Chapter 335: Premiere of A Chinese Ghost Story

Liu Yifei has spent little time in the capital over the past six months, mainly filming elsewhere.

When she does come back, she goes to the apartment she used to share with Jiang Heng, never visiting the set of 《White Snake: Origin》, giving her a somewhat "king not seeing king" feeling with Jing Tian.

So this time, Jing Tian went out of town early to attend a commercial event, making it a rare absence from Jiang Heng's new film premiere.

At the premiere of 《A Chinese Ghost Story》, Liu Yifei walked the red carpet in a Dior haute couture gown, her smile bright, signed her name beneath a huge poster, then turned to accept media photos.

"Welcome, Miss Liu Yifei, please come this way!"

Liu Yifei took a few steps forward under the host's guidance.

"Then, Miss Liu Yifei, may I ask you a few questions on behalf of the media and audience?"

"Sure!" Liu Yifei gave a sweet smile, looking very well‑behaved.

"Could you greet everyone in the manner of Nie Xiaoqian?"

"If I had to describe the pose, it would be ……"

Liu Yifei trailed off, raised her right hand and made a grasping motion in the air, wearing a very serious expression.

But because she is too pure and sweet, she looks anything but fierce, rather endearing.

The reporters and audience laughed happily, and Liu Yifei's fans held up their light sticks, cheering her on.

"What pose is that!" the beautiful host asked, laughing.

"Nothing, just a demon claw!" Liu Yifei laughed innocently.

The beautiful host asked again, "Can you tell us how you felt when you first accepted this role? What did your mother say? What did your friends say?"

"Um, actually I had no real concept of 《A Chinese Ghost Story* when I first considered it; to be honest, I hadn't seen the original, but after reading the script I felt I had to make it because it's a very moving love story!"

"And which man in the film do you love the most?"

"Behind me!"

"Well, let's welcome the actor who plays Ning Caichen, Director Jiang Heng, with the warmest applause!"

After the beautiful host finished, reporters and audience burst into applause, and fans shouted even louder.

"Director Jiang Heng, hello, could you share your biggest feeling about filming this movie?"

"Getting into character is easy; getting out of it is hard!"

"Wow!"

The host exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, and the reporters and audience became even more excited.

After all, Director Jiang has been in the industry for many years and has had a few rumors, but he always ignored them.

I've never seen Jiang Heng so openly express affection for an actress in public.

Of course, other directors like Stephen Chow, Feng Xiaogang, and many others, when promoting their films, often say how good and charming the actresses are, admitting they've fallen for them.

But doing so makes the chance of hype‑driven rumors very high.

Yet Jiang Heng has worked with Liu Yifei many times—could there really be a private relationship, prompting an official announcement?

"Director Jiang, could you elaborate on getting into and out of character?"

Jiang Heng laughed, glancing at the beaming Liu Yifei beside him.

"When I put on Ning Caichen's clothes, I feel as if I've truly become him—my eyes see only Xiaoqian; I must rescue her from suffering, even at the cost of my own life!"

"Then why is getting out of character hard?"

"Even though the film wrapped long ago and I've changed into modern clothes, every time I see her I still feel as if I'm seeing Xiaoqian!"

"Whoa!" the reporters and audience shouted excitedly again.

The beautiful host asked Liu Yifei, "Do you feel the same way?"

Liu Yifei nodded slightly, "Yes, so I've hardly seen Director Jiang these past six months; I've been filming elsewhere."

……

After a round of hype, the two entered the cinema together and went to the largest IMAX theater.

Since they didn't plan a big event, only a dozen or so guests attended.

Seeing the male and female leads enter, everyone came over to greet them.

Jiang Wen stepped forward for a hug, patted Jiang Heng on the back, and laughed, "You've never made a romance before, but this time you've turned out a straight‑up love blockbuster!"

Jiang Heng chuckled, "Hey, I didn't direct this—Guo Fan is the director!"

Jiang Wen laughed, "But White Snake is always your work, right?"

Jiang Heng gave an embarrassed smile, glanced at Liu Yifei, who sweetly said, "Brother, will you keep making love epics?"

Jiang Heng laughed, "Definitely!"

Ge You stepped forward with a chuckle, "A talented man and beautiful woman like you two should make more romance films; I've finished this one and am already thinking of the next—wouldn't it be a waste if you didn't direct it, Director Jiang?"

Everyone hearing that burst into laughter.

After a few more pleasantries, they gradually took their seats.

The lights in the theater dimmed, and the big screen lit up.

After the dragon logo and opening animation, Sha Yi's cameo scholar reads in an ancient temple.

Suddenly music sounded from outside, accompanied by girls' laughter.

The scholar rose and walked outside the temple, seeing three girls bathing and playing in the stream before it, and was dumbfounded.

In his 2008 cameo, Sha Yi's looks hadn't yet collapsed; his ancient‑costume appearance was still fairly pure and refined, not as rough as in "Yingzi, Open the Door, Daddy."

Though his cameo role looks refined, he is truly a scoundrel.

Seeing the three girls washing in the stream, he actually walked over blank‑faced and slowly stepped into the water.

The girls glanced at each other; one waved at Sha Yi with a seductive expression.

Sha Yi's scholar, not caring about anything else, walked while taking off his clothes.

As a result, the three girls all ducked into the water.

Seeing that, the scholar played by Sha Yi also dove into the water, opened their eyes, but saw nothing.

Just as he was about to open his eyes, he saw a black shadow lunging straight at his face, its huge mouth opening wide to bite down viciously.

At this moment, the picture shifted to an aerial overhead shot, and suddenly a splash of blood welled up from the stream.

The scholar played by Sha Yi burst out of the water, his shoulders, arms, and chest all bitten and dripping with fresh blood.

Save, save me!

Sha Yi panickedly rushed toward the shore, but something in the water was biting him; not only did the blood welling up increase, but the scholar was also dragged and fell over in the water.

He struggled desperately, but in the end he still sank.

The audience in the theater, seeing this, all felt their hearts race and adrenaline surge, after all it was a 3D effect, the visual impact was too strong.

At the same time, they wondered what identity the three girls had—fish demons, fox demons, or other monsters; surely the world wasn't overrun with monsters everywhere? Then, on the big screen, the four characters "A Chinese Ghost Story" appeared.

And that supremely classic song "Human Road" also began to play at just the right moment.

Jiang Heng loved this song very much, and felt its melody and lyrics were a perfect match for the story of "A Chinese Ghost Story".

So he did not select a new song, but instead bought the rights and reused it here.

When the theme song began to play, Jiang Heng's portrayal of Ning Caichen also appeared—young, handsome, looking refined yet vigorous. He wore a coarse cloth long robe, carried a bamboo basket, and trudged along the road with difficulty.

The first theme of this film, naturally, is the love story between Ning Caichen and Nie Xiaoqian.

And the other is "When a state is about to perish, there must be monsters"! On his way to the exam, Ning Caichen encountered a ferocious swordsman who was pursuing three half-human, half-wolf creatures.

Seeing that they could not escape, the three turned and lunged at the swordsman, but were killed by several of his sword strikes.

Ning Caichen, standing nearby, wore a look of terror as if he were about to die.

After the swordsman killed the three wolf demons, he asked Ning Caichen why he was rushing through the wilderness.

Ning Caichen replied that he was heading to Jingcheng to take the imperial examination.

The swordsman laughed and said, "The old emperor himself was killed by monsters from the west, more than half of the court's civil and military officials have been eaten, and you still want to go to Jingcheng?" Ning Caichen trembled all over with fear, yet he said, "As a scholar, the more dangerous the times, the more I must stand up."

The swordsman only said, "Studying has made you stupid," and then left.

The audience in the theater, however, couldn't help but launch into a discussion of this setting.

Some said the setting was too exaggerated—China, a vast land with divine protection; how could the emperor be eaten by monsters, and more than half of the court's civil and military officials be devoured? Are you treating this like the Lion-Camel Kingdom? Others thought, as a film setting, it need not be taken so literally; in "A Chinese Ghost Story: The Human Path," the demon monk ate the entrails of all the court's civil and military officials, leaving only their shells displayed like memorial tablets.

Some film critics sighed, "Monsters from the west? This setting is quite meaningful!"

On the big screen, the film continued.

The swordsman went ahead, arriving at Lanruo Temple.

He wanted to spar with Yan Chixia, played by Wang Hui, but the latter said he wished to retire into seclusion and did not want to fight.

The swordsman paid no heed, brandishing his sword and attacking; naturally he was no match for Yan Chixia.

Unexpectedly, the swordsman suddenly transformed into a half-human, half-wolf form, his combat power surging, forcing Yan Chixia into a steady retreat.

"Brother Xiahou, you, you've learned the demons' techniques?"

Xiahou said, "Now monsters are rampant, the state is on the verge of collapse, and the court has long lacked any countermeasure; I therefore thought to cultivate the demonic path, and if I succeed, I could also oppose the demonic armies!"

Yan Chixia roared, "Are you crazy? If you keep practicing like this, you'll go berserk, lose your reason, and utterly fall into the demonic path."

Xiahou said, "I know?"

"You know?"

"Those who practiced with me have all gone mad—I killed them all! I sought you out so you could watch me; if I lose my reason, just strike and kill me!"

Yan Chixia broke down, cursing Xiahou as a madman, his expression painful as he performed a lightness skill and departed.

At night, Xiahou was by the stream, roasting dried rations over a fire, when he suddenly saw Nie Xiaoqian, played by Liu Yifei, standing blankly in the water.

Seeing this, Xiahou rose and slowly stepped into the stream, grabbing her in one embrace.

Nie Xiaoqian, played by Liu Yifei, with her delicate, fair hands, stroked Xiahou's chest, then instantly turned them into furry, sharp claws and viciously raked downward.

Unexpectedly, at the instant the claws descended, golden-yellow hair sprouted from Xiahou's chest.

The camera switched to a distant shot, and Xiahou's physique suddenly swelled, transforming him into a half-human, half-tiger monster.

"Aooo!"

With just one roar, Xiahou frightened Nie Xiaoqian so much that her body went limp.

"How dare a little fox demon like you scheme against me; I'll play with you properly, old man!"

Having said that, Xiahou grabbed Nie Xiaoqian's long hair and dragged her toward the bank.

At that moment, the surrounding trees suddenly extended countless branches and leaves, lunging straight at Xiahou.

"What, a few measly tree demons dare to scheme against my lord Xiahou?"

Having said that, he extended his right hand, and his sharp tiger claws easily sliced through countless branches, while from the forest came the tragic cries of half-man, half-woman beings.

Nie Xiaoqian seized the opportunity to grab onto Xiahou's "tiger claw" and immediately flew away.

Unexpectedly, Xiahou let out a grunt, and his tiger tail whipped fiercely across Nie Xiaoqian's body, making her spurt blood profusely as she fell into the stream.

From the forest came an angry roar, "Xiahou, you dare to wound me—I will take your life!"

At that moment, countless branches and leaves poured down like a canopy, and several gorgeous little demons sprang from the woods.

Xiahou let out a cold laugh, "Today I will exterminate you harmful sprites!"

In the film, the cameo role of Xiahou is played by Yu Rongguang, who exudes a tough-guy aura, and the fight scenes are also splendidly varied.

Unfortunately, he was a mortal who stubbornly cultivated demonic techniques; though powerful, prolonged use inevitably caused the technique to falter, and he ultimately died a miserable death at the hands of the tree demon granny.

Of course, the tree demon side also suffered great vital injury.

After devouring Xiahou's flesh and blood, she told the remaining little demons that she would rest properly so they could hurry to capture more mortals to nourish her.

Moreover, she went to look for Nie Xiaoqian to see if she was dead.

The scene shifted to daytime, when Ning Caichen was drawing water by the stream and suddenly spotted a white fox drifting down from upstream.

Ning Caichen hurried into the water, lifted it up, examined it, and found that the white fox had a broken leg; he quickly bandaged it simply and placed it in the bamboo basket.

Soon after arriving in town, someone saw his white fox was beautiful and wanted to buy it.

Ning Caichen said, "I picked it up in the mountains; I'm only carrying it because one of its legs is broken, and I'll release it once it heals."

The people in the market naturally laughed at Ning Caichen for being foolish, saying that nowadays demons abound, and you might be carrying a monster; it could come out at night and take your life!

Ning Caichen naturally didn't believe it and argued with the people around him.

Wanting to stay at an inn, he was refused by the owner, who moreover mocked him, saying, "Since you're not afraid of demons, you shouldn't stay in town; you might as well go to Lanruo Temple, where it costs nothing."

Ning Caichen was not really foolish; he did not leave the city, but squatted at the base of the town wall, managing to stay awake through the first half of the night, then eventually fell asleep in a daze.

Looking again into the basket, the white fox was nowhere to be seen.

And under the bright moonlight, a huge fox, pure white all over, leapt between the rooftops, quickly arriving at the town's only inn and darting into the landlord's room.

It soon emerged again, holding a money bag in its mouth, and placed it in Ning Caichen's basket.

It then jumped onto the nearby roof, transformed into a human form, lay there, and stared foolishly at Ning Caichen, its eyes full of affection.

The next day, a tremendous roar suddenly erupted in the inn: "Damn beast, damn beast, which damned scoundrel stole all my silver?"

Then the innkeeper, whose head looked like a boiled egg, came running out of the room, shouting loudly.

The assistants were first stunned, then someone said, "Boss, you, you?"

"What's wrong with me?"

"Where's your hair?"

The landlord felt his head and discovered he had become completely bald! "Demons are at work, demons are at work! Our town has been invaded by demons!" he shouted loudly.

Some onlookers said, "It must be that scholar from yesterday, the one with that big white fox—surely it's a demon!"

"Come on, let's beat them to death!"

One person shouted, and the surrounding crowd responded in kind, but when they came over to look for them,

Ning Caichen had already left the small town and continued on his way.

As he walked, he suddenly saw a stone tablet and couldn't help but read aloud, "Lanruo Temple?"

In the woods, a strange wind immediately blew up, and then a beautiful woman in white stepped out, saying, "Little brother, where have you come from?"

(End of chapter)