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Chapter 266 Wu Yuchen Writes a New Chapter in Wuxia
As the male lead, Shen Lian's fight scene was definitely more exciting than his two brothers'. First, he used his fire-based drinking technique to defeat the archers, then he wiped out a squad of shield soldiers, and finally he engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Zhao Jingzhong. In a critical moment, he even took a bullet for the female lead, Zhou Miaotong, keeping the audience glued to the screen.

Shen Lian's behavior, which would be jokingly called "licking dog" by netizens in later years, was actually quite typical of 2002, a time when deep affection was all the rage. Jiang Qinqin's character, Zhou Miaotong, was also moved by his actions and pulled herself out of her utter despair.

At this moment, many people in the theater showed expressions of emotion, especially the female audience members. Seeing the pale face on the screen, they felt a surge of tenderness and great heartache.

It has to be said that Leslie Cheung's personal charm and charisma are truly incomparable to Zhang Zhen's!

After a fierce battle, Shen Lian rescued Zhou Miaotong.

The audience now knows that Shen Lian is the one who confiscated Zhou Miaotong's entire family's property. Their dramatic and complicated relationship has revealed Shen Lian's actions and motives. His deep love, mixed with guilt and a desire to make amends, finally touches the heart of the goddess.

Jiang Qinqin, who was leaning on Shen Lian's shoulder, finally couldn't help but take out a white handkerchief and cover Shen Lian's wound. At the same time, she showed a sad and complicated expression: "If it weren't for me, you might not be like this today."

Upon hearing this, Leslie Cheung stopped in his tracks. Just then, in the vast darkness of the night, snowflakes began to fall. The two of them looked up at the snowflakes, and Jiang Qinqin slowly leaned her head towards Leslie Cheung. At that moment, silence spoke volumes.

I'll share the snow with you, and grow old with you in this life!
A narrow alley with blue bricks, a pitch-black night, a vast expanse of white snowflakes, a beautiful woman in a bright red dress, her resolute figure walking through the swirling snow—this scene is deeply imprinted in the minds of the audience, poignant, tragic, yet romantic!

At this moment, not only the female audience members, but even the men like Zhao Fan were moved by a strange emotion welling up inside them.

At this moment, Zhao Fan also had some feelings and thoughts. This "Brotherhood of Blades" was not like those martial arts movies before, where the main characters were all big heroes and chivalrous figures. Their actions were all led by others, and they seemed to lack any chivalry.

But when you get here and see Shen Lian's devotion to protecting Zhou Miaotong, and Jiang Wen's loyalty to his brother, isn't that what chivalry is all about?

He suddenly realized that even an ordinary person like him, who sacrifices himself to protect the loved ones around him, is a hero!

However, although Shen Lian found love, his two good brothers were separated from him by death. His third brother, Jin Yichuan, had already died in the snow. His eldest brother, Lu Jianxing, was beheaded on the execution ground.

Although the groundwork had been laid, the plot moved so quickly here that it caught many people off guard. Some even thought that Jiang Wen wouldn't die, and that Shen Lian might even be able to stage another rescue scene at the execution ground!

The scene of Lu Jianxing's death filmed by Wu Yuchen here is slightly different from the original. The original film showed Shen Lian standing on the sidelines watching Lu Jianxing being beheaded. Filming it this way would obviously disrupt Shen Lian's character. The eldest brother was willing to die for his two brothers, but Shen Lian just watched his brother being executed, only showing sadness, without trying to storm the execution ground to save him. This makes Shen Lian seem somewhat selfish!
Therefore, Wu Yuchen filmed Shen Lian after he had settled Zhou Miaotong and heard the news that Lu Jianxing was to be executed. He rushed to the execution ground, but unfortunately, when he arrived, he only saw Jiang Wen's huge head fall to the ground.

Shen Lian was filled with immense pain and regret, and the audience was also stirred by his righteous indignation, their anger rising ever higher. From their omniscient perspective, they naturally knew the whole story. The three main brothers, perfectly fine young men, had become innocent victims of the power struggle above.

Although Wei Zhongxian is now dead, Zhao Jingzhong, the culprit who stirred up trouble, has escaped! He must be killed!
Wu Yuchen had a firm grasp on the audience's emotions, showing them whatever they wanted to see. The next moment, the camera jumped to the grasslands beyond the Great Wall, where Zhao Jingzhong and several trusted men galloped away on horseback amidst a beautiful landscape, while a lone rider followed closely behind – none other than Shen Lian.

"The moment I found the three of you, you were already dead!" Hearing Zhao Jingzhong say these words in a contemptuous tone, with an attitude that regarded the little people as ants, the audience was once again moved.

Then, when Zhao Jingzhong shouted "Bibala Zhao Jingzhong" to a group of Tartars who were waiting for him, and took off his hat to reveal the pig tail braid at the back of his head, revealing his identity as a traitor to the Ming and surrender to the Jin, it was as if the buff was fully stacked, and the audience's anger towards him reached its peak. It turned out that he was a super traitor!

Then the final battle began, with Ding Xiu facing 13 Jin soldiers alone and achieving a great victory, which immediately changed the audience's impression of him.

Shen Lian's perspective is also the main one, and he fought a major battle with Zhao Jingzhong in the forest using the weapons of the three brothers.

Last time at the brothel, Zhao Jingzhong was unable to unleash his full power due to an injury to his hand and the limitations of his spear in the confined space. This time, in an open area, his strength surged, forcing Shen Lian to retreat repeatedly. The audience was alarmed, wondering if Shen Lian could possibly defeat Zhao Jingzhong. Would they have to drag it out until Ding Xiu came to help?

However, Shen Lian wasn't stupid. Since he couldn't win by sheer strength, he naturally had to make use of the terrain in the forest. The two figures moved swiftly and agilely through the trees, and the light, shadows, fallen leaves, weeds, and dust all became their weapons. This was much more interesting than the original version where they just fought on the ground!
In the end, after a thrilling duel, Shen Lian turned the tide in a desperate situation and defeated Zhao Jingzhong, giving the audience a sense of relief and letting out the pent-up frustration they had been holding in!

As the sun set, Ding Xiu and Shen Lian parted ways. One became a carefree wanderer, while the other traveled south to Jiangnan to find his beloved.

As Zhao Fan watched on the screen, Shen Lian, who was riding alone on horseback, was suddenly overtaken by two horses, resulting in a beautiful scene of the three brothers galloping on horseback, he felt a deep sense of emotion. He thought to himself, "If only this were real!"
As the film ended, whispers began to ripple through the theater: "That was awesome! Much more awesome than last year's 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'!"

"Whether it's the plot or the fight scenes, it's much smoother than 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.' 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' felt weak and lukewarm, lacking any power. Director Wu's 'Brotherhood of Blades' is so cool when it comes to fighting; the fight scenes and spectacle are both great!"

"Brother is so handsome! He acted so well, especially the scene with the falling snow, it was so evocative, it made my heart ache for him!"

"Jiang Qinqin is so beautiful!"

"And the special effects for the bow and arrow were so well done! They looked exactly like the real thing, and they were really impressive!"

"The scenery photos are all so beautiful!"

Zhao Fan and the others discussed it amongst themselves, each offering their own opinion:

"It's really good, but I feel it's missing something. I still prefer the style of 'New Dragon Gate Inn'."

"You're prejudiced. These two movies are clearly not the same style! You're looking for a chivalrous hero, but Director Wu didn't include a single traditional hero in 'Brotherhood of Blades.' The characters are all struggling to make ends meet, let alone have the time or inclination to fight for justice!"

"Yes, Wu Yuchen is interpreting the meaning of martial arts from a completely new perspective. It's not only great heroes who can be heroes; ordinary people can also be heroes!"

“I didn’t say it was bad, but I just felt it didn’t have the same wow factor as when I watched ‘New Dragon Gate Inn’ back then…” “Times have changed, and your tastes have become more discerning. Even if Tsui Hark were to remake ‘New Dragon Gate Inn’ himself now, you might not like it.”

"Hey, let's not argue about that anymore. Who do you guys think is the best?"

"That must be Ding Xiu! Look at him, he never lost a fight against anyone, and in the end, he even single-handedly killed a whole squad of Tartar cavalry. That's amazing!"

“I think Lu Jianxing is also a possibility. Look at him after his outburst. He single-handedly wiped out Wei Zhongxian and Zhao Jingzhong’s entire force on the road. If he hadn’t been surrounded by a large number of Jinyiwei, he might not have been caught.”

"Let's go with Ding Xiu. Although he's arrogant, he's actually quite skilled. Even Zhao Jingzhong said he's good at kung fu after fighting him. In the end, Zhao Jingzhong completely crushed Shen Lian. If Shen Lian hadn't used various terrain conditions and provoked Zhao Jingzhong with his words, he definitely wouldn't have been able to beat him."

"Hey, do you guys think things would be different if Shen Lian handed Wei Zhongxian over to the authorities?"

"No way! Didn't you hear what Zhao Jingzhong said? When they got involved in this, they already planned to silence them!"

……

At this moment, audiences across the country who have watched "Brotherhood of Blades" are discussing the film, and a large number of positive reviews about "Brotherhood of Blades" have been released.

In fact, these positive reviews are no longer just for "Brotherhood of Blades" itself, but also because of Wu Yuchen's status.

Consider how badly "The Promise" was made; didn't it still receive a lot of praise from the media? So naturally, "Brotherhood of Blades," directed by Wu Yuchen, a leading figure in Chinese cinema, will also be showered with praise!

"Brotherhood of Blades ignites the summer movie season nationwide, setting a new record for audience numbers!"

"Brotherhood of Blades, a masterpiece of both literary and martial arts!"

"Written by Wu Yuchen: The captivating storyline, the treacherous power struggles, and the intertwined love and hate are skillfully blended together. The actors each deliver outstanding performances, and the entire story is full of twists and turns, making it impossible to put down from beginning to end!"

The action sequences go beyond traditional fast-paced editing; the opening long chase scene alone is breathtaking. The extensive use of weaponry enhances the overall spectacle, while the combination of traditional weaponry and modern technology makes the action sequences even more visually appealing. The fight scenes are outstanding, each one a masterpiece not to be missed; the clash of fists and feet, the precise use of weapons, make it impossible to look away!

In addition, the costumes, props, and art direction in the film are all quite well done, with meticulous attention to detail. Whether it's the various weapons or the architecture and street scenes from the Ming Dynasty, they all make people feel as if they are in an ancient martial arts world.

......"

"Wu Yuchen writes a new chapter in Chinese martial arts fiction – 'Brotherhood of Blades'!"

"The 'Brotherhood of Blades' has cleaved out the future of realistic martial arts films."

Wu Yuchen's martial arts film doesn't feature high-flying leaps and bounds; the action design focuses on ground-based combat, close-quarters melee, and the clash of swords. The sound of metal clashing replaces the artificial sound effects of traditional martial arts films, aiming to deliver the deadly realism of combat.

In this film, Wu Yuchen is going against genre and tradition, breaking down the old to build the new, and rebelling is to create new genres and new traditions.

Saying goodbye to the martial arts world and venturing into history, saying goodbye to flying and leaping and moving towards realistic action, saying goodbye to heroes and chivalrous figures and moving into the lives of ordinary people as insignificant as ants, "Brotherhood of Blades" is therefore worthy of the audience's expectations.

Only "Brotherhood of Blades" could so seamlessly blend the creator's fresh perspective, personal sentiments, and martial arts culture!

"A revolutionary new style of martial arts fiction—Brotherhood of Blades!"

As Guo Jing once said, "The greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people." The heroes in Jin Yong's novels are all outstanding figures, possessing superb martial arts skills, boundless righteousness, and profound emotions. And "Brotherhood of Blades" tells us that chivalry and loyalty can also shine brightly in every humble, ordinary person!
Today, I had the privilege of watching director Wu Yuchen's new martial arts film, "Brotherhood of Blades," a work that holds unique significance for the new wave of martial arts films!

Wu Yuchen set up a grand story background, but the camera does not focus on the traditional heroes. Instead, it focuses on several struggling little people. While reducing the "heroism" without deviating from it, he adds more humanity, human nature, historical sense, the struggles of little people and the driving force of the environment, which is closer to the mindset of modern people. This shows the profound skill of director Wu!
Shen Lian doesn't care about the country and its people, but he cares about the important people around him. He uses his own methods to protect them, and settles his grudges in the martial world.

Chivalry and loyalty will no longer be exclusive to heroes!

Life is a constant struggle for survival; let's talk about martial arts, righteousness, and heroes—but who truly is a hero?

The promotional campaign for "Brotherhood of Blades" was already quite large, and with Wu Yuchen's support, it naturally received a flood of positive reviews after its release, reaching countless households.

To be honest, Wu Yuchen himself felt that the praise for "Brotherhood of Blades" was a bit excessive. Although he upgraded and adapted "Brotherhood of Blades" to some extent, he knew very well that he could not necessarily elevate it to the level of a classic.

However, a lot of public opinion has already exaggerated it as if it were unprecedented, which is not his original intention!
Wu Yuchen sighed. That's how it is when you reach a certain position. In future interviews, he will inevitably have to spend more time explaining things.

However, this promotion did have one advantage: the box office of "Brotherhood of Blades" was undoubtedly a huge success!

On its opening day, according to box office data compiled by China Film Group from various regions, "Brotherhood of Blades" grossed over 2000 million yuan!
(End of this chapter)