Chapter Sixteen: The Role of Liu Qingshan

No one had ever asked Liu Qingshan to work so hard, and one day even Jin Xishan commented directly to his face:

“You can’t insist on doing everything yourself. Everyone else has their own roles, and apart from the heavy lifting, you should stay out of the rest!”

Only then did Liu Qingshan restrain himself a little, but after that day, he seemed to grow closer to Jin Xishan.

Forty-three days into filming, he finally finished shooting all the scenes related to Hu Jinghui. On the other side, Chen Long was nearly losing his patience waiting.

Before leaving the crew, Qian Yangqiu deliberately made time to film some personal footage with him.

Everyone knew of his exceptional martial arts—not that he had reached some legendary level, but he was certainly more skilled than most ordinary people. More importantly, his action sequences possessed a unique beauty, and as the assassin Hu Jinghui, he portrayed the venomous, bloody side of the “Viper” with flawless perfection.

Qian Yangqiu also understood that once news of Liu Qingshan’s appearance in “Myth” spread, his reputation would soar. If he didn’t fully tap into Liu Qingshan’s potential now, he’d feel uneasy.

The decision to shoot over five minutes of solo action scenes wasn’t premeditated—it was simply a spontaneous idea.

Liu Qingshan didn’t mind being utilized; in the past, as a bit player, he couldn’t even pay to have people notice him.

This positive attitude made him extremely popular within the crew, and when he left, more than a few people felt reluctant to part with him.

That night, he was to meet up with the “Myth” crew at the provincial airport.

On the drive to the provincial capital, only he, Jin Xishan, and Cui Mingxiu were in the car, along with a few attendants for the two stars.

After enduring the bumpy journey, Jin Xishan was practically shaken apart by the time they arrived, and it was Liu Qingshan who carried her onto the airport shuttle bus.

The two cars they took to the airport had their windshields cracked from the vibration, which showed just how arduous the journey was.

Cui Mingxiu grumbled the whole way; if Jin Xishan hadn’t insisted on not taking the train with the main group, they wouldn’t have suffered so much.

Back then, there was only one train each day from Dunhuang to the provincial capital at a suitable time, and Jin Xishan insisted on waiting to travel with Liu Qingshan.

Cui Mingxiu, forty-two years old, fared even worse than Jin Xishan. He had to be helped onto the shuttle bus.

To placate him, Liu Qingshan showed great consideration, massaging him almost the entire way.

At the airport, after recovering, Cui Mingxiu finally couldn’t help but ask:

“Xishan, do you have feelings for Qingshan? As someone who’s been around, I’ll stop complaining about the journey if you just admit it!”

After more than a month together, he liked Liu Qingshan—a diligent, attentive young man. Jin Xishan was twenty-seven now, and he saw no issue with the age difference.

Jin Xishan reached out and slapped the Korean star, whom she always regarded as a senior, her face flushed with embarrassment.

“What are you saying, Mingxiu oppa? Qingshan is like my younger brother! Besides, look at how poor he is—he couldn’t even afford to buy me a handbag, let alone take responsibility for my life!”

Liu Qingshan paid no mind; this woman had teased him countless times before.

He knew well that Jin Xishan was not a woman obsessed with wealth; she was only saying this to cover up her embarrassment.

They were all adults—some things didn’t need to be laid out so clearly. When it came to feelings, he was still a blank slate and couldn’t decipher her true intentions.

As long as their relationship was good, that was enough for now. What might happen in the future was beyond his current reach.

“Alright, I admit Qingshan is just starting out and not yet on our level, but have you thought about his future? Even Brother Chen Long calls him ‘Master’!”

Clearly, Cui Mingxiu accepted this reasoning.

Liu Qingshan laughed and shook his head. “That’s just a joke when Brother Chen Long’s drunk—don’t take it seriously.”

“But little brother, I’ve learned your martial arts, and you know I had no foundation before, but now I feel much stronger!”

Jin Xishan flexed her right arm to show off her strength.

Cui Mingxiu chuckled. “Come on, you still needed Qingshan to carry you off the bus. Where’s the martial arts prowess in that?”

Jin Xishan protested:

“Mingxiu oppa, I might have looked pitiful, but I was still better off than you! And Qingshan massaged you the whole ride—I recovered on my own!”

“Hmm, now that you mention it, that’s true! Qingshan, tell us—does the martial arts you taught Xishan really help?”

“There’s definitely an effect. The Thirty-Six Flowing Fist is a fascinating style, utterly unlike any other martial arts in existence!”

Though he said so, Liu Qingshan secretly thought to himself.

The Flowing Fist wasn’t so miraculous—it couldn’t compete with the fact that he massaged Jin Xishan every day.

Even martial artists need regular herbs for circulation, and all aerobic exercise aims to nourish the organs this way.

As a skilled martial artist himself, every time Jin Xishan exercised, she’d complain about aches here and there, and his massages were bound to have an effect.

It was their little secret. At that moment, Liu Qingshan glanced sideways at Jin Xishan, who was smiling and winking at him.

On the plane, he sat next to Chen Long and learned about Chen Long’s plans for him.

This trip was to the cliff waterfall at Mount Li. Chen Long had arranged a minor role for him, with only a few scenes.

The character was named Xu Gui, and the film “Myth” tells the story of Emperor Qin Shi Huang sending Xu Fu with three thousand boys and girls and craftsmen to search for the elixir of immortality on an overseas mountain, from which none returned.

Thus began the legend of crossing to Japan, and “Myth” brings this tale to life, though the character who brings back the elixir is a fictional Xu Gui, clearly a shadow of Xu Fu.

Xu Gui protects the elixir of immortality but is besieged by rebels, only to be rescued by Meng Yi, played by Chen Long, before dying at a general’s hand.

This character appears in the latter part of the film, during Meng Yi’s campaign to seize the elixir.

Chen Long explained in detail that while Liu Qingshan’s part was small, his brief appearance would embody the film’s heroic essence.

The film’s sense of tragic grandeur and its emotional climax are concentrated here.

Though Xu Gui’s role is brief, his courage—fighting on despite grave wounds, charging the enemy with sword in hand though knowing he won’t survive—fully displays the heroic spirit.

For such a man, dying alongside General Meng in battle was the greatest honor of his life.

In terms of the story, Xu Gui’s appearance, through direct and indirect actions, greatly enriches the heroic aura of General Meng.

In reality, the character Liu Qingshan created would leave the audience not only moved to tears.

Before his fatal wounds, the scene where he and Chen Long fight together would be one of the film’s climaxes, leaving a profound impression on viewers.