He changed Tiwat

The "statue" was dressed in noble attire, with a heroic and imposing face, exuding authority without anger, yet his expression was filled with sorrow. His final moment was frozen in a pose of thrusting his hands, but there were no weapons in his hands.

"Mr. Zhongli... who is this person...?" Wanyan's fingers trembled, revealing her inner turmoil. But despite her hesitation, she still asked.

“You remember what I told you before. Those two broken swords were not the Salt Goddess’s weapons, but the murder weapon that killed her. This one was the king chosen by the Salt Goddess’s people from among the mortals… and also the murderer who killed her.”

"Later, the people of the Salt God risked their lives to return here, breaking the sword and offering it as a sacrifice, hoping to appease the anger she left behind. But in reality, they were going to waste their efforts. How could this demon, who never resisted until the very end, possibly harbor resentment towards her own people?"

Zhongli finally sighed, as if lamenting that the dead demon god was not understood by his people.

"Even so, I don't accept it..."

Wan Yan shook her head violently and shouted at Zhong Li, "A hoax! This is a false history, everything... is fabricated! It's history written by you victors! Don't try to shake... my faith!"

Then Wanyan ran out without looking back, as if she couldn't bear to stay there for even a second longer.

Watching Wan Yan's figure disappear, Han Fulai finally spoke: "Mr. Zhongli is truly... ruthless."

Wan Yan's behavior reminded Han Fulai of the fangirls he had seen back in China screaming "the idol is collapsing!" Of course, for fanatical believers, the collapse of their faith is a hundred times more terrifying than any celebrity's downfall.

“This is the price she has to pay, but… it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Judging from her appearance, she’ll probably continue to waver for a while… However, even if she can’t be free immediately, just facing reality will be good for her,” Zhongli replied.

Han Fulai nodded, offering no further comment on Wanyan's matter. Since Zhongli, the "God of Contracts," had personally punished Wanyan and indicated that it was enough, there was no need for him to say anything more.

For him, there are more important things to do right now.

His expression turned serious, and he asked, "What Mr. Zhongli just said is not the whole truth, is it?"

“Yes. The story of Heuria is not over.” Zhongli smiled and said, “Young friend Han, do you still remember the story of a hero you told me in ‘Three Bowls Before Crossing the Harbor’? You said that the hero’s surname was Liu, given name Guo, courtesy name Gaizhi, and that he once strongly advised Heuria to fight against other demon gods and even organized a righteous army to protect his homeland… Well then, let’s meet the hero you mentioned.”

As Zhongli spoke, he pointed to the "statue" that remained in a thrusting posture.

"You mean... wait... that's impossible..." Han Fulai's eyes widened.

Back when he was telling stories at "Three Bowls Before Crossing the Harbor," he combined the historical figure Liu Guo, who resisted the Jin dynasty, with Yang Guo from martial arts novels to create a tale. There's no reason for such a fictional character to exist on the continent of Teyvat!

Zhongli smiled and said, "I mean, he is indeed a hero, but of course, his name is different from the one you mentioned."

Han Fulai breathed a slight sigh of relief. Fortunately, the story he made up on the spot did not come true, otherwise his worldview would have been completely shattered.

“I once told you to learn more about the history of Liyue. How much do you know about the history of this ‘Salt of the Earth,’ and this mortal king?” Zhongli asked.

Han Fulai tilted his head slightly, recalling the records he had read about the "Salt of the Earth": "He was the first mortal king here, and also the last. Although, like his people, he deeply loved the 'Salt Demon God,' with the heart of a mortal, he could never fathom the love of a god who would abandon himself. In order to seek the power to protect and fight, and to prove that gentleness was out of place, he killed the lonely demon god with the longsword in his hand."

"And so, the Temple of Salt collapsed with the fall of the 'Salt God,' and the mortal city met a bitter end, like a block of salt. As for what happened to the traitor afterward, there are many different stories, and no one knows... In short, those who were once favored by the 'Salt God' scattered across the land of Liyue, carrying their legends with them as they migrated to the safe haven under the rule of the Geo Archon, and that's how this story has been passed down to this day."

There are many speculations about the fate of this "traitor" in the records. Some say that he continued to rule "Salt of the Earth" alone for thousands of years, while others say that he committed suicide because of this sin of killing the god... But the truth is that this "king of mortals" died along with the demon he loved and turned into a statue of salt.

The records are remarkably silent about this "mortal king," even failing to record his name. His people also seem to have consistently gone to great lengths to avoid mentioning this king who committed the sin of slaying a god.

Zhongli nodded and said, "That's exactly what the existing written records of Liyue say. This is the limit of what we can learn from written records alone."

"So... there are records that are not in writing?" Han Fulai looked at Zhongli.

“Yes.” Zhongli smiled. “Many, many years ago, I received a request from the people of the Salt God to help them remove Heuria’s ‘curse.’ I personally sealed this temple ruin. At that time, this hero still had a name. I have a very good memory and I remembered his name.”

“His surname is indeed Liu, but his given name is not Liu Guo. His name is Liu Miao.”

"He was indeed a mortal king, without any power beyond that of a mortal—but he possessed wisdom and courage beyond that of a mortal, and a determination to protect his people that was no less than that of a demon god."

"Young friend Han, do you know how this hero among mortals protected his people?"

Han Fulai nodded slightly, "He raised his sword against Heuria and killed the demon god, thus ensuring the continuation of his people in Liyue."

"Because in the war between the demon gods, there can only be one victor in the same region. Since Heureia did not fight, she had no chance of becoming the victor, and her people had only one fate: to be annihilated after Heureia's final defeat. To avoid this fate, the hero's solution was to have his people change their faith. But if the Salt Goddess were alive, most of her people would not want to leave and would only accompany her to destruction."

"So he decided to assassinate Heureia when she was off guard. Then he had his people find the 'God of Contracts,' who values ​​contracts the most, and make a contract with you—he used the power left by the Salt God and the faith of his people in exchange for your protection."

"Oh? It seems you've already discovered it?" Zhongli seemed somewhat surprised.

"Yes, because you weren't planning to hide it from me." Han Fulai said matter-of-factly, as if he were stating something obvious.

"You seem completely unconcerned about letting the Fools and Wanyan take those two relics of the Demon God. But judging from your attitude towards these two, you don't intend to let those with wicked intentions take these two relics. If the two of them can really suppress their greed, follow the contract, and take the items in order, you can't possibly break the contract you personally made. That leaves only one possibility—it wouldn't matter if they took the salt cup and salt ruler."

"I remember that Clement threw down the salt cup before the battle. But the salt cup didn't keep pouring out salt to fill the room. And Miss Wanyan always carried the salt ruler, but never thought to test it herself. Of course, this is because she had already seen the salt ruler's effectiveness with her own eyes, so she naturally assumed that it would be the same for her..."

Han Fulai raised his hand and made a grasping gesture.

“Those two relics of the demon god can only function in the hands of a demon god with power. If you don’t touch them, they are just ordinary cups and jade rulers. Even if someone takes them away, they are just two antiques, right, Mr. Zhongli?”

Chapter 86 "The Prince Offers His Head" Three Thousand Years Ago

“You’re right. If I hadn’t activated those two relics of the Salt God, they would have been no different from ordinary antiques.” Zhongli nodded slightly. “The so-called ‘power’ is both power and function, in other words, ‘divine office’. Humans without office or power cannot bear the burden of divine office, and even if they are taken away by humans, the Salt God’s power will not react.”

"Furthermore, I think you discovered this during your battle with Clement: salt is also a type of rock. When you use the power I have given you, you can also perform some of my divine duties, but the stronger the power you use, the heavier the burden on your body will be."

“People say, ‘If you have a sharp blade, you will naturally have the will to kill.’ I have heard that the wandering samurai of Inazuma use people as ‘testing grounds’ for their swords. But you are very cautious in your attitude toward power and you are also careful when using it. That’s good. Please keep it up and don’t abuse your power.”

A faint smile appeared on Zhongli's face, as if he were quite pleased.

Han Fulai nodded solemnly. He knew that this was actually a test from Zhongli for him, the "successor of the Emperor".

The power he possessed was given to him by Zhongli, so Zhongli could take it back. If he became lawless after gaining power, Zhongli would naturally teach him the "Punishment of Eating Rocks".

Zhongli glanced at him, then changed the subject: "But at the same time... we cannot be afraid to use our power."

Han Fulai knew what Zhongli was talking about... but he did have his own helplessness. For transmigrators from China, some things are like "ideological imprints," which cannot be changed overnight. He made many choices subconsciously.

For example, the protection and compassion for the weak, or those who "appear to be weak," is almost ingrained in the bones of Chinese men. Even though Chinese men are constantly compared, belittled, insulted, and harmed by "vulnerable groups," their instinct to protect the weak seems to have never changed.

Even though he received Zhongli's gift and became a strongman, he still doesn't have the mental cultivation to treat all opponents equally... at least not yet.

However, if he lacks decisiveness and is hesitant, failing to act when necessary, Zhongli will determine that he is unsuitable to inherit the power. After all, he is the "successor of the Emperor," and Zhongli cannot truly trust him if he is like this.

Zhongli seemed to have seen through his thoughts, and without saying much, simply changed the subject.

“Let’s continue with the story of Heureia. There are some things about this kind but weak demon goddess that haven’t been recorded in history, which I think you should know.”

"...You mean Heulia voluntarily allowed herself to be killed by Liu Miao, and made a contract with you beforehand, entrusting her power and people to you?" Han Fulai asked.

"Hmm?" Zhongli raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. "How did you know that?"

“‘Respectfully sealed in the salt, it cannot be opened without reason.’” Han Fulai pointed to the ceiling above his head. Above the ceiling, there should be a stone tablet erected by Zhongli himself, with these two sentences written on it.

"According to your beliefs during the Demon God War, a god like Heuria is unable to protect her people. Such weakness is actually a sin, and such a loser is not worthy of praise. But you have always held a certain respect for this 'Salt Demon God'."

"Judging from your attitude, Heuria is a weak but respectable demon. Yet you call the murderer of Heuria a hero."

"So I wonder, could the truth of this story be—that one hero killed another hero?"

"I've always had a question in my mind—even the weakest demon god shouldn't be killed by mortals, right? And the demon god remnants left by Heuria and the marks on that broken sword further confirm my deduction. That sword was an ordinary sword, one that a mortal king could wield and that the mortal salt god's subjects could easily break. But Heuria's body was salt, and Heuria's blood was also salt. A sword might be able to cut through salt, but it couldn't destroy it."

"So my deduction is that Heureia secretly cooperated with Liu Miao's assassination plan and chose to end her own life. I even suspect that she tried her best to control the leakage of the demon god's remnants before she died, otherwise the death of a demon god should not have affected only the area of ​​a mere temple."

"The mortal king killed the god he loved, and the god willingly offered his head to be killed by him. These two heroes exchanged their deaths for the survival of most of their people. This was a 'prince offering his head' three thousand years ago."

"Is it just your guess?" Zhong Li smiled slightly.

"Well... just consider this a statement of fact." Han Fulai scratched his cheek somewhat embarrassedly. "You know, in our unique Chinese cultivation system, I'm considered, uh, a 985-point talent in the Literature Ranking... taking the Literature Ranking exam requires studying geography."

"Oh? You figured out the truth from geography?" Zhongli asked with great interest.

“Yes.” Han Fulai nodded. “Because besides being killed by mortals, something even stranger happened to Herria—how could such a weak demon god survive until she was killed by her own people, rather than by other demon gods?”

"According to you, Heureia is a unique anomaly among the demon gods. The other demon gods used all their wisdom and strength to kill each other in this cruel competition, yet she was able to remain unscathed by ceding territory to make peace? Killing Heureia would allow you to take all her land. If the other demon gods had the ability to take this 'Salt of the Earth' as ​​well, why didn't they do it?"

“It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that I can’t,” Zhongli commented calmly.

“That makes sense,” Han Fulai agreed. “We are now in the ‘Salt of the Earth,’ the temple of the Salt God, and beneath the riverbed of the Azure River—but this is after a thousand years of change. According to records, when Heulia was still alive, the Azure River did not cover this place, and it was a prosperous city.”

"However, unlike other gods, the Salt Goddess did not build her temple on a high mountain like Yiyan Palace or inside a mountain like Qingxupu. Her choice was to build her temple underground. Why did she do this? And why did she choose this 'salt in the earth' as ​​her final resting place?"

Han Fu answered his own question: "Because this is where several branches of the Azure River converge, and it is also a key point in Liyue's underground water system!"

"Herria's power is merely the creation of salt. For the battle between demons, her power is far too weak—but for the demons' people, it is an immensely powerful power!"

"Herria has only one defense to protect her people—the salinization of Liyue's land!"

Chapter 87 The Divine Love of Sacrificing Self, Ginhara Hall and the Contract

"As far as I know, there are four causes of the so-called 'soil salinization'," Han Fulai said, making a "four" gesture.

"Climate, water level, vegetation, and topography. These four factors can all reduce the organic matter content of the soil, worsen the living environment of crops and trees, and cause crop yield reduction or even death. People depend on food for survival. Even now, more than three thousand years later, Liyue still has a severe shortage of arable land and farming population. It will only get worse during the Demon God War."

"Herria controls the 'Salt of the Earth,' which means she controls Liyue's 'water level,' the very lifeline of the land. If she uses her powers, like with those salt cups and rulers, to endlessly pour salt into the Azure River and Liyue's underground water veins, the flow and quality of these water veins will be severely affected, and the soil salinity will increase dramatically. In time, Liyue will have no land left to cultivate!"

"Humans can't live without salt, but they can't live on salt alone either. For the humans living in Liyue, Heureia actually holds the power of life and death. Heureia is like a bomb that can take the people of Liyue down with it at any time. No demon god would want to push Heureia to that point. I think that's why Heureia was able to survive until the day she was killed by her own people."

"So you've investigated the water veins of Liyue?" Zhongli's golden pupils gleamed faintly.

"This is also a work requirement," Han Fulai said with a smile. "Lady Keqing of Yuheng Star has proposed a major project—she wants to manage the Biyue River. As Lady Keqing's personal secretary, I assisted her in the preliminary data collection."

“Yuheng did a great job. You did a great job too. You really did your research into the history of Liyue—you were able to think of these things because of ‘Gui Li Yuan’, right?” Zhongli’s tone was quite appreciative.

“Yes.” Han Fulai nodded. “‘Guili Plain’ was once the most prosperous town in Liyue, but after a tsunami, two-thirds of the land there was submerged by seawater, so the people of Liyue abandoned ‘Guili Plain’. I asked Lady Keqing why the residents of Liyue Harbor did not go to ‘Guili Plain’ to rebuild their homes, and Lady Keqing told me that it was no longer suitable for farming. So I thought of soil salinization.”

“That was perhaps the most brutal battle in Liyue’s history…” Zhongli’s voice was tinged with sorrow. “At that time, the ‘Sea Demon God’ joined forces with the ‘Whirlpool Demon God’ and other sea demon gods, along with their followers and monsters, and unleashed a colossal wave that even I was powerless to stop. Several of my old friends perished in that battle.”

"After that, Guili Plains was no longer suitable for the people of Liyue to live in."

Given the technological level of the Teyvat continent, it is not yet possible to address soil salinization on a large scale and in a systematic manner.

There is a long way to go just in terms of leveling the land, improving farming methods, and strengthening agricultural management. As for measures such as improving water conservancy, strengthening irrigation, drainage, and silt removal, preliminary plans only began with Ke Qing of the Yuheng Star in this generation. As for things like chemical improvements, they are simply out of the question.

The challenges facing agriculture, rural areas, and farmers in Liyue are long and arduous. Han Fulai sighed inwardly.

He composed himself, bringing his thoughts back to reality, and continued, "Knowing this, we can also explain many things. The fact that the people of Salt, despite being ruled by the Salt God, would still elect a 'mortal king' proves that they are indeed dissatisfied with Heureia's tolerance and want to change everything. This king is actually the representative of the Salt God's people."

"Although they were dissatisfied, they only thought about changing Heureia, rather than abandoning this 'destined loser'. Because in their view, Heureia clearly had a chance to compete for the throne of the Seven Rulers, as long as she was willing—to kill."

Zhongli sighed and said, "She avoids fighting because she loves everyone, not just her own people, but also the people of other demon gods—all the humans living on this land are the objects of the Salt Demon God's love. She is even unwilling to personally kill any human."

"But... how is it possible to protect one's people in a chaotic world without getting one's hands stained with blood?"

Han Fulai fell silent again. Zhongli's words seemed to be directed at Heulia, but also to him, asking him—would you be willing to let your hands be stained with blood to protect Liyue?

“I respect her ideals. She was an idealist, but a naive one, and that naivety was her fatal flaw. In the era of the war between demons and gods, the standards of right and wrong were different from those of today. That’s why I say that for her, death was also a kind of relief. … Of course, I also hope that she could have been born in a more gentle era.”

Zhongli gazed at the salt flowers before him, as if he were seeing that woman, as pure as the salt flowers, from back then.

Kindness and innocence, gentleness and humility are all beautiful things—but they are also beautiful things that can be easily torn apart.

Everyone hopes to be treated kindly by the world, but the world has never been kind.

So in the end, the salt god's choice was "divine love that abandons self".

Like that "mortal king," she sacrificed herself to ensure the survival of her people.

"So, young friend Han, if you were me back then, and you obtained Heuria's power and the 'Salt of the Earth,' what would you have done?" Zhongli asked in a deep voice.

"By controlling the 'Salt of the Earth,' using the Salt God's power to produce salt as wealth and capital, we can expand our influence and attract more believers. We can also use the Liyue waterways as leverage to coerce and entice other Daedric Gods, forcing them to relinquish their benefits or join our side. With the Salt God's power combined with the martial prowess of the Liyue warriors, we will be invincible and can quickly quell this chaotic world."

Han Fulai answered without hesitation. The ruthless and bloodthirsty Rock King Emperor of yesteryear would certainly have done so. And every demon god would believe that the Rock King Emperor was a man of his word.

“Very good. You must remember that the key to deterrence is to make people believe that you have the ability to turn a threat into a reality,” Zhongli said.

If Heuria had the same deterrent power as Zhongli, her territory wouldn't have been gradually eroded back then.

Just like Han Fulai's plan to "deterrify the Jade Pavilion" during the Immortal Invitation Ceremony, it doesn't matter whether Ningguang will actually destroy the Jade Pavilion or not. The key is to make people believe that Ningguang is willing to destroy the Jade Pavilion.

Zhongli's meaning was clear: if anyone didn't believe him, then he would show them.

"Can I really do it?" Han Fulai asked himself in his heart.

He knew exactly what he should do, but could he do it? Could he bring himself to stain his hands with blood for a certain purpose?

He has no answer yet.

However, Zhongli did not force him to give an answer now.

"Let's talk about the ending of this story."

"Using the power of the Salt God and the 'Salt of the Earth' as ​​bargaining chips, Heureya and Liu Miao each signed a contract with me. In order to quell that chaotic world with the least cost and the fastest speed, and also out of respect for these two heroes, I signed three contracts."

"Herria knew that conflicts were easily generated between people of different faiths, and that her people had obviously lived under her protection for too long and were not as skilled in farming and warfare as the people of Liyue Harbor. So she came to me and signed two contracts: First, to be more tolerant of her people, and to be lenient in all cases of conflict; second, to take better care of her people, and to reduce unnecessary corvée labor wherever possible."

"Liu Miao added another clause to this: Third, the people of the Salt God are allowed to continue to retain their faith in the Salt God. In the name of the God of Covenants, I have always adhered to these three covenants during my reign."

...No wonder Zhongli tolerated the belief of the Salt God in Yinyuan Hall and was so tolerant of the rebellion of the Salt God's people.

Han Fulai suddenly realized. The God of Contracts always adhered to the original contract.

However, the contract only lasted during his reign, and now, the Rock King Emperor is "dead".

"I took in the people of the Salt God because they were skilled in salt making, and I granted them the right to rule the 'Silver Plains' for eternity. Liu Miao's bloodline has continued to this day on the land of Liyue."

"Although his name has been concealed and his people changed their surname out of fear of the curse of the demon god, his descendants are still the leaders of the Salt God's people, control the 'Silver Plains Hall' in Liyue, and were once the wealthiest family in Liyue."

"So that's how it is." Han Fulai's voice was low. In that instant, he had connected all the things he had seen in the past two days.