As the horse-riding scene ended, Jiang Yue vaulted off the horse and handed the reins to the equestrian instructor. He rotated his wrists slightly before walking over to the monitor.
Mud and dust were smudged on his trouser cuffs, and a few dry leaves scraped from the tree branches still clung to his shoulders and back.
Seeing him dismount from a distance, Jiang Kaiwen immediately hurried over with water and a towel.
“Wipe down first.”
Jiang Kaiwen handed over the towel. His gaze first swept over the reins being led away by the equestrian instructor, then he looked down to inspect the placement of Jiang Yue's protective gear. “Did you get bumped anywhere?”
“No.”
Jiang Yue shook his head. “My clothes just got dirty again.”
“Oh, who cares about dirty clothes?” Jiang Kaiwen gave him a helpless look, as if looking at an unruly adult.
Jiang Yue patted the dust and leaves off his clothes first before taking the towel to wipe the sweat from his neck.
The equestrian instructor also led Old Pal over, first checking the saddle and reins, then patting the horse's legs.
The chestnut horse had just finished a run, its breath still warm.
Seeing Jiang Yue standing nearby, it tilted its head and rubbed against his shoulder.
“He's in pretty good shape,” the equestrian instructor said. “Old Pal got a little excited before entering the woods just now. If we need to shoot pickup shots later, let's lower the speed a bit more.”
Jiang Kaiwen chimed in immediately, “Did you hear that? Even the instructor told you to slow down.”
Jiang Yue could only nod repeatedly. To put his mind at ease, he dragged out his words deliberately. “I heard you.”
Jiang Kaiwen clearly didn't quite believe him, but he didn't argue further. He set the first-aid kit down by his feet and turned to ask the stagehand for a fresh towel.
He Chuan finished watching the playback on the monitor. “The master shot is a pass.”
The staff waiting on set all let out a sigh of relief. After all, for scenes like this that required extensive preparation, having to redo the entire sequence would be incredibly time-consuming and exhausting for everyone.
The camera operator dragged the footage back to review it again. The action team and the equestrian team gathered around as well, discussing in low voices the horse's speed when entering the woods and the camera distance.
Pointing at the screen, He Chuan spoke first, “This part is excellent. His movements aren't flashy, and his gaze isn't overly posed, but when put together, the shot looks beautiful. He's been backed into a corner; his priority is survival. How could he possibly care about looking dignified?”
Jiang Yue also stared at the screen, watching his own portrayal of Lu Ji. He didn't offer any comments; ultimately, the director was the one who made the final call.
The camera operator beside him nodded in agreement. “We didn't use a stunt double for this scene, so the footage is very complete. It'll be easy to edit in post-production.”
Old Hong also watched the playback, evaluating it from an action choreographer's perspective. “Your center of gravity was kept low while riding. It didn't look like you were just performing actions for the sake of it.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yue turned around and asked with a chuckle, “Brother Hong, is that a compliment?”
“Of course it is,” Old Hong said. “However, there are still combat scenes on horseback later. Those won't be easy, I'm afraid.”
Jiang Kaiwen had just returned with a fresh towel. Hearing those words, his footsteps paused. “Aren't we done filming for today?”
“Today's scene is indeed finished,” Old Hong explained. “The horseback combat is a different scene. We probably won't shoot it for a few more days.”
Jiang Kaiwen looked down at the towel in his hand and said nothing more.
Paying no attention to the chatter beside him, He Chuan was still staring at the playback. “Let's shoot a separate pickup of this backward glance. No need to redo the whole sequence.”
“Alright,” Jiang Yue agreed.
Ten minutes later, the camera tracked forward along the dirt path. Under Jiang Yue's control, Old Pal charged out from the edge of the woods, slowing down right before entering the forest.
Jiang Yue's movement as he looked back was slightly more understated, and his gaze was more focused, as if he had already pinpointed the pursuers' positions and determined his next move.
After reviewing the playback of this take, He Chuan finally instructed the crew to pack up some of the equipment on the horse track.
The equestrian team led the horses away, the action team began taking inventory of the padding and props, the camera crew packed up the slider tracks, and the stagehands swept up the mud churned by the horses' hooves.
The chaotic woodland clearing quickly returned to order.
With the woodland escape scene wrapping up, the focus of the production shifted from the early martial arts world escape storyline to the intertwined plots of the imperial court and the martial world.
After wrapping up for the night, He Chuan specifically called Jiang Yue and the lead screenwriter, Song Lan, together for a brief script table read. The location was a temporary shed set up in the outdoor area.
The lighting under the canopy was dim. On the table sat a few cups of freshly brewed strong tea and several pens.
Jiang Kaiwen had originally planned to take Jiang Yue to remove his makeup, but upon hearing about the meeting, he had no choice but to stay.
The group sat down one by one. Song Lan had placed color-coded sticky notes on several key pages, while He Chuan had his marked storyboard sheets next to him.
Jiang Yue sat nearby, still in full makeup. The shading around the corners of his eyes made him look slightly more tired than usual. He flipped open his script, scanned the scene schedule, and then picked up his pen.
Song Lan flipped to the later pages and began outlining the upcoming plot. “The upcoming plot mainly centers around the direct confrontation between Grand Tutor Xie Wuheng and Lu Ji.”
Looking at Xie Wuheng's name on the script, Jiang Yue asked, “As the current Grand Tutor, why would Xie Wuheng expend so much effort on a common rogue physician?”
This was a question he had pondered several times while reading the script. If Lu Ji were merely skilled at examining bones and autopsies, the Grand Tutor's Residence wouldn't have gone as far as repeatedly sending people to test him.
Song Lan flipped forward two pages, placing her finger on a section of annotations. “Before their formal meeting, the Grand Tutor has already confirmed from the aftermath of the Spectral Bone Case that Lu Ji is harboring a secret.”
Jiang Yue looked up. “If it's just a suspicion, why doesn't he simply have him arrested and interrogated?”
“Because he is the Grand Tutor,” Song Lan said, looking at Jiang Yue. “Xie Wuheng won't act rashly without sufficient evidence. A rogue physician who can spot the flaws in the Spectral Bone Case might just be highly skilled, or he might be connected to a larger power. Arresting the wrong person would alert the enemy; arresting the right person might not yield the truth either.”
She continued, “In the second case, the Sonic Murder Case, Lu Ji comes into contact with the residual aura again while examining the victim, causing his naturally damaged meridians to briefly spiral out of control. A Zhuo Martial Arts expert deployed by the Grand Tutor's Residence near the crime scene senses this aura.
“The expert didn't see Lu Ji perform the Xuan Pivot Secret Technique, but they discovered that this aura is highly similar to the traces left on the victim of the Spectral Bone Case.”
“So at this point, the Grand Tutor is still only suspicious.”
“Yes,” Song Lan agreed with a nod. “He won't take Lu Ji seriously based on just this. In the upcoming Mechanism Massacre Case, the Grand Tutor will use the investigation clues to set a trap, sending shadow guards to push Lu Ji to the brink of death, forcing him to reveal more of his cards.”
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the shed. The assistant director lifted the curtain and walked in. “Director He, the other main cast members have already joined the group. Should we bring them into the video call now?”
He Chuan tipped his chin. “Connect them all. It'll save us from repeating ourselves later.”
Spinning his pen, Jiang Yue leaned back and shifted into a more comfortable position.
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