51 Chapter 51
The mothers and elders of the Hehuan Sect chattered endlessly for half an hour about the question "How pitiful the Black Mountain Old Demon is, and how bad the man who practices the ruthless way is." In the end, Ning Shu interrupted them and reminded them that the protagonists of this drama are Nie Xiaoqian and Ning Caichen, otherwise, judging from the situation, they might be able to discuss a whole prequel to "Nie Xiaoqian".
"Ahem! Okay, let's leave the tragic past of the Black Mountain Old Demon for now. Now that the script is almost finished, let's get started on setting up the venue and casting!" Ning Shu put away the thick stack of scripts and was about to adjourn to design the scene props when the sect leader suddenly called her:
"Wait a minute! Shu'er, you didn't gain many fans in the last talent show, and you haven't even established your foundation yet. Why don't you play Nie Xiaoqian this time? That way, the other disciples will be convinced."
Ning Shu is the daughter of the sect leader, and this method of cultivation was also planned by her. This arrangement is the most convincing one.
But Ning Shu thought about it and refused: "This is not appropriate. I am already the director and screenwriter of this drama, and I really don't have the extra energy to be the heroine of this drama.
Furthermore, the original intention of our filming was to create more opportunities for the sisters to cultivate, so for this casting, we should choose some more suitable ones from the inner disciples."
"But your own practice..." The sect leader frowned worriedly and hesitated to speak.
Seeing her mother so worried about her, Ning Shu didn't want her to worry about this issue during her busy schedule, so after a little thought, she proposed a compromise:
"How about this? I'll pick a supporting role that doesn't have many scenes but is very likable! As long as the character is well-developed and attracts a lot of fans, don't worry, mother. I will definitely be able to advance to the Foundation Establishment Stage this time!"
After comforting his frowning mother, Ning Shu began to make various preparations before filming.
Things like the scenery are still very simple. After all, the Hehuan Sect itself is located on a very large archipelago. It is too easy to build a dilapidated but somewhat delicate Lanruo Temple on an uninhabited island. When it is foggy and the water vapor on the lake is filled, anyone sitting in the yard playing the piano will look like a female ghost.
As for the various actors, it was even easier. The Hehuan Sect had no shortage of beautiful sisters. The elders quickly brought the sisters who were qualified to participate in the performance to Ning Shu according to their talent and contributions. Ning Shu stood with his hands behind his back, looking at each of the sisters standing in a row one by one, and finally pointed at a beautiful sister in a white skirt:
"Let this sister try out for the female lead. Nie Xiaoqian had a rough life when she was alive, and after her tragic death, she was forced to do whatever she wanted by the demon. In addition to the feminine and poignant beauty of a female ghost, she should also have an inextricable sorrow. I think this sister is just the right person for the role."
Although she herself doesn't seem very happy.
After choosing the heroine, Ning Shu quickly comforted the other sisters: "Don't be sad, other sisters. In addition to the heroine, we also have other female ghosts such as Black Mountain Old Demon, Qingdai, Mei Niang, Wanchun, etc. who need people to play them. Everyone will have a shot, and everyone will gain fans."
Only after she was sure that there was no resentment on the faces of every actor did she select roles for all of these sisters to audition, gave them scripts so that everyone could familiarize themselves with the roles they were going to play, and only after agreeing on a time for the audition did she send them away.
After finishing all this, she looked at her pale and melancholy sister and asked, "What's your name? I don't think I've seen you before. Are you worried about something? You don't look very happy."
This sister was wearing a white dress without any makeup, with a slender figure and slightly furrowed eyebrows. Even standing on the grass in the bright sunshine at noon, there was a bright and sad atmosphere. She looked a bit like Lin Daiyu, completely different from the other beautiful sisters who wore heavy makeup and were charming and enchanting.
What was going on? Could she be some artistic young woman from the world of cultivation? Ning Shu wasn't quite sure of her temper.
Zixiao seemed to be accustomed to this disciple's behavior. She sighed deeply, walked over and patted the disciple's shoulder in an encouraging manner:
"Zi Qiu, how much time has passed? That batch of new disciples have successfully established their foundations. It's time for you to get over your last relationship, right?"
When she mentioned her sorrow, the woman, who was already filled with sorrow, lowered her head, her fingers like scallions peeling, constantly fiddling with her handkerchief, tears welling up in her eyes like a pool of spring water: "I'm sorry, Master. I really..."
Alas, tears start flowing before I even say a word.
Seeing this sister burst into tears at the slightest disagreement, Ning Shu quickly pulled Zi Xiao, who was always known for hitting on people's sore spots, aside and whispered, "Zi Qiu? That name sounds a little familiar. What happened to her? Did she suffer a breakup?"
"How could it not sound familiar? I told you so long ago!" Zi Xiao rolled her eyes rudely. "Just when you were coming of age, she was head over heels in love with a talented disciple of the Tianyan Sect, and there was also an unreasonable old Taoist blocking the sect gate and cursing at them. Remember?"
"Ah, let me think... Are you talking about the time before we went to the City That Never Sleeps?" Ning Shu squinted his eyes and tried to recall for a long time before finally remembering: "She is the woman who was in love with the disciple of Tianyan Sect?"
Zixiao nodded helplessly: "Yes, and I love you to death."
It turned out that this sister was Zixiao's youngest disciple. As the younger sister in her lineage, Ziqiu had been loved by her master and senior sisters since she entered the sect, and thus developed a naive character. As soon as she reached the age of 15, she couldn't wait to pack up her belongings and secretly run to the outside world.
"What could a little girl like her, who hasn't even established her foundation, accomplish? And yet, she was so stubborn she refused to ask us for help. She was living in danger all by herself in the secret realm, and just by sheer luck, she ran into that brat from the Tianyan Sect..." Zi Xiao held his forehead and sighed, "What a misfortune..."
A talented young man who has just emerged from the Tianyan Sect rescued a naive girl from the Hehuan Sect who was molested by a demon cultivator. With such a romantic beginning, you can imagine what will happen next with your eyes closed.
"This..." Ning Shu paused for a moment and decided not to judge this story of a first love that was full of torment and deep affection. She rubbed the back of her head with a headache: "It's been two or three months, right? Sister Ziqiu still hasn't gotten over it?"
Normally, sisters who have suffered a broken heart would cry for about a month before accepting reality. But this sister Zi Qiu... is really infatuated. Ning Shu's heart is full of sympathy for her.
It turns out that practicing through dating is too dangerous. Only career development is the right way.
"Yes, she has been crying until now." Zi Xiao now has a headache whenever he mentions this little disciple: "Although she has reached the middle stage of foundation building thanks to this relationship, it makes me angry to see her so gloomy every day!
Find her something to do quickly, and make her forget about that brat from Tianyan Sect!"
"Well, such a love-struck person is very suitable to play Nie Xiaoqian." Ning Shu decided to give this sister a chance: "If she passes the audition, then she will play the leading female role!"
"Great! Now we have the filming location, the Spirit Shadow Stone, and the actors for our new play!" Zixiao was overjoyed to finally see an opportunity to help this young disciple get over the trauma of a broken heart. She clapped her hands and couldn't wait to set a time: "Let's go to the already arranged Qilan Island for the audition in a week!"
"Wait, the filming location, the Spirit Shadow Stone, the director, the actors... Why do I feel like I've forgotten something..." Ning Shu felt like something was wrong. She frowned and thought for a while: "Speaking of which, Sister Zixiao, why did you only send the actresses? What about the actors?"
Zixiao's expression finally went blank for a moment, and then she said nonchalantly, "Oh, I forgot."
"Forgot? How could I forget something so important?" Ning Shu clutched his head, lost in thought. "Other minor roles are fine, but how can this movie be made without Ning Caichen and Yan Chixia? The story simply can't go on, right?!"
"Tsk, how can a few stinky men be that important... Didn't you forget about it just now..." Zi Xiao muttered unconvincedly, and then immediately proposed a solution: "What's so difficult about this? It's just men, right? There are so many male favorites who have surrendered to our Hehuan Sect, can't we just pick two?"
"Will this really work..." Ning Shu sighed tiredly, and followed Zixiao's footsteps to the island where the male favorite lived for the first time.
"How's it going? Every one of them is a handsome man, right?" Zixiao waved generously at the handsome men standing in a row under the porch, "Pick any one you like, and you can take them away today!"
"Don't make it sound like I'm visiting a brothel!" Ning Shu sighed tiredly, and looked carefully at those handsome men. She even walked to a muscular man and circled around him to observe him several times. The man couldn't hide the joy on his face at all. He showed off his muscles and kept winking at Ning Shu.
Ning Shu: ...
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Perhaps her expression of disdain was too distorted, Zi Xiao couldn't help but chuckle, "What? No one you like?"
Ning Shu quickly ran back to Zixiao: "Sister Zixiao, after reading the script, what do you think of Yan Chixia and Ning Caichen?"
"Yan Chixia should be that kind of serious and old-fashioned knight, with superb martial arts skills and a strong sense of justice. I think he might be a sword cultivator." Zixiao stroked his chin and replied while thinking about it:
"Ning Caichen... is a nerd. He didn't even get the hint from Nie Xiaoqian... Haha, I think it would be fun to tease him.
But he's a good man. Not only did he remain calm, he was also willing to risk his life for a woman who once wanted to harm him. Although he doesn't want to admit it, he is indeed a good lover."
"You admit they're both good people, right?" Ning Shu frowned and pointed at the row of male favorites with flirtatious eyes. "Do you think any of them meet the criteria?"
It would be better to say that such old-fashioned knights and simple nerds would never go to the Hehuan Sect to sell their bodies!
"This... but a man who meets your requirements will never cooperate with us, right?" Zi Xiao looked at Ning Shu, who was frowning, and had no good solution. The two looked at each other for a long time, and Zi Xiao tentatively suggested:
"How about we just find these people to fill in the male roles? Our real protagonist is Nie Xiaoqian anyway."
"Oh, no. Sister Zixiao, the audience's perception of a character is also largely influenced by the character's partner." Ning Shu sighed with a sad face.
"Think about it, if Ning Caichen was a male concubine, how good would Nie Xiaoqian, who was in love with her, be? If you were the audience, would you be able to accept it?"
Because the heroine Nie Xiaoqian was most likely to be played by Zixiao's disciple Ziqiu, Zixiao tried to imagine a scene where Ziqiu was willing to die for a male favorite.
Zixiao: ...
"No! She might as well go and date that brat from the Tianyan Sect!" Zixiao instantly transformed into the violent Black Mountain Old Demon: "Find him! I must find him! I'll dig deep into the ground to find a kind and infatuated Ning Caichen!"
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