Brother Dao Took the Entertainment Industry by Storm, Fans Beg Me Not to Kill Anymore

Chapter 573: Heading Northwest—Deserts and Gobi, Lone Smoke in the Vast Expanse!

This fight scene was filmed for two full days.

Normally, the workload wouldnʼt be this heavy right after joining the crew. However, Xiao He had joined the production team too late. The filming for all other scenes had already been completed, and the crew was preparing to go to G Province to shoot the upcoming main storyline set in the northwest. Therefore, Xiao He had no choice but to grit his teeth and finish filming this action sequence.

Fortunately, the current Xiao He was no longer the fragile university student of his past. Otherwise, even if it was just chopping motions, filming continuously for two days straight would have given him a full-blown case of tenosynovitis and frozen shoulder.

Since ”Thief Catcher 2” also had to consider theatrical release, overly bloody scenes risked being censored. Consequently, the Bone-Cleaving Knife Technique used by Xiao He this time wasnʼt as gory as in the previous installment. Its primary function was to deliver fatal blows swiftly. In this fight at the inn, where the main goal was self-preservation and escape, Shen Jue mostly killed with a single strike, not reducing everyone to skeletons like in the first part.

Even so, Shen Jueʼs primary combat system and fighting style were still quite different from the other characters. The fact that Xiao He could portray it to a masterful level was truly thanks to the golden finger provided by the System.

Soon, all the scenes before the inn fire were completed.

The crew began swapping out props, dismantling the innʼs structure, spending an entire day transforming it into a ”ruined” state. Then, Jiang Rushu, played by Pu Rong, made his entrance, beginning his investigation amidst the ruins.

After Jiang Rushuʼs storyline concluded, the final bits of plot were essentially finished.

After filming all the scenes in Shanghai, the cast and crew of ”Thief Catcher 2” boarded a plane and officially flew to G Province.

G Province is located in northwest China, at the convergence zone of three major plateaus, and was a golden section of the ancient Silk Road. Its landscapes combine snow-capped mountains with Gobi deserts and barren lands, showcasing grandeur and magnificence, naturally imbued with the vastness of the northwest and the ancient charm of millennia.
This area also has many locations of ancient frontier fortresses, making it a filming location for many period dramas. Especially the desert Gobi here, the ruins of abandoned frontier fortresses—just the shooting scenery alone evokes countless literary verses and poems, giving people a tragic, heroic feeling of frontier sunsets and lone smoke rising over the vast desert.

However, the filming time their crew chose was truly somewhat torturous.

By this time, G Province had already entered winter, with large temperature differences between day and night. Daytime temperatures were only a few degrees Celsius, often accompanied by strong winds and light snow. Although the actorsʼ makeup and the season depicted in the story were set for early autumn, their costumes were mostly relatively simple, not overly complex or warm, prioritizing flexibility and aesthetics.

So, while filming, the actors couldnʼt help but shiver.

”Hoo, hoo—”

Pu Rong, wrapped in a thick padded coat, exhaled warm breath onto his palms while rubbing his hands together. He occasionally looked up at the tents set up behind them, his face full of anticipation. ”I wonder how much longer it will take to get the heaters over here. Itʼs freezing me to death. I should have stayed in the car to warm up first.”

Even Xiao He, wearing a down jacket, couldnʼt help but stomp his feet and sniffle, trying hard not to let his crystal diamond (tears) fall out.

There was no helping it. Among the skills he possessed, there was indeed an overpowering ability like [Recovery+]. But coldness was like tiny insects burrowing into the gaps between your bones—impossible to guard against completely. He could only guarantee he wouldnʼt catch a cold, but that didnʼt mean he wouldnʼt feel cold.

Compared to the sorry states of Pu Rong and Xiao He, Qu Qiuyan, sitting nearby warming herself by the fire, appeared much calmer.

In fact, Qu Qiuyan was wearing less than both Pu Rong and Xiao He. However, perhaps due to more extensive experience dealing with the cold and the composure expected of a senior, her demeanor was much better than theirs. Apart from occasionally turning her palms over to distribute the warmth more evenly, she made no other unnecessary movements.

Seemingly noticing the gazes of Pu Rong and Xiao He, Qu Qiuyan proactively shared her cold-weather tips with them.

”Here, here, you can stick a heat patch. And also this spot on your back—these are all important acupressure points.”

Qu Qiuyan briefly showed them the heat patches on her own body, carefully explaining which positions would provide better insulation and increase warmth. Finally, she pointed out a few acupressure points for Xiao He and Pu Rong, telling them to press and massage those points when they felt cold. This could promote blood circulation and help their bodies warm up more quickly.

She was even incorporating traditional Chinese medicine into this!

Xiao He thanked the senior for sharing her experience but remained somewhat skeptical about pressing acupressure points. So, he silently pressed the points himself for a while.

Before long, Xiao He discovered—whether it was a psychological effect or the points genuinely working—that he actually slowly started feeling less cold.

”Huh? It really seems to work a bit? Thatʼs amazing?”

Pu Rong also exclaimed in surprise.

Qu Qiuyan kept a straight face, appearing somewhat serious, but one could clearly see her brows and eyes soften, seeming to be in a rather good mood.

”Great. Iʼll have more experience to deal with it when we go film on the snow mountain later,” Xiao He said, thanking Qu Qiuyan again.

”Brother Xiao, you still have to go film on a snow mountain after this?” Pu Rong asked curiously. Qu Qiuyan also looked over.

”Yes, thatʼs right,” Xiao He nodded. ”After filming here wraps up, Iʼll pretty much have to head over there to shoot.”

”My goodness, youʼre really busy.”

Even Pu Rong was a bit astonished.

Xiao He was probably the most hardworking and driven young person he knew.

Qu Qiuyan, on the other hand, was somewhat curious. ”Which production team?”

”Snow Ridge Red Journey, Director Yang Liʼs project,” Xiao He replied.

”Oh, that crew—”

Qu Qiuyan slightly furrowed her brows, as if thinking of something, then finally nodded. ”Director Yang Li is indeed an excellent director, but... sometimes he can be quite stubborn. If you really have snow mountain scenes, it will probably be quite tough then. You can prepare more gear yourself and pay attention to keeping warm, especially your shoulders, arms, knees—oh yes, and your lower back.”

As she spoke, she couldnʼt help but pat her own lower back. ”This is practically an occupational hazard in our line of work. Youʼre still young, you must protect yourselves well.”

Pu Rong also instinctively covered his own lower back and let out a long sigh. ”Thatʼs true. Actually, forget about us being young; my back is already not doing great.”

Friends who often film fight scenes know that many action sequences require wire work. And the force from the wires is mostly concentrated on the lower back. This means that when flying through the air, a lot of the power comes from the core/back, and you often need to use your lower back to generate force and stabilize your body, allowing you to maintain an upright posture mid-air to prevent yourself from flailing around. Whether itʼs mid-air flips, rapid dives, or hovering landings, your entire body weight and the force of inertia impact are concentrated on your lumbar spine and lower back muscles.

So, if you want to film smooth, agile-looking fight scenes, you often have to rely heavily on core/lower back strength.

Therefore, actors who film for years on end mostly have back problems.

Itʼs an unsolvable chronic strain issue, unless you leave the industry and stop doing this line of work later on.

Xiao He touched his own lower back, feeling grateful that his golden finger was powerful enough.

Just as the senior and junior actors were discussing occupational hazards, shouts came from the direction of the tents. ”Itʼs here, itʼs here—”

Pu Rongʼs eyes lit up. ”Whatʼs here? Is the heater finally here?!”

All three of them looked over simultaneously.