Chapter 647: Subverting the Myth

Top-tier Heavenly King Chen Luo is feeling very frustrated right now.

It's not because he's in his forties and still has to sneak into a cinema to watch a movie with a bunch of kids.

He is frustrated because he couldn't even beat others to grab a ticket!

"How are the tickets for 'Nezha' all sold out!?"

It is only one-thirty in the afternoon.

Although the cinema halls during the Spring Festival season are mostly packed, he is, after all, a big star—the kind of big star with extremely high National Popularity—so he would definitely choose a late-night screening, and he would also buy a seat in a relatively secluded Corner, taking good precautions to stay hidden.

However, there are three commercial districts near his home, and the late-night screenings at all three cinemas in the malls were actually impossible to get tickets for!

"The 10:50 PM screening at Xindi Cinema is full, and the 11:25 PM one is actually full too!"

"Why did Wanlong Cinema give 'Nezha' so few showtimes?"

"It's really strange, is business in the city center commercial district really that good?"

Clearly, for such late showtimes, it is unlikely that parents are bringing their children to watch the movie.

Then, there is no doubt that young viewers will be in the majority!

In fact, many young viewers are quite annoyed by unruly children.

Some children are noisy when watching movies, and their parents are either not good at disciplining them, or simply can't be bothered to, letting them make a racket.

'Nezha' is, after all, an Animation film, so there will definitely be no shortage of young viewers.

Rather than going to watch it with unruly children, it is better to buy a late-night ticket for the sake of peace and quiet.

It is precisely because many young people have this mentality, coupled with the low number of late-night showtimes for 'Nezha', that some popular cinemas have truly seen a scene where tickets are hard to come by.

Chen Luo feels helpless, picks up his phone, and opens his WeChat work group.

"Has anyone here bought tickets for 'Nezha' in the Guangcheng city area?" he asks.

Among his team members, one-third are from Guangcheng or have settled in Guangcheng.

In the group, Chen Luo's assistant Xiao Liu replies instantly: "Not at all, I'm not considering watching 'Nezha' at all for this year's Spring Festival lineup."

After sending it, he swallows a mouthful of saliva, opens his own ticketing APP, and guiltily glances at the three tickets for 'Nezha' he had already bought yesterday.

He loved the movie 'Monkey King: Hero is Back' to death, so he also has a very strong interest in 'Nezha'.

But, I, Xiao Liu, am Brother Luo's capable assistant!

How could I betray Brother Luo?

Who is Luo Mo?

That is Brother Luo's number one enemy in terms of work, his biggest competitor!

But... we are on Chinese New Year holiday, aren't we!

Let's not talk about work, let's not talk about work, ha!

To his surprise, in the group chat, Chen Luo actually issues an order: "Can anyone find a way to help me get a ticket for a late-night screening of 'Nezha'? It needs to be in the Guangcheng city area, preferably close to my home."

Xiao Liu: "???"

There's such a good thing?

He immediately says in the group: "Brother Luo, I have connections, I can get the tickets!"

The next moment, he receives a designated transfer from Chen Luo in the group, who transfers 1000 yuan to him.

Xiao Liu: "!!!"

If you're going to do something, do it thoroughly; he dawdles for about fifteen minutes before taking a screenshot of the ticket collection code and sending it to Chen Luo.

At 10:50 PM, Chen Luo, fully armed, has disguised himself well; he is wearing a hat, a pair of large wooden-framed Glasses, and hasn't shaved his beard.

Many stars go everywhere wearing a Mask and sunglasses.

Late at night, wearing big sunglasses, as if afraid others won't notice him.

After sitting down in the Cinema, Chen Luo thinks to himself: "This Xiao Liu, he does things quite well."

He only asked for one ticket, yet Xiao Liu actually had the connections to get him three at once!

The seats to his left and right are both empty, which gives the Heavenly King more peace of mind, allowing him to be more relaxed and focused while watching the movie.

Before the lights in the Cinema go out, Chen Luo takes the time to hold up his 'Nezha' ticket stub and take a selfie.

He looks at the photo he took and feels very satisfied.

"This photo, one look and you can tell it's full of sincerity," Chen Luo thinks to himself.

The young couple sitting a seat away from him cannot help but communicate in a very, very soft voice.

"This uncle is actually quite interesting, huh."

"He's even taking a selfie with his ticket stub while watching a movie!"

The lights in the Cinema begin to dim at this moment.

The main feature of 'Nezha: Birth of the Demon Child' is about to begin!

At this moment, on the big screen in the Cinema, the first thing to appear is the film screening permit from the censors, which is somewhat similar to the golden Dragon Mark on movies on Earth at the beginning.

Immediately after, the opening credits show Luo Mo Studio, Tongguang Studio, and others.

Before the official content begins, Chen Luo recalls the Nezha in his own impression.

Nezha, this character has always had a label on him, and that is rebellion.

Everyone will think of the Universe Ring, Wind Fire Wheels, etc.

They will also think of his Three Heads and Six Arms.

They will think of his master Taiyi Zhenren, they will think of Nezha Stirs Up the Sea, skinning and pulling the tendons of Ao Bing, and the subsequent flooding of Chen Tang Guan.

The character image of Nezha has actually always been quite full in everyone's hearts.

Because this person is rebellious, and most of the things he does are unconventional.

In many works, Nezha usually plays the role of a "Heavenly Court turncoat."

Wherever someone is about to wreak havoc in the Heavenly Court, there is the active figure of the turncoat Nezha.

At the same time, Chen Luo also remembers that when he was a child watching the story of *Nezha Stirs Up the Sea*, he felt very shocked in his heart.

Shocked by Nezha's suicide!

For a child, this act of slicing off flesh and scraping off bones to return them to his parents is truly too impactful!

And forming a sharp contrast with Nezha is the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, Li Jing.

This Myth figure is truly not very likable.

In most works, this person is always holding a pagoda in one hand, looking dignified and solemn.

Yet his conduct and style are detestable.

Chen Luo guessed in his heart: "Since the subject matter is Nezha, then the villain must be the Dragon Palace, and I reckon Li Jing will also be a character who draws hatred."

In his thoughts, the one-minute opening sequence ended, and the official Drama began.

Just then, a voice said:

"The spiritual energy of heaven and earth has spent a thousand years gestating a Hunyuan Pearl. It greedily devours the essence of the sun and moon, its power constantly growing, but the spiritual energy it devours is too mixed; immortal energy and demonic energy are tangled and unclear, unable to distinguish between Kindness and Evil."

"Master, send me and my junior brother to go and subdue it."

Chen Luo listened and felt puzzled in his heart: "Why does this voice have an accent?"

Well, it is speaking fluent... Sichuan dialect.

A fat version of Taiyi Zhenren, riding a pig, thus made a shining entrance while speaking in that Sichuan dialect.

As for the junior brother he mentioned, it is one of the classic villain characters—Shen Gongbao.

Chen Luo immediately heard another voice that was incomparably deep, full of magnetism, and even had its own reverb: "Hunyuan Pearl, today you are... you are... you are unable to escape with wings!"

The voice acting for this Shen Gongbao can be said to be dignified and cold; what a charming villain!

—It is a pity that he is a stutterer.

"Junior brother, don't scare him!" Taiyi Zhenren said to Shen Gongbao.

It must be said that just these two traits, the Sichuan dialect and the stutter, allowed these two Myth figures to be subverted, and in a short time, the characters became full, three-dimensional, and interesting!

Just then, Taiyi Zhenren was first punched away by the Hunyuan Pearl, and then the confident Shen Gongbao was also knocked away.

The pot-bellied Taiyi Zhenren, with his face beaten swollen, ran out from the clouds again and said angrily in Sichuan dialect: "Ouch, you little rascal, how dare you ruin my handsome face!"

He stepped forward to wrap his arms around the Hunyuan Pearl, and after binding it, he held up his swollen face and said triumphantly with a beaming expression: "Hit me if you dare! Hit me if you dare!"

Hey, as you wish!

The Hunyuan Pearl sprouted four more arms and really gave Taiyi Zhenren a sound beating.

Watching Taiyi Zhenren being beaten like a dog by the Hunyuan Pearl, the Cinema was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Amidst the laughter and cheer, Chen Luo realized that this movie did not seem simple.

During the sound beating, the highly imposing Yuanshi Tianzun made his appearance.

With a wave of his hand, he refined the Hunyuan Pearl, splitting it into two, turning it into the Spirit Bead and the Demon Pill.

The primordial spirit of the Demon Pill is indestructible, so Yuanshi Tianzun cast the Heavenly Tribulation Curse; in three years, he would summon Heavenly Tribulation to descend and destroy the Demon Pill.

He instructed his two disciples to take good care of them over these years.

"Li Jing is a person of destiny; the Spirit Bead can be reincarnated as his third son. This task... shall be handed to you," Yuanshi Tianzun said.

Just as Shen Gongbao was about to take it with a look of Surprise, the Spirit Bead and the Demon Pill floated into the hands of Taiyi Zhenren, whose face had been beaten swollen.

Yuanshi Tianzun informed him that there are already eleven of the Kunlun Twelve Golden Immortals, and if he could nurture the Spirit Bead into a talent, the final position would be his.

The bruised and swollen Taiyi Zhenren thanked his Master for the cultivation in Sichuan dialect, while Shen Gongbao on the other side kept his head lowered, his expression uncertain.

Before disappearing, Yuanshi Tianzun left behind one sentence.

"After the Spirit Bead is born, call it..."

—"Nezha".

Several large golden characters appeared in the sea of clouds.

—*Nezha: Birth of the Demon Child*.

Chen Luo looked at the large characters, and a voice emerged in his heart:

"This Animation seems to be quite good."

(End of this chapter)