He changed Tiwat

"Mona, can you tell whether what I just said was true or false?" Han Fulai asked.

Mona shook her head. "No."

If that statement is the "truth," then based on its own content, it is a "false statement." But if it is a "false statement," then the double negative becomes an affirmation, and the statement becomes the "truth."

Therefore, no matter how you look at it, this proposition is both true and false, neither true nor false.

Han Fulai nodded and said, "Where we're from, this is called the 'liar's paradox.' And the example we just gave about the astrologer could perhaps be called the 'astrologer's paradox.'"

"These paradoxes can be expressed using 'set theory' in mathematics. It shows that in mathematical logic, a set cannot be defined by a single property; the elements of the set must come from another set. Otherwise, paradoxes such as 'if A, then not A' would be derived... Of course, discussing this issue further would turn it into an academic problem."

Mona looked eager to learn, clearly hoping he would say more, but Han Fulai gestured with his eyes to the barrier surrounding them.

His outdoor enclosure couldn't support a whole mathematics seminar.

“Mona, if you’re interested, we can discuss these topics later. The main purpose of presenting these paradoxes to you here is to prove to you that there is no such thing as ‘prophecy’ in this world, let alone an ‘unchangeable destiny’.”

"Even the lofty principles of Heaven must contain themselves in the world they prophesy, thus creating a logical paradox. In other words, whether it is the 'Seat of Fate' or the 'False Heaven,' or the 'prophecy' of Heaven, none of them can essentially determine the so-called 'fate.'"

He looked up at the pure white ceiling and repeated the words he had once said to Shen He:

"A person's fate depends on both their own efforts and the course of history."

Although he said the same things, Han Fulai's feelings were completely different.

When Han Fulai said this to Shen He, he was trying to encourage Shen He to fight against the so-called "Lonely Star Calamity" fate. At that time, his heart was filled with the ambition to change Shen He's fate. However, when he said this to Mona, it seemed to become a "statement". He was just stating a fact without any emotion.

After all, this statement describes the reality of the continent of Teyvat.

"Individual struggle...and the course of history..."

Hearing Han Fu speak with utmost seriousness, Mona also adopted a serious expression, awaiting his next words.

Han Fulai then stood the set of "Dog and a Half" upright again, arranging them in a circle.

"These 'dominoes' are what I mean by 'personal struggle'."

Then he extended a finger and pushed the first book in front of him.

The books that had been standing upright on the table fell over one by one, forming a circle on the table.

Han Fulai waved that finger at Mona.

"This is what I mean by 'the course of history.' As long as you can grasp the direction of historical development, or rather, the 'trend,' you can get the desired result with just a gentle push. This is how Skye controls so-called 'fate.'"

Mona frowned. "But as far as I know, at least after the 'Dark Calamity,' there's no record of the gods on Sky Isle ever descending to Earth again. And our astrologers' observations of the 'Constellations of Fate' are always verified in reality afterward, right? ...It's impossible for those gods to control everything that happens to each individual, isn't it?"

Han Fulai smiled and said, "Mona, that's an excellent question. I was thinking about the same thing when you mentioned the 'sinking prophecy' just now."

"And my answer is contained in these 'dominoes'."

He pointed to the circle formed by the stack of novels on the table and said, "Look, these 'dominoes' fall down and form a fixed pattern, right? Actually, the pattern formed by the 'dominoes' is not necessarily as planned in advance. Just like this circle I planned, but if you look closely, you will find that it is not a perfect circle, because my random placement will always have errors."

"However, even if there are some slight errors, it will not change the causal chain of their falling one by one, nor will it affect the result of their forming a pattern. Because I have determined the range of movement of these 'dominoes' in advance, they can only move within the range I set. Just like the heavens use 'false heavens' to wrap up the entire Teyvat, everyone can only move within such a 'cage'."

“If you consider each of these ‘dominoes’ as a ‘country’ or ‘civilization,’ then the direction of human civilization’s development across the entire continent of Teyvat is determined. As long as the Heavenly Principle controls these relatively large nodes, such as the ‘Seven Rulers of the Mortal Realm,’ or the king or priest who leads a country, it can indirectly control and coerce the actions of every individual through them…”

"Even if there is a significant deviation somewhere..."

Mona saw Han Fulai extend a finger and tap it on the edge of a book with a "snap," like a giant nail falling from the sky, pushing the book back onto its predetermined track.

"Just push it back onto the predetermined track as you wish."

Chapter 261 Writing Destiny with One's Own Hands

While saying these words, Han Fulai was also filled with mixed emotions.

Zhongli once said these words to him in the Salt God Ruins—

"The Prime Minister's political enemies believe that the government she has established is too reliable. It is too big, managing everything and encompassing everything. They believe that the government should be small, only managing necessary matters, and leaving everything else to the people to handle themselves. With the Prime Minister's rule, her people are simply being kept in captivity."

In retrospect, the so-called "captive breeding" was probably not a metaphor, but a realistic description.

After that war that raged to the point of cataclysmic destruction and devastating floods, the large government of Sky Isle seemed to have transformed into a small government, adopting a system of "seven earthly rulers" as a form of administrative control.

The Isle of Sky imposed strict boundary restrictions on human civilization in Teyvat, prohibiting people from prying into the secrets behind the "False Sky" and concealing all related information. Then, it began to manage the world through a federal government-like model called the "Seven Earthly Rulers"—meaning that the Sky Isle government was no longer directly responsible to the people.

As for why things turned out this way, Han Fulai speculated that it was related to the war back then, as well as the slumber of Heaven's justice. Unfortunately, he didn't have any more information and couldn't make a more accurate judgment.

Mona stared at the circle formed by the books on the table and slowly said, "You mean, Sky Island actually controls certain important figures in this world, and then indirectly controls the fate of all mankind through them?"

Han Fulai nodded, "You could say that."

Mona remembered what Lisa had said to her in the library that day—

"What you see is the 'Eye of God,' but what I see is an abyss behind it, exuding a sweet fragrance. For some reason, God gives people the key to change everything, but does not explain the price required."

...So that's how it is. This is...the price to obtain the Eye of God?

Those who possess the Eye of God are regarded as "gods" by ordinary people, humans who have the hope of becoming gods and are envied by the masses—but in reality, the Eye of God is nothing more than evidence of being "watched by the Sky Isle".

Obtaining the Eye of God is equivalent to entering the Sky Island's field of vision.

The Eye of God does indeed grant its holder extraordinary power, but it also symbolizes that the person's destiny is no longer in their own hands.

Mona removed the Eye of God from her neck and placed it on the table.

"You mean, I'm one of them too?"

Han Fulai nodded again. "Yes. I remember Mona, you said that you never intended to have the Eye of God, and even thought it was useless for divination, and you even looked down on it, right?"

Mona nodded silently.

"But you still obtained the Eye of God. I think the truth is probably... the Eye of God is not only the gaze of God, but also the bondage of God."

Legend has it that when a person's desire is strong enough, the gods will cast their gaze upon him, hence the name "the eye of God".

However, Han Fulai has seen many counterexamples. For instance, Mona doesn't need the Eye of God, Keqing dislikes it, and Klee probably doesn't even know what the Eye of God is... But that doesn't stop Sky Isles from forcing the Eye of God on them.

Han Fulai previously believed that the process of obtaining the Eye of God was less about "a strong desire being seen by the gods" and more about "ideas being recognized by the gods." In more mystical terms, the holder of the Eye of God received "feedback from the Great Dao." In other words, holders of the Eye of God are outstanding individuals who can walk their own "path."

Now it seems that one more condition needs to be added—Skye Island believes that you have the potential to influence history, or rather, that you have the value to manipulate it.

Han Fulai has gotten to know quite a few Vision holders in Liyue and Mondstadt so far. These people either have profound backgrounds and amazing resources, or they are heroes in their own right with considerable influence. Even the seemingly ordinary adventurers Bennett and Fischl have mysterious identities and backgrounds that might surprise you someday when they are revealed.

To put it bluntly, those who possess the Eye of God are all figures who could potentially make history.

If each Eye of the Void wielder corresponds to a "Constellation" in the heavens, wouldn't that mean that the Eye of the Void wielder is the "Teyvat Stars"?

Perhaps Sky Isles had other reasons for choosing them, but from the perspective of the Sky Isles government's need for stability, bringing these people under its control in advance was definitely not a mistake. Correspondingly, by influencing the fate of these exceptional Eye of God holders, they were essentially influencing the future of the Teyvat continent.

Mona stared at Han Fulai in a daze.

Han Fulai's words were like opening a door to a new world for Mona.

The Sky Island that had always been shrouded in mist, the secrets hidden behind the "False Sky," the profound meanings hidden behind the "Seats of Fate"... all of these were unveiled by the person in front of him in such a short time.

Despite having read the same historical records as him, bearing the legacy of a proud witch, and possessing the "Water Divination Technique"—a method that allows one to glimpse the workings of the heavens—she could not reach the area his gaze could reach.

Is this the difference in perspective?

No wonder the old woman sent me to Mondstadt... How could I have met such a person and known the immensity of heaven and earth if I hadn't traveled around?

As an astrologer who pursues truth, Mona's fighting spirit was not dampened. On the contrary, having such a goal to pursue gave her even more motivation.

“I remember you just said that you wanted to use some experiments to verify the operation mechanism of this ‘Constellation’ system, and I am a key observer… What kind of experiment are you talking about? And how can I help you?” Mona asked.

Han Fulai's answer made Mona's eyes widen—

"I want you to write 'Destiny' yourself."

"To write destiny...me?"

If Mona were wearing glasses, they would definitely have fallen to the ground by now. Unfortunately, she wasn't wearing glasses, so her glasses couldn't fall, and instead, her pointed hat fell down.

Han Fulai helped Mona pick up her hat and said sincerely, "Simply put, I want to verify how the 'Constellation' 'Destiny System' affects people's fate. We now know that logically there should be no 'prophecy,' and using data collected from ley lines to predict the future will encounter the 'Chaos System,' causing the calculation results to quickly become inaccurate."

"But I also believe that you astrologers aren't frauds; you can indeed glimpse the trajectory of fate from the 'Constellation of Destiny.' At least you accurately predicted that I would spend a lot of Mora last night..."

"So... the experiment I want to do is to ask Mona to divine her own fate, or rather, to decide her own fate—well, how about divining your lunch today?"

Chapter 262 What will Mona eat today?

One of the old woman's warnings to Mona was, "Don't consult the oracle about your fate unless absolutely necessary."

Although Mona is very adventurous and doesn't care much about many taboos, she has never dared to touch the taboo of "divining one's own destiny."

Although she didn't know what the so-called "contradiction of fate" was at the time, the literal meaning was already quite intimidating—if an astrologer's divination of fate were contradictory, it would at least affect the accuracy of the divination results. If this effect was long-lasting, wouldn't it be equivalent to the end of an astrologer's career?

So Mona, who has always been rebellious, has never rebelled on this one point.

Today she made a decision—she decided to try to break this taboo and divine her fate.

Although an astrologer shouldn't question the existence of "destiny," Han Fulai's theories and arguments did convince Mona, making her willing to help him conduct this experiment to verify how the "Constellation" controls a person's fate.

The old woman said "unless absolutely necessary," meaning that if it were "absolutely necessary," one could still try to divine one's fate.

She has now discovered the secret of the "False Heaven," and even the "predestined fate" that sustains astrology is being challenged by the otherworldly "quantum mechanics." Astrology is on the verge of extinction! If this isn't a last resort, when is it?

So after that conversation, Han Fulai removed the outdoor barrier, while Mona summoned the water divination plate and began to ask fate a serious question—

What should I eat for lunch today?

Han Fulai said to Mona at the time: "Putting an individual's fate into the grand scheme of Teyvat's history, it is almost negligible. I believe that the laws of nature will not set a fate like 'What will Mona eat tonight', and obviously, you will not consult the oracle for such a trivial matter."

He is absolutely right.

For something to be called a "prophecy," it must at least be a major event like a flood that submerges Fontaine. In the past, when people came to her for divination, they usually asked about love and career development, or the life and death of their relatives—all major life events.

No one in this world would be so bored as to hire an astrologer to predict what to have for lunch...

Mona has observed the "Constellation" of many people in the past. The fate trajectory recorded in the "Constellation" is more like a "historical book" or "biography" than a "diary".

For example, when she read Lisa's "Hourglass" chart, she gleaned the symbolism of the birth sign: knowledge, time, and equivalent exchange. These are the most representative symbolic images of the life experiences of the person whose birth sign is associated with it.

A more detailed account would include Lisa's background, major events in her past experiences, and so on. For example, Lisa's admission to the Order of the Sage and her acceptance into the sage's tutelage, her important papers and inventions, her contact with the "Elemental of Nothingness" and the "Abyss," and her service in the Knights after returning to the Order, etc. In short, these are all major events that are bound to be included in a biography.

Less important information, such as what Lisa eats for three meals a day and how much beauty sleep she gets each day, is generally not displayed in the "Constellation of Fate," and Mona had never tried to do such a thing before.

But this time she consulted the oracle about her fate, and the subject of the oracle was the contents of today's lunch.

It should be said that the experimental project chosen by Han Fulai was quite interesting. Although it touched on a taboo, it was only a trivial matter like "what Mona ate for lunch".

Even if some "conflict of fate" does occur, the impact won't be too significant, right? Probably.

As it turned out, the divination process went very smoothly, and Mona read out the dishes for her lunch today from the water divination plate without any hindrance.

So Mona and Han Fulai went to "The Deer Hunter" for lunch and to conduct their experiment.

The results of the experiment—

"Mondstadt roast, satisfying salad, and... fried beans..."

Mona stared blankly at the plates on the table.

It was exactly the same as the result of her divination.

The problem is that, for the purpose of the experiment, she specifically ordered only "Mondstadt Grilled Ribs" this time, just to see what would happen if the divination results did not match reality.

The "Satisfaction Salad" was a gift from Sarah, the owner of the "Deer Hunter" restaurant. Mona had become a regular customer at the "Deer Hunter" recently and had become quite familiar with Sarah. Her most frequently ordered dish at the "Deer Hunter" was the cheapest "Satisfaction Salad".

So when Sarah saw Mona's face, she immediately ordered the kitchen to prepare a "satisfaction salad." Although Sarah was a little surprised that Mona didn't order this dish this time, since the kitchen had already started making it, Sarah generously gave it to Mona as a free gift.

As for "fried beans"...

"Dear Ms. Sarah, please forgive my rudeness, but I must express my opinion in public—your beans are absolutely delicious!"

Sarah, who was checking the bill at the counter, covered her mouth and laughed, "Oz, you're so good with words. You can always ask me for more if it's not enough, okay?"

The Princess of Judgment from the Pure Land of Dark Night gently tapped her plate with her spoon, indicating that she was about to speak. She then solemnly began, "Even cruel fate smiles upon my sinful bloodline. Meeting you all is my destiny, a 'reality' I cannot escape..."

Oz, who was resting on the table, then conveniently provided translation for his mistress: "The young lady is saying that she was very happy to meet you two during the meal, and especially grateful for Lord Megistus's generosity. The kebabs you ordered were very delicious."

Yes, when the two of them came to do this "experiment", they happened to run into Fischl and Oz, who came to dine, so Mona treated them to a meal - of course, Han Fulai paid for it.

The "fried beans" dish, which shouldn't have been on this table, was ordered specifically for Oz.

Mona's divination came true in this way.

Han Fulai winked at Mona and deliberately asked, "Mona, are you full?"

Mona immediately understood that Han Fulai wanted her to try adding some dishes that hadn't appeared in the divination.

She immediately raised her hand and said to the counter, "Boss lady, could I have another serving of sweet flower wine?"

Before he could finish speaking, Oz suddenly flapped his wings and cried out, "Lord Megistus! Please don't click that!"

Fischl clutched her chest, her face contorted in agony as she trembled violently. "That...that thing...limbs bound by chains that defy nature...losing that lowly head that was born to admire royalty and kings, it's practically a glimpse of hell from 'that world'...If it weren't for that, I, the princess, would have won the grand assembly yesterday and received the admiration of my people..."