He changed Tiwat

"Then I have no choice but to save face for Lord Rouran." Han Fulai also shook his head with a smile.

Chapter 398 The brush is sealed, the ink hidden, the scroll remains unopened; laughter and tears, dreams and illusions, are all but gone.

“I see…” Rou Ran raised an eyebrow. “I thought Vice Minister Han called me out because he wanted to discuss something.”

He's right.

If Han Fulai didn't have the power to seal the Pure Water Spirit and needed him, the instigator, to seal it, then there would indeed be room for negotiation.

But now it seems that Han Fulai doesn't need to worry about anything. He can just summon all the ice puppets at hand, smash the pure water spirits, destroy the secret realm, and everything should be solved.

Han Fulai was so polite to him, there must be something he wanted to say to him.

Han Fulai nodded and said, "At first, I wasn't sure if the person hiding here was someone related to you or you yourself. We always need to keep someone alive to ask questions. Now that we've confirmed it's you, it saves us a lot of trouble. But..."

He slightly raised his chin, and the two ice golems beside him raised their ice spears at Rouran as if to threaten them.

"You see, weapons have no eyes... I do have some things I need to say, but I'm afraid you won't have a chance to speak later, so I have to give you a chance to speak."

Han Fulai's words were clearly a blatant threat.

From his perspective, whether it was purging the Yinyuan Hall's henchmen or capturing them to give Keqing credit and boost his prestige, he had to leave Rouran alive. However, Rouran wouldn't simply give up because of this. No criminal would obediently let you arrest them just because they heard "leniency for confession, severity for resistance." It was better to use threats instead.

Rouran remained unmoved, seemingly unconcerned by his threat, and simply cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, asking, "What would Vice Minister Han like to ask?"

"First, let's talk about the gun."

Han Fulai pointed to the long spear behind him.

Rouran nodded.

"This spear is named 'Salt Sorrow,' a divine artifact created by the Demon God, a relic of the Salt God that we, the descendants of the Salt God, have worshipped for generations. In the past, the Salt Goddess Heuria deeply felt the suffering of war and longed for peace without the use of force, so she vowed never to use the power of the Demon God for war. She believed that fighting was the beginning of evil, and all the sorrow in the world stemmed from it. Therefore, she used a secret technique to sever her own fighting spirit, forming a remnant soul which she sealed into this spear."

It sounds somewhat similar to "severing the three corpses," cutting off things like greed, anger, and ignorance, leaving only good thoughts, Han Fulai thought to himself. This is equivalent to Heureia cutting off and separating all the will that represents "evil" from herself, and from then on becoming the "good" Heureia, who never fought with anyone until her death.

That's why this gun evokes such profound negative emotions.

It is said to be a "divine artifact" left behind by the salt goddess Heuria, but it is actually more like a "magic spear" or a "cursed spear".

"Over the millennia, the resentment within this spear has deepened, and even with layers of sealing, it is still enough to affect the mind of anyone who gets close. Pure water spirits are among the most 'simple' of powerful elemental creatures. For example, this Lotia herself harbors deep sorrow and is easily influenced by Salt Sorrow."

"I see." Han Fulai stroked his chin. Just as he thought, the Pure Water Elf was indeed a simple victim, and became a victim because she was so simple and easy to bully.

According to Ningguang, Lotia, a pure water sprite who has been living away from home, is a "deserter" who has defected from Fontaine, and is also a "remnant" of the previous generation of water god who has passed away. She is the kind of person who has lost her backing and is no longer loved by anyone.

That sounds really bad.

Han Fulai sympathized with Lotia for half a second, then asked, "Next question. I can understand you targeting me, and I can also understand letting the Pure Water Spirit appear with the aura of the Salt God to lure me here. But what benefit do you gain from destroying the Guili Plain Dam? You should know that even if the 'Guili New District' is flooded, the beneficiary is actually Lady Ningguang, and you and Lady Ningguang should be mortal enemies."

Ningguang's first target was Yinyuan Hall, Rouran's mortal enemy. After taking down Tianxuan Star and Kaiyang Star, her next target will be Tianji Star.

Given the current situation in Liyue, if one of the Seven Stars were to be chosen as the most powerful, Ningguang and Keqing would be the most influential. Suppressing Keqing would only help Ningguang.

The reason he didn't immediately attack the Rouran was to get the answer to this question.

...or perhaps he already had the answer in his heart.

"Vice Minister Han has the answer in his heart, but he just doesn't want to believe it, right?" Rou Ran smiled faintly. "Since Vice Minister Han said 'confess and you will be treated leniently,' in order to seek leniency, I have no choice but to tell the truth so that Vice Minister Han may know—I have now joined Ning Guang's ranks. Whether it was sabotaging the Guiliyuan Dam or trying to assassinate you, it was all for her 'the supremacy of Tianquan.' Is this answer satisfactory, Vice Minister Han?"

Yes, that is the most logical answer, and Han Fulai already knew it.

He just didn't want to believe it.

The flooding of Guiliyuan was a political advantage for Ningguang. If he were to die, it would be a win-win situation for both Rouran and Ningguang.

Looking back now, Yelan knew from the bottom of the Abyss of Layered Rocks that he possessed the dual inheritance of the Salt God and the Rock God, and also had the power to collect "wishes." Ningguang, of course, knew these things as well. If he truly became the new "Salt King Emperor," it would mean Ningguang's failure.

Killing him would not only eliminate a major rival for the throne, but Keqing would also lose an ally, making it difficult for her to contend with Ningguang.

His identity is special. In Liyue, he is protected by immortals wherever he goes. Basically, unless it's an environment like the bottom of the Deep Rock Abyss, Xiao, the great demon slayer, can come whenever he is called. It's really difficult to kill him.

And even if we could really kill him, we can't let others... especially the immortals find out that it was Ningguang who did it.

Therefore, Ningguang had to use someone else to do the dirty work. Rouran was suffering from Ningguang's relentless pressure and also had a succession dispute with him, making her the most suitable tool and also the most suitable bait—to lure him to the battlefield that Ningguang had planned.

Ningguang went to Guiliyuan in order to keep track of his every move at the closest possible distance.

Whether it was the flood diversion in Mingyun Town or his dispute with her about whether or not to defend Guiliyuan, it was all just Ningguang's acting, making him think that she was only after political interests.

The attack of the Pure Water Spirits and the sudden rain both occurred after Ningguang returned to Liyuan... Ningguang knew about his previous power loss and Shenhe's inability to move during the power-charging phase.

Only she had the ability to seize the perfect moment to bring rain, and she just happened to be absent at that time!

To dispel the sudden rain summoned by the pure water spirit, both he and Xiao expended a great deal of energy, and Xiao had to go back to recuperate—he no longer had a celestial-level "bodyguard" by his side.

Think back to how Ningguang unusually said she wanted to come with him; it was so that he would refuse in public and distance himself from her.

This place was originally the location where the Pure Water Spirit was sealed, and now it has been contaminated by the Salt Sorrow Spear. There is also an additional space underneath, making it a twisted environment almost like the Abyss of Layered Rocks. It really is the perfect secret place to kill and silence witnesses.

That's why Ningguang told him yesterday, "This is your last chance, you need to make a choice as soon as possible."

He was forced to choose between life and death.

Wait a minute... Han Fulai suddenly remembered something.

The Rouran had not appeared until he was about to destroy the secret realm, not because they were afraid of dying, but because they were afraid he would escape.

In other words, the Rouran were confident in killing him and were willing to tell him the truth so frankly, not because of the "leniency for confession" policy, but because they thought he was already dead.

Then he should leave!

It took Han Fulai about ten seconds to figure all this out.

It's only been a few minutes since he entered this underwater secret realm, and the entrance to the realm is still open.

Han Fulai made a decisive move, directing the two ice golems to act separately. One ice golem charged at the Rouran with its spear, while the other ice golem pulled him up and leaped towards the entrance of the vortex above.

But he was still a step too late.

Rou Ran raised his hand and tapped lightly in the air, and slips of paper with incantations written on them fell from his sleeve.

The thin paper slips transformed into paper figures, or "shikigami," which surrounded the ice puppets attacking him. Although a single shikigami was no match for Shenhe's ice puppets, their numbers were enough to rival the ice puppets.

Another batch of tokens flew into the air, heading straight for Han Fulai's head.

"The brush is sealed, the ink hidden, the scroll unopened; the laughter and tears of dreams are all in vain."

As Rouran chanted the incantation, the ritual tablets in the air transformed into thick ink marks, sealing the exit of the secret realm.

Chapter 399 Killing Xiang Miyue: "I behead you, I will kill you! A single word of sorrow!" [4k]

The sudden disappearance of the whirlpool's entrance indicates a new situation at the bottom of the lake.

Ke Qing waited anxiously for another two minutes, her expression growing increasingly somber.

Because Han Fulai did not come out.

Logically, the entrance to that whirlpool should be the sealed entrance to the location of the Pure Water Spirit. The disappearance of the whirlpool likely means that the Pure Water Spirit has been resealed, but if that's the case, there's no reason for Han Fulai to remain underwater.

This indicates that the disappearance of the whirlpool entrance was indeed an anomaly. Although Han Fulai had gestured to her before entering the water, telling her to wait for the right moment, the current situation was probably beyond Han Fulai's expectations.

As a woman of action, Ke Qing didn't wait any longer; she threw the hairpin she was holding directly into the center of the lake.

The hairpin has a magnetic connection with Keqing through the element of lightning, acting like a miniature "radar" for her, which has played a significant role in her past adventures. The electromagnetic waves it emits detect obstacles and relay them to Keqing, allowing her to clearly perceive the lake's terrain and the presence of large creatures. While it doesn't possess the advanced capabilities of visual feedback, it at least provides Keqing with a general understanding of the lake's conditions.

The hairpin, trailing a purple tail of lightning, moved forward through the lake. In just a few seconds, Keqing received feedback—the hairpin had stopped and embedded itself in the mud at the bottom of the lake.

There was nothing in the lake.

There was no secret realm, no pure water spirits, no shapeshifting beasts, and no Han Fulai... not even a single fish.

Ke Qing no longer concealed herself and arrived at the lakeside in a few leaps, waving her hand to retrieve her hairpin.

The lake was calm, but Ke Qing's heart was anything but calm.

—To be honest, although they both regarded each other as "comrades-in-arms", this was the first time they had ever truly entrusted their backs to each other and fought side by side like this.

Think about it, not to mention that Yuehai Pavilion was always crowded, even on the few times he went out with him, he was always accompanied by either a coachman or Ah He. He spent more time alone with his sworn brother Xingqiu than he did with himself...

Before Keqing, there was even a tiny bit... just a tiny bit, of a "two-person adventure team" feeling.

—The Adventurers' Guild has registered quite a few adventure groups with only two people, most of whom are adventurer couples.

When two adventurers, a man and a woman, face life and death together in a secret realm, sparks often fly, leading to many couples forming adventure teams... Those who have shared life-or-death experiences but still don't end up together usually have one of them being too ugly...

As a result, just a few hours after they formed their "two-person adventure team," she lost him.

Why did it turn out like this?!

In Keqing's eyes, the task of defeating the Water Spirit and capturing the mastermind behind it was not particularly difficult.

Their strength was undeniable. One was a demigod, possessing the near-perfect defensive skill of the Jade Shield; the other was the wielder of the Eye of God, with superb swordsmanship and rich combat experience. It was impossible for them to lose to that pure water sprite who could only be driven away by an ice golem. Even if the mastermind had laid some ambush or trap, they wouldn't be able to cause any trouble in the face of such an absolute difference in strength.

That's how it should be.

But reality told her that things had indeed gone beyond her control.

The mysterious disappearance of the underwater secret realm, in particular, reminded her of the anecdotes she had heard in the Adventurers' Guild.

There is a very special scholar in the Sumeru Academy named Falushan. She is not only an outstanding scholar of the Epistemology School in the Academy, but also a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Sumeru Puzzle-Solving Association and one of the founders of the discipline of Classical Mechanics.

As a scholar, Farusan was known for deciphering the mechanisms of secret realms, but her reputation as an adventurer far surpassed her academic achievements. Her exploration manuscripts guided countless subsequent adventurers, reducing casualties in the excavation of ruins and earning her the highest respect among adventurers.

What's most special is that although this scholar, Farusan, looks like Keqing—a girl with pigtails—she is actually over 120 years old.

This was not because Farusan had mastered any secret art of preserving youth, but because she mysteriously disappeared during an exploration of ancient ruins and was never heard from again until a hundred years later when she found an exit from the secret realm and returned to the world of men.

A day in the secret realm is equivalent to a hundred years in the human world.

—If this lost secret realm is like Farusan's... does that mean Han Fulai will also disappear for hundreds of years, or even longer?

She was so confident just moments before, saying she would protect him and that she was no less capable than Shen He... If Shen He were here, this might not have happened. She's a disciple of the immortals, and she would definitely have a better understanding of these secret realms than Shen He.

Ke Qing bit her lower lip.

Continuing to wait is not the best course of action, and standing idly by is not in Keqing's nature.

Should she immediately turn back to fetch reinforcements? Shen He, Gan Yu... even Ning Guang would be fine... No, this place is closer to Mount Aozang. With her skills, crossing mountains and valleys wouldn't be difficult. Going to Mount Aozang to find that crane might be faster.

She remembered that the True Lord Liuyun was very knowledgeable about all kinds of mechanisms and secret realms, and she was willing to bow down to the immortals for it, as long as she could save him.

It's time for her to make a decision.

The ice puppet carrying Han Fulai, flying towards the exit, crashed into the dark barrier, and no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't open a gap.

Just like the poem Rou Ran just recited, "The brush is sealed and the ink is hidden, the scroll cannot be opened"—this space is now like a rolled-up scroll, a closed book, with all exits shut, and the power to close the space is obviously much stronger than before.

Moreover, the scenery in the secret realm has completely changed; the outer walls no longer have crimson lake water, and the ground below is no longer mud.

The secret realm was completely black, with no light, as if one were inside an overturned inkstone.

All he could see now, besides the light from the Jade Shield, was the faint glow of the Pure Water Sprite itself and the talismanic light emanating from the Ice Puppet.

Han Fulai was still in the air when he shouted "Immortal Xiao" and the square knot pattern on the back of his hand was activated.

Although he knew that Xiao was still recuperating, he could still use the "Airborne Freedom Technique" when Xiao left before. He should still be able to get Xiao to help him escape without trying to defeat the enemy.

But this time, Xiao didn't react at all.

Han Fulai's heart sank.

Sure enough, this was a trap to lure the victim into a snare.

While manipulating her shikigami to entangle the ice golem, Rou Ran laughed and said, "Deputy Minister Han, there's no need to try. This space is naturally separated from the mortal world. It is the prototype of the 'Yin Yang Liao' for building the 'Jie Lu'. Even the Li Yue immortals cannot find this place."

Upon hearing the phrase "separated from the mortal world," Han Fulai knew that he had encountered "external scenery" once again, just like the time in the cave heaven of the Minghai Qixia Zhenjun. This was an independent space, completely isolated from the outside world, in order to cut off his "reinforcements."

Furthermore, this "outer landscape" seems different from the outer landscape techniques used by the Liyue immortals. It's not about immortals setting up formations and casting spells, nor is it about the Rouran using immortal power or similar forces. Instead, it's constructed directly using Yin-Yang runes. This seems to be a special technique from the Inazuma side?

He had never studied orthodox immortality and knew even less about Inazuma's Yin-Yang techniques, so he couldn't see the problem with this secret realm at a glance.

In fact, the secret realm that Han Fulai just saw was an illusion.

Rouran disguised the entrance to this secret realm as a whirlpool, and the environment of the secret realm as the scene at the bottom of a lake. They also used the Pure Water Sprite and the Salt Sorrow Spear to attract his attention, making him preconceived that this secret realm should be related to the seal of the Pure Water Sprite. He would only consider the Pure Water Sprite's counterattack and the enemies that might be lying in ambush, without thinking that the secret realm he entered was the real trap.

Relying on the protection of the shield and the ice golem, as well as the Xiao that could be summoned at any time as an escape route, Han Fulai became somewhat complacent.

Of course, the most important thing is that... the person who orchestrated this has already grasped his mindset and knows his background perfectly.

Ningguang's previous description of the water sprite Lotia led Han Fulai to regard Lotia as a "water sprite version of Yelan"—a follower of the water god and the chief secret agent, which was quite intimidating. In particular, the water sprite's actions in destroying the dam made him consider the water sprite a priority to deal with.

Ningguang was absolutely right; what she was hiding was the true strength of the Water Spirits—telling only half the truth is often more effective than a lie. Don't be fooled by Yelan being a "spy" and also a water-type; in terms of combat strength, Yelan far surpasses Lotia. If Han Fulai knew that the Water Spirits were truly so cowardly and weak, he would definitely consider other possibilities.

The individual combat strength of the Water Spirits is indeed not very good; their strength lies in their "fusion" characteristic. Under the previous Water God, the Water Spirits, as the Water God's followers, could fuse together to gather the power of all individuals to fight, truly "a blazing fire when gathered, and a sky full of stars when scattered." However, the current Water Spirits do not possess such capabilities at all.

This is the gap caused by information asymmetry. Han Fulai, who was focused on flood relief and lacked his own intelligence system, could not possibly see through Ningguang's plan on the spot, as she was in control of all the information in Liyue.

In reality, the seal set up by the immortals hundreds of years ago was a one-time event, essentially a "seal" placed outside the Pure Water Spirit's house. Once the "seal" was torn off, it was gone; there was no way to put it back on.