Immediately after, Baishi headed to the control room while Baixiao stationed herself at the entrance.
Baixiao gestured for the people queueing outside to enter in an orderly fashion. One by one, they filed in and took their seats.
"Such luxurious chairs! I've never sat on anything this comfortable."
"So this is what a 'cinema' looks like inside. The space is enormous. And that giant cloth... is that used to show the movie?"
"Of course. If it wasn't huge, how could it fit a thousand people? And do you really need to ask about the screen? Why else would all the seats face it?"
"I'm so excited. I hope the movie starts soon."
"Haven't you noticed how dark it is in here?"
"Yeah, but what can we do? Just sit and wait."
The audience marveled at their surroundings, chattering with a mix of awe and anticipation. Everything felt foreign, which only heightened their expectations.
Soon, the cinema was packed to capacity.
In the control room, Baishi monitored the situation via camera. Without needing Baixiao's signal, she pressed the play button on the console.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The giant, pitch-black screen suddenly lit up. A deafening roar of crashing waves echoed through the hall.
Everyone saw a vast, boundless ocean appear before them. Wave after massive wave crashed against the coastal reefs, generating a thunderous sound.
The visual fidelity and audio clarity were so immersive that the audience felt as if they had been transported directly to the seaside.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
This is a movie?
Many suddenly realized that the crashing waves they had heard from outside the cinema days ago were actually from this.
Bang!
On screen, a stone exploded. A monkey burst forth, soaring into the sky on clouds, startling the Jade Emperor in the Heavenly Court.
The monkey traveled across oceans seeking immortals to learn the art of immortality.
After mastering the 72 Earthly Transformations and the Cloud Somersault, Sun Wukong finally left his master and returned to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit.
Nearly an hour later, the screening ended. The audience sat in stunned silence, their minds reeling.
What they had witnessed today left them speechless, their thoughts a chaotic mix of awe and confusion.
It wasn't until Baixiao ushered them out that they began to move, walking out with dazed expressions of shock.
"What happened to you guys?"
The second group of people in line stared at the exiting crowd, bewildered.
Why did they all look like they had seen a ghost?
But if they had seen a ghost, they should be screaming and running, not walking out like zombies.
"Incredible. Truly incredible."
One person muttered excitedly, "To think such a place exists. The 'Mountain of Mind and Heart' (Lingtai Fangcun Shan)... I bet it's hidden somewhere in Jueyun Karst."
"Impossible. If it were in Jueyun Karst, there's no way we wouldn't have heard of it. It can't be in Liyue."
"Liyue is huge! Even Vision holders haven't explored every inch, let alone a normal person like you. What if it really is hidden deep in the Karst? Plenty of people go there seeking Adepti."
"That Patriarch Bodhi is too powerful. He's a true immortal, teaching a monkey the way of eternal life. Eternal life! My god, I've only ever heard of Rex Lapis having that kind of longevity."
"Damn it, I'm living a life less interesting than a monkey's. Forget the Cloud Soaring technique—one somersault covers 108,000 li (33,554 miles)! How far is that? You could go from Liyue to Mondstadt in a blink!"
"Definitely. Not just Mondstadt—I suspect you could reach Inazuma instantly. 108,000 li... I can't even imagine that distance."
"And immortals aren't just naturally eternal. They steal creation from heaven and earth, invade the mysteries of the sun and moon. They have to face the Three Calamities! First, thunder strikes you. Five hundred years later, heavenly fire burns you. Another five hundred years, and wind ravages you. If you can't dodge them, you die."
"Right! That's why there are the 72 Earthly Transformations and 36 Heavenly Transformations. To dodge the Three Calamities and live freely forever."
"I'm so envious. If I could live for five hundred years, I'd willingly face those calamities."
"Holy crap, what are you guys talking about? Why does it sound so mystical?"
As the first person broke the silence, the exiting crowd exploded into excited discussion.
They had never encountered such detailed lore about immortals before. The concepts introduced in the movie were fascinating. Today's viewing was absolutely worth it.
"I think you guys shouldn't get too excited. This is purely fictional," someone frowned. "Lady Ningguang said this was filmed according to a script. It's fake."
Ningguang had been clear from the start: this was a production, not a documentary.
"Just because it's a movie doesn't mean the knowledge inside is fake," another person argued seriously. "There are very detailed descriptions of cultivation. Liyue is protected by Adepti, after all. Lady Ningguang surely infused real knowledge into the film to help us understand immortals better."
"Exactly. Legends say Adepti live in Jueyun Karst. I'm going there tomorrow to find one!"
Someone nodded in agreement, eyes burning with excitement.
While they debated, the people still in line were utterly confused.
Three Calamities? 72 Transformations?
Was all of that in the movie?
Anticipation skyrocketed as the next group filed into the cinema.
While the cinema bustled with activity, over on Chihu Rock street...
At Wanmin Restaurant.
Chef Mao was beaming.
The thought of opening jars today had him practically vibrating with excitement.
Once the morning rush died down, he would head straight there.
The "Coffee Mastery" experience he had pulled previously proved to be priceless.
Although coffee existed in Liyue, it was expensive, and the recipes were closely guarded secrets.
Before gaining the Coffee Master's knowledge, he never would have guessed that the raw materials for such a luxury drink were things people often ignored. He had purchased a large batch of beans, and his experiments were nearly complete.
With the fused experience, Chef Mao now understood blending, roasting, and brewing. He could create dozens of coffee variations.
"Chef Mao, one large bowl of bone broth noodles, please."
A customer in line noticed Mao's grinning face. "You look so happy. Did something good happen this morning?"
Chef Mao always smiled, but today his joy was palpable.
"Because today I get to go to the jar shop to open jars," Chef Mao replied cheerfully. "Isn't that a good thing?"
He was happy to advertise for Felix. After all, much of Wanmin Restaurant's recent success was thanks to the shop.
Instant noodles were now selling across Liyue.
And thanks to the Bottomless Trash Can, managing kitchen waste was no longer a chore. No matter how much garbage they threw in, it vanished without a trace. It was incredibly convenient.
"Oh, so that's it."
The customers nodded in understanding.
"What a pity I don't have the money," one customer sighed enviously. "100,000 Mora for a jar is steep."
"Actually, 100,000 Mora is very cheap," Chef Mao laughed. "For a shop this magical, people would pay a million."
"True."
The customer agreed.
100,000 Mora was a bargain for life-changing items, but sadly, not everyone had that kind of disposable income.
Time flew by. Soon, it was past 9:00 AM.
Wanmin Restaurant emptied out.
"Dad, when are you going?" Xiangling asked with a grin. "Want to go together?"
"You go first," Chef Mao said, seeing her eagerness. "I need to clean up a bit. I'll join you later."
"Okay!"
Xiangling nodded and sprinted toward the jar shop.
She had been looking forward to this since yesterday.
While Xiangling ran to the shop, over at the Northland Bank entrance, Childe looked slightly surprised.
He hadn't seen Xie Jun—that annoying guy—come by to shout today.
That was rare.
Usually, that guy would come by every day to yell, even if he couldn't borrow money.
Today, he was absent. It was a first.
"Lord Harbinger."
A subordinate ran up to Childe. "A batch of new recruits arrived this morning. When will you have time to inspect and address them?"
"New recruits again?"
Childe raised an eyebrow.
Why are recruits from Snezhnaya arriving so frequently lately?
He had just processed a batch less than ten days ago.
The number of people joining the Fatui recently... seems a bit high.
Read ahead with 100+ chapters now with daily updates!
@patreon.com/Zefyrus