The Breeze of Dusk with the Scent of Musk

Chapter 9: The Extraordinary Magic

In the Ruby Kingdom in the Breeze Province in the Lightning City, after Zixin Quon visited the four kingdoms with the Falcon Circus, he is now heading back to his home in the Lightning City. His heart is filled with yearning for his wife, Xiulan Yongnian, and he is dreaming of the romantic nights he will spend with her once they meet.

While on their way to the Lightning City, a gang of bandits attacked the Falcon Circus caravans. The bandits wanted to usurp the money of the staff of the Falcon Circus without killing them. The chief leader of the bandits said to everyone: "Either you hand us all your money without resistance and we let you go safely or you resist us and we kill all of you and take your money". The sage staff of the Falcon Circus including Zixin knew that they are not peers to the bandits in terms of power and that if they choose to resist, they jeopardize their lives so they choose to take the lesser of the two evils and hand the bandits all their money. Zixin had 10000 golden taels in total but he distributed them across multiple pouches. When Zixin initially heard the screams of people when the bandits appeared, he swiftly hid some of his pouches below the seats of the carriage he was riding and he hid some other pouches in a private area in the ceiling of the carriage. Zixin chose to outsmart the bandits and give them half of what he owns and spare the other half for himself. It was a dangerous move from Zixin because if the bandits discovered his deceit, they might kill him. The bandits trusted Zixin and that he gave them all what he had and ultimately let the caravans pass.

That was one of the fiercest hardships Zixin encountered. He travelled for eight months and worked so hard in the circus and half of his money vanished overnight by the sudden unexpected calamity. He was very frustrated and filled with anguish. When he met his wife, Xiulan, and told her the story, she said to him: "As long as you are safe, I do not care about the money. Your life is more precious to me than all the money in the world." Zixin said: "Thank you for your soothing words. But what is the benefit of travelling for eight months and working so hard if my work can easily evaporate overnight." Xiulan said: "I asked you before to stay with me and find work here in our city to do without travelling but you insisted on the work of the circus." Zixin said: "You are right. I should consider alternatives seriously this time, my sweetheart, Xiulan. I wish there were a magic technique that turns stones into gold. If I discover such a technique, that would be my bonanza day." Xiulan said: "But as you know, magic has its limitations and boundaries. Stop dreaming and think about something practical. Are you going to sleep now?" Zixin said: "I will stay awake for some time to think about my options. You can go to sleep. You have been working hard since the morning." Xiulan said: "Yes, I am exhausted and feel drowsy. I will go to bed before you, my sweetheart. Good night." Zixin said: "Good night, my sweetheart."

Zixin stayed up late while drinking Chinese tea and he was juggling numerous options he might take as an alternative to his work in the circus. Here is a snapshot of Zixin's soliloquy:

"Should I quit my work in the circus? What else can I do? I dedicated my life to magic and leaving my passion is difficult. But travelling also is dangerous and time-consuming. It keeps me away from my sweetheart and relatives for a long time. Should I stay in my city and start my own trade and become a merchant. But starting my own business requires capital and I have only limited funds. Also, not every investment is profitable. You must consider both profit and loss for any new investment. I am perplexed and do not know which road I should take. Everything in life has merits and demerits. Because of our limited knowledge and wisdom, we at times take a less favorable option and leave the optimal option. Zixin, what is your ideal move now?"

While Zixin was thinking deeply about his next move, he heard someone calling him. The call is from an invisible source inside his room. Zixin could hear the voice clearly inside the room but without seeing anyone. That was the voice of the jinn. Before sharing the conversation between Zixin and the jinn, here are some essential information about the jinn according to the Islamic faith: