He changed Tiwat

The people of Mondstadt have always relished the legend of Vanessa, the gladiator slave, climbing from the lowest mire to the top of Mondstadt's towers, but they don't know that Vanessa's success in overthrowing House Lawrence's rule was not solely due to so-called "popular support."

The "secret pact with the wind at your back," the Gunnhildr family's allegiance, and the defection of a large number of minor and medium-sized noble lords, or rather, their opportunism... these were the keys to Vanessa's success.

Correspondingly, after the revolution succeeded, Vanessa also had to rely on these people to manage Mondstadt and the Knights of Faith.

To put it more plainly, the Knights of Favonius simply changed the ruler of Mondstadt from "Lawrence" to "Grunhild".

Indeed, since the founding of the Knights of Favonius, Mondstadt abolished slavery, and no one has ever boasted of their noble titles. Moreover, the Gunnhildr family, as the original family of Barbatos, the god of wind, and a knightly lineage whose mission is "to protect Mondstadt forever," is truly a family of incorruptible and upright individuals.

However, not every former noble who surrendered to the Knights of Favonius was as honest and upright as the Gunnhild family.

In this era, the remnants of the old aristocracy still hold a pivotal position in Mondstadt.

This matter is actually very simple.

When nobles were in power, their positions were hereditary, bloodlines were paramount, and succession was from father to son. Now that the noble royal family has been overthrown and replaced by knightly orders, how can the nobles continue to live a good life?

It's simple: just create a threshold that ordinary people can't cross, but that "famous families" can easily cross.

To join the Knights of Favonius and serve the people of Mondstadt, there are certainly requirements—knowledge of how to handle government affairs and martial arts skills to fight bandits, right?

How can a peasant tenant farmer, who spends his days playing in the mud, learn literacy and swordsmanship? Can the people of Mondstadt trust such a person to be a knight and protect Mondstadt?

Therefore, every year the veteran knights of the Order would search for talented and virtuous new talents to be their apprentices, carrying forward the spirit of passing on knowledge and skills, and cultivating fresh blood for the Order.

As for who these fresh blood are... if your ancestors were distinguished warriors with outstanding achievements, you will surely inherit their style; if his ancestors were veterans of several dynasties with high moral character and prestige, he will surely inherit their virtues... only when such people become knights can the people of Mondstadt feel at ease.

Of course, the old knights also have sons and grandsons. Although it's true that one shouldn't avoid recommending relatives, recommending one's own descendants can easily lead to gossip... So why not ask colleagues to recommend each other? I recommend your son, who is exceptionally talented, and you recommend my son, who is both virtuous and capable. We can also strengthen our bonds and make the knightly order more united, right?

Just like a Liyue girl with average grades who can't even get into the literature school, if she wants to study at the Sumeru Academy, it's useless to train her willpower by making ice blocks since childhood. What's really important is to have a good mother who can help her get a recommendation letter from a Sage of the Academy.

Rustan was able to join the Knights because of the "letter of recommendation" that Erendel obtained from his father, which was probably the only time Erendel actively used his privilege.

Rustan hopes that future Knights of Favonius will no longer need a renowned master or a letter of recommendation from an elder to join the Order.

"Even if it's just a tiny bit, I want to use my own strength to turn this dark world around."

He always remembered this vow.

This distance of ten or so miles is neither long nor short.

The group moved stealthily and arrived at the "Pink Rose Manor" just before midnight, where they stood on a high slope not far away to observe.

Although it was late, the Pink Rose Manor was still brightly lit, indicating that the banquet inside was not yet over.

The Roland family's ancestors were marquises, and their accumulated wealth was equally substantial.

The estate covers tens of hectares, with gardens planted with famous roses, vineyards for winemaking, and stables for horses. It is also well-guarded, with servants patrolling in shifts and even genuine Knights of Favonius standing guard outside the manor. Among tonight's guests are several high-ranking members of the Knights of Favonius who remain in Mondstadt, mostly elderly elders too old to participate in expeditions.

This magnificent manor, steeped in history, is about to be attacked by monsters and bandits from who-knows-where, and turned into a sea of ​​fire.

Han Fulai gazed at the manor and gently pursed his lips.

—Being a "ruthless bandit" in a dream is a truly unique experience.

Honestly, even in his dreams, he had never dreamed of killing people... let alone giving orders and actually killing so many people himself.

Sister Mira, draped in a black cloak, knelt before him and bowed: "Sect Master, I have confirmed with the lookouts that the targets are all in the manor."

Han Fulai nodded.

“According to the plan, you take a few men to set fire to the stables. Once you receive the signal, the inside agent will create chaos inside as well. At that time, I will lead men to break into the manor directly… Oh, right…” He beckoned to Sister Claire, “You take two people to guard the perimeter. Don’t let any of them escape.”

Although few in number, they were all formidable fighters, each capable of taking on ten men, and no one here would question their leader's orders. Compared to the knights in the Order of Knights, the "Guardians" of the organization were more like soldiers in terms of obeying orders.

Everyone accepted the order and left.

Han Fulai watched their retreating figures, gripping the "Dark Alley Flash" hidden in his cloak.

Although this was not something he enjoyed doing, he knew that for Mond in history, it was a "necessary evil."

If he were to comment on Rustan's actions tonight, he would say: Rustan's fire has paved the way for the Knights of Favonius to burn for another five hundred years.

Chapter 318 The Ancient Story of Bai (Part 11) [Bonus Chapter for Max Pipi]

(Special thanks to "Maxpipi" for the generous donation, which is like a direct 648 yuan top-up for me! I had to add an extra chapter to express my gratitude. Wishing you a Happy New Year and all the best!)

Flames appeared in the stables of the manor, startling the fine horses that the nobles had carefully raised. They charged wildly around the manor, trampling countless bewildered servants. In an instant, the sounds of neighing horses and neighing men filled the air.

At the same time, fires broke out in the mansion, as the inside agent heard the noise and set it on fire as well.

Screams for firefighting filled the air, turning the once orderly manor into chaos, and even the patrolling guards were thrown into disarray.

Amidst the chaos, a group of people cloaked in black entered the manor under the cover of night.

The guards at the gate didn't have time to issue any warnings, because before they could even see those black shadows of death, their throats had already been severed by the sharp wind of the sword.

In the next instant, "Dark Alley Flash" had already flashed a sword light on the back of the guards.

Jiang Xue only taught Han Fulai the "training method" of the "Sword of Wind Slash," not the "fighting method" for actual combat. If he were to actually wield the sword and unleash such sharp sword energy, he certainly wouldn't be able to do it... But now he is Rustam.

Although Rustan's "West Wind Sword Technique" and Kanria's "Wind-Slicing Sword" have very different sword techniques, the principle of power application is the same—where there is energy, there is power. The source of this sword energy is the external release of the power of the "True Technique".

Of course, from the outside perspective, Rustan's sword winds all come from the wind-elemental divine eye he possesses, a gift from the gods, and certainly not a legacy from some underground ancient kingdom.

For Han Fulai, tonight was his first time using the "Wind-Slaying Sword" in actual combat.

Although the battle was taking place in a dream, Inazuma had "Flow" and Nata had "Shadow Fist Fighting," both of which were similar to training in a dream. Han Fulai simply treated this battle as a similar training session; to be honest, only in this way could he fight without any scruples.

Anyway, these people have been dead for five hundred years in history, and what he killed were just illusions in a dream.

Such swordsmanship, when used in battle, is like mowing grass in an unparalleled way—just as Rustam taught Roland: cut, slash, pierce, and then start over until the opponent can no longer move.

Generally speaking, even seasoned warriors will feel a slight hesitation when they feel a sword cutting into a human body, since it is taking the life of another human being. In addition, the armor and hard bones worn by a person can damage the blade, dulling it and making the killer's movements less agile... but killing with sword energy does not have this problem.

The sword energy gave him no feedback, and the sword's edge remained undamaged—it was like pressing a remote detonation button on a computer screen from thousands of miles away; he wouldn't even have the feeling of killing anyone.

Human life is indeed no different from that of grass under such a sword.

He mechanically swung his longsword, as if weeding a field.

Like him, the other members of the organization who followed him also took action, all in the same silence—cutting, slashing, piercing, harvesting all living things in the manor with the cold precision of machines, including the hunting dogs and horses kept by the owner.

As they stepped into the mansion, a bloody path had already been laid behind them.

The Pink Rose Estate is symbolized by the rose, and the mansion is decorated with pink rose patterns everywhere. Tonight, beneath those pink rose decorations, red roses are in full bloom.

Roses stained with blood.

Looking at the roses on the gate, Han Fulai inexplicably recalled the poem "Under the Rose" that he had heard at the "Badminton Festival" poetry gathering.

"Under the rose, in secret."

Everything that happens tonight will become a secret forever.

Beneath the roses, everything is a secret.

In fact, although Rustan claimed to the organization members that these old noble families who gathered there were "plotting to seize power from the Knights while the Grand Master was away on campaign," he did not actually have any evidence.

While these people were indeed dissatisfied with Erendlin and Rustam's ways of doing things, and had indeed plotted to remove them, so far it had all remained just talk.

He knew that Sir Roland had sent his son to be his apprentice so that Roland could become the new Knight of the North Wind, and that preserving the order would be more advantageous for them; he also knew that most of the old noble family members gathered here were all bark and no bite, and that much of what they said was just talk, and even if someone really wanted to do something, they might not have the guts to participate; he even knew very well that many of the servants and guards in this manor were completely innocent...

Moreover, even if these people really intended to overthrow the Knights Order and were indeed preparing to do so, as long as they did not put it into practice, it would not be a capital offense according to the Knights Order's laws.

If Rustan were given another thirty years, he would be happy to slowly play office games with these people, gradually breaking down the "thresholds" they had built, and little by little, in ways that most people couldn't detect, taking back what he wanted to return to the people of Mondstadt.

However, the "Dark Calamity" appeared, and Erendel went on an expedition. Before the expedition, he entrusted Mondstadt to Rustan.

Rustan knew that Erendel would face a powerful enemy this time, and Rustan also knew that he might also face a powerful enemy.

When war breaks out, many actions that seem too extreme in normal times will have sufficient legitimacy and necessity.

Only by eradicating all evil, by whatever means necessary, can we ensure the future of the land that our dearest friend loves.

Therefore, as he said, he could not allow any signs of unrest to emerge in Mondstadt at this critical juncture, and if any did, he would nip it in the bud himself.

Always be prepared for both possibilities.

—This is Rustan's creed.

Based on this belief, he passed on his swordsmanship to the knights under his close friend's command.

Based on this belief, he also cultivated a white knight who yearned for justice.

Based on this belief, he also wanted to nip the seedlings that would grow into flowers of evil.

If I am well prepared, even if one day I can no longer protect this land, no longer protect my dearest friends, no longer protect that girl who loves to sing...

Even if they are punished in the future, and bear a stain that can never be washed away...

But tonight, he must lay a new foundation for Mondstadt's future.

That night, the blood-soaked guardians heard their leader recite two lines of poetry over the burning Rose Manor.

他 说:

"The imperial treasury was burned to ashes, and the bones of officials and nobles were trampled on the streets."

I discovered another interesting coincidence today.

When you read Volume 3, do you remember that I wrote about Jiang Xue's senior brother named "Ye Mingxiang" in the Layered Rock Chapter?

His maternal lineage is the Ye family of Qiaoyingzhuang, whose family were tea merchants...

After completing the Lantern Festival quests today, I discovered that the new character Jiaming (Jiaming) is surnamed Ye, lives in Qiaoying Village, and is the son of a tea merchant...

What a coincidence...

...Could the miHoYo screenwriters actually be following the books? ??

Chapter 319: Revealing Ancient Things (12)

Han Fulai was unable to try to sleep in his dream, because the killing in the dream came to an end after the owner of the mansion, that is, Lord Roland, fell under his sword.

This was undoubtedly a lucky thing for him—he didn't have to worry about how to explain this to Roland, Rustan's disciple.

In the vortex of darkness, Han Fulai witnessed the end of that "pure white knight":

That night, Roland unknowingly lost everything from his past, and from then on, he became a person who only had the present and the future.

From then on, his life consisted only of the justice and chivalry taught to him by his master.

If anything remains on his body... it's probably the flames of revenge.

Whether fortunately or unfortunately, on that night, dark monsters from Kanria attacked other manors outside Mondstadt.

No one knows where they came from... as if they grew out of the ground, black hounds and bronze killing machines began to roam the land of Mondstadt, bringing endless blood and fire.

The destruction of "Pink Rose Estate" seemed no different from that of other unfortunate victims.

Acting Grand Master Rustin urgently announced the abandonment of the outskirts of Mondstadt, and all the remaining Knights of Favonius and civilian volunteers were mobilized to protect the people outside the city as they evacuated to the heavily fortified city of Mondstadt for refuge.

Roland didn't even have the time to return to his hometown to pay his respects before heading to the battlefield under his master's guidance.

For him, this was a journey of revenge, and all the monsters were his enemies.

Whenever there are man-eating monsters or distant firelight, the knights will rush to the scene.

First, cut; second, slash; third, pierce. Following the teachings of the "Young Wolf" who instilled in him chivalry, justice, and swordsmanship, he cut, slashed, and pierced. Then, he began cutting again from the beginning... until justice was served and the monster ceased to move.

—The knight who wore gleaming silver armor, but his armor no longer shines.

The armor was stained with so much demonic blood that it was impossible to wash it back to its original color. The small white flower that his beloved girl had pinned to his chest was repeatedly soaked in blood, turning as black as a winter night, just like the knight's silver armor, and as hard as tempered iron, just like the knight's heart.

—The knight who once wore a longsword that shone like a mirror, but now his sword is no longer bright.

His longsword turned black from the fighting and killing, and there were even rumors that it had become a demonic sword, possessing the power to nourish the person who wielded it and keep them fighting.

This black sword is forever thirsty for blood; it is awakened by the smell of blood and can immerse people in the excitement of bloody battles.

—The pure white and noble knight donned a mask made of black iron.

When the knight felled the monster for the hundredth time and reached out to help the suffering, the person he was saving screamed and pushed him away. Only then did the knight realize that his face was stained with the blood of his own and his enemies' from countless battles. His face had become far more ferocious than the monster's due to the long years of fighting.

The knight replaced his face with an iron mask so that those protected by his chivalry would not have to look directly at his face, which had become hideous from bloodshed.

It doesn't matter.

Even if the white flowers the girl offered him were stained black with blood, even if the sword was no longer bright, even if his handsome face became distorted and terrifying, forcing him to cover it with an iron mask, even if the ordinary people he protected could not understand, he was not prepared to stop.

He gradually became fascinated by the sensations of cutting, piercing, and slashing.

As the sword clashed with flesh and blood, he could feel an electric current running through his spinal cord... perhaps that was the sensation of justice being served.

As long as we keep cutting, piercing, and chopping like this, the sin of distorting the world will eventually be eradicated.

Someone said to him, "Knight, killing in the name of justice is still killing."