He changed Tiwat

"Let Wenzi smell it...maybe he can find it by the scent..."

— Jiaming's "great idea" was immediately met with enthusiastic response from Wenzai, who "howled" and bit Jiaming's trouser leg.

Ying seemed to have gotten an inspiration, and looked at Paimon with sparkling eyes.

Although Luminous didn't speak, Paimon, as the "mouth of God," naturally knew what his partner was thinking.

She also let out a "woof" and pounced on Ying: "Don't treat people like pets!"

Han Fulai spoke up at this moment: "I think we have actually found a very important clue on this 'treasure hunt'... I may know where the Taiweiyi Plate is."

"Huh? Is there such a clue? How come I didn't find it?" Yan Fei said in frustration.

Han Fulai smiled and explained, "Do you remember the legend that A-Wang told us before? ... It's not about the treasure, but about something much earlier."

"Legend has it that five hundred years ago, the Rock King ordered the Thousand Rock Army to guard the layered rock mine. Led by a Yaksha, the Thousand Rock Army fought bravely and relentlessly to stop the enemy... Finally, a group of Thousand Rock Army soldiers led the enemy into the depths of the Layered Rock Abyss, which brought an end to the chaos."

"That paralyzed Thousand Rock soldier was a survivor, but the stone tablet he left behind also said that he originally wanted to 'go with' his comrades... This 'going with' should refer to the mission of leading the enemy into the depths of the Layered Rock Abyss, right?"

"Furthermore, the letter from Narumi True Lord mentioned that the Taiwei Yipan requires the combined efforts of humans and immortals to use... And wasn't there also an immortal yaksha who fought alongside those Thousand Rock Army soldiers? It's quite normal to entrust a magical artifact to an immortal, isn't it?"

Ye Lan, who had been listening silently, suddenly changed her expression: "You...you wouldn't be thinking of going there again, would you?"

Han Fulai nodded: "Yes, I believe the Taiweiyi Plate is lost underground in that rock hall."

Chapter 22: The Mysterious Land under the Rock (1)

Hearing Han Fulai mention the rock hall again, Ye Lan couldn't help but frown.

Just then, Paimon, who had overheard their conversation, came over and asked, "Hey? You mean... that passage that nobody's allowed to go in?"

Ying nodded: "That place could indeed be hiding something..."

Over the past two weeks, Ying and Paimon have explored the entire area marked on the map beneath the Abyss of Layered Rocks, but the last part on the map, the mysterious rock hall, is an exception.

—After the great battle three months ago, the first thing Yelan did upon returning was to notify Ningguang to seal off the passage leading to the Rock Hall.

The passage from the mining area to the Rock Hall is now guarded by the Thousand Rock Army squad, refusing entry to all outsiders, so Ying and Paimon were naturally unable to enter.

But as adventurers, curiosity is inevitable. After hearing Han Fu talk about the mysterious rock hall, Ying and Paimon were both eager to try it out.

"Please don't make things difficult for me."

Ye Lan glanced at Paimon with a cold face—Paimon made a "whoosh" sound and hid behind Yingmei.

“Deputy Minister Han, you know that many secrets are hidden there, and it should be permanently sealed off. Since I am in charge of supervising Juyuan, I must act in accordance with the rules.”

Honestly, when Ye Lan said the words "follow the rules," Han Fulai wondered if she was an imposter. This woman cheats at dice games, so rules and regulations are no different from waste paper to her.

However, on the other hand, Yelan's prohibition of them from going to the Rock Hall was indeed within her duty.

After all, the "Nail of the Rock" was right there.

Han Fulai was a witness to that incident, so it was fine for him to go alone... But his companions included Yan Fei, Jia Ming, Ying, and Pai Meng, and from a security standpoint, Ye Lan really couldn't let them go.

Yan Fei was well aware of Ye Lan's predicament, but she also didn't want to give up on the Taiwei Instrument Disc. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Ye Lan, could you perhaps make an exception? For example, I'll draft a 'confidentiality agreement' to guarantee that we will never leak any details of this operation. And even if we don't find the Taiwei Instrument Disc, we promise not to stay inside for too long, and we won't take anything away. You can also supervise us throughout the process..."

“Wow, this sounds like a lot of trouble…” Paimon complained under his breath.

"And they won't even let us take the treasures..." Ying was a little discouraged.

Jiaming quickly reassured her, "Don't make things difficult for Sister Yelan... We won't go, only Sister Yanfei will go."

Although the Taiweiyi Plate was related to Jiaming's elders, and he really wanted to find it himself, he was able to let go of the important matter at the crucial moment—rather than everyone being unable to go, it was better to let Yanfei go alone.

Ye Lan gently shook her head: "I don't mean I don't trust you... That place not only has secrets, but there may also be unpredictable dangers. This is also for your safety."

The depths of the Abyss of Layered Rocks are a special place where the powers of the three realms coexist, and that rock hall is especially special... it can even be called an "alternate dimension".

Several forces were fighting in that rocky hall: the "Relic Serpent" and "Black Serpent Knight" of Kanria, the "Young Master" executor of the Fools, the "Apostle of Fate" of the "Abyss Order," including Ye Mingxiang, who later absorbed the power of the Abyss and became the "God of the Abyss," and Han Fulai, who used divine power and willpower to fight against it, as well as the "Layered Rock Nail" from high above...

The various forces collided, even creating spatial rifts. The Rock Hall can now be considered a remnant of the "Demon God War," and no one knows what hidden dangers may remain inside.

Han Fulai knew that Ye Lan's concerns were not unfounded. After thinking for a moment, he gestured to Ye Lan: "Miss Ye Lan... let's talk in private."

He led Yelan a few steps away before speaking, "I know you have duties to perform, Miss Yelan, but Yanfei is here for the will of the Minghai Qixia True Lord. Even if it's just to repay the immortals who have protected Liyue all this time, the will should be fulfilled. Let's go to the underground of the Rock Hall to get the Taiwei Instrument Plate and leave. Let's make an exception for this special case."

Although Yanfei is a half-immortal, the person who truly represents the power of the Liyue Immortals is Han Fulai. He invokes the "name of the Liyue Immortals," and Yelan really can't refuse.

Ye Lan crossed her arms, adopting a distant and unapproachable demeanor: "What makes you so sure that the Taiwei Yi Pan is under the Rock Hall? The legend only says that a troop of Thousand Rocks Army led the enemy into the depths of the layered rocks, but it doesn't say where exactly it is. It's not appropriate for you to force your way into the forbidden area based on mere guesswork, is it?"

"And I wasn't exaggerating. After you guys finished fighting, you just packed your bags and left. Guess which poor civil servant cleaned up the mess for you?"

Knowing the secrets beneath the rocky hall and possessing magical skills, the only one capable of erasing those battlefield traces is naturally Ye Lan, a "civil servant of the General Affairs Department".

For at least two of those three months, she was doing cleanup work in the Rock Hall. For this, she even took on a special position as "Supervisor of the Rocky Abyss" in the General Affairs Department. The salary was low and there was no overtime pay, which made her write a lot of bad things about someone in her notebook.

Han Fulai quickly smiled apologetically: "Of course I understand Miss Yelan's hard work, and I promise I won't add any extra burden to your workload. As for the whereabouts of the Taiwei Yi Pan, I'm about 90% sure it's under that rocky hall..."

His certainty piqued Ye Lan's curiosity: "What's your reason?"

“Of course there are reasons.” Han Fulai pointed to the soles of his feet. “You remember that ‘Relic Serpent’, right? That ‘Relic Serpent’ wasn’t born living in the Rocky Abyss, was it? It was Kanria’s excavation machine. The ‘Dark Calamity’ emerged from the ground through the tunnels it dug out—in other words, there are actually deeper layers beneath the Rock Hall, spaces excavated by the ‘Relic Serpent’.”

"The Thousand Rocks soldiers lured the enemy into the depths of the Rocky Abyss and then disappeared without a trace. Then the 'Dark Calamity' subsided, and they were never heard from again for the next five hundred years. The old soldier who left behind the 'Thousand Rocks Treasure' also provided corroborating evidence for this—he could not find the remains of his comrades, so he erected a 'memorial stone' and a 'cenotaph'."

"So, I deduce that they entered the passage beneath that rock hall and blocked the enemy's path to Liyue... That makes sense, doesn't it?"

"So whether it's for Narumi Shinjun's last will or to check the current state of that underground space, I think we need to go down and find out."

Chapter 23: The Mysterious Land under the Rock (2)

Han Fulai's analysis is indeed reasonable and insightful.

Five hundred years ago, during the "Dark Calamity," the Seven Gods led their elite forces to answer the call of the Sky Isles and embarked on an expedition to Kanria, leaving the Seven Kingdoms largely undefended. The Knights of Favonius of Mondstadt lost an entire generation of elite knights as a result, with even the vice-commander dying on the battlefield. The Thousand Rocks, guarding the Stranded Rocks, also suffered heavy losses.

But just as Rustan couldn't stop the dragon Durin, it would be impossible for the Thousand Rock Army to drive away the beast tide of the "Dark Calamity" on their own.

According to the Emperor's original orders to the Thousand Rock Army, their main responsibility was to rescue the miners and hold the line on the surface of the layered rock. In short, it was a "blockade" to hold off the enemy and wait for the Emperor and the immortals' main force to return to reinforce them.

However, historical records state that the Thousand Rocks Army quelled the "Dark Calamity" of the Layered Rocks.

It is the Thousand Rock Army, not the Emperor.

Judging from various post-war records, the tactics used by the Chiiwa army were probably to lure the enemy into a desperate situation, then destroy the exit and perish together with the enemy.

The reason why the Thousand Rock Army was able to accomplish such a feat was not only due to the help of the legendary nameless yaksha, but also because the magical artifact "Taiwei Yipan" must have played a significant role.

Ye Lan thought for a moment and replied, "The underground passage you mentioned does exist. However, according to your speculation, it should have been sealed off. In fact, I didn't find any new passages when I was cleaning up the mess in the Rock Hall... You'll likely return empty-handed if you go again."

Han Fulai waved his hand, "It's alright. Even if we don't find the underground passage and the Taiwei Instrument in the end, at least we tried our best to find them, and we did our part for True Lord Minghai. Besides, as you know, I still have ways to get some other clues under the layered rocks."

He was referring, of course, to that guy with the "wishing stone".

Ye Lan pondered for a moment, then finally nodded.

"Alright, I can agree to let you explore the underground space of the Rock Hall. But let me make this clear beforehand, I have three conditions that you must agree to before I will let you go."

"What three conditions?" Han Fulai asked quickly.

“First, I will accompany and supervise the entire process,” Ye Lan said.

"That's how it should be." Han Fulai nodded.

“Secondly, confidentiality agreements are unreliable. Since you know these people better, I hope you can guarantee they will keep their mouths shut.” Ye Lan gestured with her eyes to Paimon and Yingmei, who were eavesdropping on their conversation not far away.

"No problem." Han Fulai agreed—it seems he'll have to treat these two to another big meal as hush money...

“There’s a third point.” Ye Lan stared intently at Han Fulai. “I’m in charge of this operation, and you must obey my judgment. If I say we’ll retreat, we’ll retreat. No objections?”

Han Fulai laughed. Ye Lan was still holding a grudge about their last trip to the layered rocks...

But since she volunteered to be in charge of the operation, she has to take responsibility for it. This woman is eager to take the blame, so why would he be unhappy? Putting everything else aside, he trusts Ye Lan's abilities. After working so hard and going on so many business trips, it's finally his turn to win without lifting a finger!

"Then we'll have to rely entirely on Miss Yelan this time."

He had no idea that just three days later, his words would become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Three days later, the group finally arrived at the rock hall located deep within the layered rock abyss.

Standing at the entrance to the rock hall, Yelan reiterated the principles of this operation:

"The Laminar Abyss is one of the most mysterious areas in Liyue. It was sealed off a few years ago due to a 'mining accident' and has only recently been reopened. This rock hall is the origin of that 'mining accident.' When you're here, it's best to learn not to look, not to listen, and not to ask, so as not to get involved in too many secrets that you shouldn't know. I don't want to make things difficult for you, and I hope you won't make things difficult for me on the issue of confidentiality."

"learn!"

Yanfei and Jiaming obediently agreed in unison, but the other two had objections.

"If you don't look, don't listen, and don't ask... then you won't be able to find anything, right? We adventurers are all about keeping our eyes open and our ears open."

"...I am the adventurer, not Paimon."

"Ying, you've become so stingy lately! What's wrong with letting me ride on your coattails?"

Ye Lan squinted, silently transmitting the pressure to Han Fulai.

Han Fulai had no choice but to quickly ask Ying and Paimeng to keep quiet—at least not to say what was on their minds.

These two are the kind of people who dared to listen to a drunkard's nonsense and steal the "Sky Harp" from the Church of the West Wind. They weren't afraid of being wanted by the entire city by the Knights, so why would they really be afraid of Night Orchid...

Of course, they ultimately gave Han Fulai face and promised not to reveal what they had seen in the Rock Hall. Their trip was only to assist Yan Fei and the others in finding the possible underground passage—and at the same time, they had to try their best to keep their hands off things and not pick them up everywhere.

After reaching a consensus, Yelan released the spell that sealed the entrance to the Rock Hall and led everyone inside.

The battlefield remnants of that battle have been mostly cleared away, including the remains of the enormous "Relic Serpent," which were dismantled and moved away on the spot. The broken energy core was also sent to the residence of True Lord Liuyun, who was very interested in these things.

If there's anything else that bears witness to the battle that took place here, it's the deep crater left in the center of the rock hall by the "Layered Rock Nail," and the "Layered Rock Nail" hanging high in the ceiling.

After that battle, the "Layer Rock Nail," having fulfilled its mission, fell silent and ceased to function as a "wishing stone"—at least, no one felt its influence when they entered the rock hall; it was now genuinely and earnestly pretending to be a nail.

At Ye Lan's request, everyone gathered together and followed her. After all, she had agreed to supervise the entire process, and if she let everyone scatter, even Ye Lan wouldn't be able to handle any unexpected situations.

However, this made the search extremely inefficient. The group searched the rock hall for nearly an hour before finally completing a full circle of the spacious hall. Unfortunately, apart from some traces of battle and rare minerals unearthed from the ground, they found nothing else.

In fact, even the pit that the "Relic Serpent" had drilled out was filled in by the "Layered Rock Nail," and any passages that originally existed beneath the Rock Hall have now been collapsed...

Standing at the bottom of that giant pit, Ying and Paimon looked up at the "Layered Rock Nail".

"It looks a lot like the one we saw in the snow mountain..."

Do you think they fell from the same place?

"Maybe...it looks a lot like a pillar..."

"If anything is suspicious, it's only this, isn't it?"

"Yes, should we try to go up and take a look?"

Upon hearing this dangerous statement, Ye Lan quickly warned, "Don't even think about messing with it."

Just then, the ground beneath everyone's feet suddenly shook, and Yan Fei lost her balance and almost fell, but fortunately Jia Ming caught her in time.

"what happened?"

Everyone was filled with surprise and doubt, but Han Fulai wore an apologetic smile: "Um... I just made a wish to the 'Wishing Stone' to find the Taiwei Instrument Plate, and it seems to be helping me find something..."

As soon as they finished speaking, the ground beneath their feet cracked open.

Chapter 24: The Mysterious Land under the Rock (3)

The solid rock beneath their feet suddenly cracked open, instantly turning into a huge "trap" that caught everyone off guard.

Everyone present simultaneously plummeted into the unknown space beneath their feet.

However, none of the six people who came to search for the Taiwei Instrument Plate were ordinary people, and a mere pitfall was not enough to stump them.

Almost at the same time the ground cracked open, everyone reacted in their own way.

Adhering to the principle of activating shields first in case of an emergency, Han Fulai activated "Rock Solid" without hesitation. Along with him, Ying, Yanfei, and Jiaming nearby were all covered in golden jade shields. Even if they really fell, the shields could absorb the impact of the landing.

At that very moment, the veteran adventurer Yingmei also opened her Wind Wings.

This Windwing was a gift from Amber, the scout knight, the first friend she met in Mondstadt.

It was Amber's "trainer plane" when she was learning to fly as a child, and it's also the only thing Amber has that her grandfather left her.

The Scout Knight is a position that uses Wind Wings very frequently, and after a few years of use, they inevitably wear out. In addition, Amber's action style has always been "very demanding on wings," and she has probably used up more than ten Wind Wings to the end of their product lifespan, but she has never considered taking out this special Wind Wing to use.

She had always thought that one day, when the reconnaissance team had fresh blood, she would personally present the Wings of Wind to a promising junior... but she never had such an opportunity until she met the blonde traveler.

Ying once promised Amber that she would travel through the Seven Kingdoms with this Wind Wing and then tell Amber about her experiences on the way back. And this Wind Wing did indeed accompany her through countless dangers during her adventures.

Not only is it tough and durable, but more importantly, it is convenient and quick—the one-button pop-out mechanism, specially modified by the old scout knight, allows it to be deployed quickly in any situation.

Black wind wings suddenly unfurled, slowing the descent like a parachute. Ying even had the strength to adjust her posture and grab Secretary Haiting, who was about to cling to her leg...

As the bodyguard, Jiaming reacted immediately as well—he grabbed Yanfei with one hand and shouted, "Climb high and pick green!"

The so-called "picking green tea" is the climax of the animal dance performance. During festivals, tea farmers and tea merchants in Yilongbu and Qiaoyingzhuang would hang a bag of green tea on the top of their door frame and invite the animal dance troupe to play the legendary lion beast. They would then build a ladder in a "human pyramid" manner, and the most skilled person in the animal dance troupe would climb up the ladder to retrieve the tea leaves hanging high up.