Three days passed by without any issues and all was peaceful. And so, Wen Jiexi didn't pay any more mind to the two schemers. After all, she wasn't about to let her acting get affected because of two random people who appeared in her life. If they didn't try to hurt her, she doesn't care what they do. Instead, she focused on completing the missions.
Because so many of her scenes were passed in one take, Wen Jiexi received a lot of points in reward. In just a short period of time, her golden mission had already reached 80% and there was still over half a month left, meaning she could save up some points to use for herself.
Furthermore, Wen Jiexi's performance satisfied Dango's agenda as well and the little ghost even encouraged Wen Jiexi to take things slowly and not to be so anxious. Dango even advised they go out and play which caused Wen Jiexi to not know whether to laugh or cry.
However, she was stuck on one scene during one of the last few days. It was the same scene from her audition. Even after three takes, she couldn't satisfy the director and the Director shook her head and told Wen Jiexi to come back tomorrow. With no other choice, she had to beg Sister Su to help her out.
She never expected that conveying expression with her eyes was more difficult than she thought, especially if one couldn't move their facial muscles. Even the best actress or actor would at least need a year or two to act without moving their facial muscles, let alone Wen Jiexi who only had a short time to do so. So she could only exchange 6,000 points for an elementary acting skill book. The results were instantaneous and she passed the scene easily. She was even praised by Director Xie for a long time who said she made great progress in just one night's worth of practice.
Wen Jeixi could only smile bitterly at that. Although technically she had worked hard to earn those points and buy the skill book, she felt conflicted that her achievements resulted from skill books and not her own ability. She also didn't expect that using only one elementary acting skill book would allow her to obtain such great results. However, she guessed that the skill book was probably equivalent to one year of a hard-working actor's acting experience. As for the intermediate and advanced skill books, she would have to wait until her level is high enough to buy it and earn as many points in the meanwhile.
Today, the atmosphere was dreary and gray as last night's showers caused a fog to settle in. Director Xie was very excited by this change in weather and gathered everyone, saying they were going to film the 'secret realm scene'.
This 'secret realm scene' is titled 'The mystery in the mist' in the script. Although it is written as a secret realm, it is actually a small pocket dimension hidden in the fog. The pocket dimension holds countless treasures but whether or not a character could find the entrance to the dimension, however, depends on one's luck.
Of course, the male and female leads had all the luck in the world and while visiting the Tieshanbao Sect, they stumbled upon a secret entrance to the pocket dimension. The entrance was opened and a large number of cultivators rushed to explore this mysterious realm for treasure. However, this mysterious secret realm was actually a legacy left by one of the Demon Sects. The male protagonist just happened to stumble upon an inheritance of cultivation and techniques left behind for a worthy heir of demonic descent. This secret realm was also where the first step in the relationship between the female lead and the male lead was taken.
Wen Jiexi, as the Right Protector, also entered the realm but not for treasure hunting. She couldn't care less about those low-level artifacts. Instead, she was looking for the fog spirits that created the mysterious fog. The spirits were not only unique and something of the legends, but no one had managed to catch one before. The reason was not that the spirits are strong but that that they were very fast and their physical bodies blended in with the fog. Their bodies were only about the size of two palms and their hair was all white so it was like searching for a needle in a haystack. And of course, it wasn't the Right Protector who wanted a fog spirit but her boss who felt bored and wanted to 'try playing' with one.
With her peerless strength, the Right Protector was able to catch one of fog spirits. During her fight with the spirit, the Eldest Young Lady of the Tieshanbao Sect, Feng Qing'er, quietly hid in the shadows and waited for the battle to finish. When the battle was over, she saw the fog spirit in the Right Protector's hands and was overwhelmed with greed. She immediately rushed up despite the many bodyguards that tried to dissuade her and….it ended up being a massacre…
To sum it up, in this entire part of the story, Wen Jiexi only had about two scenes. The first was to face the fog spirit and the second was the scene with Ye Xinxin. And although the girl hasn't done anything, Wen Jiexi really didn't want a ticking time bomb so close to her. Just because they were quiet now didn't mean they wouldn't explode later.
"Jiexi, there's a new mission! A red one!" Dango exclaimed, pointing at the rare red mission that appeared.
What the-?! Wen Jiexi jumped. If she remembered correctly, a red mission is often dangerous and deadly but the reward was high and she could not refuse the mission.
"This, let me see….avoid the evil schemes from your neighbor? Mission rewards are….50, 000 points! Failure to complete….will result in minor injuries at the very least and permanent disability at the worst."
"Tss…." Wen Jiexi gasped a little. The reward was 50, 000 points! But the punishment…..
"Jiexi, what's wrong?" Hearing Wen Jiexi's gasp, Li Lingmeng turned around and asked.
"Nothing, nothing, I'm fine. I just accidentally bumped into something." Wen Jiexi said with a wave of her hand.
"Is that so? Well, be careful. We should gather our things and start heading out." Li Lingmeng nodded and then urged quietly as she watched the rest of the crew making their way out.
"I got it. Oh, is Sister Xue still not here?" Wen Jiexi looked around. She hasn't seen Sister Xue for two days now and it seemed that Sister Xue was even eating her meals in her room.
"Yeah, Sister Xue said something came up with her family, so we're on our own for the next few days." Li Lingmeng said with a shrug.
"Well, let's get going then." Wen Jiexi nodded. She wasn't going to pry into Xue Molin's private affairs and a proud person like Xue Molin wouldn't appreciate her help anyways.
The crew and cast soon arrived at their destinations. The crew set up the dressing room tents as quickly as possible, hoping they can grasp this golden period. The fog didn't appear every day after all. If they miss their opportunity here, they will have to depend on their luck for the next chance or even move to another place. If they can't finish shooting before the fog clears up then they might even have to create their own fog manually but then the overall effect wouldn't be as good.
"Please follow the order of the scenes for today's shooting when putting on makeup. Actors and actresses in the first scene will get priority. We will begin in 20 minutes. If the costume and makeup team can speed up your work, please do! I do not want to delay the shooting because of the makeup! Everyone, bring out your A-game today!" Director Xie shouted loudly through her speaker horn and hurried the crew in an anxious tone.
Wen Jiexi sat to the side as she would be in one of the last few scenes. She was in no hurry to put on her makeup and Li Lingmeng and Wen Ting sat beside her as well. Li Lingmeng took notes on her notepad from time to time and Wen Ting leisurely fanned herself with the script. Today's scenes did not include her so she basically had the day off. And although her personality was bold and rambunctious, she would not bother others if they were studying their script or concentrating on their roles. This is why Wen Jiexi held the script in front of her face to avoid getting sucked into a conversation with Wen Ting.
Dango, are there any hints from the system? Wen Jiexi frowned. Avoid the schemes of your neighbor…..this mission was too vague. Yes, she understood what the words meant but where were the details?
"I don't know either. This mission requires the contractor to find out the details by themselves." Dango replied helplessly.
Hearing those words, Wen Jiexi frowned. She didn't expect the red mission to not give any clues at all. Do I have to wait for the crisis to come to me first? Wen Jiexi thought anxiously. She brought up the system's shop and swiped through the options. If she remembered correctly, Dango did say there was a filtering function….
Dango, didn't you say that the shop has everything I need? Is there something that can give me clues regarding a mission? I remember there was something like that last time.
"An item that gives out hints, huh?" Dango tilted its head and then nodded.
"Ah! Yes! There are many like that! But the cheapest one is about 1,000 points."
With the reward being 50,000 points, only a fool wouldn't spend at least 1,000 to ensure their own safety.
Give me one that provides specific hints in regard to the mission and then we'll wait and see what happens before we buy something else. Wen Jiexi decided while rubbing her chin.
"Alright! Then there is this one-time item right over here! Using it will give you important clues." Dango suggested.
Alright, that one then.
Wen Jiexi watched as Dango clicked on the corner and a panel appeared in front of its little arms. There was only a red button on the screen. After pressing it, there was some static before it stopped and Dango showed Wen Jiexi the screen. There were only three words: Ye Xinxin. After a few seconds, the panel shattered and disappeared. Just like Dango said, it was only a one-time item.
"Wasn't Ye Xinxin, that psycho that was really hostile against Jiexi?" Dango returned to Wen Jiexi's side and said hotly.
Yeah, who knows what she's up to. We'll watch and then act appropriately. Wen Jiexi looked over and saw Ye Xinxin walk out in her costume. A cold glint flashed in her eyes. She really wanted to see what Ye Xinxin was going to do that would classify this as a red mission.
Her face had turned sunny and then gloomy, causing the two sitting by Wen Jiexi to look at her strangely.
Li Lingmeng: I hope she didn't suffer some kind of shock.
Wen Ting: Wha, she's so serious! I have to study my script diligently too!
Obviously Wen Jiexi wasn't reading the script but dealing with her inner emotions. After giving the other two a heads up, she walked over to the shooting site. Currently, the scene is when the secret realm first opens was being acted out. The male and female lead watched as a crowd from Tieshanbao entered the realm. They, however, did not enter immediately. After all, they might be separated by the mysterious forces behind the realm. Of course, the plot armor protected the male and female lead by sending them into the heart of the realm while the other cultivators were scattered all over.
And because this realm was located near Tieshanbao's home ground, every elite cultivator from Tieshanbao was sent into the realm. This also gave Feng Qing'er the confidence she needed to face the Right Protector. However, this provocation of the Right Protector would cause many of the elites to die or get seriously injured and reduced the Tieshanbao Sect into a third-rate cultivation clan.
Seeing the handsome and manly Yan Haocheng, Feng Qing'er stuck to him annoyingly and even insulted the female lead. However, this particular scene seemed to have gone through many takes already. Apparently Ye Xinxin's expression and the tone weren't enough for the Director. Director Xie was angry and furious, she was on the verge of exploding. Wen Jiexi watched from the side and only pursed her lips. After a while, she left and went back into the dressing room tent. However, she did not notice Ye Xinxin glance at her with eyes full of viciousness and evil intent.
"Cut!" Director Xie's eyes were breathing fire, she had called 'cut!' so many times by now and they still haven't gotten it right!
"Ye Xinxin, was it? I just said that you need to act more passionately! You keep forcing me to call 'cut!' and it's still only the first scene?! Did you not get enough sleep yesterday or didn't eat enough during breakfast? Are you even here to act or are you here to fool around?!"
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Ye Xinxin bowed and apologized. She was full of indignation but when she thought about what she had prepared today for Wen Jiexi, her eyes turned all fiery and she put on a sincere appearance when she raised her head. After staying with the crew for a few days, it can be said that even Ye Xinxin has improved her skills.
"Come on, give me a good show! You have a lot of parts today, so I'll give you one more chance." Seeing that Ye Xinxin's attitude has been respectful these past few days, Director Xie's anger levels dropped slightly and she waved a hand.
"Yes, yes, I will do my best!"
"Alright, action!"
Wen Jiexi returned to the tent and glanced around to see Zhong Liwen standing outside. She was among the Guanghua artists and many of them were trying to quietly flatter her in hopes of gaining her favor. Zhong Liwen looked calm but she would look towards Ye Xinxin worriedly every now and then. She noticed Wen Jiexi's gaze and nodded at her with a smile.
What a hypocritical smile, maybe the potential crisis might be related to her. Wen Jiexi thought internally but smiled back.
"Eh, Jiexi, what did you come back so soon?" Wen Ting looked up in surprise at Wen Jiexi who had left and then returned just as quickly.
"Ye Xinxin is in a poor state right now. She's getting lots of 'cuts' and since there was nothing to really watch, I came back." Wen Jiexi sat down and shrugged.
"Getting a lot of 'cuts'? Hah, of course, she is. Just look at how proud she acts every time she finishes a scene. She acts like she's' the most talented newcomer here, but I don't think she has anything to be proud of." Wen Ting sneered.
"Huh? She's been talking to you? She's not avoiding you?" Wen Jiexi raised an eyebrow. Although she didn't pay attention during these past few days, she could still tell that Ye Xinxin was avoiding her. She had thought that maybe Zhong Liwen told the girl to lay low and not cause any trouble. She didn't expect that the girl was just avoiding her and only her. This made her confirm that she was their target.
"Avoiding me? Eh, well I guess she is appearing less and less in front of me but even when she does I wouldn't give her the time of the day." Wen Ting replied.
"It's best if you just ignore her." Wen Jiexi nodded in agreement.
"Little Xi, the teacher gave me a recording of the lecture yesterday. She also told us we have to watch carefully and that we can't fall behind." Li Lingmeng shook her phone and smiled bitterly. On it were three folders full of data.
"It took me an entire night to download everything."
"Ugh…so much!" Wen Jiexi felt dismayed at the news and grabbed the phone to look through it. Sure enough, each folder was packed full of information and it was enough to make her want to vomit blood.
"You still have to study? Tsk, tsk, you guys sure work hard." Wen Ting also approached curiously, looked at the words on the screen, and then patted the two of them with a sympathetic look on her face.
"And you don't have to? Do you not have any exams?" Wen Jiexi asked in surprise.
"Yeah I do, but I'm a fine arts student and a gifted one at that. I only need to hand over ten pieces of artwork per semester. They all have to be different media to like watercolor, pencil, oil paint, etc." Wen Ting said with a smile.
Wen Jiexi and Li Lingmeng looked at Wen Ting in disbelief. This girl is an art student? And a gifted one? Really?!
"Hey, hey, what's with your expressions?" Wen Ting pouted and slipped out her phone.
"This is some of my work. You can't say I lied to you now!"
On the screen were many photos. There were different pieces of art, from fruits and landscapes to animals and portraits, each was different and beautiful in their own way.
Wen Jiexi and Li Lingmeng glanced at each other. Sure enough, art students are hard to understand. This girl is so good at it so why is she becoming an actress for? This is such a waste of talent!
Time passed quickly and except for the first scene, the following ones were smooth and didn't need to be repeated more than three times.
"Alright, let's start the next one! Ready? Action!" Director Xie shouted.
The Right Protector entered the mysterious realm. She didn't move from her spot and watched her surroundings calmly. She moved slowly forward and met a few people along the way but no matter what they did she ignored them. She encountered exotic beasts and magic weapons but ignored them all. She arrived at a field of precious and magical plants, and an unexplainable something flashed in her eyes.
She stretched out her hand and a bloody spiritual power poured out of her palms. Instantly, the flowers and plants disappeared, turning into a sea of blood. In a blink of an eye, the field disappeared and instead, countless handsome men and women appeared in front of her. They threw countless flirty looks at the Right Protector but she only waved her hand again and the mirage turned into the sea of blood again. The third transformation had countless magical artifacts and treasures appeared. The bright light emitted within the center treasure chest, could it be a special item?!
Every single item would cause one to be blind with envy and greed. Yet, the Right Protector's heart did not move. For this was all but a mirage, an illusion. Moving a single finger, her red spiritual power shot into dozens of directions, and the illusion shattered like a mirror.
In the center of her web of spiritual strands was the fog spirit. And because the spirit was caught, the true appearance of the field appeared. Instead of beautiful flowers, there were terrible spiked lines and a huge flower in the middle. A precious artifact sat in the center of the flower, but the flower's mouth was barbed with sharp teeth that would kill any gullible prey instantly.
The Ghost Needle Flower. A rare planet that holds vicious toxins that can cause any cultivator, regardless of spiritual power, to be lost in its trap. The vines would then wrap around its victim and then the flower would use them as nutrients. The seamless cooperation between the spirit and the plant would cause any greedy person to die immediately.
But it was still a useful thing. The Right Protector's hand stretched out and the entire Ghost Needle Flower was uprooted. The flower seemed to understand it had met a powerful foe and wanted to counterattack with its vine. However, the attack simply bounced off the Right Protector's barrier and it was then sucked into the many storage rings she had on her hands. A storage ring that could hold a living thing was far and few but as the Right Protector, she was entitled to such rarity.
"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!" The Fog spirit screamed and struggled but could not break free of its binding. It used it's small sharp teeth to bite down on the threads holding it still but no matter how much it tried it could not break the thread. It squeaked anxiously but ceased its struggle when it saw its plant partner was subdued so easily.
The Right Protector gently touched the fog spirit's forehead and the fog spirit slowly fell in unconsciousness. The Right Protector picked up the spirit and was about to leave when a female voice sounded out. The Right Protector looked up to see a crowd of people in front of her, including the Eldest Young Miss of Tieshanbao.
"Cut! Good! Everyone get ready for the battle scene! Jiexi, you're the main protagonist of the scene so be prepared!" Director Xie ordered.
"Understood." Wen Jiexi nodded and looked through the corner of her eyes at Ye Xinxin.
Dango, I believe the mission has a time limit, right? But why hasn't Ye Xinxin done anything yet….
"Yes, it says here you still have two hours left. If nothing happens when time runs out, I think it should be regarded as completing the mission." Dango said and then circled around Ye Xinxin.
"I feel nothing different from her…where's the danger?"
I don't know. Either way, let's be careful.
The scene was in a small valley. The walls of the valley were about as tall as three people stacked together. The crew cleaned up the area and cleared it of any obtrusive weeds as the Right Protector stood facing the people blocking her.
Of course, the walls of the valley were not considered short but it was easy for the fog to float in and obscured the vision slightly. Three cameras were being set up, all shooting from different angles.
Wen Jiexi walked along the small canyon and confirmed the terrain. She was trying to find anything dangerous but nothing appeared after a while. She could only wait for the filming to begin.
"Get ready…and Action!"
The Right Protector carried the fog spirit in her hands and turned around, but the exit was promptly blocked by a crowd of people. Feng Qing'er stepped out and spoke first.
"This Young Lady saw the light of radiance just now so there must be treasure here!"
"But Miss, this place is close to the middle of the realm, we don't know what danger could be here." A male voice sounded as he tried to persuade the young lady. Instead, he was slapped.
"When did I give you permission to speak! When did you get the right to speak back against me! This treasure looks valuable, so this Young Lady must get it!" Feng Qing'er spoke arrogantly. Then she saw the Right Protector. She had walked around for so long and had seen no treasure at all, so she believed that it must be the Right Protector who stole the treasures. Furthermore, seeing what looked like a cute little beast in the woman's hands, the girl's eyes lit up in excitement. Seeing the plain clothes on the Right Protector, she said in a disdainful voice,
"You over there! Hand over what you have as long as your pet to this Young Lady."
Unfortunately for the girl, this Right Protector didn't respond at all and looked on indifferently.
"I said, hand it over! Are you dumb? Are you some mute who can't even talk?!"
"Eldest Young Lady….this person's cultivation…I can't see through it." The man covered his swollen cheek and looked at the girl with a trace of disgust.
"Can't see her cultivation level? So what? She only one independent cultivator. How dare she go against our Tieshanbao?" Feng Qing'er snorted. At the same time, she was jealous of the unknown cultivator's exquisite appearance and ordered mercilessly,
"Go up there and kill her! No…I want you to cut off all her limbs! torture her well and good!"
After saying so, no one dared to defy her orders.
The disciples of the Tieshanbao sect only looked at each other and then at the woman in black with sympathy before they pulled out their swords and rushed forward.
Wen Jiexi stood calmly on the spot and didn't panic at the countless people rushing at her. This was all part of the script but the smile on Ye Xinxin's face cause her stomach to sink,
Then Dango screamed, "Jiexi! There are real swords mixed in with the props! Watch out!"