As Zhongli sipped his tea, he could feel Hu Tao, Xingqiu, and Chongyun's gazes fixed on him.
He stood up and smiled helplessly.
"So, I've been found out after all..."
Zhongli had concealed his true identity in order to fake his death and test humanity. Yet now—with Luya present in Liyue Harbor—he felt there was no longer any need to hide. There was no reason to pretend to be dead anymore. Even if people discovered his identity, it didn't matter. Still, being unrecognized had its perks—peace and quiet were quite pleasant.
As Zhongli rose to his feet, Hu Tao, Xingqiu, and Chongyun all burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! No way!"
"We were really overthinking it just now."
"They just happen to be the same height!"
"Can't believe Mr. Zhongli actually admitted it~"
"Hahahaha!"
"Maybe the shopkeeper just made the projection at random—and it happened to look like Mr. Zhongli."
Zhongli sighed to himself but didn't bother correcting them. Enjoying this tranquil life wasn't bad either. After that brief moment, he simply sat back down and continued sipping his tea.
The other guests, meanwhile, paid little mind to the projected Morax's resemblance to Zhongli. They were all busy marveling at the sophistication of Luya's projection technology.
"Wow!"
"This projection is amazing!"
"I can't even imagine what Yun Jin's performance will be like!"
"If old storyteller Tian Tiezui used this, that'd be something else..."
"Still, I'd rather watch opera!"
"Same here!"
After witnessing the [Voice-to-Projection Machine] in action, Yun Jin was eager to take the stage herself. Seeing that she had learned how to use it, Luya granted her user access. Then, holding the Spell Card [Spatial Teleportation], he noticed it had recharged—and once again used it to teleport back to his previous spot before coming onstage.
Luya found this card extremely convenient. He only wondered how far it could send him. If its range extended far enough, he could travel across nations instantly—roaming all of Teyvat at will. That would make opening branch stores unbelievably easy.
...
After Luya stepped down from the stage, Yun Jin began preparing for her performance. She smiled and said:
"Next... I shall sing a segment from 'The Divine Damsel of Devastation.'"
The moment she mentioned it, Yun Jin's longtime fans grew excited. The script for The Divine Damsel of Devastation had been written by Yun Jin's father. It told of a small village once located in Mt. Tianheng.
A loving couple lived there, until one day the wife was captured by a monster while foraging for herbs. The husband went mad with grief. The monster demanded the villagers offer their children as sacrifices. Terrified, they complied—until a brave young girl volunteered to face it, carrying a demon-slaying sword.
After a fierce battle, she defeated the monster. Later, her extraordinary talent led to her being taken in by an Adeptus—but she was never again able to return to the mortal world.
Though it wasn't Yun Jin's preferred play to perform, with the [Voice-to-Projection Machine], such tales glorifying the Adepti of Liyue could now be presented with far greater effect.
Personally, however, Yun Jin longed to perform stories about the mortal world—to portray human joys and sorrows, to praise love and passion among ordinary people. Such tales might not be mainstream in Liyue opera, yet they too deserved to be remembered.
Still, Yun Jin did not know that the true story behind The Divine Damsel of Devastation was not as her script described. In truth, it was exactly the kind of tale Yun Jin wished to sing—one of human emotion, joy, and grief.
...
And so, Yun Jin began her performance of The Divine Damsel of Devastation. She turned around as the stage lights dimmed.
"Alas..."
As she sang the opening word, her ethereal, haunting voice filled the theater. That single sigh seemed to lament a thousand years of separation and human sorrow—the grief of lovers and heroes, of emperors and saints. Her song drew the audience fully into the story.
"Autumn geese fly apart, never again to meet—"
"Foolish hearts ache, lost in longing and madness..."
"Cursed offerings bring disaster..."
"If not for the maiden's sword… none would have survived..."
...
"Fate's mist shrouds the mortal and divine~"
"Families scattered, immortals beckon from afar~"
"Red threads severed, woodcutters forget time~"
"Footprints fade in snow and mud~"
"The crane returns not to the pillar of old~"
...
"As cause and effect drift through mortal dust..."
"The smoke disperses..."
With each verse, the projection shifted scenes—Mt. Tianheng, the girl battling monsters, then transforming into a white-haired Adeptus with long hair tied in a red cord.
To Yun Jin's astonishment, that Adeptus was Shenhe!
She was utterly shocked.
So… the "Divine Damsel" in the play had been Shenhe all along?!
When the performance ended, the audience erupted in amazement.
"The Adepti's stories are always so captivating!"
"The Divine Damsel is so beautiful!"
"The realism of this projection is incredible!"
"I hope Miss Yun performs again soon!"
...
While the audience was thrilled, Yun Jin felt something missing. A murky unease told her there was more to the story—something untold. She resolved to seek out Shenhe herself one day and ask the truth.
Afterward, Yun Jin performed several more operas, giving the audience a feast for both eyes and ears.
Time flew by quickly. As business hours came to a close, Luya was ecstatic. For the first time ever, he had earned an astronomical amount of Mora in a single day!
At Xianyun's current pace, he would likely receive the [Portable Game Console] by tomorrow. Then he could finally begin full-scale production.
As the last customers left and only the staff remained, Luya's system chimed in to settle the day's results.
...
[Ding, congratulations, Host!]
[You have completed today's business!]
[Commencing settlement…]
[Please wait…]
...
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