He changed Tiwat

“‘Qingxu Pool Redevelopment Plan’,” Gan Yu replied. “If you look at these plans individually, each one is flawless, but if you put them together, the ‘Qingxu Pool Redevelopment Plan’ seems a bit out of place. Most of Zhiyi’s plans focus on the overall industry of Liyue, but only this ‘Qingxu Pool Redevelopment Plan’ is for exploring the legendary treasure buried beneath the ruins of Qingxu Pool.”

Chapter Twenty: Knowing a Person's Face (Part Seven)

"The treasure of Qingxu Pool?" Han Fulai frowned. As a Genshin Impact player, he remembered that there was indeed a magnificent treasure chest in the Qingxu Pool ruins, with a rather complicated puzzle mechanism. But it didn't seem worthwhile to go to such lengths to develop Qingxu Pool just for a few treasure chests.

Of course, that's just in the game. In reality, Qingxupu might actually have treasures even more valuable than those in the game.

Gan Yu explained, "Qingxupu has many secrets. In the past, the Dragon King Ruotu caused a great disturbance there, and many secrets were buried deep underground. Later, a rumor spread from somewhere: 'A huge treasure is buried under Qingxupu.' Decades ago, with the approval of the Seven Stars at the time, a mining team conducted a trial excavation there."

"What were the results of the excavation?" Han Fulai asked.

"We returned empty-handed." Gan Yu shook his head. "The end of the ruins was very solid. Unless we used special explosives to blast open the solid rock, we couldn't continue digging down. But the technology wasn't advanced enough at the time, so the excavation was stopped, and the 'treasure' became just a legend."

"The legend... well, there are definitely some issues with that."

Han Fulai nodded and said, "Zhiyi's planning style focuses on 'solving problems.' Treasure hunting, with its unpredictable outcomes, is completely out of character for him and doesn't seem like the kind of planning he would do. Although he uses the name of ruins development as a cover, compared to other plans that concern the national economy and people's livelihood, this development plan seems too trivial."

Ultimately, the jarring aspect of this plan lies in its "limited scope." Finding treasure is fine for adventurers like travelers, and it's also acceptable for wealthy merchants to hire people to try it out on a whim. However, for Zhiyi to make it one of the tasks of the successor to the Star of Heaven, and to mobilize the national power of Liyue to dig for treasure, seems like a waste of talent. Moreover, the problems Liyue is currently facing cannot be solved by a mere treasure.

“However… this alone cannot reveal the identity of his backer. There are too many people interested in the treasure, including the Treasure Raiders, the Fools, the Adventurers' Guild, and many other forces in Liyue…” Gan Yu said.

Han Fulai rested his chin on his hand and entered his thinking mode.

All the plans he had seen from Zhiyi came to mind one by one, and he arranged them into categories. Soon, he discovered the part that was related to the "Qingxupu Redevelopment Plan".

"Gan Yu, among the local forces you mentioned that want to dig for treasure, does it include 'Blackrock Factory'... or rather, the Liyue Cloud Clan?"

"Black Rock Factory...? Yun Clan...? Why are you connected to them?" Gan Yu tilted her head.

Han Fulai immediately gave Gan Yu a brief overview of the mineral resources section that Zhiyi had mentioned in the planning document.

Gan Yu pondered for a moment, then shook her head.

“Zhiyi wants Blackrock Depot to excavate the treasure of Qingxupu... Hmm, Blackrock Depot does indeed have some special explosives for mining, and Zhiyi may indeed have that purpose... But I can't think of Blackrock Depot's motive. With the Liyue Yun Clan's assets, they wouldn't covet a treasure whose existence is unknown, let alone do such a thing with the future Tian Shu Star for a treasure whose existence is unknown.”

Indeed, given the reputation and assets of the Liyue Yun Clan, it's highly unlikely they would support a successor to one of the Liyue Seven Stars for such a paltry sum. So, could this "Qingxu Pool Redevelopment Plan" be related to Tian Shu himself?

Han Fulai thought for a moment and then asked, "I don't know much about the current Tian Shu Star... In your opinion, is it possible that Uncle Tian is interested in the rumors about this treasure?"

If it's said that Zhiyi deliberately brought in Heiyan Factory to curry favor with Uncle Tian, ​​and used this project as a way to curry favor, then it's plausible.

Gan Yu shook her head again.

"You mean Yun Tian... He's not even interested in treasures anymore. Back then, he didn't even want to inherit the position of Tian Shu Star. He told me the other day that he wanted to resign from the position of Tian Shu and go back to his hometown of Qing Ce Manor to be with his sister."

"Qingce Village, my hometown... my sister...?"

Han Fulai looked puzzled. As a member of the Liyue Yun Clan, how could Uncle Tian's ancestral home be in Qingce Village? No one seemed to have mentioned that Uncle Tian had an older sister. Only by understanding Uncle Tian more deeply could they determine whether he was related to the "Qingxupu Development Project."

Of course, it's impossible to ask Uncle Tian directly about this, but fortunately, there's someone in front of him who "watched Uncle Tian grow up".

"Gan Yu, can you tell me about Uncle Tian?"

Gan Yu nodded, tilted her head slightly, and recalled, "The Yun family is very large. The silk industry of the Flying Cloud Merchant Guild and the mining of Blackrock Factory are the pillar industries of the Yun family, serving as the foundation of the main family. Yun Tian's branch is a branch of the main family, and by his generation, the relationship with the main family in Liyue Harbor had become very distant. Although Yun Tian has the blood of the Yun family, he did not receive much help from the Yun family during his entrepreneurial journey. If we're talking about starting from scratch, he is actually one of the few current Seven Stars besides Miss Ningguang who can be considered a self-made man."

"His descendants had been farmers in Qingce Village for generations. But life was hard, relying on the weather. About forty years ago, he and his sister Yundan came to Liyue Harbor to make a living. They fished with old fishermen near the docks of Liyue Harbor. Yuntian was quite talented and learned everything very quickly. Soon he mastered the skills of fishing and earned his first pot of gold."

"Using this as capital, he slowly made a lot of money thanks to his natural business acumen. His sister, Yun Dan, was not very interested in business and could not get used to the noise and cutthroat competition in Liyue Harbor... In the end, she left her brother and returned to her hometown to live alone. I remember that Yun Dan never married and would help the neighbors take care of their children during the off-season, enjoying the pleasures of rural life."

"Yun Tian later acquired all the nearby fish stalls and gradually became the current leader of the fishing industry. His talent was also valued by the Yun clan, and the previous Yun clan leader, Tian Shu, wanted to pass the throne to him. He initially refused, but later the Emperor appeared in disguise and communicated with him. After that, he became Tian Shu of Liyue and has been working for Liyue ever since. The 'Willing One' fishing rod he uses now was given to him by the Emperor back then."

How does this have to do with Zhong Li again... Just how many people have you tricked into working for you?! Han Fulai couldn't help but complain in his heart.

"In order not to let other things interfere with his duties and position as the Star of Tian Shu, Yun Tian rarely returns to Qing Ce Manor, and he has kept his status as the Star of Tian Shu a secret from his sister for thirty years. Yun Dan still thinks that her brother is just a small fishmonger in Liyue Harbor. However, Yun Tian has asked the Fei Yun Merchant Guild to take good care of his sister, and every year during the Lantern Festival, the Fei Yun Merchant Guild sends its own members to visit and comfort Yun Dan."

"That's all I know about Yuntian," Gan Yu concluded her story.

No wonder the Feiyun Merchant Guild has sent important figures to Qingce Village to comfort the residents every year during the Lantern Festival since this generation. Last year it was the eldest son of the Feiyun Merchant Guild, and this year it was the second son, Xingqiu... Han Fulai finally understood the reason.

I initially thought it was just the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce doing charity work, but it turns out Uncle Tian's connections are involved. Come to think of it, if it weren't for Tian Shuxing's older sister in Qingce Village, how could a simple act of comforting the residents have troubled the young master of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce?

Judging from Gan Yu's description, Uncle Tian truly devoted himself to Liyue and had little interest in personal gain. In other words, whether it was recommending Zhiyi or investigating Zhiyi, Uncle Tian acted with a public-spirited attitude.

In this way, the speculation that Zhiyi carried out the "Qingxupu Development Plan" for Tianshu's benefit can be completely refuted.

Uncle Tian did believe that Zhiyi inheriting Tian Shu Star would be beneficial to Liyue, which is why he focused on cultivating Zhiyi and giving him various forms of support. However, due to certain events, Uncle Tian did develop doubts about Zhiyi, which is why he asked him and Yelan to conduct a thorough investigation of this prized disciple.

In addition, the possibility that Uncle Tian and the Yun family secretly funded Zhiyi and promoted him can also be ruled out.

Dugu Shuo said that he recently saw some strangers promoting Zhiyi, but Uncle Tian had already begun to doubt Zhiyi a while ago, so it was impossible for him to continue promoting Zhiyi.

However, even excluding Uncle Tian and the Yun family, there are still many possible forces behind Zhiyi.

Currently, the only clues that can be obtained from Zhiyi's planning documents are the "Qingxupu Redevelopment Plan" and the "Heiyan Factory".

Even if it's just a chance, I can only go to Black Rock Factory to see if I can get any new clues. Han Fulai decided on his itinerary for tomorrow.

Chapter Twenty-One: Knowing a Person's Face (Part 8)

The next morning, Han Fulai and Ye Lan exchanged information on the second floor of the Yanshang Tea House.

Yelan's two subordinates, Wen Yuan and Shang Hua, had already reported their investigation results to Yelan. Zhiyi left very few transaction records with the major merchant guilds in Liyue; aside from some general merchandise, there were no large-scale commercial transactions. Yesterday, Shang Hua even used special funds from the Rock Tea House to bribe several managers of merchant houses who might be connected to Zhiyi to check the internal accounts, but still found nothing.

According to Wen Yuan's investigation, the files left by Zhi Yi in the General Affairs Department also show that all of his experiences were clear and transparent, and the descriptions of Zhi Yi's experiences by Uncle Tian and the dock workers were all true and credible. His parents died, his family was poor, he was chased by debt collectors, he was taken care of by Uncle Tian, ​​he worked to support his studies, and so on, all of which can be verified.

Wen Yuan investigated Zhi Yi's academic performance at the "Tongwen Academy" based on his resume. His teachers and friends all praised him for his excellent character and academic achievements, making him a model student. As a native of Liyue, Zhi Yi's study abroad was actually for research purposes for his sociology graduation thesis, and the entire trip took place within Liyue, leaving no room for suspicion.

Last night, following the clues mentioned by Dugu Shuo, Yelan investigated the strangers who had recently appeared near Chihu Rock. Some of them were traveling merchants, some were sailors, and a small number were members of active grassroots civil society organizations in Liyue—in short, petty thugs. Their backgrounds varied, and their accounts of Zhiyi's deeds were mostly based on hearsay from friends; most did not have a clear employer-employee relationship, making them essentially "telemarketers."

Although following this lead could eventually uncover the source of the information, it was clearly not something that could be resolved overnight. Ye Lan had already handed over the current leads to Wen Yuan and Shang Hua, instructing them to continue investigating the mastermind behind the manipulation of public opinion today.

In summary, Zhiyi's behind-the-scenes funders did not provide him with money through commercial transactions or academic grants. It's also highly likely that the person manipulating public opinion is not Zhiyi himself, but rather his behind-the-scenes funders helping him create momentum. Zhiyi's unclear sources of income are most likely private cash gifts, with no transaction records left behind.

Clearly, this behind-the-scenes funder displayed a high level of professionalism, concealing his identity as much as possible. If Han Fulai and Ye Lan hadn't followed Zhiyi yesterday and witnessed his transaction with the owner of Xiguju, Zhiyi's financial situation would not have been exposed—Zhiyi's daily life remains extremely frugal.

Han Fulai didn't expect Ye Lan to get any major clues in one night. Given Zhi Yi's abilities and the caution of his backers, breaking through their defenses would undoubtedly be very difficult. If it weren't difficult, Uncle Tian wouldn't have asked him and Ye Lan to join forces.

He also told Ye Lan about the clues he and Gan Yu had analyzed together at Yuehai Pavilion the night before. After discussing it, Ye Lan decided to go with him to the Black Rock Factory to investigate the situation.

Given that Han Fulai is now considered a celebrity in Liyue, to avoid alerting him, Yelan gave Han Fulai a simple disguise.

Han Fulai changed into a Liyue merchant's robe, wore a pair of Fontaineble imported sunglasses, and added a small mustache, making him look like a shopkeeper on Scarlet Cloud Slope.

Ye Lan also changed into a dark blue brocade robe with cloud patterns, and even the cuffs had fluffy white ruffles. According to her, she was imitating the outfit of a young lady from a merchant guild that she had seen recently.

Han Fulai had only three words to describe Ye Lan's attire: "A splendid outfit!"

The two rented a horse-drawn carriage outside the city and bumped along the way to Black Rock Factory outside the city.

When the foreman of the Black Rock Factory, nicknamed "Iron Arm," saw that the two men were dressed in extraordinary attire, he quickly went forward to greet them.

"Iron Arm" wasn't his real name, of course. He was all muscle, as strong as an iron tower, and could do the work of three people, so his coworkers gave him that nickname. Over time, he got used to being called "Iron Arm" and referred to himself that way when talking to others.

Due to the anomalies at the bottom of the Abyss of Layered Rocks, Blackrock Factory has not been mining new ore for some time, resulting in less work and more leisure time for the miners. Otherwise, under normal circumstances, "Iron Arms" would be working hard underground right now.

Ye Lan claimed to be a subordinate of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce, accompanying her business partner, Boss Han, to inspect the Black Rock Factory and discuss an order for Night-blooming Stone. "Iron-Armed" had no suspicions and enthusiastically led the two of them around, introducing the current situation of the Black Rock Factory and praising the quality of the ore—the factory was doing well, and he could earn more wages.

Han Fulai and Ye Lan subtly probed "Iron Arm" but found no problems within the Black Rock Factory. They then shifted the topic to the impact of sealing off the Layered Rock Abyss on the factory. "Iron Arm" clearly had a lot to say, and seeing that the two distinguished guests were easy to talk to, he took the opportunity to complain about Qi Xing's order to seal off the Layered Rock Abyss.

According to him, many of his fellow workers felt that the opening of the Laminariat was hopeless and that there was no future in staying at Blackrock Depths, so they left the construction site and returned to Liyue Harbor to make a living. Even the foreman of Blackrock Depths, Ah-Kuan, took leave to go home to be with his daughter; otherwise, it wouldn't have been his turn to receive visitors at Blackrock Depths. However, "Iron-Armed" had worked at Blackrock Depths for more than ten years and had a much deeper affection for the place than the average worker. He firmly believed that the Laminariat would not be permanently closed and that Blackrock Depths' profits would eventually recover.

As they chatted, "Iron-Armed" started talking about his fellow workers on the construction site. He especially mentioned three new workers who had joined the Black Rock Factory just over two months ago; they were "apprentices" whom "Iron-Armed" had personally mentored. One of them, due to his outstanding performance, had already been promoted to team leader. "Iron-Armed" was generous with his praise for these newcomers.

"Those three newcomers have top-notch physical abilities. They're also quick learners, mastering various techniques rapidly. The only downside is that they often go out drinking together at night, but don't let the others join them. Maybe they haven't fully integrated yet; they should be fine after a while."

Han Fulai and Ye Lan exchanged a glance, having already noticed something amiss.

"Go out for drinks as a group? There don't seem to be any pubs around here, wouldn't we have to go a long way?" Ye Lan asked.

“Of course.” “Iron-Armed” nodded. “According to them, they were going straight back to Liyue Harbor to drink at Wanmin Hall. It rained after work last night, and they actually stayed at the construction site for a while. But as soon as the rain stopped, they went out drinking again and haven’t come back yet…”

"Iron Arm" laughed, looking at Han Fulai with a knowing look that "all men understand": "Young people have a lot of energy, which is not a bad thing, hahaha."

Traveling for hours specifically to drink at Wanmin Hall—anyone would know something was off, especially since they went in a group at night, not letting anyone else join them. "Iron Arm," being an experienced person, knew they were going back to Liyue Harbor to find girls, though he couldn't say that to Yelan's face.

Han Fulai, understanding the situation, chatted and laughed with "Iron Arm" for a few moments, then used the excuse of going back to discuss the order in detail to leave the Black Rock Factory with Ye Lan.

As expected, important clues were hidden in the Black Rock Factory, and those clues pointed to these three "new miners"!

Chapter Twenty-Two: Knowing a Person's Face (The End)

Having left the Blackrock Factory area, Yelan snorted coldly: "Going back to Liyue Harbor for a drink... What a ridiculous excuse they came up with. Nine times out of ten, they're looking for a place to meet with someone and exchange information."

Han Fulai nodded. "So Zhiyi's real purpose is to get these 'new miners' who are lurking in the Black Rock Factory to participate in the 'Qingxupu Redevelopment Plan'."

“One of these three has already been promoted to ‘team leader.’ By the time the ‘Qingxupu Redevelopment Plan’ is implemented, they will at least be key technical personnel. At that time, they can do many things… such as copying underground ciphers or stealing underground treasures. This is the benefit of planning ahead… truly a brilliant tactic.” Ye Lan crossed her arms, her expression cold and stern.

...Cipher messages and treasures? Han Fulai noticed the keywords Ye Lan mentioned. It seemed Ye Lan knew quite a bit about the ruins of Qingxupu, even more than Gan Yu. Was there really treasure beneath Qingxupu?

So, the condition for Zhiyi's exchange with his behind-the-scenes backers was that they would help him obtain the treasure beneath the Qingxupu Ruins after he took power? Is this treasure really that valuable, even worth the backers' help in taking over as the leader of Tian Shu Star?

Although it was only a brief moment, many thoughts had already flashed through Han Fulai's mind.

"Who could be the mastermind behind funding Zhiyi, helping him build momentum, and even planting people in the Black Rock Factory?" Han Fulai looked at Ye Lan, and judging from Ye Lan's expression, she already had the answer in her heart.

"Then we'll have to ask those 'newcomers'," Ye Lan sneered.

"The problem now is, where are we going to find these people? According to the foreman, these three haven't returned all night," Han Fulai said, frowning.

Ye Lan didn't reply, but instead examined the surrounding area on her own, and soon she made a discovery.

There are footprints.

Han Fulai hurriedly followed and indeed found several rows of footprints on a dirt path.

Ye Lan squatted on the ground, carefully observing the footprints.

"Judging from the intervals of the steps, the size and depth of the footprints, these are the footprints of an adult male, whose build is similar to that of the 'Iron-Armed' man from earlier."

She picked up some dirt and debris from the footprints with her fingers, rubbed it a few times, and then gently smelled it.

"It's black iron ore powder from Blackrock Depot. These should be the footprints of those three people. It rained last night, and the road was still wet when they left Blackrock Depot. It hasn't been that long since then, and the footprints are pointing towards Liyue Harbor."

"Although there are footprints, it doesn't necessarily mean we can catch up with them based on them. After all, a night has passed, and they may have already changed their location, but... should we give it a try?"

Ye Lan straightened up, glanced back at Han Fulai, and Han Fulai nodded.

The two followed the footprints, with Yelan stopping frequently to search for traces in the soil or grass. After walking and stopping for about an hour, they arrived at a mountain hollow on the outskirts of Liyue Harbor.

“All traces disappear here.” Ye Lan shrugged, indicating that she had done her best.

Han Fulai surveyed his surroundings and spotted an abandoned house in the distance. Ye Lan also discovered the abandoned house at the same time.

The two exchanged a glance, and everything was understood without a word.

The three "new miners" had left traces along the way, proving that they hadn't consciously concealed their tracks. Their sudden disappearance here, unless they could fly, suggests that this was their rendezvous point, and someone had carefully cleaned up the traces they left behind.

The three of them didn't return home all night, so there's a good chance they're hiding in this abandoned house. And their contact might also be there.

Ye Lan's Divine Eye flashed, and a Ruoshui Bow was already in her grasp. Han Fulai also became more vigilant, secretly channeling his immortal power as he followed behind Ye Lan. His meridians were still very fragile, and he couldn't easily use his immortal power, but if he really needed to fight to the death, he wouldn't care about such things anymore.

Ye Lan moved swiftly, using her rapid footwork, and in the blink of an eye, she had reached the door of the abandoned house. Han Fulai quickly moved to surround the side and rear of the abandoned house.

The two spoke at the same time very quickly: "Nobody's here."

Ye Lan put away the Ruoshui Bow and began to carefully examine the area around the abandoned house. Han Fulai, on the other hand, went into the abandoned house to observe the furnishings inside.

The house had clearly been abandoned for a long time, more than half of it had collapsed, and the furniture was long gone. There were lines on the ground where bamboo mats had been pressed down, indicating that someone had slept here, but the bamboo mats that should have been there were nowhere to be found.

Not far from the traces of the bamboo mat, there was a pile of burnt charcoal, indicating that these people had lit a fire and rested there last night.

At that moment, Yelan's voice came from outside: "There is a fresh fruit pit here."

Han Fulai walked out of the abandoned house and saw Ye Lan picking up a fruit pit from a pile of fallen leaves. It seemed someone had finished eating an apple there and carelessly tossed it aside. It was a pity that Liyue didn't have DNA testing technology, otherwise they could have sent the fruit pit for testing to verify the identity.

However, this fruit pit at least proves that someone did come here not long ago.

Han Fulai told Ye Lan about what he had found inside the house. Ye Lan nodded and went inside to examine the traces again. The two of them would cross-examine the evidence to ensure that nothing was missed.

Han Fulai walked around the outside of the house and soon discovered some new traces—on a half-collapsed pillar, he saw signs of a struggle.

It looked as if someone's head had been slammed hard against this pillar. The pillar's surface was damaged and dented, with some dark red bloodstains remaining. However, there were no fragments of pillar or pieces of clothing at the base of the pillar, indicating that someone had cleaned up the scene.

At this moment, Ye Lan also came out of the house and came to the same conclusion: "This should be their meeting place without a doubt, but all the evidence that could have traced their whereabouts has been destroyed. I found the ashes of burned paper in the fire, which should be the notes or letters they used to make contact."

"It seems their counter-surveillance capabilities are indeed very strong; all evidence pointing to their identities has been destroyed." Han Fulai shook his head.

"Not necessarily." Ye Lan smiled. "Our purpose in coming here is not to find any concrete evidence. It is enough to deduce who is behind Zhi Yi."

"Oh? Miss Ye Lan already knows the other party's identity?" Han Fulai raised an eyebrow. He had the exact same clues as Ye Lan, but he couldn't be sure of the identity of the person behind Zhi Yi.

Ye Lan nodded. "When I first entered the room, I smelled a peculiar odor. Those 'new miners' probably thought that burning the letters would make them safe. But what they didn't know was that paper and ink from different regions would have different smells when burned."

"The smell...?" Han Fulai had also been inside the house, but he hadn't noticed any special smell in the abandoned house. If he had to say there was one, it would be something like an earthy smell.

“It’s hard for someone without professional training to notice that faint fragrance,” Ye Lan smiled. “There’s a place with a harsh climate and endless ice fields. Some wealthy people there add floral scents to their ink, hoping to leave a touch of spring on the paper with each stroke of the pen. When the scented ink is burned, it leaves this special aroma.”

"Behind Zhiyi lies our old adversary, the Fools."