Chapter 105: No Need for a Stand-In

Lin Yu scratched his head and smiled. “No. I never say things I have no confidence in.”

“Then I shall see for myself whether your Tai Chi or my Muay Thai is stronger.”

There was little emotion in Li Shiche’s voice, but his anticipation for the contest was unmistakable.

Ordinarily, no one would think there was anything wrong with a martial arts champion picking on a newcomer from the entertainment world. But when the man in question was the young heir to a powerful corporation, who would dare question him?

Since neither of them objected, Wu De confirmed once more that Lin Yu did not need a stunt double. His heart warmed a little. For a newcomer, especially one with Qi Fei backing him, he could have claimed every privilege available to him, yet he had not used a single one.

His opinion of Lin Yu changed dramatically. Glancing at the time, he called out to the crew, “Everyone to your positions! Get ready to shoot!”

Once all departments were in place, the two leads stepped onto the set. The scene being filmed was Scene Thirty: the second male lead, played by Lin Yu, personally witnessed the male and female leads in a loving embrace and was deeply wounded. At the same time, the great villain Li Shiche saw the same tender scene, his jealousy flaring until he was completely consumed by darkness and resolved to tear the couple apart.

At the scene of the supposed affair, Li Shiche noticed Lin Yu, who had also been present, and came looking for him, intending to join forces and split the male and female leads apart.

“Positions! Three, two, one—action!”

As the words fell, the camera began to roll.

After witnessing, amid the snow, the woman he loved in another man’s embrace, Lin Yu pushed his wheelchair away in silence, never once considering revealing the truth: that it had in fact been he who had cared for the heroine for many days.

Snowflakes drifted down his handsome face. In the deepest part of his eyes lay sorrow, and on his features a look of lost emptiness. The one he loved had mistaken another man for her savior and fallen for him, yet because that man was his own younger brother, he could say nothing at all.

A flake of snow drifted past, and a cold, sinister presence drew near. Sensing the person behind him, Lin Yu did not turn around, only spoke evenly. “What are you doing here?”

“This is sacred ground. Do you think people like you may approach it as you please?”

Amid the falling snow, he caught a whiff of blood. Lin Yu’s gaze turned cold. “It seems the disciples guarding the gate have met with grave misfortune.”

The icy aura pressed close to his ear. Li Shiche, his demonic makeup making him look wickedly enchanting, curved his lips into a cruel smile and spoke beside Lin Yu’s ear, his tone thick with mockery. “You cared for her for so many days. You clearly have feelings for her, yet you can still hand her over so readily.”

Page 1 of 3

“Just because the man is your younger brother? Your younger brother who will, in time, become a massive threat to your position?”

“Aren’t you afraid that all your forbearance will leave you with nothing in the end?”

“If I remember correctly, the position of sect master will be decided between you and your brother. You insist on not competing, but in the end, what have you gained?”

Li Shiche’s words were like a demon’s enticement. Lin Yu knew all too well that yielding to a devil’s whispers was tantamount to handing over one’s own life. Few who made a bargain with the dark ever met a perfect end.

“You try to sow discord between me and the young sect master within my own sect. Do you know that this is a capital offense?”

Li Shiche laughed. “Capital offense? I am no member of your sect! Whether I am guilty or not—what right have creatures like you to judge it? Absurd!”

“If I wish it, every last one of your sect members will die tonight.”

Lin Yu naturally knew Li Shiche’s strength. He was no exaggeration. That overwhelming power had been suppressed a hundred years ago by the combined efforts of the eight major sects, at the cost of countless disciples. If this demon were to target a single sect…

Indeed, Lin Yu had no power to stop him.

The demon gave Lin Yu a choice: protect the sect, or strike a bargain with the devil.

“Work with me. Together we’ll separate those two. I want Liang Shiyi. If she is your target as well… then at worst, we can each enjoy our share of her in turn?”

“I wouldn’t mind sharing what I love most with my most loyal partner.”

That word—share.

Lin Yu’s brows knit tightly. The woman he cherished as a priceless treasure, yet in the demon’s mouth she was nothing more than a thing?

In that instant, fury rolled off him in waves. Flames burned in his eyes, only to be quickly suppressed. How could the woman he loved be treated like a toy, played with at will by such a monster? Anger surged in his chest; he drew a deep breath and forced it down, yet the humiliation remained, too vast to swallow.

His legs shifted slightly. The demon narrowed his eyes, as though sensing something amiss. A smile, full of foreknowledge, curled at the corner of his mouth, dripping mockery. He had long since seen through Lin Yu’s disguise, though he had never bothered to say so outright.

Page 2 of 3

For the demon’s perverse amusement wanted to see how long the famous young sect master, renowned for his restraint, could endure before revealing his true power.

At the thought, the demon trembled with excitement. The smile at his lips grew ever more savage and twisted. Of course he had noticed Lin Yu’s trembling feet; it was a clear omen.

“I’ve long heard that the young sect master is exceptionally formidable. To protect the sect and your brother’s safety, you suppress yourself and conceal your true nature. Doesn’t it tire you?”

“Come. Let me see your truest form! Let me witness your real strength!”

“You want to stop me from laying a hand on her, don’t you? Then let me see how a cripple like you plans to stop me.”

His sharp nails scraped across Lin Yu’s cheek, and derisive laughter rang in his ear.

Lin Yu gripped the wheelchair’s handles until his knuckles turned white. He was already at the end of his patience. He could endure being humiliated, but not Liang Shiyi. Even if he could not possess her himself, he would never allow anyone else to toy with her as though she were nothing.

To protect the woman he loved, Lin Yu moved.

His legs had long since been secretly healed. But because the young sect master was so extraordinary, and in order to prevent other hidden threats from targeting the sect—the eight sects had ostensibly joined forces to seal the demon, yet when that seal broke a hundred years later, some fearful sects had already betrayed them in secret. Lin Yu, rumored to possess the power to contend with the demon, had become a thorn in the side of every sect.

Fortunately, he had been frail and disabled since childhood. So long as he remained unable to stand, he would have no power to oppose the demon. Thus, even though the other sects watched him closely, they were only monitoring him, ready at any moment, the instant he recovered, to wipe out his sect and crush him in turn.

The reason the demon had come here, of course, was also to investigate the truth of certain matters. Rumor had it that the young sect master had secretly sought out a renowned physician, and that his disability had already been cured.

The moment Lin Yu rose to his feet, Wu De shouted, “What are you standing there for? Get the green screen up! Bring in the effects!”

At the instant Lin Yu stood, the scene called for an unimaginable surge of power to erupt from him, putting tremendous pressure on Li Shiche and causing his expression to change drastically.

Some scenes required exactly that: flawless visual effects that heightened the rise and fall of the drama, creating the visual impact intended for the audience and fully displaying the overwhelming difference in strength between the two opponents.

Page 3 of 3