Bone Demon
The bones were the color of snow, and the heart was the color of blood. The contrast was so clear that Gao Xiaoyun was stunned. The scene was too extreme and too beautiful, just like a flower that bloomed most brilliantly and bloodily at the moment of death.
The beating heart indeed slowly turned into a blood-red flower bud. It quickly opened and bore fruit, and finally condensed into a black pill.
Xue Jiang was speechless. A sentence flashed through her mind: This actor is really going to be made famous by Shang Jingyan.
Shang Jingyan noticed that there were occasional sobs in the theater - it seemed that interstellar people really have a low tear point.
"The life span of the bone monster is concentrated in its heart. Ah Yun, eat it and you will gain immortality."
Gu Lang took Gao Xiaoyun's hand and placed his heart in her palm, but Gao Xiaoyun began to tremble as if she was burned: "I don't want it!"
"I, I won't ask you about your tender feelings anymore, and I don't want your heart. We will be just like before..."
Her eyes were filled with tears and she stammered, but was interrupted by Gu Lang.
"Hush, Ah Yun, don't be afraid, listen to me." He said, "After you accept my heart, I will seal the soft intestines around my fingers. Then you can go and pick up my bones and rouge comb, put the comb in a dry place, and bury me underground."
"Don't be afraid, this is not a real separation. Once you have my heart, you will be able to live forever. A hundred years later, come to my grave again, drip your blood into my bones, and return half of my demon power to me, and I will wake up."
Gu Lang's expression was not afraid at all, because sleeping and long-term separation did not mean death for a monster. Moreover, he had already died once when he was a human.
Gao Xiaoyun's tears fell from her eyes. Gu Lang's anger had burned to his ankles, and he was about to collapse. Gao Xiaoyun quickly embraced him and carefully squatted down.
【Ahhh, fortunately, it’s not a complete BE! 】
[Wow, but I'm still crying. Send a razor blade to Director Shang. 】
[Director Shang shot it so well... It's both scary and romantic. She's the only one in the world who has this style! ]
After a while, Gao Xiaoyun took the pill, held Gu Lang's bony hand, and said, "Okay."
Gu Lang rested his head in her arms, and smiled with his only intact eye. He seemed to be in the mood to talk suddenly, and said casually, "Didn't you ask me why I helped you? Ah Yun, it's actually you who helped me."
"In fact, I am not a scholar. This scholar's clothes are just a costume."
He lifted his sleeves, and the green clothes were shattering into green butterflies. "Bone monsters were all beautiful women with good looks in their lives, but their fates were rough... I was sold to a drama troupe when I was young, and I played both male and female roles, traveling around the country... It's a pity that no matter how beautiful I am, I will eventually turn into a pile of bones."
A sneer appeared in Gu Lang's eyes, as if he recalled something and was unwilling to talk more.
"After becoming a monster, the bone monster still cannot kill people, and it needs to survive a catastrophe before it can truly live forever - someone must truly like the true form of the bone monster."
"I never had such hope." He looked at Gao Xiaoyun, "...So, Ayun, this life span was originally given to me by you."
Gao Xiaoyun was stunned.
[Ah! I see. No wonder Director Shang wanted a female actress to play this role... To some extent, Gu Lang's status was similar to that of women in that era, so he and Gao Xiaoyun could understand each other.]
【Wow, who said this isn’t a two-way redemption and a two-way journey! kswl! 】
[In fact, what Director Shang filmed is really a love story QAQ and it is more tortuous and moving than the one in "Cthulhu". ]
"It's so kind, it helped me before, so I have to repay it. It and I had already chosen the Gao family. They were once one of the best nobles in the capital, but now they are in decline. They are the easiest to target."
The first encounter between Gu Lang and Gao Xiaoyun was not a good thing. It was just a monster selecting its prey and happened to bump into the girl in the prey's home.
Gu Lang said so much, his figure almost completely disappeared, and he said with his last voice: "Ayun, see you in a hundred years."
Gao Xiaoyun clenched his knuckles: "What if... I didn't go?"
Any normal person would do the math. If she didn't wake up Gu Lang, she would have all the powerful demonic powers and a complete lifespan. Why should she share them with others?
Gu Lang smiled leisurely and said, "That is also your choice."
He gave all the choices to Gao Xiaoyun.
After he finished speaking, his appearance completely turned into ashes, leaving only a snow-white skull in Gao Xiaoyun's arms. A translucent figure rose in the void, nodded to Gao Xiaoyun, and walked out of the dilapidated temple.
The maze set by Gu Lang disappeared.
The pursuers broke into the ruined temple, but there was no big monster there. Only Gao Xiaoyun was sitting on the ground holding a skull.
The camera changes scene and the sound of suona begins again.
In a dilapidated temple in the wilderness, Gao Xiaoyun, wearing a bright red wedding dress, held a coffin and watched it being buried.
Now that she has Gu Lang's magical power, the previous pursuers are no longer a problem. The power of the Gao family and even the entire imperial court can no longer hold her back. She is free.
Children's songs floated in the air: "Marry a chicken, fly with the chicken... Marry a dog, follow the dog... Marry a skeleton, guard the tombstone..."
[Damn, I got goosebumps. I suddenly realized that Gao Xiaoyun really married a skeleton.]
[…After hearing this, I feel complicated, but this is Gao Xiaoyun’s own choice.]
[I felt horrified when I heard this before, but now I feel it is ironic and sad...]
The screen darkens again and turns to a passerby's perspective.
In a Taoist temple with a lot of incense, two Taoists were chatting:
"Did you see that? I was on guard last night and it seemed like I saw a ghost!"
"I saw it too! It was a female ghost in red. Oh, so scary!"
"It's been really uneasy lately. The entire Gao family died, leaving only a woman and a child. Now the woman is also missing..."
"Isn't it? Hey..."
As they chatted, they relaxed and seemed to think that last night was just an illusion.
But when the view moved to a higher place and fixed on the beam, a comb was seen lying quietly there.
As the chanting sounded in the Taoist temple, phantoms like golden chains appeared on its surface, flickering, as if it was sealed and sleeping, but also seemed to be struggling.
The words "The End" appeared, and the barrage and the theater suddenly exploded. Some viewers were still crying, but when they saw this, they blurted out "Fuck!"
[Fuck, on the beams of the Taoist temple?! ]
[Help! It is known that the rouge comb cannot be placed near water and needs to be placed in a dry place. Secondly, religious places seem to have a restraining effect on it, so it can be inferred that Gao Xiaoyun placed it on the beam.]
[Isn’t this… the place where the heroine first discovered it… The Taoist temple is not much different from the Buddhist nunnery!!]
[Will it harm another family in the future? ? It is the most mysterious character in the whole play. Even the origin of the bone monster is clear, but its true identity and face are not revealed. ]
[I think it’s better to say: Who was the last company it harmed? Ah, I think I know why Director Shang said “It’s terrifying when you think about it carefully”! ]
[Thank you, Master Yan. From now on, when I visit antique buildings, I will look up at the beams before I dare to enter! ! ]
The entire drama of "Rouge Comb" has been completed, and this entry became a hot search on Exile Galaxy within an hour.
The fourth episode is the real highlight of Wu Rui. The clip of Gu Lang revealing his heart went viral on social networks overnight, shocking countless viewers.
[I understand. Who says Director Shang is not a director of romantic films? This is the true heart-to-heart talk. It's like physically cutting open your heart!]
[I was crying, but I burst into laughter after seeing this. 】
[Wow, please continue writing, I want to see them continue their past relationship and have a happy ending a hundred years later!!]
Countless editors were inspired and cut out the process of Gu Lang and A Yun's acquaintance, understanding, love and separation. They also found the ancient costumes that Wu Rui had filmed before and cut out the plot of their first meeting and daily life.
People even created a term: #Please Director Shang to shoot the second part of "Rouge Comb"#.
X71 said admiringly: [Host, you are really amazing! ]
Horror has become famous, and romantic horror has gone viral, which not only conforms to the world's market conditions, but also promotes a new trend.
Shang Jingyan's decision was not entirely based on market considerations. She chose to depict such a beautiful, almost unreal emotion mainly to neutralize the overly depressing tone.
X71 asked coyly: [Yanyan, are you planning to shoot a second part? ]
Shang Jingyan didn't say anything definite, but still said: [It probably won't happen. ]
X71 sent a disappointed crying expression: [QAQ]
The comb at the end of "Rouge Comb" is like a sword of Damocles, casting a fearful shadow on the originally happy ending.
——In horror movies, these cursed items are often not disposed of, even at the end of the movie.
This arrangement can not only give the audience a "long-lasting" taste of horror, but also lay the groundwork for the subsequent filming of the second part.
However, Shang Jingyan had no intention of shooting a second part. She just wanted to scare people.
She was editing the dynamic frame. There was a part in the previous interview that involved spoilers so it was cut out, and now it can be broadcast.
A moment later, Xue Jiang, who, like all the other viewers, couldn't sleep all night because of "Rouge Comb", watched the video upstairs.
"...In the original version of the plot I envisioned, Gu Lang was not a monster, but an ordinary liar. Gao Xiaoyun was not the gentle yet strong character he is now, but was more passive and went with the flow."
"The heroine was deceived by her lover and had to spend the night alone in a dilapidated nunnery. She was targeted by a soft-hearted ghost and returned home without realizing it. From then on, her family was in turmoil and people around her died one by one. Only she survived, but she didn't know what she had become. From then on, people only heard the legend of a female ghost in a wedding dress - this is the original story of "Rouge Comb".
"Without a lover who would reveal her heart, and without the courage to make a choice on her own, she would be assimilated by the Rouge Comb. She would seem free, but in reality she would never step out of the cage."
Xue Jiang: “…”
Her partner is really a devil with a knife.
Shang Jingyan's voice in the video continues.
"But when I was actually writing the script, they broke free and came alive,"
"Gu Lang... he is a love-brained person, and so is Gao Xiaoyun (laughs), but the relationship between the two is not entirely love. Gao Xiaoyun is not free, so she places her emotions on Gu Lang, who comes and goes as freely as a ghost; Gu Lang does not believe in people, so he was shocked when he survived because of Gao Xiaoyun, and saw his own shadow in her, so he was willing to repay her with his heart."
[Wow, Director Shang, thank you so much for not following the original version. That would have been too painful QAQ]
[It’s so depressing, and more realistic, but I still like the current one with a fantasy touch.]
[It’s incredible. I actually think that the relationship between Gu Lang and A Yun can be interpreted in any way. Even if it’s not love, it’s fine... This is the first time I have such a thought...]
[The original one was also good. With the comfort of this version, I think I can bear it. Director Shang, why don’t you shoot another one? (dog head).]
[The creative process is really amazing. I like to listen to the dream builder explain his ideas the most, so Director Shang, please give me more (dog head).]
【Let's have an if line! 】
A few minutes later, Shang Jingyan heard the fans' calls and actually released a rough outline of the ending that was made at that time, using modelers.
The video is only a few minutes long. In the quiet night, there is a scholar in blue clothes who goes to Beijing to take the imperial examination and stays in an inn in the wilderness.
He read by lamplight at night and fell asleep unknowingly. When he woke up in a daze, he saw that his humble room had become magnificent and golden without him noticing, and he himself was wearing wedding clothes and had married a bride in a daze.
But when he finished the wedding night and drank the wedding wine, he discovered that there was a skeleton under the bride's veil!
The scholar woke up in fright and found himself still in the shabby inn. He knew it was a dream and breathed a sigh of relief.
Who would have thought that when he turned around, he saw a woman in a blood-red wedding dress standing face to face with him. She lifted her veil, revealing a pale face, black eyes, and bright lips as she asked in a low voice, "Are you my Gu Lang?"
[Ahhh, who did this? Who asked for the original version to be released? I'm so scared! 】
[It’s short, sharp and nonsensical, but it’s more like a true legend (hug myself tight).]
[This bride is modeled after Tang Chuntao, so she is Gao Xiaoyun who survived alone... As Director Shang said, she never got over the original ending and was forever trapped in the memories of the past.]
The popularity of "Rouge Comb" was growing, and by the next day, a post in the forum went viral.
The title of the post is: [It’s terrifying to think about it! What exactly is the “soft intestines around fingers” in “Rouge Comb”? ]
[Hello everyone, I am the author of this post. I did not sleep last night and did some research on this. I saw many people saying that Rouge Comb is a bit mysterious. The origin of the most powerful boss monster in the whole play was not given. It must be that Shang Jingyan could not continue writing. ]
[Is this really the case? Haha, I can only say that I am too naive. Combining what Director Shang said in the interview, "It's terrifying when you think about it carefully", I have summarized my thoughts. ]
[Let's first list the descriptions of it in the play: First, the person who said its name was a witch, and the witch also said that it was "the reincarnation of the wronged souls of women who drowned." I think this is not false, but there is still half of it left unsaid - how did those wronged souls die? Why must it be emphasized that it is "women"? Obviously, men in ancient times also had long hair. ]
【Everyone, look at this scene, the scene where Mr. Gao was killed. The shape of the hair is more like a cage than a cocoon. More accurately, it is a "pig cage". I will put a picture of a cultural relic for comparison. [Picture][Picture]】
[As for the punishment of "immersing in a pig cage", I believe everyone has learned about it in history textbooks... It is a representative of backward feudalism, but I have never understood it so clearly.]
[Then the truth is clear all of a sudden. The prototype of the soft-hearted woman is the woman who was punished and executed! In this plot, the witch's behavior is a bit strange. After Gao Xiaoyun denied it, she defended her. Was it because she felt pity for her? ]
[Please think about it. Is there a possibility that Gao Xiaoyun was not unlucky to meet the Soft Intestine, but her fate was similar to the Soft Intestine? If it didn't happen, what do you think would happen to her? - She didn't want to get married to a ghost, and eloped with her lover. In ancient times, eloping would most likely result in this kind of punishment. Even the fake Taoist priest wanted the heroine to die! The witch saw through this and spoke up to protect her. ]
[The witch also said that Rao Zhi Rou Chang would kill people indiscriminately. Actually, I don’t think that is “indiscriminate revenge”. Gu Hua’s culture is relatively more focused on “repaying grievances with grievances”. Rao Zhi Rou Chang killed the Gao family, but if you think about it carefully, there are certain reasons. ]
The original poster's post was well-reasoned and had all the hidden clues. She also received a like from Shang Jingyan after he woke up early, which further confirmed her speculation.
[Fuck, after listening to the post author's explanation, I feel that the people in the background of "Rouge Comb" are scarier than the ghosts... Ghosts only frighten me physically, but I don't know how twisted the human heart can be. ]
[I can't sleep after reading this. Please compensate me for my mental damages! ]
[The more I think about it, the more reasonable it is. The details are all right. The OP is awesome. ]
[Aaaah, I thought the surface was scary enough, but I didn't expect it to be even more terrifying! ]
[The host should stop analyzing Bai Gu Lian Yun. I want to know how real my CP is, hahaha. ]
[I want to know whether Gao Xiaoyun will choose to wake up Gu Lang a hundred years later QAQ]
[(狗头) So it seems that Director Shang's original idea can actually end in a happy ending: Raozhi Rouchang falls in love with Gao Xiaolan as they spend time together day after day, and decides to become a human and stay with her forever, happy ending.]
["After Marrying the Evil God 2.0: After Living with Monsters" is it? 】
【Hahahaha, I am dying of laughter! 】
[It’s still a story of marriage first and love later. I’m really impressed. Don’t think of everything as love! ]
The building was tilted, and many floors behind it were laughing and making fun of being love-brained.
But in fact, this is a very surprising atmosphere, because in StarCraft, love is the right thing to do. If any audience dares to say "no love line", they will definitely be attacked by the crowd.
How can one speak as freely as in Shang Jingyan’s comment section?
The research post attracted more bigwigs, who are dedicated to digging out all the "terrifying" points in "Rouge Comb" that are worth thinking about carefully.
Five days later.
"Is this the joy of becoming a dream chaser?" Jiang Yuran got off the Star Track Train and was still obsessed with refreshing the fan group. "Our Director Shang has really soared to the sky. Many new people have joined the group these days."
She had been obsessed with the analysis post for the past five days, and had created a fan group, adding the poster of the analysis master. For the first time in her life, she felt the joy of exploring beyond the love line.
Jiang Yubai and his sister also shared an account and became one of the administrators of the fan group of the fan site.
Neither of them had expected that an audience like themselves who only followed trends would one day love a dream builder so sincerely.
"The Rose Heart has really changed." Jiang Yubai made a pavilion with his hands and watched.
At this moment, the two have arrived at the Rose Heart, waiting for the "haunted house" to open. As a new fan who has watched "Evil Spirit" several times, he can easily see that the style of the small building in the sea of roses has changed. There is also an old statue of the Virgin Mary at the entrance, which is obviously arranged after buying the copyright of Cyan Snow.
Many of the tourists in the same group as them came for the haunted house. Although they may not know Shang Jingyan, they are definitely looking forward to the promotion of Xue’s Cultural Tourism.
Jiang Yuran was very familiar with the place, and he started to recommend Rouge Comb to the tourists beside him. Just when he was enjoying it, he suddenly heard a voice not far away: "Dear audience, this is the biggest..."
"…This is the largest tourist planet in the Exile Galaxy. We are finally here. I am so tired!"
A young man holding up a laptop said this, attracting several strange looks.
Although the people of the Alpha Galaxy have accepted that their hometown is called the "Exile Galaxy", "Exile Galaxy" is still an obviously discriminatory name, and generally only people in the main galaxy would call it that.
Lai Yuanjia is a travel anchor in the main galaxy.
The interstellar tourism industry is so developed that competition among travel anchors is fierce. These days, you’d be embarrassed to call yourself a travel anchor if you don’t master wilderness survival skills.
But Lai Yuanjia became famous not because of his technical skills, but because he understood the psychology of a group of audiences - the curiosity and discrimination psychology of some audiences in the main galaxy.
In the eyes of these audiences, the world except the main star system is a wild land, and the residents are all bumpkins. Although they can always find local accounts on the star network to see the real life of the local people, they would rather believe that those are fake.
Lai Yuanjia’s travel live broadcasts specifically go to remote galaxies and planets. Under the banner of “authenticity” and “unadulterated”, he chooses to shoot in local flawed places, supplemented by exaggerated words to satisfy the audience’s noble hearts.
This makes his reputation in the travel anchor community can be described as "notorious", but the more people curse him, the more determined his supporters become, feeling that they have grasped the truth of the universe.
It's a pity that he is so cunning that he never actively makes discriminatory remarks. Even if he says some words, he can just use "I don't understand" to fool people. In addition, it is difficult to enforce the law across galaxies, so he has been popular until now.
"...Really, the ticket purchase website here is so old that it took me a long time to figure it out. Friends, if you want to come next time, you must reserve time in advance..."
Before coming to the Exile Galaxy, Lai Yuanjia did a lot of exaggeration to tell the audience how terrifying and barbaric this place is, and he exaggerated his experience of riding a spaceship into a cosmic adventure.
The comments were also very respectful:
[So tacky and boring, Rose Planet, we stopped playing this game eight hundred years ago.]
[I recognize this kind of rose. It's one version behind ours in terms of genetic number. Now no one buys this kind of rose here, but Exile Galaxy has planted a large area of it. I'm dying of laughter!]
[Are there really criminals in the Exile Galaxy? The Exiles actually love roses. ]
Often when broadcasting live broadcasts of the latest cultural and tourism projects in remote galaxies, these viewers would say they were “old-fashioned” and “boring”.
In most cases, this is indeed the case. The main galaxy is where the most talented people gather, the most fashionable things are always in the main galaxy, and the speed of technological dissemination is never as fast as the speed of updates.
Lai Yuanjia followed the crowd to a sunny greenhouse, which was the ticket office, where robots and front desk employees were working.
Out of camera view, Lai Yuanjia deliberately threw a ball of paper to a corner of the counter, drawing angry glares from the front desk clerk.
He then pointed the camera at the front desk's expression, and sure enough, the comments were:
[How rude! Why are you so rude to the guests? ]
[I heard that there are gangs and space pirates in the exile galaxy. If people from our main galaxy go there, will they be robbed at night? I’m afraid.]
[Yes, in their eyes, we are very rich and fat sheep. The anchor must be careful! ]
While waiting, the robot served drinks and Lai Yuanjia picked up the rose sparkling wine and took a big sip.
It tasted good, but he would not say so. Instead, he smacked his lips and said, "It tastes bitter. It's not as good as the one sold in the store downstairs from my house."
The "home" he was referring to was, of course, the home of the main galaxy.
Lai Yuanjia took the wine glass and got on a tour bus while drinking, commenting on the scenery outside the window along the way. These things were not new to him at all. Lai Yuanjia was a little regretful and felt that there might not be any explosive material on this trip.
"Dear tourist, please do not make noise and disturb the normal experience of other tourists."
The tour guide had to try her best to maintain her politeness. She smiled and advised Lai Yuanjia, and continued to introduce, "On this Route A, we will go to a new attraction in Rose Heart, the 'Evil God Castle', and its origin..."
[A castle? Was it newly built in the last few months? Why would you build a castle if you have nothing else to do? Do you want to show off your wealth?]
[I didn’t hear it wrongly. The tour guide said “Gothic style”. How embarrassing. This style has obviously been lost. ]
[Shang Jingyan is a dream builder. She also said that her works are popular. I didn’t even search the encyclopedia. I’m afraid it’s only because of their Exile Galaxy. 】
As Lai Yuanjia listened, he felt that he had found the material and said excitedly: "Believe it or not, that castle must be very crudely made! And you dare to say it is a restoration style? Wait for me to complain. It's almost there, you can see..."
Before he could finish his sentence, his throat suddenly became stuck.
The tour bus turned a corner, and a cliff and the castle on it suddenly appeared in his field of vision, clearly displayed on the computer.
It is entirely black, with dozens of pointed roofs piercing the sky, and half of the walls covered with dark green vegetation, like a lonely king looking down at everyone from above.
There is a lake in front of the castle, and the reflection of the sky forms a perfect mirror image, but the reflection in the lake is partially blocked by the forest landscape, resulting in the real image and the reflection together forming a skull with a crown of thorns.
That kind of beauty is eerie, sharp and intimidating, yet also intuitive and impactful - anyone who understands a certain level of aesthetics will be caught by it at first sight.
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