He changed Tiwat

At the same time, the trefoil pattern on the back of his right hand also lit up.

—This is a mark, a mark of the contract.

If the trefoil on his right hand is a symbol of Morax, then the marking on his left hand is a symbol of the "God of Contracts".

This pattern is called "square knot pattern".

This pattern has been passed down in China since the Western Han Dynasty, and it symbolizes auspiciousness, warding off evil, and ascension to immortality.

The word "square" is taken from the meaning of "upright" and signifies fairness. The overlapping and continuous square corners represent endless life, hence the word "victory". It is taken from the clothing worn by the legendary goddess "Queen Mother of the West", who possessed the elixir of immortality and controlled longevity, and was described as "wearing a jade-carved splendid ...

The "square knot pattern" can be found on the statue of the Emperor in Liyue and on the clothes Zhongli herself is wearing.

Han Fulai and Xiao just made a contract.

Chapter 351 No Regrets in Preserving Life and Dying [6k] (Bonus Chapter 20/20)

Two "honeymoon patterns" composed of five rhombuses flashed once on Xiao's chest and on the back of Han Fulai's left hand.

This means the contract has been signed.

Han Fulai withdrew his left hand and watched the lines on the back of his hand slowly disappear.

"Why?" This was the first question Xiao asked.

His tone was full of confusion.

As the party to the contract, Xiao knew its contents, and what puzzled him was precisely those contents—the contract offered Han Fulai absolutely no benefit.

Regarding Xiao's question, Han Fulai gave a slightly apologetic smile: "I'm sorry, Immortal Xiao, my abilities are currently insufficient, so this is all I can do."

"...I'm asking you why you did this, why you helped me share my 'karma'?" A hint of worry appeared on Xiao's usually stern face.

For the past two thousand years, Xiao has silently endured everything, severing all contact with mortals, not wanting his "karma" to affect others—who would have thought that there would be a fool here who would take the "karma" upon himself.

Generally speaking, the signing of a contract requires the consent of both parties, but the contract that Han Fulai just completed without saying a word did not seek Xiao's consent.

Because this is a one-sided contract, all that's needed is for Han Fulai to agree.

The contract was as Xiao had said—he and Xiao would share the erosion of "karma".

The power that combines the light energy of "Suspended Li Qianjun" and the immortal power of the Emperor and is transmitted into Xiao's body will provide continuous protection for Xiao's soul—but the source of the power is Han Fulai.

This is equivalent to Han Fulai opening a "jade shield" for Xiao's soul 24/7 from now on, protecting his spirit from erosion, at the cost of Han Fulai's power being depleted.

In fact, this can be considered as an inspiration he got from the bottom of the Layered Rock Abyss. In the Layered Rock Abyss, Han Fulai had used the light energy of the "Luminous Stone" and the Jade Shield to resist the erosion of the black mud several times. The erosion of the demon god's remnants on the Xiao was similar. In principle, the "protective membrane" he made for the Xiao by combining light energy and immortal power could also resist the erosion of "karma".

From the moment this contract was signed, Han Fulai's immortal power was continuously consumed for Xiao every minute and every second.

Simply put, after Han Fulai signed this contract, he essentially put himself under a debuff that caused him to continuously lose mana, reducing his strength by more than half.

However, Han Fulai was optimistic about this. On the one hand, even if he lost his immortal power, he still had the power of the Salt God to use; on the other hand...

"Anyway, Immortal Xiao will protect me!"

Han Fulai chuckled and mimicked Xiao's tone, saying, "'If you encounter difficulties such as being lost in the wilderness, being attacked by bandits, being harmed by water, fire, or weapons, being attacked by ghosts, gods, or poisons, being attacked by ferocious beasts or poisonous insects, or being attacked by enemies or wicked people, then call upon my name.'"

This is what Xiao said when Han Fulai, who didn't yet possess any magical powers, encountered a group of thieves and called for Xiao's help during the Lantern Festival.

Anyone who hears these lines feels safe and secure.

Xiao was speechless for a moment. He hadn't taken off his Nuo mask yet, but his face was clearly dark underneath. After a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence: "...Even so, your spirit is still very susceptible to corruption."

Since the power to resist the erosion of "karmic obstacles" was provided by Han Fulai, and the transmission of energy was connected through this contract, "karmic obstacles" could very well also erode Han Fulai's spirit in the opposite direction through this contract.

Han Fulai simply smiled at this, saying, "This small risk is nothing to worry about. From a business perspective, I've made a huge profit by paying such a small cost to obtain such powerful combat strength as Immortal Xiao."

He was telling the truth, of course.

Xiao used to protect him because of the Emperor's orders, but with this contract, Xiao will sincerely provide him with protection from now on.

Moreover, given Xiao's personality, he would probably even help him with things like "Yaksha Logistics," allowing him to fly wherever he wants—just thinking about it is exciting.

besides……

Han Fulai's expression turned solemn. He said, "I made a promise with the immortals to remove the demonic remnants from your body, but unfortunately, I am unable to do so at the moment. Therefore, I have resorted to this expedient measure. Please wait for me for a while. Before long, I will definitely fulfill this promise."

He wasn't overconfident. If his reforms in Liyue could be implemented smoothly, he could obtain a considerable amount of "willpower" from the people of Liyue, and his strength would naturally increase rapidly. At that time, he would be confident in removing Xiao's "karmic obstacles."

Therefore, he doesn't intend to wear this debuff forever. As a temporary measure, this contract to share the "karma" is already a win-win solution. If you add the recognition and support he gained from the Liyue Immortals, what he did can be described as "extremely profitable."

He has also passed the test of his "inner demons" and is quite confident in his willpower. He should not have much trouble dealing with the erosion of resentment in a short period of time.

In conclusion, the contract he signed, in which he unilaterally assumed the erosion of Xiao, was, rationally speaking, an absolutely profitable deal.

Xiao simply stared at him intently and said softly, "But there's no time limit to your promise to Liu Yun and the others, so there's no need to rush."

Xiao didn't care about the political changes in Liyue, nor did he think about the complicated entanglements of interests. He only knew that Han Fulai's verbal promise to Liu Yun and the others was actually not binding. Even if Han Fulai didn't help him exorcise the "karma," he wouldn't blame him, and Xiao himself had refused him to his face. Han Fulai had every reason not to do so.

In fact, apart from the Lantern Festival, Xiao and Han Fulai didn't have much interaction, and their friendship was far from deep.

Therefore, he believed that Han Fulai must have other reasons.

Xiao's intuition was correct.

"The Emperor once told me to think about two things before doing anything: whether this should be done and whether this can be done. I felt that this was something I should and could do, so I did it," Han Fulai replied.

Just as he told Yelan when he helped the Ninth Company of the Winter Kingdom escape from the bottom of the giant rock abyss—doing what should be done is his principle.

"In addition..." Han Fulai scratched his cheek, "I guess it's because I've seen too much injustice since I was a child. I long for a fair world, a world where good deeds are rewarded, a world where effort is rewarded... So, even without the promise I made to you immortals, I will definitely find a way to help you. This is... my hope that the hero's story will have a happy ending."

“You are a hero of Liyue, and I… don’t want to watch you suffer.”

To be honest, he was quite embarrassed to say such a thing.

Xiao raised his hand and brushed the Nuo mask off his face, and the hideous ghost mask disappeared without a trace.

He stared directly at the young man before him with his golden eyes.

"...Is that your reason?" Xiao asked quietly.

Han Fulai felt a little uncomfortable under Xiao's gaze. From Xiao's perspective, the reasons he had just given could be interpreted as Han Fulai's self-satisfaction, since Xiao had never asked him to do so.

Saying these things out loud might actually add to Xiao's psychological burden, right?

But since the die was cast, Han Fulai brazenly said, "Well, if I had to say anything else... if Immortal Xiao doesn't mind, I'd say... I want to be your friend."

“Friends…” Xiao repeated the word softly.

According to the seniority of the Liyue Immortals, which spans thousands of years, Han Fulai, a mere twenty-four-year-old human, is at least a junior. Even Gan Yu would have to show respect to Xiao when meeting him. His use of the word "friend" is actually quite unconventional.

Moreover... Xiao's friends are almost all dead.

To him, the Emperor was his benefactor, superior, and elder; the immortals were his colleagues and comrades-in-arms; and the people of his clan who could truly be called his friends were now all alone.

He stroked the "Suspended Li Qianjun" paper, recalling events from a thousand years ago.

At that time, there were still five Yaksha generals, who often gathered in the mountains of Jueyun. He liked to sit alone on a high rock, holding his spear, watching his relatives and friends play.

General Mino had a hobby: designing costumes for the immortals. From the Emperor and Guizhong, the demon gods, to the Yaksha immortals, everyone wore immortal robes made by Mino himself.

Mi Nu's taste was quite good; even the Emperor praised his clothing designs. However, there was one "stubborn resident" who absolutely refused to wear clothes.

—It's true that their four-armed brother, Fushe, has a hard time finding clothes to wear.

Moreover, his fighting style is quite wild. Most of the time, he doesn't even use weapons, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with his enemies. He also frequently uses "Heaven and Earth Transformation" to transform into a giant... Any clothes he wears will become tattered rags. Therefore, Fushe is the only one among the Liyue Asmodians who goes shirtless.

Mi Nu naturally couldn't stand Fu She's "indecent" behavior, and would seize any opportunity to make Fu She try on new clothes—but if Fu She tore the clothes, Mi Nu would chase after him and scold him for not caring about things.

Therefore, Xiao often sees Fushe running ahead, while Minu chases after him, holding up new clothes.

At these times, the two young ladies, Fa Nan and Luo Juan, would watch the spectacle from the sidelines. Occasionally, they would even pull Xiao into a betting pool, wagering whether Mi Nu could catch Fu She and let him try on his new clothes.

Although Xiao is usually very quiet, he talks a lot when he's with his older brothers and sisters—especially when Fu She plays a prank on him by drawing on his face while he's asleep. To catch the He Pu Yuan that Xiao sticks into his head, Fu She even takes advantage of having four arms and has mastered the secret technique of "catching a blade with bare hands 100% success".

But no matter how much they argued or fought, their relationship remained just as good.

...until they slowly descended into madness and could no longer recognize him.

Looking back, that was... a friend, wasn't it?

"...You want to be my friend?" Xiao asked softly.

"Hmm... if Immortal Xiao is willing..." Han Fulai answered somewhat uncertainly.

He genuinely wanted to be friends with Xiao, but Xiao's question made Han Fulai feel like he was taking advantage of her vulnerability... like he was using the debt of saving her life to force her to marry him...

“My friends didn’t all have good endings.” Xiao paused, then looked away. “So, if you’re not afraid…”

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid," Han Fulai shook his head vigorously.

Just kidding, his Ah He is a "Lonely Star of Calamity," he's not afraid to sleep in the same bed with her!

Xiao nodded. "Then we're friends."

The two looked at each other and suddenly burst into laughter.

This was the first time Han Fulai had ever seen Xiao show such a joyful smile.

"So even the immortal Xiao can laugh," Han Fulai couldn't help but exclaim.

Xiao shook his head. "Since we're friends, you can no longer call me 'Immortal Xiao.' As friends, we should know each other's names."

"..." Han Fulai suddenly realized what Xiao wanted to say.

He wanted to refuse.

But Xiao had already spoken.

“I am the Golden-Winged Roc King of the Twelve Yakshas, ​​named Mikira.”

Han Fulai suddenly felt the weight of this friendship.

Liyue Port, Rebirth Hall.

Zhongli Keqing, who had been away for several days, returned today and is currently teaching the disciples of the Rebirth Hall in the hall.

Zhongli was erudite, eloquent, and possessed a charming demeanor and amiable manner. He was deeply respected and loved by the disciples in the Hall of Rebirth—aside from being somewhat rigid in his speech, he was practically a flawless teacher.

When he taught, apart from the restless Master Hu, several other guest retainers would also come to listen in. In the eyes of the guest retainers, Zhongli could be "the teacher's teacher".

The "ferryman" lady, who had already "graduated," would secretly stand outside the door to watch Zhongli during his lectures.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today we will continue our discussion of Liyue's funeral culture."

Zhongli turned around and wrote eight large characters on the wooden board on the wall: "Remember the past and honor the ancestors, and the people will return to their virtuous ways."

These eight words are the key to what he is going to talk about today.

Zhongli stood on the podium, addressing a group of young students, and spoke eloquently, “As you all know, our Hall of Rebirth has been passed down for seventy-seven generations. Throughout Liyue’s 3,700-year history, our Hall of Rebirth has always held a place. May I ask, why has the Hall of Rebirth been able to pass down for seventy-seven generations?”

A young man raised his hand to speak, and Zhongli gestured for him to stand up. The young man blurted out, "Of course, it's because the previous hall masters managed things so well! For example, our Walnut Hall Master has now expanded her business to the Adventurers' Guild! She has divided her guests into four levels: 'Walnut,' 'Peach,' 'Bamboo,' and 'Wood.' With a VIP ticket, they can enjoy up to a 50% discount, which has brought in many new customers..."

Before he could finish speaking, a burst of laughter erupted from below.

When Hu Tao went to Lan Jie, the president of the Liyue Adventurers' Guild, to promote her business last time, she was practically kicked out—although Hu Tao claimed that if she made a few more trips and showed her sincerity, Lan Jie would relent, very few people believed her. The person speaking now was clearly a newcomer, completely unaware of Hu Tao's ability to make empty promises.

Zhongli gestured for him to sit down, and then called on another speaker.

This person had clearly been in the hall for some time and was very knowledgeable about the heritage of the Hall of Rebirth. He began by recounting the experiences of the first hall master: "Our Hall of Rebirth was originally established to cleanse the remnants of the demon gods and drive away the plague spreading in Liyue. The 'Homa Staff' inside the hall is said to have been bestowed by the Lord of the Rocks. Each hall master has been able to ignite a fire with their blood, known as the 'Blood Hearth Fire.' The Hall of Rebirth has the legacy of the Rock Lord Lord of the Rocks."

Upon hearing this, many people, including the other guest ministers who were listening in, nodded in agreement.

Tracing back further, Liyue's worship of fire originates from the hearth, and the tradition of using fire to ward off plagues and bury the dead can also be traced back to the Geo Archon, also known as the Hearth God. Furthermore, the Hall of Resurrection is Liyue's only funeral institution, which is widely believed to be due to the Archon's support.

Zhongli gestured for the man to sit down and said, "This answer is not wrong, but it is incomplete. In addition, some scholars have researched and said that the original Hearth God of Liyue was actually named Maxius, not the Geo Archon. The legacy of the Hall of Rebirth may have originated from that Hearth God."

—In fact, the cremation ceremony of the Hall of Rebirth was taught by the hearth god Maxius, and the place he finally chose to rest was the Wuwang Slope under the jurisdiction of the Hall of Rebirth, which was also due to this connection.

"The real answer lies in the word 'civil virtue'. The Hall of Rebirth represents the civil virtue of Liyue."

As Zhongli spoke, he tapped the two characters "民德" (Min De) on the "blackboard" behind him.

Seeing the puzzled looks on the faces of the crowd, he smiled and said, "You may think that our Hall of Rebirth has nothing to do with the virtues of Liyue, but the funeral rites represent the virtues of the people of Liyue."

"As you all should know, not only mortals, but also the immortals of Liyue, after their passing, it is our Hall of Rebirth that holds the 'Farewell Ceremony'. Including the Geo Archon, all the immortals of Liyue have their funeral arrangements handled by our Hall of Rebirth."

The atmosphere in the hall immediately became heavy upon mentioning the Emperor's departure.

Zhongli paused for a moment, then continued, “As you may know, I was the one who presided over and organized the ‘Sending Off the Immortals’ ceremony for the Rock King Emperor. In fact, I encountered some trouble during that ceremony. There were rumors that the Rock King Emperor had been assassinated, and the Tianquan Star Ningguang, who presided over the ‘Inviting the Immortals’ ceremony, used the excuse of catching the murderer to disagree with our Rebirth Hall holding the ‘Sending Off the Immortals’ ceremony.”

"But I eventually convinced Tianquan Xing."

“I asked Tianquan a question: ‘The ceremony for inviting the immortals is so grand, but no one cares about the ceremony for sending them off.’ After hearing this, Tianquan agreed to hold the ‘Sending Off the Immortals Ceremony’.”

It seems unbelievable that someone could convince the famous Tianquan star Ningguang with just one sentence. Many people looked puzzled, while others frowned thoughtfully.

Seeing that his words had achieved their effect, Zhongli smiled slightly and said, "The previous head of the hall once said, 'Protecting life is not a major matter, but only sending off the dead is a major matter.' This is the philosophy of our Hall of Rebirth. This does not mean that the dead should take priority over the living, but rather that we should not only look at interests. Above interests, there are also morality and human feelings."