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墨書 Inktalez
Time was already tight, and after chatting for so long, the two of them hurriedly finished their meal and rushed to the location where Xiaolin's crew was.
It was a very ordinary ancestral hall. It was only one story high but quite spacious. "It's fine, you all carry on with your work. We'll wait until he arrives; it won't be long," he said with a nod. "You can take a look around while I help set up the scene." After saying that, he joined two others in bustling about, lifting tables, moving chairs, and pulling curtains, completely absorbed in their tasks.
As time passed, I grew increasingly puzzled. They eventually set up an altar, covering it with Yellow Cloth, placing incense burners, Water Bowls, Glutinous Rice, yellow paper, Spirit Flags, wooden swords, and bells in order. Watching the setup, I finally understood—they were preparing to film a Daoist ritual.
I had seen Mr. Lin Zhengying perform rituals on television before; his graceful and dynamic presence had left me in awe. Being able to witness how they filmed such scenes in person today felt worthwhile.
Seeing me staring blankly at the altar, Xiaolin walked over and asked if I had any questions. I replied that I didn’t; I was just looking forward to the performance of the Daoist Actor.
He chuckled and said, "You can't compare with them." After that, he turned and walked away.
Before long, as the scene was nearly set up, people began to trickle into the ancestral hall. What had initially seemed spacious became a bit cramped once everyone arrived. The Lighting Team started setting up lights everywhere, while actors began changing into their costumes; some were even getting their makeup done. Everyone was busy with their own tasks. Xiaolin stood with me in a corner by the entrance, glancing outside as he said, "Where is the director?"
I carefully observed the crowd inside. Five actors had changed into costumes, including one wearing a yellow Daoist robe. This actor sported a goatee and wore a Five Peaks Crown at a crooked angle, his shifty eyes giving off a cunning vibe. One hand held the buttons of his robe while the other clutched several pages of script that he muttered under his breath—likely rehearsing his lines.
Next to him stood Old Man Xu, his face calm and unperturbed as he stared intently at the items on the altar as if searching for something. Old Man Xu hadn’t changed into costume but stood among the actors.
"Hey, is that Old Man Xu also an actor?" I nudged Xiaolin with my elbow. "Hello there! Sorry to trouble you this time; we need to finish filming first, so could you please wait here for a bit?"
I had already been annoyed by his attitude towards Xiaolin earlier; now he spoke without even asking if I was willing to wait. I wanted to say something like “You can carry on; come find me when you're done,” but seeing Xiaolin still smiling beside me made me swallow my words instead: "Alright, no problem; you go ahead."
He nodded slightly and smiled as he said, "Then I'll excuse myself." He walked directly over to a chair next to a pile of equipment.
"You're not too fond of this director, are you, Xiaolin? Are you sure following him will lead to a bright future?" I whispered to Xiaolin beside me.
He just smiled at my words and casually replied, "That's the director's authority; it has to be like this on set. Everyone will comply."
This was his excuse, and I didn't call him out on it. I thought to myself that a director who relies on such authority to command respect probably wouldn't achieve much in the future. Filmmaking is meant for the audience, to satisfy their interests and enjoyment. If those involved in the production are weighed down by such a serious demeanor, how could they possibly convey other emotions in their work? But that was just my opinion.
Once the director sat down, he reached for a megaphone. "Is everyone ready? The first shot of Scene Thirteen, actors in position! All non-essential personnel, please exit the shrine. Anyone who appears in front of the lens without reason and causes a take to be ruined will be fined two hundred." As soon as he finished speaking, half of the people in the shrine promptly left.
The few actors who had been standing together began to disperse and prepare.
I turned to Xiaolin and asked, "So do I count as non-essential personnel?"
Xiaolin replied, "It's fine; we'll just stand here. The lens won't catch us." I nodded and looked back at the set. All the actors were ready except for Old Man Xu, who seemed oblivious. He was circling around the offering table, occasionally lifting the yellow cloth covering it.
"Hey, you over there! Why are you still hanging around? Get out!" The director called out with his megaphone while scratching his head.
This time Old Man Xu seemed to hear him. He turned around, momentarily dazed, then stepped back. He shot a glare at the director, his face showing slight displeasure.
With the director's command through the megaphone, the Daoist Actor approached the offering table holding a Peach Wood Sword. He muttered some unrelated Daoist incantations while waving the sword around chaotically. His brow furrowed deeply as he fixed his intense gaze on the camera ahead, resembling our Monkey King confronting a monster. It looked quite convincing, which made me chuckle inwardly.
After finishing his performance with the wooden sword, he picked up a porcelain bowl from the table and took a sip of whatever was inside—whether it was water or wine was unclear—before tilting his head back and forcefully spraying it upwards. The evenly dispersed mist that filled the air indicated he had definitely practiced this for a long time.
As the mist settled, he swung his wooden sword towards the offering table in a swift motion. The tip of the sword caught a piece of yellow talisman paper, which danced in mid-air for a few moments before drifting down onto a lit red candle. With a muffled "bang," that thin yellow paper ignited into flames and instantly turned to ash.
This move was also used by Master Xiao during the ritual, intended for the victim to see. In fact, the talisman was already soaked in gasoline, ready to ignite upon contact with fire. Such things are merely tricks, lacking any substantial effect.
As I watched the actor's serious demeanor, I suddenly recalled how Master Xiao would also wear that same expression when he was trying to fool someone, and I couldn't help but chuckle softly.
I was laughing, and there was another person laughing as well—Old Man Xu, who had been observing the offering table. However, while I was watching the Daoist Actor laugh, he was looking at the director. Following his gaze, I glanced at the director, who was staring intently at the screen with a serious expression. He kept scratching his neck as if he hadn't bathed in a long time and had just eaten something very spicy, appearing quite uncomfortable.
Xiaolin noticed my laughter and was about to ask what I found funny when the director interrupted him with a loud clap. Xiaolin looked at the director in confusion. The director stood up and said, "This lens is good; let's do it again. Perhaps we can do better." After saying that, he sat back down, his hands still moving restlessly as he continued to scratch the back of his neck.
The Daoist Actor shook his head helplessly but still wore a smile as he said, "Alright then, director, let's do it again." His voice sounded somewhat youthful and inexperienced, contrasting sharply with his serious incantation earlier; he sounded like a young man in his twenties. Given his attire and makeup, I had thought he was in his forties or fifties—his makeup skills were impressive.
They did it again. The director didn't criticize anything this time; he simply said it was fine and that they could move on. Xiaolin muttered quietly beside me, "This young man has been practicing all day for this; even the director said it so reluctantly." The six o'clock show was delivered on time, and there would be an even better one later that night. Thanks to Qiao Xiaomo 2222222 and neeko0 for their diamonds.
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