He changed Tiwat

Ye Lan nodded. "That's good. I've spent too much time on the Tian Shu Star selection. I'll be going out in a few days and need to prepare in advance. I'll leave the rest to you, Uncle Tian."

"Okay." Uncle Tian didn't say much and agreed directly.

"Eh? Miss Yelan has another mission?" Han Fulai asked hurriedly.

Ye Lan glanced at him and said coldly, "Deputy Minister Han, rest assured, I have already instructed my subordinates on matters related to Zhiyi, and someone will handle it. I will naturally do my best to cooperate with you in your tasks."

"Ah, I didn't mean to rush you, I was just a little curious..." Han Fulai quickly explained.

"Heh, given Vice Minister Han's meddlesome nature, he'll probably get caught up in some trouble in the future. We might even meet again in the next dangerous place." Ye Lan crossed her arms and smirked. "Watch your back then, okay?"

"Hahaha... Thank you for the reminder, Miss Yelan."

"This woman is so petty!" Han Fulai thought to himself.

"Oh, by the way, Vice Minister Han, your 'Ningguang' sister asked you to go to Qunyu Pavilion. I've delivered the message."

He had ruined Ningguang's plans, so he should go and apologize to her. Although he had already asked Yelan to bring him a recording, and he believed Ningguang wouldn't make things difficult for him, it would be best to explain in person.

"...I understand." Han Fulai nodded.

"Uncle, please have a seat. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

As Ye Lan spoke, she turned and walked away, but stopped at the top of the stairs.

"Seeing that Vice Minister Han has been sitting here for quite a while, there's one more thing I forgot to remind him of—our Yanshang Tea House is a small business, so the tea isn't free."

Chapter 41 The Real and Fake Mora

After leaving the Yanshang Tea House, Han Fulai discovered something: the "Yangu" tea was not only famous, but also... very expensive.

When he was paying the bill, he touched the bag of Mora that Bai Shu had handed him earlier. Now he could finally see what Bai Shu was up to.

Han Fulai walked to a secluded spot behind the rock-top teahouse and took out his Mora bag.

He weighed the bag in his hand; it was quite heavy, clearly containing a considerable amount of Mora. Opening the bag, he found that besides the Mora, there was also a folded square piece of paper inside. The pattern on the paper resembled a prescription slip commonly used in the brothel. He figured Bai Shu had written the information on the prescription slip and given it to him under the guise of returning the wallet.

Han Fulai thought to himself that Doctor Bai Shu was really good at dealing with people, delivering intelligence and also giving away so much Mora, while happily opening the note.

When the note was unfolded, it turned out to be a prescription. The handwriting on it was so elegant and flowing that it looked like a work of cursive calligraphy.

"It seems that no matter which world you're in, a doctor's prescription is like a foreign language to the average person..." Han Fulai promptly retorted.

Fortunately, although Bai Zhu's handwriting was difficult to recognize, at least it had some shape, and it could be deciphered by guessing and deciphering, unlike Xing Qiu's handwriting, which was simply a "code".

Han Fulai squinted and stared for a long time before finally understanding Bai Shu's message.

Compared to Bai Zhu's handwriting, the content of this message was quite formal. It began with "Respectfully addressed to Vice Minister Han," followed by a brief exchange of pleasantries. Leaving aside the unnecessary formalities, the key points can be summarized as follows:

Some time ago, Bubulu received some consultation fees from patients, and Baishu discovered that some of the fees were counterfeit.

"Mora is fake... a fake Mora?!"

Han Fulai couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Fortunately, no one was around, otherwise his shout might have attracted a crowd.

Mora has counterfeit money too!?

As the founder of the "Liyue Currency - Mora" system, Han Fulai was quite familiar with the composition of Mora. It was made by the Geo Archon using his own divine power and flesh, supplemented by various precious metals. Leaving aside precious metals like gold, the Geo Archon's divine power and flesh were not something that could be obtained casually!

This can be forged?

Han Fulai suspiciously picked up a Mora from the Mora bag, examined it over and over for a long time, but found no difference from the existing Mora.

He thought for a moment, then held the "fake Mora" that Bai Shu had mentioned in his right hand, and took out a Mora from his wallet and held it in his left hand, repeatedly comparing it to the sunlight.

The two Mora coins are exactly the same in terms of pattern, size, weight, feel, and even the sound they make when they collide.

Han Fulai then took out several other Mora coins from his wallet, compared them repeatedly, and found that they were indeed exactly the same.

What should we do? Han Fulai carefully put Mora away, touched his chin, and pondered deeply.

First, let's assume that the information provided by Bai Zhu is true.

If what Bai Shu said is true, and the bag of Mora he gave him was all counterfeit, how did Bai Shu distinguish between real and fake? Or was the Mora in his wallet also possibly counterfeit, which is why he couldn't tell the difference? The Mora in his wallet was just change from everyday shopping. If counterfeit money is already circulating in Liyue Harbor, the one he had might not be real either.

Han Fulai felt that even if he tried to make a purchase with this bag of "counterfeit money," people would readily accept it, because no one would suspect that the Mora was fake. If there was no difference between genuine and counterfeit goods... then what did it matter whether they were real or fake?

In fact, due to the unique forging process of Mora, the concept of "counterfeit currency" has never existed on the continent of Teyvat. All Mora is assumed to be forged by the Rock King Morax in his Golden House. After all, this Rock King Morax is the "God of Contracts," a 6,000-year-old institution worthy of trust.

For over three thousand years, the people of Teyvat have used Mora to trade, and they have never had the concept of "identifying counterfeit currency," so of course, there is no such thing as a money counter.

Of course, Ningguang's Liyue coins, which are paper money, have taken into account the possibility of counterfeiting and have implemented relevant anti-counterfeiting designs.

But to forge a fake Mora, putting aside the question of how to solve the forging process, the very act of forging is a desecration of the Rock King.

As Zhongli himself said, "All the silver coins circulating on the mainland are my flesh and blood. In this way, I am guaranteeing all the sweat, wisdom and future of mankind. This is my trust in all living beings, and to betray it is to defile my blood."

In the world of Teyvat, where gods exist, blaspheming against the gods carries great risks, especially in a country like Liyue, which is directly ruled by the gods.

Zhongli didn't have time to deal with merchants exploiting loopholes in contracts, but counterfeiting Mora was tantamount to a direct slap in the face to him, and could potentially result in the "Punishment of the Rock Eaters." At least Han Fulai believed that the people of Liyue, who had walked with the gods for 3,700 years, wouldn't do such a thing.

Those who could do such a thing... are probably the source of all evil, the foolish masses.

In the Qingxupu incident, his deduction about the demon god's treasure buried beneath Qingxupu was likely correct. Both the reactions of the Fools and Yelan's statements confirm that the treasure of Qingxupu is related to Mora's forging method. Only such a secret would warrant the two sides using the successor of Tian Shu Star as a pawn in their struggle.

Theoretically, neither the Fools nor Ningguang have yet unlocked the secrets beneath Qingxupu, and therefore should not be able to master the technology for forging Mora.

After all, if Ningguang could make Mora, she wouldn't need to worry about the Golden House ceasing production. If Pantarone could mint Mora, he could just open a new mint in Winter Solstice.

Therefore, it is clear that even if the Fools mastered the technology to create Mora, there must be flaws in it, and it must be different from the real Mora, which is why they need the treasure of the Demon God's Ruins.

What is this difference?

Furthermore, Bai Shu's method of conveying this information to him was quite secretive, clearly indicating that he also knew that this matter would cause a huge uproar in Liyue.

If counterfeit Mora has indeed begun circulating in Liyue Harbor, it will likely trigger a series of unforeseen events, and he must prepare a response in advance.

So, the question comes full circle—how did Bai Zhu distinguish between the real and fake Mora?

He had to find Bai Shu and get to the bottom of things no matter what.

It seems we'll have to postpone the matter of seeing Ningguang.

Han Fulai moved with lightning speed, heading straight for Bubulu without stopping.

Bai Shu had obviously been waiting for him for a long time. Seeing him rushing over, she led him into the inner room without saying a word.

"Mr. Bai Shu, please tell me how you distinguish between the real and fake Mora." Han Fulai skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the question he cared about most.

Bai Shu pointed to his workshop in the inner room, where there was an alchemy table.

Chapter 42 The Alchemy Table is Not a Money Detector

Han Fulai followed Bai Shu into the workshop and found a packet of plant seeds, some shiny mineral-like crystals, and a small pile of Mora on the alchemy table.

It seems that Atractylodes macrocephala was already prepared to demonstrate the identification method to him.

Bai Shu didn't say much. Since Han Fulai had come, he must have already realized the seriousness of the problem and discovered that ordinary methods couldn't distinguish between the real and fake Mora. What he needed to do was let Han Fulai see for himself.

Bai Shu placed his hands on either side of the alchemy table, and the Grass-type Divine Eye on his body lit up, channeling a stream of Grass elemental power into the alchemy table. The concentric circle magic circle on the alchemy table gradually lit up, emitting a ghostly blue glow.

In the game, various essential oils and potions are synthesized using an alchemy table. It's quite normal that Atractylodes macrocephala (白术) requires alchemy in medicine making.

As a transmigrator, Han Fulai had used alchemy tables extensively in the game and had personally witnessed Lao Zhang and Shen He using them. He naturally knew that Mora was the catalyst used in alchemy. Whether forging weapons or materials using an alchemy table, a certain amount of Mora, acting as a catalyst, was required. After the alchemy was completed, the Mora used as the catalyst was consumed and transformed into the finished alchemical product on the alchemy table.

But this time, Mora did not disappear.

The molars that acted as a catalyst simply changed form—becoming a liquid mixture of gold and impurities.

"This is... a failed alchemy...?" Han Fulai looked at Bai Shu with a questioning gaze. He couldn't determine the cause of the liquid impurities in the pool of gold for the time being.

After all, if alchemy actually produces gold, it can't really be considered a failure.

But Atractylodes macrocephala gave him the answer.

“Mr. Han, as you can see, the difference between counterfeit Mora and real Mora lies here. Counterfeit Mora cannot be used as a catalyst in alchemy; it will only turn into liquid gold and impurities.”

After carefully collecting the impurities on the alchemy table, Bai Shu laid his palm out, revealing several Mora coins lying in his hand.

He placed the Mora back on the alchemy table.

These Mora coins look exactly the same as the pair that turned into liquid gold just now, but...

Bai Shu activated the alchemy table again. With a flash of blue light, the few Mora coins transformed into specks of golden light and disappeared into the patterns on the alchemy table. The plant seeds and crystals on the alchemy table changed their form, fusing together to become a gel-like, blue substance resembling slime.

Bai Zhu took a transparent glass bottle from the side, put the bluish gel-like substance into the bottle, and handed it to Han Fulai.

Han Fulai took the glass bottle and glanced at the label on it—"Windproofing Agent".

Bai Shu explained to Han Fulai in a very professional manner: "Dandelion seeds, the core of the Wind Crystal Butterfly, and Mora, when combined in a certain proportion, can be made into a 'Wind Protection Potion'. Adventurers usually carry a bottle with them. It is very effective in treating colds and flu, as well as dealing with wind-type monsters. It is an essential medicine for home and travel."

It's clear he's very familiar with these sales pitches.

Han Fulai handed the "wind-preventing medicine" back to Bai Zhu and nodded.

“I understand. Real Mora can be used as a catalyst on the alchemy table, while counterfeit Mora will only turn into molten gold.”

“That’s right.” Bai Shu smiled. “I discovered the problem a while ago when I was making potions for a patient. According to the revenue statistics from Bu Bu Lu these days, about one in every twenty patients used counterfeit Mora. The bag of counterfeit Mora I gave you earlier was part of that.”

In other words, counterfeit Mora accounts for one-twentieth of the total circulation rate in Bubulu alone. If all industries in Liyue are included, the situation might be even worse.

When did counterfeit Mora begin circulating? Where did it originate? How many counterfeit Mora are currently on the market?

As he pondered these questions, Han Fulai's gaze grew increasingly serious.

The most urgent task is to conduct a covert investigation within Liyue Harbor to ascertain the current state of counterfeit currency circulation. These matters will likely require the assistance of Ningguang, Liyue's intelligence hub.

But before doing any of this, he had to make sure he understood the whole story—

"Mr. Baishu, you still haven't answered me: how did you distinguish between the real and fake Mora?"

This is the most important question—how did Bai Zhu pick out a bag of fake Mora for herself?

While using an alchemy table can certainly uncover the existence of counterfeit Mora, not every shop in Liyue can afford to have one, and besides, not everyone knows how to use one.

And the alchemy table isn't an automatic money counter!

Just as he had seen, the real and fake Mora were indistinguishable in appearance, and could not be differentiated without being used as a catalyst in alchemy. However, once the fake Mora was used in alchemy, it would turn into a mixture of liquid gold and metallic impurities, and could not be restored to its original Mora form.

In other words, the alchemy table can indeed "determine" the authenticity of Mora, and even "destroy" counterfeit Mora during the alchemy process; however, it cannot "distinguish" between real and fake Mora like a banknote watermark or an automatic banknote detector. Once on the alchemy table, neither real nor fake Mora can be used as currency.

Even if you equipped every shop with an alchemy table, it would be completely useless. A banknote detector that destroys the banknotes after verifying their authenticity is not only useless, it's downright ridiculous!

According to Bai Shu, he discovered the counterfeit coins on the alchemy table, which is true. However, he didn't mention that he used the alchemy table to select and distinguish Mora.

There must be some method by which Bai Zhu can distinguish the authenticity of Mora without damaging the Mora itself!

According to Han Fulai's conjecture, Bai Zhu either discovered the clues from a customer who frequently used counterfeit money, thus confirming that someone only used counterfeit money; or he had some special tool, such as an alchemical reagent, that could accurately distinguish the authenticity of Mora.

In either case, it would be a major breakthrough!

Seeing Han Fulai's eager face, Bai Shu couldn't help but chuckle.

"Uh... actually, this method is very simple for me, but it's a bit difficult for ordinary people."

As Bai Shu spoke, he pointed to the Eye of God on his body.

“By observing Mora with ‘Elemental Vision,’ you can tell the difference between real and fake Mora. Real Mora appears as a bright golden yellow in Elemental Vision, while counterfeit Mora will appear as a duller color. By placing real and fake Mora side by side, the difference is easily discernible using Elemental Vision.”

"I see!" Han Fulai's eyes lit up.

"Elemental Vision" is a special field of vision possessed by those who wield the Eye of God. If the observed object contains elemental power, it will emit a special light within the Elemental Vision. This technique is commonly used by players in games to find fairies or treasure chests.

However, Han Fulai neither had the Eye of God, nor was he interested in treasure chests, nor had he learned how to use Elemental Vision, so he had long forgotten about Elemental Vision.

But the information Bai Shu provided was indeed crucial. Even if he couldn't use Elemental Vision, the number of Eye of God holders he knew was enough to form two teams to descend into the Spiral Abyss.

In any case, we now have a direction for the next step.

Han Fulai thought of someone who could definitely help him.

Chapter 43 Li Yue's Inquisitor Yan Fei

After leaving Bubulu, Han Fulai went straight to the "Yanfei Law Firm" on Feiyunpo.

As Liyue Harbor's premier legal consultant and trusted arbitrator, Yanfei is truly "rooted in the grassroots, serving the people." Just as "ducks are the first to know when the river warms in spring," Yanfei, who spends so much time wandering the streets and alleys of Liyue, has eyes to everything, big or small, happening in the harbor.

If we're only talking about things within Liyue Harbor, especially matters concerning people's livelihoods, even Ningguang might not know as much as Yanfei.

Han Fulai had once seen Yanfei's brick-thick notebook when they were investigating the Cuijueyan case. It was filled with meticulously categorized case files, covering everyone from high-ranking officials in Yujingtai to humble peddlers in Huyan. In terms of connections alone, probably no one in Liyue Harbor could rival Yanfei.

In fact, Yanfei's ability to become Liyue Harbor's top legal consultant, even renowned both domestically and internationally, is largely due to her extensive network of connections. Even in modern society, a lawyer's ability to secure enough cases and make a living depends on their network.

Like Han Fulai's fellow countryman, Gu Hua, a law student who traveled from another region, Gu Hua initially became a wandering swordsman in Teyvat. Besides the lack of a legal system in Teyvat at the time, another important reason was that Gu Hua had no connections there. Nobody knew you, so naturally, nobody would consult you or seek your help in resolving disputes. The legal profession is incredibly reliant on connections. Han Fulai had previously seen news reports of clueless, unconnected lawyers delivering food or even working on construction sites as laborers.

As the "know-it-all" of Liyue Harbor, Yanfei could seamlessly transform into the "information broker" of Liyue Harbor even if she didn't become a legal consultant and switched to selling information.

After Ye Lan told him, "The more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she is to lie," Han Fulai guessed that Yan Fei probably cooperated with Ye Lan in intelligence matters. Asking Yan Fei for information was definitely his best option at the moment.