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Chapter 229: It Turned Out, Theater Could Also Be Genuine

I wish to become a god. #232 2/3/2026
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Wow! She's absolutely a heavenly beauty—this up-and-coming star from across the country, with a grace that makes fish fall and lotuses sink, a charm that makes the moon blush and flowers shy. At that moment, she completely froze, her legs unable to move, as if turned to stone. She forgot to check her clothes, her eyes fixed on him with a dazed, glowing intensity, while Dong Jiao didn't even glance at him, simply drifting away. The handsome monk, now awakened, immediately walked over and called the abbot, Gong Honglai: "Abbot, abbot, truly, I saw her—she's absolutely breathtaking!" "Excellent! Excellent!" Gong Honglai replied, smiling lasciviously, "You must carry out the original plan as scheduled—understood? After the matter is settled, there will be a substantial reward! A substantial reward!" The monk promptly complied and replied, "Don't worry!" The reason "Dreams Broken at the Red Chamber" chose to film at the Daluo Cave is primarily due to the narrative requirements. There's a scene where the male lead, Fang Xiaotian, as a lay disciple, formally joins Shaolin Temple, only to face exclusion from the temple's senior disciple. Meanwhile, the abbot of Shaolin is away, and despite having resided at the temple for twelve years, Fang Xiaotian has never mastered even a single technique—frequently mocked and pressured by the senior disciple. In a moment of determination, he secretly enters the Daluo Cave under the cover of night to secretly study martial arts. However, the situation proves challenging: the Daluo Cave has long been the sacred retreat for Shaolin monks to meditate and train, equipped with numerous mechanisms. Unintentionally, Fang Xiaotian triggers one of these mechanisms and is seriously injured. Yet his passion for martial arts remains unshaken, because his pursuit is not for himself, but for the welfare of the common people. Because his hometown was frequently oppressed by thugs and ruffians, many poor people had no choice but to endure their extortion and harassment, quietly accepting their demands. His own parents were even murdered on New Year's Eve when they could not pay the landlord Wang Shiren's rent of ten taels of silver—killed by the very ruffians hired by the landlord. Fortunately, Fang Xiaotian managed to escape the disaster alive; otherwise, he too would have perished. Observing these thugs and ruffians not only extorting money but also arbitrarily mocking and treating respectable women with disrespect, many villagers were forced to leave their homes and live a life of constant displacement and hardship. "I want to go to the Shaolin Monastery to study martial arts and return to avenge and redeem my fellow villagers!" This noble aspiration has long been cherished by Fang Xiaotian. Yet, after a month-long journey, traveling day and night from his hometown, and finally reaching the distant Shaolin Monastery, he was deeply disappointed—his long-anticipated abbot had passed away, and now the monastery was managed by the abbot's senior disciple. This senior disciple was autocratic and greedy, fond of wealth and women. He didn't regard Fang Xiaotian's barefoot arrival at the Shaolin Temple with any favor, refusing to teach him martial arts and instead assigning him the heaviest, most labor-intensive tasks—rising early and working until nightfall, turning him into a free laborer at the temple. This arrangement lasted for twelve years. Fang Xiaotian was heartbroken and utterly hopeless. In desperation, he would sneak into the temple at night to secretly study martial arts. Even after suffering serious injuries, he pressed on toward the Daluo Cave, nearly crawling into it. Fang Xiaotian possessed exceptional talent and memory; he memorized the exercise diagrams inscribed on the cave walls and practiced them diligently. The cave was deserted, and for one month, he subsisted solely on snakes, earthworms, centipedes, and other creatures found within. Through relentless effort and perseverance, he finally mastered genuine martial arts. Then he left the Daluo Cave, departed from Shaolin, returned home, avenged himself, eliminated the unruly thugs and local hoodlums, and severed the head of Wang Shiren—the man who had violently murdered his sister. The villagers cheered enthusiastically, and the childhood sweetheart from next door, with her keen eyes, also took notice, so the two became life partners. To evade official pursuit, they journeyed far away to a quiet, little-known place, where they lived together, tending to their fields and weaving together, loving each other deeply and growing old side by side. "Fang Xiaotian! I'm here!" The neighboring young sister, portrayed by Dong Jiao, made a dazzling entrance, appearing as a timeless beauty to the entire cast. The handsome, bearded monks stationed at each gate were all spellbound by Dong Jiao's charm, their mouths running with admiration. "What are you doing here? Hurry! It's dangerous here! My martial arts training is still in its early stages—I must master the Iron Sand Palm and Iron Sand Fist to avenge my parents, who died here, and to repay the suffering and injustice endured by our villagers!" A young man, elegantly dressed and portraying Fang Xiaotian, declared. As the neighboring sister was about to speak, a loud burst of laughter came from behind. Turning around, Fang Xiaotian and the sister saw it was the abbot's eldest disciple, with a fierce expression: "You wish "Today, I'm going to kill you!" With that, the iron palm strike came. A gust of dust surged as Fang Xiaotian didn't dodge—he simply used his body to shield the neighbor's young sister. As a result, Fang Xiaotian sustained serious injuries, while the young sister was saved. Yet the senior disciple of the abbot, charmed by her beauty, approached her with a most lecherous intent, rushing toward her. The young sister, a girl of pure virtue, was determined not to fall into the hands of a rogue—she immediately leapt without hesitation into a dark, nearby opening. Fang Xiaotian followed right after. Then, a devilish voice roared from behind, shouting, "Hah! Hah! Hah! You're all dead now!" The unfolding scene was so vivid and powerful that it surpassed the authenticity of the real-life setting. Indeed, theater could be truly authentic—this was real. The director, a man with a thick beard, and his crew were all drenched in sweat. They had never realized that the senior disciple of the abbot was none other than Gong Honglai, who had secretly joined their production team to play this very unscrupulous role. Then, the director with the beard suddenly realized something, his face turning pale as he gasped in amazement, exclaiming, "Fang Xiaotian—it's him! It's him!" Though he didn't finish his words, everyone on set immediately sensed it—every gesture since then had been unmistakably that of Gao Liang, the company's investor, Gao General. They all shouted together, "Quick! Go down and save them! We must save these two! I'm going to call the police!" "All your doing!" the crew members shouted at Gong Hong, yet Gong Hong roared back, "This is my ground! I want to do what I please! Hmph! You want to call the police? Forget it! Come on! Seal off all the exits!" So, under Gong Hong's orders, his team of colorful monks carried out the instructions, and, at his signal, pressured everyone to hand over their phones, attempting to cut off all communication with the outside world. In fact, there were many spectators eager to enter the entrance, but Gong Hong had her disciples tightly guard the entrance, preventing outsiders from coming in and insiders from leaving. She also announced, "There's food inside, and filming will take three days!" The outside audience, unaware of the situation, believed her instantly and dispersed. The scene then shifted to Gao Liang and Dong Jiao. Dong Jiao, playing the role of a down-to-earth younger sister, stepped down first, followed by Gao Liang, who portrayed Fang Xiaotian. There was a noticeable gap between them—inside the cave, it was completely dark, and Gao Liang felt his heart race. Dong Jiao, being delicate in build, could have suffered serious consequences if she landed hard. So he roared and immediately applied the "Thousand-Pound Weight" technique, which Master Hong Da had taught him, rapidly descending. With a loud "crash," Gao Liang's sturdy frame caught up with Dong Jiao's graceful one. His strong arms wrapped firmly around her slender waist, and Dong Jiao, momentarily weakened, collapsed into Gao Liang's arms. Although her extraordinary ability was temporarily sealed, the Gathering-Eye truly proved useful at the crucial moment. Hmm, this is a cavern—so large and open! When Gao Liang gently set the beautiful woman he was holding onto the ground, his body was suddenly knocked off balance by a bat that brushed him, causing him to fall. Just as he did, Dong Jiao landed squarely on top of him, and the two of them collided face-to-face. "Ah! Huh!" Their lips unintentionally stuck together. What a delightful fragrance! Today, Dong Jiao wore the delicate pink silk gown from the play, resembling a fairy from the terrace, graceful and enchanting. Gao Liang himself looked quite handsome, yet his outward appearance wasn't quite his own. Dong Jiao wanted to quickly pull her lips free, but found herself weak and reluctant. Hmm—what a familiar scent drifting from this man! And yet… With her finely trained eyes, she observed this man—both familiar and yet strangely new—and immediately reached out with her jade hands to remove Gao Liang's mask. Wow! It's my husband! It's my husband! Dong Jiao was crying—happy, tearful tears. If it weren’t for her husband stepping in secretly to play this role, bravely rescuing her, she might have been crushed to dust. Danger had arrived. Gong Hong had dispatched nearly all the Shaolin monks to enter the Damo Cave, taking control of the "Dream Broken in the Red Chamber" production team while sending other Shaolin monks through a different entrance into the cave where Gao Liang and Dong Jiao were located. "Catch them! Don't let them escape!" a voice shouted behind Gao Liang and Dong Jiao.