He changed Tiwat

This alchemical heater in the laboratory can not only provide warmth, but also be used as a stove by placing a frying pan on it.

As the owner of the laboratory, Abedo generously treated his guests to a meal of his signature dish, "Dream of the Forest."

This dish is actually a traditional Mondstadt delicacy called "Butter-fried Fish," but Abedo skillfully added a few ingredients such as bulrushes, carrots, and cherry tomatoes, which not only enhanced the flavor of the fish but also made the dish more visually appealing.

At first glance, the fruits and vegetables are laid out like grass and stand upright like trees, just like a garden. In this world within a plate, you can bypass the mottled city walls, follow the brown path to enter the light orange castle, and then you can discover the treasures hidden inside.

With a gentle bite, the delicate and sweet flavor blooms like a flower, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

Aberdo explained his excellent skills as follows:

"Restaurant dishes always use a lot of oil and the portions are too large. I can't eat much, so I end up either 'wasting' or 'losing flavor'. So I simply stopped going to restaurants, although that also means spending more time cooking... Also, making the plating more interesting can solve the problem of Klee not eating properly."

Everyone nodded sympathetically—being a male mother is really not easy.

Chapter Ninety-Three: Rules Beyond the World

After enjoying Abedo's special lunch, Bennett, still worried about his fathers, once again insisted on going down the mountain immediately.

Although everyone advised him to rest more, Bennett insisted on leaving, so Abeldo had no choice but to give him a bottle of alchemical potion to treat his cold and let him take it first, so that it could at least help suppress the weakness caused by the cold.

Given that Bennett was still ill and there was a risk of danger on the way, Amber volunteered to escort Bennett down the mountain.

Although Yura was somewhat worried, she still supported Bennett's decision after consideration. In this incident caused by the imposter in Abedo, Bennett was a complete outsider. Staying in the snow mountain might lead him into new dangers, so leaving would be safer.

Moreover, from Yura's own perspective, she actually hoped Amber could stay away from danger, and it would be best if she could go down the mountain with Bennett. Amber's round trip would take quite a while, and the incident might be resolved by the time she returned.

Amber and Bennett set off quickly, and Yura went out to see them off, leaving only Abedo and Han Fulai alone in the lab for once.

Abedo casually brewed a pot of black tea and placed it on the table. The aroma of tea filled the alchemy laboratory, somehow giving it a touch of aristocratic flair.

There's a long table, black tea, a fireplace, and luxurious armchairs favored by nobles—it truly resembles an afternoon tea at a noble estate… It would be even more like one if a few desserts were prepared.

Abedo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and spoke first: "Mr. Han, I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

Han Fulai smiled and said, "What a coincidence, I also have something to say to you."

He also picked up his teacup and took a sip. To be honest, Abedo's tea-making skills were just as good as his cooking skills; he was a complete all-rounder when it came to housework—which he probably honed by taking care of the children...

“Then… let me ask the question first.” Abedo put down his teacup, his expression instantly turning serious. “Mr. Han, you and Ying are not from our world, are you?”

"How do you know?" Han Fulai asked with great interest.

Abedo replied seriously, “You just demonstrated your ‘alchemy’ to me. Although it does resemble alchemy in form and the things you create look like rock artifacts, you didn’t actually use any elemental power. You were actually… ‘simulating’ alchemical creations.”

"The fundamental principle of alchemy is 'equivalent exchange.' When you gain something, you must also lose something else. Whether it's purifying components or changing forms, you can never deviate from this principle. In short, you can't 'create something from nothing.'"

Hmm, that sounds a lot like the principles of chemistry. Speaking of which, chemistry seems to have originated from alchemy... Han Fulai nodded slightly.

“I omitted the alchemy steps using the alchemy blueprint before, but that’s all. The materials I used to make this chair were already stored in my storage space, and I personally practiced the entire manufacturing process. Give me some time, and I can make an exact replica by hand. You can think of my alchemy as saving ‘time’.”

“But Mr. Han, the chair you just made is not like that… When you made this chair, there were no manufacturing processes. You just pulled a chair out of thin air, as if it had always existed—from imagination to reality, you only used this one step.”

...I was just using the power of the Salt God to cosplay a certain male protagonist from Type-Moon. Although the original Salt God's power is indeed different from mine, it seems really powerful now that you mention it, Abedo. —Han Fulai thought to himself.

However, after hearing what Aberdo said, he also remembered the various abnormalities in his own body.

Zhongli once said that he possessed a certain power.

Whether it's cosplaying Zhongli or reciting poetry to unleash his power, it's basically all related to his authority, which seems to be called "the power of words." When he was sculpting that chair just now, he was simply imagining himself as a certain Type-Moon male protagonist, using projection magic... well, and then he succeeded very easily. Anyway, it was pretty much the same idea when he was sculpting the dam.

Although various forms of Word Magic still exist on the continent of Teyvat, such as the one-eyed little treasure of Kanria, the fairy talismans of Liyue, and the Yin-Yang magic of Inazuma, it is indeed quite rare to see someone like him who can "make the law come true" by speaking without using external objects as a carrier of power.

Abeldo's expression grew even more serious.

"This world has its own special rules. Any human being born into this world is bound by these rules, and all human power comes from the gods—this rule was established after the establishment of the Seven Rulers system in the mortal world."

"And the technique that can ignore those fundamental principles, 'create something from nothing,' and even 'create life'... after the destruction of Kanria, it was only recorded in the 'Great Ritual Codex' from outside the world, called 'The Art of Black Earth.' I am quite certain that now only my master Rhinedoth and I in this world know this technique."

"I am also very certain that you are not a demon in disguise; you are indeed human, right?"

Han Fulai nodded silently.

In Gan Yu's words, his power of words is called "the ability to make inner visions manifest through words."

It is said that in Liyue today, only Zhongli, the "ancestor of all immortals," can truly achieve "words becoming law." His inner vision manifests outwardly, and his thoughts can be instantly created; this is entirely the privilege of demon gods.

However, although he is not a demon god, he still possesses this ability.

Gan Yu had told him that he had unconsciously used this ability when he first transmigrated to Liyue. His power had nothing to do with Zhongli's immortal power or the enhancement from the remnants of the demon god. The demon god's power and immortal power were just "weapons" that Zhongli equipped him with. His "essence" was still human.

According to his analysis, this power should be related to the "human power" that was once very common in this world. After the Demon God War, Heaven established rules of power, sealing off human power—but obviously, he, this smuggled transmigrator, bypassed the seal.

"The traveler Ying from another world, her power also manifests in the same way as yours."

Abelardo's eyes gradually became somewhat fanatical, much like those of a "mad scientist" in a movie.

"I once asked her to cooperate with my experiments and write a 'Traveler's Observation Report'—do you know how she used elemental forces?"

"For example, the 'Wind Vortex Sword' that she created, which imitates Jean's 'Wind Pressure Sword', is described by her as 'discussing with Paimon how to grasp the invisible wind, imagining the wind as a solid, a ball spinning in your hand, and then just grab it.'"

"For example, she imitated Dvalin's power to create tornadoes, 'storms raging.' She said, 'I studied butterfly wings with Paimon, imagining the butterfly's wings flapping in Mondstadt, and tornadoes would rise up on the sea...'"

“She, like you, can transcend the rules of this world!” Abedo suddenly stood up. “So… Mr. Han, please be my experimental subject. Based on the experimental results, we might be able to discover the true nature of this world!”

Chapter Ninety-Four: The Thief is a White Horse

“This proposal sounds very tempting. Like you, I also want to discover the essence of the world,” Han Fulai said with a smile.

Abedo became even more excited, "Then, that means you agree..."

"But I refuse."

Han Fulai shook his head decisively, inwardly cursing:

Are you kidding me? Who wants to be a "test subject" and be tied to a lab table and groped like that? No way! And Abedo, you should at least have some self-awareness! Do you know how terrifying your expression was just now? And you didn't even mention any cooperation terms. Even a blond idiot like me knows to give Mora the job first! Who would agree to be a free guinea pig?!

Aberdo sat back down in his chair, dejected and motionless, looking just like a little boy who had been rejected after confessing his feelings.

At this point, Han Fulai spoke up again: "However, I would be very interested if you were to be a 'partner' in the research project, not an 'experimental subject'."

Abedo's eyes lit up again.

"you mean……?"

“As I said, I came to you for ‘academic exchange,’ and our research directions are aligned—exploring the essence of this world. Although I don’t want to be a guinea pig for experiments, I’m happy to exchange information with you, share resources, and even provide assistance to your research to the best of my ability. By the way, the one who directed me to come to you was none other than Barbatos, one of the Seven Earthly Rulers of Mondstadt.”

As Han Fulai spoke, he took out the Windwing that Wendy had given him from his storage space—"Starry Sky Wings".

The wind elemental power flowing on these beautifully designed wind wings is none other than Wendy's own power, without a doubt.

Wendy gave him the Windwing, not only as a gift, but also probably as a token of her affection.

When Abedo saw the Windwing, he immediately understood what was going on.

"...So that's how it is...I apologize for my previous offense and ask for your forgiveness."

As he spoke, he actually stood up and bowed to Han Fulai.

This startled Han Fulai, who quickly stood up and helped Abedo up, saying, "Professor Abedo, you're too kind. I understand your passion for research, and I won't take what you just said to heart."

There's a reason why Abedo apologized to him so earnestly.

In fact, this wasn't the first time Venti had introduced someone to him for "academic exchange." A few months ago, Venti had also introduced him to Mr. Zhongli from Liyue, and he had personally demonstrated the creative secrets of "Black Earth Technique" to Mr. Zhongli.

If this Mr. Han has come with a mission from the wind god, Abedo must treat him with even greater seriousness—this represents the wind god's "divine oracle."

Although this free god never gives any "commands," even out of gratitude, Abedo must take this matter seriously.

To be rude to the guest introduced by the Wind God, and to even suggest that he be used as a test subject, would be tantamount to disrespecting the Wind God. Abedo dared not say anything about using Barbatos as a test subject to study the physiological structure of the wind spirits... although he had secretly thought about it.

Abelard came to Mondstadt burdened with the "original sin" of being hunted down across the entire continent, which makes it no surprise.

The one who, after learning his identity, was still willing to continue to provide him with protection and sincerely hoped that he could obtain happiness as a human being was Barbatos, the god of wind.

The drunken poet who seemed like a good-for-nothing to outsiders was actually more like his "guardian" than Aunt Alice, who was entrusted to him by his master.

He still remembered the first words the wind god said when they met: "Black soil and chalk, universe and strata, the immaculate earth gave birth to the 'primordial man'... The characteristics are too obvious to ignore. Such a dangerous ancient technology, what if it gets out of control in the city—oh well, let the Mondstadt people solve Mondstadt's problems themselves."

As the most successful experiment in the "Primordial Man" project, Abedo's existence is itself a taboo in this world.

Moreover, Abedo cannot be considered human in the full sense. Once he goes out of control, the harm he causes will likely far exceed that of the "Dragon Catastrophe," and may even reach the level of the "Dark Catastrophe" of yesteryear—or rather, he himself is a small-scale "Dark Catastrophe" that has not yet been triggered.

Even though Barbatos saw through his true nature at a glance, he did not expel him.

If one day...

If one day, out of control, Abedo were to try to destroy Mondstadt...and everything—he believed that the seemingly carefree, always-drunk bard would surely appear and stop him from harming those he loved.

He was not a follower of the Church of the Wind God, but he trusted the Wind God more than anyone else.

Abedo looked intently into Han Fulai's eyes and said solemnly, "Mr. Han, if there's anything you want to know, you can ask me. I won't hide it from you. It's just... because I don't want to lie, there are some things I've been avoiding."

Han Fulai maintained his unchanging smile and said leisurely, "For example, Abedo, you actually know who wants to impersonate you, and you also know the origin of that 'white horse,' right?"

This time, Aberdo's face was filled with undisguised surprise: "How...how did you know?"

“Because even when you faced Yura’s undisguised suspicion, you insisted on staying in the snow mountain to solve the problem yourself,” Han Fulai shrugged lightly. “If you were completely unrelated to this matter and were just framed in a conspiracy, the best way to clear your name would of course be to avoid it.”

“If I were you, I would have gone back to Mondstadt with Sugar to report this to Captain Jean, and then stayed with the Knights of Favonius to clear my name. Whether you were impersonated or had your Alchemy Notes stolen, you are a perfect victim, and there is no need for you to stay in the mountains. Besides, you are not an expert in tracking like Yura or Amber. Staying here would only serve as 'bait' and you would not be of any other use.”

“When I heard you say you wanted to stay as ‘bait,’ I immediately knew your purpose—there was no other reason than that you wanted to meet the imposter and settle the matter privately.”

Abedo's eyes were filled with disbelief: "...And you strongly supported my decision to stay because you had already guessed what I was thinking?"

“Of course.” Han Fulai nodded without any pretense. “Not only that… combined with the footprints, mane, and hoof prints we just found, as well as the previous condition of this laboratory, I actually already have a guess about the identity of that thief.”

Aberdo pursed his lips. "...What speculation?"

Han Fulai picked up his teacup and gently stirred the black tea inside with a teaspoon.

"Although it sounds a bit absurd... the thief is that 'white horse'."

Abedo's eyes widened suddenly, and he didn't know what expression to make for a moment—could there really be someone in this world who could see through things to this extent with just this one clue?

These secrets are unknown even to Lord Barbatos.

Han Fu looked at his expression and smiled again: "It seems I guessed right."

Chapter Ninety-Five: Amateur Criminal Abedo

In fact, if Han Fu were to explain in detail, he would say that many of Abedo's behaviors were abnormal.

For Amber and Yola, the idea that a horse could practice alchemy, sneak into laboratories to steal things, and even transform into human form was simply beyond the comprehension of Mondstadt people.

In their view, an alchemist should of course be a human being. Even an alchemist like Sugar with furry ears is still a human being. At most, he might be a "freak" who has been mechanically modified like the Fatui... but he is still a person.

However, Han Fulai, who was familiar with a bunch of "immortal beasts," wouldn't be bound by such imaginative constraints. There was no rule in Teyvat that "no one is allowed to become a spirit after the founding of the nation," so it wasn't strange that horses could become spirits.

The academicians at our Liyue Academy of Sciences are either birds or deer, and they are proficient in everything from biochemistry and environmental science to materials science!

Sugar's puppy ears and Diona's meow tail would be the hallmarks of demigods in Liyue. The people of Liyue wouldn't care about their lineage; they'd simply treat them as mythical beasts from the mountains, and might even bow to them in reverence.

More importantly, he had recently seen a picture of "Wonderland" on Sugar's table—a picture that also featured a "white horse," a "white horse" connected to the world of alchemy.

To be precise, it should be called a "unicorn".

As Sugar's teacher, Abedo should at least have seen the painting, even if he didn't see the secret message Sugar wrote on the back of the picture.

Moreover, Sugar's "bio-alchemy" project was guided by him, so if the "unicorn" could appear in the "fairyland" that Sugar wanted to create with alchemy, then the "unicorn" must be some kind of alchemical creature, which the learned Abedo could not possibly not know.

If he could make such connections, then Abedo, as a master alchemist, should certainly be able to make them as well.

Of course, such suspicious points are not particularly unusual. What is more unusual is Abedo's behavior after obtaining the clue about the "white horse" - he collected the mane and hoof prints, saying he would use alchemy to investigate, but so far he has not taken any action.

—You know, Abelardo is a research fanatic who would personally ask Bennett to be his guinea pig! Yingmei had barely met him when he dragged her into being his guinea pig to write observation reports!

Having been impersonated by a thief and having his important alchemy notes stolen, Aberdo has finally obtained a clue about the thief... What would Aberdo normally do?

Given Abedo's personality, he should have immediately started using alchemy to study those clues after restoring the laboratory. He wouldn't have had time to cook for them or chat and drink tea with them.

If Sugar were here, she'd probably ask Professor Abedo if he was sick, why he'd suddenly changed his personality... Speaking of which, that's why Abedo sent Sugar away, since this student who knew him best was also the one most likely to notice his unusual behavior.

The most important point of contention lies in—

“That line of footprints outside the lab door is your biggest weakness,” Han Fulai said.

He raised his palm. "In my world, there's a common sense that no two fingerprints are exactly alike, just as no two shoe prints are exactly alike."

Abedo frowned and said, "Since an imposter can impersonate me and fool others, then the lines on his fingers and the size of his feet can also be changed. In alchemy, this is not a difficult thing."

Han Fulai smiled and said, "I meant 'shoe print,' not the sole of the foot."

“Remember? I specifically asked you to compare the shoe prints left in the mud—they were exactly the same. Those shoe prints were none other than yours; you left them intentionally when you went out to track him.”

"Even if there are identical fingerprints in the world, there can be no identical shoe prints. Due to differences in usage time, walking posture, height, weight, and so on, the wear and tear on the soles of different people's shoes will vary. Even if the same knight order's standard long boots are made by the same shoemaker, the shoe prints left behind will definitely have subtle differences. Even twins may have the same shoe size, but their shoe prints will not be the same."

Aberdo was speechless. He never expected that Han Fulai had asked him to compare shoe prints not to verify his previous deductions about the imposter, but to suspect that he had committed perjury.