Regarding the [Snake and Beast] epilogue,
Guinaifen said that even after watching it, her mind was still buzzing.
The aftershock was too strong—she was dying for the next plot!
"MiHoYo, stop teasing us!"
"This drip-feed storytelling is unbearable. I want, I want more!"
After venting, Guinaifen shared her thoughts with the livestream chat.
As a dedicated Mu Yang fan, she easily pieced together the character relationships.
Changsheng, as one of Mu Yang's important friends, usually hung out on the third floor when she visited.
To keep her from being bothered by the rock music, Mu Yang even added soundproofing.
Talk about maxed-out care—no, favoritism!
It was the same treatment as Lumine, the player's character.
As for the blue-haired, prideful beauty who appeared later,
though unfamiliar, she could be deduced as the beast from the three statues.
During the [Yujing Terrace Sword Challenge], only the beast's exit turned her back into a statue,
suggesting she was fine.
Finally, there was the new map.
It completely whetted Guinaifen's appetite.
Ever since Mu Yang introduced himself as being from Chenyu Vale,
she'd been dying to see what his hometown looked like.
Sadly, it was just a game, and with Paimon stuck there, she couldn't explore it.
Now, the developers had finally shown it.
The secluded valley's atmosphere was perfect—classic Liyue vibes.
Just a few snippets had Dragon Country fans thrilled.
But the highlight of this segment was the massive whirlpool.
It was likely tied to one of Mu Yang's most important friends in Chenyu Vale—Fujin.
After all, her exit animation in the Sword Challenge was falling into a whirlpool.
Thankfully, the final line suggested she might still awaken.
Otherwise, Mu Yang's erosion would be…
[MiHoYo definitely saw that viral fan animation Memories of Chenyu, right?]
[Walking the leakers' path, leaving them no road to tread.]
[Insane, this character looks even better than the one in the fan animation!]
[Another day of envying Mu Yang, surrounded by beauties.]
[Great, great, great, not a word about his years of erosion, huh?]
…
Mu Yang's epilogue turned players into Sherlock Holmes.
Before, they'd spam the spacebar to skip through.
Now, they'd calmed down, analyzing every frame with a magnifying glass.
A world where only the spacebar suffered was complete…
— — — — — —
Amid the players' heated discussions, Version 2.3 was drawing to a close.
But one thing worried them.
In the special preview for Version 2.4,
Mu Yang and Cloud Retainer's disciple, Shenhe, were introduced—a long-awaited satellite finally landing.
Players connected Mu Yang's recent actions,
like suddenly buying [Three Bowls Won't Cross the Harbor] in Liyue Harbor, to Shenhe.
It made sense.
Just when players thought they'd finally see Mu Yang in Liyue Harbor for this year's Lantern Rite,
they were wrong again…
"Fam, there's really nothing. Frame-by-frame analysis didn't help."
Little Gui had watched the preview PV at least ten times.
Still, no trace of Mu Yang in the PV.
There were disciples, old friends, new friends, and even the rebuilt Jade Chamber—but no him…
[Streamer, don't panic. MiHoYo loves pulling PV editing tricks.]
[Yeah, it's not the first time.]
[I get it—the Jade Chamber beat Mu Yang in the Lantern Rite revival match.]
[Mu Yang: I'll win!]
Guinaifen shook her head, unsure.
After all, Version 2.3 ended with that epilogue.
Wasn't that a blatant foreshadowing?
Mu Yang sat in his third-floor office,
scrolling through discussions on parallel Earth, savoring the rising Character Popularity System points.
This time, he not only gave out outfits and Primogems but also made the [Yujing Terrace Sword Challenge] a permanent event.
Players could start it through Tian Tiezui, letting newcomers experience the story anytime,
and earn ten million Mora plus the [Withering Glory: Little Flying Sword].
It was a steady way to gain popularity,
since new players would always come…
As for the final short,
Changsheng had actually visited many times, but Mu Yang didn't want to reveal too much to players.
So, he made this edited clip to give Lingyuan some screen time.
Going forward, these details would gradually unfold until that day arrived…
No doubt, Lingyuan's looks were a total hit.
Sadly, like Changsheng, her human form didn't have a Vision.
This was what worried players most.
Because MiHoYo really didn't play the money game.
They didn't sell pretty outfits.
They didn't sell pretty characters.
If a non-NPC character appeared but didn't enter the banner, they might get axed.
Take [Signora], for example—mature, Pyro beauty, gone just like that.
Lingyuan fit the bill too.
Coupled with Mu Yang's constellation name, [Lone Guardian], the more you thought, the scarier it got…
But no matter what players thought, Version 2.4 arrived on schedule.
Before the Lantern Rite, they had to tackle the Interlude Chapter—Wind Rises, Crane Returns.
— — — — — —
After working many days at [Muyu Snow City],
Mu Yang's employees finally finished their training and could officially start.
Lumine and Paimon were naturally freed up.
Now, the two were strolling through Liyue Harbor.
Mu Yang had given them a hefty sum, saying it was thanks for their help.
He told them to go splurge and relax.
"I've decided—I'm gonna eat big, making up for all these days!"
Lumine facepalmed. That was Paimon's life goal, apparently.
Unlike Paimon, who was busy gnawing on a chicken leg, Lumine noticed many people heading toward Yujing Terrace.
Judging by their attire, there were plenty of wealthy merchants among them.
What was going on?
Lumine's curiosity was piqued, and she urged Paimon to hurry up.
"Coming, coming!"
[Interlude Chapter, Act One: The Crane Returns on the Wind (Part 1) – Jade Terrace and Jade Chamber]
Begins.