He changed Tiwat

What "new friend"? He wouldn't want to meet her at all if he could... Han Fu glanced at Mona, who kept her eyes down and pretended not to hear Paimon's greeting. It seemed she was determined not to make contact with the skirmishers.

Judging from the way the Scatter Soldier looked at him, Han Fulai could probably guess that the Scatter Soldier recognized him—after all, he had ruined the Fatui's affairs many times in Liyue, so it was normal for the Scatter Soldier to have heard of his name.

There's no way to avoid it now, so let's just meet? It's not like we'll actually fight on the spot, right? Even if we do fight, he's not afraid. This place is closer to Liyue, and Xiao Shangxian is always at his beck and call.

He stepped forward and extended his hand to the stragglers: "Hello, my name is Han Fulai, a civil servant in Liyue."

The soldier naturally extended his hand to shake his: "Nice to meet you, Mr. Han..."

The moment they shook hands, a flash of purple lightning suddenly appeared in the soldier's palm, but it was hidden by their hands and could not be seen by others.

Han Fulai, however, remained vigilant and was not about to be so easily ambushed by stragglers. His eyes suddenly flashed with golden light, and his immortal power also erupted.

The golden immortal power clashed with the purple lightning, like immovable rock layers encountering a bolt of lightning from the sky.

The forces between the two palms were locked in a fierce struggle, yet the owners of the palms remained calm, as if they had known each other for a long time.

“I feel like I’ve seen Mr. Han somewhere before… Oh my, could you be the Mr. Han who defeated Ba Che?” Sanbing asked.

"...Bazhe seems to be...the Liyue monster that Katherine mentioned?" Paimon looked bewildered, while Luminous and Fischl shook their heads in the same way.

Han Fulai smiled broadly: "Oh dear, I dare not take credit for this... If I were to say what small contribution I have made, perhaps capturing a few Fools spies and driving the Northern Bank out of Liyue could be considered a contribution?"

"Wow, so he fought the Fools too!" Paimon exclaimed in shock.

Ying looked at Han Fulai with a bit more affection. Yes, anyone who would help her beat up the Fools was a good person.

The two didn't shake hands for long because Chiiwa Jun arrived.

"Everyone, what happened?" The leading Thousand Rock Army soldier walked over to the group.

His name is Niu Zhi, and he is the squad leader of the Shimen outpost of the Qianyan Army.

This Qianyan Army squad was originally stationed at the Shimen outpost, two miles away. However, due to a meteorite falling from the sky, not only did some merchants fall into a deep sleep near Shimen, but also a ferocious monster appeared.

They received orders from the Liyue General Affairs Department this morning to patrol the area around Stonegate, search for merchants who might be in danger, and exterminate monsters in the mountains. They just happened to be patrolling this area now.

Upon seeing his own Thousand Rock Army, Han Fulai withdrew his hand: "You've come at the right time. There's a worker here who has fallen into a coma and needs medical attention."

The scattered soldiers also withdrew their hands; the previous probing could only be considered a draw. According to the intelligence, this Han man had obtained the inheritance of the Demon God, and was probably more than just that. He hadn't come here for Han Fu; this was truly a chance encounter, and the handshake as a test was merely a casual gesture.

Fighting Han Fulai in front of the Thousand Rock Army near Liyue would likely alert the Liyue Asgardians, which wouldn't be a wise move, since he's not a battle maniac like "Young Master".

He still has an important task assigned to him by Piero, the commander of the Fools, and for him at the moment, the task is the priority.

"Since the Thousand Rock Army is here, there's no need for me. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

The skirmisher waved to Ying and the others: "I wish you all the best, adventurers."

Paimon and the others waved goodbye to the skirmishers in a friendly manner, but Han Fulai and Mona remained unmoved.

After the scattered soldiers left, Han Fulai took out his Yuehaiting work ID from his pocket and showed it to Niu Zhi.

Niu Zhi had certainly heard of Mr. Han, who led the soldiers and civilians of Guiliyuan in fighting the flood, and hurriedly wanted to bow, but Han Fulai stopped him: "Saving lives is the priority. Please help us carry this Mr. Fritz to the inn in Shimen."

"Yes!" Niu Zhi hurriedly called his subordinates over to treat the wounded.

Ying and Paimon watched this scene unfold and whispered to each other:

"He really is a big shot."

"It's probably bigger than we imagined; even the soldiers listen to him."

"We'll have someone to treat us when we go to Liyue from now on."

Mona, who had been standing at a distance, finally walked over and sighed, saying, "How could you talk to such a dangerous person for so long..."

Chapter Thirty-Four: Meteor Summoning Technique

"Dangerous person? You mean that person from earlier?" Paimon spread out her little hands; she really couldn't see what was dangerous about him.

Rather, the boy named Inazuma was quite friendly; Paimon and Yingmei actually had a very good first impression of him.

Mona sighed again: "Sigh, do you remember what the Fools we met on the road said before they left?"

Paimon tilted his head and recalled for a moment: "They said... their executive officer is nearby... Ah, you wouldn't mean to say...?"

Mona nodded and said, "Even with the simplest divination, it can be discerned that person... is the 'Executor of the Fools'!"

Han Fulai then added at the opportune moment: "Well, as a civil servant of Liyue, I have come into contact with several Fatui Enforcers through my work. The young man just now was the sixth Fatui Enforcer, codenamed 'Scrap Soldier'."

No wonder Mona and Han Fulai seemed so reluctant to interact with that person earlier. And when it comes to astrology, Mona never lies... Since both of them said so, Paimon had no choice but to believe that the boy was indeed a member of the Fools.

Oz flapped his wings repeatedly, his voice filled with astonishment: "What? That boy is an Executor of the Fools? What an evil person he is...!"

Ying frowned: "He's actually an executive officer?"

The only Fatui enforcer she knew was "Lady." If the boy from earlier was one of those "Ladies"... no wonder Mona called him a "dangerous person." And as far as she knew, the Fatui were never a charitable organization; that boy... no, that Fatui enforcer must have some kind of conspiracy, right?

Mona seemed to see through Ying's thoughts and interjected, "...That's right, he must have had ulterior motives for approaching you. And he's incredibly strong! You can sense it just by looking at him; his strength is beyond imagination!"

"The sixth seat..." Ying recalled the chilling wind that the lady had casually summoned in front of the Cathedral of the West, a wind that could have frozen her and Wendy into ice pops.

The lady is only the eighth seat, and the soldier is the sixth seat, which means... that person was stronger than the lady?

Even in the summer, Ying couldn't help but shiver.

Mona also recalled the “fate” she had seen in the skirmisher when she met him earlier.

Although she only caught a glimpse of it... it felt to Mona like peering into the legendary "abyss"—dark, empty, lonely, cold... without any hope.

“Although I hate to admit it, I think it’s best to ask the association to terminate this commission.” Mona shook her head.

The Fools are already associated with countless darkness and conspiracies, and the Enforcers are the most dangerous of the dangerous. Rumor has it that the Enforcers are ruthless killers, and Mona has no desire to get involved with such people.

Whether she joined the Adventurers' Guild or accepted quests, it was all for Mora... Why should a working-class person risk their life for her?

When Oz heard Mona's discouraging words, he asked incredulously, "Is he more powerful than Mona, a rare astrological genius and a great astrologer?"

"Who, who said that!" Mona's face flushed red. "He only narrowly won in terms of skill; when it comes to astrology alone, he's far inferior to me!"

Paimon chimed in at the opportune moment, "By the way, the Fools we encountered earlier seemed to be collecting meteorite fragments, and that executor just now also seemed to have taken away the meteorite that landed on Fritz's carriage. Why are the Fools so interested in meteorites?"

Mona summoned the water divination plate and stirred it for a moment, but to no avail.

The Fatui Executors are closely linked to the Ice Queen, receiving "authority" bestowed upon them, and their destinies are overshadowed by her radiance. Mona, at least for now, cannot foresee the Executors' fates through divination.

Mona put away the water tray and shrugged. "Anyway, there's definitely some kind of conspiracy. Considering they're also interested in meteorites... hmm, could it be them..."

Paimon clapped his hands: "Ah! Could it be that this batch of meteorites was created by the Fatui?"

Mona stomped her foot: "Paimon! How dare you steal my lines!"

Paimon made a face at Mona: "Hehehe...sorry, my mouth is faster."

"But, is there any magic in the world that can summon a meteorite?" Ying crossed her arms and began to seriously consider the possibility of the Fatui summoning a meteorite.

Paimon thought for a moment and shook his head: "Pulling down a star from the sky is too exaggerated!"

Han Fulai was also considering this possibility. "Pulling down a star from the sky" was unheard of even in Teyvat, a world with gods. Even Zhongli's "Celestial Movement" didn't summon a real meteorite... If the Fools could even cast a spell like "Meteor Summoning," they would be invincible...

Well, if it is the so-called "fall of a celestial star", there really was one such event in Liyue's history, the Lava Pit was created by a "celestial star".

But that was before the Seven Reigns era. The war between Heaven and the outsiders caused more than just the fall of stars; it was practically the destruction of the world. It's highly unlikely that the Fools possessed power of that level.

Moreover, the meteorites they've encountered so far have at most put those who come into contact with them to sleep. They haven't even managed to create a crater like the Abyss of Rocky Depths, let alone smash a carriage... In fact, so far, the damage caused by meteor showers has been mostly psychological, such as putting people to sleep or attracting monsters. As for physical damage like explosions or craters, it seems there hasn't been any.

—In other words, even if it was really the work of the Fools, this "Meteor Summoning Spell" is actually quite weak in terms of destructive power.

At this moment, Her Highness the Princess coughed twice in a very high-profile manner, as if she had something to say, so everyone's attention was focused on Fischl.

Fischl nodded with satisfaction and looked at Oz, saying, "Ozwaldo Hefnavanis, what do you think?"

Han Fulai almost blurted out, "Oz, are you Yuanfang?"

Oz bowed his head respectfully and replied, "Miss, I believe anything is possible."

“Yes, that’s right.” Fischl raised her hands high: “As long as an equal price is paid, the seeds of misfortune will take root everywhere… Fools, I will remember you.”

Oz flapped his wings in agreement: "Ha, miracles can happen."

"So you also believe that these meteorites were summoned by the Fools, right?" Mona squinted, thinking that Fischl must have some profound insights, but in reality, she was just repeating what she had just discussed with Paimon.

Fischl, seemingly oblivious to the mockery on Mona's face, struck a pose and proclaimed loudly, "Messenger of the Stars, worthy of being my excellent attendant, High Priestess Megistus of the Court! Fear not, I will assign my men to protect you and keep you from the darkness."

“For example, me.” Oz bowed politely to Mona, adopting the posture of a protector of a flower.

Paimon retorted, "You only have Oz as your subordinate, don't you!"

Mona snorted: "Fischl, are you underestimating me? I'm very strong, you know!"

Oz quickly replied, "There is no one more trustworthy than you, madam. However, you are too close to the truth of fate, and even the princess worries about your safety."

Mona blushed slightly: "There's no need for that. Besides, your environment is more dangerous than mine. If possible, I'd like to protect you."

—After all, when fighting the Fools and encountering the skirmishers before, Mona was always the one hiding in the back... If the skirmishers had actually attacked just now, Mona would probably have run away.

Paimon had no idea what Mona was thinking. When he heard Mona say that she wanted to protect them, he sincerely praised her, "Mona, you're such a kind person."

Mona blushed even more: "W-why are you suddenly saying things like that?"

Ying then turned to Fischl and praised her, saying, "Fischl, you're such a nice person."

Even the princess blushed, a rare occurrence for her: "Of course!"

The issuance of these two "good guy" cards by Ying and Paimon has inadvertently strengthened the bond within the small team.

Han Fulai, who had been observing from the sidelines, saw that their conversation had come to an end and finally clapped his hands. "Alright everyone, only by continuing the investigation can we find out the truth of the matter. If it is true that the Fool's Enforcer said he dealt with the meteorite, Fritz may wake up soon. We might as well go with the Thousand Rock Army to the Stone Gate Inn to ask about the situation."

Chapter Thirty-Five: His Name is Leonard

With Han Fulai present, the investigation team received a warm welcome from the Thousand Rock Army in Stone Gate Town, and their investigation into the damage suffered by Liyue proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

Like Qingquan Town, there are also many people unconscious in Shimen, mostly local residents and passing merchants.

Han Fulai also inquired about the situation in Liyue from Niu Zhi and other Thousand Rock Army officers. It was basically the same as what the Adventurers' Guild had reported. The meteor shower in Liyue did not fall on densely populated areas like Liyue Harbor, so there were relatively few victims.

Furthermore, upon receiving reports of the meteor shower, the Seven Stars government reacted swiftly, immediately dispatching the Thousand Rock Army to treat the victims and investigate the meteorite impact points. They also prepared for a monster riot by deploying patrols—after all, Liyue is not Mondstadt, and the Thousand Rock Army is an army dedicated to protecting the people.

While there are sleepers in Liyue, at least there are no ordinary people like Allen in Springvale who have been attacked by monsters.

The Thousand Rock Army, the Adventurers' Guild, and the disciples of the Ancient Flower School worked together to organize "temporary shelters" in Mingyun Town, Yaoguang Beach, and Qingce Village to accommodate the victims of the meteor shower. A temporary medical station was also set up at the central point of these locations, namely Wangshu Inn. Doctor Baishu and other healers in Liyue Harbor formed a medical team to focus on treating patients with narcolepsy.

Thanks to Ningguang's intelligence network, she learned about the meteorite response almost immediately. The Adventurers' Guild had already received a commission from Tianquan Star and was organizing holders of the Eye of God to collect the meteorite. Meanwhile, Gan Yu seemed to have found a celestial to help her—needless to say, Xiao Shangxian, who could fly and possessed the Eye of God, was currently extremely busy.

In just one day, while Mondstadt was still in chaos, Liyue had already handled the disaster relief efforts in an orderly manner.

As a civil servant in Liyue, Han Fulai sincerely exclaimed that this was the superiority of Liyue's system. At least in terms of protecting the people and providing disaster relief, Liyue was second to none, and Teyvat dared to claim first place.

It is likely true that the skirmisher said he dealt with the meteorite on the wagon, and Fritz regained consciousness shortly after being taken to the Stone Gate.

"So high...so cold...I can't walk anymore..." These were the first words Fritz uttered after waking up.

It was clear that he also seemed to have dreamed of snow-capped mountains.

Paimon quickly asked him, "Did you also dream that you were climbing a mountain?"

Fritz asked in surprise, "How did you know?"

According to Fritz, he fell asleep after touching the meteorite and then dreamed that he was at the foot of a mountain.

It was a very high and cold snow mountain. Fritz said he had never seen a mountain like it before. The summit was very sharp, like... the hat Mona was wearing.

He didn't know why he wanted to climb that mountain; it was as if he were possessed. In his dreams, he only thought about climbing the mountain and reaching the highest peak.

"Could there be some treasure on the mountain peak...?"

In Paimon's world, climbing snow-capped mountains is of course for treasure hunting—she encouraged Yingmei to go to Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain because she heard there was treasure there.

Of course, they did find treasure in the Dragon Ridge Mountains. Ying's backpack still contains a very valuable "Snow Burial Star Silver" greatsword.

Fritz shook his head blankly: "Who knows? I'm like a different person when I fall asleep. If you ask me what's at the top of the mountain, I can't say... How should I put it... It's like someone is controlling me, making me have this idea of ​​climbing the mountain. It's so strange."

"Could it be 'Dark Flow'?" Fischl asked with a serious expression, throwing out a new concept.

Oz nodded: "It's not spontaneous, but rather a subconscious desire. It does resemble 'mind control'."

Ying finally couldn't help but complain: "Although I'm used to it, I still have to say... you two aren't even using the same word!"

Han Fulai, who was standing nearby, quickly flipped through the setting page of "Princess Fischl's Night Tales." Hmm, this novel really does have the so-called "Dark Flow" phenomenon. The villain will materialize the demonic dragons he imagines to attack the princess... This setting looks really familiar.

Well, after all, the author is the "Ninth Teacher" of Inazuma "Yaedo", so it's not surprising that there are some Inazuma-style settings.

Paimon stroked his chin thoughtfully: "So, all those people who kept saying they were cold and couldn't climb anymore... were they all on the snow mountain?"

Ying interjected, "Everyone is dreaming the same dream!"

“Those towering snow-capped mountains must be the sprouts of darkness,” Fischl said with certainty.