Chapter 142: One Continuous Take

The scene erupted in laughter.

Ip Wai-hing, still looking shaken, remarked, "My assistant director was shouting in my ear that a filming accident was about to happen. Your movements looked so authentic—anyone watching would have thought you truly intended to kill him!"

Hung Tai-bo finally understood, turning to Donnie Yen: "Was your previous fight with him like this as well?"

Donnie Yen nodded. "We both fight for real, but while every move looks fatal, he actually retracts the vast majority of his internal energy the moment contact is made."

"Let’s have a proper go at it another day. Everyone keeps talking about your martial arts prowess, and today I’ve finally seen it for myself. Since there's no need to worry about injuries, we can have a truly exhilarating fight!"

This meant that Hung Tai-bo had accepted Liu Qingshan. It seems martial artists are cursed with a masochistic streak; they all feel as though their bodies might wither away if they don't get to engage in a full-throttle fight every so often.

Liu Qingshan exchanged a few polite pleasantries before turning his attention to Ken Chang.

"Brother Yao, let’s aim for a one-take shot for the next sequence! I’ll be using the knife to slash your clothes in many places, but I guarantee I won’t cut you."

This was a detail from the script. The crew members, who had originally planned to prepare the clothes with special techniques, looked toward Ip Wai-hing upon hearing this.

Ip Wai-hing felt a stir of excitement and asked Liu Qingshan carefully, "Can you guarantee that no accidents will occur during filming?"

He knew from experience that similar scenes usually required multiple takes to complete. The state of the clothing would change as the fight progressed, necessitating several stops to make repairs before the shot could be considered perfect.

If Liu Qingshan’s plan worked, a one-take shot would significantly reduce filming time and speed up progress; there isn't a director alive who doesn't love the effect of a continuous, single-shot take. However, his concern was equally strong. The knife was genuinely sharp, and anyone, even a layman, would know the difficulty of slashing clothing without breaking skin during such intense physical combat.

Liu Qingshan, however, seemed unconcerned. "Acting is my livelihood, and my skills in performance and martial arts are the guarantee for that career. I wouldn't dare make a joke out of my own rice bowl!"

Donnie Yen remained steadfast in his support. "Director Ip, just let him do it. Though, Yao does need to be mentally prepared."

This was where a professional actor’s caliber truly shone. Ken Chang merely smiled calmly. "I’ve experienced it firsthand. The level of Shanzai’s skill is the highest I have ever seen in my life."

With that, no one else raised any objections, and they quickly dispersed to their positions. Someone stepped forward to attach a blood pack to Liu Qingshan’s left shoulder, as required by the script.

After Donnie Yen ran off to his designated spot, the temporarily interrupted filming resumed.

Ah Lok, a sharp blade embedded in his left collarbone, leaned against a stone pillar, his body heaving with rapid, jagged breaths, his face twisted in agony.

Liu Qingshan’s expression had turned as sinister as a ghost’s. With a mocking smirk, he pulled off his own sunglasses and placed them upside-down on Ah Lok’s nose. Unable to bear the humiliation, Ah Lok swung his right arm in retaliation. Liu Qingshan parried, locked Ah Lok’s neck with his left arm, and violently yanked the blade out with his right.

As his wrist flicked, the blade reversed in the air into an ice-pick grip. He then unleashed a flurry of strikes upon the heavily wounded Ah Lok. Liu Qingshan’s rapid knife-work utilized Long Fist techniques—straight as an arrow, flexible as a whip—allowing the razor-sharp edge to slice through Ah Lok’s leather jacket, strip by strip.

The pre-planted blood packs burst where the blade passed, instantly drenching Ah Lok in blood. Liu Qingshan continued his relentless advance, his movements frenzied and manic.

Amidst Ah Lok’s miserable wails, Liu Qingshan leaped up, delivering a savage slash to Ah Lok’s upper right chest that forced him to his knees.

Now, Liu Qingshan circled the kneeling Ah Lok, still gripping the knife, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace. In the next instant, he grabbed Ah Lok by the hair. His right arm, holding the blade, rose slowly, poised to deliver the fatal blow.

At that moment, a gunshot rang out. Donnie Yen had arrived in time, but blocked by a chain-link fence, he could only fire from outside the football field.

Liu Qingshan crushed the blood pack at the perfect moment, instantly staining his left shoulder red. The performance didn't stop there; the moment the shot rang out, Liu Qingshan used his uninjured right arm to lock Ah Lok’s throat, dragging him as a human shield and retreating rapidly toward the corner of a small building.

Outside the fence, Donnie Yen had emptied his magazine and was swiftly reloading, gun in one hand, ammo in the other. Liu Qingshan, throat-locking Ah Lok with one hand and holding the knife to his neck with the other, retreated at high speed, hidden by the wall and his human shield. Donnie Yen followed closely behind the fence, his weapon locked onto Liu Qingshan the entire time.

Ah Lok, now on the verge of death, was dragged backward across the ground, his throat still firmly held by Liu Qingshan.

After crossing a stretch of open ground illuminated by the lights, the two disappeared behind another cluster of buildings. In the dim, flickering light, only Ah Lok’s dull, vacant eyes were visible.

A moment later, the gleaming blade slowly emerged from the darkness, finally coming to rest against Ah Lok’s throat.

Suddenly, the knife in Liu Qingshan’s hand slowly pulled away from Ah Lok’s throat, rising vertically in the moonlight. The blade’s edge was deliberately tilted, refracting a chaotic, shimmering light. In the next instant, it slashed across Ah Lok’s throat, and Liu Qingshan’s figure vanished into the darkness.

The filming of this assassination sequence concluded. As the director called "Cut," the onlookers broke into spontaneous, enthusiastic applause.

These were veterans of many film sets, accustomed to countless action sequences, but they had rarely seen such a high-difficulty, continuous shot lasting several minutes. Especially for an action scene, this was a truly groundbreaking first. Compared to dramatic scenes, this sequence was infinitely more difficult and fraught with unpredictable variables.

Amidst the applause, Liu Qingshan rushed over to help Ken Chang up. He knew that while Ken hadn't been injured in the fight itself, the dragging and pulling that followed would inevitably result in some minor abrasions; that part of the process couldn't be faked.

Fortunately, Ken’s injuries were not as severe as he had feared. Just by seeing the radiant expression on his face as he sat up, it was clear he was fine.

"Great, great, great!"

Ken Chang shouted the three words immediately. "Shanzai, I can't believe we actually did it! That was three minutes, right? Man, a one-take shot! That’s the kind of classic hallmark usually reserved for veteran actors, and we pulled it off today!"

Many excited people ran over, including the female assistant. Ignoring Liu Qingshan’s offer of help, she knelt down and began checking Ken Chang’s clothes, her eyes brimming with tears.