He changed Tiwat

"You're completely obsessed with money!"

"You're the one who's been digging up artifacts all day; your brain must be full of dust!"

Zhongli coughed lightly, interrupting the two's heated exchange.

"It's getting late, so let's call it a day. Where should our archaeological team go next?"

Clement glanced at Wanyan, his eyes darting around. "By the way, this woman keeps talking about the 'Salt Demon,' and I'm starting to get interested too. Let's go to the 'Salt of the Earth' next! We'll meet at the North Gate of Liyue Harbor tomorrow morning, it's settled!"

After parting ways with the two, Han Fulai and Zhongli returned to Liyue Harbor. As they were about to say goodbye, Han Fulai finally couldn't help but ask the question that had been lingering in his mind: "Mr. Zhongli, is it really necessary for us to go to 'Salt of the Earth' tomorrow?"

"Oh?" Zhongli raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to go?"

“Because it’s unnecessary.” Han Fulai shrugged. “Wanyan is a follower of the Salt God. She wants to use you, a learned guest elder of the Hall of Rebirth, to break the seal on the ‘Salt of the Earth.’ Clement, on the other hand, is here to help the Fatui find the remnants of the Demon God. I mentioned to you in my report before that the Fatui have an army of Demon God remnants. Liyue has no shortage of Demon God ruins and Demon God remnants, and that’s why he came.”

"Furthermore, I also know that it was you who sealed the 'Salt of the Earth.' Since you have already sealed the 'Salt of the Earth,' why would you need to open it for the sake of these two people?"

This is actually Han Fulai's biggest question about the "Zhongli Legend Quest: Salt Flower" storyline.

According to the game's script, Zhongli will eventually break the seal, and Clement and Wanyan will fight over Heuria's demon relic. Zhongli will beat up Clement, then reveal the truth about the death of the "Salt Demon God" Heuria to Wanyan, and sink the demon relic to the bottom of the sea to seal Heuria's relic with seawater.

—But he sealed the “Salt of the Earth” in the first place, so why would he bother to break the seal just to throw Heuria’s relics from underground into the sea? Isn’t that redundant?

Zhongli pondered for a moment before replying, "Do you remember what I told you this afternoon, 'The current situation is fair'?"

"I remember," Han Fulai nodded.

“But the prerequisite for this ‘fairness’ is to break the seal on the ‘Salt of the Earth’.” Zhongli smiled as he looked at Han Fulai. “Young friend Han, I’m opening the ‘Salt of the Earth’ for your sake.”

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Zhongli: Somewhat Knowledgeable

Early the next morning, the four members of the "archaeological team" gathered at the North Gate of Liyue Harbor and took a carriage to their destination, the ruins of the "Salt God"—"Salt in the Ground".

"Salt in the Earth" is located east of Dihua Island and north of Mingyun Town. It is said that long ago, when the "Salt Demon God" was still alive, this place was a bustling market town, but now it has become several small islands submerged by water.

After arriving at Wangshu Inn, the group rented a small boat at the small dock in front of the inn and rowed northeast along the waterway, finally arriving at "Salt in the Earth" before sunset.

In terms of scenery alone, "Salt in the Earth" overlooks Dihuazhou to the west and Longji Snow Mountain to the east. Surrounded by clear waters and filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, it is indeed an excellent tourist destination.

However, none of the four people present were tourists, which was a waste of such a beautiful view.

The group is currently located at the very core of the "Salt of the Earth," above the Salt Temple built by the "Salt Goddess" Heureia before her death.

Before them stood a stone tablet, cracked and decayed by wind and frost, on which the words "Respectfully sealed in the salt, may not be opened without reason" could be barely discerned.

Behind this stone tablet lies a massive void leading underground—the entrance to the Temple of Salt. However, this void is sealed by a mysterious force, and all that can be seen is the eerie blue light emanating from the sealing array.

Clement stood before the stone tablet, looking around before circling the seal. When he discovered there were no other entrances to the "Salt of the Earth," he stubbornly dragged Wanyan to search for treasures nearby. Of course, this was all in vain.

Han Fulai and Zhong Li simply skipped the time spent wandering around and sat in front of the stone tablet, drinking tea and eating pastries, waiting for Clement and the others to return. The blank eye of the gods that Zhong Li had given Han Fulai yesterday had already been filled with all sorts of small items, from changes of clothes to snacks, tea, and seasonings.

Aside from not being able to store living creatures, this spatial storage artifact is not much different from the "Dust Song Pot." In fact, in principle, the "Dust Song Pot" is just a super-decorated version of a large spatial storage artifact. If the "Dust Song Pot" is an exquisite manor, then the Blank Divine Eye that Zhongli gave him is probably equivalent to a "bare-bones house that no one can live in."

Not long after, Clement returned dejectedly with Wanyan. Seeing Zhongli and Han Fulai comfortably drinking tea and chatting, he couldn't help but feel angry, but he couldn't do anything about it because of Han Fulai's status, so he could only complain a few words.

“I heard you say that ‘Salt in the Earth’ was once the home of the people of the ‘Salt Demon God’, and I thought there were valuable cultural relics everywhere here… But this place just looks like a desolate island like Lonely Cloud Pavilion…”

Zhongli patiently explained to the wealthy client, "Legend has it that under the protection of the 'Salt Goddess' Heureia, her people did indeed enjoy a period of prosperity. However, this legend has been around for a long time, and countless scavengers and treasure hunters have visited this place, so there shouldn't be much of value left in the wild."

If translated, it would roughly mean "You're late."

Clement clicked his tongue. "Tsk, what a disappointment... I shouldn't have come if I'd known it was this shabby."

Surprisingly, Wan Yan did not respond with a sarcastic retort, but instead steered the conversation toward the ruins of the Demon God.

"Regarding this, I know there is a ruin deep in this cave that is related to the 'Salt Demon God'. In fact, that is also the original origin of the name 'Salt of the Earth'. However... the entrance to this ruin is sealed by a mysterious force, and no one has been able to unlock it."

She pointed to a small island not far from the entrance to the ruins, "I once found a mechanism that might be related to unsealing, but even after unlocking it, the seal remained unmoved. So currently, the origin of the seal and the method of unsealing it are very important topics in the research of the 'Salt Demon God'."

Wan Yan's words did indeed sound like those of an "archaeologist." However, Han Fu, who knew the inside story, believed that this was merely Wan Yan trying to use Clement and Zhongli's words.

"As far as I know, there are quite a few sealed demon god ruins on the land of Liyue, most of which are related to the Geo Archon. The 'Salt of the Earth' was probably sealed by the Archon back then," Han Fulai said.

Wan Yan was silent for a moment before replying, "I don't have concrete evidence, but the purpose of the seal is most likely to conceal some truth. The 'Salt Demon God' is kind and benevolent, loved by everyone, and possesses great power; he wouldn't leave behind anything shameful. So... the one who wants to hide the truth is very likely the murderer, Morax!"

Han Fulai sighed softly. This Wan Yan, she's not even pretending anymore... Calling the Geo Archon by his divine name "Morax" is disrespectful to the Geo Archon. Apart from Black Morax, the first Archon of Liyue, who is by his side, what normal Liyue person would speak like that? Wan Yan's hostility towards the Geo Archon is written all over her face.

He looked at Zhongli and really wanted to say something like, "Zhongli, there's a traitor in your Liyue's Silver Plains Hall! Aren't you going to do anything about it?"

Zhongli seemed to have heard his thoughts and replied in a voice only he could hear, "I heard that civil servants are now under the jurisdiction of Yuehaiting. Does that mean you also bear some responsibility?"

Han Fulai was taken aback. Wanyan came from the Silver Plains Hall of the Eight Gates, which is the civil service of Liyue... Who is in charge of managing Liyue's civil servants? Oh, it's me. Then it's alright.

Deputy Minister Han, the second-in-command of the Liyue civil servants, looked away, pretending not to have heard anything.

At this moment, Clement's voice rang out: "It doesn't matter how the 'Salt Demon' died, it was thousands of years ago. But there should be all sorts of treasures belonging to the 'Salt Demon' in this ruin, right?"

"You! Are you even listening to me? Sigh..." Wan Yan was too lazy to argue with this winter-like person who looked like he had Mora in his head. "Even if there are relics of the 'Salt Demon God' inside, who can get in if the seal can't be broken?"

Clement, on the other hand, seemed completely unconcerned. "Oh, we have Mr. Zhongli with us! He seems to know everything. A simple seal is no problem for him."

“This seal has existed for a very long time, and everything about it is a mystery. Even Mr. Zhongli…” Wanyan’s tone was uncertain, but the expectation in her eyes had already betrayed her true thoughts.

Although Clement and Wanyan were bickering, they were actually shifting the responsibility of breaking the seal onto Zhongli in their back-and-forth banter.

"I have a basic understanding of the ins and outs." Zhongli gave this answer as expected.

Chapter 78 Strength is a matter of one version, but being handsome is a matter of a lifetime!

"There are many fragmented pieces of information about the seal circulating among the people. They seem chaotic, but they actually contain a method to break the seal." Zhongli explained his method of breaking the seal in a serious manner. If Han Fu hadn't seen the plot, he would have almost believed it.

The leader of the "archaeological team" pointed very boldly to the small island that Wanyan had just pointed to: "Ms. Wanyan just mentioned that there is a mechanism that may be related to the unsealing. Let's go and take a look first."

Following Wanyan's directions, the group found a puzzle involving a combination of shapes. Since Wanyan already knew how to solve it, they pieced together the shapes of the puzzle to form the form of a talisman, thus solving the puzzle.

Zhongli then led the group to find four elemental tablets nearby.

Wan Yan said that she had asked the holder of the Eye of God with elemental power to light up these square tablets, but it was useless. The square tablets quickly went out on their own and nothing happened.

At this moment, Zhongli once again demonstrated his "slight knowledge"—"According to popular belief, the secret here is hidden in a sentence about the war between demons and gods."

He actually knew it! Clement and Wanyan were also deeply impressed by Zhongli's extensive knowledge.

Legend has it that this Mr. Zhongli was an expert in clothing and daily necessities, pearls and porcelain, wine and food, tea and spices, flowers and birds, and could also talk eloquently about trade, politics and the international relations between the seven countries. It seemed that there was nothing in the world that he did not know.

Clement and Wanyan only asked Zhongli for help with a sliver of hope, but they never expected that Zhongli would actually have a way to break the seal. The phrase "learned and knowledgeable" would probably be an understatement when applied to him.

Zhongli walked with measured steps, following the directions, and circled the four elemental tablets.

"The saying goes: 'Southward to Tianheng, eastward to Yaoguang, westward to Jueyun, northward to Qingce, all lands are desolate, and lives are lost. The vast expanse of Liyue cannot find a single place of peace.'"

“South out… East what? Why is the Liyue people’s language so hard to understand?” Clement listened to a long string of ancient text and felt his ears ringing.

Wan Yan reacted: "I... I seem to remember this sentence. It's a record related to the 'Salt Demon God'!"

“That’s right.” Zhongli nodded. “Heuria, this kind and benevolent goddess, risked her life to travel all over Liyue in order to provide a safe haven for humanity suffering from war. In those days, the gods were at war and the flames of war were everywhere. Even a moment of peace was a luxury. And what she finally found was the land that we now call the ‘Salt of the Earth’.”

"Unfortunately... this peace was ultimately shattered by Morax," Wanyan said bitterly.

Clement urged Zhongli impatiently, "Stop talking about these ancient things! Now that we have a clue, let's break the seal! Anything is fine as long as we can break the seal!"

Zhongli shook his head. "Since the seal here is very likely set by the Emperor, then only the Emperor's power can break it. I am not the Rock King Emperor, how could I break it?"

“But Morax is already dead…?” Wanyan was clearly disappointed.

"So you can't solve it either! I thought you were saying all that complicated stuff because you had a solution." Clement felt like he'd been tricked.

Zhongli chuckled softly and glanced at Han Fulai.

Han Fulai twitched the corner of his mouth; he already knew what Zhongli was going to say.

"Although the Emperor is no longer here, do you two know that he left behind a successor before his death?"

Clement and Wanyan followed Zhongli's gaze and saw that this "successor of the Emperor" was none other than Han Fulai.

“Mr. Clement, you see, my invitation for Mr. Han to accompany us was not a waste of your travel expenses. If this successor of the Emperor is willing to help, breaking the seal will be a piece of cake.”

"Then, then I'll leave it to Deputy Minister Han!" Clement clasped his hands together above his head, a fawning smile on his face.

Han Fulai recalled what Zhongli had said to him last night—"I opened the 'Salt in the Earth' for you."

And now, in front of the Fatui and the Silver Plains, he has officially recognized himself as the "successor of the Geo Archon." Even if these two don't know that Zhongli is the Geo Archon himself, this news will likely spread quickly in Liyue and Winterfall.

Before the Battle of Ba Che, Zhong Li transmitted a wisp of immortal power to Han Fulai. If the Battle of Ba Che was a test for him, then Zhong Li's personal confirmation now is his recognition of him, right?

In theory, this should be a cause for celebration. But Han Fulai now felt a sudden heaviness on his shoulders—he sensed that this trip to the "Salt in the Earth" might have a far greater significance than he knew about the plot.

Despite the pressure, the dignity of being the "successor of the emperor" cannot be lost.

Han Fulai nodded with a reserved and arrogant demeanor and walked towards Zhongli.

According to Zhongli, these seals must be broken by the Emperor himself, which clearly means that the Emperor's immortal power must be used.

He did indeed possess the immortal power bestowed upon him by Zhongli, but... the damage to his meridians was secondary. Through this period of recuperation, he had recovered somewhat, and using a little immortal power was not a problem.

The problem is that Zhongli clearly expects him to demonstrate the power of "the successor of the Emperor"—his method of using the Emperor's immortal power is to cosplay the Rock King Emperor.

To cosplay the Emperor in front of him is such an embarrassing act!

As Han Fulai passed by Zhongli, he gave Zhongli a pleading look. He thought that Zhongli would probably secretly transfer some immortal power to him.

Zhongli... Zhongli stood there with his arms crossed, looking like he was watching a good show, pretending not to have received Han Fulai's distress signal.

...You want to see me cosplay you, right?

I'm not going to read your lines to your face!

Cosplaying the Emperor isn't just about reciting lines!

Han Fulai's blank divine eye at his waist glowed slightly, and he already held the black-tasseled spear in his hand.

He cleared his throat and began to sing "Liyue Opera".

"I was originally a carefree person from Liyue Harbor, but with the ability to manipulate Yin and Yang, I became knowledgeable about the past and present. The God of War emerged to protect the common people and fight for the world, thus making Teyvat seven-tenths prosperous."

Immortal power began to flow through his limbs and bones. Relying on the physical memories he had gained from the previous battle, Han Fulai performed a seemingly impressive spear flourish.

"Purifying the four directions, sealing away demons, ruling the mortal world; fighting east and west, north and south, suppressing evil, protecting the realm. Lord Yan entrusted me with the duty to serve him wholeheartedly; Han Fulai will certainly live up to the Emperor's legacy!"

As the long, melodious chanting began, a pale golden celestial power enveloped the black-tasseled spear.

Following Zhongli's movements from yesterday, Han Fulai stepped on the ground with his toes, gripped the spear with one hand, and thrust the spear forward with a slight turn of his body, aiming straight at the elemental monument in front of him.

He was reciting a poem to set the scene.

"Looking up, one understands the heavens; looking down, one examines the earth; and in the middle, one comprehends humanity."

Wherever the spear tip points, the square monument symbolizing Tianheng Mountain in the south is lit up.

"Understand Yin and Yang, comprehend the Eight Trigrams; know Qimen Dunjia, and be familiar with Dunjia."

With a flick of his wrist, Han Fulai sent his spear flying diagonally, piercing the ground three inches deep. Amidst the rising dust, the symbolic square monument representing the elements of the Eastern Yaoguang Beach radiated light.

"Planning strategies within the command tent, winning battles a thousand miles away!"

With a flash, his robes fluttered as he spun and kicked, sending the black-tasseled spear stuck in the ground flying towards the elemental monument in the western sky.

The black-tasseled spear, still brimming with power, spun back to Han Fulai like a boomerang. Without even looking, Han Fulai leaped into the air, executing a backflip, striking the spinning spear squarely!

"Sitting upright with knees drawn up, roaring proudly in the moonlit sky, he will first bring peace to the world before even leaving the capital!"

As the last elemental tablet, symbolizing the northern Qingce Mountain, lit up, the earth suddenly trembled, and a huge pillar of light rose from the entrance to the "Salt Demon God" ruins in the distance.

Han Fulai raised his right hand and caught the rebounding spear. Taking advantage of the momentum, he spun around and wielded the black-tasseled spear. The spear coiled like a dragon, circled around his body, and then suddenly stopped.

He turned his back and finished his stance, his spear planted firmly on the ground, his brows furrowed with self-confidence, displaying the demeanor of a grandmaster!

After witnessing Zhongli's spear-kicking yesterday, Han Fu went back and begged Shen He to teach him the tricks of spear-twisting. He then diligently practiced spear-kicking in Yan Fei's courtyard until late into the night. Although it was essentially just acrobatic tricks with no real power—but it was cool! Strength is one thing, but coolness lasts a lifetime!

"Look! The seal has really been broken!" Wanyan exclaimed. "Mr. Han truly lives up to his reputation as the successor of the Emperor!"

Han Fulai put the gun away and smiled calmly, just like Zhong Li.

"I only know a little bit about it."

Chapter 79 Han Fulai's Character Collapses [4k]

The two excerpts Han Fulai just recited were actually from plays he heard on the radio when he was a child. The former was "The Empty City Stratagem," and the latter was a standard introduction to Zhuge Liang's entrance in a crosstalk performance. He simply changed the lyrics to the Liyue version.

But I must say the results were very good.

If he wants to use the immortal power given to him by Zhongli to fight, he must "become the Rock King Emperor in terms of mentality".

While he couldn't emulate the "boundless killing intent" of the Liyue War God, the erudite and worldly-wise Zhongli in his daily life was precisely the true nature of Han Fulai, the former top scholar of the Chinese Literature Department. After all, no one says scholars can't fight!

The two passages not only praised the Emperor's achievements in pacifying the world and protecting the people, but also expressed his aspirations to Zhongli. Coupled with the spear skills that Zhongli had shown him yesterday, this cosplay was both lifelike and convincing, perfectly fitting his identity as the "successor of the Emperor".

Although his fancy spear-wielding was more showy than practical, he still managed to use his divine power to break the seal. Not only did he leave Clement and Wanyan completely stunned, but even Zhongli nodded and smiled, quite impressed.