Huayu97: Starting with Wu Song Fighting the Tiger

Liu Xiang was sitting on the stone steps in the garden, watching Li Ruotong's figure disappear into the distance, still savoring the pleasant conversation they had had about acting. Before he could even process those thoughts, he heard the production assistant shouting at the top of his lungs, "Liu Xiang! Where's Liu Xiang? Director Cheng is looking for you!"

Liu Xiang jumped up with a start and ran towards Cheng Xiaodong. The wind from her trousers swept across the grass by the stone steps, making a rustling sound.

Cheng Xiaodong was squatting in front of the training ground set in Dali Film City, holding a megaphone in his hand and an unlit cigarette in his mouth.

Liu Xiang went over for a look and wow, the training ground was set up in a way that was exactly like the grand spectacle of a Hong Kong drama.

The bluestone pavement was covered with a layer of yellowish-brown fine soil by the prop team. It made a "rustling" sound when stepped on, looking like an ancient mountain village training ground trampled by people and horses over the years.

More than twenty apricot-yellow flags embroidered with the character "Duan" stood around, their corners fluttering in the wind from the blowers, the whooshing sound making one's heart tighten.

Along the edge of the training ground were seven or eight rows of wooden weapon racks, filled with spears, short sticks, broadswords, as well as some broken sword sheaths, deformed shields, and even a few fragments of clay wine jars. When the sunlight shone on them, the atmosphere of a martial arts world with its glint of swords and shadows was palpable.

"Hey kid, you're just in time!" Cheng Xiaodong's eyes lit up when he saw him. He tucked the megaphone into his waistband, took the cigarette from his mouth, and held it between his fingers. "Do you know what we're filming today?"

Liu Xiang shook her head, her eyes full of curiosity, her gaze lingering on the weapons.

"The servants of Mantuo Manor refused to be under the control of the Duan family of Dali and broke into the training ground, causing a brawl involving two hundred people!" Cheng Xiaodong patted his shoulder, his voice so loud it shook the eardrums.

"This scene is a mini-climax of the whole series, it's all about 'exhilarating chaos'! The main actors are responsible for posing, reciting lines, and looking cool, but the real, brutal fight scenes all rely on you stuntmen. Chen Haoming is so delicate, if you make him roll around in a crowd of two hundred people, wouldn't he be crying for his parents?"

"Today, you'll be his double. Not only will you take the beating for him, but you'll also have to perform a set of 'Lingbo Weibu' (a martial arts technique) to slip through the crowd, and finally take down a dozen or so servants. Understand?"

Liu Xiang's heart skipped a beat. A group scene with two hundred people! This was ten times more difficult than the previous scene of falling off a cliff or leaping to save a beauty. Group scenes required "chaos within order." Everyone's movement, punches, and falls had to follow the rhythm of the script. The fighting had to be realistic without actually hurting anyone. It was a much greater test of skill than fighting one-on-one.

But the thought of showcasing his skills in front of the camera and getting more screen time immediately made him thump his chest loudly: "Don't worry, Director Cheng! I guarantee I'll complete the mission, the fights will be spectacular, and the falls will look real!"

Cheng Xiaodong nodded in satisfaction and pointed to the dense crowd on the other side of the training ground: "See those two hundred people? Half of them are students from local martial arts schools in Dali, and the other half are regular extras from the film studio. They've all learned a few fancy moves. Don't be polite to them later, but don't go too far. They're all just trying to make a living. Getting anyone hurt will delay the filming schedule, understand?"

Liu Xiang looked in the direction he pointed and saw that the group of people were warming up in twos and threes. Some were swinging their arms and kicking their legs, some were trying out the wooden sticks in their hands, and some were exchanging wrestling moves.

The extras of that era weren't as particular as they are now. They wore the same coarse cloth clothes issued by the production crew. Some had frayed cuffs, some had mud on their trouser legs, and the ash on their faces was just rubbed off with their fingers. They looked incredibly down-to-earth, just like a bunch of roughnecks from the martial arts world.

At this moment, the makeup crew brought over Duan Yu's iconic white robe. Liu Xiang, familiar with the place, slipped into the makeshift changing shed, quickly took off her training clothes, and put on the silk robe. The smooth fabric clung to her skin, carrying a faint scent of soap. Standing in front of the mirror, wow, with delicate features and a gentle demeanor, and with a folding fan, she looked exactly like another Chen Haoming.

The makeup artist came over and touched up his makeup, deliberately rubbing some dirt on the hem of his clothes, muttering, "This looks like he's about to fight, it looks more realistic on camera."

When he returned to the training ground, Lin Dian and Yuan Bin were already rehearsing their formations with the stuntmen. Each of them held a wooden stick, gesturing and shouting loudly enough to echo throughout the entire training ground.

"Listen up, everyone!" Lin Dian shouted through the megaphone. "The hundred on the left are the servants of Mantuo Manor. Charge towards the center with sticks, shouting 'Kill the Duan dog!' The hundred on the right are the guards of the Dali Duan family. Block them with spears, shouting 'Protect the Emperor!' Remember, don't actually swing the sticks at people, just make it look real. Shout loudly and with great momentum! And don't point the spear tips at people, stick them into the ground, understand?"

The extras responded all at once, and one young man, holding up a wooden stick, asked loudly, "Director Lin, what if we accidentally bump into someone?"

Won Bin chimed in from the side, speaking in fluent Hong Kong-accented Mandarin with a hint of teasing: "If you bump into someone, just yell 'Ouch!' and then fall to the ground. That's good acting; you'll get an extra chicken leg tonight!"

This remark made everyone burst into laughter, and the tense atmosphere immediately eased considerably.

Liu Xiang stood in the middle of the crowd, pondering how to combine the Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique) with the style of Hong Kong dramas to make it both elegant and realistic. He took a deep breath, stretched his wrists and ankles, and kept his eyes fixed on the crowd in front of him, waiting for the director's instructions.

At exactly 10:00 AM, the sun shone brightly, casting long, golden shadows across the bluestone slabs. Li Tiansheng, holding the director's clapperboard, stood behind the camera, cleared his throat, and shouted in Cantonese: "Attention all departments! Scene 40 of *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*, Shot 1, the melee at the Mantuo Manor training ground, ready—action!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the stage manager slammed the clapper down with a "snap," the crisp sound particularly clear in the noisy training ground.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of gongs and drums rang out, and the extras instantly switched gears, with two hundred people shouting deafening battle cries, instantly pushing the atmosphere on the training ground to a climax.

The servants of Mantuo Manor, brandishing wooden sticks and with fierce expressions on their faces, charged towards the center, yelling "Kill Duan Gou!" The guards of the Dali Duan family were not to be outdone; they held their spears horizontally, roaring as they charged towards the servants.

In an instant, the sounds of clubs clashing, weapons clashing, shouts of battle, and screams rose and fell. Two hundred people were mixed together, creating utter chaos. Dust flew everywhere, clothes fluttered in the wind, and the sight was enough to make one's blood boil.

Liu Xiang, who plays Duan Yu, is surrounded in the middle of the crowd. According to the script, he must first pretend to be flustered, then use his Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique) to squeeze through the gaps in the crowd, then take down more than a dozen servants, and finally break through the encirclement.