He changed Tiwat

Han Fulai called out a few more times, but still no one appeared.

That's strange...

Han Fulai thought for a moment and then activated the "square knot pattern" on the back of his hand.

The "Fang Sheng" emblem did indeed flash briefly, but Han Fulai received no response from the Immortal Power Contract...

The only thing Han Fulai could be sure of was that the contract between him and Xiao was not broken, and he was still helping Xiao bear half of the "karma," which proved that Xiao's life was not in danger.

This situation is likely because Xiao is outside the "signal circle" of the contract perception.

It's like a cell phone with plenty of credit and full battery, but it's in a remote mountain forest or desert with no signal, so Xiao doesn't receive the signal he sent.

This isn't the first time such a situation has occurred; for example, in environments like the bottom of the giant rock abyss, it's impossible to call for Xiao.

As the "Great Sage Who Subdues Demons," Xiao's daily work involves clearing away the "karmic obstacles" left over from the Demon God War in Liyue. It's quite normal for him to venture into a secret realm where he can't communicate with the outside world.

However... with Xiao's combat power, ordinary demon god remnants are no match for him, and he usually finishes the battle in a few minutes.

What kind of terrifying place could be a secret realm that could keep Xiao trapped for so long without him being able to respond?

Including this time with Xiao, this is the third time he's come up empty-handed...

Why is it that when he comes back from his business trip, all his old acquaintances seem to be avoiding him?

Although Han Fulai knew that these were all just coincidences, he still couldn't help feeling somewhat disappointed.

Since things have come to this point, there's no point in waiting at Wangshu Inn.

Han Fulai came down from the top floor, intending to first find Yan Xiao to order a couple of dishes for dinner. If Xiao still hadn't returned by dinner, he would have to give up on the "Yaksha Logistics" plan and take a carriage to Qiaoying Manor by himself.

It seems that everything in this world has two sides; the person you're desperately looking for often eludes you, but unexpected encounters often happen unexpectedly.

As soon as he stepped into the inn's lobby, he heard a delighted voice: "It's Mr. Han! What a coincidence to run into you here!"

Han Fulai looked up at the sound and was surprised to see a pink figure.

The tall xiezhi crown, the swaying little deer antlers, and that energetic short-sleeved shirt and hot pants—who else could it be but Yan Fei?

Upon seeing this "pretty landlady," Han Fulai also showed surprise and delight.

It had been over two months since he started living at the Guiliyuan construction site. After several fruitless attempts, he finally ran into an acquaintance, which stirred up a feeling of "meeting an old friend in a foreign land" in his heart... Speaking of which, when he first arrived in Teyvat, he had no relatives or friends in Liyue Harbor, and it was Yanfei who took him in.

He immediately extended an invitation to Yan Fei: "What a coincidence! As the saying goes, a chance encounter is worse than an invitation. I was just feeling that eating alone is no fun. Come on, it's on me!"

Although Ningguang fined him, she certainly wouldn't be short of money to treat Yanfei to a meal—besides, Wangshu Inn is also Ningguang's property, so Boss Philgoldet wouldn't actually charge him...

Yan Fei nodded with a grin, then called out to the counter, "Brother Jiaming, there's no need to argue now, someone's paying the bill, okay?"

A young man in black with black hair at the counter turned around upon hearing Yan Fei's voice and blurted out in a string of colloquialisms: "Hey, no way! Don't argue with me. As the old saying goes, at home you rely on your parents, but when you're out in the world, you rely on your friends. When you're out and about, whatever you do, you have to be fair to your friends. This little bit of money for tea won't cost you anything..."

It wasn't until he saw Han Fulai's shocked expression that the young man realized his native Liyue Harbor accent was incomprehensible to him, and he quickly switched to a Cantonese accent: "Wait for me, I'll be done in a minute."

After saying that, he turned back to the innkeeper, Huai'an, and argued with him. The conversation went something like this: "One pot of tea and two dim sum dishes, plus some blanched seasonal vegetables and freshly cooked congee," "The poultry must taste like poultry, and the fish must taste like fish," "What?! You'll forgive the tea fee, but you're charging extra for wiping your hands? Luckily, I brought my own, I'll cancel it, I'll cancel it..."

Yan Fei smiled helplessly and turned to Han Fulai, saying, "His name is Jiaming, and he's the bodyguard I hired for this trip. Because he's a native of Qiaoying Village, he's used to speaking the local dialect since he was a child, so you might not be used to it... He's a very nice person, just a bit too enthusiastic, and he always likes to argue with me about paying the bill..."

Han Fulai then came to his senses.

His shock wasn't because he couldn't understand Jiaming's "local dialect," but rather quite the opposite—he grew up during the era when Hong Kong films and Cantonese songs were all the rage in China, and he could genuinely understand Jiaming's Cantonese.

Yes, it really is Cantonese!

It turns out that Liyue not only has Chinese poetry and culture, but also Cantonese.

Chapter Six: Jiaming and Wenzai

Speaking of which, Liyue's traditional "moon dishes" are actually "Cantonese cuisine." The signature dish of New Moon Pavilion, "Bright Moon Eggs," would probably be called "shrimp dumplings" in China.

Similar cuisines could be attributed to coincidence, but now that even Cantonese is spoken, it's hard to call that a coincidence.

It's important to know that Cantonese originated at least as far back as the Sui and Tang dynasties of ancient China, possessing a historical lineage and preserving a large number of entering tone characters from classical Chinese. Different eras and social environments shape different languages. Liyue is not part of ancient China, so why would it contain elements of classical Chinese?

Then consider the various Earth myths in Mondstadt, and those buildings that are closely related to ancient Roman civilization...

How much cultural connection exists between Teyvat and Earth? Could even the creator of this world, the "Heavenly Principles," be a fellow native of Earth?

Although Wendy told him that now was not the time to explore the secrets of Sky Island, Han Fulai's curiosity only grew stronger.

After ordering the dishes from the Huai'an innkeeper, Jiaming immediately asked for hot water. He first rinsed all the teacups and chopsticks on the table with hot water, and then poured tea for the two of them. His whole routine was so practiced that anyone who didn't know better would think he was the waiter at Wangshu Inn.

After finishing this whole thing, Jiaming finally stopped, but stopping his hands didn't mean stopping his mouth.

As soon as he sat down, Jiaming greeted Han Fulai warmly.

"Hello boss, I'm a bodyguard from 'Sword Box Escort Agency,' a subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa, and also the head of the 'Powerful Beast Dance Troupe.' My full name is Ye Jiaming, but my friends call me Jiaming (Gaming). I'm the best beast dancer among bodyguards, and the beast dancer master who has transported the most goods. How about that? I wonder if this introduction will make you remember me?"

This hilarious self-introduction is certainly very much in Jiaming's style.

As Yan Fei said, this young bodyguard was not only warm and generous, but also had a natural and easygoing personality, as if he could make friends with anyone.

Yan Fei then added with a grin to Jia Ming: "Mr. Han, don't let his unreliable appearance fool you, he's actually incredibly skilled. There's a plaque hanging in the 'Sword Box Escort Agency' that reads: 'Eyes that see in all directions and ears that hear in all directions, like a mythical beast with keen hearing and sharp eyes; fists that beat bandits and kicks that kick robbers, with the power of an auspicious lion to ward off evil and bring good fortune.' That describes this top-notch escort who never misses a shot."

The Heji Office oversees transportation in Liyue, functioning similarly to a "Ministry of Transportation." It manages numerous car and ship companies, and the escort agencies that provide transportation and protection for merchants are also under its jurisdiction. Basically, most of the more reputable escort agencies in Liyue are registered with the Heji Office.

In Liyue, the "Sword Box Escort Agency," where Jiaming works, is considered a "public institution," and the escorts on the roster all hold a semi-official position.

Like the Thousand Rock Army, the镖师 (bodyguard/escort) profession also has a merit-based promotion system. Starting from the lowest-ranking镖师 (escort/escort), there are three ranks of镖师: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Someone like Jiaming, who has a gold waist badge, can already be addressed as "镖头 Ye" (镖头 Ye, the head镖师). The next step up is the head镖头 of the镖局 (escort agency).

The plaque that Yan Fei just mentioned is also a symbol of the镖师's status. The fact that the镖局 (镖局 is a type of security escort agency) would hang up Jia Ming's plaque shows that Jia Ming's achievements and reputation are enough to serve as a signboard for the镖局.

Judging by his age, Jiaming is at most eighteen. To be able to rise to the rank of "Gold Medal Escort" at such a young age, and even have his own plaque in the escort agency, is not only a sign of youthful talent, but also a sign of boundless potential.

Of course, Jiaming's special qualities don't stop there...

Han Fu glanced at Jiaming's hood, and inside the lion-head-shaped hood, a furry little creature was peeking out.

"Not only is he the holder of the Eye of God, but he is also favored by celestial beasts... Brother Jiaming is even more extraordinary than Yanfei described."

Jiaming's eyes lit up: "Wow, there are actually people here who recognize it! There's always been a legend about the Ni beast in my hometown. You know, the 'beast head' that the 'beast dance troupe' dances with is the Ni beast, so majestic. The elders all say that the leader of the Ni beast is the 'mountain lord,' a celestial beast. When I was a child, I went to Lingmeng Mountain to worship the Ni beast, and that's how I met it—its name is 'Wenzai,' and although it's still just a little one, well..."

He couldn't finish his "but"...

When the lion-like beast heard Jiaming say "little," it let out a "roar" and bit down on the ponytail at the back of Jiaming's head, refusing to let go. This startled Jiaming, who blurted out, "Wenzi, you're the most awesome in my heart. Are you hungry? I'll cook you a bowl of noodles!"

The so-called "Lion Beast" is actually a Suanni, commonly known as a lion. Lions do live in the deep mountains of Liyue, and Chef Yanxiao at Wangshu Inn can even make "Lion's Head" (a type of meatball). But the Lion Beast that accompanied Jiaming is different from ordinary lions—it is naturally surrounded by a kind of divine power, which Han Fulai, who possesses divine power, can sense when he gets close.

While Jiaming and Wenzai were playing around, Yanfei also showed her true colors as the "Liyue gossip queen" and gave Han Fulai a general introduction to the origin of the "Wenzai".

Well, it's not complicated. Wenzai is the nephew of the aunt's sister, a friend of Yanfei's father. He's far from adulthood, let alone practicing the transformation technique, he can't even speak. About ten years ago, Wenzai was playing in the mountains and became good friends with a child there. After that, he often followed that child home to play.

In the eyes of Wenzai's guardian—an aunt named Lingyuan, a lion-like creature—ten years is probably just the time it takes to sleep. Just consider it as Wenzai staying overnight at a friend's house, since the friend's family provides meals...

After finally calming Wenzai down, Jiaming complained, looking helpless with his friend, "Wenzai is so naughty. I originally named him this because I wanted him to be more quiet, but... as you can see, it doesn't seem to be working, haha."

When Wenzai heard Jiaming say that, he roared again.

Jiaming immediately changed the subject: "No, no, being mischievous is good! Only by being lively and fierce can the animal dance be performed well. By watching Wenzai, I was able to gradually imitate the lion's expressions and movements, which is how I became an animal dance master. Wenzai has helped me a lot to get to where I am today, and even that Eye of God was brought to me by Wenzai."

Han Fulai shook his head and laughed, "Brother Jiaming is too modest. I don't know about other things, but I only know one person who doesn't forget to practice his skills while eating. Brother Jiaming, you were just joking around with Wenzai, but you were still in a horse stance under the table without moving. That really makes me admire you."

"what?"

Upon hearing Han Fulai's words, Yan Fei quickly peered under the table and discovered that Jia Ming's bottom hadn't actually touched the chair at all—while everyone had been sitting and talking for so long, Jia Ming had actually been sitting in an "air chair."

"Oh, boss, you noticed?"

Jiaming scratched his head sheepishly, "After all, I'm in this line of work. I'm only half-baked at stances, kicks, splits, jumping, rolling... At best, I'll fall off a high pole and be bedridden for half a month; at worst, I'll lose my goods while transporting goods, end up losing my life, or having to pack up and close down my stall..."

"Master Huang, who taught me how to walk on plum blossom stakes, said that the most important thing in practicing this 'Thrusting Ming Method' is the lower body skill—if you can't beat someone, you should at least be able to run away."

Han Fulai was genuinely surprised: "You're also from the Guhua faction?"

Chapter Seven: Yan Fei's Request

Jiaming was also surprised when he heard this: "Hey, boss, you know about the Guhua School too?"

Han Fulai coughed lightly, about to speak, when Yan Fei next to him chimed in with a grin: "Jiaming, I forgot to introduce you... This Mr. Han in front of you is the current acting head of the Guhua Sect."

"Wow, really? The 'Han Shenjun' who used the 'Dual Mastery of Spear and Sword' to kill Ba Che and hold back the flood at the Biyue River?"

Jiaming could no longer sit in the "air chair" and plopped hard on his bottom.

He reached into the hood and pulled Wenzi out, his face beaming with pride: "Wenzi, we saw a fairy today!"

Wenzai looked at him, then at Han Fulai, who had put on a serious, aloof expression, tilted his head, and let out a loud "Aww," roughly meaning, "That's it?"

This time, Yan Fei was dissatisfied: "Hey, I'm an immortal too! Even a half-immortal is half immortal! Why don't you react the same way when you see me?"

From Jiaming's excited, slightly distorted voice, Han Fulai roughly understood the connection between Jiaming and the Guhua faction.

To be precise, Jiaming should be considered an "unofficial disciple" of the Guhua School; he never formally became a disciple.

His two neighbors taught him kung fu: one was called Master Huang, whose nickname in the martial arts world was "Cloud Piercing Arrow" (his self-proclaimed name); the other was called Master Wen, whose nickname in the martial arts world was "Snow-Treading Sword" (his self-proclaimed name).

These two are both over sixty years old this year. It is said that they were very famous in the Guhua Sect when they were young, and they made a great name for themselves by traveling all over the country. In their old age, they returned to their hometown. Anyway, they always have endless stories of the martial arts world to tell, as elaborate as the martial arts novels sold in "Wanwen Jishe".

The two elders each specialized in a unique martial art of the ancient Hua School. Third Master Huang practiced the "Piercing Light Technique," said to have been as swift as an arrow piercing the clouds in his youth; even now, he remained agile, climbing stairs and high buildings without breaking a sweat. Fourth Master Wen practiced the "Rain-Cutting Technique," said to have been as swift as a wild goose treading on snow in his youth; even now, he chopped wood with ease, wielding a cleaver as smoothly as a kitchen knife…

Jiaming had always been a kind-hearted child. From Qiaoyingzhuang to Yilongbu, he knew everyone. He could chat with anyone in the neighborhood, from the elderly to the children. Years ago, he was captivated by the animal dance troupe's performance in Yilongbu and pestered his father to let him learn. His parents happened to see this. They asked Jiaming if he wanted to learn animal dancing, and of course he did… and so it became a matter of practicing skills before learning to dance…

According to Jiaming, the essence of the "Rain-Cutting Method" and the "Brightness-Piercing Method" is a secret of the ancient Hua School. The two elders, bound by the rules of the school, did not pass on the profound methods to him, but only taught him some basic skills such as horse stance, plum blossom stakes, wooden dummy drills, and some rolling and leaping.

With just these basic skills, plus some pouncing moves learned from animal dance performances, Jiaming's kung fu is now the best among the younger generation of "Sword Box Escort Agency".

"If I were more talented, and the two master masters were willing to accept me into the Guhua School, I would definitely be much more prestigious than I am now!"

—That's what Jiaming said at the end.

Han Fulai could only smile wryly at this. Fortunately, Jiaming only learned the truly practical "basic skills." If he had really gone and learned a bunch of fancy "secret techniques" like Zhiruo, he would really only be able to dance lions...

However, since he had a connection with the Guhua Sect, he, as the acting head of the Guhua Sect, could not let him go. He immediately waved his hand and changed Jiaming from an "unregistered disciple" to a "registered disciple".

This thrilled Jiaming so much that he immediately called him "Master" and was about to perform the apprenticeship ceremony. Han Fulai quickly stopped him—if he accepted the ceremony, and the other party asked him to teach him a few skills, wouldn't that expose his true identity?

Although the sect leader didn't understand martial arts, he did have some fellow disciples who were truly skilled. Therefore, he instructed Jiaming to spar with his junior brother Xingqiu more often. After all, Xingqiu loved traveling the martial world, and Jiaming was a bodyguard, so traveling the martial world was his profession. Moreover, Jiaming was very good at getting along with people, so Xingqiu would probably be happy to make this new friend.

It was only when mentioned that Jiaming realized Xingqiu was also an old acquaintance of his. This young master's "chivalrous deeds" extended to various parts of Liyue, including Qiaoying Manor. Jiaming had encountered Xingqiu, who was traveling the world (on a picnic), by chance. Guided by the young master, who was young but had read extensively, he went to find the "powerful, unruly, and heroic" "Hidden Mountain Lion" described in ancient books, and that's how he met Wenzai.

Later, he became a bodyguard. The "Flying Cloud Chamber of Commerce" was a major client of the "Sword Box Escort Agency," and Young Master Xingqiu would occasionally come to the agency to ask when the books he was transporting would arrive...

—As a result, by building connections, it turns out that friends of friends are all friends, and everyone in the world is a brother.

After some back and forth, the atmosphere of the conversation gradually warmed up, and Han Fulai took the opportunity to change the subject to Jiaming's hometown, Qiaoying Village: "To tell you the truth, I'm going to Qiaoying Village this time. I heard that there's a plague called 'Yunqi' there, and Lord Yuhengxing has already gone to investigate. I'm planning to go with him..."

He originally wanted to ask Jiaming, a local, if he knew anything about the so-called "misty air," but unexpectedly, Jiaming and Yanfei looked at each other and both laughed.

"Oh, I think we don't need to worry about that," Yan Fei said with a smile.

Jiaming nodded, "Yes, because there happens to be an expert here."

"A master...?"

Han Fulai paused for a moment, then suddenly realized something.

Yan Fei confirmed his guess: "The one you recognize is Mr. Zhongli, the guest elder of 'Wangsheng Hall'."

Jiaming continued, "When Mr. Zhongli heard that there was a miasma near Qiaoying Village, he told the neighbors to go and pray to the statues of deities along the roadside. As a result, the statues emitted golden light and cleared away the miasma in an instant!"

"I bet that Mr. Zhongli must be a wealthy and refined scholar. Whether I'm delivering goods to teahouses or theaters, I always bump into him drinking tea and listening to storytelling. He seems to know a lot. Wow, once I overheard him talking about tea with someone, and I immediately thought he could talk to my dad all night long..."

Hearing what Yan Fei and Jia Ming said, Han Fulai breathed a sigh of relief—no wonder Zhong Li asked Hall Master Hu for leave a few days ago; it turned out he was doing something important… With the King of Rock personally overseeing things, there was nothing to worry about.

Speaking of Keqing, she's really favored. Not only did she receive the "Rock-like Green" bestowed by Zhongli, but she also has Zhongli personally escorting her when she goes on business trips... Is this considered a fan perk? I'm envious.

Seeing his relieved expression, Yan Fei seized the opportunity to speak up: "Mr. Han, if you're not in a hurry to go to Qiaoying Manor, could you do me a favor?"

"Yes, of course, please speak," Han Fulai immediately agreed.

Honestly, he owed this landlady a lot of favors. Since Yan Fei asked for his help, he would definitely help her as much as he could, as long as it was within his ability.

Yan Fei's eyes curved into crescent moons: "That's great... I'd like to ask you to accompany me to the Layered Rock Abyss."

Chapter Eight: The True Lord of Minghai Qixia

"The Abyss of Layered Rocks?"

This term made Han Fulai frown slightly.

Honestly, if you were to ask him which place in Liyue he would never want to go back to after visiting it once, it would definitely be the Lava Pit.

The dark and oppressive environment was secondary; the main problem was that the "Laminar Crater" still existed there, right under the noses of the Sky Isles. And he was now a rebel who had joined forces with Zhongli and Venti to seize the Bird's Nest from the Sky Isles... Even that old man who wandered around Liyue didn't want to go to the Laminar Crater, so of course he was even less willing to go.

But he had just promised Yan Fei, it would be too embarrassing to go back on his word now...

Seeing the strange expression on Han Fulai's face, Yan Fei quickly said, "If you're having a hard time, then forget it. I was planning to handle it myself anyway..."

After she said that, Han Fulai had even less reason to back out... It was rare for Yan Fei to ask him for help, so what was the point of making excuses?