He changed Tiwat

“Professor Abedo, you are a genius alchemist, but not a genius criminal. The perjury you gave to protect the imposter is amateurish, the kind that would be easily seen through by a detective in an Inazuma mystery novel,” Han Fulai laughed.

“But… but I set it up according to the tricks in 'Yaedo's' mystery novels. The most difficult trick is the accomplice trick, where there is more than one criminal, and various distracting clues are given. The detective in the book didn’t figure it out until the last chapter.” Abedo retorted very seriously.

Han Fulai covered his face. He had forgotten that Abedo did indeed have a hobby of reading novels in his spare time, and was also an illustrator... Bad detective novels are harmful!

He struggled to suppress the urge to complain.

"Well, let me put it this way, if I were in charge of setting this up, and I wanted others to think that the thief who entered the lab was 'human,' I would definitely remember to change my boots and leave footprints to show that I entered the lab. The footprints you left are just outwards, not inwards, which is too strange! Does this person have such a bizarre habit of hopping in and walking out?"

"Ah... I only thought about proving that the prisoner had disguised himself as me when he left. I always overlook things that are not important. That was my oversight."

After all, he's the kind of person who only draws half of a typical Hilichurl and only uses three strokes to draw Kaeya.

Aberdo patted his forehead and pulled out his sketchbook.

He actually started analyzing and recording his mistakes, just like writing a self-criticism of a failed experiment.

"anything else?"

His eyes were even filled with a thirst for knowledge.

Faced with Abedo's expectant expression, Han Fulai had no choice but to continue.

"And make sure that bridge is completely destroyed, not a single plank is left! The hoof prints and hair left on it could lead people to associate it with a 'unicorn,' and people who understand alchemy, like Miss Sugar, might be able to detect the other party's true identity based on the hair... If you're going to do it, do it thoroughly, Professor Abedo! Look, Yura and Amber found some residual traces, didn't they? What if they also understand alchemy? That would be terrible!"

"anything else?"

"And the laboratory looks like it's been invaded by wild beasts. Humans wouldn't turn the whole laboratory upside down just to find an alchemy notebook. Only an animal without hands and feet would do that! If you want to wipe away the traces it left behind, you should tidy up the scene beforehand and then destroy it in your own way. That way, you can completely destroy the traces at the scene!"

"So there are so many intricacies involved... Crime is truly profound."

Aberdo nodded with deep feeling.

"Mr. Han, if I may ask, is your side job a phantom thief or a detective?"

Han Fulai coughed and replied, "I'm just a secretary who knows a little bit about everything."

Chapter Ninety-Six: Criminal Consultant Han Fulai

Abedo carefully recorded the "crime advice" that Han Fulai had just given him in his sketchbook.

Seeing Abedo's earnest expression, Han Fulai could better appreciate the immense value of the alchemical notes recorded by such a person—Abedo must have written down his insights into alchemy, the detours he had taken, and the inspirations he had gained from his research.

If those alchemical notes were passed down to future generations, they might very well become essential reading for alchemists.

If it weren't for the lost notebook, Abedo would probably be using a notebook instead of a sketchbook to record these words... Speaking of which, Abedo seems to draw sketches for many people. If someone else sees what's written in this sketchbook, what kind of image will Han Fulai have?

It's probably... "crime consultant Han Fulai"?

Thinking of this, Han Fulai quickly stopped Abedo: "Wait a minute, there's no need to write down what we just said... Anyway, the scene has already been cleaned up, and no one else knows about these things except me. There's no point in you writing it down now."

Abedo shook his head, his expression still serious: "No, this is also knowledge, and it can certainly be applied next time."

Han Fulai's lips twitched slightly. "Next time?! Abedo, what are you planning to do?!"

After finishing his notes, Abedo closed his notebook and said seriously, "Mr. Han, do you have any suggestions for the current situation? For example, how should I contact him under Yura's surveillance? I had already made my own plan, but you are obviously more professional in this regard, Mr. Han."

Well, respecting professional advice is indeed a very excellent quality of a scholar... But Abedo, do you really think of me as a "crime consultant"? Han Fulai felt that if he spent too much time with Abedo, he would eventually become a professional吐槽 (tu cao, a form of online commentary/criticism).

However, the fact that Aberdo was willing to consult him on such matters was tantamount to treating him as an "accomplice"—which shows that his pointing out the facts that Aberdo had concealed had indeed achieved the desired effect.

Although he came to see Abedo with Wendy's "letter of introduction," what he wanted to know involved a major secret about Abedo's background. Abedo had told him frankly, "If you have 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."

Aberdo said he wouldn't lie to him, but "you didn't ask so I didn't tell" doesn't count as lying.

Fortunately, Abedo was a scholar with a rather straightforward personality, and he preferred to explain beforehand rather than lie to his important guest. For Abedo, saying such a thing was already the most tactful thing he could do—after all, he was the kind of person who would "praise" Timaus by saying things like, "If you study for another twenty years, you can use the same textbook as Sugar."

However, Han Fulai understood Aberto. After all, it was their first meeting, and the only thing maintaining their trust was Barbatos's token. With such a relationship, it would be very difficult to get Aberto to voluntarily reveal any secrets involving personal privacy.

Han Fulai's message to Abedo was simple: I discovered that you were protecting that thief, but I didn't tell anyone else. Instead, I kept your secret and gave you advice—you and I are "one of our own."

The so-called four ironclad bonds between men include "sharing spoils together."

“My advice is—don’t try to cover fire with paper,” Han Fulai said. “Miss Yura is a seasoned guerrilla knight who has captured all sorts of criminals, including the ‘Abyss Order,’ who are masters of concealment. Even those who are prejudiced against her have to admit her professional skills. Instead of trying to hide things from Miss Yura and increasing her distrust of you, it’s better to persuade her and recruit her as an ‘accomplice.’”

Abedo hesitated: "But... Yura can't possibly help me..."

It's only natural to have such concerns. Leaving aside Yura's infamously sharp tongue throughout Mondstadt, her previous attitude towards Abed was equally unfriendly. Even though Sugar and Amber were willing to believe Abed, Yura still insisted that she would remain suspicious of him.

"That's precisely why we should be even more honest with Miss Yura and tell her the truth. Just like we are now, let's invite Miss Yura to sit down, have a nice cup of black tea, and have a frank and open conversation with her. Trust me, she will definitely help you."

Han Fulai spoke with great certainty, as if he and Yura had already discussed it.

But Aberdo knew that wasn't the case, so he didn't dismiss his doubts.

"What is Mr. Han's reasoning?" Abedo asked, frowning.

"Two reasons," Han Fulai said casually, holding up two fingers.

"The first reason is that I can spot the flaws in the footprints, and so can Miss Yura—don't forget about the hoofprints."

Han Fulai pointed to the Eye of God on Abedo's chest, where the clues discovered by Yura and Amber were stored.

“Miss Yura may not know much about alchemy and probably wouldn’t associate it with a ‘unicorn,’ but she would at least consider this question—let’s say a thief rides a special white horse to your alchemy lab to steal something, leaving hoofprints as he crosses the bridge. What about the hoofprints after he crosses the bridge? The horse couldn’t have flown there and then flown away, could it?”

"If the thief cleaned up the hoofprints himself, not wanting to leave any clues that he rode there on horseback, but just overlooked some bridge plank fragments due to a mistake—then how did he leave such an important clue as the footprints at the door, allowing you to find the direction to track him?"

“Look, it doesn’t make any sense at all. I’m 100% sure that Miss Yura has started to suspect that someone secretly sabotaged the scene and destroyed evidence… and the person who had the time and motive to do such a thing is, of course, you, who returned to the lab alone before us and acted very strangely.”

Han Fulai paused for a moment, then turned his head slightly to look outside.

"The second reason... Miss Yura is a true Knight of Favonius, with the pride and principles of a knight."

"Think about it, even though Miss Yura still suspects you, why does she, like me, not mention your flaws at all, but act as if nothing is wrong and continue to accompany you? — Because you told her that you 'hope she would acknowledge the camaraderie among fellow Knights of Favonius.' So she is merely observing your actions as a 'witness'..."

Abedo's lips parted slightly as he recalled what he had said to Yura: "Yura, if you don't trust me, you can continue to be skeptical. But I still hope you can acknowledge our camaraderie as fellow Knights of Favonius. The situation is so serious that I must investigate the imposter. If you're willing, you can be a witness to observe my next actions."

“Do you remember what Miss Yura replied to you back then? ‘Even though it sounds unbelievable, I choose to believe that someone was impersonating you just now.’” Han Fulai smiled and said, “Unless there is solid evidence to prove that you are a ‘sinner,’ she will always regard you as a colleague who is protecting Mondstadt together.”

“This is the choice of the ‘Wave Knight.’ Miss Yura wants to trust you as her colleague, and you should reciprocate that trust.”

Chapter Ninety-Seven: Making Yura an Accomplice

Abedo pondered for a moment, then finally nodded.

“I think you are right. I will tell Miss Yura the truth when she returns.”

"That would be perfect."

Han Fulai breathed a sigh of relief. It would be best if he could persuade Abedo to cooperate with Yura. After all, Yura was the personal bodyguard assigned to him by the Knights, and she would always have to follow him. It was neither realistic nor appropriate to keep his actions a secret from her for a long time.

In addition, Abedo and Yura are both important sources of intelligence for him in the matter he is investigating, and they are also people he needs to unite with. It would be most beneficial for him to form a united front with them.

However, Abedo still had doubts on his face: "But what I'm hiding is indeed hard for ordinary people to believe... Even if Yura hears my reasons, she probably won't believe it."

Han Fulai shifted to a more relaxed sitting posture.

“Miss Yura is no ordinary person. Isn’t it hard to believe? You’ll only know once you hear it from her, right? The decision… is now in the hands of Miss Yura, who is standing outside right now.”

As he spoke, a figure appeared at the laboratory door; it was Yura.

It didn't take Yura much time to see Amber and Bennett off. Rather, she deliberately left Abedo and Han Fulai alone—just as Han Fulai had said, Yura had already discovered that Abedo was hiding something, and she also noticed Abedo making tea for Han Fulai when she left.

Since these two clearly have something to discuss, why doesn't she take this opportunity to learn more information?

So she didn't walk Amber and Bennett too far before turning back immediately.

Yura looked somewhat surprised: "Deputy Minister Han, when did you notice me?"

Although she knew that this Deputy Minister Han was the acting leader of the Guhua Sect and had seen him perform "alchemy," she did not expect that Han Fulai would be able to detect that she was eavesdropping.

Guerrilla knights are mainly responsible for harassing the enemy's flanks and rear on the battlefield, and they need to be very stealthy and mobile. Moreover, Yura has carried out many missions to infiltrate enemy camps, and she is quite confident in her skills—for example, Abedo didn't even notice that she was eavesdropping.

Han Fulai blinked innocently and said, "Because Miss Yura, the sound of your walking is very pleasant. You always tiptoe lightly, as if stepping to a rhythm and melody. Just by listening to the sound of your walking, I can imagine the legendary beautiful and elegant 'ritual dance'... I've gotten used to it these past two days and recognized it."

Although Yura knew that Han Fulai was lying, she couldn't help but secretly smile.

Yura is certainly not the kind of ordinary girl who can be pleased by a few flattering words—but praising the "Festival Dance" is an exception, as it is Yura's proudest and favorite thing.

As for why Han Fulai knew that Yura was eavesdropping outside... when he suggested to Abedo that Yura also become an "accomplice," Yura moved slightly outside, and the rustling of her clothes made a slight sound. With Han Fulai's current demigod-like strength, he was capable of sensing such a disturbance at such close range.

If I were to estimate, Yura probably started eavesdropping around this time.

So afterwards he kept praising Yura behind her back to Abedo, saying that she was a smart, noble and very reasonable knight.

Well, he's the one who teamed up with Gan Yu to trick Keqing into joining the "Liyue's Radiance" project. This time, he's just using the same trick to trick Yura into becoming an "accomplice."

Yura also took a seat, and Abedo silently poured a cup of tea for Yura, then sincerely bowed his head to Yura and apologized: "I'm sorry, Yura, I hid some things from you before, and I hope you can listen to me explain."

Although he had his reasons, he had already asked Yola to trust him as a colleague in the name of the Knights of Favonius, and continuing to deceive Yola would indeed be a betrayal of her trust. As a scholar, Abedo always clearly distinguished between right and wrong.

Yura stirred the black tea in her cup noncommittally, then turned her gaze to Han Fulai: "Deputy Minister Han, I have another question. What makes you think I will definitely agree to help Abedo?"

In fact, if you ask Yura whether she is willing to listen to Abedo's explanation, or even to actually help Abedo, she is willing.

Abedo had an excellent reputation in Mondstadt; everyone spoke highly of him. For someone like him to deceive his colleagues, sabotage the crime scene, and protect the thief, there must have been a compelling reason for it, something Yura could easily deduce.

But Han Fulai's certainty that she would definitely help Abedo made her a little uncomfortable.

He talks like he knows her very well... but they've only known each other for two days, haven't they?

Han Fulai smiled and said, "We have an old saying in Liyue, 'Birds of a feather flock together.' Similar people are more likely to become friends. And isn't Miss Yura's best friend the kind and enthusiastic scout knight, Miss Amber? Miss Amber was willing to believe in Teacher Abedo and was willing to lend him a helping hand, so Miss Yura must be the same."

Yes, Yura loved hearing the praise for Amber; she even hoped Han Fulai would say a few more words of praise for Amber…

—But Yura's mouth is much harder than her heart.

“Amber is Amber, and I am me. I may not be willing to do what she is willing to do.”

"That's certainly wishful thinking on my part." Han Fu glanced at Yura, his smile unchanged. "Well, actually, my real reason is that I think Miss Yura is very similar to the protagonist in a mystery novel I read."

"A mystery novel?" Yura raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, it's a mystery novel from Liyue, 'The Case Files of Wanwenji,' written by the famous novelist Zhenyu. The protagonist's name is, well, Han Fei, a civil servant working in the General Affairs Department. He has always believed in justice from the bottom of his heart and considers protecting the people his duty." Han Fulai casually made it up. "During the holidays, this civil servant and fourteen other tourists boarded a cruise ship bound for Fontainebleau."

"During the journey, a horrific murder occurred on the cruise ship. One passenger was found dead in his cabin, stabbed twelve times, but the cabin door was locked from the inside..."

Next, without batting an eye, Han Fulai attributed Agatha Christie's masterpiece "Murder on the Orient Express" to Xingqiu.

"...The deceased was actually a notorious thief from a notorious treasure-hunting gang who had kidnapped and extorted many people. But after committing the crimes, this kidnapper changed his name and lived comfortably off the huge ransoms he received, until he was killed by avengers..."

"...Han Fei has discovered the truth, but he is caught in a dilemma. Arresting the Avengers is in accordance with the law, but it goes against justice and is unfair to the civilian victims. However, if he lets the Avengers go, he will not only break the law, but also become an accomplice of the murderer, which is a serious dereliction of duty...Miss Yura, what do you think he should choose?"

Chapter Ninety-Eight: Abedo's Brother

Yura couldn't help but recall the words her legal consultant friend, who lived far away in Liyue Harbor, often said.

"Legal principles and human sentiments...sometimes conflict, sometimes they are compatible. It is truly an art to weigh the two."

In her letters, Yanfei would occasionally confide similar troubles to her. Strictly enforcing the law often doesn't guarantee actual justice. As a legal consultant who has dedicated her life to studying the law, Yanfei frequently encounters such dilemmas—even the dragon-headed scales bestowed by the Emperor cannot weigh the law against justice.

Yura's advice to her can be summarized in one sentence: "Follow your heart and make choices that you can be true to yourself."

If someone were to ask Yanfei how she would describe her friend, Yura Lawrence, Yanfei would probably answer like this: "You mean Yura? She memorizes all the rules of the Knights, but she never sticks to them. She always manages to find clever logic to handle problems flexibly. I guess it's because I'm that kind of person that I find it particularly easy to get along with her. However, I could never learn that carefree attitude of hers."

Yura asked, "I remember, at the beginning of the story, the civil servant Han Fei was on vacation, wasn't he?"

Han Fulai nodded: "Yes."

Yura then asked, "Do you Liyue civil servants also perform official duties during your leave?"

Han Fulai, a civil servant from Liyue who was on paid leave, deliberately dusted off his Mondstadt suit.

"If you're not wearing a uniform, you're not at work."

Yura crossed her arms and gave her answer bluntly: "Han Fei is just an ordinary tourist with no law enforcement authority. Murder cases should naturally be handled by the relevant departments with law enforcement power—in Mondstadt, the Knights of Favonius; in Fontaineble, it's the Court of Justice. Since this happened on a cruise ship in Fontaineble, shouldn't the Court of Justice be notified after the ship arrives at its destination to investigate? His unauthorized investigation is an overreach of authority, isn't it?"

Han Fulai smiled.

“Miss Yura is right. Civil servants on leave have neither the authority nor the obligation to handle cases involving the murder of a master thief from a treasure-hunting gang. Such matters should naturally be handled by the Fontaine Law Enforcement Court. However, if the Fontaine Law Enforcement Court cannot uncover the truth, but the protagonist knows the truth and continues to conceal it, wouldn't that be considered an accomplice in protecting the murderer?”

"Catching the murderer is the responsibility of law enforcement. The inability to uncover the murderer's tricks shows that the law enforcement court is incompetent. If I were a police officer in the law enforcement court, and I was reduced to relying on civilians to help solve cases, or even shifting the blame for not being able to solve cases to 'someone protecting criminals'... I would resign out of shame."

Yura glanced at Abedo and said coldly, "Even if someone is protecting criminals, as long as I want to find out the truth, I will definitely find out. ... In addition, one must firmly uphold the justice one believes in. If Han Fei believes that the law is justice, then he should send those people to court; if he believes that revenge is justice, then his concealment is also upholding his own justice."

Although she was well aware of Han Fulai's purpose in telling her this story, and knew that he wanted her to say these words, Yura still spoke them.

Because this is her, the chivalry of "Wave Knight" Yura.

In Yura's eyes, neither conspiracies nor being outnumbered are excuses for shirking responsibility. Can a knight who cannot overcome difficulties be called a knight? Even if she were trapped in the heart of the enemy camp after an accidental explosion of alchemical equipment, Yura could still fight her way out on her own.

Yura would never shirk her responsibilities to others. Similarly, she would never impose responsibilities on others that did not belong to them.

—If Aberdo didn't kill the person, then he shouldn't be held responsible.

If Abedo's act of protecting the thief was driven by his own sense of "justice," then Yura would respect his choice as well.

Of course, if Yura later discovers that Abedo did these things with ulterior motives, she will bring Abedo to justice without hesitation.