Chapter 223: Chasing the Perfect Scene

“What’s going on?”

The more entangled he got, the tougher the scene felt for Fang Hou.

If it were a simple setup, a quick fix in the Xianxia Zone might have sufficed. But Pansi Cave still houses a multitude of scenes—it’s one of the main settings in A Chinese Odyssey.

After a while,

Fang Hou glanced at the time and muttered, “I’ll call Haozi tonight to see what he thinks.”

Originally, he had planned to handle both projects from start to finish on his own, sparing Xu Hao any trouble, but he ended up stalling at Pansi Cave.

“Director Zheng, we’re wrapping up for today!”

Snapping back to the moment,

Fang Hou stood up, dusted off his trousers, and called out to the man in the distance.

The man was none other than Zheng Dan, Haofang Culture’s dedicated martial arts director, who also plays Cao Duzhu in Longmen Inn. He now headed Haofang Culture’s filming department and served as the deputy director for A Chinese Odyssey.

He was essentially Fang Hou’s right-hand man—the next step would be to promote him to Haofang Culture’s deputy general manager.

“Got it, Director Fang!”

At these words, Zheng Dan gave a nod.

Sigh! In what felt like no time at all, it was already 9 PM.

In the president’s office of Haofang Culture, Fang Hou leaned back in his chair while the ashtray on his desk overflowed with cigarette butts.

After a while,

he picked up his phone and dialed Xu Hao’s number.

Beep beep beep… The call connected promptly.

“Monkey, what’s up?”

“Haozi, here’s the situation…”

Fang Hou then detailed his worries and the issues at hand.

“Have the Axe Gang and Demon King Village sets been finished?”

After a brief silence, Xu Hao’s voice returned.

“Both sets are completely done—even the final scene with the sunset swordsman and the nameless heroine atop the city wall is finished.”

Fang Hou interjected quickly.

“Oh, and don’t worry about the Xianxia or Wuxia Zones! The scenes for A Chinese Odyssey are built right in the heart of the Desert Zone, safely away from any ancient structures, so they won’t interfere with the Wuxia Zone’s style.

Besides, I heard from Qiangzi that Oasis 23 is packed these days. Building Pansi Cave here might even help divert some of that traffic.

Otherwise, once visitors have seen the Qingming Scroll, they’d head straight for the Demon-Locking Tower—what would become of the Wuxia Zone?”

Xu Hao’s voice quickly responded,

“Is that acceptable?”

Fang Hou paused.

“Absolutely. Just go ahead and fix it without worrying too much about following the script to the letter. If you need fresh ideas, talk to Little Luo—he’s exceptionally resourceful!”

Xu Hao then added,

“Not sticking strictly to the script?”

“Yeah. After all, A Chinese Odyssey is essentially a romance film driven by its storyline. The settings aren’t meant to be overly fantastical—we need to balance the narrative with what will work for real visitors.

Otherwise, the film might look great on screen but end up as nothing more than a fake mountain with a few holes and some basic lighting—hardly impressive.

In that case, this attraction might not even help divert the crowds.”

“Alright, then I’ll see President Luo shortly.”

With that instruction received,

Fang Hou visibly relaxed.

“By the way, Haozi, once the sets are built, shooting should go quickly. When are we hitting the theaters?”

After a brief pause, Fang Hou continued.

He had already instructed the assistant director to have the actors start their scenes in advance. As the crew built Pansi Cave, filming for the Axe Gang and Demon King Village scenes could proceed concurrently.

“Do you have any plans?”

After a moment, Xu Hao’s voice came back.

“Here’s what I’m thinking: If everything goes smoothly, I aim for a release around July 15. That’s prime summer, and films like this are a hit with college students.”

Fang Hou quickly interjected.

He had considered the film’s release schedule for quite some time.

After weighing all options,

this period seemed the most ideal.

“July 15? All right! Just follow your plan. Quality comes first—send me a preview once you’re done, and we can reshoot any flawed scenes if necessary.”

After a moment of thought, Xu Hao replied.

Xu Hao held A Chinese Odyssey in high regard, making a preview essential.

“Sure! I was planning to send you a cut as soon as we finish some scenes.”

“That works.”

“By the way, Haozi, when will you be back?”

After finishing the business chat, Fang Hou asked,

For some reason, even though Mingsha City was running smoothly, Xu Hao’s absence always made it feel like there was no solid leadership.

“Everything’s progressing well here! I expect I’ll be back by around July 20.”

Speaking of time, Xu Hao replied.

While restoration work on 49 Imperial City continued, some items were held up—taking roughly two months in total.

“Alright, then I’ll see you when you return for a welcome celebration.”

“Hehe.”

Little did anyone know, just as Fang Hou planned to follow Xu Hao’s advice and approach Luo Peng for some creative input, Luo Peng had already appeared in the adjacent office building.

“What? Building a Taoist temple in the Xianxia Zone?!”

Zhu Qiang looked utterly stunned.

He hadn’t expected Luo Peng to pick up another project so quickly—especially one of such a unique scale.

“Yes! Brother Hao has already approved it!”

Luo Peng, leaning back in his chair, rubbed his brows in mild exasperation.

“So, was the Taoist priest you encountered genuine? Just make sure you’re not getting duped! With so many visitors in the Xianxia Zone, especially near the Demon-Locking Tower and Blood Lake, a poorly built temple would ruin the overall experience.”

Snapping back to attention, Zhu Qiang asked,

“The priest seemed genuine. On the way to the guesthouse, he even showed me his ‘credentials.’ They were crumpled, but undeniably authentic.”

Luo Peng continued,

“That’s good. Many Taoist priests are truly skilled—they’re often experts in music, chess, calligraphy, literature, and medicine. By the way, didn’t he mention his name?”

Zhu Qiang couldn’t help but glance at Luo Peng.

Usually, Luo Peng handled matters flawlessly, but today’s rush was too much. If Xu Hao had been in Mingsha City, his call would have reassured Xu Hao that a reliable candidate was found.

But in reality, it turned out to be just a casual complaint about a priest connected through some tower inscriptions—no one really knew his background!

“He goes by the name of Cangshan.”

Luo Peng managed a wry smile.

He had lost count of how many times he second-guessed his impulsive call, and even now he regretted his rashness—but that’s how things unfolded. Moreover, he had given Xu Hao’s contact to the priest, though they hadn’t exchanged any further messages.

“Taoist Priest Cangshan? Did you discuss any concrete plans for constructing the temple?”

After a pause, Zhu Qiang asked again.

Since everything had been agreed upon, it would be awkward if the priest suddenly backed out.

“He said he’ll provide us with a rough blueprint tomorrow.”

Speaking of the construction plan, Luo Peng hurriedly added,

“Oh, there’s a blueprint. Once you review it and if it matches the Xianxia Zone’s style, we build according to it. If not, consult the priest further.”

After a moment of thought, Zhu Qiang stated,

“I think the same! We may not know all the intricacies of a temple, but we do understand scale and structure.”

Luo Peng nodded in agreement.

Even in Long Kingdom, temple sizes vary—a temple that’s too small just won’t do.

“Alright then!”

“By the way, did Taoist Priest Cangshan mention what the temple would be called? There should be a name—like Longhu Mountain’s or Taiqing Palace’s.”

Lifting his teacup slowly for a sip, Zhu Qiang asked again.

The fact that the priest could even draft blueprints eased some of his concerns.

He had only feared empty promises with no substance.

“A name? Well, as for the temple…”

The moment the name was mentioned, Luo Peng’s face flushed with embarrassment.

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing Luo Peng’s reaction, Zhu Qiang was taken aback.

“The priest said the temple will be called Wuzhuang Temple!”

“Pfft! Wuzhuang Temple?”

At that, Zhu Qiang almost spat out his tea. The name was so unexpected that it left him with a puzzled look.

Was Taoist Priest Cangshan really reliable? And what exactly was Wuzhuang Temple? Even kids in Long Kingdom knew about it! As night deepened,

in Yan City, at the Director Association, Ding Xiaoping exhaled a long sigh after reviewing his materials—as if he had just completed a monumental task.

“So, is it settled?”

After a brief pause,

Ding Xiaoping set his documents down and looked across at Bai Ming.

“President, it’s surprising that Ningsheng—the capital of Qing Province—is hosting the film festival.”

Bai Ming also let out a long sigh.

Ever since the film festival was planned, the Director Association had contacted scenic spots across the northwest—only to be turned down by tourist attractions or film cities. In the end, they had to look to urban settings.

Finally, after much negotiation, the city of Ningsheng in Qing Province took on the event.

“Although Ningsheng hasn’t filmed movies before, many nearby scenic spots have. A number of educational films on high plateau themes were shot in the surrounding regions.”

Ding Xiaoping nodded, a long-lost smile appearing on his face.

“President, what’s the schedule? I imagine Ningsheng will need plenty of time to prepare.”

Bai Ming continued,

“Let’s set the date for July 20. One month is just enough time for preparation, and we can promote the festival as well. Most importantly, Xu Hao probably won’t be back in Mingsha City by then to stir up trouble.”

Glancing at the electronic calendar on the wall, Ding Xiaoping remarked,

“July 20? That works. We also need time to notify the artists and their agencies so they can adjust their schedules in advance for our film festival.”

At this, Bai Ming nodded in agreement.