novelraw Chapter 141: The Final Battle of Pengcheng, Prelude to the Drama
Chapter 141: The Final Battle of Pengcheng, Prelude to the Drama
Jiang Ci's movements were swift and direct, brimming with pure destructive desire.
The longsword swept horizontally, forcing back two "Han Army" soldiers attempting to encircle him, the blade's edge then gliding across the neck of a third.
The blood pack on the neck of the martial arts actor playing that soldier burst on cue. Clutching his throat, he performed the precise act of falling silently.
"Cut! That's a wrap!"
Finally, Wei Song's excited voice exploded across the entire film set through the loudspeaker.
"The infantry combat scenes! All wrapped!"
Jiang Ci remained standing where he was.
The tip of the bronze sword in his hand was still dripping red "blood."
The numbness after slaughter, the weariness after looking down upon everything, the heaviness that belonged to Xiang Yu enveloped him.
He looked around.Those Han soldiers who had just "died tragically" under his sword, those soldiers he had "killed" until they discarded their armor and weapons, were now looking at him with complex emotions.
In the other filming area, Camera B quickly adjusted.
The scene of Liu Bang's frantic and desperate escape began seamlessly.
"My lord, hurry and leave! Xiang Yu is coming!"
"Hold him back! Buy time for my lord!"
The actors playing the guards let out tragic roars, turning to charge at the pursuing soldiers behind them.
After a stumble, Qin Feng was hauled up by his guards. He took one last look back in the direction of the Chu Army.
The monitor accurately captured his close-up.
It was the face of a man whose dignity and courage had been completely crushed by fear.
"Good! Excellent!!"
Wei Song excitedly slapped his thigh.
"Cut! 'The Battle of Pengcheng'! Entire crew! That's a wrap!"
With Wei Song's earth-shattering announcement.
The entire set, after a brief dead silence, erupted into a wave of intense cheers.
"Woo!!!"
"It's a wrap!!"
"Damn! It's finally over!"
The background actors, whether "Chu Army" or "Han Army,"
At this moment, threw down their prop weapons, embracing and roaring at each other, venting all the pressure and exhaustion accumulated over these past days.
Jiang Ci stood amidst the cheering, yet he was like an isolated island.
Within his body, the emotions belonging to Xiang Yu, after the announcement of "wrap,"
Not only did they not dissipate, but instead, having lost their outlet for release, they became even more frenzied.
Right then.
Clang.
A crisp sound of metal hitting the ground.
The heavy bronze longsword in his hand slipped from his strengthless grip and fell into the mud.
Jiang Ci's body swayed slightly from the sudden loss of strength.
[Emotional Isolation LV1].
The passive skill, triggered quietly the moment the performance ended.
A cool, absolutely rational sensation spread from the depths of his mind.
The tyranny and killing intent belonging to the Conqueror of Western Chu that had filled his chest just a second ago was fading away at a clearly perceptible speed.
Jiang Ci felt an unprecedented emptiness.
Then, an even more extreme clarity.
He slowly lowered his head.
Looking at his own hands, caked in mud.
These were Jiang Ci's hands.
Not Xiang Yu's.
Once again, he felt the sensation of detachment.
"Ci-ge!"
Sun Zhou's voice came from far and near. He rushed over holding a thick military coat, his face full of concern and excitement.
"Are you okay? You were standing still again just now, you scared me!"
Sun Zhou fumbled as he draped the military coat over Jiang Ci.
Jiang Ci didn't speak. He took the thermos Sun Zhou handed him, unscrewed it, and drank the hot water in large gulps.
The warm liquid slid down his throat into his stomach, dispelling the last of the chill from his body.
His gaze, passing over Sun Zhou's shoulder, swept across this chaotic yet vibrant film set once more.
Everywhere were exhausted crew members supporting each other.
Background actors were pulling their fallen brothers out of the mud, patting the dirt off each other, laughing and cursing.
The logistics team pushed meal carts, starting to distribute steaming ginger soup and boxed meals.
The cheers gradually subsided, turning into a buzz of conversation.
Jiang Ci's gaze wandered through the crowd.
He saw that young background actor who had been scared stiff by him earlier.
The young man was surrounded by a few companions, gesturing animatedly as he spoke.
"...I'm telling you guys, just now, Jiang Ci's sword swept right past my face! The sound of the wind! My hair stood on end!"
His face was full of exhaustion, but more so, it was filled with the excitement and pride of having participated in an epic creation.
Seeing Jiang Ci's gaze fall on him, the young man was momentarily stunned, then grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, and waved vigorously at Jiang Ci.
Jiang Ci silently drank his water and gave him a slight nod in return.
Deep inside, one thought was crystal clear.
Those 1100 points of Heartbreak Value.
Were spent, so worth it.
He needed this sense of detachment.
Only then could he walk further and longer on this path.
In the distance.
Qin Feng and Liu Hanyu, both covered in mud, stood side by side.
Liu Hanyu had already removed his "Zhang Liang" wig. He stroked the prop long beard stuck to his chin.
Qin Feng gestured with his chin towards Jiang Ci's direction.
"That kid Jiang Ci, I underestimated him again."
"He's already achieved such control over entering and exiting character so quickly."
Liu Hanyu nodded, his worldly-wise eyes filled with undisguised approval.
"It's not control. It's escaping death."
He hit the nail on the head.
"To climb out of Xiang Yu's shell this quickly, it doesn't rely on technique. It relies on innate character."
Qin Feng took a sip of the hot tea his assistant handed him and said no more.
This Battle of Pengcheng, lasting over ten days, consuming incalculable manpower and resources, had finally drawn to a perfect close.
The crew didn't have time for a grand wrap party.
That same night, Wei Song posted a new filming schedule notice in the crew's work group chat.
"[Notice]:"
"'The Battle of Pengcheng' segment of Group A for 'The Legend of Han and Chu' has officially wrapped today! Thank you for the hard work of all cast and crew members!"
"Subsequent arrangements are as follows:"
"1. Group B will immediately change locations to film side storylines involving Han Xin, Xiao He, etc., led by Assistant Director Li."
"2. All main creators and relevant staff of Group A will rest on-site for five days."
"3. Five days from now, Group A will hold a core script reading session, officially entering the preparation and filming of the next unit: [Hongmen Feast]."
"Actors for the roles of Xiang Yu, Liu Bang, Zhang Liang, Fan Zeng, Fan Kuai, etc., please study the script in advance and prepare accordingly."
"Hereby notified."
"Director: Wei Song."
As soon as the message went out, the group chat was instantly flooded with various "Received" and "Director, you're awesome!" memes.
Jiang Ci lay on the hotel bed, looking at the notification on his phone screen, his entire being in a state of mental blankness.
Physical exhaustion had reached its limit, yet his spirit was exceptionally clear due to the complete detachment.
Habitually, he pulled up his system panel.
The numbers on the panel updated silently.
[Current Balance: 3050 points.]
The consumption of 1100 points exchanged for the skill served as a clear reminder of the peril he faced during the day.
[Remaining Lifespan: 1055 days.]
The over ten days of filming after the New Year had also consumed his lifespan accordingly.
His finger lightly swiped across the screen, finally stopping on those three glaring words in the notice.
Hongmen Feast.