Ningjin got into the carriage with the help of his attendants.

In the dark alleyway not far away, several figures stared intently at the car.

Once their companions are spotted, they will rush in as a backup plan.

Fortunately, the coachman did not go around the carriage once. After the prince got into the carriage, he drove back to the mansion.

After walking two blocks, there was no one else on the road except for the watchmen and patrolmen.

Unexpectedly, the group of beggars who had previously rammed the car appeared out of the darkness, mocking and provoking them.

If there were someone with extensive military experience present, they might be able to sense that something was amiss.

But these noble servants, used to being arrogant and domineering, wouldn't think so much.

The servants rushed forward to seize it, while the coachman watched from the sidelines.

The figure under the car took out a lighter and lit the fuse.

Seeing the fuse hissing and burning, the small figure immediately rolled out from under the car and ran into the alley not far away.

The troublemaking beggars also ran away, while the people from the Ningjin Marquis's mansion returned, cursing and swearing.

Inside the carriage, the drunken prince seemed to vaguely smell a strange odor.

"What's on fire?"

next moment.

"boom!!!"

(End of this chapter)