Three dilapidated small boats floated quietly on the lake.
Each boat was about three meters long, with an extremely simple and crude design. Reeds fluttered on the boat canopies as the entire vessels swayed gently in the wind, looking as if they might fall apart at any moment.
Looking at those boats, Xiao He felt like stepping onto them would immediately inspire him to sing "The Love of Boat Trackers" while paddling in circles at the center of the lake.
It was hard to imagine that their group of six would soon be distributed across these three small boats for a life-or-death battle scene.
Xiao He was worried that even before filming began, the boats might crack apart just from them stepping aboard.
Then he heard Director Lin seriously instructing the wire work crew nearby: "These canopies can't bear any weight at all. When the actors step on them, you must tighten the wires properly. Make sure no one collapses the canopy - we still have to return these boats afterward!"
The crew member nodded earnestly: "Understood, Director Lin."
Xiao He: "...Exactly as I thought!"
Looking at this crude and temporary production team, he often felt like sighing in amazement.
This was truly the least professional film crew he had ever worked with in his entire career!
Director Lin Yipeng was indeed a remarkable existence.
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"Hah, I must say Chai Xiang thinks highly of me, actually sending you lot after me."
Jiang Rushu leaned lazily against the boat's railing, casually watching the approaching small vessels.
From the boats emerged thief catchers of various appearances, each carrying different weapons, all glaring menacingly at Jiang Rushu: "Jiang Rushu, hand over what you're carrying if you value your life. Otherwise don't blame us fellow professionals for disregarding past camaraderie."
"Hmph! In the past, you hunted thieves for bounties to maintain peace in the martial world and uphold justice. But now you know exactly what I carry, yet you block my way? Spare me your hypocritical talk of camaraderie! Beasts driven by profit deserve no face at all!". As Jiang Rushu spoke, his sword left its sheath with an unstoppable sharp gleam—
"If you want to fight, then fight! No need for pretenses!"
With these words, the black-clad swordsman leaped forward first, his blade like a flash of cold lightning stabbing toward the hammer-wielding strongman in the center.
"Clang—"
The burly man swung his hammer upward, forcefully deflecting the swordsman's attack, while the samurai beside him with a topknot drew his sword for a horizontal slash, shouting sharply: "Jiang Rushu! Don't act so high and mighty! Everyone in the martial world knows you work for money too! In this fight, we're all just pawns - you're nothing but a dog of the powerful! How are you any better than us?"
The coldness in Jiang Rushu's eyes deepened, but he remained silent, focusing solely on his attacks as both sides engaged in fierce combat.
There were four thief catchers in total, all renowned experts, some even as famous as Jiang Rushu himself. Despite being prepared, Jiang Rushu began feeling the strain after prolonged fighting.
Just then, another small boat silently approached the two vessels.
A dark figure carrying the scent of blood quietly entered the battlefield.
The sword-wielding samurai turned to intercept the mysterious newcomer's attack, but suddenly felt a chill at his wrist.
The expressionless cold-blooded killer flipped his wrists without blinking, sending blood and fabric fragments flying everywhere. As the samurai clutched his arm and screamed, everyone looked over to see the exposed white bones of his forearm - his entire sword-wielding right arm had been reduced to that ghastly state in an instant!
The older black-clad thief catcher gasped sharply, immediately recognizing whose handiwork this was: "It's Shen Jue of the Bone-Cleaving Knife Technique! Why would he appear here?"
Hadn't Shen Jue retired from the martial world years ago? Then why—
Remembering the rumors, they all paled, but before they could speak further, the merciless killer was already rotating his knife handle, slicing away the flesh from the screaming samurai's neck.
In moments, only the skeletal structure supporting the head remained of the man's body.
A living person had instantly transformed into a bloody half-flesh, half-bone monstrosity.
This horrifying sight was enough to paralyze the others with terror.
Only Jiang Rushu laughed heartily, his tone relaxed: "I knew you'd come! I'm counting on you!"
Shen Jue waved his bone-cleaving knife, letting blood drip onto the water's surface, his gaze calm as he regarded the thief catchers like livestock on a chopping block, his voice completely flat: "Mm."
Then the two switched positions—
Shen Jue leaped into the center of the encircling thief catchers, causing the boat to rock violently and splash water everywhere, while Jiang Rushu lightly stepped across the water droplets to land gracefully on Shen Jue's original boat, quickly floating several meters away.
"Don't let him escape—"
The older thief catcher tried to give chase, but Shen Jue immediately blocked his path: "Your opponent is me now—"
Wielding his bone-cleaving knife with the momentum of one man holding off ten thousand, Shen Jue kept all three remaining opponents trapped on the boat.
Watching Jiang Rushu's retreating figure, the older thief catcher gritted his teeth and told the other two: "Kill Shen Jue first, or none of us are leaving!"
The three exchanged glances before simultaneously launching killing techniques at Shen Jue, who showed no fear, his bone-cleaving knife living up to its name as it emerged dripping with flesh and blood each time. The previously steady boat began rocking violently, churning the water into large ripples that gradually mixed with crimson blood, spreading in widening circles across the lake's surface...
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the lake regained its tranquility. A young cook covered in blood emerged from the boat's canopy, leaping to sit cross-legged at the bow. He placed his bloodied bone-cleaning knife aside and closed his eyes to rest, letting the small boat drift wherever the current took it.
Following the direction from which the boat had come, several skeletal remains flashed briefly at the water's surface before slowly sinking into the lake's depths, never to be seen again...
Filming concluded as the boat wobbled to shore.
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Xiao He, still suspended by wires, leaped lightly from the boat, only relaxing his tense nerves when his feet touched solid ground.
Whew—
Finally finished.
Xiao He never used to get seasick.
But these past few days of being a human pendulum over boats had given him a new understanding of extreme torment.
"Good work, you've been through a lot recently."
Lin Yipeng patted Xiao He's shoulder, looking quite relaxed.
Getting through these scenes meant smoother sailing for the rest of production.
Xiao He exhaled deeply: "I don't think I'll want to get on a boat again for a long time."
Lin Yipeng spread his hands: "Don't say that! I was hoping to work with you again in the future."
Xiao He paused, then chuckled lightly, not taking Lin's words seriously as he replied: "Sure, I'll be waiting."