Chapter 118

Everyone originally thought Zhu Chu was joking.

They were all too familiar with the situation of this movie — the preparation process had been incredibly difficult. Otherwise, Yan Xingwei wouldn’t have had to sell his last house, and now he was running around desperately begging people to invest.

Even the investor behind Xixi had only recently agreed to consider it.

What level of investor was Wanli Group? Even at Yan Xingwei’s peak ten years ago, Wanli Group wouldn’t necessarily have invested in one of his projects — let alone now, when he’s just a washed-up, down-and-out director.

Besides, wasn’t there a rumor going around that if they couldn’t raise money this time, the whole movie couldn’t be shot at all?

Ten years had passed, and the influence of Yan Xingwei’s name had long since faded to the point of being almost nonexistent. Even these newcomers, who varied in skill, were only signed on because Yan Xingwei had gone from college to college, using nostalgia and sentiment to persuade them.

In such circumstances, who would still come to join the filming?

Besides, Yan Xingwei wasn’t the type to accept just anyone.

As everyone was thinking this, Zhu Chu had already returned with a few young people from outside.

At first, nobody paid much attention. They thought, “What difference can a few kids from a Taoist temple make?”

Perhaps the entertainment industry had developed so rapidly that even temples were starting to envy the traffic and exposure, so they sent their little Taoist disciples out to build a public image and make money to support the temple.

It wasn’t that they looked down on the little Taoists — the key issue was that they themselves weren’t just pretty faces with no actual skills.

For actors, a few outsiders entering the entertainment industry wasn’t going to cause any waves.

So everyone remained pretty indifferent.

But when they lifted their heads and got a clear look at these so-called “little Taoists,” they were instantly shocked — one after another — These are Taoists?!

In addition to the few spirit creatures that had previously been taken from the Nine-Headed Dragon Evil Sect in the southwest, after returning to the capital, Zhu Chu had used the network of those spirits to gather more spirit creatures who had been wandering among humans, barely surviving by doing odd jobs.

So this time, the number of spirits present was even greater than the ones previously seen at the villa pool of Mu Shuishui’s house in the southwest.

After a few days of professional work from a celebrity studio, these spirit creatures had been completely transformed.

Unlike before, when they relied solely on their looks and figures, the spirits now had makeup and hairstyles tailored to match their unique temperaments and features. Even their clothes were luxury brand pieces purchased at great expense. The moment they walked in, it was as if they lit up the whole room.

Even the three dog spirits who looked very similar to one another now had their own distinct styles and charm thanks to different makeovers.

The big dog, with broad shoulders, narrow hips, and a trim waist, was dressed in a tailored suit. His whole presence was overflowing with masculine hormones — a sense of danger ready to burst forth at any moment, making one's hair stand on end, strangely exhilarating.

The third dog had an outgoing personality — lively and sunny. The stylist had him confidently wear a tight-fitting work-style vest, and he looked like a bright, fresh-faced college student.Ergou was different from the other two. His full, muscular body was hidden beneath loose loungewear, and his dark dog-like eyes looked gently and moistly at everyone. Only the occasional flash of defined muscles during his movements revealed that he wasn’t as harmless as he appeared on the surface.

Just as everyone was still fixated on the three dog demons who looked exactly alike, a stunningly beautiful woman demon swayed gracefully into view from the corner of their vision.

The first phrase that popped into everyone’s mind upon seeing her was: born to seduce.

—Her waist was soft and boneless, easily graspable with one hand, and her figure was so curvy it was beyond what normal people would even dare to photoshop. She wore a modified qipao, but as she stepped forward, she looked at them with a timid gaze, as if she had no idea how deadly her charm really was.

“……”

The eyes of all the men and women in the crew went wide.

The same thought flashed across everyone’s minds—Is it even possible for someone to look like this in real life?

And there are so many of them?!

This film involved many fantasy elements, with lots of demon and celestial characters. In order to fully realize his vision, Yan Xingwei had already demanded the highest quality within his capabilities.

So, any actor chosen by Yan Xingwei—regardless of acting skills—certainly wouldn’t be average-looking.

But at this moment, these young people who had been praised all their lives for their looks, were feeling, for the first time, utterly crushed in comparison to the “little Taoists” brought by Zhu Chu.

They instantly understood why Xixi’s expression had been so awful when the nine-tailed fox appeared earlier.

It’s not scary if the person you like has someone else. It’s not scary to lose to a man.

What’s scary is standing in front of that person, and even you feel inferior and ashamed.

Zhu Chu was very satisfied with their reactions. After giving a brief introduction between Yan Xingwei and the demon employees, he urged them to follow Yan Xingwei to get their scripts and prepare for auditions, then happily skipped over to Ke Xingzhou.

“Master! I just heard that Director Yan plans to shoot some underworld-themed scenes too. Should we call over our haunted house staff?”

Haunted house...

Everyone suddenly fell silent and slowly turned to look at Ke Xingzhou.

So that “Xiaoyao Sect” they mentioned—turns out it’s your Xiaoyao Sect?

Ke Xingzhou: “?”

Ke Xingzhou met everyone’s complicated gazes in confusion and carefully thought over what Zhu Chu had said.

After all, ghost movies weren’t common in the country, and now that they had gained more experience, even the ghost employees of Xiaoyao Sect had started picking scripts.

Zhu Chu had said that this was to raise the status of their ghost staff—otherwise, if anyone making a ghost movie could hire staff from their haunted house, wouldn’t that just turn into assembly-line work?

Even the audience would develop aesthetic fatigue.

Ke Xingzhou didn’t really understand all that—he only knew one thing: picking good scripts helps raise prices.

So he nodded. “Let them come.”

Film crew: “?”

Everyone’s eyes immediately turned to the casting coordinator, hinting with winks and nudges:

Didn’t we agree we’d get those roles?

Playing another character means more money too!

The coordinator, who was also in charge of recruiting actors for auditions, stuttered under the weight of everyone’s hopeful stares and carefully said, “T-this... maybe there’s no need? That underworld-themed scene is scheduled for tomorrow, and it’s already so late now—it’s too rushed to call them over…”Zhu Chu waved his hand and said with a smile, “It’s fine, they’ll be here quickly.”

Everyone: “?”

Zhu Chu cheerfully responded and immediately took out his phone to call Beijing. He explained the situation briefly and urged the ghost employees to come quickly: “Come right now!”

The Taoist priests from the Taoist Association immediately sensed something was wrong and quickly tried to stop him: “Fellow Daoist Ke, don’t!”

Ke Xingzhou: “?”

Zhu Chu had already picked up his phone and was walking out, but when he heard that, he paused and turned back with a confused expression.

At the same time, the screen of his phone started to flicker, and a translucent figure began squeezing out from it — its head was almost out.

The Taoist priests: “!!!”

They panicked and rushed forward, scrambling to block the crew members’ view with their bodies and grabbed Zhu Chu by the back of his collar, hauling him and his phone out.

Film crew members: “?”

They stared after the priests’ anxious figures, puzzled. A moment later, realization suddenly dawned on them: “So every Taoist temple has a few actors, huh?”

One crew member from a family that believes in metaphysics fell into deep thought: “Then the master we invite over for New Year’s and festivals… is he an actor or a real master…”

The sharp-eared Taoist priests: “…”

This misunderstanding is clearly here to stay.

Zhu Chu had just been put down when he was met with the angry glares of the Taoist priests, which startled him. The old ghost who had just emerged from the phone was also scared and nearly thought he was being sent back to the underworld.

Thankfully, the priests weren’t focused on him — all their attention was on Manager Zhu.

This time, even Priest Qian from the Beijing Taoist Association couldn’t hold back: “How could you manifest Daoist magic in front of ordinary people?!”

They had been cautious for so many years to protect the general public’s perception of the world, avoiding widespread panic. Even with the recent spike in supernatural incidents, most people didn’t truly believe in ghosts — they saw it more as a joke or a meme.

Decades of effort had kept society relatively stable. That’s why they hated those from the heterodox path who used illusions to trick people into giving away their fortunes or even losing their lives.

Even those of the heterodox path knew better than to let ghosts manifest openly in front of normal people!

The priests had previously tolerated what Xiaoyao Sect had done, as it was still somewhat explainable. But now, Zhu Chu’s actions had completely ignited their fury.

All of them were high-level Daoists, and when they let loose their full presence, they were honestly terrifying. The old ghost nearly crammed himself back into the phone.

Zhu Chu, however, was extremely aggrieved. He sniffled and said, “I—I know… that’s why I was pretending to go outside to make the call, so they could manifest in the car!”

The Taoist priests: “?”

Priest Qian froze for a second: “You—you were going outside just now?”

“Yeah!” Realizing they had misunderstood him, Zhu Chu suddenly became much more confident, and even his voice grew louder. “I didn’t even give them the Eye-Opening Talisman! I did that just in case — what if someone could see ghosts!”

But in the end, he was treated like he was summoning ghosts in front of regular people on purpose, with everyone ready to subdue him on the spot and hand him over to the police.Zhu Chu let out a long sob, looking so aggrieved he was about to cry aloud.

The Taoist priests: “……”

--

Inside the room.

Yan Xingwei handed a few pages of script to the newly arrived “actors,” telling them to prepare for auditions. The remaining crew members looked at each other, all feeling a bit awkward.

Could Director Yan really be planning to replace them with those people?

For a moment, everyone who had earlier spoken up for Xixi couldn’t help but look at her, hoping she would take back what she had said.

Otherwise, even if they shamelessly stayed in the crew, it would be hard to carry on.

Under everyone’s gaze, Xixi quickly regained her composure.

She looked at Yan Xingwei with disappointment, as if he had committed some unforgivable sin: “So you accepted him just because of this?”

Yan Xingwei: “???”

He couldn’t even keep up with her line of thought for a second.

Once he realized what she meant, he felt all the blood rush to his face: “What nonsense are you spouting?! Accepted him? I didn’t—I haven’t!”

Everyone: “……???”

The crew members were stunned, their faces full of “should we even be hearing this?” expressions. One by one, they made excuses and left the room in a hurry. In no time, only Yan Xingwei, the nine-tailed fox, Xixi, and Ke Xingzhou—who was standing off to the side enjoying the show—were left in the room.

The nine-tailed fox didn’t mind being denied by Yan Xingwei. He just looked at Xixi suspiciously.

“So you’re the one who was spying on us from around the corner?”

Xixi’s face twisted for a second. She didn’t answer, just glared at the two of them with dark, intense eyes.

Because of what the nine-tailed fox said, the scene she saw downstairs at the inn flashed through her mind again, and a nameless anger surged in her chest. She nearly wished the nine-tailed fox would disappear on the spot.

She was clearly the one who came first. She was the one who liked Yan Xingwei first!

She wasn’t just capable of helping him with his career, pulling him out of a pit where no one trusted him, but also of standing beside him to create their own unique and romantic masterpiece together.

This man—what right did he have?!

Once that evil thought took root, it spread like ignited willow fluff, instantly consuming Xixi’s entire mind.

A flash of ferocity crossed her eyes, and the nine-tailed fox’s fur suddenly stood on end. His sharp gaze instantly locked onto the window behind Xixi.

At some point, a strange shadow had appeared there.

At first glance, it looked like a large adult man was crouched there, but the disturbing part was that the place where the head should’ve been had suddenly vanished, leaving only a bulky trapezius muscle in its place.

The gossip-hungry An Heguang was the first to follow his line of sight. The moment he noticed the shadow, he was nearly scared to death: “Ah!!”

Now the rest of the people in the room also noticed the shadow in the window, and their faces all changed in unison.Ke Yuanbai’s face turned pale, and instinctively, just like before, he hid behind Xie An and An Heguang. His face twitched as if he might collapse at any moment.

However, this time, Xie An, who was usually unafraid of ghosts, didn’t offer him any courage to face the situation. Instead, he also let out a shrill scream: “Aaaah! So scary!!”

It was the first time Yan Xingwei had encountered such a scene, and he was already terrified out of his wits. Yet his brain still instinctively clung to a basic worldview: “Th-th-there’s… someone dumping a body?!”

The Daoist priests who had rushed in after hearing the noise: “……”

They gave Yan Xingwei a long, complicated look. Zhu Chu, who followed behind them, quietly muttered, “You can think of body dumping, but didn’t consider it might be a prop?”

Yan Xingwei: “……”

Everyone else: “……”

The thing outside the window clearly wasn’t some kind of prop, because just as everyone was shocked by its appearance, the thing suddenly moved right in front of their eyes—it started climbing upward along the glass.

And with that movement, everyone noticed something unusual.

—The hands and feet pressed against the window made wet squelching sounds. The fingers didn’t taper off like a human’s would. Instead, the tips suddenly bulged out, forming nearly disc-shaped ends that stuck to the glass.

As it moved, an unbearable screeching friction sound echoed, making everyone’s hair stand on end—it was deeply disturbing.

Yan Xingwei’s expression changed dramatically: “What… what is that thing?!”

Zhu Chu gave a dry laugh, but still replied, “Obviously a monster, you idiot.”

Yan Xingwei: “……??!!!”

Even while his scalp went numb with fear, Yan Xingwei still remembered the actors’ safety. He immediately reached his hand toward Xixi: “Xixi, come here quickly! That thing is right behind you!”

But then something unexpected happened—

Despite such a horrifying scene—even he, a grown man who dared to sleep under a bridge at night, was about to wet himself—Xixi, who had fainted just yesterday from seeing eyes outside her window, remained completely still. Even with everyone else shouting in fear, she didn’t react at all.

At first, Yan Xingwei thought she had been scared stiff and was about to go over and pull her away, but just as he took a step, he was stopped by the Nine-tailed Fox.

The Nine-tailed Fox’s eyes had already turned into eerie fox eyes, and the usual silly, love-struck look on his face was gone. He stared coldly at Xixi: “Don’t go over. She’s been controlled by a demon.”

Yan Xingwei had assumed he was stopping him out of jealousy, but these words startled him.

He looked carefully at Xixi again and finally noticed—her face didn’t show any fear at all, completely unlike yesterday.

And her eyes… they had lost all vitality. Though they stared straight at him, there was no emotion in them, only a slow spread of bloodshot veins that made her look terrifying and grotesque.

Yan Xingwei was shocked: “What’s going on?! Can she still be saved?! How did the demon control her?!”

He hadn’t noticed anything unusual at all just moments ago!

The Daoist priests were also stunned.

Even though they had been outside the door, they had been closely monitoring what was happening inside, afraid that Ke Xingzhou or the Nine-tailed Fox might accidentally reveal something in front of ordinary people.

So the moment they sensed something was wrong, they rushed in—only to discover that the one manifesting wasn’t the Nine-tailed Fox, but yet another demon!The Daoists’ scalps were tingling—they didn’t even have time to think about why they hadn’t noticed the presence of a demon earlier. One of the Daoists at the back immediately locked the door and pulled out a ritual weapon along with his companions.

Daoist Qian decisively took up command and shouted toward the eerie shadow outside the window, “What kind of demon dares commit crimes in broad daylight? Surrender immediately, and we might spare your life!”

Before the shadow outside could respond, Zhu Chu’s voice piped up beside him, “Yeah, state your name! You still have a chance to repent and report to the Special Incident Handling Bureau. Register there and come work with our Xiaoyao Sect—you’ll even have a clean criminal record.”

The Daoists: “……”

The shadow outside the window: “……”

Yan Xingwei: “……???”

Daoist Qian nearly choked on his own spit. Instinctively turning around, he realized Zhu Chu had somehow run over to his side.

Though Zhu Chu respectfully stood half a step behind, his words were impossible to ignore—

“You didn’t possess the female lead just to take over her acting role, did you? Let me give you a piece of advice: each demon has its own style. What suits this lady may not suit you. Judging by your robust physique—well, no offense—you might be better suited for other types of roles,” Zhu Chu said, launching into his area of expertise at lightning speed, his tongue sharp and smooth. “Be good now. Once this situation is over, I’ll even ask Director Yan if there’s a role that suits you. Even small roles can shine! Don’t force it. These days, no one likes rude demons.”

Everyone: “…………”

Even the thing outside the window was stunned, and everyone in the room was left speechless.

Xi Xi suddenly flew into a rage. Her lifeless eyes glared: “Shut up!”

In that instant, real murderous intent flashed in her eyes.

Her voice turned venomous and sinister: “Kill him!”

Everyone was stunned.

Yan Xingwei, being a director, quickly picked up on the context from Zhu Chu’s words and the scene before him. He seemed a bit dazed for a moment.

So… those “new actors” who had shown up earlier—could they also be…

As he was thinking that, Zhu Chu quickly recovered, completely ignoring Xi Xi’s malice. Instead, he proudly introduced: “Don’t be mad yet—look at the benefits our Xiaoyao Sect offers. Those three brothers were just like you before joining us. They didn’t know how to style themselves—though they had heads back then—and suffered for it. But after joining us, they immediately started getting roles!”

Yan Xingwei: “?”

He wanted to say they hadn’t even auditioned yet—he couldn’t decide anything without seeing how moldable they were as actors—but the next second, he heard rustling sounds from outside.

“Huh? Why is the main door closed?”

“I think I heard Daoist Zhu calling us three. Guess we got locked in by mistake. Third Bro, come check the window with me.”

Moments later, the sound of a window in the hallway opening could be heard. Then, just a second or two passed before someone suddenly shouted, “Who’s there?!”

“Big Bro! Sister Green Snake! A demon’s trying to steal our job!!”

“Smack him!!!”

Immediately, a cacophony of clattering and crashing followed, along with flashes of bizarre lights. The thing clinging to the window let out a thunderous “Croak!” and fell off.

Everyone: “……”

Yan Xingwei hadn’t even processed what had happened yet, but his body, driven by curiosity, moved toward the window. He leaned closer to look out through the bars and glass.Almost lost my breath—

I saw those honest, almost pure college-student–looking “new actors” running along walls and eaves, wrestling a huge, ugly toad demon in midair.

With every move they unleashed bursts of light like special effects. Even more astonishing, the shy actress called Sister Green Snake leapt up and flew into the air!

Yan Xingwei: “……????”

The Daoist priests were stunned for a moment and didn’t stop Yan Xingwei from watching. By the time they reached the window, opened it, and looked down, they saw a sea of dark heads pressed against the second‑floor railing.

The Daoist priests went completely blank!

Then, from below, calm voices drifted up, tinged with envy and jealousy:

“Holy shit, these people can actually fly!”

“So Taoists are all liars—talking about believing in science while ascending in place, right?! I’m never buying their bullshit again—I want to evolve too!”

“Damn, how are we supposed to compete? These folks were acting innocent just now, asking me how to play an xianxia role… they’re so damn unfair…”