Chapter 114

Jiang Wen likes "The Sun Still Rises", a piece of music that runs through two films.

Jiang Heng also likes "Tomorrow", which was used earlier in "Lion Camel Ridge", and continues to be used in this film "Splitting the Mountain to Save Mother".

On the big screen, the camera slowly moves from the mountain formed from peach branches to the sky, and then the four characters "Splitting the Mountain to Save Mother" appear.

Thereafter, Yang Jian and the Holy Mother are seen trudging through wind and snow on the barren plain, climbing mountains and wading rivers, struggling forward.

The lilting, melancholic score matches perfectly with the footage of Yang Jian and his sister enduring hardships.

Some audience members praised it, while others whispered discussions.

"Who is the Gouchen Emperor?"

A learned companion explained, "The Gouchen Emperor is a deity in Daoism, referred to in the classics as the 'Heavenly Emperor'. He assists the Jade Emperor in governing the north and south poles and the three powers of heaven, earth, and humanity, commands the myriad stars, and oversees mortal warfare, thus also being a martial god and war god."

From this perspective, the Gouchen Emperor commanding the heavenly troops to pursue the Jade Emperor's sister also makes sense.

On screen, the little actress playing the Holy Mother is already tearful with fright, hiding behind her brother.

However, given the tight plot and outstanding special effects, it doesn't have much impact.

The former "Four Great Villains of Xianggang" were fierce, but at least they were human.

"Kunlun Mountain? Those qi-practitioners only care about cultivation; even if the zombie demons' war shatters the three realms, no one would bother if they ate his two little disciples, right? Ahaha!"

After the subtitles and music ended, Yang Jian and his sister finally encountered danger, as a dozen or so witch tribesmen several zhang tall rushed over, the faces of the four leaders turning out to be Chen Kui'an, He Jiayu, Huang Guangliang, and Li Zhaoji.

The five-year-old Yang Jian protected his sister, his voice tense and tender as he said, "Uncles, we are disciples of the Jade Void Sect of Kunlun Mountain, under the True Person Jade Cauldron!"

"Careful!"

"Yeah, the heavenly gods all look like monsters; what was Director Jiang thinking?"

The faces of the "Four Great Villains" lit up with surprise and delight, as Huang Guangliang laughed and said, "That Gouchen brat has put out a bounty: whoever can capture the Yunhua demon spawn will be rewarded with divine herbs and elixirs!"

With a booming "Boom!", a large pit over three meters wide appeared where Yang Jian and his sister had stood; Li Zhaoji, holding his club, puzzled, asked, "Where are they?"

Audiences around the year 2000 had not yet been baptized by the "Primitive Mythology" setting, so they encountered some minor obstacles when watching.

Towering several zhang tall, with an even more ferocious look, Chen Kui'an laughed loudly: "Haha, these two little dolls have tender skin and meat; roasted they'd surely be delicious!"

These few before us are nothing short of evil spirits incarnate, ferocious beasts resurrected!

The Holy Mother burst into tears, wailing, "My uncle is the Jade Emperor; you bully us, and my uncle will beat you!"

In this slow-motion shot, we see Li Zhaoji's meter-long melon-seed head kicked so that his facial muscles twitch violently, his tongue even flying out.

Having said that, he leapt up, swinging his enormous spiked club straight at Yang Jian to smash him.

"This is the heavenly court before the Investiture of the Gods; perhaps back then demons ruled supreme!"

He Jiayu shook his meter-long melon head, grinning eerily, and as he chattered about the on-screen Yang Jian siblings, even the audience in the venue felt frightened.

"How come these heavenly generals look like monsters!"

The "Four Great Villains" of the Xianggang film world cameos as wicked witch tribesmen in the movie.

Li Zhaoji turned his head, only to see a pure white lotus-shaped treasure lamp holding aloft the Holy Mother, floating in midair, while Yang Jian descended from the front and swept his short legs to kick Li Zhaoji in the face.

Li Zhaoji said, "Eh, zombies and demons can't coexist; how could we go claim the demon bounty? In my opinion, we should eat these two brats—they carry immortal blood and would surely be a great tonic!"

His whole body was like a sack stuffed with half a bag of grain, and with a "Bang!" he fell to the ground, creating another pit over a meter deep and more than ten meters long, shaped like a person.

"The Precious Lotus Lamp?"

"The brat dealt a heavy blow?"

The remaining witch tribesmen reddened their eyes, and upon gazing at the Precious Lotus Lamp, all showed greedy expressions.

"This lamp hasn't yet recognized its master; it merely instinctively protects its holder—quick, seize it!"

Having said that, Huang Guangliang leapt forward, jumping dozens of meters high, and flung open his huge hand like a door panel to grab it.

The three-year-old Holy Mother, terrified, leaned back; the light cluster atop the Precious Lotus Lamp fell away, but fortunately her small hand clung to the base as she cried, "Save me!"

The Precious Lotus Lamp seemed to understand human speech, instantly bursting forth with strong light.

The instant Huang Guangliang's huge hand made contact, his palm snapped and bones broke.

The light cluster surged, striking Huang Guangliang so that he sprayed blood like mist, his whole body flung far away, his life or death unknown.

"Holy shit, this Precious Lotus Lamp is too fierce—even without acknowledging a master it's this strong?" an audience member exclaimed.

"If Immortal Yunhua keeps holding the Precious Lotus Lamp, perhaps it could protect her and her three!"

"It's too strong, so exciting!"

On screen, the remaining three great villains exchanged a glance, all gave up the idea of forceful seizure, called out to a dozen or so witch tribes giants, and all went to surround and attack Yang Jian.

Thus the scene became somewhat comical: the one-meter-tall little Yang Jian darted and weaved, occasionally leaping into midair, and each of his strikes could knock down those witch tribesmen.

However, these fellows, over ten meters tall and sturdily built, were incredibly resistant to blows; even when they crashed to the ground and dug deep pits, it felt like a tickle, and they could get up and keep fighting.

Little Yang Jian quickly ran out of stamina (his magic insufficient), his speed slowed, and Chen Kui'an's big hand seized him.

"Haha, I caught you, I caught you!"

Immediately he opened his bloody maw, pretending to devour Yang Jian, and shouted at the Holy Mother on the light cluster of the Precious Lotus Lamp: "Little one, if you want to save your brother, just hand over the Precious Lotus Lamp?"

"No, go to Kunlun!"

As Yang Jian was speaking halfway, Chen Kui'an's big hand clenched, and he shouted at the Holy Mother: "Quick, or I'll crush him to death!"

"No, don't let my second brother die; I'll come down, give you the Precious Lotus Lamp, and you release my second brother, okay?"

The Holy Mother, carved like pink jade, with big round eyes, made the audience's hearts melt.

Everyone felt that Chen Kui'an's portrayal of this character was truly too evil and wicked; why hasn't Yang Jian's master come out to rescue this brother and sister yet!

On screen, Chen Kui'an wore a wicked grin, speaking like a wolf grandmother: "Good, good, as long as you come down from the Precious Lotus Lamp and hand it over, I'll release your brother—and you too!"

The Holy Mother softly chanted a spell, the light of the Precious Lotus Lamp receded, and it drifted down to the ground.

Or perhaps she lost control, and it even knocked her down.

Before the Holy Mother could rise, Li Zhaoji had already reached out and seized the Precious Lotus Lamp, laughing wildly: "Hahaha, the innate spiritual treasure, the Precious Lotus Lamp—I actually got it!"

He Jiayu said viciously, "Quick, silence them!"

Having said that, he opened a hand as big as a door panel, and slapped at the Three Holy Mother like Mount Tai pressing down, the Three Holy Mother being as small as a little potato.

"Wuuu…!"

The Three Holy Mother instantly burst into tears, lonely and helpless.

Yang Jian's head, being pinched, was about to burst, his eye sockets about to split.

Just as the brother and sister were about to perish, a sigh was suddenly heard: "You took the treasure, that's bad enough, but you also want to kill to silence witnesses, totally disregarding the Kunlun Sect!"

(End of chapter)