He changed Tiwat

Han Fulai led the applause for Lin Ni, who smiled and bowed to the audience. Then, carrying a hat in one hand and a wine glass in the other, he trotted back to the center of the stage, looking quite cheerful.

He casually tossed the feathered top hat into the air, and once again it magically floated up.

Linni then reached into his hat with his free hand—he pulled out a embroidered women's handkerchief.

"babble……!"

Upon seeing the handkerchief, the Marquis of Carandé let out a half-scream uncontrollably.

That handkerchief belonged to him, and... it was something he shouldn't have let anyone else see...

He quickly checked his pockets; the handkerchief that should have been in his vest pocket was gone. He'd been startled when his hat caught fire and jumped to his feet; Linni had leaned close to him reassuringly then. He figured Linni had stolen the handkerchief then.

Marquis Carandé's face had begun to turn pale.

Of course, only Han Fulai in the entire theater noticed the marquis's flustered expression and actions.

On stage, Linni brought the wine glass to her nose and took a sniff.

"Hmm, the aroma of wine is wonderful... but if you get drunk, you won't be able to continue performing, right? Is there a kind of wine that you can drink as much as you want without getting drunk?" Linni blinked and tilted her ear towards the audience, making a listening gesture.

When it comes to alcohol, Mondstadt's audience are all connoisseurs.

Soon the audience shouted out the unanimous answer: "Apple juice!"

“Oh, apple wine? Okay!” Linni covered the cup with the handkerchief, muttering to himself as if reciting some kind of spell.

After he finished chanting the incantation, he uncovered the handkerchief, and the white wine in the glass had turned into golden apple wine!

Linni raised the glass to his lips, took a sip, and smacked his lips in satisfaction: "Mmm, no wonder it's Mondstadt's famous apple wine. Ah, speaking of Mondstadt's famous wines, one must mention..."

He deliberately dragged out the last syllable, and the audience obligingly shouted out Mondstadt's most famous brew—"Dandelion Wine!"

Linni nodded repeatedly, then covered the wine glass with the handkerchief again. When she lifted the handkerchief again, the golden apple wine in the glass had turned into a green dandelion wine!

The wine glass in his hand seemed to possess magical power. Whatever wine he wanted, he only needed to chant a spell and make a wish towards the glass, then cover it with a handkerchief for a few seconds. When the handkerchief was removed, the wine he desired would appear in the glass.

The audience enthusiastically placed orders with Linni: "Gift of the Wind God," "Death at Midnight," "Foam on the Distant Reef," "Kiss of Snow"... Not only did he have all sorts of cocktails, but this magical cup could even conjure up juice or coffee.

The atmosphere grew increasingly lively, and the Mondstadt audience felt as if they were in a bar, where Linnie, the "bartender," could satisfy all their cravings for fine drinks.

Just as Linni was getting into "mixing" drinks, a cough came from behind him: "Brother, you're not allowed to drink."

Miss Lynette, the magic assistant, had somehow returned to the stage and, expressionless, snatched the cup from Lynette's hand.

Looking at Lynette's retreating figure, Lynette winked and made a face, looking defiant.

The Mondstadt audience members present were amused, especially the married people, as this scene happened almost every night in Mondstadt homes—what wife would like her husband to be drunk every day?

If many modern marital conflicts stem from the question, "Do you want the game or me?", then many marital conflicts in Mondstadt stem from the question, "Do you want to drink or me?"

Well, the answer to this question depends on how far the respondent's wife is physically located from him.

Of course, Lynette's real reason for going on stage wasn't just to perform a skit with her brother. Her actual role was to "destroy evidence"—Lynette couldn't actually drink the liquid in the glass. If she drank it all, the trick in the glass would be exposed.

There was actually only a glass of white wine in the glass from beginning to end. The reason why Linni could turn the liquid in the glass into all sorts of wines or beverages was actually because of the colored cards he hid in the glass.

The color of the wine that the audience sees is a visual illusion caused by the color cards inserted in the glass. If you look at the glass from Linni's perspective, you will find that the glass is actually divided into two halves by several cards starting from the middle.

This specially made waterproof paper was designed to perfectly mimic the shape of a wine glass. Using the handkerchief as cover, Linni secretly inserted several cards into the glass. When the orange cards were revealed to the audience, they would see the wine turn an apple-orange color; when Linni turned the glass upside down, revealing the green back of the orange cards, the wine would turn a dandelion-green color…

Every time he conjured up a new bottle of wine, he would cover the glass with a handkerchief, actually changing the order of the cards inside to alter their colors. Lynette, using the pretext of "prohibition," took the glass, which also allowed her to dispose of the cards inside. Otherwise, if the audience demanded that Lynette drink the wine in public, she would be in a difficult position.

However, these simple tricks cannot be considered Linni's true skills.

Linni slowly raised his hands, waving them towards the sky like an orchestra conductor in an opera house—the spotlights on the theater ceiling gradually dimmed as he moved, until they were only bright enough to barely make out Linni's figure.

Linni walked up to the top hat that was still suspended in the air, put both hands inside, and still had a confident smile on his face: "Ladies and gentlemen, now is the moment to witness a miracle."

Chapter 184 The Heavenly Canopy in the Palm of Your Hand

In the dim light, Linnie reached her hands inside the top hat that was suspended in mid-air.

The audience in the theater held their breath, not daring to blink, for fear of missing the "miracle moment" that Linni had mentioned.

Under the watchful eyes of the audience, Linni slowly took his hands out of his hat, his palms together as if he were holding something in his hands.

"The name of this performance is 'The Canopy in Your Hand'."

After saying this, Linni slowly opened her covered palm.

Everyone saw the silvery light—it was the moon!

In Linni's palm, there was actually a tiny moon!

That cold glow was undoubtedly the moonlight that people could see every night.

The moonlight illuminated Linni's face and the eyes of the entire audience. It rose from Linni's palm, rising higher and higher, growing larger and larger...

It stopped when the moon rose to the top of the theater, which was also the top of the circus's large tent.

At the same time, the theater's normally enclosed ceiling curtain suddenly opened, allowing people to look up and see a brilliant starry sky.

This was a carefully calculated timing and location by Linni. It was already night, the stars had appeared, but the real moon had not yet risen to its zenith. The bright moon he released could perfectly replace the moon that had not yet appeared in the sky.

The real Milky Way surrounds the false moon, making it impossible to distinguish between illusion and reality.

The audience fell silent, deeply moved by the performance.

Linni then slowly began to speak: "In many people's eyes, magic itself is a miracle. But as magicians, we prefer to hear—'A great miracle, it's just like magic.'"

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause, with many spontaneously shouting, "A magnificent miracle! It's like magic!"

Although Han Fulai did not shout along with the audience, he was equally shocked.

The sense of awe experienced in person is completely different from watching it on a television screen. Even if you are mentally prepared for your senses to be deceived, you will still be deeply impressed by the magician's ingenuity when you see it with your own eyes.

While Linni's previous magic tricks were amazing, most of them still fell into the category of "street close-up magic." Han Fulai could somewhat draw on his previous experience on Earth and the "minor tricks" of the Guhua school to see the secrets, but he really couldn't see any clues about this "palm-sized sky screen."

This is a true stage magic show, a masterpiece meticulously designed and produced with experience, skill, and wisdom.

As Linni said, it was indeed a great miracle.

From an angle unseen by the audience, Linni let out a soft sigh of relief.

Magic is a lie.

The design techniques are ingenious, creating illusions and deceiving the audience. To fabricate a false impression, several lies are needed to lay the groundwork and smooth things over; to perform a good magic trick, countless designs are needed to gain the audience's trust.

Just like this "canopy in the palm of your hand," it requires the preceding circus performances to make the audience forget about time, the preceding magic tricks to control the timing as a psychological setup, the backstage staff to carefully control the lighting and props to cooperate, and Lynette's help to create the final special effects...

People would never realize that there were actually two "moons," one rising and disappearing, and the other hidden in the ceiling by Lynette with a curtain. It was this ingenious coordination that created such a perfect show.

Props, lighting, assistants, planning... the collaborative efforts of countless people both on and off stage create the perfect stage for the magician. A magician's performance is the result of immense dedication and carries countless expectations.

Therefore, a magician's design must not go wrong, a magician's actions must not fail, and a magician must not let down his "family" behind him.

"The magician's lies must never be exposed," Linni whispered to herself.

Magicians are the most honest profession in the world; they promise to deceive you—and they absolutely keep that promise.

Linni raised her face, and that confident smile returned.

"Ladies and gentlemen... our performance is not over yet. However, for the next performance, I need an audience member to do me a small favor."

He casually picked up the Marquis of Carrande's top hat, walked back to the audience, and bowed to return the hat to its owner.

"Thank you for your help. Look, I have now returned it intact."

The Marquis de Carrande hurriedly took the hat and frantically rummaged inside, but he found nothing.

The audience members who were watching Sir Alex Ferguson rummaging through his hat laughed, thinking to themselves, how could someone who isn't a magician possibly pull something out of a hat?

But only the Marquis of Carrande knew what he was looking for: the handkerchief... but Linni did not return the handkerchief and hat together.

He remembered that the handkerchief had been taken away by his assistant, Lynette, as she left.

The once arrogant old marquis stood up, grabbed Linni's hand, and pleaded with him. Linni simply smiled and whispered in his ear, "Come find me backstage after it's over."

He then shook off Marquis Carandé's hand and bowed to him apologetically: "My lord, no matter how enthusiastic you are, I cannot agree to let you go on stage, otherwise the audience will suspect that you are a plant I hired!"

The surrounding audience burst into laughter.

The old marquis's cheeks twitched repeatedly before he finally slumped down, looking quite like a fervent fan who wanted to participate in a performance but was rejected. Everyone even started imagining the old gentleman's journey from initially not believing in magic to being amazed by it and becoming a die-hard fan...

Linni then turned to the lucky audience member next to the old marquis: "Sir, would you be willing to temporarily serve as my magic assistant?"

The lucky audience member he chose was, of course, Han Fulai.

In theory, Han Fulai should avoid drawing attention due to Schubert's presence, so he should refuse Linni's request—but you have to understand, front-row seats are the seats where it's easy to get a chance to perform, and most people who buy front-row seats are there for that reason. Who would refuse the opportunity to perform with the magician? This is a stroke of luck that countless fans would kill for.

Han Fulai glanced at Youla out of the corner of his eye, and Youla nodded very slightly.

"Of course I'm willing."

Han Fulai stood up and deliberately shook the fake sash and medals hanging on his shoulders.

Although he hasn't graduated from his "aristocratic etiquette course" yet, and his every move might inevitably reveal flaws, he has already figured out how to "skip class".

“Thank you very much.” Linnie bowed respectfully. “May I ask your name, sir?”

A golden light flashed in Han Fulai's eyes.

“I am a proud holder of the Divine Blessing, a man who strives for the brightest future of Teyvat. You may call me ‘Sir Humphrey’.”

Chapter 185 Han Fulai: I'm Really Not Lin Ni's Shill

Although Han Fulai's reputation was not as impressive as that of the Marquis of Carandé, and his title was not as long, the impression he left on people was far more profound than that of the Marquis.

He seemed to be giving a very casual self-introduction, without raising his voice much, but his voice clearly reached the ears of every audience member present.

Keep in mind that he didn't have Fontaine's miniature mechanical amplification device on him, so theoretically he shouldn't have been able to make his voice heard by everyone in every corner like Linni did. Yet, he managed to do it anyway.

Everyone who heard him speak couldn't help but think: Sir Humphrey is a nobleman far more distinguished than that Marquis!

The evidence is that everyone who heard him speak developed an inexplicable sense of awe towards him.

Just as Yura said before—

"Confident, self-respecting, proud, a person of their word, unwavering in their belief in their own ideas, and every word they utter carries weight—because we have authority, and everyone must listen attentively when we speak."

This is a quality that only those who have long held positions of power can exhibit.

A truly perfect aristocratic air.

Not only ordinary viewers, but even Yura felt like she was seeing Han Fulai in a new light. She couldn't help but wonder if Han Fulai really needed any aristocratic etiquette training at all?

Of course, for Han Fulai now, it is very simple to do this - what nobleman can be more noble than the Rock King Emperor?

The land of Liyue stretches for thousands of miles, and the capital city of Yujing has nine gates.

Without witnessing the grandeur of the imperial palace nestled against the cliff, how can one know the majesty of the emperor and the Son of Heaven?

He only needs to use his immortal power to cosplay Zhongli's emperor state, and he will naturally carry the majesty of that demon god.

Even Linni was taken aback. This guest had never shown any special abilities before, but when he actually spoke, he couldn't help but feel a little startled—especially when he met his gaze into those pale gold eyes.

Linnie even felt that Sir Humphrey had seen through his deepest secrets.

Han Fulai naturally turned his head slightly while adjusting his dress to observe Schubert sitting in the corner of the theater. Entering a state of using his magical powers, his eyesight was greatly enhanced compared to normal, and he could clearly see Schubert's face with the "moonlight" above his head—his gaze met Schubert's.

Schubert quickly lowered his head, seemingly afraid to meet his gaze. For nobles, avoiding eye contact was a shameful thing. Even when facing the nobles of winter or high-ranking officials of the Fools, a proud old noble like Schubert would hold his head high with arrogance. But just now, he had instinctively retreated.

By the time he realized what was happening, Han Fulai had already withdrawn his immortal power and turned his gaze back.

He has achieved his goal.

This was what he had originally planned to do when he formally accompanied Yura to "meet the parents"—to give Schubert a little imperial awe and leave a deep first impression on him.

The next time they met, Schubert would naturally carry with him a "thought imprint," convinced that he was definitely an aristocrat.

...As for aristocratic etiquette—to hell with it!

Han Fulai calmly walked past Lin Ni first. "Mr. Lin Ni, how should I cooperate with you?"

Linnie took a deep breath, his expression returning to performance mode, and he put on his usual business smile again: "Sir Humphrey, this way please."

He led Han Fu to the center of the stage, below the "bright moon" he had conjured.

“Sir Humphrey, if I may be so bold, please allow me to ask you something.” Linnie adopted a much more respectful attitude towards him than the Marquis. “Since the performance I am about to give may be somewhat unbelievable, could you please promise me that ‘you never conspired with me beforehand’?”

Han Fulai smiled and raised his right hand, making a vow gesture: "I swear to the Queen of the waters, the lands, the peoples and the laws, that I have never conspired with Mr. Magician Linni beforehand. In fact, this is the first time we have spoken face to face like this."

He was telling the truth, of course; Linni couldn't afford to use a shill of his status.

—But even if he really was a plant hired by Linni, so what? What if he swore an oath to the water god Fukaros? If you're so capable, why don't you, the god of Fontaine, extend your reach to govern the officials of Liyue?

Linni opened his arms and began his performance.