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The crowd saw the lotus and showered it with praise.

Xuanxin cast a smug glance across the room.

The man in gray showed no reaction. He summoned an assistant, placed identical lotus seeds in an identical bowl, then poured in hot water. Before long, a lifelike lotus appeared before everyone.

"Marvelous!"

"It's every bit as good as Master Xuanxin's."

"They're both lotuses. Any difference would come from the seeds, not the technique."

Seeing the man reproduce his method, Xuanxin grew grave. The man in gray, however, remained perfectly composed.

"Fellow Daoist, you do have some skill."

Xuanxin gave a thin smile, as though he cared nothing for what had just happened.

"In that case, I can't hold back either!"

This time, he demonstrated the Paper Fish Swimming Technique.

The trick behind it was simple. A paper fish stayed still in water because the forces acting on it were balanced: the surface tension was stable. Break that balance, and the object would "move." All one had to do was make a hole in the paper fish and put oil or sodium inside. The former worked through differences in density, the latter through a chemical reaction; either would make the paper fish swim.

This round ended in another tie.

Xuanxin's face darkened. The man in gray went on to replicate every subsequent feat, from Retrieving Objects from a Boiling Oil Pot to the Fuse Technique.

Even the Fourth Prince was growing visibly anxious.

The Crown Prince noticed and reassured him. "Don't worry, Fourth Brother. Whether the master's abilities are real or not, Father won't blame you."

The Fourth Prince's brow twitched at the remark.

Driven into a corner, Xuanxin suddenly raised his head. "I recently gained insight into another art. I'm not yet practiced in it, but since my fellow Daoist's mastery is so profound, I would welcome his guidance."

With that, he waved over his young Daoist assistant.

The young Daoist brought over a large basin filled with water, clear to the bottom.

Then he carried in an empty jar sealed with a yellow talisman.

"There is an evil ghost in this jar. I shall use my blood to cast a spell and burn it in the water."

He peeled off the seal and made a pouring motion over the basin. The onlookers craned their necks despite their fear.

Xuanxin chanted rapidly under his breath. Suddenly, he shouted and slashed his palm with a dagger. As his blood entered the water, a sizzling sound rose from its surface, like the shriek of a vengeful ghost. The red spread outward as though it had a mind of its own. The next instant, flames burst across the water!

"A water ghost! There's a ghost!"

The attendants nearest the basin cried out.

Among the crowd, Shen Lantang, dressed as a servant with black powder smeared on her face, widened her eyes slightly.

The experiment was simple enough that even she, having forgotten most of her chemistry textbook, remembered how it worked.

The key ingredients were sodium and Phenolphthalein Solution. Phenolphthalein Solution turned a vivid red in an alkaline solution. Sodium, when dropped into water, floated and darted rapidly across the surface, sizzling as it went. The reaction also released heat and produced a large amount of hydrogen, which could easily ignite at high temperatures when mixed with air.

Sodium was relatively easy to obtain, but extracting phenolphthalein was extremely complicated. Even Shen Lantang couldn't manage it now. Ancient Daoists really were talented chemists. Where there was a reason to make a living, there was motivation.

After that thought, Shen Lantang turned her gaze to the man in gray.

When he made no move, triumph shone in Xuanxin's eyes. "Fellow Daoist, why aren't you continuing your demonstration?"

By now, the others could tell something was wrong. The Fourth Prince turned back excitedly. "Father, you see? Master Xuanxin is the more skilled one after all!"

Before the emperor could speak, the man in gray cupped his hands toward them.

"My lords, the chemistry book my master studied was only an incomplete copy. I'm not fully trained myself and haven't mastered everything in it. I truly can't explain this Daoist master's demonstration right now. Could you give me a little time to think it over?"

Shen Lantang felt reassured. As expected of someone Xie Heng had chosen, he could keep his head and adapt under pressure.

"Father." The Crown Prince cupped his hands. "Even an ordinary student sometimes forgets what he has learned. Since this is a new art of Master Xuanxin's, we cannot demand that he uncover its secret at once. Giving him some time would only be fair."

The Fourth Prince objected at once. "Give him time? How much? A day? A month?"

From outside the screen, the man said clearly, "Please grant me thirty minutes. When that time is up, whether I've worked it out or not, I'll give you an honest answer."

Consort Chen smiled. "Thirty minutes is hardly too much to grant. It's terribly hot today; His Majesty could use a rest as well."

"Then give him thirty minutes," the emperor said.

The Fourth Prince had been about to speak, but he swallowed his words.

An attendant quickly carried the message out. Shen Lantang mingled with the man in gray's assistants and entered a small room with him.

As soon as they were inside, the man in gray turned to Shen Lantang. "My lady, what do we do next?"

"Don't worry. We anticipated something like this, and the situation isn't too bad yet."

Shen Lantang reassured him first.

Shen Lantang and Xie Heng were both experienced at handling trouble. They habitually considered the worst-case scenario so they wouldn't be caught flat-footed if it came to pass. They had agreed on the "thirty minutes" beforehand.

"I really don't have the materials for Xuanxin's last experiment, so I can't reproduce it. But I happened to get hold of some new things yesterday, and today is the perfect chance to use them."

Shen Lantang smiled with confidence. "We don't have much time. Come here, and I'll show you how they work."

Thirty minutes later, everyone returned to the courtyard. The man in gray bowed toward the screen and cupped his hands. "I've thought carefully about what was in the book, and I believe I understand the trick. I don't have the materials on hand to reproduce it, however—"