He changed Tiwat

Han Fulai was also very pleased with himself, and he deeply understood why the members of the Guhua School liked to pose so much—because performing special skills was really too cool!

He secretly resolved that he would have to get Shen He to teach him more moves in the future. Even if Shen He was going for a melee mage build, he still wanted to be a cool melee mage.

The group arrived at the entrance to the ruins of the "Salt Demon God," where the seal that had blocked the entrance had vanished without a trace.

"It's time for this long-buried secret to be revealed." Zhongli glanced at Han Fulai.

Han Fulai knew that Zhongli was talking to him.

He nodded seriously. He was mentally prepared for whatever secrets Zhongli was going to reveal to him.

Zhongli turned to Wanyan and Clement and said, "Before we enter the ruins, I have a suggestion that can help us avoid the pointless arguments we had at Guyun Pavilion."

“Yes, Mr. Zhongli, please speak.” Wanyan clearly had a good impression of Zhongli, and her attitude was quite friendly. After all, Zhongli had just praised Heulia’s kindness, and as a believer of the Salt God, she already considered Zhongli as a potential follower.

“Please sign the contract. The contract states: ‘Take items in order, one item at a time.’ To show your sincerity, you may choose; you don’t need to include me in the list,” Zhongli said.

Han Fulai immediately responded: "I also relinquish my right to select the relics of the demon god."

For someone as familiar with the plot as he was, choosing or not making any difference made no difference—the final interpretation rested with Zhongli anyway. What Zhongli gave him was his; what Zhongli didn't give him, he couldn't take away.

At this point, Clement was displeased and shouted, "I disagree! Does this mean I have to split the spoils with this half-baked archaeologist? Impossible! Absolutely not!"

"I disagree too! Humph!" Wan Yan was furious at Clement's disdain for her, and turned her head away with a snort. "He only knows how to ruin the artifacts left by the 'Salt Demon God,' I can't accept it!"

“Then… if the ‘contract’ cannot be established, I can no longer serve as an advisor. What treasures and traps are hidden in these ruins will depend entirely on the experience of the two of you.” Zhongli shook his head regretfully, indicating that he wanted to withdraw from the archaeological team.

For Clement and Wanyan, these two "archaeologists," this was undoubtedly a blatant threat.

"This, this... sigh, I really can't trust this guy..." Clement glanced at Wanyan, who was sulking with him, and sighed deeply.

Han Fulai looked at Clement with a calm expression. He knew that if things continued as they were in the game, Clement would immediately agree to Zhongli's contract.

After all, without Zhongli, Clement and Wanyan, these two fake archaeologists, were simply incapable of exploring the ruins.

But Clement's next words surprised him.

"Fine... since that's how it is... I give up. I won't explore this ruin anymore." Clement shrugged helplessly.

"You...you actually gave up?" Wanyan looked incredulous.

"What? Are you saying you're agreeing to give me all the demon artifacts in the ruins?" Clement's tone was full of sarcasm.

"This...it still won't work." Wanyan gritted her teeth and still chose to refuse.

Even if she couldn't explore the ruins of the "Salt God," she couldn't possibly hand over the god's relics to Clement. In fact, if she could, she'd want to possess all of the Salt God's relics, after all, they were the relics of the deity she worshipped!

If this doesn't work, we can always hire some adventurers with the Eye of God to form an expedition team next time. Wanyan has been searching for the ruins of the Salt God for a long time, and she doesn't care about a moment longer.

Clement gestured towards Zhongli, "Look, Mr. Zhongli, you've seen it too. This guy isn't willing to accept the contract either. And as the financier of this archaeological team, I can't accept splitting the profits with this half-baked guy. I'm really at a disadvantage! How about we change the terms? Otherwise, I'm not doing it anymore."

What's going on? This isn't what the plot says!

Han Fulai's mind raced as he caught a glimpse of Clement glancing at his face. Their eyes met, and Clement coughed and looked away.

So that's how it is! It was my presence that changed Clement's mind!

Han Fulai understood the whole story—Clement was not an NPC who only spoke fixed lines; he was a living, breathing person with a brain.

In the original story, the Traveler and Clement had no conflict of interest, and Clement would not be wary of the Traveler. However, Han Fulai was a notorious enemy of the Fools.

On the "Pearl-Inlaid Boat", Zhongli, in order to bring Han Fulai along, gave the excuse that "if we offend Han Fulai, Han Fulai will hinder Clement's archaeological work."

Using power to intimidate others is not inherently wrong, but it inadvertently led Clement to perceive Han Fulai as a greedy person who forcibly solicits bribes.

Now, facing the Salt God Temple filled with precious relics of the Demon God, Han Fulai just said, "I give up the right to choose the relics of the Demon God"... How can a greedy person not be tempted by a room full of treasures?

Han Fulai made this statement because he knew the plot and anticipated the future development, but in Clement's eyes, it was a contradiction in his personality—which is equivalent to the so-called "character collapse".

In Clement's view, Han Fulai's joining this "archaeological team" was clearly motivated by his desire for the demon god's relics. But after opening the ruins, he suddenly claimed he wasn't after the treasures—that was obviously a trap!

Coupled with the power Han Fulai displayed when he opened the four elemental tablets, Clement became even more wary of him, the "successor of the Emperor."

According to the general logic of the Fools, this ruin either contains a trap, or... Han Fulai is preparing to double-cross him.

Traps and monsters are always lurking beneath ruins. If Han Fulai's outward claim of not wanting the treasure was a ploy to lure him into the ruins, he was actually in cahoots with Zhongli. They were waiting for him to reach the bottom of the ruins to silence him, then they would claim the treasure for themselves and frame his death as the traps and monsters within…

Given Han Fulai's reputation among the Fools, Clement had reason to believe he would do such a thing, after all, even someone as powerful as D'Artagnan was almost tricked into "offering his head" by him!

Clement's choice, naturally, was to avoid it if possible. So he quickly found a reason to abandon this exploration.

Since the entrance to the ruins has already been opened, organizing another exploration team would be a piece of cake for the Fatui. Just like Wanyan, Clement wasn't in a hurry. His task was simply to collect items related to the remnants of the demon god; the items were right there, and as long as Zhongli and Han Fulai didn't take them, no one could compete with the Fatui.

It must be said that Clement's choice was absolutely correct—whether following the original plot or Han Fulai's plan, Clement was bound to be beaten half to death. After all, from Han Fulai's perspective, the Demon God's relic couldn't possibly be handed over to the Fatui...

These thoughts, though lengthy to explain, were only a matter of a few blinks for Han Fulai.

Having figured all this out, he naturally came up with a solution.

—To maintain the persona Zhongli had given him, he used coercion and enticement to manipulate Clement.

Han Fulai sneered and said, "Mr. Clement thinks Mr. Zhongli's offer will put you at a disadvantage? Heh heh, then I must ask Mr. Clement to come with me to the General Affairs Department. I think your identity as a 'professional archaeological researcher' is fake, isn't it? In my opinion, a real archaeological researcher would agree to Mr. Zhongli's offer without hesitation."

"Huh? What nonsense are you talking about!" Clement was secretly alarmed, but still retorted verbally.

"Hmph." Han Fulai deliberately snorted, looking down on people. "Taking turns to select the relics of the demon god seems like an equal distribution of treasures, but it tests your professional knowledge and eyesight in archaeology. If you are a 'professional archaeological researcher,' you should be able to distinguish the value of the items."

"This is just like the 'stone gambling' in Liyue Harbor. It tests the eyesight of experts, and the real skill lies in how you choose. Imagine, you two have an equal chance to choose. Knowing that there is a gem hidden in the rough stone, you still choose a stone that doesn't have a gem inside. It only proves that your eyesight is too poor!"

Han Fulai's words piqued Clement's interest. He stroked his chin and muttered to himself, "So this means that the contract doesn't involve splitting the treasures equally, but rather splitting the chances of choosing... If I can always choose the more valuable treasures, then I'm the one who benefits more?"

“That’s right. Since neither of you is willing to concede to the other, and you are both archaeologists, it would be fair to decide the winner based on your eyesight. Or do you want to admit that your eyesight is inferior to the other’s and that you lack the confidence to obtain a better treasure?” Han Fulai pressed on while the iron was hot, sparing no effort to urge Clement.

Clement's eyes darted around, still showing some hesitation: "I... I certainly won't lose to that half-baked guy, but... Deputy Minister Han really doesn't want the treasures inside the ruins?"

It's clear that he hasn't let his guard down around Han Fulai.

Han Fulai smiled and turned to Zhongli, saying, "Mr. Zhongli, does the contract you just mentioned prohibit these two from transferring the treasure to others after selecting it?"

"Of course not." Zhongli shook his head calmly.

Han Fulai licked his lips lightly, approached Clement, and said in a voice only he could hear, "Since Mr. Clement has promised to reimburse my travel expenses... how about we use the Demon God's relics to pay for it? If you really have the eye of a professional archaeologist, you can probably find a few good treasures, so you don't need to care about one or two pieces."

This guy... he actually had this in mind!

Clement suddenly realized—on the surface, there were three professionals in this archaeological team: himself, Wanyan, and Zhongli, while Han Fulai was an outsider who had joined halfway through. If they took turns choosing treasures according to Zhongli's contract, this greedy Deputy Minister Han wouldn't be able to pick anything good. It would be better to let him and Wanyan, these two "archaeologists," choose, and then see which item was better before forcibly demanding a bribe.

That's quite a clever plan!

Moreover, Han Fulai had just threatened him, saying that if he made this trip for nothing, he would be arrested and taken to the General Affairs Department for investigation. Even if his fake identity was perfect, he was unwilling to spend time in the General Affairs Department.

But as long as he can retrieve a few relics of the demon god, even if Han Fulai only takes one, Clement's mission will be accomplished—it's a worthwhile deal.

Even if Wan Yan does choose something more valuable... he's a member of the Fools, he can just wait until Wan Yan is alone and then steal it from her!

Clement chuckled and said, "Oh dear, Deputy Minister Han is indeed... how do you say it in Liyue... noble character, yes, noble character. I didn't think it through. Anyway, I won't lose to that half-baked guy, so what's there to be afraid of? Hahaha."

"Pah! How could I possibly lose to you?" Wanyan turned her head away disdainfully, looked at Zhongli, and said seriously, "If you want me to agree to the contract... fine. I only have one request, Mr. Zhongli. If you discover the truth about the 'Salt Demon God,' please make a fair judgment, even if the truth is unfavorable to Morax—afterwards, I also need you to help me reveal the truth to the archaeological community in Liyue!"

Zhongli nodded without hesitation. "The terms of the exchange are as stated, I can accept them. So, is the contract established?"

“Yes, I agree,” Wanyan replied.

"Alright, alright, let's hurry up and go into the ruins!" Clement was already looking forward to choosing the treasures.

The group descended the spiral staircase at the entrance of the ruins and soon arrived at the bottom of the "Salt in the Earth".

These ruins were originally the temple of the "Salt Demon God," and naturally contained ever-burning lamps dedicated to Heuria. However, due to the passage of time, only a few lamps still flicker faintly, making the interior of the ruins extremely dark.

Due to lack of ventilation, the passageways of the ruins were filled with a putrid stench. Coupled with the echoing footsteps all around, the eerie and terrifying atmosphere was so intense that it could easily be mistaken for a scene from a horror movie, making one feel as if some monster might suddenly leap out.

Chapter Eighty: Perpetual Motion Machine of the First Kind [4k]

Zhongli led the way, and the group walked unsteadily through the tunnel. Most of the facilities in the temple were rotten and decayed, and the ground was full of potholes and scattered with fragments of stone that had collapsed from the temple, making it quite difficult to walk.

Of the four, three were either gods, possessed divine power, or had received military training, so their journey wasn't too difficult. However, the only ordinary person, Miss Wanyan, suffered greatly. Trailing at the very back of the group, she stumbled every now and then, and finally lost her balance after a cry of alarm. In her panic, she reached out to grab something nearby, but fell to the ground along with it.

The object she just knocked down was a humanoid object that was already incomplete.

"Is this... a statue?"

Wan Yan sat up, adjusted her glasses, and carefully examined the fallen object.

The thing was grayish-white all over. Because of the dim light, Wan Yan couldn't see its face clearly. She could only infer from its hands raised above its head that it seemed to be praying to something—or perhaps it was begging for mercy.

The reason it's a deduction is because the object was missing half of its hand. After all, this relic has existed for thousands of years, so it's normal for the statue to have damage.

Wan Yan curiously reached out and touched the statue again, feeling as if her hand was covered with fine sand.

Upon hearing Wanyan's voice, Zhongli paused slightly, then answered without turning his head, "No. They are human."

"Gah!" Clement was so startled that his voice changed tone.

The atmosphere of this underground ruin was already eerie, and Zhongli's words, coupled with the shadowy "statue" figures on both sides of the road, pushed the terrifying atmosphere to its peak. Clement looked at those "statues" and felt his legs tremble; he almost turned and ran away.

Let alone Clement, even Han Fulai, a time traveler who knew the plot in advance, would feel nauseous when he actually saw these "statues".

He felt as if he were walking in the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, surrounded by "Terracotta Warriors"... Just statues, perhaps, don't matter—but what if you imagined that those "Terracotta Warriors" were once filled with living people?

Han Fulai was able to remain calm mainly because Zhongli was by his side.

Zhongli is the invincible Liyue War God! What is a sense of security? Zhongli is a sense of security!

Zhongli remained unmoved: "These people are probably followers of the 'Salt Demon God' from back then."

"How...how did it get like this...?" Clement asked tremblingly.

Zhongli did not answer, but continued walking forward on his own.

Clement gritted his teeth and quickly caught up with Zhongli.

Han Fulai noticed that Wan Yan hadn't made a sound for a long time. When he turned around, he found that Wan Yan was sitting on the ground, looking dazed.

She remained silent because she was too frightened to speak.

Everyone else only saw the statues, but Wanyan actually fell right into one. She had essentially landed on a corpse... and on the corpse of another follower of the "Salt Demon God."

Han Fu called her a few times, and seeing that she was already in a state of out-of-body experience, he couldn't bear it and pulled her up.

It wasn't until Han Fulai helped her to her feet that Wan Yan finally came to her senses.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Han. I'm a little..."

Wan Yan was a little embarrassed. She was so frightened that her legs went weak and she couldn't even take a step. She could only rely on Han Fulai's support.

Han Fulai didn't mind, and gently comforted her for a few moments before helping her catch up with Zhongli and Clement.

Wan Yan quietly wiped the hand that had just touched the "statue" on her pants.

As a civil servant in charge of the Liyue Salt Industry, Wanyan knew very well what those granular crystals on her hands were—unrefined crude salt.

Why are followers of the salt god turned into "statues" by salt?

"What exactly is hidden deep within the ruins?" Wanyan murmured to herself.

The deeper you go into the ruins, the more things related to "salt" you'll find along the way.

Besides the statues of the salt god's followers, small mounds of salt began to appear on the ground, and sometimes you could see things like stalactites and stalagmites—these were all "salt pillars" formed from salt. The further you went in, the more frequently these kinds of sights appeared.

After passing through the dark passageway, a long staircase came into view. A sliver of light could be seen at the top of the staircase.

Zhongli walked silently ahead, step by step ascending the steps.

A solemn and dignified atmosphere surrounded him, making him seem more like someone visiting the tomb of an old friend than someone exploring ruins.

Not only did Han Fulai and Wan Yan remain silent, but even the most talkative Clement kept his mouth shut, following Zhong Li up the stairs. They all had a premonition that once they reached the top of these steps, they would see the temple of the Demon God.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, a breathtaking view unfolded before their eyes.

Most of the eternal flames here are well-preserved, indicating that this is the main hall of the Temple of Salt. The intricate and exquisite patterns on the walls, the grand and magnificent portico, and the display cases containing artworks all tell visitors about the former prosperity of the people of Salt and the good life they once had.

The eerie atmosphere in the passageway had vanished, replaced by a sense of desolation and decay, a stark contrast between its former prosperity and its present decline.

What's particularly chilling are the "statues" of the salt god's people inside the main hall. In the dimly lit passageways, it's difficult to see the features of these statues, but here they are clearly visible—rather than saying these "statues" are lifelike, it's more accurate to say they freeze the last moments of these salt god's people's lives.

The surprise, fear, anger, and bewilderment on their faces... were conveyed perfectly, like a photograph, to the four visitors who came thousands of years later.

The site contains a wealth of artifacts. In addition to the collapsed walls and stone pillars, salt piles on the ground and salt stumps in the corners, there are also some everyday items partially buried by salt, such as stone tables and chairs, and metal containers for holding things.

Fragments of scriptures and ancient books can even be seen in the salt piles, which are probably scriptures written by believers of the salt god to praise the "demon god of salt".

In terms of archaeological value alone, these items are clearly treasures that would delight even a professional archaeologist.

Zhongli then spoke up, "From here onwards, we will be in the temple of the 'Salt Demon God.' According to our contract, please take turns selecting items."

The two imposter archaeologists quickly made a decision.

Without hesitation, Clement picked up a beautifully crafted bronze cup. This was a wine cup used by the worshippers of the salt god thousands of years ago to taste fine wine. Although it had become mottled and rusted from the erosion of time, it was still a rare antique. If he sold it to a place like "Shiguju," he could probably get millions of Mora.