The sound of gongs and drums gradually rose, as if coming from afar, carrying everyone through ti and space to another world.
The marketplace burst into rounds of applause.
On the big screen, a lively scene unfolded—a troupe was performing on the streets, attracting a crowd of onlookers.
Following the pedestrians, the cara moved to a nearby theatre. As they entered, the noises from outside faded away, leaving only the voices of two famous actors singing on stage, their voices clear and lodious, echoing through the theatre.
One actor was painted as a "painted face" character, another as a "warrior woman," and they were performing "Farewell My Concubine."
In a corner of the theatre, two children listened intently to the performance. The younger child’s face showed a complex expression of both envy and pain, as he wiped away tears and asked, "Whimper, senior brother, how can one beco an actor? How much hardship must one endure?"
The senior brother patted his shoulder, "Master said if you want to be honored in front of others, you must endure hardship behind the scenes. Don’t worry, junior brother, our day to shine will surely co!"
As soon as they finished speaking, a pair of large hands grabbed their ears from behind, and dragged them out amidst their cries of "Ouch, ouch!"
The scene switched, both boys were lying on a bench, and their master raised a wooden stick high.
"Ouch!
"Ouch, wow!
"It hurts so much!"
The senior brother yelled, while naughtily winking at his junior, signaling him to yell louder so the master would go easier on them.
...
At the beginning of the film, there were still whispers in the cinema, but as soon as it started, the room fell silent.
The opening scene captivated everyone’s attention!
Although it was just a backdrop to the main plot, the details were incredibly realistic.
Take the very first scene, for instance—the cara swiftly captured the entire marketplace, with its array of stalls, a variety of goods, and mbers of the acting troupe, nearly portraying every aspect.
Moreover, the costus they wore, the buildings around them, were all ticulously prepared; even historians and archaeologists would find no faults.
The reason was simple—the footage was authentic historical imagery!
Although ordinary viewers might not understand all the details, they could still feel an indescribable harmony in the scene, a harmony usually seen only in movies with particularly careful set and costu design.
Therefore, although the opening had no grand scenes, it imdiately grabbed the attention of the audience!
As for Du Gang, he noticed even more.
Though he knew the truth about the Return Order mbers and couldn’t participate in direct confrontations like "monster invasions" or "Return Order Expeditions," he still had access to other instances as an internal tester.
He had, of course, completed the instance "Everything Settled post Funerary."
At that mont, he recognized that the film’s opening scene was content from Su Xianjun’s mory fragnts!
mory fragnts, although a golden talent, were easily obtained once soone assud the identity of Su Xianjun. Many players had discussed the content of these fragnts on forums, analyzing both Su Xianjun and Yang Xinyan’s characters.
Initially, Du Gang was worried because he thought the content from the instance alone might not sustain a full movie.
After all, from bandits entering the city, the County Magistrate’s death in battle, to the plan of burning down the theatre—it all happened in one night. Although players could explore so inside information by playing key characters, the film was linear storytelling, it couldn’t show different outcos based on various choices.
But now, Du Gang wasn’t worried.
Clearly, the film wasn’t just a simple playback of players’ gaplay but included extensive editing and enriched many scenes that were originally only in these characters’ mories, thus enhancing the story’s completeness greatly!
With that, the quality of the film was unquestionable.
Du Gang even anticipated that in this stagnant season, this film produced by the Return Order expediters might even overshadow other films of the ti.
That thought was almost too delightful to imagine.
Du Gang cald his excited emotions and continued watching.
...
As Du Gang expected, the plot continued with Yang Xinyan and Su Xianjun.
It included their struggles in the troupe and their rise to fa as celebrated actors.
The content of Su Xianjun’s mory fragnts was well portrayed, especially the scene where Su Xianjun asked Yang Xinyan if they could sing like this forever. Their subtle expressions were fully displayed on the big screen, silencing the entire cinema.
Du Gang had seen these scenes in Su Xianjun’s mory fragnts before, but it was from the first-person perspective back then, only showing Yang Xinyan’s expressions, not Su Xianjun’s state.
Now, through sophisticated cinematography, the dialogue between Su Xianjun and Yang Xinyan was perfectly presented to the audience.
The two actors eventually left the small county town with the troupe, becoming more and more popular, even famous across the entire Jiangnan Road, finally achieving their dreams of becoming renowned actors.
During a performance, they also t Wang Jinhui, who was already quite reputable in literature.
Wang Jinhui, also a lover of opera, felt a kindred connection with Su Xianjun, but Su Xianjun and Yang Xinyan’s relationship gradually grew distant as they indulged deeper in their art.
One day, Wang Jinhui returned ho and casually invited the troupe to perform in that small town.
Su Xianjun and Yang Xinyan thought it was just another location to perform, little did they know, fate was leading them onto the stage of history.
...
Bandits entered the town.
The County Magistrate was killed in battle.
In the theatre, Su Xianjun earnestly persuaded Yang Xinyan, looking determined; Wang Jinhui found Su Xianjun and agreed to the plan to burn down the theatre.
After leaving the theater, Wang Jinhui fled, plunging the audience into despair. However, Yang Xinyan finally made up his mind to run toward the direction of the local militia, reigniting the audience’s fervor!
Eventually, the plan to set the theater on fire succeeded. Gao Ze and Yang Xinyan led the local militias in a blood-soaked battle against the thieves, presenting a war scene worthy of song and lantation.
On the stage, Su Xianjun continued to sing. Through the blazing flas of the theater, he locked eyes with Yang Xinyan. Although their voices could no longer reach each other’s ears, a single look conveyed all that needed to be understood.
Everything was implicit, unspoken.
In the inferno at the theater, the sounds of fighting grew fainter while the sound of the drums grew louder, as the flas obscured the stage, like a slowly descending curtain.
Then, the large screen gradually blackened, and a lodious tune played.
"I once saw the jade trees in Jinling filled with birdsong at dawn, the early blossoming flowers at the pavilions over the Huai River, little did anyone know how easily ice can thaw.
Watching him build majestic buildings, host guests, then watching his tower collapse.
This green moss and these azure tiles, I once dread the dreams of a romantic, witnessing fifty years of rise and fall.
In Wuyi Alley not belonging to the Wangs, the ghosts cry in Mochou Lake at night, and owls perch on Phoenix Platform.
The remaining mountains hold the truest dreams, but the old scenes are hard to discard. Do not believe these maps change drafts.
Weaving a set of ’Sorrow for Jiangnan’, let out the sad sounds until old...
Tigers and dragons vie for power—drinks and swords drawn at banquets.
Why bother debating the success or failure of Liu and Xiang? The General’s head was severed, never to yield to Cao.
This is indeed... personal hatred can be forgiven, but the hatred of a country is hardest to quell!"
These lines were from various famous operas, sung by Su Xianjun and Yang Xinyan. Now, they perfectly lded into one new song.
As Su Xianjun and Yang Xinyan sang, a few lines of text appeared on the large screen.
"Tang Yizhang,... appointed as the County Magistrate of Chongyuan County by recomndation from the Scholar, governed with loyalty and love. ... Even though the earthworks were unfinished, the thieves attacked; he personally led the people to resist, fought fiercely in the alleys, and killed several culprits, falling heavily wounded and succumbing as the city fell.
The local militia, filled with righteous indignation, cried out: ’If we do not kill the thieves, how can we pay tribute to Lord Tang?’ They fought the thieves amidst fire and blood, annihilating nearly a hundred and reclaid the city.
Later, he was posthumously honored with the title’Minzhong’, and his grave was repaired, a shrine was built, and a tablet was erected to commorate him."
This was the historical text that the players had already found.
But imdiately afterward, a few more lines of text appeared over this historical docunt.
"At tis when the thieves attacked frequently, Chongyuan County had only a hundred Household Commanders to defend it, in reality less than half were soldiers. Tang Yizhang recruited local militia to join the city defense, with Gao Ze leading, for daily training day and night. Households Commander Xu took advantage of recruiting to plant confidants, secretly amassing unsavory characters.
...During spring and sumr, when thievery was rampant, Tang Yizhang funded the reinforcent of the earthworks himself; Households Commander Xu gathered local gentry, arguing that the repairs wear out the people and drain resources, impeding warti preparations, and obstructed in every possible way.
In April, before the earthworks were complete, the thieves attacked; Households Commander Xu conspired with the thieves, coordinating attacks both inside and outside the city. Tang Yizhang personally led the people to resist, fought fiercely in the alleys, and fell wounded shouting, ’Kill the thieves’ as the city fell.
The city’s soldiers and civilians, filled with righteous indignation, saw the troupe mbers Yang Xinyan and Su Xianjun, among others, lure the thieves to the theater, conspiring with local militia and Gao Ze to set the theater on fire, sacrificing themselves for the country in a bloody battle against the thieves, annihilating nearly a hundred and reclaiming the city.
In July, more than eighty traitors who conspired with the thieves were beheaded and discarded in the marketplaces.
In August, the Emperor posthumously awarded Tang Yizhang the title ’Minzhong’, repaired his grave, built a shrine, and erected a tablet to commorate him."
...
The subtitles slowly scrolled, and new records appeared over the original historical docunts.
The original docunts had recorded the deeds of County Magistrate Tang dying in battle for his country, but they hadn’t ntioned the traitor, Households Commander Xu, nor the sacrifices of Yang Xinyan, Su Xianjun, and other troupe mbers in this event.
Now, however, these docunts were finally completed, and the true history was revealed at last.
Du Gang couldn’t help but reflect, it was indeed so!
He originally thought that the reason for editing the ultimate challenge into a movie was to give these top players a chance to show off—so they could demonstrate their superb acting and top-notch skills in front of countless spectators.
But now it seed that was not the only reason.
Another very important reason was to bring those buried histories back to light!
"So... is this historical footage edited? What about the players?"
Du Gang realized that the movie’s plot was indeed full of twists and turns, nearly failing several tis.
This clearly wasn’t a walkthrough video created by the players.
Because if the players were to pass the challenge in the optimal manner, they would definitely choose the safest thod. Even if they needed to emulate these historical figures as close as possible, they would make their trade-offs and likely wouldn’t engage in such perilous scenarios.
Glancing at the ti, he realized that only an hour and a half had passed by.
That’s the standard length for a movie, but this movie was supposed to be two hours long.
Soon, the large screen lit up again—this ti displaying the players’ walkthrough video.
"So it’s like this, to show the real history first, then the players’ video?
This way, there’s no worry that the players’ performance might be mistaken for real history, highlighting that in ’Dark Sand,’ it’s these historical heroes who are truly the tear-jerking protagonists..."
Du Gang’s previously somber mood eased slightly as he continued watching the screen, looking forward to the players’ impressive performances.
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