Chapter 88: Chapter 87: The Flex is Too Strong, Please Tone It Down

"My bad, my bad, I was totally wrong!" Zhang Hang raised his hands in surrender. "I was just playing it up for the camera!"

Gu Zhao reached out and tapped the table, stating his condition. "You can be our driver tomorrow."

"No problem! I’m a pro driver, super steady on the road." Zhang Hang made an OK sign, then pointed to the young man across from him. "He’s a professional cameraman. He’ll handle the filming."

The young man’s name was Li Hui. He was an employee Zhang Hang had hired as an assistant for his videos, responsible for filming, editing, and all sorts of miscellaneous tasks.

Jiang Shishi smiled. "Make sure you get our good sides tomorrow, me and Xiaoya."

Li Hui was young and energetic, and he nodded eagerly. "Don’t worry, I’ll make you look gorgeous. I absolutely guarantee you’ll look more beautiful than the Immortal Sister and outshine the three beauties from *Immortal Sword*!"

Jiang Shishi had originally planned for them to film their parts separately and edit them together later. But now that they had a driver and a cameraman, she knew they had to prepare properly for the next day.

The group then started discussing where to film the next day.

"I have two cars," Zhang Hang said. "I’ll drive one, and Li Hui can drive the other."

"No need. We have a car, too. We just got the plates a few days ago," Xiao Ya said, politely declining. She then joked, "We can’t afford a house in Yangcheng, so we had to settle for a car to get around."

Zhang Hang grinned, patting Gu Zhao on the shoulder, and asked with great anticipation, "So, are you riding with me tomorrow, or with them?"

Gu Zhao shot Zhang Hang a sideways glance. "Is that even a question?"

Xiao Ya pursed her lips into a small smile, and Jiang Shishi continued, "Since we have two cars, we can go a bit farther. We were originally planning to find a quiet temple or Taoist Temple in the city for the shoot. How about we go to White Cloud Mountain now?"

Zhang Hang asked for Li Hui’s opinion. Li Hui was all for it. "White Cloud Mountain is perfect. It’s huge, so we won’t be bothered by tourists. We can get great shots pretty much anywhere!"

So, early the next morning, Gu Zhao got a call and went downstairs. A pale purple SUV was waiting at the entrance of his residential complex, its hazard lights blinking. Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi had their windows down, drawing a slew of admiring glances.

Then, Gu Zhao nonchalantly slid into the back seat, which was met by a chorus of clicks and murmurs from the onlookers.

"Wow, that kid’s got some game, having two beautiful women come pick him up!"

"That’s the newest Zhijie SUV. Starts at nearly 300,000. They must be rich."

"Kept man. Ptooey!"

In the car, Gu Zhao eyed the two massive bags of clothes and props surrounding him, forcing him to squeeze into a corner. "Did you really need to bring all this?"

"You have to be fully prepared so nothing goes wrong," Jiang Shishi said matter-of-factly. "I even brought you a Knight’s Armor set and a sword. I originally thought we were just going to do a casual shoot today, but since you brought your friend along, we might as well take it seriously."

Xiao Ya asked, "Should we pay your friend for his time?"

"No need," Gu Zhao said with a wave of his hand. "We’re neighbors and grew up together. He used to come over to my place for free meals all the time. You don’t have to be so formal."

After a short pause, Gu Zhao continued, "He’s not short on cash, he just likes to have fun. Right now, he’s treating this short video thing as a career. We can just do a collab with him later as thanks."

Xiao Ya smiled and nodded. "Sounds good!"

「 」

White Cloud Mountain isn’t far from Yangcheng, making it the top choice for locals looking for a mountain getaway.

While not particularly high in elevation, the mountain covers a vast area and is extremely well-developed. It’s divided into numerous separate scenic zones offering something for everyone: walking the kids or the dog, taking an after-dinner stroll, hiking, general recreation, flower viewing, bird watching—you name it.

Xiao Ya drove to the designated meeting spot and found Zhang Hang and Li Hui already waiting in the parking lot, their hands full of bags, big and small, containing filming equipment.

"We’ll film in three spots," said Jiang Shishi, who had stayed up late planning the night before. "First, the natural scenery at Puhua Valley. Then, the ancient architecture at Lengren Temple. After that, we’ll head to the big aviary in the back and see if the peacocks and parrots are feeling cooperative."

"Time to change! Let’s move out!"

The group first took an electric shuttle to the nearest station. From there, they searched until they found a secluded, tranquil spot that was perfect for getting good shots, and then they began to set up.

While Xiao Ya’s specialty was the guzheng and Jiang Shishi’s was the pipa, that didn’t mean they couldn’t play other instruments. Quite the opposite; they had also brought a Dongxiao, a dizi, a xun, and a zhongruan.

The two women changed into historical costumes. Jiang Shishi wore a rippling, turquoise lily-patterned dress, her hair adorned with a floral gold *buyao* hairpin. Xiao Ya opted for a simple, cloud-patterned gossamer skirt, her dark hair held in place by a single, unadorned ebony pin.

Then Gu Zhao appeared, wearing a wig and a cyan, bamboo-patterned martial arts robe. When he took his place holding the Longquan Treasure Sword, with the two women flanking him...

Zhang Hang’s fists clenched.

Li Hui blinked, stunned. "Man! We’ve gotta film this right! I’m going to make this a viral hit on TikTok!"

Gu Zhao just smiled, took out a White Crane half-mask, and put it on.

Li Hui wailed, "Bro! Don’t do this!"

"SHING—"

With a sharp ring, Gu Zhao drew his sword in a blur. With a light tap of his feet, his body soared across the four-meter distance. In one swift motion, he landed, and the flat of his blade came to rest steadily on Li Hui’s shoulder.

"Are looks really that important?" Gu Zhao asked, raising an eyebrow.

Li Hui was speechless.

A glimmer appeared in the eyes of Jiang Shishi and Xiao Ya.

"Holy shit!" Zhang Hang swore. "You flashy bastard! I give you a ninety-nine. I’m taking off one point so you don’t get too arrogant. But seriously, tone it down a little!"

After that, Zhang Hang let out another wail and asked Gu Zhao, "Is it too late for me to start learning from you?"

Gu Zhao executed a flourish, performing seven thrusts in the blink of an eye. Then, while keeping his eyes locked on Zhang Hang, he sheathed the sword behind his back. With a soft CLANG, the long sword slid perfectly into its scabbard.

"What do you think?" Gu Zhao asked nonchalantly.

Zhang Hang was speechless.

"The show-off vibe is way too strong! I told you to tone it down!" Zhang Hang yelled.

Gu Zhao burst out laughing, pleased with himself. It had always been Zhang Hang who flexed on him. ’Finally, it’s my turn.’

"Let’s start filming!" Gu Zhao said to Li Hui. "Do a good job. If it turns out well, I’ll hire you from now on. You can treat it as a side hustle for some extra cash."

Zhang Hang snorted. "I’m paying him a full-time salary!"

Gu Zhao nodded and said to Li Hui, "If he makes you work more than an eight-hour day, sue him!"

Li Hui chuckled and said to Gu Zhao, "Brother Gu, you have great bone structure, too. Your face is so angular, you can tell you’re handsome even with the mask. For the BL fans, that just builds more anticipation!"

Gu Zhao gave him a thumbs-up. "A true professional!"

And so, with Jiang Shishi and Xiao Ya on instruments, Gu Zhao on looking cool, Li Hui on camera, and Zhang Hang on lighting, the small five-person team began to film.

"You need to actually play. Even if we dub the sound in post, your movements have to match the music."

"Brother Gu, how are you actually kicking up the grass and fallen leaves around you?"

"That was so cool! Let’s try for a long take. I’ll pan between the three of you, so everyone hold your poses!"

"Brother Hang, stay behind me. Watch the lighting, and don’t get in the frame."

「 」

Gu Zhao had already bought online tutorials for various martial arts forms—Tai Chi, Xingyi, and Bagua—for both empty-hand and weapon techniques. But because he’d been in the Otherworld, he hadn’t had a chance to study them. He had, however, managed to find some time in the last few days to learn the Cloud Roaring Sword and Seven-Star Sword from Taoist Yan Song.

While his skill might not have been enough to face a real opponent, it was more than sufficient for a choreographed performance.

"He’s so handsome!"