Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

Black and white figures, in a world within the screen, experience joy and sorrow, revenge and vengeance.

The whistling sword energy roared and swirled across the picturesque landscape, resembling an ink painting.

"That's fantastic!" Sumali clapped her hands. "Xingmo! Xingmo! What were you thinking when you wrote this scene?"

"What else can I think about? The deadline is fast approaching, and I'm going to be in no time!" Liu Xingmo said irritably as he took out the bottle, bit off the cork with his teeth, and poured the black liquid into his mouth.

The sweetness and aroma of alcohol soothe the throat, while countless bubbles explode on the tongue, bringing a unique stimulation.

Liu Xingmo took another sip, clicking his tongue in amazement: "This stuff is delicious! It's even better than my Golden Water..."

On the big screen, a handsome man, dressed in a blood-stained white robe, carrying a woman, slowly walked towards the summit of the snow-capped mountain, bathed in the sunlight filtering through the gray clouds.

"Wow! It's so beautiful..." Sumali held her cheeks with both hands. "How did you come up with this scene?"

Liu Xingmo suddenly perked up: "Let me tell you, we ordinary people haven't experienced any major upheavals, so we just want to try something different and fresh. Basically, just pile all sorts of hardships on the protagonist, that's the way to go!"

Liu Xingmo became more and more excited as he spoke, almost animatedly: "Many people speculate that the female lead didn't die here and can be rescued later. Mary, let me tell you, she's completely dead! Hahahaha!"

Su Mali glanced sideways at her husband beside her: "Xingmo, tell me, where exactly are you imprisoning the real storyteller? I've searched the house countless times, but I haven't found a single clue."

Liu Xingmo took another swig of wine and casually said, "It's locked in my head. I'll let it out when I'm writing."

Sumali shook her head, her gaze drawn back to the movie.

……

The space was dimly lit and eerily quiet.

A thick beam of light radiated from behind, spreading across the silver screen. Within the beam were drifting dust particles, like countless stars swirling in the sky.

Liu Xingmo leaned back in his chair, looking up.

Through the starry sky overhead, you can also see the crisscrossing beams and pillars in the darkness, with wooden sticks and bamboo poles interlocking in a clever way to support the entire roof.

Oh, I see. The carpenters are really skilled.

Liu Xingmo put the bottle neck to his mouth again, only to find it completely empty: "Mary, you should try it too. This wine tastes really good. I'm even thinking of making it myself."

Sumari opened her bottle, took a small sip, and let the liquid swirl on her tongue: "Besides soda water, there's a slight bitterness from gentian, and this sweetness must be from maple syrup."

"It seems that new technologies are being developed all over the world, and we can't fall behind."

"Xingmo, let's watch this movie properly first."

"Okay." Liu Xingmo opened his eyes and looked at the large screen in front of him.

I must say, it was filmed really well.

There were no haphazard plot changes, and no cheap props or special effects.

The actor playing the handsome and resolute male lead is said to be a fifth-level swordsmanship master, but he didn't put on any airs.

He delivered a vivid and moving performance of a man's journey from weakness to strength, and he demonstrated exquisite skill in every move.

Under rudimentary technological conditions, people always strive to achieve the best through their own efforts.

"What a great movie..." Liu Xingmo murmured.

"Right?" Sumali handed her wine bottle to her husband. "But the real highlight is the story itself."

"Did I really write that?" Liu Xingmo took a swig of wine and smiled bitterly.

"It was you who wrote it." Sumali smiled gently.

"Actually, I didn't think that much about it; I just wrote it down casually."

"You're a genius, my dear husband."

"I hope so." Liu Xingmo was silent for a moment, then said casually, "I'll write a side story another day, where I bring the female lead back to life. I can't let the male lead be all alone."

"Please let me see it first!" Sumali said, grabbing her husband's hand enthusiastically.

……

As the rousing music turned melodious, a flash of light appeared on the screen before it plunged into darkness.

In the movie theater, a row of incandescent lights were turned on.

The movie has ended.

Liu Xingmo and Su Mali got up and left.

I waved goodbye to the movie theater owner and walked down the chilly spring night street.

The moonlight, like water, spilled across the stone path. That pale white light made one feel as if they had returned to a snowy winter day.

The evening wind carried a biting chill, and pedestrians on the street wrapped their clothes tighter.

"Xingmo, are you this nervous about watching this movie with me?" A barely perceptible emotion flashed across Su Mali's indifferent face. "I'm sorry, but I'm forcing you to come with me today."

"What's there to be nervous about? I'm perfectly relaxed!" Liu Xingmo said, walking with his hands behind his head in a swagger.

"Hehe... I only found out today that you're a very shy person." Su Mali turned around and looked at the young man beside her.

Liu Xingmo puffed out his cheeks, stammered, and after holding it in for a long time, finally chose to tell the truth: "It's really embarrassing to tell the people around me my story."

"Then, let's read other stories together next time, like those from my hometown, so you can see a faraway Western country," Sumali said softly.

"Mm," Liu Xingmo responded softly.

It was too late to go home, so the two of them found a restaurant to spend the night.

The next day, I woke up to the loud crowing of roosters.

Liu Xingmo and Su Mali dressed neatly, rode Bao Hei, and arrived at the edge of town on the land they had purchased.

Another task on this trip is to dispose of this abandoned warehouse in preparation for building an alchemy workshop.

During the previous invasion of the Nian beast, the old treehouse was burned to ashes, with the remaining rotten tree roots deeply embedded in the soil. Next to it was a huge rock, taking up a large portion of the area.

These things need to be dug up and a solid foundation laid. Then a sturdy house can be built on top.

This project is quite large and requires a high level of technical skill; ordinary craftsmen cannot handle this kind of work.

The construction team that repaired the movie theater yesterday seemed to be a capable group; we could hire them to get the job done.

Liu Xingmo and Su Mali carefully surveyed the land and discussed plans, gradually getting a clear direction in their minds.

Based on the information I got from the movie theater owner yesterday, I found the construction team's site.

This is a spacious courtyard in Midtown.

Entering through the gate, all sorts of building materials were piled up everywhere. Saws and axes hung on wooden racks along the edge of the yard. Newly arrived apprentices were working hard on wooden stakes.

In this world, handling wood and stone with a human body size is quite physically demanding.

Liu Xingmo shouted loudly, "Is the boss here? We have a big job!"

A large, round raccoon sauntered out from the depths of the yard: "Young man, we only take big projects, not casual jobs. Are you sure you want to hire us?"

Liu Xingmo rubbed his hands together and said, "Exactly. I want to build a large house, mainly made of cement and stone, with steel bars as the framework, cast into the load-bearing columns and beams. Can you do that?"

"Your requirements are very high. There are only a few places in the entire Black Dragon Village that can meet them, and we are one of them," the raccoon said calmly.

"That's great! Don't worry, we have plenty of funds and a good relationship with the Yinqianshan Mine, so we can get a lot of building materials."

The raccoon crouched down, scrutinizing the man and woman before it: "A house like this isn't just for living in, is it? What exactly do you want?"

"The alchemy workshop, simply put, is a place for refining elixirs and magical artifacts."