Huayu97: Starting with Wu Song Fighting the Tiger

The shock from the stray cat incident hadn't completely subsided when whispers began to circulate again among the crowd.

"Isn't this weird? We were just filming a movie, and suddenly there's this eerie wind and this strange cat." A stagehand shrank his neck, gripping his tools tightly, as if afraid that if he let go, something would snatch them away.

"That's right! If you ask me, the ritual just now wasn't done properly. Look at how the incense was burning. One of the three sticks was half-extinguished. The older generation says that this means the ancestors don't like it!" Another stagehand chimed in, his voice barely audible, yet everyone around could hear him clearly.

"Don't talk nonsense! Director Sun is still over there!" Someone quickly tugged at their companion's sleeve and glanced in Sun Shupei's direction.

Sun Shupei, with his sharp ears, overheard this. He'd been in the industry for a long time, filming all over the country for over a decade. What kind of desolate wilderness hadn't he been to? What kind of storms hadn't he weathered? But this place was truly eerie, and with most of the crew consisting of young men and women in their early twenties, the more timid ones were still trembling in their legs.

If the audience loses heart, it will be difficult to film the play. If the progress is delayed by even one day, the money will flow out like water.

He pondered for a while, then beckoned to the assistant director, Lao Wang. The two of them huddled behind the monitor and whispered to each other.

"Old Wang, go to town and ask around, see if there are any experienced craftsmen who know what they're doing?" Sun Shuping's voice was low as his eyes swept over the tense faces in the crowd. "Just say that the film crew is shooting a movie and they want to hire someone to clean up the set for peace of mind. Money is no problem, just don't hire any of those smooth-talking swindlers."

Assistant director Lao Wang was taken aback for a moment, then immediately understood. To put it bluntly, it was about paying for peace of mind. Everyone in the crew was still uneasy after being frightened by that stray cat; if they didn't resolve that, they'd definitely be distracted during filming tomorrow.

He nodded quickly, "Okay, I'll go look for it tomorrow!"

Standing at the edge of the crowd, Liu Xiang heard everything the two men said and couldn't help but inwardly scoff. These days, film crews are all like this; it's been almost twenty years since the reform and opening up, yet feudal superstition is still so prevalent. But then she thought about it again and realized Sun Shuping's idea was quite practical. In the film and television industry these days, it's perfectly normal for film crews to hold some kind of sacrificial or prayer ceremony when they encounter such remote and desolate locations while filming on location.

Firstly, it's to reassure people, and secondly, it's for good luck, so that if something really goes wrong, everyone won't feel uncomfortable.

He stroked his chin, thinking to himself: Superstition is superstition, as long as it doesn't interfere with filming or cause any trouble. Anyway, this ancient tomb in the back mountain does look a bit creepy; what if there's something unclean inside? Pshaw, he's a genuine time traveler from the future, why would he be afraid of such things?

Fan Binbin, standing beside him, hadn't recovered from the shock. She clutched his clothes tightly, her voice soft and trembling with tears, "Brother Liu Xiang, do we really need to call a master? I've heard that the evil spirits near these ancient tombs are not to be trifled with. Could it be... could there really be something there?"

Liu Xiang patted her hand and comforted her with a smile, "Don't worry, it's just a formality. Look at Director Sun, does he seem like someone who really believes in this stuff? It's just to reassure everyone, so you won't overthink things and can focus on filming."

Fan Binbin nodded as if he understood, but he couldn't help but shrink back behind Liu Xiang, burying his head low and only daring to show his big, watery eyes as he warily looked around.

The nighttime performances at Kunning Palace were suspended for the next few days, until the assistant director, Lao Wang, returned with an old man.

The old man looked to be over seventy years old, with white hair and beard, but all neatly combed and not a single strand out of place. He wore a dark blue jacket with the cuffs rolled up, revealing his thin but strong arms. He clutched a polished peach wood compass in his hand, and a bulging Bagua bag hung from his waist. He walked with a vigorous stride, not at all like someone of his age.

"Director Sun, this is Old Master Li, a living god in our surrounding area!" Old Wang introduced with a beaming smile.

Sun Shupei hurriedly went up to him, and grasped Old Master Li's hands with great courtesy: "Old Master Li, it's a lot of trouble for you to come all this way! Our film crew was shooting here today, and we disturbed the ancestors on the back mountain. We hope you can take a look and help to calm things down so that everyone can feel at ease."

Old Master Li stroked his goatee, squinted as he surveyed the Kunning Palace grounds, then looked up at the direction of the back mountain, his brow furrowing slightly. He took a few steps on the ground with his compass, his pace unhurried, the needle on the compass spinning rapidly, making one's heart race as if something was pulling at it.

"This place is stagnant with yin energy, and the ancient tombs clustered on the back mountain mean there's a lack of yang energy," Old Master Li's voice was hoarse but full of energy, penetrating deeply and instantly drowning out the whispers in the crowd. "Was there something sinister appearing earlier?"

Upon hearing this, everyone was immediately in an uproar. Their eyes widened, and they looked at Old Master Li with a newfound sense of awe.

Sun Shupei nodded quickly, a hint of worry on his face: "That's right! There was a stray cat earlier with bright green eyes, like two little lanterns, which startled everyone."

Grandpa Li nodded, then pointed to the place where the sacrifice had been performed before, and said with certainty, "Your previous sacrifice was not sincere. The incense and candles were not burned evenly, one of the three incense sticks went out of flame, and the yellow paper was not burned through. The ancestors did not receive our heartfelt wishes, so naturally they were a little upset."

Upon hearing this, the stagehand who had previously mentioned that the incense had gone out halfway immediately chimed in, raising his voice even higher: "Yes, yes, yes! Mr. Li, you're absolutely right! Of those three incense sticks, one went out halfway through! I even said at the time that something was wrong!"

A chorus of agreement immediately rose from the crowd, and the gazes directed at Old Master Li became even more fearful.

Liu Xiang stood at the edge of the crowd, secretly amazed. He squinted and carefully observed Old Master Li's every move. When he saw that Old Master Li took out the yellow talisman and cinnabar pen with great skill, he knew in his heart that this was probably an old hand in the business.

At night, Old Master Li would also begin his performance. He would bite his fingertip, squeeze out a few drops of blood, and drip them into cinnabar. Then, using the blood, he would begin to draw on the yellow talisman with flamboyant strokes. His movements were fluid and seamless, so dazzling that the onlookers dared not even breathe.

"Please rest assured, everyone," Old Master Li said, burning the talisman paper over the incense and candles after he finished drawing it.

The talisman burst into flames with a "whoosh," turning into wisps of green smoke that rose gracefully into the sky. "Today, I will bless you all, suppressing the yin energy of this place, ensuring your filming goes smoothly and safely!"