He changed Tiwat

At the time, Cha Yingshan was over forty years old and in his prime, but he had retired due to illness and returned to his hometown. He was amazed to see that such a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl had such courage and saw that she had a limitless future.

With the idea of ​​attracting talent and investment, he not only agreed to transfer part of his business to Ningguang, but also wanted Ningguang to be his daughter-in-law and arrange a marriage between her and his son who was still breastfeeding.

Although Ningguang was still young, she was already a worldly person, and her vision had long since expanded beyond the small town of Yaoguangtan. Naturally, she would not risk her life for a mere local gentry family. She used this marriage as collateral to secure more investment, promising to return ten times the amount of Mora within three years.

—As a result, a year later, Ningguang Merchant Guild rose to fame, not only paying off its investment and getting back the engagement, but also becoming a jewel in Liyue Harbor's social scene. Rumor has it that even the Seven Stars are interested in befriending them.

Years later, Ningguang became the star of Tianquan.

Cha Yingshan knew his limits and kept this past event a secret. Later, he only mentioned it once, when he was drunk, to his son as a topic of conversation: "That Ningguang could have been my daughter-in-law."

Although he strictly forbade Cha Youqi from spreading the word afterward, Cha Youqi still remembered it because the speaker meant no harm.

Just look at Cha Youqi's lingering fondness for the young Tianquan Star, who was only in his early twenties back then.

He then did a series of foolish things in Liyue Harbor, nothing more than trying to catch the eye of a beautiful girl, like those little boys who grab female classmates' braids in private school. Unfortunately, it was all in vain.

Seeing his father angry, Cha Youqi remained silent and dared not utter a word, hoping that his old man could come up with a solution.

Cha Yingshan took a breath, tapped the ground with his cane, and slowly said, "Xiaoshan, when I retreated from Baishui Hall back to Yaoguang Beach, it was because I didn't want to get involved in the struggles on Yujing Platform. More than twenty years ago, the Song family seized the position of Tianxuan Star from Baishui Hall, and many people suffered. I hid quickly and was not affected. I thought that Yinyuan Hall would remain calm and our Cha family could still live a life of wealth and leisure, but now it seems that's no longer possible."

“Father, then we…” Cha Youqi was about to say something when Cha Yingshan waved his hand, stopping him from speaking.

“Listen up, Xiaoshan. Our Cha family has been caught in a fight between two tigers. In order to protect ourselves, we have no choice but to ‘act as accomplices to the tigers,’ understand? Both tigers need us as their ‘accomplices.’”

Cha Youqi paused for a moment, then nodded. According to the legends of the Liyue Mountain people, those eaten by tigers become "Changgui" (a type of evil spirit) who lure others to be eaten by the tigers—and by bringing new people to the tigers, the old Changgui are freed.

Cha Yingshan didn't want to get involved in the power struggles at the top, but this was a decision he couldn't make. He now faced the choice of which tiger he should become a lackey for.

He had already made his choice before coming here to see his son tonight.

"When they interrogate you later, don't say anything to anyone else, but if it's Bai Wen interrogating you, then say something..."

"Say... say what...?" Cha Youqi shrank back, his father's solemn expression frightening him.

Grandpa Cha pointed to the bridge of his nose.

“You’re talking about me. Everything about the Cha family—our house, the fishing boats, your twelve maids…—was embezzled by me and Steward Fan in cahoots. It was always me who did business with the ‘Yaoguang Saltworks,’ understand?”

"Father!" Cha Youqi's eyes widened, almost unable to believe his ears.

“This is called ‘putting righteousness before family,’ and you’ve done a good job reporting it.” Cha Yingshan tapped the fence again with his cane. “I don’t have many years left to live. I’ll come in, and you can go out.”

“If Ningguang really ‘cherishes old feelings,’ you can at least be a ‘three-star’ in the village in the future. Remember to keep a low profile.”

With a thud, Cha Youqi knelt down. "Father, is there really no other way? Please don't say such things..."

Even if he was incredibly stupid, Cha Youqi knew that his father was telling him what to do after his death.

Cha Yingshan turned his back.

"Xiaoshan, from now on, you're in charge."

Upon exiting the prison gate, Cha Yingshan tremblingly bowed to the guard.

"I would be grateful if you could lend me a hand."

Seeing that the old man had difficulty walking, the guard reached out and helped him.

With this support, the guard suddenly found a heavy Mora bag in his hand.

Cha Yingshan whispered in the guard's ear, "...I hope Your Excellency will take good care of my son and make sure nothing happens to him inside... This kid is spoiled rotten, I'm really afraid he might do something rash..."

The guard, clutching the Mora bag, smiled and said, "Don't worry, old man. I can't say for sure what will happen outside, but he definitely won't suffer anything here. Our General Affairs Department has very strict rules."

"Hehe, that's good, that's good." Cha Yingshan nodded.

As the old man left, the Mora bag in the guard's hand suddenly vanished into thin air, and then a delicate die appeared in the guard's hand.

The guard tossed the die gently, and a six rolled out in his palm.

"Ha, Ningguang, your 'former employer' doesn't need my guidance at all. You've wasted your time working overtime."

Chapter 362 When a person is killed, they die [4k]

A few days later, in Tianheng Mountain.

The ancient Tianheng Mountain contains a network of interconnected mining tunnels, a fact known to the older generation of miners in Liyue.

As Liyue's earliest mining area, Mount Tianheng has actually been hollowed out by Liyue miners over the past three thousand years. The tunnels dug by generations of miners have turned the interior of Mount Tianheng into a man-made "maze". Today, with the mining area abandoned, no one dares to say that they can freely enter and exit this maze.

There are many rumors circulating among the miners about the old mining area of ​​Tianheng Mountain. For example, there are a large number of rare gems buried there after a collapse, or treasures secretly hidden by wealthy people in ancient times, or even the ruins of ancient demon gods...

These rumors, passed down by word of mouth, are probably more true than the martial arts novels in Wanwen Collection, but less true than the stories told by storytellers; in short, not many people take them seriously.

However, some of these rumors are indeed true, such as the claim that treasures are buried inside Tianheng Mountain.

The "maze" inside the mountain has a tunnel that leads to the location of the treasure.

That was an altar.

The altar of the salt god.

This was the earliest rock salt mining site in Liyue. Of course, the mines were depleted over the millennia, leaving only a solitary altar.

This was built by the earliest group of salt god believers who submitted to the Rock King Emperor.

The Emperor allowed them to retain their faith, and they built an altar here for the deceased god.

In truth, their reason for building this altar was more out of fear than respect and remembrance, since the salt goddess Heuria was killed by her own people, the "King of Mortals."

Therefore, the descendants of the Salt God worship the Salt Goddess to appease her spirit and to find peace of mind for themselves.

Instead of a statue of the salt god, a blue and white spear was placed on the altar.

Even after thousands of years, the spear showed no signs of decay and shimmered with a strange, crystalline luster under the dim light of the ever-burning lamp—like a salt crystal.

The spear was bound by layers of ancient curses, as if afraid that some resentment might break free from it.

It was less of a ritual and more of a sealing.

It is a relic of the "Salt Demon" Heuria, a weapon she never used in her life, known as the "Salt Sorrow".

—For a gentle demon god born in the wrong era, nothing is more tragic than having to resort to weapons.

She never let this spear appear on the battlefield until her death, so much so that the demons of her time believed that she had never possessed a weapon.

Before this altar, a group of people were kneeling on the ground, offering silent worship.

They were dressed in long, salt-white robes, their heads and faces pressed tightly against the ground, making it impossible to see their features.

If someone familiar with Liyue's upper-class social circles were to come here, they might recognize that these people are all prominent figures in Liyue Harbor, either high-ranking officials in Silver Plains Hall, wealthy merchants in Scarlet Cloud Slope, or even some heads of noble families on Jade Capital Terrace—all of them are noble descendants of the remnants of the Salt God.

But here, before this altar, their identities are no different; they are all children of the salt god.

They are waiting for their "king".

Behind the altar is a secret chamber, and inside the chamber are two people.

Rou Ran from Tianji Star, and Luo Xia, the steward of the Pearl-Inlaid Boat.

Today, Rouran was not wearing his usual blue robe, but a pure white long robe, the same style as the people outside.

These are the robes worn by the priests of the salt god thousands of years ago.

What distinguished Rouran's robe from the others was the gold-embroidered emblem on it. The emblem was shaped like a pearl, serving as both his family crest and a symbol of his status as the king of the people, the children of the salt god.

Behind him, Luo Xia, also dressed in a pure white robe, was using an ivory comb to style his long, black hair, tying it into a high bun.

If each of the Seven Stars has at least one personal secretary, Rouran's only trusted secretary is Luoxia.

The Luoxia family has served the Rouran family for generations since a thousand years ago, and continues to this day.

As the manager of the Pearl-Inlaid Boat, Luoxia referred to Rouran as "boss" in front of outsiders, but in private she always addressed him as "master".

When the "King of Mortals" was still alive, Luo Xia's family served as his inner court, and they still do. They live only for their master, and the meaning of their lives is to serve him. At the mere word of Rou Ran, Luo Xia would give his life without hesitation.

In a secluded room, a woman combing a man's hair would be an intimate and romantic scene, but there was no such atmosphere between the two of them.

"The owner of 'Rock Tea House' sent word that she was unable to keep the appointment, but she appreciated the sentiment," Luo Xia softly reported the progress of the mission to Rou Ran.

"It's alright, I appreciate your sentiment." Rou Ran was not offended at all.

He asked Luoxia to invite Yelan, which was merely to convey his attitude; as long as the other party knew, that was enough.

The first thing Rouran did after being attacked was to contact the other party, either to declare war or to make peace. Rouran wanted to convey the latter.

This might be seen as a "delaying tactic," but it doesn't matter. Whether it's a real reconciliation or a fake one, Rouran and Ningguang both know it's irrelevant.

The key lies in interests.

There are no eternal enemies in this world, only eternal interests.

Ningguang's clearing of the Silver Hall also conveyed the same attitude to him.

She didn't care that Ginhara-tei had leverage over her.

"So, the Cha family has already chosen Ningguang, right?" Rouran asked.

Luo Xia paused slightly in her movements and replied, "The former deputy director of Baishui Hall, Cha Yingshan, has been imprisoned. His only son confessed to his crimes. Dali Hall and Baishui Hall have sent people to Cha's family to confiscate his embezzled assets, which are roughly estimated to be over 10 billion Mora. In addition... he seems to have implicated the Song family members who were cooperating with him."

Rou Ran smiled and said, "I've said it before, he's not senile yet. If I were him, I would also choose to stand on Ning Guang's side at this time."

Luo Xia pursed her lips and remained silent.

Rou Ran continued, "Ning Guang is a woman who always plans carefully before she acts. She is always well-prepared before doing anything. Since she has targeted the 'Yao Guang Saltworks,' which she once relied on to make her fortune, she is showing that she is not afraid of our retaliatory measures. No matter how much Deacon Fan tries to link this to Ning Guang from twenty years ago, he will not have any evidence. Without evidence, it is just an attempt to frame someone."

"The only possible source of evidence is her former employer, the Cha family. Ningguang specifically arrested the Cha family's only son to ask Cha Yingshan if he wanted to gamble on the possibility of the Cha family's line being severed so that she could be brought down by us. Cha Yingshan couldn't afford to gamble. And I suspect that if he really dared to gamble, he might not even survive to be interrogated."

"Think about the circulation of that book, 'The Jewels and Gems,' in Liyue Harbor... Ningguang had already laid the groundwork for public opinion. A month ago, or even earlier, she had already planned for the 'Yaoguang Saltworks' incident. She deliberately exposed this flaw to provoke me into a duel with her. She was luring me out of my hole. If I were to fight, I would undoubtedly lose."

Luo Xia gently shook her head, "Master, you must not underestimate yourself."

“This is not self-deprecation, it is self-awareness.” Rou Ran smiled and said, “The best time to defeat Ningguang was ten years ago, when my Tianji Star was still a true Tianji, and when her Ningguang Merchant Guild had not yet become the leader of the Liyue business world.”

"It's laughable that those short-sighted people thought Ningguang had no foundation and that helping her to the top would be a good opportunity to check and balance me. They could also take the opportunity to strengthen themselves and seize more benefits. They thought they could turn the world upside down, but in reality they were just being manipulated. Ha, these are my two 'allies'."

“Ningguang was able to pinpoint the exact time when the Cha family went to the Yaoguang Saltworks for their transaction, which means she has people in the saltworks. Furthermore, we can imagine how many of her people are in the Yinyuan Hall. This is not something that can be done in half a year, but in several years, or even more than ten years... While the Emperor was still in power, this woman had already begun to plot to seize Liyue.”

“By using Tianquan Star’s authority to monitor commerce and industry, Ningguang can openly and legitimately bring Liyue’s intelligence system under her control. In the past ten years, Ningguang has spread her tentacles throughout Liyue. If the matter of Maocai Gong was just Ningguang testing the waters, then when the ‘Liyue National Bank’ was established, that woman’s forceful push for us, the Seven Stars, to contribute funds was completely undisguised—the Seven Stars of Liyue only need her, Tianquan Star.”

"If we're talking about a counterattack, the time is only right then. When Liyue is in a state of panic, beset by internal and external troubles, it's only possible to bring in the Fatui forces and cooperate with Pantarone to bring down Ningguang. But there are always some people who think that even if you're selling your smiles on the Pearl Pavilion, you have to put on a facade, so they're hesitant and timid."

The sunset glowed silently.

After the Lantern Festival, Rouran made contact with Pantarone and even persuaded the Jiang and Song families to join the plan to forge Mora. However, the two were indecisive and hesitant. It wasn't until Han Fulai launched the "fake for real" plan that the two realized that Ningguang had once again won over the hearts of the people by using Liyue currency to save the market and had gained absolute control of the "Liyue National Bank".

If it weren't for the fact that cooperating with Pantalone's plan to harvest Mora's commodities would also be profitable for them, those two might not have been willing to participate in this matter personally.

Once Ningguang had already bared its claws and was about to devour its prey, the two hurriedly came to their master for advice—but what good was that?

However, if one were to put oneself in their shoes, Luo Xia could somewhat understand the predicament of those two.

Although the emperor abdicated, he was not dead after all, and not everyone has the courage to defy the world.

The people of the Salt God are protected by the Emperor's covenant. Even if they fail, they will simply be dismissed, endure, and wait to rise again. But for the Chiang and Soong families, if the situation gets out of control, it will be a catastrophe.

The more you have, the more you fear losing it; this is only human nature.

Rouran was still laughing. "So they don't qualify as 'allies,' only as 'prey.' Tigers always take a nap after they've eaten their fill, and so do tigresses."

"Everything is as the master predicted... According to our informants at Wangshu Inn, Landa went to Dihua Island after receiving the letter, and that letter has probably already reached Tian Shu Star," Luo Xia added respectfully.

Rouran nodded.

"It's time to take the final step."

For the remnants of the Salt God, represented by the Rouran, peace and order are their foundation. When the Seven Stars of Liyue were divided into reformists and conservatives, he was always the most steadfast conservative. As long as the Emperor is alive, the laws will remain, and the good days for the remnants of the Salt God will last as long as they live.

Only complete rule by man is unacceptable—especially when that man is Ningguang.

Therefore, his current decision is to kill.

He recited two lines of poetry in a low voice:

"Jade pendants sway with golden threads, pearl ornaments ripple in a green basin."

"I wonder if, a thousand years from now, there will still be those old vermilion gates?"

—These are lines of poetry that Han Fulai left behind when he last visited the Pearl Pavilion.

Luo Xia had asked Vice Minister Han to leave behind his calligraphy, and Han Fulai then presented this poem to the Rouran.

Then the Rouran returned the greeting.

I returned the gift twice.

Once at Dihuazhou.