Chapter 182
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 182
Chapter Title: Veteran Acting Master
With Na Gang-in starring in the movie himself, the filming schedule had to change.
This scene didn't feature anyone in a mask. That meant Na Gang-in couldn't blend in among the fighters to control the action.
So the plan had been for Na Gang-in to set the combat paths, while the actors handled the actual fighting performances.
For the more intense parts the actors couldn't manage, Na Gang-in would step in, running them himself and editing to leave only the opponents' footage. That would require multiple takes and heavy editing.
The battle scene was originally slated to take quite a while.
But now there was no need. Na Gang-in was appearing directly.
Director Byeon Hyeong-chan declared,
"We'll scrap the original plan. We'll film it the old way, with Martial Arts Director Na Gang-in taking the lead."
Kim Yu-chan grinned widely.
"Suits me just fine."
Director Byeon Hyeong-chan suggested to Na Gang-in,
"If you need time to get used to riding, we can practice separately. Since you're appearing yourself, we can spare that much."
Na Gang-in pointed to his elderly disguised face.
"These wrinkles are roughly drawn on, so they won't last. Let's wrap it in one take. Practicing would mean redrawing them, and any NG means doing it again."
"Uh..."
If anyone else had insisted on shooting horseback scenes without practice, Byeon Hyeong-chan might have stopped them. But he'd seen and heard plenty about what Na Gang-in could do.
"That special makeup only lasts ten minutes, so durability's an issue. Alright, let's go right away."
The final shoot of the day began. Lead actor Kim Yu-chan moved out with Gong Ji-hyeon.
But before they took a few steps, a rider came charging in on horseback.
"Wordplay, huh."
They bantered back and forth as they leisurely urged their horses forward. But to the onlookers, it didn't feel leisurely at all.
The horse charged like it was thundering across a battlefield toward the enemy. Na Gang-in moved in perfect sync with it, as if they were one. The silver-streaked long wig on his head billowed back like waves in the wind.
The galloping horse suddenly planted its legs. Its hooves skidded on the dirt path, speed dropping sharply.
The director alternated between the live set and his monitor, then quietly asked,
"That horse... isn't it one from the bullring?"
The assistant director replied,
"No. It's just a privately owned horse."
"And it can do that?"
"Must have killer riding skills."
Gong Ji-hyeon drew her sword and lunged forward. Kim Yu-chan blocked her with his left hand.
"Not your opponent."
Gong Ji-hyeon glared at Na Gang-in, steeling herself.
"Then I'll pin down that bastard's legs! Go first!"
"That's no good either."
Kim Yu-chan drew his sword and addressed the rider.
"General Bok Kyung-san. Thought you'd retired to a quiet life."
Na Gang-in looked down from horseback.
"Your actions interfere with my disciple's work. What choice do I have? I have to step in."
Kim Yu-chan's eyes sharpened.
"Block me, and you die."
Na Gang-in laughed loudly from atop his horse.
"Hahaha. Plenty have said that to me over the years. Know what happened to them?"
Na Gang-in drew his sword.
"All died by my blade. You'll be next."
He leaped from the horse. Kim Yu-chan looked up in shock as he soared high.
Kim Yu-chan wasn't acting—he was genuinely startled.
'Whoa! How can a person jump that high?!'
Na Gang-in had jumped carefully to avoid hurting the horse, but the high starting point sent him soaring anyway.
Fear gripped Kim Yu-chan.
'He's not really gonna cleave me in half, is he?'
Na Gang-in had jumped so high that Kim Yu-chan had time to react. He gripped his sword with both hands.
Na Gang-in plummeted straight down at him, slashing from above.
Kim Yu-chan swung upward with full force.
"Hyah!"
Blades clashed. At impact, Na Gang-in twisted his to disperse the force, then pressed down hard.
Not batting it away but pinning it, so Kim Yu-chan didn't drop his sword. Instead, crushing pressure bore down.
Unable to withstand, Kim Yu-chan dropped to one knee.
"Ngh!"
His blade still raised, but Na Gang-in's strength forced it slowly toward his face.
Sweat beaded on Kim Yu-chan's forehead. He could see the blade inching closer.
'Ugh, uwaa! Did I do something to piss off Gang-in?'
He pushed upward with every ounce of strength.
His desperate, genuine expression shone through—no acting there. But the blade crept toward his eyes.
'Uwaaaah!'
Suddenly, Gong Ji-hyeon charged from the side. Without hesitation, she slashed straight at Na Gang-in.
The pressure on Kim Yu-chan vanished.
Na Gang-in dodged sideways; her blade sliced empty air.
Relief washed over Kim Yu-chan, along with an urge to curse.
'I really thought I was dead!'
Cameras still rolling, he couldn't swear. Instead, he lunged at Na Gang-in, swinging with real intent.
Kim Yu-chan knew basic sword moves from odds and ends picked up in his acting career. He slashed repeatedly at Na Gang-in.
Gong Ji-hyeon did the same, focusing solely on big swings at him.
Both swung wide, blades tracing crescents in sequence.
But two sword newbies attacking so fiercely up close risked hitting each other.
Whenever it happened, Na Gang-in deflected their dangerous blades between them, preventing accidents. Safe ones he let fly, blocking with his sword or dodging.
The fierce clash dragged on. Blades rang dozens of times.
Na Gang-in said softly,
"Next phase."
Kim Yu-chan swung big at Na Gang-in. The blade tore his clothing.
"Gah!"
Na Gang-in let out a short cry and dropped to one knee. His right-hand sword stabbed the ground like a cane.
Gong Ji-hyeon swung at his neck from the side.
Na Gang-in was slightly thrown.
'Huh? Doesn't this girl trust me too much?'
He raised the blade propping him up to block her.
But then Kim Yu-chan thrust again.
'These guys have no sense of restraint!'
After blocking Gong Ji-hyeon, Na Gang-in twisted as if reeling from the impact. Kim Yu-chan's blade gashed his chest.
Na Gang-in stabbed his sword into the ground again like a cane.
Kim Yu-chan belatedly came to his senses and halted.
He pointed his sword at Na Gang-in and delivered his line.
"General Bok Kyung-san. Why's a retiree like you meddling? That precious to you, your disciple?"
Na Gang-in's knee touched the ground. His right hand still gripped the sword planted in the dirt.
He spoke with a weary face.
"Precious. Raised him from a boy with these hands. And..."
Na Gang-in smiled.
"My daughter's taken a shine to him."
His voice faded.
"What choice did I have... no room to..."
As his voice trailed off, his head slumped forward.
His right hand still firmly clutched the sword in the ground.
Kim Yu-chan looked down at him with a conflicted expression.
Gong Ji-hyeon said cautiously,
"We have to go."
Kim Yu-chan replied glumly,
"He fought his whole life to protect this land. Enemy or not, let's pay our respects before we leave."
Even after Kim Yu-chan and Gong Ji-hyeon departed, Na Gang-in didn't move. The camera kept rolling on him.
"Good question."
Director Byeon Hyeong-chan snapped to and yelled,
"O-okay!"
Na Gang-in slowly straightened his bent knee and rose.
A watching actor flinched.
"Whoa. Thought General Bok Kyung-san was resurrecting."
"Whoa. The presence today... insane."
"With the safe supporting actor playing the role himself, the action immersion is off the charts."
Gong Ji-hyeon boasted,
"See? I told you my teacher acts amazingly."
Kim Yu-chan, who'd just shared the scene with her, agreed.
"Yeah. You can't fake acting like that."
"Heard he has no acting background. Weird, right?"
"Born talent."
She nodded.
"Totally a genius."
"Yep. Same class as me. I get called a natural too."
Kim Yu-chan flashed a grin, two fingers to his chin.
"Though I'm way better looking, of course."
Shin Eun-ha watched the battle scene with Na Gang-in, Kim Yu-chan, and Gong Ji-hyeon in awe.
"No joke."
Lee Bo-ra chimed in.
"Killing it."
"But with acting chops like that, why'd he read lines like a textbook when practicing for the lead with me?"
"You at least practiced together. Me!"
"Fair. It did feel great practicing with him."
"Hey!"
Na Gang-in went before the camera toward the makeup team. Fake beards and wigs had to be returned.
He reached to peel off the beard first.
"Plenty more fake beards. We'll buy new if needed."
"Huh? Why redo the makeup? My scenes are done."
"Just died, though?"
Na Gang-in hadn't known Bok Kyung-san reappeared.
"Uh... so you want me to keep this up?"
"Ji-in? You setting me up?"
"You memorized the script."
That shoot was the last schedule of the day.
It was supposed to be earlier, but delayed to last because the Bok Kyung-san actor couldn't be reached.
As staff packed, actors approached Byeon Hyeong-chan.
Lead Kim Yu-chan spoke for them.
"Director, we gotta do that thing. You know."
Byeon Hyeong-chan asked,
"That thing?"
"The quick edits of clips whenever Na Director jumped masked. Today he acted too, so we're dying to see."
"Uh... I was gonna watch alone quietly at the dorm..."
"Come on, we're curious too. Let's watch together."
"Fine. Hang on."
The fight with Na Gang-in, Kim Yu-chan, and Gong Ji-hyeon was shot from multiple cameras, including two high-speed ones. Na Gang-in chose positions.
Byeon Hyeong-chan was roughly splicing clips to check results—a simple job.
Full edit might resemble this or be totally new.
He tinkered on his laptop, splicing minimally—simpler than usual today.
"Here's a taste."
The footage played on the laptop screen. Actors crowded around.
"Whoa, handles the horse like a matador. Riding skills are no joke."
"Damn, check that jump height. Looks even higher on camera."
"Flying through the sky, no wires—super natural, killer feel."
"Kya. Look at Kim Yu-chan holding firm in the blade lock power struggle. Lead actor acting prowess."
Kim Yu-chan thought inwardly,
'That wasn't acting. I was desperate for real. Thought I was done.'
The footage shifted to their clashing frenzy.
Byeon Hyeong-chan used high-speed cam here heavily. Motion slowed.
Even those who couldn't tell during filming now saw clearly.
"Huh? Kim Hyeong-chan actually slashed Na Director's torso?"
"He deflected it."
"Gong Ji-hyeon really thrusting?"
"Dodged!"
"Not holding back space—they went full kill mode on Na Director."
"No wonder my body twitched watching earlier."
"Fought like that and nobody got hurt. Lucky."
Some puzzled out why.
"Whoa. If Na Director hadn't blocked that blade, Gong Ji-hyeon would've eaten it."
"But he did."
"Yeah. That's why safe."
Chatter buzzed over the rough cut. Gong Ji-hyeon squeezed in, giggling at her footage.
"Damn, I look badass."
Some marveled at Na Gang-in's acting.
"Kuh. Listen to that diction, that voice."
"Expressions too... that final smile drips sadness."
"This ain't rookie level."
"Rookie? Nah. Veteran acting pro."