Chapter 31 Watching the Movie 1
I was quite confident in the quality because I had seen it before.
Upon seeing the content, all four people in the room were immediately invigorated, because the modeling technology of 3D animation is now so advanced that the scenery in the images is so realistic that even a god could not distinguish it from reality.
Lu Xiaofeng and Sikong Zhaixing were alright, since the so-called "CG" called "The Sword Under Heaven" that Lu Yusheng had shown them before also had this realistic style.
Zhu Ting and Duan Yu were far more surprised than the two of them. The images on the screen were too impactful. The characters might lack a bit of life, but the scenery inside was almost indistinguishable from reality.
Oh, the only difference is that real-life scenery isn't as beautiful everywhere as it is.
Zhu Ting's interest in the content she mentioned playing was always less than the technology itself.
Faced with this scene, even he couldn't help but become curious about the story that was about to be told.
The story begins with a vast sea of flowers. Even having witnessed the blooming spring in Dali, Duan Yu would find it difficult to compare which was more beautiful.
Beneath the crimson spider lilies, two women in white, lying down with similar appearances, stood out conspicuously.
But once you see their features clearly, that abruptness transforms into a subtle harmony.
In their eyes, the beauty of 3D modeling is much more objective than that of shadow puppetry or opera. It doesn't even need to be highlighted with deliberately ugly characters; just looking at it, one can feel its refined and otherworldly quality.
Unfortunately, in front of these two white-haired twin sisters stood an old Taoist priest dressed in a strange robe.
As the camera zooms in, focusing on the old Taoist's back, the huge wounds on the waists and abdomens of the two women lying in front of him become increasingly noticeable.
It's like a beautiful gemstone getting cracked, or a clean painting being smeared with dirty water, making one feel a sense of regret.
The old Taoist's actions did not stop just because the two beautiful women lost their ability to resist. He held a blood-stained peach wood sword in his left hand and quickly drew runes in the air with his right hand.
Once the runes took shape, they automatically floated down towards the two sisters below, and the expressions of the two women enveloped by the runes became ferocious and painful.
"Are those two girls monsters?" Duan Yu couldn't bear to watch any longer, so he casually turned his head and asked Lu Yusheng beside him.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yusheng first recalled the plot. Fortunately, the character model was so excellent that even cannon fodder characters would have some impression. This recollection actually brought back some memories.
So he gave a somewhat vague reply: "Um... I guess it doesn't count."
Having received what he considered a subtle spoiler, Duan Yu felt somewhat relieved and sat up straight to continue reading.
As the two women were sealed by the curse, the scene on the screen quickly changed.
The world changes, and all things change.
Several years later, when the plains here had gradually transformed into a snow-capped mountain, a dozen scholars arrived here, weary from their journey.
The young man at the head of the group had an ordinary appearance but was dressed in extraordinary clothes, clearly the leader of the group.
They were stranded nearby by the snowstorm, but when the farmers told them about a wonderful place in the mountains where it never snows and where it's spring all year round, they immediately became interested.
As the group helped each other into the mountains, they were pleasantly surprised to find that the valley the farmer had described actually existed. The actions of constantly rubbing their arms to relieve the cold gradually stopped.
While the characters in the play were still exploring the valley with newfound curiosity, Lu Xiaofeng, who was observing carefully outside the play, had already guessed something from the familiar landscape.
He asked proactively, "Is this the valley they arrived at the place where the twins were sealed off before?"
Lu Yusheng nodded affirmatively.
Seeing their communication, Sikong Zhaixing became even more curious. When Duan Yu asked earlier, Lu Yusheng said that the two were not monsters, so how could they have been sealed for so long?
The scholars in the scene had turned this secluded paradise in the valley upside down, and finally gathered around a dense thicket of leaves.
The well-dressed scholar at the head of the group tapped his folding fan and exclaimed, "Outside it's freezing cold, but here it's lush and green. It truly is a wonderful place where spring lasts all year round."
"Yes, yes, it's all thanks to Young Master Zhao." The supporters around him immediately chimed in.
After listening to the compliments with a smile, the leading scholar surnamed Zhao changed the subject and said to the others behind him, "It's not necessarily hotter here than outside. There might be some treasure here. Dig it up."
As soon as he finished speaking, some scholars who cherished flowers and plants tried to stop him, but gave up because the other side had more people and strength.
As soon as he issued the order, several simply dressed scholars exchanged glances and reluctantly began to act.
Most of his subordinates flatter him only because of his father's power; they have no intention of truly serving him. Now that they've been assigned tasks, they naturally won't do them wholeheartedly.
Even if you try to get away with it, you can't withstand sudden changes—
A scholar, whose hair was disheveled from working, suddenly cried out in surprise and took several steps back.
"It's two sets of human bones!"
The young scholar who had dug up the bones with his own hands could barely walk, and kept backing away until he bumped into someone else.
He looked at his hands, trembling, feeling utterly disgusted. How was this any different from digging up someone else's grave?
The arrogant leader boldly went over and started searching.
The corpse's clothes had long since decayed over the years, and they began to tear when the man gently tugged at them.
The man searched in vain and was about to leave in disappointment when he was suddenly drawn to a faint light coming from the mouth of one of the corpses. He immediately pried open the teeth and found something.
He was overjoyed and picked up the bead that was shimmering with a faint glow to examine it carefully. Then, despite the disdainful or envious looks from the people behind him, he put it into his pocket.
Unfortunately, they found nothing of the other skeleton.
Zhao Bowen was about to get angry when he caught a glimpse of the faint light emanating from the pearl in his arms, and his expression gradually softened.
He spat casually, then returned to the cave entrance with the bead in his arms and arranged for people to set up a simple temporary camp.
The others lagged a few steps behind, somewhat at a loss, and finally had no choice but to catch up.
Only one person lagged behind the crowd gathered ahead, stood still for a long time, and then reburied the two sets of remains.
night--
After eating their rations around the fire, the group chatted for a while. When they returned to the small campsite they had set up in the cave, they suddenly discovered a huge hammer pattern on the ground.
Upon seeing the pattern, everyone's first reaction was to assume that a classmate had deliberately carved it into the soil, but after asking around, no one admitted it.
Furthermore, the lines of the drawing were drawn with such precision, without any trace of erasure or modification by mud. Such an effect could only be achieved if the drawing was executed without the slightest tremor or skewness; it's simply...
It's simply not something a human could draw.
"No way..." someone in the crowd muttered quietly.
Having just offended the corpse, this incident occurred, and everyone instinctively looked at Young Master Zhao walking in the center.
Those who disdained to associate with him immediately voiced their suspicions, implying that he had offended the two sets of remains and attracted ghosts.
Hearing the whispers around him and the glances directed at him, Zhao Bowen roared, "Who did this? You're trying to pull a fast one, step forward right now!"
Seeing that he seemed very angry, the murmurs immediately subsided, but still no one came forward to admit it.
The scene froze for a moment.
Zhao Bowen felt he had lost face and wanted to make a scene again, but it was already late at night, and he couldn't keep quiet about them.
After all, they were all in the same academy, and not everyone present was an ordinary person; there were bound to be a few who weren't afraid of him.
In the end, they could only give up reluctantly.
However, just as dawn broke the next day, the screams that rang out again woke everyone up.
"You don't want to live anymore, do you?! Who's so insolent as to deserve a lesson?!"
Zhao Bowen, who hadn't slept well, was furious. If he had known these people would cause so much trouble, he would have had someone prepare another cave for him last night, no matter how tired he was. Why did he have to suffer here?
The person who had spoken was much quieter after being yelled at, but still couldn't help but defend himself in a trembling voice: "No... Young Master Zhao, look..."
The others, who had been woken up at the same time, all turned their gazes from him to the direction he was pointing, and then couldn't help but gasp.
Just a few feet away from where they were sleeping, against the wall, stood a huge rock, half a person's height, that had appeared out of nowhere. And beneath the rock lay a person...
Judging from how dry the blood that oozed from under the person's body was, he had probably been dead for some time.
"Murder...murder!"
Zhao Bowen naturally witnessed the scene as well, and was now filled with shock and anger. However, amidst the surrounding commotion, he caught a few words: "Look here..."
A sudden sense of foreboding rose in his heart, and he quickly pushed aside the men and rushed over. He saw that the ground that had previously had the marks had become as smooth as ever.
The patterns that were originally inconspicuous in the black soil could no longer be found no matter how hard they looked.
Sure enough, the surrounding chatter resumed the next second.
"—Everyone saw it last night, right..."
"You mean that pattern that suddenly appeared?"
"Could it be a monster?"
However, it was not the hot-tempered and easily angered Zhao Bowen who broke the silence of these discussions.
After all, they were sleeping in a cave, and the accommodations were basic. At night, they would sleep together in a row with people they knew.
The person who had been sleeping next to the dead was already terrified. After vomiting twice, he was even more frightened by the sight. He cried out, "It's retribution! This is retribution!" and rushed out despite the wind and snow.
When Duan Yu saw the mangled corpse beneath the boulder after it was moved, he couldn't help but hiss in surprise, clearly startled.
But when he turned to look at the expressions of the other people around him, they all seemed indifferent, as if the scene that he found so impactful had not caused any panic or other thoughts among them.
Under the dim light, almost everyone had a serious expression on their face.
Hua Manlou was alright, since his main purpose here was to keep someone company. This part was mainly due to the various shouting and yelling sounds that made him uncomfortable, but he remained indifferent the rest of the time.
The remaining three—Lu Xiaofeng, Sikong Zhaixing, and even Zhu Ting, who was a technical worker—all looked completely unfazed.
The only hint of surprise came from the realism of the screen images rather than from the content.
"Didn't you say it wasn't a monster?" he muttered somewhat discontentedly.
Lu Xiaofeng responded first: "What she had in her mouth wasn't some kind of bead to keep the body from decaying, and there was no sign of the corpse rising after it was taken away, so it probably wasn't a ghost or monster."
"Aren't monsters and ghosts different?" Zhu Ting, who had been watching in silence, added, "What if it's not a monster but a vengeful spirit?"
Seeing that the group had started arguing, even though Lu Yusheng really wanted to say something, he refrained from giving away any spoilers for the sake of the audience's experience.
—After all, someone had just died. Even though the body had been temporarily collected by the deceased's close friends, it was still a bit creepy to be there.
Fortunately, there was more than one cave in the valley. They found another, cleaner one, chased away the wild animals that lived in the cave, and then moved in.
"Since there are still such weak animals in this valley, there shouldn't be too much danger," Lu Xiaofeng commented upon seeing this scene.
Sikong Zhaixing echoed her sentiments, but the two did not engage in further discussion and continued watching quietly.
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