He changed Tiwat

Yura withdrew her gaze and said to Han Fulai, "In addition, generally speaking, merchants on the Stone Gate Trade Route will hire adventurers from Mondstadt or bodyguards from Liyue as escorts. The risks during the journey should be borne by the merchants themselves. Let me reiterate, I was dispatched by the Knights of Favonius on a mission to capture bandits, not to rescue travelers."

Han Fulai remained silent. He knew that many members of the Guhua Sect used to make a living by escorting goods through Shimen, and they had seen those caravans with guards before, so what Youla said was indeed true.

Well, if you talk about "serving the people" in a "free city-state," people will just tell you, "That's something only Liyue would do."

Just like when Colorado, USA, was hit by a huge snowstorm that caused deaths, and the people questioned the local government's inadequate disaster relief, the mayor would tell them righteously and sternly: "Disaster relief is something that only countries that practice utopian societies do. You are in free America, and you are responsible for yourselves. The government has no responsibility to help disaster victims."

At this moment, several of Yura's subordinate knights finally arrived at the scene.

Yura directed the knights to tie up the bandits and throw them into the carriage, then boarded the carriage herself—the stolen goods, of course, had to be taken back to the knightly order as well.

As she boarded the carriage, she left a final message for the group, mainly directed at Han Fulai, the most talkative of them all: "Our guerrilla squad is always responsible for the most dangerous missions. Meeting me means danger, and I'm sure you don't want us to meet again, do you? So, goodbye."

The carriage sped away, leaving a trail of dust in its wake.

On his first day in Mondstadt, Han Fulai experienced a "culture shock" from Yura, gaining a profound understanding of what it means to have "a unique national condition in Mondstadt."

Chapter Fifteen: The Sky of Teyvat Belongs Only to This World

What should have been a pleasant trip was ruined by Yura, and the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat oppressive.

Anyone would feel a little upset if they encountered something like this.

Everyone was in high spirits before, and fighting bandits was a convenient way to punish evil and promote good, which was very satisfying. But in Yura's words, it was as if they had done something bad... It was like a bucket of cold water being poured over their heads.

If a reporter from Mondstadt had witnessed the conflict between them and Yura, they would probably have written something like this:

The Knight of Favonius and two foreign travelers arrived at the Windward Highlands of Mondstadt, where they encountered bandits and fought valiantly to victory. At this moment, Yura Lawrence, captain of the Knights of Favonius guerrilla squad, appeared on the scene, accusing the travelers of stealing the Knights' credit and obstructing the guerrilla squad from carrying out their duties…

Well, given the Lawrence family's reputation, Yura will definitely be trending on social media for all the wrong reasons.

Especially now that Commander Qin is demanding that the Knights treat foreign business travelers well and standardize their reception terminology, there will be plenty of people in the Knights who will rush to criticize Yura for what she just said. Even if she isn't fired, she'll definitely have her salary deducted.

If Han Fulai were to reveal his identity again and publicize what just happened, the headline in Mondstadt would probably be "Friendly nations are astonished."

Of course, Yura has maintained this style for a long time and is used to being scolded—if she weren't outmatched in combat, the people of Mondstadt would probably have done more than just verbally attack her.

Fortunately, none of the four people present, including Paimon, were particularly petty.

After learning that this incident was due to Mondstadt's unique national circumstances, Han Fulai wouldn't truly hold a grudge against Yura, since Yura wasn't actually targeting him. Of course, his first impression of Yura wasn't very good, and he actually quite agreed with Yura when she said "never again."

Although Mona was angry, as an astrologer who always spoke the truth, she was used to misunderstandings and criticisms. This verbal dispute with Yura was much better than those who were so enraged by her "unequivocal pronouncements" that they wanted to hit her.

As for Ying, who was targeted by Yura...

Well, before I saved Mondstadt, I was a wanted criminal who broke into the cathedral and stole the sacred Anemo artifact, the "Sky Harp"... Including harboring the "Night Hero," I've offended the Knights more than once or twice... So what if you, Yura, hold a grudge? Your Harp Master still has to treat me with utmost respect, and your Anemo god even sings for me!

Paimon was currently floating in the air, stomping his feet: "I'll remember this grudge too!"

Ying gently patted Paimon's head, puffed out her chest, and showed off her broad-mindedness—she had also read the "Knights' Guidebook"... When we get back to Mondstadt, I'll go find Master Jean to have a chat (complain) with him.

After Paimon made his vengeful declaration, he seemed to be in a much better mood and turned his attention back to Mona.

Although Yura had interrupted her, she hadn't forgotten Mona's performance earlier.

"By the way, Mona, how did you figure out those people were robbers? I didn't see you use that 'water divination plate' just now?"

Han Fulai was able to discern the flaws in the group's words, primarily because he was extremely familiar with the terrain of Liyue. In addition, as a transmigrator, he knew that Mona's legendary quest would involve encountering bandits, which allowed him to see through Taylor and the others' disguises—at the very least, Paimon could understand the reasons Han Fulai gave.

But Mona immediately concluded that the other party was a robber, and even claimed that she could tell the origin of every stolen item on their person, which is something that observation and reasoning cannot do.

But if Mona used astrology to calculate it, she clearly only glanced at the person a few times and didn't use astrology at all.

Mona perked up at Paimon's words, raising her chin at him: "Hmph, how about that? Now you've met your expectations, haven't you?"

She still remembers Paimon saying that "astrology isn't that powerful."

Paimon nodded quickly: "Ms. Mona is amazing!"

Ying chimed in, "Their fighting power is also formidable..."

Mona nodded in satisfaction, having already put her earlier displeasure behind her: "For astrologers, this is a basic skill. Lies are meaningless in the face of astrology; 'destiny' and 'truth' are laid bare in the starry sky. Although the more specific the result, the more time it takes, the general trend is clear at a glance."

According to Mona, the specific details of the event would require detailed divination, but she could tell at a glance that "something would happen" when she saw those people, at least for ordinary people.

The moment Mona saw the bandits, she predicted a fight would break out, and naturally deduced their identities.

Han Fulai thought to himself, Mona's abilities are practically equivalent to some kind of "futuristic vision." She can predict the future with just a glance; it's not just amazing, it's terrifying. At least the Liyue Immortals can't do it, and he wondered if Zhongli could—probably not either.

Seeing Mona's smug look, Paimon couldn't help but blurt out, "But you seem to have made quite a few miscalculations along the way...?"

Mona's face showed a hint of embarrassment. For example, Yura's intrusion was not in her expectations. She thought that the bandits were just a backdrop for her showing off in front of her apprentices... Mona quickly adjusted her expression and said seriously, "That's because the starry sky of Teyvat only shows the fate and reality of 'this world'."

When the word "this world" was mentioned, Mona's voice was particularly heavy.

“Anything related to you becomes ambiguous, and even I can’t judge it accurately… That’s why I need to meet with that successor. By combining her knowledge, I might be able to see through your fate.”

As she said this, she glanced briefly at Han Fulai's face, clearly indicating that the "you" she referred to included him.

In fact, Mona was wondering if Yura's arrival was related to this young master Han. If she had seen that the Knights of Favonius were coming, she wouldn't have chosen to take action at all. She would have simply told Paimon and the others, "I predict that a female knight will jump out from over there in a few minutes to capture these bandits." That would have been much more persuasive than her personally attacking them.

And it will also save us from this trouble.

But she really didn't expect Yura to come.

Ying's fate was too blurry to see clearly in her eyes, but she could actually see through small things like where Ying would appear and who she might encounter - just like she could predict that Ying would go to Liyue and that they would ride in a luxury carriage... But after traveling with this young master Han, her related divinations seemed to easily have loopholes.

—Perhaps even Ying's fate was affected by him?

So... what about Mona's own fate?

Ying and Paimon both showed a hint of joy on their faces after hearing Mona's words. After all, they agreed to be Mona's "bodyguards" because she said she could divine clues about the void.

"I'm starting to look forward to it."

"Me too."

Mona smiled smugly: "Heh, I told you, this trip will be beneficial to you no matter what. Alright, we've rested enough, let's walk straight to Dawn Winery!"

Paimon sighed, remembering how close he had come to capturing the carriage. "Ugh, I'm so tired. If only I had a carriage to ride in..."

Mona stomped her foot: "Who was it that did somersaults in front of me and said they weren't tired before?!"

Chapter Sixteen: Extravagance, far too extravagant.

Sitting in the luxurious carriage once again, Mona couldn't help but sigh to herself, "What if I can't adapt to a life of poverty after living like this for so long?"

It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality

As night fell yesterday, the group arrived at Dawn Winery. Although Mona, being frugal, suggested that they just find a local guesthouse to stay in for the night, Mondstadt was, after all, Luminous's "home turf." Who was the great hero who saved Mondstadt? How could they just settle for something like that? So Luminous generously led them to knock on the door of Dawn Winery.

Although the winery's owner, Lord Diluc, was out on business (Paimon speculated that he was probably engaged in "righteous" activities, since the knights' off-duty time was Lord Diluc's working time), Miss Adeline, the head maid of Dawn Winery, warmly welcomed them and invited them to stay overnight—Diluc's house was indeed quite large, with many guest rooms, far more than those in Maple Garden.

Han Fulai and Mona also benefited from Yingmei's presence and enjoyed a lavish family dinner at the home of the richest man in Mondstadt, Leigenfender.

At the Dawn Winery restaurant, on that multi-meter-long dining table, Han Fulai got to experience authentic Mondstadt aristocratic cuisine.

Unlike the wealthy people in Liyue who like to spread dishes all over the table, the dinner process in Mondstadt is very rigorous, with dishes served in seven steps, full of ritual:

First came the "appetizer," which is usually a small dish featuring a distinctive flavor, yet it should leave a lasting impression. They tasted a "bacon-poached egg," where the smooth texture of the egg and the savory flavor of the ham were perfectly complemented. It was said to be a favorite dish of Lord Diluc when he worked in the Knights of Favonius.

Next up was the "soup," which is said to be divided into four categories: clear soup, cream soup, vegetable soup, and cold soup. This time, they tasted the "Dudu Lotus Seafood Soup." The clear broth was bursting with the freshness of crab in every sip, the crab meat bursting on the tongue, paired with the delicate and refreshing mint and dudu lotus, it truly evoked the feeling of a carefree summer day playing barefoot on the Eagle's Nest beach in Mondstadt.

Next comes the side dish, which, according to tradition, must be a fish dish. And when it comes to fish dishes in Mondstadt, one cannot fail to mention the renowned "Butter-fried Fish." The fish, pan-fried over low heat, retains its freshness to the fullest extent, resulting in a tender and delicate texture. Paired with a slightly charred surface infused with the aroma of butter, it creates a rich and layered flavor. The collision of ocean and land flavors in the mouth is unforgettable.

Then came the main course, the most substantial meat dish of the dinner, usually served as a standalone grilled steak. However, since they happened to be in Mondstadt just before the badminton festival, they were fortunate enough to taste the renowned Mondstadt Badminton Festival's grand finale, "Heap of Heap."

The dish "The Tower" is made by stacking roasted ribs, potatoes, and cheese into a visually appealing shape, resembling a tall tower—the recipe seems to originate from the "Lone King in the Tower" of Old Mondstadt. Each layer of food is a masterpiece of the chef's craftsmanship, and the perfect proportions ensure that each layer is delicious and not greasy.

First, feast your eyes on the exquisite and meticulous plating, then let the tender steak melt slightly between your lips and teeth... To describe the taste, Paimon's comment would be: "Ah, I wish it were piled higher."

After the main course comes the usual "vegetables" to cleanse the palate, which is "vegetable salad". In Mondstadt, the vegetable salad is, of course, the "satisfying salad". The cold vegetable platter is refreshing and light, with a half-cooked egg in the middle. When you poke it with a fork, the rich yolk flows out. It is simply the most natural and delicious.

Following that, the "dessert" was the "Manor Pancake," perfectly befitting its aristocratic character. Unlike the one Han Fulai had in Liyue Harbor, this time Han Fulai was truly enjoying a dessert named after the manor within its grounds—a truly authentic Mondstadt aristocratic experience.

Of course, the final thing had to be "drinks," and naturally, the Morning Light Winery had plenty of wine—however, among everyone present, only Han Fulai enjoyed the winery's specialty wine.

Mona says that alcohol affects an astrologer's clear mind, Paimon doesn't seem old enough to drink, and as for Luminous... she claims to be sixteen, also too young to drink... So the three of them end up getting Diluc's personally researched recipe, "Angel's Gift," the most popular non-alcoholic drink, refreshing and stylish "Apple Brew."

Throughout the meal, the manor's maids were always by the guests' side, cutting dishes and clearing plates. They would even explain the history of Mondstadt behind each dish and the best way to eat it. If guests were curious about how the dishes were made, the head chef would step forward to explain in detail. For example, Mona learned how to make the authentic Mondstadt "Salad of Satisfaction" from this dinner and arbitrarily renamed it "Supreme Wisdom".

For Mona, the greatest thing about this dish is that it's incredibly filling and delicious.

Han Fulai came to Mondstadt in a private capacity, thinking he wouldn't be able to attend the "state banquet" of Mondstadt. However, the "family banquet" of Lord Diluc's family was no less grand than the "state banquet," which made him somewhat glad. Following Yingmei really did bring good things.

Of course, according to Miss Adeline, this was merely a routine matter for entertaining guests and could not be considered a real feast.

—How extravagant that feast must be… Han Fulai was pleased to find that he had indeed maintained his frugal and simple nature, and his imagination of the lives of the rich was still not rich enough.

The luxurious carriage the group is currently riding in is Diluc's private vehicle. Unlike Ningguang, this richest man in Mondstadt does not have a wine cabinet in his carriage—yes, the nobleman of Dawn Winery does not drink alcohol, because the dizziness caused by alcohol would affect his "daily work".

If Mona, who only has 100,000 Mora in her pocket right now, knew that she had not only hitched a ride with the richest man in Mondstadt, but also with the richest man in Liyue, she probably would feel dizzy without even drinking.

Mona is now forcing herself to distract herself from the luxurious journey, repeatedly reminding herself that astrologers should focus on studying the stars, and that being distracted by mundane things in the world will affect their judgment—especially using Mora to excessively satisfy physical desires, which is vulgar and dangerous!

Yes, how could the great astrologer Mona possibly envy rich people?

In preparation for the upcoming "Showdown of Successors," and also to avoid being too concerned about these "vulgar and dangerous" "external things," she began to pull Yingmei and Paimon aside and teach the two "disciples" the "Art of Water Divination."

Chapter Seventeen: Teyvat is Round

Although Mona's school has a rule that "water divination" cannot be taught to outsiders, Ying and Paimon are Mona's disciples now, so they cannot be considered outsiders.

Even though he's a fake disciple... well, an intern who just joined the company through campus recruitment can still sign off on the project on behalf of the supervisor when it's nearing completion!

When interns aren't taking the blame, their workload is the same as that of full-time employees, which shows the company's respect for them. Therefore, Mona's passing on of her secrets demonstrates her high regard for her students!

If Mona's master investigates later, Mona can simply say that she has expelled the intern... no, the intern disciple from the sect.

In fact, Mona only needed them to make sure they weren't clueless when they met the witch heir of Mondstadt. Frankly, as long as they saved face, whether they had learned "Water Divination" or not was completely irrelevant. "Water Divination" wasn't something that could be learned through cramming before an exam.

—And so Ying and Paimon collapsed in the carriage, their eyes glazed over.

Just like those slackers Han Fulai used to see in the university study room who were cramming at the last minute.

Of course, let alone academic underachievers like Ying and Paimon, even elite test-takers like Han Fulai didn't really understand the principles Mona was talking about.

Mona couldn't very well kick him out of the carriage while she was teaching Yingmei, so he felt perfectly justified in auditing Mona's astrology class.

This was also the first time Han Fulai had seen a star map of the Teyvat continent—it was like a brushstroke flicking ink onto a blue screen, looking like a dense, overwhelming mass that made one dizzy.

At first, he listened very attentively to Mona's explanation of the star chart.

Unfortunately, Teyvat and Han Fulai's original worlds were different, and many fundamental concepts were also different. The basic astronomical knowledge he had learned in school was basically useless here.

Some of the stars in the Teyvat sky were constellations that Han Fulai knew, such as the Big Dipper and the Southern Cross; while others were stars he had never heard of before, such as the stars that made up the "Constellation of Fate". These stars had their own laws of motion - but these laws did not follow the universal gravitation between celestial bodies, but rather a "fate" that people have not yet explored.

For example, Teyvat has one sun and three moons. Although people can only see one moon now, astrologers believe that the other two moons are simply hidden and continue to influence the movement of the stars. The "three-body problem" between these three moons remains a difficult problem in Teyvat astrology. Scholars of the Minglun school of the Sumeru Monastery have been studying it for over a thousand years, but have still not reached a conclusion.

In short, it's mostly knowledge that asks, "What does this have to do with someone like me who earns a monthly salary of 3,000?"

Unlike on Earth where the appearance of a star can correspond to a specific season to guide agricultural production, Teyvat astrology, if not used for "fortune telling," is like the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—only good for cultivating one's character. Mona always emphasized that astrology is a discipline that seeks "truth," not "practicality."

The calendars on the continent of Teyvat, including those with seven days in a week and thirty days in a month, seem to be based on reasons such as "the existence of the seven elemental dragon kings" or "the decrees of the gods." They are essentially products of empiricism, passed down from our ancestors.

The only practical use of astrology seems to be "fortune telling." Besides being used by people like Mona to predict personal fate, it can certainly be used to predict national development, the occurrence of disasters, and so on... However, the larger the scope, the more celestial trajectories need to be studied, and the more difficult it is to obtain accurate results.

To this day, astrology's place on the continent of Teyvat remains somewhat ambiguous, "occasionally useful," and it's hard to say whether researchers stumbled upon a pattern by sheer luck... In short, it has a "believe it or not" feel to it.

However, Han Fulai also gained some insights from Mona's lessons—"Teyvat is round, and Teyvat is a planet in the universe."

Mona even took out a globe-like teaching aid to help everyone understand.

She covered the globe with a star map and diligently rotated it to explain to everyone that the appearance of the night sky observed on the Teyvat continent would differ in different seasons.

Of course, the Teyvat roundness theory is only Mona's theory, and the "globe" is just a teaching tool for the theory - because people have not yet been able to travel all over the Teyvat continent to prove that Teyvat is round, and the proposal of this theory cannot be confirmed. In addition, the star map observed by Mona is not a complete star map of Teyvat.

It is said that a scholar of the Minglun school named Fagani in the Sumeru Buddhist Academy was also studying these questions, but he also did not get a clear answer.

The theory of a spherical Earth can perfectly explain questions such as "Why do oceans have currents? Why do the sun and moon rise alternately? Why does the temperature change?" However, when modeling and calculating the horizontal and vertical lines on the surface of the Teyvat sphere based on the known map of the Teyvat continent, there will be data discrepancies... Therefore, this theory has not yet been universally accepted.

When Mona mentioned this theory, she seemed a little guilty, after all, it was her sect's "private property" and could potentially "mislead students." However, Han Fulai believed that this might be the most valuable theory he had heard today.

While fortune telling may seem convenient, Han Fulai only uses Mona's magical skills as a supplementary reference tool and doesn't actually believe that everything about him is predestined.

Compared to the idea that "fate is predetermined," Han Fulai believed more in the idea that "human will can overcome nature," otherwise he wouldn't have led the soldiers and civilians of Guiliyuan to fight the flood.

To end the debate between the "spherical Earth" and "flat Earth" theories, the "Age of Discovery" in the 15th century began. Many adventurers embarked on circumnavigation voyages to open new sea routes and verify the theories proposed by scientists. This also spurred the development of Earth's technology.

Teyvat may very well be ushering in an era of great technological advancement, and although the "tech tree" may be different from that on Earth, it is something to be happy about in any case.

In addition... apart from the most isolated Nata, the other six countries of Teyvat are basically connected by sea. Han Fulai even had a idea: could we gather the strength of multiple countries to carry out a "Teyvat geographical discovery"?

Since he wants to unite the seven Teyvat nations to create a "Teyvat community of shared destiny," then there must be a common goal that can unite everyone as one.

For example...

— To establish a "Maritime Silk Road" in Teyvat.