He changed Tiwat

Wherever Tianquan thinks, a recluse will be wandering around.

Yelan, or rather Ningguang, was very eager to know what kind of method this was.

This clearly falls under the category of military secrets.

However, Ye Lan, this "secluded guest," was born for "secrets."

If Anton and the others don't say anything, Ye Lan wouldn't mind using the "right to dispose of fools" stipulated in her agreement with Han Fulai to severely torture them—at most, she would avoid Han Fulai and Jiang Xue and get things done behind their backs.

She also believes that Han Fulai will realize this problem and will also pursue this key question.

And now, it seems that Anton is about to get to this crucial point.

Anton pulled out a worn-out diary with curled edges from his pocket and carefully handed it to Han Fulai.

"This is... the Captain's belongings. When we were searching for the missing Captain, this was the only thing we found. Let's just assume... it was lost with the Captain in this abyss of rock."

Timor and the other two stared silently as Anton handed them the logbook. They all knew that, just as Romansky treasured the captain's hand-drawn marching map, Anton had also treasured the captain's logbook—as Anton had said before, "They would rather guard their commander's belongings until the last man falls."

Han Fulai took the diary from Anton. Although Anton's face was expressionless and his voice sounded normal, Han Fulai could sense his emotions—his hands were trembling slightly.

A few years ago, when Anton was promoted to sergeant and transferred to the Ninth Special Forces Company, which was known as an elite unit, he was already a captain.

Although he is now a sergeant first class, the captain still calls him "Sergeant Andong".

The captain once held up another logbook and told him that he would replace the Ninth Company's logbook with a new one every year, recording everything about the Ninth Company. He wanted the soldiers to know that everything they had done for Her Majesty the Queen was remembered.

Even if one of the company members sacrifices his life, as long as this "Ninth Company Log" remains, the company will always remember him, and the company's glory and pride will forever be with every soldier.

"I'm sorry, Captain," Anton said silently to the captain in his heart, "but only by bringing the troops back can the Ninth Company have a new log and continue the glory and pride of the Ninth Company."

Chapter 225 Mokosh Device

The journal appeared to have been corroded by the black mud, with stains and damage in many places. Judging from Anton's account, the journal was likely lost after the captain's battle with a monster born from the black mud. The captain disappeared after that, and Anton and his crew only found this journal.

Han Fulai opened the log and found that it was written in the script of the Zhidong Kingdom.

Fortunately, the two people behind him were both fluent in foreign languages, especially Ye Lan, who was proficient in multiple languages.

Ye Lan took the diary without any hesitation and began to interpret it for the two of them.

The log begins to record from the moment the Ninth Company entered the Abyss of Layered Rock. Initially, the Fools' operation went quite smoothly, and the route they took seemed to be no different from that of the exploration team.

[...The Liyue people left behind their engineering cannons; it seems they haven't given up on reopening the mines...]

[...After scouting the space where the crystal fragments were located, clearing the way for subsequent personnel, we returned to this location to await further orders...]

[...The sonic detector reacted...a stronger pulsation came from deeper within the mine...powerful but muffled...]

When she read this part, Ye Lan paused slightly, her expression as if she had remembered something.

Han Fulai and Jiang Xue exchanged a glance. They thought of two things, both related to Zhiqiong. One was the strange metaphor Zhiqiong used to describe the earthquake—"the breath of a lump of flesh." The other was the legend Zhiqiong had told them among the miners of the Black Rock Factory—"It is said that deeper inside, there are even grander tunnels and broken spaces... The miners say that a giant snake... or a giant worm, lurks underground, constantly writhing and burrowing..."

This legend may not be without basis. Perhaps some ancient behemoth really does lurk beneath the abyss of layered rocks, and the Fatui's sonic detectors have captured the beast's movements.

Ye Lan continued reading.

[...Based on sampling analysis, the crystal may be older than the Abyss of Strata, but no systematic traces of ancient civilizations have been found in the vicinity...]

The Fools also discovered the "Wishing Stone" and even took samples to analyze it.

Strangely, the Fools soldiers approached the Wishing Stone without being affected by it or falling into a dazed state. This may be related to the Fools soldiers possessing the "Evil Eye" and being able to use elemental power, or perhaps something happened to the Wishing Stone at that time.

Another point worth noting is that the Fools refer to the "wishing stone" as "crystal fragments".

This suggests that the Fools know the Wishing Stone is part of something. However, they seem unaware that this thing originated from Sky Isle, and can only infer from technological means that the Wishing Stone may be older than the Abyss of Laminaria.

Perhaps because the Ninth Company was truly focused on fighting the "Dark Calamity," their commander hadn't told them any information unrelated to it. Otherwise, the captain should at least have known that the power of the "Wishing Stone" could combat the "Black Mud," and might even have been able to research something like the "Lumen Stone" catalyst...

Han Fu shook his head at this thought. This Ninth Company was probably just a pawn to be discarded from the very beginning.

[...The sound wave capture device kept making a rattling noise, like Sergeant Anton's grandmother snoring... It's unusable... Let's just call it the "Babushka Machine." It's probably due to the radiation from the crystal itself, and the influence of those black substances.]

When she read this part, she briefly explained it to Han Fulai and the others. It was a Zhidong language joke, and "Babushka" means "grandmother" in Zhidong language.

[...There are no spare parts to repair 'Babbukka,' so we'll have to disassemble it. Sorry, ma'am. We'll camp here temporarily for supplies.]

[It seems someone is observing us from the nearby high ground; we saw an unnatural flash. Was it a telescope (or even a musket scope)? We need to move immediately...]

“The stalker…” Han Fu glanced at Ye Lan, remembering her mission to the Layered Rock Abyss.

Ye Lan remained expressionless and continued reading.

[...Technician Bogdana discovered that the black, muddy substance was still increasing; we need to accelerate our operation...The anomalies beneath the Layered Rock Abyss are slowly accelerating. To prevent the situation from worsening, we need to transport the "Mokosh Device" to the bottom for assembly as soon as possible...]

[…Sergeant Anton reported that a woman had been following us, and it was necessary to set traps and alarm devices…]

An explosion of unknown origin occurred, and the "Mokosh Device," theoretically capable of cleansing the abyss of contamination, was completely overloaded and destroyed...

The black substance on the main fragment has begun to regenerate. We need to learn from our previous mistakes... Aim at the appropriate point of impact on the main fragment and deliver one or more heavy blows to remove the black substance from the crystal...

[...The reconnaissance team discovered human figures moving in different locations, it's unclear whether they are humans or some other creature... Perhaps they are the real culprits causing the black substance to spread...]

That's the end of the record; the rest is completely covered by traces of black mud and cannot be identified.

But this logbook provides enough information.

Han Fulai and Ye Lan asked Sergeant Anton in unison, "Where is the 'Mokosh device'?"

According to the logs, this "Mokosh Device" is the secret weapon that the Fools rely on to fight against the "Dark Calamity." Theoretically, this device can completely remove the pollution of the black mud. The reason why this Ninth Company has been able to survive to this day under the pollution of the abyss power is all thanks to this "Mokosh Device."

Moreover, this ability to cleanse the pollution of the abyss seems to be similar to the "Pulsina Light Nail" described by Hydif.

Although the "Mokosh Device" has exploded due to overload, the technology is still very important. Even if it is just a fragment of the device, if we can bring the damaged device back to the exploration team and let Jinwu and Haidifu study it, there may be hope for completely solving the anomaly of the strata rock abyss.

Anton shook his head and replied, "'Mokosh Device' was destroyed during the last exploration mission and disappeared along with the captain. There's a lot of black mud and black monsters over there, so we can't get there."

The reason Corporal Mashkov and his men insisted on carrying out the mission was that if they could find and repair the "Mokosh device," there would still be a chance to complete the mission—although everyone knew that the possibility was extremely slim.

Yelan took out a map and handed it to Anton, saying, "Draw the location where the 'Mokosh Device' was lost."

Chapter 226 The Song of the White Night Polar Star

Under Anton's orders, scout Timor roughly marked the location where the "Mokosh Device" was lost on the map. It was located in a deeper layer of the Abyss of Rocks, in a narrow passage.

If you follow the narrow passage to the end, you will see a wonderful space with huge stone pillars that look like the fragments of the "Wishing Stone" suspended in the air.

This is what the captain referred to as the "master fragment".

Like the "Wishing Stone," the pillar also emitted a faint blue light. Based on this, the captain concluded that the "Wishing Stone" and the "Main Fragment" should have been one, but were separated for unknown reasons.

Han Fulai, who witnessed the "wishing stone" fly away, could also guess that the missing "wishing stone" was probably going to meet the stone pillar at the bottom of the layered rock abyss.

However… he still didn’t understand what the countdown of the “Wishing Stone” meant. Did it refer to the remaining time to complete the aggregation? Or would it mean that something even bigger would happen after the countdown ended? These questions could only be answered by going deep into the Layered Rock Abyss.

Furthermore, the Fools' soldiers discovered that the stone pillar was entangled by an ominous black power, likely the abyssal force corrupting it. Striking the pillar with elemental power could unleash a strange burst of light to dispel the abyssal force, but the effect was short-lived; the abyssal force would quickly coil around it again.

After they struck the stone pillars to dispel the power of the abyss, as if striking two ancient bells, the minions of the abyss suddenly appeared, causing them severe damage.

Based on their description, the attackers were likely the "Black Serpent Knights".

This is all the intelligence that Han Fulai and his team obtained from Andong.

Taking the map from Timor, Han Fulai nodded and said, "Thank you for your cooperation. The anomalies at the bottom of the Laminar Abyss will be handled entirely by the Liyue Seven Stars and the Thousand Rock Army. Only after we go down to the lower level to verify the condition of the 'Master Fragment' and the extent of the black mud growth can we confirm the credibility of your claims, and then we can decide on your course of action."

"Furthermore, I must remind you that sneaking away is futile. The exits from the upper levels of the Layered Rock Abyss are guarded by the Thousand Rock Army. If you show your faces, you will be arrested without mercy. I hope you will continue to cooperate with our work and wait here obediently for the outcome. We will return in three days at the latest."

“Okay, we’ll definitely cooperate.” Anton readily accepted Han Fulai’s arrangement. They were telling the truth anyway, and weren’t afraid of verification. Running away at this point would only indicate a guilty conscience, and was completely unnecessary.

Since the other party is an investigation team dispatched by the Liyue government, they naturally need to follow procedures in their words and actions, and they understand that the matter needs to be investigated thoroughly before drawing conclusions. Now that they have provisions, they are not afraid of starving to death, and they can wait as many days as they want.

He also needed time to persuade Corporal Mashkov and the others to evacuate together.

“Also… I have another request…” Anton paused, then began with some difficulty, “Every child who grew up in ‘House of Hearth’ is like a brother or sister to us. If possible, I would also like to bring Katarina back to Winter…”

“Nikola disappeared with the captain, and the place where they disappeared was near that narrow tunnel. I suspect that Katarina may have gone back to the vicinity to look for Nikolai, so…” Anton bowed deeply, put his hands together, and pleaded with the three men, “If you find Katarina on the road, could you please bring her back for me?”

Han Fulai glanced back at Ye Lan, who merely raised an eyebrow.

“If… I mean if, if we run into Katarina on the road, we’ll try to bring her back,” Han Fulai replied.

After all, they had no reason to go looking for people for the Fools, but it was understandable if they did it on the side.

"Thank you... I'm really very grateful to you..." Anton quickly expressed his gratitude. He knew that searching for someone at the bottom of this giant abyss was like finding a needle in a haystack. Liyue and Zhidong were clearly hostile to each other, and it was already very kind of them not to kick them while they were down. His willingness to help them find their missing companion was a "great mercy".

What Anton didn't know was that Han Fulai was indeed planning to help them.

In fact, whether from the captain's "Ninth Company Log" or from the performance of Anton and the others, Han Fulai could only draw one conclusion - this Ninth Company really had no other purpose, and was a disaster relief force that truly sacrificed itself to fight against the "Black Disaster".

Even though the foolish crowd opposed his stance, Han Fulai still believed from the bottom of his heart that the "Ninth Company" was a heroic unit.

Since heroes have shed blood, they should not be made to shed tears.

If Han Fulai ignores them and lets them evacuate on their own now, they will all die, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

However, the decision on how to deal with them now rests with Ye Lan.

That evening, after everyone had rested, Han Fulai lifted the curtain of Ye Lan's tent before going to sleep: "Miss Ye Lan, I want to talk to you."

"As for how to deal with these fools? I remember that according to the agreement, the decision is in my hands."

Ye Lan was not surprised that Han Fulai came to find her, because she knew that Han Fulai was that kind of person.

"Yes. The decision is yours. I just... wanted to make a suggestion..."

Han Fulai's words were drowned out by a burst of singing.

It's unclear who started it, but a desolate song echoed from the camp of the Ninth Company not far away.

That was the army song of the Fools.

"I am a wounded wolf, betrayed by the whole world,"

"We will eventually build a new world in which no one will abandon us."

"Wearing a spotless garment as radiant as the midnight sun,"

"We come from a snow country as white as silver,"

"Sound the horn proclaiming His Majesty's might."

"We often walk in the moonless night."

"Often trekking through gilded deserts."

"I often feel a chilling hostility lurking in the shadows,"

"I often dream of my lover from my distant hometown."

"But a pale fire always burns in our hearts."

"Executors as dazzling as polar stars,"

"It guides us to move forward tirelessly."

"If you also carry dreams that are not accepted, wounds that cannot be healed,"

"Resentful of a day's end, and constantly angered by false promises,"

"Let us look up at the phosphorescent blue star, for it is our banner;"

"Then join us and let our boots thunder and shake the earth."

"Those who are willing to follow us to the North Star of the White Night, we will never abandon them."

"Those who follow us into the darkest place, let us create a new world together."

"Know that the complete destruction of everything will be the beginning of a new order."

"At the end of destruction will come the dawn of purity."

Chapter 227 Jiang Xue's Three Questions

That night, Jiang Xue had a dream she hadn't had in a long time.

He dreamt of himself a long time ago, when he was still a teenager.

At that time, his father had not yet passed away, and he was not from Yaoguang Star, but the next successor of the Liyue Star Clan, a young man who honed his family's martial arts skills day after day.

In his dream, he stood in the woods, practicing chopping at tree stumps.

The greatsword he was practicing on had developed a chip, the sweat pouring down his body had soaked the ground beneath his feet, and the blisters on his palms had stained the hilt of the greatsword red, but he still did not stop practicing.

To become a pillar of Liyue, one must make such an effort.

The young boy eventually collapsed on the practice field.

It was called a training ground, but it was really just a small wooden cabin deep in the mountains and forests. Apart from wild beasts and monsters, he was the only human in the surrounding mountains and forests. Even if he fell, no one would come to take care of him.