Night deepened, and the ornate lanterns came alight.
The nightscape of Liyue Harbor reflected on the ocean's surface, a scene of exceptional charm.
Before the Reflection Pictures Studio, it was especially lively.
It seemed poised to become yet another bustling center of Liyue Harbor.
And by now, the first part of Splitting the Mountain to Save Mother had finished screening.
"Not bad, really not bad... I thought you were going to swindle me again, dragging me off to watch some heart-wrenching film. Last time you had me watch Your Lie in April, and I couldn't sleep well for nights. Just thinking about it makes me angry."
"Am I the kind of person who bullies his little sister?"
"You are."
"Ahem, enough said. Let's go watch the second part, shall we?"
"Who would've thought, who would've thought—Old Thief Fang Qiu really has turned over a new leaf. Not only did Weathering With You have a good ending, Splitting the Mountain to Save Mother had a good ending too."
The moviegoers filed out slowly, chattering among themselves.
"The structure of the work isn't complex—it's just the story of Chen Xiang overcoming hardships, defeating the uncle who ruthlessly imprisoned his own mother for the sake of power and promotion, and rescuing her. But through such a simple story, Fang Qiu skillfully conveyed so much. And it suits the mood of the Lantern Rite perfectly."
The three Adepti emerged from the screening hall as well, and Mountain Shaper offered his commentary.
"Truly well done. The Yun-Han Opera Troupe that performed it showed great skill too."
Moon Carver nodded, then turned to Cloud Retainer and asked, "Cloud Retainer, what do you think?"
"It was decent enough. Only, I'm not very satisfied with how the ending handled Erlang Shen, Yang Jian."
Cloud Retainer went on, "The Third Holy Mother actually had Chen Xiang spare Yang Jian."
"Perhaps because of the Lantern Rite, Fang Qiu didn't want to write the story too cruelly," Moon Carver said.
"That's true enough."
Cloud Retainer nodded, casting her gaze toward the ticket counter. "Come, let's watch the second part."
"Mm."
The two Adepti nodded.
After buying their tickets, they made their way into the second screening hall.
Many in the hall had just finished watching the first part of Splitting the Mountain to Save Mother.
The screening hadn't started yet, so the hall was quite noisy.
Most were discussing the plot of the previous Splitting the Mountain to Save Mother.
Many, like Cloud Retainer, were dissatisfied that Chen Xiang had spared Erlang Shen, Yang Jian, believing his divine powers should have been stripped away and he should have been demoted to a mortal.
Some went further still, saying Erlang Shen should be turned into a pig, made into livestock.
Hearing this, Cloud Retainer heartily agreed.
That was indeed how it should be.
Those who cast aside their humanity for the sake of power and profit deserved harsh punishment.
Seeing Cloud Retainer's look of hearty agreement, Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Before long.
As the silver screen lit up, the once-noisy hall fell silent at once.
The screening had begun.
On the screen, the first to appear were Yang Tianyou and Yaoji.
Yang Tianyou and Yaoji fell in love.
The once-quiet hall stirred with a wave of murmuring.
"Wait, this... this isn't just the same story with some characters swapped, is it?"
"It shouldn't go that far. Sure, Old Thief Fang Qiu can be shameless, but not that shameless. Besides, this was a collaboration with the Yun-Han Opera Troupe. Even if Old Thief Fang Qiu had no shame, the Yun-Han Opera Troupe wouldn't stage two identical plays, would they?"
"That's true. Let's just hope they aren't too alike. After all, the first part of Splitting the Mountain to Save Mother was good, but I don't want to pay twice to watch the same play."
Amid the crowd's discussion, the plot pressed onward.
The two lovers married and had three children.
When they heard the second son was named Yang Jian, the audience was taken aback.
"Yang Jian... the Third Holy Mother? Could it be that the one splitting the mountain this time... is the Third Holy Mother?"
"No way. If you ask me, it should be Yang Tianyou."
"I think it's the eldest son."
Just as they were making their wild guesses, the Jade Emperor learned of the matter, and to uphold the majesty of Heaven,
the Jade Emperor sent celestial soldiers and generals down to the mortal world.
Just as everyone assumed it would again be a matter of seizing Yaoji to imprison her beneath the mountain while sparing Yang Tianyou's family, the celestial soldiers struck without mercy, slaying Yang Tianyou and the eldest son outright.
Seeing this, the audience froze.
What was going on?
The direction of this plot didn't seem right.
The three Adepti were startled as well, then frowned, sensing that things were not so simple.
Only then did they realize that this second part of Splitting the Mountain to Save Mother did not seem to be set during the Lantern Rite!
Which meant...
As everyone present sat in shock, the story continued.
Yang Jian swore to take revenge and to rescue his mother, and so he took up cultivation under Master Yuding.
Time slipped by, and Yang Jian finally grew up, setting out on the path to save his mother.
Only, unlike Chen Xiang's rescue,
he had neither the aid of various gods nor divine artifacts. With his divine strength alone, he split open Mount Hua.
Yet no matter what he did, he could not sever the chains binding his mother, Yaoji.
To punish the two of them, the Jade Emperor sent forth the Ten Golden Crows.
Yang Jian and Yaoji pleaded piteously with the Jade Emperor, but he paid them no heed at all.
Yaoji was scorched to death alive.
In his fury, Yang Jian stormed the Heavenly Court and slew nine of the Golden Crows.
But the Jade Emperor captured his sister, the Third Holy Mother.
To protect his only remaining kin, Yang Jian had no choice but to surrender and submit to the Heavenly Court.
Time drifted on, and countless years passed in the blink of an eye.
Until he learned that his sister, the Third Holy Mother, had secretly wed a mortal, and he had no choice but to bear all the infamy and imprison his own sister.
The story ended on Yang Jian's desolate, receding figure.
Silence.
Stillness.
The entire screening hall was deathly quiet, with faint sobs stirring here and there.
As the screen slowly dimmed, discussion gradually rose up.
The topic, naturally, was Yang Jian.
And in their mouths, Yang Jian's reputation transformed into that of a true man who bore all the pain and infamy.
The three Adepti naturally wouldn't dissolve into tears like those mortals, but a somewhat silent mood hung between them.
Cloud Retainer especially—she had just been saying Yang Jian's punishment was too light, and now her expression was rather grim.
And beside her, Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver looked none too pleasant either.
It had to be said, every one of Fang Qiu's works truly was of exceptionally high quality.
These two parts of Splitting the Mountain to Save Mother were masterpiece-level as well.
No wonder Rex Lapis so favored Fang Qiu's works that he personally went to the bookstore on every release day.
But just when everyone thought Fang Qiu had turned over a new leaf, who would have guessed Fang Qiu had buried the knife in the second part.
The first part told a warm story with a happy, harmonious ending.
The second part then told the story of Yang Jian bearing all the pain.
As Yang Jian's past was revealed, the warmth of Chen Xiang's story in the first part formed a stark contrast with Yang Jian's past.
Under the contrast of warmth and desolation, Yang Jian's story became all the more sorrowful and painful.
This was hardly Fang Qiu turning over a new leaf...
This was clearly a knife hidden in candy!
It left them worrying about the sequels to Your Name and Weathering With You...
Soon, the crowd filed out in an orderly fashion.
Cloud Retainer and the others made their way out of the picture studio as well. Along the way, those who had finished Splitting the Mountain to Save Mother 2 were still chattering away.
But their topic had shifted from Yang Jian's sorrow to anger at Old Thief Fang Qiu.
There were exceptions, too.
Such as that pair of siblings.
"Brother! Didn't you say the second part had a happy ending too!"
"Forgive me, my foolish little sister."
"I'll beat you to death, you bastard! I knew you were up to no good, suddenly inviting me to watch a film!"
"Ah, help! No, no, no, I was wrong—it's going to break!"
The sister bent his fingers back as they walked off into the distance.
Gazing at the lively, bustling market outside the picture studio.
"I'm going to Fang Qiu's place. They say she bought a big mansion. What about you two?" Cloud Retainer asked. "Do you want to come with me to Fang Qiu's house?"
"I'll pass. Every time I came to Liyue Harbor before, I left in a hurry. Since I'm already here, I'd like to stroll around Liyue Harbor and see how it has changed over the centuries."
Moon Carver added, "And clear my mind while I'm at it."
"I'll go with Moon Carver too. I'd like to walk the paths that Rex Lapis himself once walked here in Liyue Harbor."
Mountain Shaper said, "As for Fang Qiu's house, it's so late now—we'll come find you two tomorrow."
"Hmph, fine then."
Cloud Retainer gave a snort and turned to leave.
These two old fellows had surely conspired ahead of time about where to go have fun.
And the kind of plan that wouldn't bring her along.
So be it.
Let them do as they pleased.
Right now she was going to Fang Qiu's house, and then she'd give Fang Qiu some trouble.
And so she set off toward Fang Qiu's house.
But as she passed the Wanwen Bookhouse, she paused, glancing at the bookhouse where quite a few people still gathered.
So this was the place where Rex Lapis often came to buy books?
Just then, she felt a gaze settle on her.
Someone was watching her.
Hm?
Following the gaze, she saw a woman in a purple cheongsam, her hair styled gently and gracefully, soft as water, staring at her.
Cloud Retainer was briefly puzzled, then understood.
After all, Shenhe and Fang Qiu were both extraordinarily beautiful. Having taken on their appearance, it was only natural that she'd draw others' attention.
Never mind.
Better to get to Fang Qiu's house soon.
So she withdrew her gaze and strode off.
Leaving the Tavern Proprietress alone, flustered in the cold wind.
She felt wronged.
The first two times were fine—after all, heavy snow had been falling, so it could be understood that Fang Qiu had urgent business.
But this time the weather was so nice.
She'd stood below the Wanwen Bookhouse for so long, had even met her eyes, and still hadn't greeted her...
In the past, she certainly would have called out to greet Fang Qiu without a second thought.
But after being ignored twice, she couldn't quite work up the courage.
If she were simply ignored again, it would be too embarrassing.
And just as she finally mustered the courage to speak to Fang Qiu, Fang Qiu up and walked away...
She could only watch helplessly as Fang Qiu walked off into the distance.
Melancholy.
Sigh...
What on earth had she done wrong?
Watching Fang Qiu's retreating figure, she felt aggrieved.
Feeling the gaze behind her, Cloud Retainer paid it little mind. As she passed a pastry shop, she stopped again.
During the earlier Lantern Rite, at dinner on Mt. Aocang, Fang Qiu had seemed to love eating pastries.
She might as well buy some for her.
And so she walked into the pastry shop.
"Little sister, you're back again? The usual few this time?"
A shopkeeper in traditional Liyue attire glanced at Cloud Retainer and came forward with a beaming smile.
Hearing the shopkeeper's form of address, Cloud Retainer was taken aback.
Little sister?
Then it dawned on her—the shopkeeper had likely mistaken her for Fang Qiu.
After all, Shenhe surely wouldn't address this shopkeeper as sisters.
Fang Qiu had a sweet tongue and would likely cozy up to the shopkeeper.
"We've got a new pastry here—orange-jam molten pastry. It tastes quite good. Would you like some?" the shopkeeper asked.
"I'll take some," Cloud Retainer said.
The shopkeeper packed up the pastries, then looked at Cloud Retainer with a warm smile and said, "Good little sister, call me big sister and let me hear it—I'll give you thirty percent off. How about it?"
At these words, Cloud Retainer's hand, reaching for the pastries, went stiff.
Seeing Cloud Retainer's less-than-pleasant expression, the shopkeeper hastily added, "You seem a bit odd today... Are you in a bad mood? Then you don't have to call me big sister. I'll still sell you these pastries at thirty percent off—have some and cheer up."
"Thank... thank you."
Cloud Retainer offered her thanks with some awkwardness, paid the Mora, and hurried off with the pastries.
Leaving the shopkeeper draped over the counter, muttering to herself in confusion, "What's gotten into little Fang Qiu today? She's always all smiles when she comes to buy pastries, looking so eager. Why the long face today? Could she have fallen for someone? Or has she taken a liking to another shop's pastries?! No, I'd better hurry and develop some new pastries. Right—I'll study the pastries of Inazuma and Mondstadt, combine the strengths of all three lands. I mustn't fall behind the others!"
And so she immediately sent her clerk off to buy pastries from the shops of Mondstadt and Inazuma.
Carrying the pastries, Cloud Retainer walked along the bluestone-paved streets of Liyue Harbor.
Both sides of the street were bustling with life.
The cries of vendors and the sounds of frolicking merged into one.
Cloud Retainer pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling a slight headache.
Had she known, she wouldn't have chosen Shenhe and Fang Qiu's appearance for convenience—she should have just taken on some random person's looks...
Never mind.
Better get to Fang Qiu's house soon.
Before she stirred up any more misunderstandings along the way.
Just as she made her way toward Fang Qiu's house, passing the Heyu Tea House, she saw a young man slowly descending the stairs.
The young man was tall and upright, extraordinary in bearing.
It was Rex Lapis!
The moment she saw Zhongli, Zhongli saw her too.
As he laid eyes on her, Zhongli clearly paused, then gave her a faint smile before walking off.
In that moment, Cloud Retainer felt so very tired.
Were it not for fear of alarming the passersby, she would have reverted to her true form and flown straight to Fang Qiu's house.
So be it.
And so she continued on toward Fang Qiu's house.
Along the way, she also ran into two Treasure Hoarders.
The two Treasure Hoarders, upon seeing her, were scared out of their wits on the spot and scrambled away, tumbling over themselves.
Thankfully, she didn't run into Ganyu or the Liyue Qixing...
After all, they had all met Fang Qiu.
It was peaceful enough.
Still, if she did meet them, she could simply reveal her true form. Concealing her identity before the mortal populace was only to avoid trouble and to keep from alarming the people.
Before the Liyue Qixing, there was no need to hide her identity.
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