Chapter Ninety-Three: Praise from the Crew

It was not exactly a matter of secrecy, but compared with the Thirty-Six Techniques of Flowing Fists, the Seventy-Two Divine Grabs placed far greater emphasis on striking once to kill. I would not dare bring it out lightly. If it were learned by those with wicked intentions, it could very likely cause incalculable harm among ordinary people!

Whenever he spoke with this man, Liu Qingshan always felt a kind of weary, well-meaning lecturing.

Chen Zuming was not cowed by Liu Qingshan’s alarming words; rather, the excitement in his heart far outweighed what showed on his face.

As for why, it was simple. He knew that behind him stood a man of terrifying martial prowess like Liu Qingshan, someone he could rely on. That filled him with courage beyond his own expectations.

More than that, he was deeply grateful to have attached himself to this man so early. Even if he never became his disciple in the end, merely learning a few scraps from him would be enough to satisfy his hopes.

Seeing the barely concealed self-satisfaction, Liu Qingshan sighed inwardly and shook his head. “Try to bring up this kind of subject as little as possible from now on. By the way, could I ask Teacher Li for a guitar?”

“Why would you need to pay? I have four of them at my place, and there’s one in the residence in the capital just sitting there. When we get back, I’ll give it to you!”

“Zhefu? That’s its special name?”

“Mm. The teacher named it according to my own situation. It means that on the road toward the destination, temptation and hardship come in equal measure. At such a time, one must settle the heart and lie hidden, without giving up and without changing one’s original intention.”

Liu Qingshan seemed to understand. “Then have you lived up to Teacher Li’s advice?”

“Shanzi, let me tell you something from the heart. At first I really did not take that Zhefu very seriously, but in these past two days I suddenly seem to have understood a great deal. I feel that everything I used to do was rather superficial.”

“In just two days, you figured that out?”

“That’s why I say it’s from the heart, because even now, looking back, I don’t quite dare admit it myself. It should be something I learned from you. Just a while ago, you were only a small extra, and in the blink of an eye you not only achieved what stands before us now, but seem almost capable of anything, excelling at whatever you do! And then I think of myself—possessing wealth and prospects beyond anyone’s imagination, yet spending every day doing what?”

“It’s good that you’ve come to change. I think that’s also the shared wish of Big Brother, Sister Qiao, and Teacher Li! From now on, don’t tell outsiders that it’s because of my influence, because that is not the truth. It was you who suddenly awakened to something in a certain respect.”

“Awakening? That’s a good phrase. It suits me very well.”

For us martial artists, once our foundation in the art reaches a certain depth, we no longer focus on technique alone. We pursue instead a mysterious, almost ineffable state of mind. Of course I am still far from such a mental realm, but I’ve begun to have a little feeling of my own—that is, awakening, a sudden realization that others cannot truly experience.”

“Shanzi, my father says you’re already a true master, even more unfathomable than that Sword Saint Yu Chenhui, who is universally recognized in the martial world. Is that true?”

“That’s all nonsense. A master-level martial artist is not the end of our Chinese martial arts; there should be many even stronger people hidden away. Compared with Old Master Yu, I’m only relying on youthful vigor. Just his rich understanding of martial arts alone is something I cannot compare with.”

“But as far as I know, Old Master Yu may not even last a hundred moves against you!”

“That’s Yuyi who told you that, isn’t it? That was just Old Master Yu’s modesty. All right, let’s not talk about this anymore. Just keep your guitar. If there’s a chance, I’ll ask Teacher Li to have another one custom-made. Remember, that Zhefu is not merely a guitar. It is also Teacher Li’s deep expectations for you.”

“I understand. I won’t take it out to show off anymore. It’s the teacher’s heartfelt gift.”

“That’s more like it. Since you want to start over, you have to keep this firmly in mind at all times. Those old hangers-on from before—try not to get involved with them anymore. Loyalty is no flaw, but it depends on whom you’re loyal to. You’re two years older than I am; I imagine I don’t need to spell everything out for you.”

Liu Qingshan did not know whether the other man had truly taken his words to heart, but he did not continue the subject. Even he did not enjoy someone droning in his ear without end.

At four the next morning, the production entered the tense rhythm of formal shooting.

Liu Qingshan had seen many crews by then, and he knew this was especially true for period dramas: nearly every director would demand that all makeup be finished before daybreak.

Of course, it was not like that every single day. Period makeup was often left on for several days at a stretch; otherwise, no matter how strong an actor’s body was, it could not hold up for long.

Because the directors’ team wanted to concentrate the first stage on Guo Jing’s scenes, Liu Qingshan became the busiest person in the entire crew.

Fortunately, a few days earlier his actor rank had been raised to A3, the latter phase of the intermediate stage; otherwise, there would have been no way to keep filming running smoothly.

Even so, the first few shots were still interrupted by repeated retakes. Happily, after half a day he quickly settled into the proper state.

The beginner stage is the threshold for professional actors, while the intermediate stage requires sufficiently rich experience and another leap in acting skill.

Actors at this stage are in fact the backbone. It is the presence of a large number of actors of comparable level that forms the foundation for every production to be completed at high quality.

But if one is a lead actor and wishes to rise further in pure acting ability, or even make a breakthrough in relevant awards, one must at least possess the skill level of the latter part of the intermediate stage.

Liu Qingshan did not waste his attention on that. First, his own role limited the space for acting; second, Guo Jing was a likable character in himself. So long as he focused on making the fighting brilliant, that was enough to ensure a perfect portrayal.

Thus, after the first day, during every break in filming he stayed by the action team, sparing no effort to devise each fight scene.

Fortunately, by then everyone in the action team understood that this was the first time their entirely mainland-based stunt crew would serve as the action directors for a whole drama. Everyone offered ideas and suggestions, and the atmosphere within the team was more united and orderly than ever before.

These people were not short on experience or strength. What they lacked was the ability to create something fresh and avoid falling into cliché.

That was precisely where Liu Qingshan’s role as a suspected master-level expert came into sharp relief.

And because most of the stunt performers in the team knew a few moves of flowing-fist routines, the martial sequences he designed not only possessed both form and spirit within layered, interlocking exchanges, but the speed of hands and feet also reached a level almost impossible for the eye to catch.

The directors had already made it clear: there was no need to worry that the audience would not be able to follow such speed, because every brilliant passage would be edited into slow motion several times over.

Zhang the Big-Bearded even said plainly that the crew was willing to pay a huge price to bring Liu Qingshan onto the set precisely in order to present a martial style and quality different from anything before.

Moreover, all the old, rigid, formulaic sparring patterns would be discarded. He did not insist on how dazzling the choreography had to be, but the fighting had to be original and guarantee perfect fluidity.

Thus, the speed of the duel became the first and foremost constraint in the design; otherwise, it would greatly increase the camera’s film consumption and compress the perfect expression of the plot.