He changed Tiwat

Soda ash preparation method: "Dry and burn weeds and tree branches to form wood ash (fertilizer used by Liyue farmers). Put the wood ash into a cloth bag and rinse it with water to obtain a soda ash solution. In addition, the white, fluffy, powdery saline soil on the Guili Plains can be dissolved in water to precipitate impurities, and then filtered to obtain white granules, which are sodium sulfate. Sodium sulfate, limestone, and charcoal can be heated in a kiln to produce a black ash mixture of calcium sulfide and soda ash. Soaking this mixture in water and filtering out the impurities will yield a soda ash solution."

Caustic soda preparation method: "Heat the soda ash solution to the temperature of boiling water and stir evenly, then add lime. After the liquid is clarified and evaporated, liquid caustic soda is obtained. The liquid caustic soda is further concentrated and solidified to produce solid caustic soda product."

With the "three acids and two alkalis," it can be said that Liyue's chemical system has a solid foundation. Many things in modern civilization are made on the basis of these "three acids and two alkalis."

Besides various fertilizers, chemical products such as dyes, leather, glass, soap, fuel, and pharmaceuticals all require these "three acids and two alkalis." And most importantly, modern explosives, commonly known as TNT, must be produced using sulfuric acid and nitric acid.

Having TNT is not only useful in warfare, but also in everyday mining.

Besides the "three acids and two alkalis," there is another important product: "synthetic ammonia." This process is crucial for "urea," a component of modern fertilizers. However, because the process of synthesizing ammonia is quite complex and not closely related to his Salt God powers, Han Fulai couldn't come up with a solution for the time being. He could only write down the existence of "ammonia" and entrust it to the immortals for research.

In fact, the "three acids and two alkalis" production methods provided by Han Fulai had a major problem: output. The methods he provided were basically "traditional methods" and were not suitable for large-scale production.

However, given Liyue's current industrial base, these are indeed the only rudimentary methods available to produce the goods. As for how to improve the manufacturing process and create the corresponding production equipment, that's a headache for the "Liyue Academy of Arts and Sciences."

But Han Fulai believed that the immortals would always find a way; his knowledge offered progress "from zero to one." Creating something from nothing was the most difficult hurdle, and once that step was overcome, it would be much easier for the immortals to figure out how to give Liyue a chemical system.

Teyvat is, after all, a world of magic. Perhaps the immortals, once they know of these things, could simply draw a talisman and create chemical products? After all, the Jade Pavilion uses Floating Stones, Thousand Cores, and immortal talismans in a very unscientific way, while Liyue's technology is immortal technology!

After handing over the formulas and techniques to Shen He, Han Fulai busied himself with preparations for the expedition to the Layered Rock Abyss. He entrusted the rest of the work to Shen He, the "supervisor."

Unbeknownst to him, a few days later, the following scene unfolded on Guili Plain—

The three immortals, namely Liuyun Jiefeng Zhenjun, Lishui Dieshan Zhenjun, and Xiaoyue Zhuyang Zhenjun, made a rare joint visit to Wangshu Inn in Dihuazhou.

Since the Battle of Ba Che, it has been rare for the Great Sage Xiao to see all the immortals of Liyue gathered together. He asked the three immortals with a solemn expression what major event had occurred in Liyue that required their assistance in dealing with it.

Lord Liuyun, with his head held high, solemnly declared that this was a major event concerning the national economy and people's livelihood of Liyue.

When the four immortals arrived at Guili Plain, the young immortal fell silent upon seeing the salty soil before him.

Then, puzzled, he turned his head and asked, "The important thing you're talking about is this 'white clay'?"

The three immortals nodded in unison.

"Then why don't you dig it yourselves?" Xiao asked a very pointed question.

Liuyun Jiefeng Zhenjun and Lishui Dieshan Zhenjun flapped their wings, while Xiaoyue Zhuyang Zhenjun moved his four deer hooves.

The last three immortals' gazes focused on Xiao's hands, which could hold a gun, chopsticks... and of course, a shovel.

"Then at least act like human beings!" Xiao finally snapped.

Xiao's prototype is also the Golden-Winged Roc, and the Liyue Asgardians all have the ability to transform, so theoretically there shouldn't be any issues with this.

“I don’t like taking human form,” said True Lord of the Moon-Cut Sun.

“Great Sage Who Subdues Demons, you are stronger,” True Lord of Water and Mountain also gave his reason.

"Moreover, Great Sage Who Subdues Demons, you have the ability to travel through space, making you the most suitable person to transport this soil." True Lord Liuyun Jiefeng has even set his sights on "Yaksha Logistics".

Xiao coldly raised the Hepu kite in his hand.

According to Shen He's account afterward, the three immortals went to Guili Plain and suddenly comprehended the secret technique of transporting soil from the outer landscape, which greatly advanced the soda ash production process in Liyue.

Chapter 122 The Abyss of Layered Rocks, the Wishing Stone, the Black Mud, and Jiang Xue

As a mineral-producing country, Liyue's largest export commodity is various kinds of ores.

Most of Liyue's mineral deposits come from the Layered Rock Abyss.

According to the "Records of Jueyun," in ancient times beyond our memory, when even the Geo Archon was still young, a celestial star fell into the wasteland west of Liyue. As the star struck the earth, the wasteland directly impacted it, transforming into a vast and deep abyss from which precious stones and minerals grew inexhaustibly, thus giving rise to Liyue's mining industry for the next thousand years.

The strata abyss formed by the impact of the celestial bodies is currently the largest mining base in Liyue, producing precious ores including "glass sand," and is an important source of wealth for Liyue Harbor.

The land color of the Laminariat is distinctly different from other areas of Liyue. This is because the sand and soil on the surface of the mining area have taken on a strange purplish-red hue due to the long-standing elemental reactions that have extended from the Laminariat. The "Lapis Lazuli Sand" extracted and refined from it also possesses a magnificent luster that seems to "not originate from this world."

This magical "glass crystal sand" is a major reason why Liyue porcelain is so precious. In addition, the "Glass Crescent," which is widely popular in Teyvat, is also made by mixing precious glass with this unique crystal sand.

According to the records reviewed by Han Fulai from Yuehai Pavilion and the General Affairs Department, several years ago, miners unearthed a strange boulder in the mining area. It was said that if one made a wish near the boulder, any wish would be granted. The miners called it the "Wishing Stone" or the "Spirit Stone."

In reality, this stone affects the senses of everyone who comes into contact with it, causing severe mental damage and even plunging people into delirious hallucinations. Many miners who went to seek their wishes fell into a state of mental confusion, and some even fell into a coma. However, those who were injured at the time recovered after returning to the surface and resting for a period of time, seemingly without any serious consequences.

Although the miners felt there was no major problem, and the Liyue mining merchants were pressing for action, the Blackrock Depths manager, acting responsibly, reported the situation to the Glorious Hall, which oversees mining operations in Liyue.

Due to the safety hazards posed by the so-called "Wishing Stone," the various halls of the Moonsea Pavilion in Liyue held a public vote, and the General Affairs Department issued a decision to seal off the Laminar Abyss. A massive sealing array was set up to prevent the impact of the Laminar Abyss's mutations, and mining activities in the Laminar Abyss were also prohibited.

—The above is the information on the surface, that is, the so-called "official announcement".

In fact, a single "wishing stone" would not cause the entire layered rock abyss to be sealed off. After all, the influence of the "wishing stone" could not extend to the entire mining area. As long as the area around the "wishing stone" is fenced off to prevent miners from getting close, the remaining mining area can still be developed as usual.

Based on Han Fulai's understanding of people like Maocai Gong, these mining merchants in Liyue are not so kind as to cut off their own source of income in order to protect the health of miners.

Moreover, since digging up something like a "wishing stone" that has never been seen before from underground has not caused any harm other than psychological damage, the normal approach should be to "research and develop" it and try to understand the effects of the "wishing stone".

Furthermore, the decision to create this sealed-off abyss could not have been made unilaterally by the Seven Stars.

—At that time, the Rock King Emperor was still in power. Even if this "Wishing Stone" truly had some influence, such a momentous decision as completely sealing off the Layered Rock Abyss would still require the Rock King Emperor's approval. What influence could the Rock King Emperor possibly have that he couldn't eliminate?

Therefore, there must be some hidden story behind this.

As expected, Han Fulai also found an investigation report in Yuehaiting's archives, signed "Jin Wu, Deputy Chief Researcher of the Layered Rock Abyss Exploration Team," entitled "Investigation Report on the 'Spirit Stone' of Layered Rock Abyss."

This investigation report was forwarded to the Yuehaiting Office by a commissioner from Huishan Hall, and it records the anomalies that occurred in the Layered Rock Abyss.

According to the report, after the miners unearthed the "Wishing Stone," the Liyue Seven Stars ordered the Huishan Hall to organize an exploration team, inviting professionals to form a group to investigate the "Wishing Stone" in the mining area. Led by Huishan Hall, the team included Deputy Research Director Jinwu, Experimental Assistant Azadi, and explorers He Zhi and He Wei, among others. They set up a camp deep in the Layered Rock Abyss to conduct their research.

In the investigation report, the "wishing stone" was referred to as a "crystal fragment," and researchers speculated that the boulder might be a fragment of a larger, unusual crystal.

Researchers sampled and analyzed the "Wishing Stone." The samples showed that its composition differed significantly from most minerals found on Teyvat, and it appeared to be slowly altering the structure of its surroundings. Based on this, researchers concluded that the "Wishing Stone" might be related to the "Celestial Star" that fell from the ancient legends of the Layered Abyss. They further speculated that the "Celestial Star" might indeed exist in the deepest part of the Layered Abyss.

At the same time, this "wishing stone" seems to possess the power to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. While it's not a magic wish-granting machine and only induces hallucinations, it can imbue minerals with entirely new properties. Ordinary minerals, when exposed to its light, acquire a wondrous energy, emitting a faint blue glow in the darkness. Researchers call minerals altered in structure by the "wishing stone" "lumenite."

Initially, researchers were quite excited about the discovery, as lumenite appeared to be of extremely high value and a brand-new, precious mineral deposit. For one thing, the fact that lumenite contains light energy alone makes it worthy of being sold as a rare gemstone, like a luminous pearl.

But the researchers' joy was short-lived, as they soon discovered that the area of ​​"lumen" growth was still expanding, seemingly spreading. Lumenite itself is non-toxic and harmless, but during its formation, it absorbs and transforms nearby high-value minerals... Whether it's gold, silver, copper, iron, or amber and nephrite, they are all equally transformed into this light-energy-containing "lumen."

The saying goes, "rarity increases value." If lumenite were everywhere in the strata of the abyss, it would naturally be worthless. At this rate of increase, this type of mineral will inevitably depreciate drastically. Moreover, because it indiscriminately affects nearby mineral deposits, it will also reduce the production of other ores.

Therefore, the exploration team issued a request for assistance, asking Huishan Hall to quickly dispatch professionals to study its properties and functions for long-term planning.

Just as they were preparing to stay in the depths of the Abyss of Laminaria for an extended period to continue their research, a real anomaly occurred—strange black mud-like substances began to emerge from the Abyss of Laminaria.

These black muds have a serious impact on human health, and they spread extremely quickly, penetrating everywhere and eroding the team's research base.

When the exploration team decided to leave the camp and return to the surface, they were attacked by an unprecedented monster, and some team members were injured or even killed.

After escaping, the surviving members of the exploration team submitted this report to Yuehaiting.

Clearly, the black mud and monsters are the real safety hazards in the Layered Rock Abyss!

That is why the Rock King Emperor allowed the Seven Stars to seal off the Rock Abyss—because the great changes in the Rock Abyss may be related to Sky Island and the Abyss!

Furthermore, Han Fulai noticed something else: the time when the anomaly in the Layered Rock Abyss occurred was a few years ago, which was very close to the time when Jiang Xue, who was then the leader of Yaoguang Star, resigned and left Liyue Harbor. Jiang Xue changed her attitude after hearing him mention the Layered Rock Abyss. Perhaps this anomaly was related to the "disappointing events" that Jiang Xue encountered.

Chapter 123 Han Fulai's "Three Magic Weapons" [4k]

Han Fulai departed from Liyue Harbor on the evening of March 30th. The Laminaria is located west of Qingxu Pool, and it takes at least a day and a night to travel from Liyue Harbor. Since Han Fulai himself was unsure how long he would stay in the Laminaria, and couldn't keep the coachman waiting for him outside, he rented a carriage for a "self-driving tour."

Although his driving skills were not as good as Keqing's professional coachman Lao Luo, he had learned a thing or two from getting to know Lao Luo well, and managed to get the carriage on the road steadily.

This was actually Han Fulai's first time visiting the Layered Rock Abyss, not only in reality but also in the game. Before his transmigration, the Layered Rock Abyss map was just a "satellite," and it was unknown when it would be implemented.

Logically, he should have hired a guide, but since Jiang Xue had emphasized that it was just the two of them on this trip, he had no choice but to find his own way.

Fortunately, the path to the Layered Rock Abyss is not difficult to find. There are road signs along the way, as well as natural landmarks such as the "Abyss Rock".

It was a colorful rock, unlike the monochromatic rocks found elsewhere in Liyue. The rocks in the Layered Rock Abyss were influenced by the local soil and elemental forces, often containing strange colors. Experienced miners could often determine their location by the colors of the nearby rocks; seeing the "Abyss Rock" was equivalent to seeing the Layered Rock Abyss.

The closer you get to the abyss, the more different the scenery becomes. Trees and vegetation become scarcer, replaced by layers of red sandstone and conglomerate.

Those cliffs have flat tops and steep sides, with sheer walls as if carved by a knife and axe, stretching endlessly in layers, their color like cinnabar, as brilliant as the morning glow.

"The crimson clouds embrace the bright moon, and the brilliant stars emerge from the clouds. Heaven bestows its radiance, and the five colors are so vibrant."

Han Fulai believes that these two lines of poetry are perhaps the best description of the layered rocks and the vast abyss.

Although the towering cliffs and deep abyss are vast and empty, they do not appear desolate or lonely. Instead, they give people a sense of grandeur and vastness, which broadens one's mind and inspires heroic sentiments.

When the early inhabitants of Liyue were excavating the Layered Rock Abyss, they must have felt the same sense of pride.

Han Fulai came to the Layered Rock Abyss with lofty ambitions.

According to the General Affairs Department's records, Han Fulai, the Executive Vice Minister of Yuehaiting and the exclusive secretary of Yuheng Star, went to the Layered Rock Abyss on behalf of Yuheng Star and the "Shenglu Hall" to investigate the current situation of the Layered Rock Abyss and prepare for the resumption of work and production in the Layered Rock Abyss.

Yes, the Stratocracker is preparing to reopen—provided that safety is ensured.

This proposal to reopen was naturally the result of Han Fulai's joint efforts with Ke Qing, Uncle Tian, ​​and Gan Yu over the past few days.

Liyue, as a mineral-producing country, has a history of mining and well-digging for thousands of years. The saying "The Tianheng Mountains rise like jade, and the rocky abyss is filled with jade brilliance" describes Liyue's two major mining areas: Tianheng Mountain and the Rocky Abyss.

When Han Fulai and Ye Lan went to investigate the Black Rock Factory, they heard the mine foreman, "Iron Arm," talk about the history of the Black Rock Factory.

Blackrock Depths was originally located in the southern mining area of ​​Mount Tianheng. In the past, as people emptied the veins in Mount Tianheng, they built factories and facilities inside, gradually creating Liyue's largest factory. The mountain's tunnels are interconnected, some even leading to ancient ruins deep within the earth. Of course, most of these ancient passages have fallen into disrepair and are now closed, and those who once controlled all of them are long gone.

With the depletion of the Tianheng Mountain mine, the Black Rock Factory has now completely shifted its focus to the Layered Rock Abyss, where it has set up a new factory.

The closure of the Layered Rock Abyss in recent years has had many impacts, with Black Rock Factory being the first to be affected.

When Han Fulai last visited Blackrock Depths, it was practically shut down, barely surviving on its accumulated mineral reserves. But even reserves eventually run out. Blackrock Depths manager, A-Kuan, was a permanent fixture in Liyue Harbor, becoming a notorious "professional petitioner" hated by everyone in the General Affairs Department. He would stroll into the General Affairs Department almost every morning to petition, as if clocking in for work.

The petition always boils down to one thing—"Apply for the reopening of the Stratorock Abyss." And his reason is always the same—"The miners need to eat."

Due to the blockade of the Layered Rock Abyss, the miners experienced a massive layoff. Many miners were left idle, becoming unemployed and gathering near Tiger Eater Rock, where fights and disturbances frequently occurred.

To appease the miners, the General Affairs Department provided them with a work stoppage allowance, as well as medical and food compensation to ensure their livelihood. However, the cost of living in Liyue Harbor was high, and it was still difficult to make ends meet with the allowance and odd jobs. While they wouldn't starve, it wasn't enough to provide a comfortable life for the miners who had stopped working.

Moreover, most of the miners come from rural areas and have no shelter in Liyue Harbor. Many of them have families to support, and the subsidies issued by the General Affairs Department are simply a drop in the bucket.

In this situation, some unemployed miners took risks and engaged in illegal and unethical businesses.

Many of the members of the treasure-hunting gang imprisoned in the Qianyan Army's cell were unemployed miners who had joined the gang out of desperation.

Others, however, came up with the idea of ​​smuggling raw ore.

Due to the closure of the Stratorock Abyss, the demand for raw minerals has increased dramatically, and the price of existing raw ore on the market has also risen sharply. Some miners have taken advantage of their positions to smuggle raw ore to sell to merchants. Although the General Affairs Department has issued decrees prohibiting the smuggling of raw ore and the purchase of illegal ores, and imposing severe penalties on those found guilty, the problem persists despite repeated prohibitions.

For example, when Han Fulai and Xingqiu worked together to investigate the case of Master Chang Jiu's amber, they discovered that Shi Zhuang, the foreman of the Black Rock Mine, was reselling raw amber ore—which, in principle, constituted embezzlement, especially since it involved the Yun family's property. However, even Xingqiu was unwilling to pursue the matter.

Even if Shi Zhuang is captured, it won't solve the problem of the sealed-off Layer Rock Abyss. Shi Shou and Shi Fei will continue to resell raw ore.

Although the resale of rare ores was somewhat curbed under the later-announced "Liyue Strategic Resources Embargo Law," it was still a temporary solution. With the Stranded Rock still closed, Liyue will continue to face the problem of unemployed miners.

On the other hand, in addition to miners, large and small shops in Liyue related to mining were also affected.

For example, the owner of the "Jie Cui Hang" jewelry shop comes from a family that has been in the jewelry and jade business for generations and is quite famous in Liyue Harbor. However, due to the industry downturn, the price of raw jewelry ores is almost higher than the price of finished products. Moreover, processing jewelry and jade involves a lot of raw material loss, keeping costs high. With raw material prices rising but sales not increasing, business is declining day by day.

The reason why "Jie Cui Xing" started doing "jade gambling" business was not, as stated in the Liyue Civil Service Exam, to develop an "innovative industry." It was entirely a last resort—selling raw stones was more profitable than selling processed products. The stone boss simply bundled the sale of raw materials with a "blind box lottery" method.

Even the long-established jewelry store "Star Shop" in Liyue had to switch to a pre-order system for items like "Lapis Lazuli Crescent" due to a shortage of Lapis Lazuli sand. Because this caused considerable inconvenience to customers, especially foreign merchants, Star Shop's business was not as good as before.

And there are countless businesses in Liyue Harbor that have been affected in this way.

Under pressure from the businesses, the General Affairs Department had to announce a tax reduction for the affected shops, but this still could not make up for the losses suffered by the businesses.

The only saving grace is that Liyue has a strong financial base, its mineral reserves are still intact, and its previous fiscal surpluses have been able to support subsidies for workers, allowing it to live off its past achievements for a few years. But this is ultimately not a long-term solution.

When the Rock King Emperor was still alive, people always held the hope that the Emperor could solve problems with his divine power—but now the Rock King Emperor has passed away, and the Abyss of Layered Rocks remains closed.

Calls for the opening of the Stratocrates are growing louder.

In response, the Seven Stars' previous strategy was to adopt a delaying tactic.

They would stall for as long as possible, using the time gained to conduct secret explorations of the strata abyss.

According to the records seen by Han Fulai, the Seven Stars had sent several investigation teams to explore the Layered Rock Abyss, but the results were all unsatisfactory.

But for Han Fulai, this was a golden opportunity.

To seize the highest power in Liyue and put Keqing in power, one cannot rely solely on hard work.

Keqing is a doer, which is both a strength and a weakness. Her weakness lies in her inability to claim credit, or rather, her lack of focus on self-promotion.

In fact, the Liyue Sept are either accustomed to operating in secrecy or follow the traditional principle of "not flaunting wealth," so they are quite low-key in their daily lives. Ningguang, on the other hand, is different. As Keqing once said about Ningguang, "She will do anything as long as it can make money and get her attention."

Ningguang's every move is known throughout Liyue. If she goes on a date with Han Fulai, the rumors will spread like wildfire. Similarly, her political achievements are also visible to all of Liyue. The reason why "Tianquan is supreme" is known to everyone is also the result of Ningguang's frequent public appearances and careful cultivation.

Compared to Ningguang, Keqing's public profile is significantly lower. Take, for example, the "major projects" led by Keqing—such as the restoration of the Bishui River and the development of the Guili New District. Successfully completing either one would have earned her a place in history. Ningguang would undoubtedly be out in the news, generating publicity and bidding, but Keqing manages to keep things quietly under wraps, with hardly anyone knowing about her.

Even when Keqing hosted a fireworks display, people remembered "the fireworks were so beautiful," not "Keqing was amazing for putting on such a spectacular fireworks display." Keqing herself was even quite pleased with the result.

It's impossible to change Ke Qing's mindset in a short time, but Han Fulai has other methods.

Although Ningguang has access to Liyue's intelligence network and is the richest woman in Liyue, the depth and breadth of her connections are unmatched by Keqing, and the attention she receives is naturally different—but this gap can be bridged.

As Ke Qing's personal secretary, Han Fulai's reputation is Ke Qing's reputation!

If there is something that all of Liyue is paying close attention to and that is closely related to many people, and Keqing shines in this matter, then her popularity will inevitably rise steadily, and she will be one step closer to "Yuheng as the supreme ruler".