He changed Tiwat

Even failed experiments can lead to practical technologies.

Taking advantage of the thieves' confusion, Abedo seized the opportunity and swiftly climbed the high slope where the thieves were lying in ambush.

The leader of the treasure-hunting gang had just sat up, his face still covered in the frost of the freezing potion, and had no time to resist. The next second, the purple straight sword in Abedo's hand had already pierced his throat!

Abedo withdrew his straight sword, and bright red blood spurted from the leader's throat.

The leader of the treasure-hunting gang clutched his throat, making muffled sounds, but could no longer utter a complete sentence, and collapsed to the ground, motionless.

The members of the treasure-hunting gang were terrified when they saw their leader die a gruesome death. They dropped their weapons, and some of the more timid ones even wet their pants, clearly having lost all will to fight.

"We surrender, please spare us!"

Some of the thieves have already begun to beg for mercy.

But Aberdo ignored them all, still holding his sword as he turned to the next group of thieves, and once again brought his sword down. In just a few seconds, Aberdo had already killed three members of the thieves.

Faced with a group of thieves who had lost the will to resist, this was tantamount to a massacre... Is this really the Aberdo who was described by others as "polite, elegant, sincere and kind"?

He doesn't look like a scholar anymore, he's practically a killer!

Han Fulai began to doubt his own eyes, but Abedo continued to walk toward the fourth member of the treasure-hunting group, carrying his blood-stained sword, seemingly prepared to wipe them all out.

Not only Han Fulai, but three other members of the Knights who were familiar with Abedo also had the same question, especially Sugar—her teacher, with whom she spent every day, suddenly went on a killing spree in front of her, which terrified her.

Yura was the first to react, shouting, "Abedo, stop!"

Although they were still far away, Abedo heard Yura's shout and turned around to give them a cold look—his eyes were cold and... filled with murderous intent.

Although she didn't understand what had happened to Abedo, Yura knew she had to stop him from killing more.

Injuries and fatalities are inevitable during the capture of bandits, and it is understandable to kill opponents in self-defense. However, the Knights' regulations also clearly stipulate that enemies who have laid down their weapons should not be killed indiscriminately.

In capturing Taylor's gang of thieves, Yura mainly relied on stunning her opponents to render them incapable of resistance, but someone like Abedo... could already be charged with murder.

Yura drew her greatsword and charged towards Abedo, while Amber, seeing Yura's actions, also came to her senses and followed closely behind.

Seemingly realizing that Yura and Amber were after him, Abedo frowned and glanced at the remaining members of the treasure-hunting group with a look of regret.

Then he leaped down the hillside and ran along the ravine into the depths of the snow-capped mountains, quickly disappearing from sight.

Chapter 83 The Sword of Decay

Yura and Amber tracked Abedo for a while, but unfortunately they were clearly not as familiar with the snow mountain environment as Abedo, and they quickly lost track of him.

There were so many things to hide in the vast snow-covered mountains, and Abedo often chose to land on rocky areas where he wouldn't leave footprints. Even though Yura and Amber were both professional trackers, tracking Abedo in this environment was very difficult.

Abedo killed someone and fled right in front of them; there might be something unusual going on behind the scenes. Perhaps there are dangers hidden in the snow-capped mountains that they never expected.

Yura herself had a guard duty to perform and could not stray too far from Han Fulai.

Although Han Fulai still has Sugar, the Knight of Favonius, by his side, Sugar had clearly suffered a great mental shock just now... so he might not be able to rely on her now.

Yura gritted her teeth, abandoned the idea of ​​continuing the pursuit, and led Amber back as quickly as possible.

She only hoped that the members of the treasure-hunting group hadn't all run away, and that she could still get some information out of them.

However, the situation was much better than Yura had expected.

When they returned, the survivors of the treasure-hunting gang were all obediently squatting on the spot with their hands behind their heads, and their weapons and equipment were all neatly piled up at Han Fulai's feet.

Clearly, this group of people were already considered Han Fulai's "captives".

Upon seeing Yura and Amber return, Han Fulai greeted them with a serious expression: "Miss Yura, Miss Amber, I have just inquired about the situation... Mr. Abedo may have been mentally affected by a 'demon sword'."

Sugar remained in a dazed, frozen state until Abedo escaped.

As a member of the investigation team, Sugar's job role is actually more like that of a logistics and equipment technician for the Knights, in other words, a non-combatant who has never been on the battlefield and seen real fighting.

Although she had experience fighting monsters to obtain research materials, that was not the same as killing people—just as a medical student might have killed countless frogs, mice, and rabbits to learn anatomy, and could eat lunch in front of a human corpse without batting an eye, killing people was a different matter.

Abedo's ruthless killing spree just now... will probably be Sugar's nightmare for a long time to come.

The person who was able to quickly take control of the situation and make the bandits obey when Sugar, the genuine Knight of Favonius, was in a daze, was of course Han Fulai.

Despite being clerical staff, his combat experience is significantly richer than Sugar's, and he has blood on his hands. At least Abedo's performance just now wasn't enough to frighten him.

Seeing that Sugar was still in a daze, he clasped his hands together near Sugar's ears, making a loud "smack" sound.

"Miss Sugar, come with me."

After Sugar regained some composure, Han Fulai summoned his Salt Sorrow Spear and strode towards the group of trembling bandits. Sugar followed closely behind him, like a knight's squire, making it impossible to tell who the real Knight of Favonius was.

Halfway there, Han Fulai raised the Salt Sorrow Spear in a manner similar to "sword control," maneuvering the spear to leap over a distance of more than ten meters and directly pierce the group of bandits.

This radiant weapon clearly had a significant deterrent effect on the bandits—they could easily see that if Han Fulai wanted, this rather terrifying spiral-shaped vermilion spear could pierce their heads at any moment.

"Everyone, lay down your weapons, put your hands behind your heads, and squat down where you are! The Knights of Favonius will ensure the safety of the prisoners!"

Although Han Fulai's appearance and clothing didn't resemble those of the Knights, nobody cared about that anymore.

Having just narrowly escaped death, Han Fulai's words were like a savior descending upon them—it was better to spend time in the Knights' prison than to be slaughtered in the snowy mountains!

Han Fulai quickly learned the whole story from the members of the treasure-stealing group.

This matter is not complicated; in fact, it could be said that Han Fulai knew about it in advance—and it is related to Kaiya.

This group of treasure hunters operating in the snow-capped mountains were truly a treasure-hunting group; they were genuinely there to dig for hidden treasures. Besides the ruins of ancient civilizations, the snow-capped mountains also concealed various secret realms, remnants of historical adventurers and travelers, and even the burial place of a demonic dragon… all of which were clearly valuable treasures.

The unearthed treasures, of course, needed to be converted into cash, and the investors they contacted were a group of fools operating in the snowy mountains. This group of fools also seemed to be searching for treasures in the snowy mountains, and they were quite wealthy. They hoped to buy the treasures unearthed by the treasure-hunting group, and the price was negotiable as long as they took a liking to them.

The transaction went smoothly for both parties. Regardless of its value, the Fools accepted anything that looked somewhat special.

Then the leader, who had just died, remembered that they had dug up a sword in "Sleeping Dragon Valley"—a deep purple straight sword, the same one that Abedo had just been holding.

When the sword was unearthed, it was quite unremarkable. The blade was as blunt as an iron rod, unfit for even cutting vegetables, let alone killing people. Apart from its unusual shape and color, it was otherwise unremarkable.

The leader of the treasure-hunting group figured that the item was probably a relic of some adventurer from centuries ago, and was no longer usable. He figured it would be better to take it back to Mondstadt and sell it as an antique, hoping to swindle some unsuspecting sucker. So he sent someone to take the sword back to Mondstadt and hand it over to his accomplices to deal with.

Now that he'd met the Fools, these easy targets, the leader remembered the sword—it might not be very useful, but it was something dug out of the snow mountain. He figured if he bragged about it to the Fools, he might be able to convince them to buy it at a high price, treating it as some kind of divine weapon.

To everyone's surprise, the Fools believed their leader's boast and were actually willing to pay an exorbitant price for the broken sword. So the leader urgently sent his men back to Mondstadt to retrieve it.

As a result, the underlings he sent out returned with long faces and told their leader that the knights had taken over their hideout, and the sword and other goods had been confiscated by the knights, which made the leader heartbroken for a long time.

Just as their leader was cursing and spitting at the Knights of Favonius, Abedo appeared, carrying that extremely valuable sword. They saw Abedo use the sword to kill several wandering Hilichurls, and then he seemed to cast some kind of spell on the sword, making it appear exceptionally sharp, clearly a divine weapon.

Now they all understood that the sword was indeed a treasure—it was something their treasure-hunting group had obtained first. Although they didn't know how that kid had gotten the sword from the Knights, that wasn't something the treasure-hunting group should care about; they only cared about how to get the valuable treasure back.

So they secretly followed Abedo and ambushed him on his route... and then, what Han Fulai and the others just witnessed happened.

After listening to the descriptions of the survivors of the treasure-hunting gang, Han Fulai had already pieced together all the events:

The sword in Abedo's hand was dug out of the snow-capped mountains by the treasure-hunting group.

Three days ago, Kaeya set a trap to capture the treasure-hunting group who were trying to take advantage of the meteorite incident, and also raided their hideout in Mondstadt. The sword, as stolen goods, ended up in the hands of the Knights of Favonius.

Two days ago, Abedo went back to the Knights to retrieve some items. He must have found the stolen goods in the Knights' storeroom and was drawn to the unusual sword, so he took it to investigate.

Han Fulai also remembered the origin of that sword.

That was a limited-time event gift that appeared in the game, a rare weapon that most new players who joined later never got to see—the "Sword of Corruption," a demonic sword forged from the remains of the dragon Durin.

Chapter 84 The Real and Fake Aberdo

Han Fulai remembered that the Corruption Sword had been given to Yingmei by Abedo in the game's storyline—but judging from the fact that Yingmei is still using the Edgeless Sword, the storyline has probably changed, and Abedo may have only just obtained the sword now.

This is not surprising. Perhaps it was the "butterfly effect" caused by his time travel, or perhaps it was for some other reason. In any case, many of the plots he knew had undergone subtle changes. For example, the original plot of "The Extinct Star That Never Returned" was something he had only just experienced.

In his memory, the Corrupted Sword, made from the remains of the dragon Durin, truly possessed magical power that could drive people mad, making it a genuine "demon sword." However, because the Traveler Luminous possessed the special ability to purify Dvalin's poisonous blood, Abedo believed she could cleanse the dragon's toxins contained within the sword, and thus entrusted it to her.

—Now that the traveler has left Mondstadt, Abedo only got the sword. Under the influence of the demonic sword, he lost his mind and became bloodthirsty, or even was controlled by the demonic sword and "possessed"... It doesn't seem so strange.

In short, logically speaking, this inference is the most reasonable.

After listening to Han Fulai's retelling of the testimony, Yura couldn't help but ponder. She also had a deep impression of the sword in Abedo's hand, and considering Abedo's drastic change in temperament, it was indeed plausible that he had been influenced by the "demon sword."

In the occult realm of alchemy, all sorts of strange and dangerous items often appear—the things made by sugar and Timaus often explode, don't they?

but……

Yura also remembers what Abedo looked like when he killed someone.

His expression was calm, without any sign of madness or anger. His hand holding the sword was exceptionally steady, without a single unnecessary movement, as if he were performing a routine alchemical process.

She also remembered the look in Abedo's eyes when he last looked at them, that unfamiliar, cold, and murderous intent—it was as if he no longer recognized Sugar, the student, nor her and Amber, his fellow knights.

But Aberdo was able to suppress his murderous intent and choose to escape, which shows that he was able to clearly analyze the balance of power between himself and the enemy and choose the most appropriate tactics.

Yura even suspected that perhaps Abedo's last glance at them was to memorize their faces, just as an assassin memorizes the face of their target.

Would someone who has lost their mind due to the influence of the demon sword have the clear judgment of Abelard?

In fact, Han Fulai was also wondering if there was anything hidden behind this matter.

He originally came to find Aberdo on Wendy's advice, but he found him and then "turned evil".

Did Wendy foresee this happening and specifically send him on a mission to "purify Aberdo"?

No, that's not right. The fact that the Corrupted Sword ended up in Abedor's hands must have been an accident. From the time Kaeya captured the Treasure Hoarders to Abedor's return to Mondstadt to retrieve the item, there were too many possibilities. Abedor might have returned a day earlier or a day later, or he might not have even gone to the storeroom, or he might have simply overlooked the sword... Besides, turning Abedor "darkened" wouldn't have benefited either Venti or Kaeya at all.

Sigh, the search for Abedo has become troublesome again... He came to Longji Snow Mountain as a relaxed visit, and even had the leisure to help little Joel find his father. How did it turn into such a headache after only half an hour in the mountains? Is this what they call "born to be busy"? Han Fulai couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Regardless, the Knights must be informed of the current situation. Abedo's "darkening" is a major event, and to prevent any more serious damage, the Commander must be notified to prepare in advance.

Yura clearly shared the same thought as Han Fulai: "Vice Minister Han, although it's regrettable, I think we probably won't be able to have a proper talk with Abedo this time. We should escort these members of the treasure-hunting group back to Mondstadt and report Abedo's actions to the Knights."

Han Fulai nodded: "I understand, let's do it this way."

Before the words were finished, another voice came from not far away: "Hey, Sugar? What are you doing here?"

"Eek—!" The members of the treasure-hunting group who were squatting on the ground suddenly cried out in surprise.

Sugar, whose name was called, turned around and saw who it was, her voice slightly panicked: "Abedo... Teacher?"

Han Fulai and Yura also turned around and saw Abedo walking towards them from the direction he had just fled, carrying a bloodstained sword in his hand.

"stop!"

In the blink of an eye, Yura had her "When the Pine Trees Resound" in hand. Dragging the heavy greatsword, Yura moved without the slightest hesitation, leaping a few times to block Abedo's path.

Seeing Yura's actions, Amber's cooperation was equally seamless; in the blink of an eye, she had her bow in hand and occupied a high ground. Her bow and arrow were pointed at Abedo, blocking his retreat.

"Huh? Yura and Amber? What's going on with you two...?"

Abedo's face was filled with confusion at being treated this way by his two colleagues.

But Yura kept her eyes fixed on Abedo without wavering, her greatsword always pointed at him—if Abedo made the slightest move, Yura would definitely slam the greatsword into his face immediately.

"Put down your weapons, stand still, and answer my questions."

“Hmm…” Abedo seemed to have thought of something, but without saying anything, he obeyed Yura’s instructions and left his sword-wielding hand hanging motionless at his side. “Please ask your question.”

Yura bombarded her with a series of questions: "Abedo, we just witnessed you kill three incapacitated members of the treasure-hunting group. The bodies and witnesses are right here. What was your reason for doing that? After Amber and I stopped you, you ran away without a word. Why did you do that? And now that you've come back, what are you trying to do?"

Upon hearing Yura's question, Abedo lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then uttered the following words:

"...I see, that's interesting."

Judging from his expression, it seemed as if he had really discovered a new topic worth studying.

"Interesting?" Yura frowned, waiting for his explanation.

Abedo nodded and said seriously, "Yura, you may have encountered someone impersonating me."

“Someone is impersonating you…” Yura lowered her sword slightly.

To maintain a researcher's thirst for knowledge even when she points a sword at him, and even to comment that the current bizarre situation is "interesting"... In the words of the Knights, "That's very Abedo."

The Aberdo she knew was indeed like that. Compared to the ruthless Aberdo from before, the Aberdo before her was clearly more like the scholar she knew.

Since Sugar can invent gadgets with "mimicry" capabilities to help her infiltrate and investigate, it seems possible that someone else could impersonate Abedo through some kind of technology.

But Yura couldn't dispel her doubts based on Abedo's words alone.

"Do you have any evidence to prove this? For example, can anyone provide an alibi for you?"

“No, I’ve been acting alone these past few days,” Abedo shook his head decisively.

At this point, Han Fulai joined the conversation: "I think this Mr. Abedo is indeed not the same person as the one just now."

Chapter 85 Genuine goods have birthmarks, fake goods have hair.

While Yura was questioning Abedo, Han Fulai had already calmed down the group of thieves and came over with Sugar.

Yura tilted her head slightly to look at Han Fulai: "May I ask what your reason is for saying this, Vice Minister Han?"

Han Fulai pointed to the longsword in Abedo's hand: "The sword is different."