Chapter 19: Short Film

Wen: “You were asking about that? I actually just wanted a short film related to xianxia. It didn’t matter what the content was, as long as it captured that xianxia essence. But I contacted several film production companies, and I was very dissatisfied with all the films they made. I’m quite frustrated.”

Pillow Rain: “I see. I was just wondering.”

Wen: “Mm, I’ll get back to work then.”

Pillow Rain: “Go ahead, Sister Wen.”

After her conversation with Wen Wanru ended, Su Xiaoyu became thoughtful.

She looked at the diorama box, then at her mobile phone.

Wen Wanru needed a short film related to xianxia? Any content would do?

Could she provide something like that?

Just yesterday, she had noticed she only had a few thousand yuan left in her bank account. With no source of income, earning money had become an urgent matter.

If she could make a xianxia short film for Wen Wanru, could she get some income from it?

Su Xiaoyu couldn’t be sure about this yet. Many things, you only know the result after trying.

She first took out her mobile phone, set it to screen recording, then found a mountain near the Qixi Festival Sect inside the diorama box. She simply placed her phone on the mountain, recording the daily cultivation life within the sect.

Wen Wanru had said anything xianxia-related was fine, regardless of specific content. So daily cultivation life should be acceptable, right?

…

Today was another new day.

Tong Shishi finished her cultivation early and looked out at the scene of lush grass and flying birds. She felt very relaxed.

Although the Qixi Festival Sect had suffered a great calamity just days ago, there was loss, but also gain. For some unknown reason, their sect had received the favor of the Heavenly Maiden. This filled Tong Shishi with both trepidation and anticipation for the future.

Under normal circumstances, ninety-nine percent of them would have their cultivation halt at the Qi Refining stage. And the few who could reach Foundation Establishment would find it difficult to advance further.

But would their ending still be the same now?

What would their future hold?

For the first time, Tong Shishi felt such anticipation for the future.

Just as she was dreaming of the future, a series of exclamations from outside brought her attention back to the present.

“Hm? Has the Heavenly Maiden manifested her divinity again?”

In Tong Shishi’s view, only a Divine Manifestation from the Heavenly Maiden could make the sect members lose control and fall into shock like this. After all, every time the Heavenly Maiden appeared, the actions she demonstrated were utterly astonishing.

She quickly walked out of her pavilion and soon identified the direction.

“What is that?”

Tong Shishi stared blankly.

On a mountain not far away, a giant hand descended holding a large black rectangular box. It then placed the massive box among the mountains, and the giant hand withdrew.

The people of the Qixi Festival Sect all came out, looking up at the enormous black box in the distance, guessing endlessly about its purpose.

Just as Tong Shishi was debating whether to go take a look, the voice of the Heavenly Maiden sounded from above.

“This object is to remain here. You need not pay it any mind. Just carry on with your own business.”

Hearing the Heavenly Maiden’s voice, Tong Shishi immediately abandoned the thought of investigating. The Heavenly Maiden had said not to mind it. If they still went to look, that would be disobeying the Heavenly Maiden—an act of great disrespect.

Immediately, as the Sect Master, Tong Shishi shouted to the sect disciples: “Alright, alright, everyone get back to your own tasks.”

…

The day passed quickly.

Nothing unexpected happened in the diorama box that day. At most, Su Xiaoyu’s Faith Value increased a bit more, approaching two hundred.

As night fell, she reached into the diorama box to retrieve the mobile phone she had left there all day. This process naturally alerted the people inside the box again. They prostrated themselves in worship, causing her Faith Value to tick up just a little more.

After taking out her phone, Su Xiaoyu quickly began to operate it, starting to edit the video in her hands.

The so-called editing wasn’t complicated. She just had to continuously fast-forward and delete the content she deemed unnecessary.

During that day, the people of the Qixi Festival Sect, going about their daily cultivation routines, would occasionally glance towards where the phone was placed. In Su Xiaoyu’s view, that part of the content could all be deleted.

Moreover, a video recording a whole day was far too long. Wen Wanru only needed a short film.

So Su Xiaoyu spent half the night editing the video down to a short film just twenty minutes long.

“This should probably be fine, right?”

Su Xiaoyu looked at the finished product on her phone, unable to stifle a yawn.

After confirming there were no problems, she sent the short film to Wen Wanru.

“Sister Wen, this is a xianxia-related short film made by a friend of mine. See if it can help you.”

After sending the message, Su Xiaoyu didn’t look at her phone any further.

She went to wash her face, then came back to her bed, sat cross-legged, and continued cultivating the Greenwood Heart Method.

Except for the very first time when it was hard to enter a meditative state, every subsequent cultivation session allowed her to immediately get in the zone.

When Su Xiaoyu woke again, it was already another day.

She was awakened by the notification sound of her phone. She picked it up and looked at it; there was a message from Wen Wanru.

Wen: “Xiaoyu!!! I’m utterly shocked. It’s the first time I’ve seen the flavor of xianxia depicted so richly, without a single trace of anything jarring. Which friend of yours made this short film?”

At this moment, Wen Wanru was truly shocked deep down. This shock could be divided into two aspects.

One was, naturally, her astonishment at the short film.

The other thing that surprised her was that Su Xiaoyu actually had another friend.

Su Xiaoyu had been renting her house for quite some time. Wen Wanru felt she had a decent understanding of her, and she had thought Su Xiaoyu was a person without any friends.

Pillow Rain: “Sister Wen, my friend doesn’t want their identity revealed. It’s not my place to say more.”

Wen: “Ah, I see. I won’t ask about your friend then. But, can I really use this short film?”

Pillow Rain: “Of course. Since it was given to you, Sister Wen, it’s for you to use.”

Wen Wanru sighed deeply in her heart.

She knew Su Xiaoyu must have specially found a friend to make this short film for her because of the message she mistakenly sent yesterday. Su Xiaoyu’s friend inspired admiration in her, and Su Xiaoyu herself made her happy.

This girl, who had always shut herself in at home, was actually starting to consider others. This was clearly a very good sign.

Wen: “Xiaoyu, no matter what, you’ve given me such an excellent short film. I can’t just take it for free. I’m going to send you some money now. Please pass it on to your friend for me.”