Chapter 139: A Journey to Hong Kong

Liu Qingshan was very busy that evening, while Jin Xishan went to Gu Yun’s home, mentioning that some important guests were visiting.

A day later, the Snow Region Studio held its official opening. Many people from all walks of life attended, and even the Beijing Television station sent a camera crew to record the entire celebration.

Snow Region carried the label of a Sino-foreign joint venture, the first of its kind in the entertainment industry, which created quite an impact. However, only a handful of people knew that the Chinese were the primary controllers of this high-tech team.

Kram was very satisfied with his trip and remained beaming throughout the festivities. No one knew what he had gained in exchange for his time and money. After he returned to his country the next day, Pajei remained behind, planning to hone his foundations at the National Martial Arts Hall while Liu Qingshan was away from Beijing.

Most of the martial artists from the National Martial Arts Hall who had participated in the filming of *The Return of the Condor Heroes* would not follow him to Hong Kong for now; their next destination would be the future *Kung Fu Hustle* production.

As for Li Zhongsheng, Liu Qingshan ultimately could not visit him, as according to Chen Zuming, his teacher was back in seclusion crafting a zither.

When Liu Qingshan arrived in Hong Kong with Shi Hui, Kunal and the others from India were already waiting at the airport.

An hour later, upon arriving at the film set, he was surprised to find that he was even more famous here than in the mainland. Of course, most of those he saw were stuntmen, many of whom had familiar faces he had seen countless times in old films.

There is a famous saying in the Hong Kong stunt community: "The talent is in the mainland, the experience is in Hong Kong." Consequently, a large portion of the stuntmen here were born in the mainland, speaking not only Cantonese but a variety of regional dialects. Most of them were only familiar faces from movies, so although Liu Qingshan recognized them all, he could not name them.

Their enthusiasm was not unfounded; they had known for months that a terrifyingly young master-level figure had emerged in the mainland. In this profession, seniority is determined by ability, so even the fifty- or sixty-year-old veterans treated him with great respect.

Of course, there were also young martial artists who hid disdain in their expressions, but Liu Qingshan had no time to dwell on them. As soon as he stepped out of the car, he was ushered into the studio by Wilson Yip and the lead actors.

It was evening, and the filming location was situated in an auxiliary field of an open-air stadium, similar to a corner under an overpass, where two makeshift soccer goals stood on a smooth concrete floor. The goals were welded from steel pipes. Liu Qingshan’s first shot for the day involved him walking from a distance, performing a parkour-style side flip over the 1.5-meter-high goal frame, followed by an assassination scene wielding a single-edged dagger.

The young men playing soccer on the concrete, who looked like small-time hoodlums, were said to be real street thugs. However, during breaks in filming, they did not display their usual slack behavior; instead, they gathered around the stuntmen to ask about their real-world combat experiences. Because the stuntmen often made friends with hoodlums during their downtime, it was not so much that "birds of a feather flock together," but at least there was little sense of estrangement between them.

Wilson Yip briefed him on the plot, and then Ren Jiahua said something to Liu Qingshan that was quite meaningful.

"There is a reason the *SPL: Sha Po Lang* crew didn't call for you until it was time for your scenes. There are some commercial conflicts between the investors of this film and Boss Yang’s Qinghuang Pictures!"

Liu Qingshan suddenly understood; the suspicions he had harbored earlier now clicked into place. He chuckled, seemingly indifferent. "So that’s how it is. I had thought it was just the Hong Kong entertainment industry looking down on mainland actors!"

In truth, he didn't care much. As long as there were no other reasons, he didn't believe his presence would block anyone else’s career path. Since it was just petty friction between investors, it had nothing to do with him.

"Even if someone doesn't like the sight of you, what can they do? Your skill level has already become a topic of conversation in the Hong Kong stunt community. Without deep-seated hatred, ordinary people wouldn't dare to cause you trouble for no reason. Still, you must be careful. For instance, speak less on set and just follow the director's arrangements, and you’ll be fine."

Liu Qingshan naturally understood the subtext: don't be like he was on the set of *The Myth*, where he liked to offer suggestions, even if his intention was only to ensure the quality of the performance.

"Don't worry, Brother Hua. Even if no one asks for input on the action design, I won't give it a second thought. I will just ensure my own scenes are perfect."

"Good. Actually, the director, Dabao, Jianzai, and Brother Liao are all very decent people. As long as you stay grounded on set, you won't invite any unnecessary trouble."

At that moment, Donnie Yen walked over. This martial arts master, rumored to be quite arrogant, had mellowed out significantly after visiting the *The Myth* set, especially when in front of Liu Qingshan.

"Shanzai, Brother Hua has probably already told you the rest, so I won't repeat it. It’s all just capital bickering. We are just actors; we should just do our jobs!"

Although his words were understated, the process might have had its own twists and turns, such as the debate over his own role. Liu Qingshan understood this and appreciated their kindness.

"Brother Zijian, during daily filming, feel free to make any suggestions. I will do my best to meet all the needs of the action team."

Donnie Yen nodded with satisfaction, then put on a wry smile. "What do you mean 'do your best'? Our fight choreography needs your guidance, especially the one where we face off. Thinking about it now, I actually feel a bit anxious."

Back in Chang'an, the two had discussed their fight scene, which lasted several minutes. After learning the 36-style Flower Fist, Donnie Yen’s previous confidence had vanished completely. He knew that in a real life-or-death fight, he wouldn't be able to block Liu Qingshan’s erratic strikes and would likely be killed within ten moves. It was clear that Liu Qingshan's skill had long transcended the scope of traditional martial arts.

"Old Master Yu stayed in Beijing for a few days, and we had a deep conversation about you. The old man said your intuition is unique and your basic skills are exceptional. So, you don't need to doubt your own strength. When the time comes, just perform as you usually do, and my moves will simply follow yours."

Donnie Yen’s eyes lit up. "You mean there is no need to pre-design the moves? I just need to use my strengths, and you will adapt to me?"

Liu Qingshan smiled calmly. "Didn't you and Director Yip say that while maintaining the aesthetic of traditional martial arts, we need to increase the force and realism? To make it more like a real fight and different from past action films, there will be no wires, it will be real combat, and we will avoid using stunt doubles as much as possible?"

"I didn't expect you to remember it so accurately! Yes, that is the requirement."

"Then that’s it. You just need to use your most habitual moves, like a high whip kick to knock me down, and I will naturally follow through with the reaction. As for whether or not I get hurt, that is not something you need to worry about!"