Archfiend

Chapter 112: Reparations (3)

In the four people’s surroundings, a video recorder and a few cameras towered in silence. The staff were quietly shooting everything. Liu Yurao smiled as she took her iPad and placed it on the table. It was linked to the station chief’s QQ. If some issue occurred, she could be instantly corrected. [1]

Although she had no clue what the mystery was for, this stiff interview was even able to bring the station chief’s concern. However, the station chief had personally called her numerous times, causing her to rather understand this interview’s importance.

It made her find things to be strange… This interview was being regarded with such weight, yet it’s ratings weren’t cared for at all? If it was being paid attention to, then it would be best to broadcast it live. There was only subject in an actor’s scandal. As such… out of all video clips, if still not the current most popular outdoor gag segments, what was popular?

On the other hand, Zheng Song and Manager Zhang nervously recalled the Q&A materials from yesterday evening. They hadn’t slept a wink throughout the night. Today, upon seeing Xu Yangyi, they were left even more ignorant and unwitting of the circumstances. 

This was no person of high society… The other lacked such a temperament, but he possessed his own unique ambiance. They didn’t know why, but when they were in front of him, a kind of indescribable feeling of insignificance was unexpectedly born.

This feeling was rather inexplicable. He was cordial towards them; at least he could speak. However, they kept on sensing that they weren’t in his eyes, even his speech seemed not to be directed to them. What kind of person was this?

Of the four people, three of them carried bursting suspicions in their hearts, sitting down at the same table. Apart from Xu Yangyi indifferently sampling the coffee, the others’ gazes didn’t even wish to sweep over his body once for a full three seconds.

“May we begin?” Liu Yurao laughed and asked.

Xu Yangyi nodded noncommittally. For him, this was a pure waste of time. At the moment, he was most anticipating the Eternal Alchemy Canon’s second step, the medicine-placement hymn. 

This step was another divine ability, and most critically, it was a step again towards concocting pills. Indeed, his present skill was awfully unsophisticated, but he could put it to use!

“Mr. Xu… Mr. Xu?” 

On the border of his mental excursion, Liu Yurao’s voice rang out persistently. It was then that Xu Yangyi regained his wits and revealed a smile. “What’s the matter, Ms. Liu?”

No matter whether it was Liu Yurao, Zheng Song, Manager Zhang, or the other filming personnel in the room, all of them looked at him with speechless faces.

Was there something the matter? Of course there was something the matter! This was the provincial station! The popular Liu Yurao was personally covering the interview of the famous Director Zhang’s new show with the participation of the in-vogue Zheng Song, but the result was that Xu Yangyi basically regarded it as a non-matter! 

The smile on Liu Yurao’s face was dead-stiff, and she followed up with a laugh, “Mr. Xu, what are your thoughts on this weekend’s online comments?”

Xu Yangyi placed a laptop on the table in passing, his expression natural as he looked at it. His expression was too natural… so natural that no less than five seconds later did he murmur towards the cameraman, “This… is considered snatching the lead, huh…”

Liu Yurao smiled as before because she understood. This youth couldn’t be offended. Not only could he not be offended, why had she been requested to come? Was it not to mediate for him? 

Xu Yangyi read with blazing speed, taking in ten lines with a single glance. The first thing he saw was a video on the internet: “This Weekend’s Most Fiery Video”.

The first: A Magical Natural Phenomenon at the Four Great Joint Pools! Over a Hundred Witnesses!

The second: A Tremendous Several-Hundred-Meter Water Monster Unexpectedly Appears at the Dead Volcano! The Four Great Joint Pool’s Water Monster Finally Shows Itself!

The third: Immortals? Demons? In the Center of The Four Great Joint Pool’s Natural Phenomenon is a Standing Youth!

The fourth: The Mysterious Scene at the Four Great Joint Pools has Drawn the Joint Investigation of Many Countries’ Scholars.

Engrossed, Xu Yangyi entered an advertisement: Receive 999 Sycees for Playing Legendary Hegemony, which immediately rang out. [2]

Everyone was stupefied. The hollow smiles that smeared the cameraman’s and Liu Yurao’s faces would soon be unable to be feigned. Zheng Song and Manager Zheng were rendered dumb. 

This person… didn’t act according to turn at all! 

Any program was conducted in both rhythm and mood by the host, but right now Xu Yangyi seemed to be totally ignorant of what point there was in a presenter. Whatever he thought to do was how it was.

Peony leisurely swept an eye through the crowd, calmly snapping a photo of the scene. Immediately, she sent it out to her social group. ‘Envious? Jealous? Hateful? Soon, the suave Noble Yangyu is going to shock everyone with his words.’

‘I hate you! Is this a dream? Where is this? I still have an Invisibility Talisman! I think I can go check it out! When is the video going to be released? Peony?’

Shockingly… this group had over 800 people...

‘Of course, as soon as the interview is wrapped up.’ Peony pursed her lips and texted. ‘You guys don’t know, but everyone here is stunned. I’m afraid none of them expected our Yangyu would be so unconventional.’

‘Yeah, they should treasure this opportunity to interview a cultivator! If they don’t cherish it, they wouldn’t know even if you interviewed them. Hehe, what I like the most is ordinary people’s faces thinking that they understand when they actually don’t know a thing.’

The group was clamoring with excitement, one after another, but Xu Yangyi was none the wiser to any of this. After he patiently finished listening to the advertisement, the video began to play. 

The clip started from the spontaneous explosion in the sky. Xu Yangyi’s expression was motionless, and he continued to watch the seven stars executing Jadewave, the Red Spider Lily’s eruption, and the spirit treasure fountain. His gaze took to the comments below.

‘Is this real? This is a natural phenomenon? I think it’s special effects!’ - User 800719.

‘Comment above, you can’t be so sure in your words. Right now, the entire internet’s going viral with that video, but a lot of them have been deleted without a trace. I think the issue lies here within!’ - Raccoon that Loves to Eat Instant Noodles.

‘Something like this has never been witnessed in thousands of years. Is this the end of the world? Can things uploaded onto the internet even be believed in? I don’t believe this one bit!’ - Sleep-Greedy Dragon.

‘Don’t argue! I took this video! I saw everything there on that damn day! I sent the vid out, but you guys don’t even believe in it? I took over a dozen vids! Every time I uploaded one, it was deleted! This is the fifteenth time! Can’t you guys just believe a guy once?!’ - Xiao Jinyu. [3]

‘Geez! The person who posted the vid has appeared? C’mon, hurry up, what the heck happened that day? These videos are viral!’ - Call Me Queen.

Seems pretty noisy… Xu Yangyi took his pocketbook and placed it on the table. “That’s very interesting.”

Very interesting? The inside of everyone’s mouths went dry. Boss, we’re the ones coordinating with you, what are you up to?!

“Ahem…” Liu Yurao gently coughed. She didn’t expect that this partner she had to pay heavy consideration to would be so hard to deal with, but she was experienced and laughed, “Mr. Xu, based on what you see, do you think these things are true?”

“Of course not.” Although Xu Yangyi had never been interviewed, he had watched programs on television. Presently, this matter of his doing had to be settled by himself. He chuckled, “Such a situation can only be a coincidence.” 

“Oh? How is it a coincidence?” Finally, a response… Liu Yurao sighed and immediately followed with a question.

“I’m a newcomer from the Huayi Broadcasting Corp, and I was just with…” He glanced at Zheng Song, unable to recall the actor’s name. Nevertheless, there was no response.

Liu Yurao’s thoughts oozed ghastly anger. This “important partner” obviously wasn’t a person in the industry. Others wouldn’t NOT care. What’s the meaning of you two not taking turns when you should? Why? You movie people are looking down on us television folks? She stifled the flames of her heart and looked on, however, she discovered Zheng Song and Manager Zhang were already looking at the screen. Both of them were dumbstruck.

Hold up… A strange sensation suddenly flitted through her mind. Liu Yurao was forty-two years old. The present could be said to be the peak of her career. Performing Arts Collective was Mingshui Province’s segment with the highest ratings, but what she truly had a passion for was the Solving Secrets specialty program.

Mingshui Province was one of three northeast provinces. There were legends of great mountains, vast lakes, and even feral people. She held a special affinity towards these things. Regarding news of this viral event, she had scoffed in disdain. Such lighting effects were too fantastic, capable of deceiving insensible youngsters. She, who had hosted two years of Solving Secrets, dared to confirm that this story as absolutely false. 

As for why the cast and crew of Demonslayer had come, it was quite simple. They planned to use this topic to stir the fires of their movie. She had been with the television station for many years and had seen this many times. Yet it was in this instant that Liu Yurao, a woman and forty-two years old, finally felt something to be wrong. This trio didn’t recognize each other. 

Xu Yangyi’s seemingly cordial style was in fact cold and callous. She had already sniffed out that this was in no way a pretense. It was certain that he didn’t recognize these two people. And yet, from these materials… Xu Yangyi was the male lead of Demonslayer? But he didn’t recognize a single crew or cast member from the production team?

This was impossible. If that was the case, a first conclusion could be gained: they hadn’t come in order to give their movie publicity. So why on earth had they arrived?

Liu Yurao felt her heart speed up. She felt… She had possible touched upon the edge… of a true secret? She pursed her lips yet was absent of a trace of anger. Instead, she laughed and asked Zheng Song, “Mr. Zheng, are you unaware?”

Zheng Song was completely stunned, and Manager Zhang was baffled as well. It was common knowledge that cast and crew were prohibited from carrying their cell phones. They were simply didn’t know of this matter which had occurred outside! But on the contrary, the materials they had received wanted them to “settle” this affair! An acknowledgement that these were special effects from the Demonslayer production crew! 

Zheng Song had believed it to be some business, but now after rummaging through countless comments and searching today’s hot news, he discovered to his astonishment… 

Weibo was lit, the news set aflame, every major media outlet… all of them were spreading this video! This absolutely wasn’t just some business! And yet… why did he have to come smooth things over? There was only one possibility… These events… were possibly, plausibly… true!

This thought instantly detonated in the Zheng Song’s and Manager Zhang’s brains. The duo sluggishly exchanged a meaningful glance. They looked towards Xu Yangyi’s gaze; even now the man in question was wholly indifferent. This person wasn’t an actor. He was one of the figures at the heart of these events! This was truth of the secret!

Zheng Song felt his mind fall to chaos. That giant corpse… That guy standing on top of the corpse with a glowing-blue object in his hand… T-That person… w-was him? These things are true? So why did they hit me up to smooth things over?

What’s the number of similar cases in China? Even Zhao Yuanjing, the son of Deputy Provincial Governor Zhao, had to personally get into gear this time… No, that’s not right. This has to be fake. Hehe, how could this possibly be real? But this can’t be a fantasy, hahaha...

Laughter, my ass!

In his heart, he was terribly nervous. At this time, though, Liu Yurao’s voice happened to ring out.

“Mr. Zheng, what’s your view on this matter?”

1. QQ is a Chinese messaging app.

2. 玩传奇霸业 - so this is an actual Chinese mobile game I believe. Different ways to translate, I chose “Legendary Hegemony”.

3. So this is actually kinda funny. Xiao Jinyu (I’m not actually sure if this is a real name or web handle, but if it is, the meaning is something along the lines of “dreary brilliant gem luster”) is another author on Zongheng.