Chapter 570: Beautiful Scenery of West Lake, the Sunny March Days

"Master... why aren't Uncle Xuyu and Uncle Wuchenzi coming over?" Zhuge Yu asked in a muffled voice, devouring a spicy gluten stick in one bite and washing it down contentedly with a swig of iced black tea. "Didn't they enjoy watching the tournament broadcasts well enough?"

"Your senior uncles simply do not care for these violent, combat-heavy games. The dramas are all much the same, and they have no interest in them," Immortal Qingyun explained. "If a day truly comes when the cultivation realm of Lingzhou is on the brink of collapse, they will naturally leave their secluded mountains to contribute what little strength they have. But as I see it, cultivators across Lingzhou and the other regions are all making such rapid progress that your uncles have no need to trouble themselves."

"Hmph! They only ever remember to make us mail iced black tea back to them," Zhuge Yu grumbled. "They should be made to come here and plant vegetables."

"Yu'er, you must not show disrespect to your elders!" Immortal Qingyun chided sternly.

"Oh..."

Moments later, Immortal Qingyun muttered to herself, "That bunch of old salted fish have grown far too accustomed to their leisurely days; it seems they have no desire to move their nests at all."

Zhuge Yu spluttered in amusement.

"Ahem... forget about them for now. Let us eat instant noodles!"

Meanwhile, another group of players in the shop had gathered around a strange machine—the Disassembler.

Previously reserved for Owner Fang's exclusive use, he had finally hauled the machine out for public consumption.

As a crowd of cultivators and warriors watched in fascination, someone near the counter suddenly mentioned a "new drama," causing everyone to turn their heads.

At that moment, Gu Tingyun and his entourage walked through the doors. They had spent a good deal of time inspecting the exterior, only to realize that they could not make heads or tails of its design.

Even with the physical object right before their eyes, deciphering its mechanics was not something that could be achieved overnight.

Furthermore, who would have the heart to dismantle such a treasure for research?

Thus, they decided it was better to return to the shop; they still had eight hours of internet time today, which they might as well use.

"Master! The shop has released a new drama!"

"The Legend of the White Snake?" Immortal Qingyun knit her brows, questioning the peculiar title. Could this story truly be about a mere serpent?

Curiosity piqued, she leaned in closer.

Several janitors, holding their bowls of instant noodles, also drifted over from behind.

Just like the previous dramas, viewers could pay to watch four episodes on the first day, while the big screen would broadcast two episodes live after eight in the evening.

As for Wind and Cloud, though the second season had concluded, the third season was not yet available.

While the second season had finished broadcasting, only the earliest group of warriors in Jiuhua City and a portion of those in Half City had actually finished it. The newer warriors were still playing catch-up, and it would clearly be some time before they reached the end of the second season.

Most of those early warriors possessed modest cultivation levels, requiring considerable time to absorb and digest the martial arts and principles contained within; otherwise, more profound concepts would likely elude their understanding.

Since Celestial Jade had concluded even earlier than Wind and Cloud, many cultivators had long since run out of shows to watch, leaving the more leisurely patrons with nothing to do.

Su Tianji was one such example.

Grind the Ancient Dungeon? Why would a casual slacker like her bother with that? It was a good day if she didn't just stand idle in the street to look cute.

Lately, she would check the small blackboard every day upon entering the shop to see if anything new had been written.

And today, there actually was!

"Potato chips?! The Legend of the White Snake?!"

"Master, Master, another new drama is out!" her two disciples chirped excitedly behind her.

"Let's go, let's go! I shall take you both to watch it!" The previously listless slacker instantly leaped up with boundless energy; no matter what kind of drama it was, she had to watch it first.

This weekly release was practically her sole reason for living.

Meanwhile, Xiya and her group from the Western Region were still brooding over their failure to secure even a single ranking in the F1 World Championship. Dressed in a fiery red gown, Xiya stepped into the shop, exuding a remarkably aristocratic aura—provided, of course, that she kept her mouth shut.

The moment she spoke, it was in her usual fractured Lingzhou dialect. "Why is it so lively over zhere?"

They had not watched Celestial Jade, nor were they willing to watch Wind and Cloud. After all, if they began studying those now, would they not always lag behind everyone else?

While this mattered little to the cultivators of Lingzhou, to these proud individuals who had just lost to the practitioners of Lingzhou and the Deserted Sea Realm, it was only natural to focus on a path where they could surpass the rest.

When their fatigue points in Dungeon and Fighter were exhausted, they spent their time repeatedly analyzing Final Fantasy, a process they termed the study of swordsmanship.

But now...

"What strange thing is this?" several Western Region natives inquired as they hurried over.

They quickly noticed Jessica and the other janitorial staff lingering nearby.

"Oh? You are also from the Western Region?"

"Uh..." Karl and the others felt their faces twitch. "Yes..."

"Your Lingzhou speech is so gewd!"

"We grew up in Lingzhou..." Jessica’s face darkened, her own accent slightly warped by the interaction.

What nonsense. Was learning a language supposed to be difficult for people like them?

The genuine Western Region natives and the displaced ones instantly began a warm and pleasant conversation.

"We of the Western Region must stand together!" Xiya offered generously. "Would you like to watch The Legend of the White Snake together? I can treat you!"

Tears welled in their eyes; how could such a kind soul exist?

"...Are you talking about those few?" Owner Fang looked over. "These employees are not permitted to use the internet during work hours."

"Ah—!" Jessica and the others went green with frustration, glaring at Owner Fang with murderous intent.

"We can stand behind them and watch!" Karl whispered. "That way, we can see exactly what this Legend of the White Snake is about!"

"Good idea!"

Xiya had already paid her fee by then. "Help me activate The Legend of the White Snake!"

She then happily went to a computer terminal alongside several other Western Region natives.

Opening the "Super Theater," she indeed found a new icon for The Legend of the White Snake.

Now that the F1 World Championship had concluded and her main character had already crafted the Terranite Greatsword, she felt no urgent need to rush into the game, allowing herself a moment of leisure.

Thus, alongside Luo Piaoling and a few others from the Western Region, she clicked on the title and began to watch.

At the same time, Su Tianji and her companions could hardly wait to open the new television series.

Jiang Xiaoyue and Little Bell also hurriedly settled in to watch.

Jessica and the other foreigners positioned themselves expectantly behind the chairs, only to find nothing on the screen initially except a promotional poster.

"..."

In the land known as Huaxia before Fang Qi's transmigration, countless moving legends had been passed down through generations. There were sword immortals who rode their blades straight into the azure skies, as well as supernatural tales of mountain spirits and monsters assuming human form.

Unlike other films and television series that began with grand, sweeping spectacles, this story unfolded gently, recounting a past life from a bygone era.

The beginning of The Legend of the White Snake was deliberate and unhurried, telling of a kind-hearted young cowherd in the mountains who rescued a small white snake from an old snake catcher.

Bai Suzhen swore a silent vow: *This life-saving mercy shall be engraved upon my heart forever.*

"Could it be... this Legend of the White Snake is just the story of this little serpent?" Su Tianji stared curiously at the rescued white snake on her screen. "Are we to watch it cultivate for hundreds or thousands of years just to become a large snake?"

Soon, the story advanced one thousand seven hundred years into the future.

"Ah! How did that snake grow so massive?!" In the Yuanyang City shop, Little Bell nearly fell off her chair in fright.

Clouds and mist blanketed the mountains as thunder rumbled across the sky. A white demonic serpent, grander than a flood dragon, surged through the high peaks and deep valleys. The journey from a minor spirit to a human form, and eventually down into the mortal realm, offered these inhabitants of an alien world a profoundly novel experience, viewed through the eyes of a demon.

"Oh! Look quickly! She even subdued a green snake!" Jiang Xiaoyue cried out in astonishment. By this time, many viewers were already witnessing the clash of magic between the green and white snakes, a dazzling display of wind, fire, and churning clouds that left them utterly spellbound.

And it was only at this moment that the drama truly began to enter its finest hour.

The river and sky dissolved into the light, shrouded in a misty rain; upon the Broken Bridge of the West Lake during the Qingming Festival, they witnessed her finally locate the reincarnation of the benefactor from one thousand and seven hundred years ago.

The silhouette of Bai Suzhen, holding an oil-paper umbrella and clad in fluttering white robes, stood motionless amidst the misty rain of the West Lake. Framed by the breathtaking scenery, this single moment seemed frozen in eternity.

Many gasped from the depths of their hearts. Perhaps at this very instant, the breathtaking, immortal vision of the "Lady White," where beauty and wisdom coexisted, had also taken root in the minds of these people from another world.

In this moment, countless cultivators and warriors wished for nothing more than to transform into Xu Xian themselves.

Back when they played Legend of Sword and Fairy and Dungeon & Fighter, they had noticed that every time they entered the game, a pleasant melody would play. These pieces were not merely beautiful to the ear; when the music from Legend of Sword and Fairy was performed, it even possessed the effect of clearing the mind and calming the spirit.

Yet now, the crowd exchanged bewildered glances: "Eh? Do television dramas have music now too?"

Just then, the strains of a song drifted into the air: "Ah-ah-ha, ah-ah-ha, the beautiful scenery of West Lake, in the third lunar month... The spring rain is like wine, and the willows are like smoke..."

"Huh? What song is this?"

"Ah! Why is this episode over already?!" Su Tianji suddenly cried out in dismay.