“What? Shoot a movie?”
An afro-sporting head popped through the window. It was none other than the scoundrelly Trendy Taoist Master.
As he stared at Shabby Taoist Master, his eyes sparkled.
In the room, Shabby Taoist Master suffered the shock of his life.
He nearly cursed out loud when he turned around. ‘F*ck, does he have dog ears? Why does he always hear me? He can’t be always eavesdropping on me, right?’
“Huh? Shooting a movie? What movie?”
Whoosh! Another head popped in from another side and bumped Trendy Taoist Master’s head.
Both of the Taoist masters’ eyes were sparkling.
“Another one with dog ears?” Shabby Taoist Master cursed under his breath.
“Who’s shooting a movie?”
Thud thud thud!
A flurry of footsteps rushed toward Shabby Taoist Master and the door was kicked open with a bang. A tall and powerful-looking Taoist master came in with an ax in his hand.
“Hey, hey! What are you doing? Put down the ax!
“Also, don’t kick the door like that next time, OK? You’re gonna break it.”
Shabby Taoist master gulped hard and said nervously.
The commotion spread in all directions.
“What? Shooting a movie?”
“Who’s shooting a movie? What’s it about?”
“Hey, Xuan Ling, are you moonlighting behind us? Tell us the truth.”
One Taoist master after another came from all directions and surrounded the door.
Their eyes were sparkling as they looked inside.
Shabby Taoist Master broke out in cold sweat when he saw that.
He gulped hard and said, “Fellow Cultivator Tang… said that he wants to shoot a movie based on my novel. Also, he said that he wants me to star in it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone fell silent.
It was so quiet that it was almost terrifying.
Then, everyone wailed sorrowfully.
“Oh, heavens! Is there no justice in this world? I’m more handsome and cooler than him. Why won’t he let me star in it?”
“How could that be? That isn’t fair! I want to star in it too!”
The Taoist masters started shouting.
Shabby Taoist Master wiped his sweat and said, “Um… listen to me. Fellow Cultivator Tang said that he’ll need many people to fill in the roles. He’s coming over now to discuss with us and pick the suitable actors.”
As soon as he finished speaking, his surroundings fell silent again.
All the figures froze there.
Then, they immediately went into action.
The crowd of sixty instantly dispersed and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
They rushed back to their abodes at lightning speed, took off their dirty Taoist robes, and rushed into the bathroom to take a shower.
After cleaning themselves, they sat in front of the mirror and began to trim their beards and comb their hair.
Then, they took out their treasured suits and leather shoes and put them on.
Some even sprayed themselves with cologne.
Instantly, those people changed from Taoist masters to hipsters.
Eventually, the news spread through the entire Mao Mountain.
Even the white-haired elderly Taoist masters could not resist the temptation and began to groom their appearances.
When Tang Hao arrived at Mao Mountain, he was stunned.
Everyone from Mao Mountain was gathered at the foot of the mountain gate. Many of them began to pose when they saw him approach. Many people began to flaunt their kung fu moves. Some even swallowed swords and performed other acrobatic stunts.
It was a lively scene.
Their eager gazes seemed to be saying, “Pick me! Pick me!”
Tang Hao covered his eyes, trying to spare himself from the second-hand embarrassment.
‘I get those who are posing, but why are the others performing acrobatic stunts? Were they part of a circus troupe before this?’
“I’ve heard that you want to shoot a movie, Fellow Cultivator Tang. To tell you the truth, I’m a veteran actor. I can fit into any role you give me, so I’m the best choice here. Besides, I’m so handsome. The audience will definitely like me.”
“What the f*ck are you talking about? I’m more handsome than you. Pick me if you need a star.”
The elderly Taoist masters argued and jostled among each other.
As they argued, their faces turned red, and they almost started fighting.
Tang Hao broke out in a cold sweat. He had never thought that the Taoist masters would be so enthusiastic.
“Um… Everyone calm down! Everyone gets a chance. I’ll discuss the script with Taoist Master Xuan Ling first. Then, I’ll choose the people according to what we need.”
As he spoke, he walked toward Shabby Taoist Master.
At that moment, a figure squeezed out from the crowd and walked in front of Tang Hao. He placed a large box in his hand on the ground.
Tang Hao looked closely at him and was stunned.
The person in front of him sported an afro and was extremely fashionable. He was none other than the scoundrelly Trendy Taoist Master.
He looked at the box and saw that it was filled with CDs.
Trendy Taoist Master dragged heavily from the cigarette in his mouth and blew a cloud of smoke. He seemed melancholic and profound.
“What are you doing?” Tang Hao asked, surprised.
“I’m different from them!” Shabby Taoist Master said in a deep voice.
“How are you different?”
“They are… vulgar. They only want to act in movies and be famous, but… I’m different. I want to be a director. A director is the soul of a movie.”
His tone was deliberately low and hoarse.
“Huh? Director?”
Tang Hao was completely dumbfounded.
“That’s right, a director! I’ve always dreamed of being a director. However, my responsibilities as a Taoist master have prevented me from pursuing my dream.
“Now, the world is much more peaceful than before. We Mao Mountain Taoist masters no longer need to wander the earth like before. I can finally pursue my dream without reservations.
“I have been researching over the years. These CDs are only part of my collection. There’s more in my room. I have studied every frame and every scene of these movies.
“You can say that Spielberg is my spiritual mentor, and Stephen Chow is my idol.”
Trendy Taoist Master blew out another puff of smoke as he spoke.
The wrinkles on his face accentuated his melancholy and the vicissitudes of time.
Tang Hao was stunned. Somehow, he was convinced.
‘That’s right! These Taoist masters are also human beings with their own hopes and dreams. However, as disciples of Mao Mountain, they had to put away their dreams to uphold their responsibilities.
‘For example, Taoist Master Xuan Ling writes his novel while vanquishing evil. That’s his dream.’
“Alright, you can be the director!” Tang Hao grabbed Trendy Taoist Master’s hand and shook it hard.
Trendy Taoist Master was instantly excited. “Don’t worry, Fellow Cultivator Tang. I’ll definitely make a good movie for you.
“Those blockbuster movies on the market are all trash. I want to change the trend.”
Tang Hao smiled and said, “Very good. I’ll leave this task to you!”
Then, he walked toward Shabby Taoist Master and said, “Let’s study the script first, Taoist Master!”
“That’s right! With a good script, our success is guaranteed,” Trendy Taoist Master said.
Immediately, the people rushed up the mountain. Tang Hao, Shabby Taoist Master, and Trendy Taoist Master went into a room and discussed all night. Finally, they came up with an outline of the script based on the novel.
