I Became Famous in the Entertainment Industry with High Martial Arts Skills - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Official Wrap-Up

The dozen or so assassins acting alongside Xie Ci were all played by professional martial arts instructors. They were veteran masters with years of experience, and their movements were fluid and sharp, representing the top tier of the industry.

The four of them closed in step by step. In a flash, three sharp blades struck simultaneously toward his head, left calf, and abdomen. At the same moment, an assassin holding a forearm crossbow fired three consecutive bolts. Like hyenas scenting blood, they greedily sought to prey upon the surrounded youth.

Yin Shisan spun sideways. The soft sword in his hand, which appeared flexible and boneless, erupted with staggering power in an instant.

The youth’s posture was ethereal; his waist bent back at an incredible angle before he pushed off with his toes, appearing outside the encirclement like a specter.

In the shot, the youth’s wrist flicked. Wherever the afterimages of the blade passed, blossoms of blood exploded. The three men who had been aggressive moments ago stumbled; after a few muffled groans, they ceased moving. Only their wide eyes and the bloody gashes across their throats spoke of their indignation.

The three crossbow bolts seemed to be toyed with, deflected by the blade. One even whirled back into the shooter himself; at the moment he hit the ground and breathed his last, he remained staring at the youth’s silhouette, unable to close his eyes in peace.

“Again.”

The youth’s voice was pure and innocent, yet a few drops of residual blood were splashed across his exquisitely beautiful, pale face.

Gu Xingfeng, holding the script to the side, was already dazed. It wasn’t until the assistant director gave a loud shout that he suddenly snapped back to reality. Amidst a surge of emotion, a blurry new idea formed in his mind.

He’s simply born to do this.

If he had been born twenty years earlier, Xie Ci could have become famous across the nation just by filming wuxia movies.

“Group C, go.” At the command, three assassins attacked again with swords raised. For a time, the clashing of weapons rang out as densely as raindrops.

Seeing that the youth was difficult to deal with, two assassins attempted to bypass Yin Shisan to take the deposed Crown Prince’s life directly.

Without hesitation, Yin Shisan turned back, pushed off the ground with one hand, and completed a beautiful roundhouse kick without the aid of any wires, landing a heavy blow on the chest of one assassin.

Simultaneously, the crossbow bolt aimed at Song Yu’s heart by another assassin was knocked off course by the soft sword Yin Shisan threw. It grazed the shoulder of Song Yu, who was leaning against the palace gate, leaving a trail of blood.

Xie Ci’s hands were empty. Seeing an opportunity, several assassins quickly raised their blades to strike, but unexpectedly, the youth pulled a pitch-black soft whip from his waist, heavily knocking those approaching to the ground.

Throughout the entire shoot, Xie Ci’s martial arts movements were smooth and silky. Whether using a sword or a difficult prop like a whip, not a single flaw could be found.

What surprised Zhang Yunjiang even more were Xie Ci’s micro-expressions. After a whole set of high-difficulty movements, not a hint of strain could be seen on his exquisite, snow-white face; instead, there was the effortless ease that perfectly matched Yin Shisan’s character design.

“Cut.”

Zhang Yunjiang grew more satisfied the more he filmed, looking at the monitor with irrepressible joy. “Splendid! Great movements, great expressions!”

The difficulty of this palace coup scene lay in this martial arts sequence. He had prepared to film for several days, but he hadn’t expected Xie Ci to shoulder this heavy burden so perfectly!

“In a bit, you have one more shot of taking the male lead out of the city. If it goes smoothly, we can finish this scene today.”

The staff from various departments nearby also perked up. After all, who wouldn’t want to finish work early rather than reshoot with actors over and over again?

As for the rumors within the crew about Xie Ci being “airdropped” or “using the back door,” they had long since vanished into thin air.

If Director Zhang truly rejected a high-visual actor like Xie Ci, who could both fight and act, in favor of someone else, then they really would have suspected someone was using the back door.

Ji Xiuheng, who had rarely served as a background character, also walked to Xie Ci’s side, his eyes burning.

During that brilliant fight scene filled with the flash of blades, the glimpse of those cat-like eyes when Xie Ci turned seemed to overlap with the gaze from that red-clad dancer footage he had watched repeatedly.

It left one feeling suspended, as if a chasm had cracked open that needed to be filled with desire.

“Xiao Xie, you’ve improved again.” Ji Xiuheng smiled slightly, gently brushing away a bit of dust that had fallen on Xie Ci’s shoulder.

Xie Ci was still a bit embarrassed by the praise from several people and replied softly: “Compared to the seniors in the crew, I still have a long way to go.”

His words were very humble, but Gu Xingfeng glared. “Alright, good is good. Why is a young man being so humble!”

He spent a lot of time with the crew, but in the months since the cameras started rolling, the few scenes Xie Ci filmed had all struck a chord in his heart.

As a scriptwriter, the greatest luck is meeting an actor who can interpret a beloved character.

Don’t be fooled by the small amount of screen time Yin Shisan had in the script; every scene involved acting alongside major characters, and every scene had a highlight moment.

Earlier, when Gu Xingfeng first heard the investor wanted to arrange a “connection” to play Yin Shisan, he had bolted upright and run to the set to protest. It was a good thing that idiot investor went bankrupt and fled, otherwise he would have fought to the bitter end!

The old faces of the two big shots were smiling so hard they looked like chrysanthemums. Xie Ci, surrounded by their praise, felt even more nervous than when he was surrounded by assassins for the fight scene.

“Director, the site is ready.” The assistant director trotted over to remind him.

“Fine, notify all departments to prepare. Remind the camera crew to pay attention to catching close-ups later.” The smile hadn’t left Zhang Yunjiang’s lips as he cheerfully issued commands.

The previous scene had finished smoothly, saving the production a lot of money instantly, which made the director breathe a sigh of relief.

“Action.”

The lens pulled back. After a struggle, several wounds were left on Yin Shisan’s body. Song Yu, whom he was supporting as they fled, had his brow locked in a tight frown.

Once they escaped from the palace, that kind-faced but cold-hearted Noble Consort would surely pin the Imperial Father’s death entirely on him.

No longer possessing his former noble and clear air, Song Yu’s eyes were dark. The tiny, stinging pains in his body felt like ten thousand ants biting his heart, reminding him of his current wretched state.

However, no matter how much he hated and resented, the gradually taking-effect toxin eventually caused him to lose consciousness. He slumped heavily against Yin Shisan’s shoulder, his breath gasping against the youth’s nape, leaving behind waves of moist heat.

Under the gradually tightening lens, a thin layer of sweat broke out on the youth’s temples. He lowered his eyes to glance at the deposed Crown Prince beside him, a flash of complexity in his gaze.

In just a few short months, he had followed this Crown Prince, renowned for his virtue, from the Southern Province back to the capital, witnessing him fall from being the focal point of everyone’s high-spirited attention to his current state, as wretched as a stray dog.

As a homeless orphan, Yin Shisan was full of curiosity toward a “chosen one” like Song Yu; within that curiosity was mixed a bit of childlike admiration.

Gu Xingfeng’s words flashed through Xie Ci’s mind. In a daze, he seemed to truly become that wandering swordsman witnessing the rise and fall of the court and the Crown Prince’s fate.

As he looked up, his eyelashes twitched slightly. A flash of bewilderment and helplessness appeared in the youth’s eyes; his lips twitched a few times, but in the end, he said nothing, heading toward a small gate with the unconscious Prince.

Maternal clan attendants who had rushed there knelt to receive them. In his stupor, Song Yu only saw that slender figure walking further and further away, vanishing into the endless night.

Drizzle fell, as if to wipe away the last trace of that person.

From then on, Yin Shisan was seen no more.

“Cut!”

In a solo shot of nearly a minute, Xie Ci had no lines. Yin Shisan’s psychological expression relied entirely on gaze and micro-movements, which is extremely difficult for a newcomer.

If the gaze were even slightly stiff, it would easily look like a wooden board.

Behind the monitor, Zhang Yunjiang’s furrowed brow gradually smoothed out.

He knew Xie Ci was extremely gifted in action scenes he understood high-difficulty movements instantly but he hadn’t expected that in just five days, Xie Ci’s eye-acting could improve so much.

The movie used supporting characters to reveal Yin Shisan’s background: his parents died in the chaos of war in his early years, he was displaced since childhood, and later taken away by a certain assassin organization.

Ten years later, Yin Shisan defected from the organization. Later, to rid himself of the organization’s pursuit, he single-handedly slaughtered the organization’s leader and high-ranking members; from then on, he had a name in the martial world.

Ji Xiuheng was closest to Xie Ci. During the filming, the youth’s sense of loss and bewilderment wrapped around him like a tide.

In an instant, he seemed to see that innocent yet cruel Yin Shisan, feeling that sudden collapse of his blank state of mind.

The war chaos of his childhood had sent his life into hell; years later, the virtuous Crown Prince who saved him was deposed by a fatuous monarch, and war chaos rose again.

The smoke of that battle that had stayed with him his whole life had never dispersed.

When Zhang Yunjiang promised to add a shot for Xie Ci, he hadn’t specified Yin Shisan’s mood in this scene. But when Xie Ci’s eyes, revealing three parts of alarm, looked toward the lens, he instantly understood the feeling he wanted.

After this shot was filmed, Xie Ci officially wrapped.

The crew’s filming continued. Off-field, Xie Ci and Mo Li huddled together, agreeing to go to that restaurant from last time for a big meal tonight.

Just as the two were talking, Qiao Mingyue’s voice rang out from the side.

“Xiao Xie, Brother Lu and I also happen to wrap today. Why don’t we call the director, Brother Ji, and the others for a meal together?”

Qiao Mingyue was still wearing her inner palace robe from the drama; the colors were very pretty, making her look like a half-opened peach blossom.

Film crews don’t film in chronological order; they film by location. Some actors’ wrap-up scenes are actually scenes that just appeared on the timeline.

Therefore, after the palace coup scene ended, several key characters in the crew officially went offline and wrapped. Qiao Mingyue and Lu Feichen happened to finish their last scene today as well.

At this time, Gu Xingfeng, with his hands behind his back, also approached, saying with a laugh: “What a coincidence. I’ll go find Old Zhang and have him treat us to a meal.”

Qiao Mingyue covered her mouth and smiled, “That would be even better. We’ll get to share some of Director Zhang’s glory.”

Just then, Ji Xiuheng, having finished changing his look, heard their conversation as he came out of the dressing room.

“A meal?” Ji Xiuheng’s eyebrows rose slightly as he asked Xie Ci.

Xie Ci had just wrapped, and the thin layer of sweat on his face made him look glistening. “Brother Ji, we’re eating together tonight, are you going?”

He had heard from Mo Li that Ji Xiuheng rarely attended crew dinners and basically politely declined all invitations.

But since the person was right there, he asked anyway.

He originally thought Ji Xiuheng would politely decline, but the man smiled easily, “Sure, it’s a good time to relax.”

Qiao Mingyue’s eyes lit up nearby. She knew it Xie Ci’s words carried more weight than theirs. Having been in the circle for so many years, she wouldn’t have reached the top-tier position without some social awareness.

The crew’s filming went smoothly today, and Zhang Yunjiang was in high spirits. He generously agreed to treat them, and the dinner location was a high-end restaurant in the city.

Since there were many people for the dinner, Xie Ci and Mo Li got into Ji Xiuheng’s matte black car, with Zhou Mo driving toward the city restaurant.

As it grew dark, the car slowly departed the filming base from a secluded exit.

A battered grey car followed behind, blending into the traffic on the road.

“Keep close. Tonight we have to get some dirt on Ji Xiuheng.”

A man with sanpaku eyes sat in the passenger seat, staring dead-ahead at the matte black car.

Support