He changed Tiwat

Lu Hu immediately shouted, "Sir, we are servants of Lord Maocai, here to collect goods. These two lads, relying on their background in the Guhua Sect and their martial arts skills, have been provoking us, obstructing our business, and even attacking us! Look, many of my brothers have been injured by them!"

"Forced buying and selling, and you still have the nerve to say you're here to do business?" Xingqiu couldn't help but retort.

At this moment, the servants who had gone to the stream to wash returned. Some had bruises and swelling on their faces, some had their heads charred black, and three servants were still covering their eyes and groaning in pain, being supported by their companions, looking quite pitiful. The Fool's Thunderfire Sorcerer was still unconscious and was being carried on the back of one of the servants.

Upon seeing this, the Qianyan Army officer frowned and said, "They've fought like this, and you still say it's not mutual fighting? Come with us to the General Affairs Department! We're here to investigate this fight. Forced buying and selling is none of our business. You can file a complaint at the General Affairs Department."

Han Fulai bowed deeply to the four directions and said loudly, "Many villagers witnessed what just happened. I will recount it point by point and ask you all to corroborate my account."

He pointed to the several sticks that had been thrown on the ground and said, “Those thugs were armed with sticks, and several of them attacked me. Look, they had prepared weapons and attacked first, so it was clear that they intended to kill me. I was unarmed and even shouted a warning to them that it was illegal to hurt people with blunt weapons. All the villagers present could witness that.”

The Qianyan Army officer glanced at the crowd of onlookers from Qingce Village; several residents were nodding in agreement.

“I did not prepare any weapon, and I immediately spoke up to stop the other party’s violent behavior. This shows that I had no intention of harming anyone. All my actions were to stop the other party from endangering my life, so it was of course legitimate self-defense,” Han Fulai said confidently.

"This kid is lying, sir! Check his bag, it's full of weapons! He almost blinded some of my brothers!" Lu Hu said urgently.

Han Fulai opened his satchel and showed the contents one by one.

“We members of the Guhua School usually make a living by performing acrobatic tricks. These are all performance props, not weapons.”

He took out the oil paper package containing lime powder, which still had some lime powder residue inside.

"Look everyone, I'm going to demonstrate 'boiling water without fire.' I'll be carrying some lime powder with me to heat water. That makes perfect sense, doesn't it?"

He then took out a tinderbox and a packet of rosin powder in hemp paper.

"Look everyone, I'm going to perform 'breathing fire dragon,' so it's reasonable for me to carry fire and flammable powder with me, right?"

He then took out various odds and ends, such as a paper packet containing sand and gravel, scissors, a paper-cut fish, a small oil jug, and a bottle filled with strong liquor.

"Look again, everyone. This is for performing 'flying sand and stones,' this is for performing 'paper fish swimming,' and this bottle of wine... is for drinking, of course, not for throwing at people. So it's perfectly reasonable for me to carry these things with me, right?"

Many of the onlookers had seen street performers before and nodded in agreement.

"I was attacked by a thug, and I used a prop I had with me to defend myself. That's perfectly reasonable, isn't it? How can you call that a weapon?"

Han Fulai's words were impeccable, and even Xingqiu, who had seen him use these things to beat people, almost believed him. The soldiers of the Qianyan Army had no choice but to agree.

"Moreover, during the self-defense process just now, all my actions complied with the provisions of the Liyue Code regarding legitimate self-defense!" Han Fulai continued.

"First, the other party objectively committed violent crimes that seriously endangered my personal safety, which meets the prerequisite for exercising the right of self-defense."

"Secondly, I retaliated during the violent crime committed by the other party. When the other party stopped the violence and lay on the ground, I did not pursue them. I even called them over to take my companion away for medical treatment. This meets the time requirements for exercising the right of self-defense."

"Third, my defensive actions were only directed against the perpetrator of the unlawful attack. You see, Lü Hu didn't lay a hand on me, so I didn't hit him. This meets the conditions for exercising the right of self-defense against the perpetrator."

"According to Article 20, Section 3 of the Liyue Code, I fully meet the conditions for legitimate self-defense. Even if I cause injury or death to the other party in the course of legitimate self-defense, I will not bear any responsibility. I urge all the Thousand Rock Army members to understand this."

Han Fulai’s words were eloquent and well-reasoned, even surprising the Qianyan Army officer in charge – could it be that the Guhua Sect’s street performers had switched careers to become legal consultants?

Chapter Ninety-Three: Government is not concerned with good or evil, but only with order or chaos.

Lu Hu used to be a street urchin, known for his many acts of provocation and brawls, and had been in and out of the General Affairs Department's jail multiple times. After joining forces with Mao Cai Gong, he became even more of a henchman, and this wasn't the first time he had used violence and coercion. Fights always have winners and losers, but regardless of who won or lost, the other party would inevitably end up in jail with him.

If it were simply a matter of revenge, Lü Hu wouldn't have needed to commit such a heinous act in broad daylight at Qingce Village. Qingce Village is a rural area, surrounded by mountains and wilderness. He could have ambushed and beaten the two boys while they were walking at night or in a deserted place, and even if they had been killed, no one would have known. Afterwards, he could have blamed it on the treasure-hunting gang, and nobody would care who the murderer was.

In the residential area of ​​Qingce Village, no matter how bad the fight gets, the Thousand Rock Army is stationed at the foot of the mountain! As long as the Thousand Rock Army arrives, both sides in the fight will always be in deep trouble.

In fact, the reason he ordered his men to gang up on Xingqiu and Han Fulai was precisely this idea—no matter how capable these two Guhua faction kids were, as long as they were fighting, they would at least be given administrative detention and spend a few days in jail.

These two boys are the only ones protecting Master Chang. Without them, Master Chang isn't exactly a tough nut to crack. If we scare him a few times or even beat him up, he'll definitely give up the batch of amber he has. As long as we get these two boys into the prison to keep him company, and Master Maocai doesn't lack servants, we can just have someone else collect the goods.

The key is to get the task entrusted to him by Mao Caigong completed. No matter what method is used, as long as this batch of amber is obtained, it will be his achievement.

Lu Hu had a perfectly good plan: even if the residents of Qingce Village didn't call the Thousand Rock Army, he would find them himself to take the two boys away. Who knew that this Han Fei was so well-versed in the Liyue Codex, even capable of taking down his opponents without breaking the law!

This won't do. It's one thing for his servants to be beaten, but if things don't go well, Maocai Gong might not leave him any way out—Lu Hu thought of the fate of the sedan chair carrier from the Guhua faction.

We have to drag these two brats down with us no matter what! He gritted his teeth and pointed at Xingqiu, shouting, "This kid brought a sword! In the fight just now, we were only using wooden sticks, but he used a real weapon!"

Unfortunately, Han Fu had already seen through Lü Hu's scheme.

"What real thing? This is just a performance prop!" Han Fulai patted Xingqiu on the back. "Brother Xingqiu, perform our sect's secret technique, 'Sword Swallowing,' for them!"

While carrying weapons is not prohibited in Liyue, it's perfectly normal for long-distance travelers or bodyguards to carry weapons for self-defense against monsters. However, drawing sharp weapons like swords during a fight can easily be interpreted as an attempt to injure someone intentionally. In other words, Xingqiu's carrying a weapon makes it difficult to be judged as acting in self-defense.

Xingqiu carried a sword at his waist simply to avoid revealing that he was the wielder of the Eye of God. The Eye of God comes with a small storage space activated by elemental power, where Xingqiu usually kept his sword and Mora. Gan Yu's bow and arrows, Yan Fei's notebook, and the Dragon Head Scale were also stored within the Eye of God.

Upon hearing Han Fulai's words, Xingqiu immediately understood.

Xingqiu tilted his head back, opened his mouth, and aimed the sacrificial sword at his lips, secretly activating the Divine Eye at his waist. Just as the sword was about to touch Xingqiu's lips, it suddenly vanished without a trace. Xingqiu then dramatically wiped his mouth, indicating that he had swallowed the sword.

Han Fulai led the applause, and the onlookers, unaware of what was happening, cheered.

"So my fellow disciple Xingqiu, just like me, used the performance props he carried with him for self-defense, which is of course legitimate self-defense!"

"This..." Lu Hu was dumbfounded. Although he knew Xing Qiu possessed the Eye of God, he only knew that those who wielded the Eye of God were powerful in combat, and he didn't know that the Eye of God had such miraculous effects. What was originally a peaceful street fight had turned into self-defense just because this kid surnamed Han touched his lips with his upper lip? And it seemed that he had been beaten down by two street performers using performance props... This was too embarrassing.

The only option now is to rely on the power of the Fools.

Lu Hu pointed at the still unconscious Thunderfire sorcerer and shouted, "They even injured the adults of the Fools! We can't let them get away with this!"

Upon hearing this, some onlookers immediately spat on the ground in disdain, and some even rolled up their sleeves, ready to attack. The Fatui had recently become infamous in Liyue. Although Liyue and Winterfell had not severed diplomatic relations, in the simple-minded minds of the Liyue people, the Fatui stealing the Emperor's remains was tantamount to being an enemy of Liyue. Lu Hu, who kept referring to himself as "the lord of the Fatui," could easily be called a "traitor to Liyue."

Even the Thousand Rock Army officer couldn't help but frown. Although he also disliked the Fatui who were stirring up trouble in Liyue, they were, after all, people of Winterfell, and could potentially cause diplomatic problems. This was a responsibility that a lowly sergeant in the Thousand Rock Army couldn't bear, and he had to handle it carefully. Although the two young men from the Ancient Flower faction were acting in self-defense, he could only swallow his pride for now.

Thinking of this, he waved his hand and gave the order: "Take all these people back to the General Affairs Department!"

"Wait a minute!" Han Fulai calmly pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to the officer. "This is the business card of my personal legal consultant, Ms. Yan Fei. My brother Xingqiu and I are innocent people. If you detain us arbitrarily, Ms. Yan Fei will sue you for abuse of power! If you have any questions, talk to my legal consultant first."

Yanfei is Liyue's most famous legal consultant and one of the Liyue Ascetics. She also recently made significant contributions in the Battle of Ocel, gaining considerable notoriety. In terms of influence, the General Affairs Department has many difficult cases that require her assistance, and even the head of the General Affairs Department has to show her some respect.

Since this person is related to Yan Fei, if anything goes wrong later, Yan Fei can handle it; the responsibility won't fall on him. The Qianyan Army officer returned the business card to Han Fulai, then turned and shouted to his soldiers, "Except for these two, take everyone else away! Rear!"

Qianyanjun led Lü Hu and the others away, and the crowd dispersed.

Xingqiu sighed.

"The 'chivalry' I seek is not universally accepted in Liyue. I knew that all along, but I never expected to actually encounter it and still feel so unwilling."

“Brother Xingqiu, why be discouraged? Didn’t we successfully protect Master Chang?” Han Fulai said.

"Brother Han, there's no need to comfort me. If you hadn't been there, I'm afraid I would have been captured by the Thousand Rock Army. How could I have done any chivalrous deeds? I just don't understand why in this world, bad people act without restraint, while good people struggle to even protect themselves. If we martial artists are like this, how can ordinary people face the oppression of these villains?"

Xingqiu raised her two willow-leaf eyebrows, and anger gradually appeared on her face.

"The conditions for legitimate self-defense stipulated in the Liyue Penal Code are almost impossible to meet in reality! We are clearly acting out of a sense of justice, but we are arrested by the Thousand Rock Army for harming evildoers! How can the people of Liyue dare to resist evildoers if this continues?"

"Why do we have almost no power to resist the evildoers? The law is supposed to protect the weak, so why is it so harsh on them? The Seven Stars government should be punishing evil and promoting good, so why is it arresting those who try to uphold justice?"

Han Fulai shook his head and said, "Because the Seven Stars government does not pursue punishing evil and promoting good."

"What does the Seven Stars government pursue?" Xingqiu asked.

"Stability," Han Fulai replied, "ensuring the normal functioning of society, preventing chaos, stopping divisions, and standing firm."

Xingqiu was taken aback. "If the Seven Star Government doesn't do good, what is its purpose?"

"Xingqiu, the government is not concerned with good or evil, but only with order or chaos."

Chapter Ninety-Four: You are the one the Seven Star Government is trying to quell.

"If we're talking about order and chaos, servants bully others, wealthy merchants force others to buy and sell, and fools commit violence in the streets... isn't that chaos?" Xingqiu retorted.

"Of course not." Han Fulai shook his head.

"What kind of chaos does the Seven Stars government want to quell?" Xingqiu asked.

Han Fulai extended a finger and pointed at Xingqiu.

"you."

"Me?" Xingqiu was taken aback.

"Brother Xingqiu, have you ever heard the saying, 'A knight-errant uses martial arts to break the law'?" Han Fulai asked.

Xingqiu nodded frankly. "Of course I know. This is the instruction left on the 'Rain Cutting' divine sword by our sect's founder, Gu Hua."

As expected! Han Fulai asked this question deliberately, just to test whether Xingqiu had entered Wangshan Hall, a key location of the Guhua Sect.

Since Xingqiu was seen as the hope for the sect's revival by the previous sect leader, it was only natural to lead him into Wangshan Hall to explore the secrets left behind by the sect's founder, Gu Hua. Moreover, Xingqiu calls himself a "bookworm," a voracious reader, and was even willing to reveal his name to protect Master Chang's copy of "The Record of the Broken Halberd of Shenxiao." If nothing unexpected happens, the missing books from the shelves in Wangshan Hall were likely taken by Xingqiu under the guise of "protecting ancient texts."

"It seems Brother Xingqiu has also been to Wangshan Hall," Han Fulai said with a smile, subtly revealing that he too was someone of status who had entered Wangshan Hall. "Then Brother Xingqiu must understand the meaning of the instructions left by our patriarch?"

"Our patriarch taught his disciples to uphold the principles of chivalry and justice. If one lacks a moral compass, one's efforts will be misdirected. One will abandon the essential for the trivial and become a vulgar person chasing violence," Xingqiu said.

Han Fulai sighed inwardly. Xingqiu's explanation was brimming with positive energy, a perfect answer from a top student. If he hadn't known that Gu Hua was his fellow townsman and a lawyer before his transmigration, he probably would have thought the same thing.

Han Fulai gently shook his head.

"What Master Guhua meant was that chivalry should not exist."

As he said this, Han Fulai even felt a pang of guilt, as if he were smearing a blank sheet of paper... but he had no choice but to do it.

"You... what gives you the right to say that!" Xingqiu's eyebrows furrowed, and her voice rose uncontrollably. Even if she considered Han Fulai her fellow disciple and a close friend she felt an instant connection with, he couldn't possibly discredit her sense of chivalry!

"Brother Xingqiu, do you know what era Master Guhua lived in?" Han Fulai asked unhurriedly.

“Four thousand years ago, during the era of the war between demons and gods,” Xingqiu replied.

"Back then, the Geo Archon had not yet established Liyue, nor did Liyue have the Seven Stars... and of course, there were no laws. In that era teeming with monsters and bandits, only the sword in one's hand could ensure survival."

"Doesn't this just prove the value of chivalry? If it weren't for our founder's chivalrous deeds, how could the Guhua Sect exist today? How could our founder deny his own chivalrous principles?" Xingqiu said angrily.

"Then let me ask you another question." Han Fulai did not answer directly. "You know that Qingce Village has recently been flooded. If there is a way to make Qingce Village never suffer from floods again, and the price is to sacrifice a young girl from Qingce Village every year as an offering, killing this girl to sacrifice to the gods to ensure the village's safety, would you be willing?"

Xingqiu's eyes turned cold. "I will choose to kill that wicked god. Even if I am no match for him, I will still raise my sword!"

"According to the Liyue Ancient Tome 'Jueyun Chronicles,' there once lived a sea god near Yaoguang Beach. Every year, the villagers would offer pearls as tribute and a beautiful young woman as the sea god's bride. In return, the sea god would offer a year of calm seas as a dowry. Do you think the villagers were right or wrong?"

“This…of course it’s wrong.” Xingqiu hesitated briefly, but still gave his answer.

"Yes. There was a young girl who was to be a bride who thought the same thing. She was taken back by the sea god to the underwater palace decorated with pearls of various colors. The girl prayed to the sea god to go home, and the sea god said that he had no intention of indulging in the villagers' farce. He only took the girl home to protect the girls who had been sacrificed by the villagers so that they could live peacefully at the bottom of the sea. The sea god let her return to the village and gave her a conch shell, telling her to blow it whenever she wanted to find the sea god."

"The girl married an ordinary life and had a daughter. Years passed, and every year another girl from another family became the sea god's bride. Finally, one year, it was her daughter's turn. To prevent her daughter from being taken away by the villagers, she blew the conch shell, and the sea god appeared and took away the mother and daughter. The waves that accompanied the sea god's appearance flooded the entire village."

"Do you think what this girl did was right or wrong?" Han Fulai asked.

Xingqiu remained silent for a moment before giving his answer: "...She is wrong."

"The reason you hesitate is because you think this way: the villagers sacrificed the girl for peace, so the villagers were wrong. The girl sacrificed the entire village for her own daughter's safety, so the girl was also wrong," Han Fulai said.

Xingqiu tacitly agreed.

“But from the perspectives of the villagers and the girl, neither of them was actually wrong; they were both trying to protect themselves. The one who was truly wrong was that lying sea god. If he really didn’t need the pearls and the girl, he shouldn’t have gone out to collect tributes every year, and he shouldn’t have threatened the villagers with the so-called ‘calm seas.’” Han Fulai smiled slightly. “That’s why the Rock King Emperor killed that sea god.”

"The standards of morality differ from person to person. For villagers who are powerless to protect themselves, even sacrificing an innocent girl to protect the safety of the whole village is not evil. But for the girl who was sacrificed, the villagers are evil. The root of the problem is that the villagers are powerless to resist the sea god's demands. If the sea god's evil did not exist, they would actually be kind, ordinary people."

Han Fulai stared into Xingqiu's amber eyes and slowly said, "You said before that a chivalrous person should adhere to the standard of good and evil in their heart, but this standard is determined by yourself. Perhaps to others, your good is also a kind of evil."

"If Lu Hu, who was just captured by the Qianyan Army, has an eighty-year-old mother with a serious illness waiting for him to take care of her, and children crying for food, and relies entirely on making this deal with Master Chang Jiu to support his entire family, and now that we have stopped his deal, his whole family may die because of our chivalrous act, are we doing good or evil?" Han Fulai asked.

"Huh... does he have one?" Xingqiu stared in disbelief.

"Of course not, I just made it up on the spot," Han Fulai replied casually. "It's a common whitewashing trope in martial arts novels. They give a villain a tragic backstory, forcing him to do bad things, so readers will sympathize with him. If the villain is handsome, readers will love and pity him even more, and strongly request that he join the protagonist's team."

"Hmm... I think I've seen quite a few similar scenes." Xingqiu recalled some popular martial arts novels in Liyue.

"But you hesitated when you heard that Lü Hu had a tragic past, didn't you?" Han Fulai smiled mischievously. "If the Master Chang we're helping is actually a villain who does all sorts of evil in private, would you still be willing to help him? In the end, can the yardstick of good and evil in the hearts of chivalrous people really always be reliable?"

“This…” Xingqiu remained silent.

"That's why Master Guhua left behind the instruction—'A knight-errant uses martial arts to break the law.' The key to this statement is not the knight-errant aspect or the martial arts aspect, but the 'law'. In Master Guhua's time, there was no country, no laws, no order, and of course, no so-called prohibitions. For a knight-errant to break the law with martial arts, there must be prohibitions to break!"

Han Fulai raised his head, looked at the sky, and imagined what it would be like for that fellow villager from Guhua to ascend to Sky Island.

"What Master Gu Hua wanted to create was an era that didn't need knights-errant. If a single decree from the Seven Star Government could stop crime, then naturally there would be no need for knights-errant. Master Gu Hua became a knight-errant so that the world would no longer need them. I guess Gu Hua... originally wanted to be a legal consultant."

"I became a knight-errant so that we would never need knight-errant again..." Xingqiu pondered these words repeatedly.

“You know, the Ancient Flower Sect used to be the number one sect in Liyue. It gradually shrank from the Ancient Flower Guild and the Ancient Flower Hall to the Ancient Flower Sect we know today. This actually represents that the times are becoming more and more peaceful, and people can live peacefully without having to practice martial arts. Liyue may need soldiers, bodyguards, and protectors... but it doesn't need chivalrous knights anymore.”

“…I see.” Xingqiu finally realized, “That’s why Brother Han said that I am the one the Seven Star Government needs to quell the chaos.”

Chapter Ninety-Five: I wouldn't even dare to think about it

"It seems Brother Xingqiu has understood." Han Fulai's face showed a relieved smile.

He went to great lengths to explain this to Xingqiu in order to persuade him to participate in his upcoming plan. If Xingqiu still clung to his old beliefs, seeing only the pure and innocent path of chivalry, he certainly wouldn't cooperate with him. Because, from Xingqiu's perspective, what he was about to do was absolutely contrary to the principles of chivalry.

“The Seven Stars government of Liyue exists to govern Liyue. If Liyue were well-governed, where would there be room for heroes to appear? So, for the Seven Stars government, my existence symbolizes their poor governance,” Xingqiu sighed.

“Exactly.” Han Fulai nodded. “Liyue is a nation of contracts, and the law is also a kind of contract, a contract between the Seven Stars government and all its people. The content of this contract is: ‘If you obey the law, the law will protect you; if you violate the law, the law will punish you.’ But knights-errant transcend this contract system, using their personal moral standards to replace the legal contract, which is naturally unacceptable to the system. This is what is called ‘knights-errant breaking the law with martial arts.’”

“If criminals are merely violating legal contracts, then our acts of chivalry are actually a subversion of legal contracts, replacing government functions with individual actions. In the eyes of the Seven Star Government, Lu Hu and his group’s actions are illegal and criminal, and our acts of chivalry may be considered rebellion.”

"Rebellion...? It can't be that serious, can it?" Xingqiu clicked his tongue in disbelief.