He changed Tiwat

"Is it... to commemorate our joint efforts in thwarting Maocai Gong's conspiracy?" Han Fulai guessed.

"No." Xingqiu shook his head.

"Is it for this essay competition?" Han Fulai continued to guess.

"No, not exactly." Xingqiu shook his head again.

"I can't guess," Han Fulai shook his head as well.

"Because Brother Han, you taught me what true chivalry is," Xingqiu said earnestly.

"Me? Teach you true chivalry?" Han Fulai was genuinely puzzled this time. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't recall ever teaching Xingqiu anything about "true chivalry."

“Yes, it’s you.” Xingqiu nodded.

"Xingqiu, don't joke with me." Han Fulai smiled. "If helping Master Chang Jiu fight off those servants of Maocai Gong counts as chivalry, then it was Brother Xingqiu who led the charge. I still remember what you said to Lü Hu back then, 'I am Xingqiu of the Guhua Sect, a chivalrous person who stands up for justice when I see injustice on the road.'"

"This... doesn't count as true chivalry."

Xingqiu shook his head seriously, and then he said something that made Han Fulai even more confused.

"It used to be a rabbit, then a deer. Now, it's you."

Chapter Four: The Rabbit Kicks the Eagle

"It used to be a rabbit, then a deer... and now it's me?" Han Fulai murmured, repeating Xingqiu's words.

Xingqiu nodded solemnly and said, "Please come with me, Brother Han."

The two left Master Chang's courtyard, with Xingqiu leading the way, walking along the mountain path.

“When I was a child, I loved reading. Of course, I still love reading now.” Xingqiu said as he walked. “Because the Flying Cloud Merchant Guild is very famous, many merchants in Liyue Harbor know me.”

Han Fulai knew that Xingqiu did not want him to answer, so he followed behind Xingqiu and listened obediently.

“They say I am gentle and polite, hardworking and eager to learn, and a standout among the younger generation. They even compare me to their own children, hoping that their children will become like me.”

"So later, the other children in the private school would secretly call me 'someone else's child'."

Xingqiu laughed as he spoke.

"Actually, neither the teacher nor my classmates knew that I wasn't the kind of well-behaved child at all. I would cut a hole in my textbook and stuff martial arts novels inside, then secretly read them during class. Like that."

Xingqiu waved his hand and summoned a copy of "Liyue Business Codex" from the storage space of the Eye of God. It was a thick book of commercial law. Xingqiu opened the book and showed it to Han Fu. Han Fu then discovered that the inside of "Liyue Business Codex" had been hollowed out and was actually a popular martial arts novel sold at Wanwen Collection.

"I'll let you in on a secret: I actually hide a lot of martial arts novels under my bed in my room... My older brother and the housekeeper still haven't found them!"

No, no, those kinds of books boys hide under their beds, even if others find them, they'll usually pretend they didn't. Han Fulai thought to himself.

"As the second son of the family, it is not my place to preside over the affairs of the Chamber of Commerce. My eldest brother is currently learning business and household management from our father. Thanks to my eldest brother, I have a lot more free time, so I can travel around like this and 'steal half a day of leisure from my busy life'."

“But my older brother is a bit… simple-minded, so I often help him with things.” Xingqiu said, scratching his cheek sheepishly.

"Actually, in my free time, I used to either go to Wanwen Bookstore to read the latest novels or go to Yu Tea House to find my cousin Yun Jin to develop new drinks. She would tell me many legends about strange heroes. My cousin Yun Jin often encounters creative blocks when writing scripts, but as long as she can drink a satisfactory beverage, she will be motivated to create new plays. Ah, I did all this for the sake of Liyue's play fans."

No, no, you're just bored and pestering people to tell you martial arts stories. Han Fulai thought to himself again.

"But after reading and listening to so many martial arts novels and stories, I had an idea—why can't I be like the heroes in the books and uphold justice?"

"So later I kept pestering my dad to find a master to teach me martial arts. So he sent me to the Guhua School to become a disciple and learn martial arts."

"Actually, I soon discovered that the Guhua Sect was just a small sect that had been declining for a long time, and even the luxurious dojo used for registration was rented."

“My father never intended for me to receive any proper martial arts training. He just didn’t want me to run to Wanwen Collection Hall every day, so he specially sent me to Guhua School just to let me learn some fancy moves to pass the time.”

Xingqiu said this with a hint of pride, "But my father certainly didn't expect that I would discover the secrets of the Ancient Chinese Arts in the ancient books left behind by the Ancient Chinese School, not only reviving the long-declining Ancient Chinese martial arts, but also obtaining the Eye of God!"

Han Fulai's eyes lit up. Xingqiu had transformed from a martial arts novel enthusiast into a highly skilled swordsman after joining the Guhua Sect—the Guhua Sect really did possess secret manuals that could make people stronger! Perhaps he could even obtain the Eye of God by reading those manuals!

Han Fulai made up his mind that he needed to find an opportunity to borrow the secret manuals of the Guhua School from Xingqiu.

Just as he was thinking about how to ask Xingqiu for the secret manual, Xingqiu suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"We've arrived," he said.

Han Fulai stopped upon hearing the sound and glanced around. Unbeknownst to him, he had already reached the summit of Qingce Mountain.

Qingce Mountain is not high, and climbing it is not too strenuous. However, there is nothing special about the top of the mountain. I wonder why Xingqiu brought him to the top of the mountain.

Xingqiu stood on the edge of the cliff and pointed down: "Brother Han, please look. It was right there that I first understood the principles of chivalry."

Han Fulai looked down the mountain in the direction Xingqiu pointed and saw a flat grassland. He looked at Xingqiu in confusion.

Xingqiu asked, "Brother Han, have you ever heard the saying, 'When an eagle hunts a rabbit, it gives it its all'?"

Han Fulai nodded. He naturally knew this idiom; eagles were often seen flying in the skies of Liyue, so it wasn't surprising that such an idiom existed there.

“After mastering the skills of the Guhua School, I traveled around and witnessed the scene of ‘eagle hunting rabbit’ on that grassy field,” Xingqiu recalled. “But that day, I not only saw ‘eagle hunting rabbit,’ I also saw ‘rabbit kicking eagle’!”

"'Rabbit kicking an eagle'?" Although Han Fulai had seen many grand scenes since coming to Liyue, he had never seen the scene Xingqiu was talking about.

"Yes, I was standing right here that day when I saw two rabbits on the grass, one yellow and one gray, walking along the ground, occasionally stopping to play. Then an eagle in the sky spotted them, circled a few times, and suddenly swooped down."

"The two rabbits also noticed the eagle's movements and quickly fled across the grass in two separate groups. But the grass offered no cover, and the eagle spotted one of the gray rabbits. No matter how it dodged left and right, it could not escape the eagle's sharp talons and was caught red-handed! Although the gray rabbit struggled desperately, it could not escape the eagle's claws and was gradually lifted off the ground."

"Just then, the yellow rabbit, which had already escaped danger, saw its companion about to become food for the eagle, and rushed back without hesitation!"

"The yellow rabbit leaped up and crashed into the eagle's claws. The eagle couldn't withstand the weight of the two rabbits and was forced to release its claws, letting go of the gray rabbit."

"But the eagle did not intend to give up. The yellow rabbit's actions only fueled its ferocity. It let out a cry, circled low in the air, and then charged at the yellow rabbit again."

"The yellow rabbit seemed to have been injured in the impact of its leap, and it wasn't running very fast. When it saw the eagle flying over, it actually stopped."

"I thought it had no chance of escape and would just wait to die. But just as the eagle stretched out its talons, the yellow rabbit suddenly sprang up, its two hind legs leaping nimbly, soaring high into the air, even higher than the low-flying eagle. Its legs slammed heavily onto the eagle's unsuspecting head! The eagle, in pain, tumbled through the air before landing, then took off shakily, never daring to pay any more attention to the rabbit."

"I never imagined a rabbit could have such courage," Han Fulai exclaimed. "First, it risked its life to come back and rescue its companions, and then it managed to turn the tables in a desperate situation and survive."

"Live in the face of death. Only with the awareness to give up everything can one protect the weak in the face of a powerful enemy."

Xingqiu said.

"This is the first time I have come to understand the way of chivalry."

Before Chapter Five, it was a rabbit; then a deer; and now, it's you.

"When an eagle hunts a rabbit, it gives it its all; when a rabbit kicks an eagle, both perish... When facing an enemy stronger than oneself, only by being prepared to fight to the death can one instill fear in the enemy and prevent them from easily invading," Han Fulai said.

Han Fulai had seen far too many examples like this in those lengthy history books.

"No matter how powerful the enemy, you must have the courage to draw your sword. That's the lesson that rabbit taught me," Xingqiu said.

Han Fulai recalled that a few days ago, also in Qingce Village, he had asked Xingqiu a question: "If there were a way to ensure that Qingce Village would never suffer from floods again, but the price was to sacrifice a young girl from Qingce Village every year as an offering, killing this girl to appease the gods in order to keep the village safe, would you be willing?"

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

Han Fulai couldn't help but recall the "Huagai Collection" that he had read when he was in school.

This sentence perfectly summarizes what Xingqiu just said about chivalry: "When the brave are angry, they draw their swords against the stronger; when the cowardly are angry, they draw their swords against the weaker."

Xingqiu's eyes lit up.

"Brother Han's words are truly wonderful! Only a chivalrous person could utter such a perfect line."

Han Fulai smiled, tacitly acknowledging Xingqiu's praise. That writer's prose had been described as "daggers and javelins," and calling him a chivalrous figure among literary figures was no exaggeration.

“From then on, I traveled around doing good deeds, sometimes defeating bandits who blocked my way, and sometimes driving away monsters that caused trouble.” Xingqiu smiled shyly. “Over time, people in Liyue Harbor would occasionally start talking about a chivalrous knight who traveled around doing good deeds and punishing evil.”

“But human strength has its limits. As one of the heirs of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce, I inevitably have to help with some family affairs. Although I have a heart for chivalry, it is impossible to be perfect in every aspect. And there are so many evil people in the world.” Xingqiu’s voice carried a hint of regret. “At that time, I thought that if I could break away from my family identity and travel the world with my sword to uphold justice, I could fulfill my chivalrous path.”

"Until that day, I saw a deer in the deep clouds."

"Oh?" Han Fulai recalled what Xingqiu had said before. "Before, it was the rabbit," meaning that the rabbit had given him his first understanding of chivalry. What he was about to say was probably the so-called "later, it was the deer."

Xingqiu turned around and pointed to the south of Qingce Mountain. In that direction, a mountain peak shrouded in mist could be faintly seen. Han Fulai knew that was the Jueyun Pass that Xingqiu had mentioned.

“There are immortal abodes in Jueyun Mountain. The people of Liyue hold the immortals who helped the Geo Archon establish Liyue in high esteem and rarely venture into the mountains to disturb their cultivation. However, I happened to be reading a fantasy novel the other day and decided to visit the immortals in Jueyun Mountain as described in the book,” Xingqiu said.

"Brother Xingqiu, have you managed to find the immortal?" Han Fulai asked with great interest.

“No.” Xingqiu shook his head. “But I unexpectedly met other people who came to seek immortality.”

"Other people seeking immortality?"

“Yes, actually, in Liyue, quite a few people go into the mountains to visit immortals for various reasons. Some want to ask the immortals for blessings, some want to ask the immortals to cure their illnesses, some want to ask the immortals for wealth, or want to find immortals to cultivate immortality... In short, there are all kinds of people,” Xingqiu said.

Han Fulai nodded, adding in his mind: "And then there are those who read too many fantasy novels and go to play with immortals."

"When I saw the seeker of immortality, he was in the middle of a rushing river. I think he must have accidentally fallen into the water while walking on the mountain path and was swept here by the river."

"The man was sometimes up and sometimes down in the water, and he couldn't hold on much longer. Luckily, there was a dead tree growing in the middle of the river. The man clung to the dead tree tightly and cried out, 'Immortal, save me!'"

"As the man shouted, he gradually lost strength, his grip loosened, and he sank back to the surface. I wanted to save him, but he was too far away, and by the time I got there, it would probably be too late."

"Just as the man was about to drown, a beautiful stag suddenly emerged from the woods by the river. With a leap, it jumped into the middle of the river and reappeared carrying the drowning assailant to the surface. After rescuing the man, the stag went into the woods and disappeared."

"The drowning seeker had already choked on water and was unconscious, unaware of who had saved him. I rushed to the shore and revived him. The seeker kowtowed to me, and it took me a lot of persuasion to convince him that I was not the immortal he was looking for. However, he refused to believe that a deer had saved him, and said that I was a true knight-errant who did good deeds without expecting anything in return and saved people anonymously."

"'Having accomplished his task, he dusted off his clothes and departed, concealing his identity and name.' It was clearly just a deer, yet it possessed a more chivalrous spirit than I did. If the rabbit represents the awareness to abandon everything, the deer represents the hope of finding new life in the face of despair."

Xingqiu sighed.

"I realized then that my previous understanding of chivalry was too narrow. Chivalry is not just about chivalry, but also about righteousness. This righteousness is benevolence and justice. Fighting bandits and monsters with a sword is certainly chivalry, and helping others is also chivalry, isn't it?"

“Since then, in my spare time, I often do small things. For example, I help crying children take down kites that are hanging on treetops, or guide lost people to the right path…” Xingqiu said, “A free and righteous person is a knight-errant, a person who distinguishes between good and evil is a knight-errant, a person with integrity is a knight-errant… But doing good deeds and being a good person is also being a knight-errant! This is the knight-errant principle that I learned from that deer.”

"I really want to see that deer again..." Xingqiu raised his face, revealing a nostalgic expression.

Han Fulai smiled slightly, knowing that Xingqiu had actually visited an immortal that day.

It takes the form of a male deer, and forever cherishes a compassionate heart. Among the immortals, it is the most benevolent. The deer that Xingqiu spoke of is probably the disciple of the Rock King Emperor, the True Lord of Carving the Moon and Building the Sun.

"And now, I have discovered a new way of chivalry in you, Brother Han."

“I still remember what Brother Han told me that day: Ancestor Gu Hua became a knight-errant so that he would no longer need knight-errants,” Xing Qiu said. “At the time, I was quite skeptical, but Brother Han asked me a question that gave me a wake-up call.”

"...What problem?" Han Fulai had no idea what he had said that made Xingqiu feel that he could find a new chivalrous path in him.

"You asked me if I and the Flying Cloud Merchant Guild could protect every vulnerable person in Liyue?" Xingqiu said sincerely. "I suddenly realized that neither my own martial arts skills nor the financial power of the Flying Cloud Merchant Guild could actually do much."

“Brother Han, your speech and behavior don’t really resemble a chivalrous knight at all. In fact, when you talk about some political tactics, you seem like a bad guy—the kind who’s full of evil intentions,” Xingqiu said earnestly.

"I'm truly sorry, but I'm not a chivalrous knight-errant," Han Fulai thought to himself, a wry smile on his face.

“But everything you’ve done is in line with the code of chivalry—the code of chivalry that makes Liyue no longer need chivalrous heroes,” Xingqiu said.

"You told me that day that neither I nor the book were important to Master Chang, but that the absence of Maocai Gong was crucial. Only then did I realize my shallowness. My chivalry is only about saving one or a few people, while your chivalry can save a nation!"

"The great hero serves the country and the people."

Xingqiu turned his head, tilted his head slightly, and looked directly at Han Fulai, his amber eyes filled with a different kind of emotion.

"Before it was the rabbit, then the deer, and now it's you. You are my path of chivalry."

Chapter Six: I Want to Become Sworn Brothers with You

I never expected Xingqiu to see me this way.

Han Fulai was slightly surprised, but then he understood.

No wonder Xingqiu said he wanted to invite him to be the male protagonist of his novel—because he is probably the person who best fits Xingqiu's ideal right now.

Xingqiu had dreamed of becoming a chivalrous hero since childhood, but he was constrained by his identity as the second young master of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce. In front of others, he had to pretend to be a polite, diligent, and studious good boy, and he could never let go and roam the martial world with his sword. Suppressing his true self for a long time naturally made Xingqiu dissatisfied with the status quo.

If he were merely the second young master of the Feiyun Merchant Guild, it wouldn't be so bad. After all, he had an older brother to rely on, and at worst, he could simply abandon his family business and roam the world with his sword. However, Xingqiu's other identity is the heir of the Liyue Yun Clan, a heavy responsibility that he cannot simply relinquish.

As the heir to a powerful clan, he is destined to bear the responsibility of maintaining the existing order in Liyue. However, his dream is to become a chivalrous knight-errant who defies the law, a disruptor of order.

Torn between family responsibilities and childhood dreams, Xingqiu's heart was constantly swaying back and forth.

Han Fulai knew that to Xingqiu, he was like a dream come true.

He claims to be a descendant of the Ancient Hua School, so he naturally possesses the identity of a chivalrous knight; at the same time, he is also the Deputy Director of Moonsea Pavilion, part of the current Liyue system, and a maintainer of order; logically speaking, his two identities, like Xingqiu's, are contradictory.

However, in the incident involving Master Chang and Master Maocai, he demonstrated how to act as an official and uphold justice, and even pointed out a path for Xingqiu—the path of "the greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people."

This path allows Xingqiu to neither abandon his responsibilities nor betray his chivalrous principles, thus perfectly resolving his long-standing dilemma.

That's why Xingqiu said to him, "You are my path of chivalry."

If Xingqiu were a girl, Han Fulai, a virgin with a shelf life of twenty-four years, would definitely be blushing right now, perhaps even overly self-conscious, wildly speculating whether this was a subtle confession. Fortunately, Xingqiu is a boy.

Han Fulai now even had a gratified smile on his face, like someone who had been through it all watching their juniors grow.

It's said that men all grow up watching another man's back. Han Fulai knew that to Xingqiu, he was now like Zhongli in his eyes back then.

Xingqiu told him, "You are my path of chivalry," just as he had said at the Qunyu Pavilion, "Now I only want to bring a pot of wine to offer a toast to the Emperor." It was that kind of pure admiration.

He and Xingqiu shared similar interests, and they worked together to uphold justice in the Chang Jiuye incident. They even joined forces to capture Maocai Gong to rid Liyue of a scourge, and they also made a pact to revitalize the Guhua Sect together. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them good brothers.