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墨書 Inktalez
"Well, everything is arranged. We'll start filming at eleven o'clock tonight, so be at the location by ten. Daozhang, is there really no room for negotiation on that recording?" The director asked while driving, seemingly still fixated on the recording.
I replied, "Director, I've already destroyed all the recordings. Even if there was something to discuss, it wouldn't matter now. By the way, I also deleted that folder you called Hype Material."
Upon hearing this, the director's hand visibly trembled on the steering wheel. He might have wanted to explode in anger but ultimately held it back. I found it amusing; the contents of that folder were nothing but disgraceful material. If he had used it for promotion, the film or TV show would have been labeled as vulgar, and he surely understood that.
The car ride continued in silence; perhaps our conversation had gone off track. We were merely collaborators, not friends, and there wasn't much small talk to share. I despised his way of handling things, and he loathed how I disrupted his plans. We were destined to remain mere acquaintances, and after this incident, we likely wouldn't see each other again in this lifetime.
Upon arriving at the set, I noticed Xiaolin had changed into his costume. I smiled as I looked at Xiaolin, who was about to play a corpse. I felt a wave of emotions; if only he had persevered back then, what kind of experience would he have had? It wasn't that I looked down on him for playing a corpse; rather, I thought it was quite contrary for someone who could have pursued cultivation. Living every day by reading others' expressions must be exhausting. I recalled how he used to fight in internet cafes with an unyielding spirit; now that tenacity had been smoothed out to a point of almost being weak.
From the start of filming to its conclusion, his lens time was only a few seconds long. This was even with the director adding a close-up shot just for him. I remembered when he sought me out back then, excitedly boasting about getting more lens time. To me, such fleeting moments weren't worth chasing after; perhaps I was too pessimistic to see the brilliance behind that effort. But honestly speaking, did such lens time really hold any significance?
After finishing his scene, Xiaolin ran over to me excitedly and grinned, asking, "Brother Liu, how was it? What do you think? My acting was good, right? When the film comes out, I'll have a full screen of lens time!" I said, "Great job! Your acting was flawless; you're going to be a future film emperor." In my heart, however, I thought that if I watched this film, I wouldn't pay attention to a corpse at all. Even if there were a full screen of lens time for him, it wouldn't make any difference because there was no acting involved—anyone could shoot such scenes.
Seeing that I praised him, he happily patted my shoulder and said, "I'm going to change clothes now. After we finish packing up the props, let's go eat together." I nodded and stepped out of the busy set but suddenly felt a bit lost and wanted to call Master Xiao.
"Hey there, Brother Liu! We just talked yesterday and now you're missing me already? You and Xiaolin are over there being all lovey-dovey while I'm here alone in an empty house. It's tough!" Master Xiao's lazy voice came through the phone with a carefree tone.
I initially wanted to tease him a bit but faintly heard a woman's voice on his end: "Are you really alone in an empty house?"
Hearing this lifted my spirits again; I chuckled and said, "Look at you! Out there charming young ladies again? I'm going to tell your master!" With that, I hung up.
This tactic never failed; Master Pan was quite traditional while Master Xiao was practically raised by him and thus cherished greatly. However, due to his profession, he disapproved of Master Xiao getting into relationships too early. If Master Xiao wanted to date someone, he had to wait for Master Pan to approve after assessing their appearance first. If he found out Master Xiao was secretly dating behind his back, there would surely be trouble.
"Brother Liu! No! She's just a friend."
"I’m sorry! Please don’t tell my master!"
Two text messages came in, and I chuckled as I tucked my phone away. Suddenly, I felt that having a friend who could be teased without getting angry was indeed a blessing in this life.
After waiting for nearly an hour, Xiaolin finally finished his work and came out. The sky was getting dark, and he said he wanted to treat me to dinner. I agreed. He mentioned that he had learned a lot last night and wanted to thank me today, asking what I wanted to eat. I told him to choose something casual, and suggested we go for some cuisine.
Upon hearing "cuisine," Xiaolin patted his pocket and said, "Cuisine it is! Luckily, I brought my card." I laughed and replied, "There's a Shaxian International Cuisine nearby; it's been a while since I've had those fragrant mixed noodles. I'm craving them." He paused for a moment before cheerfully saying, "Alright, whatever you want to eat, let's go."
After dinner, I told Xiaolin that I was going to find Liu Bi. He said he would come along too. I asked him, "Aren't you supposed to prepare for the shoot at the intersection tonight where they burn paper? By the way, how much Joss Paper does your Props Team have left?"
He replied, "Oh right, I still need to go back and prepare. We have about four or five pounds of Joss Paper left. That should be enough, right?"
I nodded and headed toward the small guesthouse alone while Xiaolin went off to prepare the props.
At the door of Li Da Ye's room again, I knocked lightly. Without waiting for a response from inside, I announced it was me. There was no reply; the door swung open directly.
As I entered, I saw Mu Xue floating on the ceiling, smiling down at me. I greeted her and then turned to Liu Bi, saying, "What do you think will happen during the shoot tonight? You mentioned giving Joss Paper to Yin Chai. How will Yin Chai collect it?"
Liu Bi explained, "I'll use Li Da Ye's body to burn the paper and send it to my sister. After everyone leaves, she will come by to collect the money. At that point, I'll also exit from Li Da Ye's body and won't return anymore. I'll need Brother Liu to help drive away any evil spirits from Li Da Ye."
"Okay, I'll do that. Where is Yin Chai?" I asked.
Liu Bi replied, "Yin Chai will be nearby watching. It won't dare collect the money until it confirms that this Joss Paper was burned by the film crew. Since my sister's soul is still in this world, she doesn't need to go through the Underworld; she can take it directly."
"Wait, do people below have to go through the Underworld's transfer station to receive what those above burn?" At that moment, I didn't understand these matters well and was quite puzzled; I thought burning Joss Paper meant that souls below would immediately receive it.
Liu Bi chuckled lightly and said with a hint of pride in his voice, "Brother Liu, you don't know as much as I do about this. There's a place in the Underworld called the Offering Pavilion specifically for storing items burned by those in Yangjian. The ghosts down below collect their offerings through the Offering Pavilion."
"You have walked through the Underworld," I said, though I knew little about Liu Bi. Still, the idea of traversing the Underworld shocked me; it seemed utterly unbelievable. He mentioned the Offering Pavilion, which I had only glanced at in a book. That place was deep within the Underworld, and reaching it meant there was almost no chance of revival. However, upon reflection, Liu Bi was now a Spirit God himself. He hadn’t returned to life, so it didn’t seem so strange after all.
Hearing my question, Liu Bi appeared even prouder as he said, "I have walked through nearly the entire Underworld. By chance, I returned to the Yang Realm. With this umbrella, I still live like a person, though I can’t go out during the day. After some time, I believe I’ll be able to walk around with my umbrella in broad daylight." He gestured toward the Oiled Paper Umbrella spread out on the bed.
"Brother, your story seems quite extensive. When you have time, tell me more about it; I don’t have much concept of the Underworld," I replied. They say interest is the best teacher, and when faced with something intriguing, I could easily bond with a Spirit God.
"Haha, Brother Liu, hearing you call me brother is an honor! No problem; once we resolve this matter, I'll visit your home and share my stories with you. Are you going to the scene tonight?" Liu Bi asked.
"Of course! I want to see that Yin Chai as well. From what I know, bribery involving Yin Chai shouldn’t involve Living Souls because Living Souls aren’t considered ghosts yet and don’t fall under Underworld jurisdiction. If Yin Chai were to extort a Living Soul, it wouldn’t just be a matter of conduct; it would be an issue of Yin De. If the higher-ups found out, it would be disastrous for them," I explained.
After listening to me, Liu Bi exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Liu, you don’t intend to provoke Yin Chai, do you? From my estimation, you are definitely not its match. It’s not that I underestimate you; you simply can’t afford to mess with it."
"I never said I wanted to provoke it; I just want to see what happens. If this Yin Chai really extorts Living Souls, then I'm not afraid of it," I replied. Although that was what I said, in truth, I wasn’t quite ready to confront Yin Chai. I just found the situation suspicious and was particularly worried about Mu Xue. Until everything was clear, I wouldn’t feel at ease.
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