He changed Tiwat

The last time their robbery was defeated by the Gu Hua faction's patrol team, which severely damaged morale. With morale low, the team would be difficult to lead. Therefore, he planned to teach those two traitors, Old Tang and Old Chou, a lesson, not only to vent his anger but also to re-establish his authority as the leader.

At least let the underlings know that while the boss can't control the Gu Hua faction, he can still control you.

...However, safety is the most important thing.

Establishing authority always presents an opportunity, but once caught, everything is off the table.

Moreover, in Xiao Qingce's view, this is precisely the "rising period of his career"—the "second brother" of the "Mingyun Class" has fallen, so shouldn't the ecological niche vacated by the "Mingyun Class" belong to him, Xiao Qingce? A moment of patience brings peace, and a step back opens up a vast sky.

If there's anything good about him, it's his decisiveness.

Seeing that things weren't going well, "Xiao Qingce" immediately laughed it off: "These friends are all unfamiliar faces... Oh dear, it seems we've come to the wrong place? Please forgive us for disturbing you."

His quick-thinking underling chimed in, "Big brother, I think we turned the wrong way at the last intersection."

"Xiao Qingce" immediately turned around, "Then what are you standing there for? Hurry up and go back!"

However, just as he lifted his foot, a long, golden spear flew over his head with a "whoosh" and stuck into the rock wall a few steps away from him, its end still trembling.

—That's rock hard granite... The power of that shot was enough to string several people together like candied hawthorns.

"Xiao Qingce" immediately knew that he had met his match.

“‘Little Lightness Strategy,’ right? Don’t be in such a hurry to leave. Stay for a cup of tea and a pork chop rice or something?” the young man in the silk robe said to him with a smile.

"Little Lightness" turned around and forced a smile: "May I ask how I should address you, my friend?"

The man smiled again: "No problem, Han Fulai, acting leader of the Guhua Sect."

It's the Guhua faction again!

"Little Qingce" was practically in tears. What kind of grudge could this be? Last time she ran into the senior sister of the Guhua Sect, and this time she'd run into the sect leader himself...

Chapter Eighteen: Ye Lan, the Debt Collector

Han Fulai was secretly pleased with himself at this moment.

The disciples of the Guhua Sect are so promising, shouldn't he, as the sect leader, also show his face?

The previous "peak showdown" with Tang Wuchou failed to demonstrate his abilities as the sect leader, but now that the "Little Light Strategy" group has come knocking on his door again, he naturally has to take this opportunity to show off.

His move of throwing the gun to establish his authority was quite "martial arts," and Yingmei immediately felt a sense of anticipation for the "Ancient Chinese Secret Techniques," and her gaze towards him changed.

Han Fulai finally understood. He thought that since he had immortal power, as long as he added immortal power when he made a move, every move would look powerful and imposing.

Speaking of Granny Ping's "Granny Ping Shockwave," it's quite normal for Master Han to have his own "Guhua School Qigong"—storytellers have created quite a few similar kung fu techniques like "Guhua Divine Palm," and Zhiqiong even performed one for him back then...

So while he was talking to "Little Qingce" with a nonchalant air, he was secretly gathering his strength, ready to unleash the "Seventh Form of Ancient Hua Divine Palm - Palm Shakes Mountains and Rivers".

Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to make a move.

"Little Lightness" darted around, his hand already clutching the smoke bombs standard equipment for the treasure-hunting gang, ready to throw out a few platitudes like "The green hills remain unchanged, the clear waters flow on, we'll meet again someday" and run away—but he didn't get the chance to escape either.

He suddenly heard the sound of wind breaking behind his ear.

"What happened...?"

Before he could react, a ghostly blue figure appeared behind him like a phantom, then he found the world suddenly turned upside down, and then everything went black...

When he opened his eyes again, he was lying face down on the ground with his mouth in the mud, his hands tied behind his back and unable to move.

His henchmen were lying on the ground in the same position as him.

"Xiao Qingce" tried to straighten his neck, wanting to see who was so despicable as to launch a sneak attack from behind without any sense of martial ethics. However, a black high heel appeared in his face and stomped his head back to the ground.

The owner of the high heels snapped her fingers casually: "The show's over, that's it."

In Liyue, the woman who wears a white fur shawl regardless of the season and likes to stomp on people's faces with her high heels... is none other than Yelan.

As she announced the end of her shift, several men in uniforms with dice patterns appeared and swiftly escorted away the fallen members of the heist team.

—The Qingce Gang, which had just launched its brand a little over a month ago and was preparing to take over from the Mingyun Gang and make great strides, was wiped out.

After finishing her official business, Ye Lan turned around and glanced at Han Fulai: "Vice Minister Han seems to have a lot of free time?"

Han Fulai twitched the corner of his mouth: "I didn't expect to run into you here..."

Since their last parting at Cengyan, he and Yelan had not seen each other for more than three months—and to be honest, their relationship was not very harmonious, so it was better for them not to see each other if possible.

Last time, Yelan came to the Abyss of Layered Rocks because of Ningguang's request, but this time her appearance is so coincidental... Could she be following me again?

Thinking of this, Han Fulai couldn't help but ask, "...Did Ningguang send you?"

Ye Lan chuckled: "My job is to monitor the Abyss of the Rocky Lair, and I have to patrol here every now and then... While I'm out here on official business, you're out on a picnic with a girl and your pet. You're having quite the time."

Hearing this, Paimon, who was standing nearby, became unhappy: "Who's the pet! And who is this arrogant woman?"

Han Fulai quickly reassured her, "This is Ye Lan... well, she's a public official in the General Affairs Department. That's just how she talks, don't take it to heart."

Ying then asked a very serious question: "You said she works for the General Affairs Department... Does that mean the reward for catching the thief is gone? Did we just work for nothing while investigating the case?"

Han Fulai was a little embarrassed. He had readily agreed when Yingmei asked about the reward earlier, but now she had snatched it away... Moreover, if he hadn't wanted to show off his "Ancient Hua Technique" and dragged it out for a while, Ying might have already dealt with that group of treasure thieves before Yelan arrived...

"Well...we did manage to hold off the bandits for the General Affairs Department, so we should be credited, right?"

Ye Lan chuckled again: "Sorry, the General Affairs Department has been tracking this group of bandits for many days and just happened to close the net today. There's really no need for Vice Minister Han to come."

She glanced into the thatched hut, and Old Stinky, who was peeking through the crack in the wall, quickly pulled his head back inside.

Ye Lan pouted, "Look, the person in the house owed me a gambling debt a few months ago. As the creditor, I can't just let someone run away after owing money, can I? So I had no choice but to follow them here."

Han Fulai sighed silently. Well, all his work was for nothing. Ye Lan had been keeping watch on them ever since Lao Chou escaped, just waiting to gather "Little Qingce" and his gang together and wipe them out in one fell swoop…

Judging from Ye Lan's style of doing things, Old Tang and Old Stinky will probably have to go to the General Affairs Department for jail time.

He hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "About this... the two people in the room are actually victims of the treasure-stealing gang, and they have already reformed. Miss Yelan, could you perhaps make an exception for them...?"

Ye Lan raised an eyebrow: "Oh, I didn't realize our Vice Minister Han was so merciful... Well, everything else is fine, but paying back debts is a matter of course, isn't it?"

She held out one hand to Han Fulai.

"Give it to me."

Han Fulai looked at Ye Lan's hand and asked, puzzled, "What are you holding?"

Ye Lan smiled and said, "The jade pendant. Besides that piece of jadeite, does he have anything else to pay off his debt? Oh, does Vice Minister Han mean he's willing to help him pay off his debt?"

With a wry smile, Han Fulai took out the jade pendant from the Cuijue Rock and handed it to Ye Lan.

This woman probably overheard his conversation with Old Stinky in the thatched hut... Luckily, he didn't speak ill of her behind her back then...

Ye Lan took the jade pendant, weighed it in her hand, and casually stuffed it into the hollow of her chest.

Then she raised her voice slightly and shouted towards the thatched hut: "The debt is cleared, but it's been dragging on for too long. 'Iwakami Tea House' doesn't welcome guests who owe gambling debts, understand?"

Old Stinky, who was hiding inside, hurriedly agreed, "I understand, I understand! I'll never gamble again, sister!"

Han Fulai smiled slightly. The jade pendant was considered stolen goods, and Ye Lan would probably have to hand it over to the authorities after taking it. Although she was sharp-tongued, she had specifically forgiven Lao Chou's gambling debts and strictly forbade him from entering the casino... Could this be considered helping Lao Chou quit gambling and get back on his feet?

This little episode of the "treasure hunt" has now come to a perfect end.

...Oh no, some people also feel it's not quite perfect.

Ying and Paimon, seeing that the two had finished their conversation, brought up the matter they cared about most: "So... does the bounty you mentioned before still stand?"

Just as a thief never leaves empty-handed, so too do adventurers.

Han Fulai carefully considered his wallet and made a difficult decision: "...It's a promise. When we return to Liyue Harbor, I'll treat you and Paimon to a big meal at Crescent Moon Pavilion."

"Yay, a big meal!" Paimon and Ying immediately beamed with joy again.

Chapter Nineteen: A Thousand Years of Cliffs

After finishing their business, Han Fulai and Ying said goodbye to Lao Chou and prepared to return to the vicinity of the memorial stone to wait for Yan Fei and the others to return.

After walking for a while, they discovered that someone was following them at a leisurely pace.

"Is she going the same way as us?" Ying asked softly.

"I feel like someone is staring at the back of my head all the time, it's so uncomfortable..." Paimon said.

Han Fulai knew that Ye Lan was following them. They might be traveling the same way, but following so closely was obviously surveillance!

He had no choice but to turn back and ask, "Miss Yelan, why are you following us?"

Ye Lan spread her hands innocently: "Didn't I already say? My task in the General Affairs Department is to monitor the Cengyan Abyss. Vice Minister Han, you made such a big fuss when you came to Cengyan last time. If I don't keep an eye on things, I'm afraid some people will be worried."

Han Fulai explained to her gently, "Well, I'm only here in Cengyan to help a friend find something. I won't cause any trouble, Miss Yelan, you can rest assured..."

Ye Lan looked surprised: "Is this a situation where we can rest assured?"

Han Fulai sighed: "I can assure you, I had no other intentions in coming here. If you don't believe me, go ask Yan Fei..."

Suddenly, Ye Lan leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Deputy Minister Han, you don't want Ning Guang to know about your date with Ying, do you?"

...Han Fulai remained silent.

Three seconds later, he turned to Yingmei and Paimon: "Miss Yelan is indeed on official business and has to act with us... Brother Jiaming often says that all men are brothers, so come on, let's get to know each other better, and we'll be friends from now on."

In the evening, the six-member treasure-hunting team regrouped near the memorial stone.

Of course, the original six-person group has now become seven people.

Yan Fei wasn't surprised at all. She and Ye Lan had known each other for a long time, and she felt it was normal for Ye Lan to appear anywhere.

Rather, it would be more accurate to say that she welcomed Yelan's arrival.

After all, they still need to decipher the array left by the sorcerer who built the memorial stone five hundred years ago. Having an assistant with the Eye of God would be even better. Moreover, Ye Lan comes from a sorcerer family and has a much deeper understanding of magic arrays than Yan Fei.

When Ye Lan heard that Yan Fei had come here to find the lost "Taiwei Yipan" in order to fulfill the will of Narumi Zhenjun, she readily agreed to help.

Now, all six legendary "offerings" have been gathered here.

Han Fulai then brought out the "Flower of Distant View," the "Feather of Soaring High," and the "Spear of Tongze."

Yanfei also found the "Timekeeping Sundial", the "Drinking Cup", and the "Crown of Protection".

In fact, apart from the "Tongze Spear" which is quite special and is indeed an artifact from 500 years ago, the rest of the items are all "substitutes" that meet the criteria.

"Flowers for Distant Views" is just ordinary tranquility, "Feathers for Soaring High" is just ordinary eagle feathers, and the other three are similar.

The "sundial of the seasons" that Yan Fei found is the sundial in the surface mining camp, and the "cup of shared drinking" is the wine cup that the miners usually use to drink. As for the "crown of protection"... it is the safety helmet that the miners wear when they go down into the mine.

Of course, these things all have sentimental value.

Five hundred years ago, during the "Dark Calamity," the Thousand Rock Army stormed underground from that mining camp with a sundial. The "Sundial of the Seasons" is a testament to that war.

Some of the Thousand Rock Army soldiers lost their helmets in the underground battles, so they continued to fight the enemy wearing miners' safety helmets. This is how the "Crown of Protection" got its name.

After rescuing the people, they also raised a glass with their fellow miners at the camp. Now, when the miners of Cengyan raise their glasses, they occasionally recall the deeds of their ancestors, and the saying "the cup of shared drinking" comes from this.

—Although they are just ordinary objects, history has endowed them with special significance.

Under Yan Fei's command, Han Fulai placed the Thousand Rocks Spear in front of the memorial stone, which was the "eye" of the magic array.

The spear, imbued with the power of the rock element, emitted a brilliant light upon entering the array's core, and a clear magic circle extended across the ground along the five elements, centered on the memorial stone.

Each person carried an offering and stood in a corner of the magic circle.

Han Fulai held the Qingxin, Yan Fei held the sundial, Jiaming held the feather, Ye Lan held the wine glass, and Yingmei simply put on her helmet.

Ah Wang, an ordinary person without elemental power, watched from the sidelines along with Paimon and Wenzai.

Then, at the same time, the five of them activated their own immortal power or elemental power.

Yes, in reality, the only true "key" to opening the magic circle is the "Tongze Spear" that possesses elemental power; the other five items are merely symbolic souvenirs.

Of course, finding five people with elemental or immortal powers to activate the magic array simultaneously would be even more difficult. If Ye Lan hadn't come, then the lion-like beast Wen Zai would probably have had to take on this responsibility...

As the magic circle was fully activated, the ground beneath everyone's feet trembled. Then, a vacant lot behind the memorial stone suddenly collapsed, revealing a cave.

"Wow, the Thousand Rock Army's treasure really is real!"

Although he remained a spectator throughout, he was always the first to rush to see the treasure Paimon.

Following behind Paimon, the group filed in, each carrying a miner's lamp.

The cave wasn't very big; you only had to walk a few steps to reach the bottom.

With the help of their miners' lamps, the group saw the true nature of the "Thousand Rock Army Treasure".

—It's not a very prestigious instrument panel.

That's not only not a magical artifact, it might not even qualify as a "treasure".

Placed in this cave is a set of armor—ordinary, dusty, and tattered armor belonging to a Thousand Rock Army soldier.

Beside the armor stood a stone tablet, on which was inscribed a message from the armor's owner: