After a brief silence, the streaming chat finally started to scroll again.
"Is this for real? I never liked opera before, but this sounds way too good. Genshin is insane!"
"People live for the Geo Archon. When the Geo Archon comes out, I HAVE to pull."
"I'm done, I can't. Star Dome's people should just switch careers to showbiz. With lyrics and composition at this level? Absolutely cracked!"
"Why does the singer sound so much like Yun Jin? Am I hallucinating?"
"..."
Compared to Venti's PV, Zhongli's PV this time moved the viewers even more.
Venti's PV was obviously a straight, flashing knife. Once you decided to swallow it, it hurt like hell, but at least the pain was kind of straightforward.
But this video now just made a lot of players uncomfortable in a different way. The root of that discomfort was: the video is so, so hype, not that many knives… and yet it makes them feel suffocated.
Because… time is often the sharpest knife of all.
No matter how brilliant and turbulent the past might have been, it will eventually fade away in the long river of years and be gradually forgotten by the world.
Compared to life-and-death separation, perhaps being forgotten by everyone is the greatest pain—and it's exactly the kind of pain you're powerless to change, only able to let time grind you down.
Even a war god who protected Liyue for thousands of years—once Liyue moves into an age of human rule, the name of the Geo Archon will also grow faint with time.
That's what the audience just couldn't get past.
Gifts in the live room poured in like a torrent. Many players couldn't put their excitement and emotions into words and could only entrust their feelings to money.
But quite a few players also noticed that this operatic voice sounded a bit like Yun Jin in the game.
Back when they did her quest, lots of players had been stunned by Yun Jin's Divine Damsel of Devastation. Hearing this new opera piece today, they suddenly put it together.
"Genshin really is a magical game. It brainwashes us into full immersion. Even people who didn't like opera before can seriously sit down to listen and even start loving it again."
"Zhongli hubby I love you, hurry up and marry me!!"
"Can the girl fans tone it down a little? Our male fans are still alive, you know?"
"Last time Barbatos sang, so should the Morax perform something this time? Like a spear dance or something? We're ALL looking forward to it."
"..."
After the last preview program, everyone's imagination for this PV event was running wild.
Since the Anemo Archon already busked by singing live on stream, there's no problem with Zhongli putting on a little performance, right?
Anyway, neither of these two gods has any money. If they want to live among mortals, selling their art is only a matter of time… The chat went wild with jokes and teasing.
"Mm, you're all really prophetic. Zhongli indeed brought a performance for everyone."
Seeing the excited viewers, Ken's mouth twitched; he felt a bit schadenfreude inside.
Right now the players were at peak hype.
After all, Zhongli's PV had just set their blood boiling and stirred up all kinds of feelings. Even Ken himself felt a bit melancholy.
He'd even been thinking: maybe they should just skip Zhongli's Zumba and the funeral rock segment.
Because that kind of drastic emotional whiplash really messes with people's mental states.
He didn't expect the players to ask for it themselves. Since they'd opened their own mouths, Ken wasn't going to hide it. Anyway, they were the ones who requested it first.
"In the time I've been on Blue Star, I have indeed been influenced by its culture and learned many things. Since fate has us meet in this live room today, giving everyone a performance isn't out of the question, even if it doesn't quite match my former image."
Zhongli spoke very calmly, though he was a bit expectant inside.
That so-called former image was just the temperament he'd cultivated after existing so long. Think back to the Archon War—back then he'd also been in his prime, decisive and ruthless.
Even his Geo Archon statue's posture is extremely arrogant.
Breaking character is really just about doing as he pleases.
"Alright."
Seeing Zhongli's confident expression, Ken decisively pulled up the second PV.
The players all drew a deep breath and braced themselves.
But as soon as they heard the upbeat rhythm and saw the completely cursed visuals, everyone in the live room mentally blacked out.
—
"TF am I seeing? What the hell is this? This is freaking funeral rock?!"
"I saw Xinyan! And those guys carrying a coffin—aren't those Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's Meng and the others?!"
"Who the hell came up with this? Sending off the Morax with FUNERAL ROCK?!"
"My vision literally went black!"
"..."
The moment the funeral-rock coffin-bearers appeared, players collectively blacked out and felt like they couldn't breathe.
Is this something a human being could come up with?
Just a moment ago we were watching a hot-blooded war-god PV, and in the blink of an eye it turns into funeral rock?
This U-turn was so sharp their brains were buzzing.
Ken really didn't do anything human.
The chat instantly exploded. They'd already been whiplashed by the last preview stream; they'd thought they were mentally prepared for knives this time, and then Ken pulled this.
With moves like this… might as well just stab us!
At least knives don't break immersion!
This ridiculous swing from great joy to great grief—are you serious?
Looking at the barrage, Ken explained:
"Don't pin this on me. Zhongli personally invited Xinyan to be the resident singer at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. The coffin-dance was just Hu Tao's brain running wild and deriving things from that."
He was NOT taking the fall for this.
Even in his past-life Genshin, it was Zhongli himself who invited Xinyan to perform at Wangsheng.
"I think I remember now… In Zhongli's backstory, there actually is a bit about him inviting Xinyan to sing at Wangsheng!"
"I just checked the lore. In his comments on Xinyan, it's really there."
"I didn't expect Grandpa's taste to be this unique. Liking opera and storytelling is fine, but you also like ROCK?"
"The Geo Archon is really keeping up with the times!"
"Wait?? Why did Zhongli suddenly stand up? He's not actually going to do a spear dance for us, is he?"
"..."
While the audience were still marveling at Grandpa's all-embracing taste, they suddenly saw Zhongli stand.
Before they had time to figure out why, they saw Zhongli, following the funeral rock rhythm, start dancing like crazy—
Zumba?!
Lots of viewers rubbed their eyes, wondering if they were seeing things. But no matter how they struggled, the reality didn't change: Zhongli was indeed doing a Zumba. His moves were beautiful and practiced—you could tell he'd been at this for a while!
Most importantly, he matched the funeral rock beat perfectly.
Every step was precise; he easily crushed 99% of the grannies and grandpas doing Zumba at the park.
The viewers' minds went blank.
They wanted to slam their heads into the nearest wall.
"Geo Archon, are you okay? Am I hallucinating? The retired Geo Archon is actually doing a Zumba?"
"One second I was calling you hubby, the next second my vision went black. This has emotionally killed me!"
"So the Geo Archon's retired life is… Zumba?"
"Help! Star Dome, I'm gonna hate you for life. Why did you have to destroy the Morax's image on an official live stream?!"
"Every day Ken kills me a little more. I'm even embarrassed to open Facebook now—if I don't watch his fanworks I feel bad for a bit, but if I do watch them I feel bad all day. And in the end I still couldn't escape!"
"..."
It wasn't just the viewers who felt blacked-out and unable to accept it—even Azhdaha's head was buzzing.
He had seen Zhongli dance Zumba before, but he hadn't expected Zhongli to dance in front of so many viewers, completely unburdened.
You're the Geo Archon, for heaven's sake.
You really have zero image to maintain?
Azhdaha's mouth twitched; he couldn't bear to look directly. After a thousand years apart, Morax's changes really made him feel he didn't recognize him anymore.
"If I'd known, I should've just rotted under Nantianmen…"
Azhdaha sighed inwardly, wanting to stab himself a couple of times.
Especially when Zhongli's moves grew softer and more… seductive, for the first time Azhdaha missed those lightless days. Turns out being blind can be a blessing sometimes.
...
Three minutes later.
Zhongli's Zumba ended together with the funeral rock music.
In those three minutes, the barrage never stopped once. Players had never imagined three minutes could be this long.
They all knew it was a cosplay, but at least during the preview streams they treated the cosplayers as the real Geo Archon. So this dance actually made their hearts tremble a bit.
It was just too deranged.
"Hmm… judging from everyone's reaction, my understanding of Zumba is probably still lacking. I hope that the next time we meet, I'll have practiced much more. Actually, I originally wanted Azhdaha to dance with me, but he was unwilling."
Zhongli looked at chat and earnestly explained.
He had no idea this explanation made the viewers' scalps go even number.
So if only YOU had your image ruined, that'd be one thing, but you want to drag Azhdaha down with you too?
"I think he did great."
Ken clapped very sincerely at the side.
That dance just now could absolutely crush the local Zumba uncles and aunties. Even in a Zumba competition, he'd easily qualify as the lead dancer.
—
Considering Zhongli was a cosplayer, everyone instinctively thought he'd be following the boss's direction.
So rounding up, it had to be Ken's scheme!
But before Ken could explain, Zhongli spoke:
"This was not Ken's idea. Since it's a rare opportunity to interact with everyone on stream, I practiced at home for half a month specifically to bring you a surprise."
Viewers: "..."
Morax, you call this a surprise?
Grandpa, how many more surprises are there that I don't know about?
The players, who had been ready to heavy-punch Ken, instantly deflated. Since Zhongli himself said so, continuing to dunk on Ken now would be a bit off.
But looking at Zhongli's completely serious expression, their chests still felt stuffed.
All this torment from the preview stream, just for six hundred Primogems.
"Everyone, don't get so worked up. Wasn't tonight fun? You got to watch gods performing for free, plus you're getting 600 free primos. Don't forget to claim them; they expire at noon tomorrow."
"The new version will update in three days. I hope you all have a perfect journey. Tonight's stream ends here. Let's meet again next banner."
Hearing meet again next banner, the players' hearts trembled again.
Don't tell me they're going to pull this again next banner—first hot-blooded, then totally goofy.
They really couldn't handle more of that.
Unfortunately, before anyone could ask, Ken just closed the stream.
Of course he did…
He'd done everything that needed doing. If he didn't end the stream now, was he supposed to sit there and wait for a beating?
...