My Wandering Swordsman

Ruan Tang stood on the other side with her lips pursed, her face expressionless, but her eyes never left me.

In the arena, Chen Qiaosheng and I had already exchanged more than twenty blows.

His moves became increasingly fierce, each punch and kick carrying more force, clearly indicating his intention to finish the fight quickly and overwhelm me with his momentum.

But I'm determined not to let him have his way.

Taking advantage of my agility, I kept moving around, occasionally launching a counterattack or two that didn't hurt much, but it annoyed Chen Qiaosheng.

"Kid, what kind of skill is it to just dodge? If you've got the guts, fight me head-on!" Master Chen shouted as he threw a punch.

I chuckled and didn't reply. Just as he threw a straight punch, I suddenly turned to the side, lowered my waist and hips, and delivered a block punch straight to his center.

This move was extremely fast and executed at a tricky angle.

Chen Qiaosheng's eyes sharpened, and he crossed his arms to block, choosing to take the hit head-on.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, Chen Qiaosheng stumbled back three steps, his shoes leaving two shallow marks on the ground.

I stood firmly in place, my fist still in motion, and took a slight breath.

Chen Qiaosheng steadied himself, looked at me, and his eyes showed a hint of surprise.

"Kid, you've got some skill. I underestimated you."

I clasped my hands in a fist salute and said with a smile, "Master Chen, you are still vigorous despite your age. I admire you."

"Don't give me that." He waved his hand. "Let's do it again. This time, I'll use all my strength."

"it is good."

I responded and got back into position.

To cut to the chase, Chen Qiaosheng and I continued to exchange more than a dozen moves, with fists flying, footsteps clashing, and dust billowing in the air.

A full ten minutes later.

The two men simultaneously withdrew their attacks, each taking three steps back, and stood facing each other.

Chen Qiaosheng was breathing heavily.

On the other hand, I had a noticeable layer of sweat on my forehead, and my breathing was erratic.

After a pause, I clasped my hands together and said loudly, "Master Chen, I lost."

As a veteran martial arts choreographer, he had mastered various styles of martial arts. I had no chance of figuring out his style at all. I was almost entirely on the defensive, only able to launch a few counterattacks by exploiting occasional small openings.

If Chen Qiaosheng were a few years younger, I would probably be down within twenty moves.

Seeing how decisively I admitted defeat, Chen Qiaosheng gave me a deep look and suddenly smiled.

"Hahaha! Good lad, you've got some skills, you do have the right to be a bit arrogant. Alright, old man, I take back what I just said."

After he finished speaking, he turned and walked off the field.

"Young man surnamed Ji, come over for tea sometime."

I paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'll definitely go."

The scene fell silent for a moment; the extras, and even the crew members, all gaped with their mouths agape.

"Holy crap! Did I see that right? Brother Ji and Master Chen fought to a draw?"

Among these people, only a few are skilled in martial arts. To the untrained eye, the result of my match with Chen Qiaosheng was a draw.

But who is Chen Qiaosheng? He's a professionally trained martial arts instructor.

Is it right that a kid under twenty years old fought Master Chen to a draw? Damn it, we knew Brother Ji could fight, but who knew he could fight to this extent?

For a moment, no one in the room dared to go on stage.

Just kidding. I thought Ji Xiaosong was just a hoodlum with some mediocre skills, but look at him now, he didn't lose even against the old martial arts master. Who would dare to fight him?

After a full half-stick of incense had burned, some wicked person in the crowd muttered something under their breath.

"Why not just let Brother Ji play the male lead?"

There was a moment of silence in the room, and then, a single stone stirred up a thousand waves.

"Hey, that's impressive! Look at Brother Ji, with his pretty face, he actually looks a bit like the Crown Prince."

"Yeah, yeah, handsome and good at fighting, isn't he a born leading man?"

"Yes! Let Brother Ji play the role."

"We're totally convinced that Brother Ji will be the male lead!"

The extras, as if injected with adrenaline, started shouting and yelling, their voices rising in waves. Even the stagehands and lighting technicians who had been watching from the back joined in the commotion.

My lips twitched, and I raised my hand to press it down: "No, no, no, I'm just here to help, I really didn't intend to act."

"Brother Ji, with all your talent, it's a shame you're not an actor," someone shouted.

I was both amused and exasperated.

Ruan Tang slowly walked out of the crowd, her eyes sparkling as she looked at me: "I said, I feel like what they said makes sense."

"Get out, get out, get out!" I waved my hands repeatedly. "Why are you joining in this nonsense?"

Just as Ruan Tang was about to speak, Niu, the production assistant, squeezed in, looking excited: "Master Ji, your move has solved a huge problem! Look, the First Prince is bedridden, and Master Chen has approved of you. If you don't step up, who will?"

"Besides, we're all family, you can't ask the crew for your wages, can you?" he chuckled.

My scalp tingled. Was this guy waiting for me? Why shouldn't I get paid?

Besides, I came to Hengdian on important business. I haven't even found the three moles yet. What kind of leading role would I play here?

I'd like to offer a rebuttal.

But the extras were too enthusiastic. Every time I said "no," a group of people would shout "yes," making a ruckus that was impossible to control.

Just as the stalemate was at hand, Monk Hua and Liu Zi squeezed out from the crowd. Given their tendency to enjoy watching the drama unfold, it was impossible for them to side with me.

Sure enough, the monk Hua said, "Brother Ji, why don't you just give in? It'll be a good opportunity for Sister Ruan to teach you... acting skills, hehehe."

"Go to hell! I'm not a little M!" I yelled.

"Brother Ji, if you think Sister Ruan is too strict, you can ask Sister Weiwei. She's the female lead, so she'll definitely be acting alongside you." Liu Zi chimed in.

But those words completely stunned me.

I froze for a moment.

Yes, the female lead in this drama is my aunt, isn't she?

I instinctively turned my head to look in my aunt's direction.

She was standing not far away, her back to the sun, a smile playing on her lips, looking even more divine than the goddess Venus.

If I become the male lead, wouldn't I be able to act with my aunt every day?

If the script includes some... ahem, scenes with physical contact... wouldn't that be amazing? Even if it doesn't, there's an old saying that familiarity breeds affection. If a man and a woman are together every day, I'm not afraid that my aunt won't develop feelings for me.

Thinking of this, I slurped back the drool that was on the tip of my tongue and put on a serious expression.

"Everyone, please be quiet and listen to me." I raised my hand to quiet them down.

The crowd quieted down a bit.

I stood with my hands behind my back, my expression solemn.

"I, Ji, never intended to perform on stage. But..."

"I am deeply moved by your passion for acting, and by the effort you put in, even if it means falling and sweating, for a single shot or a single action!"

"Art requires dedication. Since everyone thinks so highly of me, I, Ji, will not refuse!"

"This male lead..."

"...I'll take it!"

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted in the room.