He changed Tiwat

If, as Chongyun and Keqing's analysis suggests, Kang Sheng and his group appear to be there to pick up goods, then it's even stranger. Don't they even know who the delivery person is? If they were tasked with receiving goods, shouldn't they have concealed themselves and waited for the contact person to arrive?

Unless what Kang Sheng called a "misunderstanding" is that they mistook Feiyun Chamber of Commerce's goods for the goods they were coming to pick up! The treasure-hunting gang had already agreed with someone to acquire the goods through robbery!

Tomohiro didn't have the authority to mobilize the Chiiwa Army, so he could only personally escort the goods with the civil servants from the General Affairs Department. A group of civilian staff encountered a treasure-hunting gang, had their goods stolen, and no one could blame them.

It was here that Han Fulai understood why Peng Yi had prepared the second batch of fireworks in advance and why he was in such a hurry to send the last fireworks to Qingce Village before the thief was caught.

—Because he had already planned to send another batch of fireworks to the treasure-hunting gang.

The third point of suspicion was discovered by Han Fulai after he arrived at the fireworks storage site.

The mountains of fireworks weren't just from Qingce Village; they included fireworks from all over Liyue. How did Xingxiu know about the General Affairs Department's fireworks displays throughout Liyue? As the leader of a mere treasure-hunting group, what intelligence network did he have to know about these fireworks displays scattered all over Liyue?

The most likely explanation is that the person who set up the fireworks told him. Currently, only three people in Liyue know the locations of all the fireworks displays across the region: Keqing, Han Fulai, and Pengyi. Therefore, the answer can only be Pengyi.

In this fireworks theft case that occurred in Qingce Village, all the suspicious points and inconsistencies pointed to Peng Yi, the fireworks designer in charge of setting up the fireworks.

This is also why Pengyi rushed to Wangshu Inn to see Keqing—he came to sever ties and shirk responsibility.

Peng Yi knew that the theft of the fireworks would have serious consequences. If it were just an ordinary theft, that would be one thing; bandits are not uncommon in Liyue. Xing Qiu had caused quite a bit of trouble for the Treasure Thieves when he went out to fight crime.

However, if the stolen fireworks are related to the impending flooding of the dikes, both Ke Sei and the General Affairs Department will thoroughly investigate all personnel involved in the fireworks, including Tomoe.

If Peng Yi couldn't find Ke Qing while she was away visiting immortals, he had no choice but to act expediently and decide on his own to make a second batch of fireworks to send to Qing Ce Manor. This could be considered somewhat understandable.

—But what if an investigation later reveals that someone informed him of Keqing's whereabouts? Then Pengyi's actions in this matter would become one of knowing but not reporting. Moreover, if it is later discovered that he still rushed to make fireworks and send them to Qingce Manor under these circumstances, and then the second batch of fireworks was stolen, then Pengyi would have no way to explain himself.

Having learned of Keqing's whereabouts, Pengyi had no choice but to change his plans, suppressing the second batch of fireworks and going to Wangshu Inn to see Keqing first. If he continued to transport the second batch of fireworks to Qingce Village as originally planned, he would definitely encounter Keqing on the way back to Liyue Harbor. At that time, he would not only have to report the reason for transporting the second batch of fireworks, but also bear the responsibility for acting without authorization.

If he reports the fireworks theft to Ke Qing in advance, the responsibility will shift from him to Ke Qing, the person in charge of the fireworks association. Given Ke Qing's personality, she will most likely take over the investigation of the fireworks theft, thus allowing Peng Yi to clear himself of any involvement.

So Pengyi pretended to be on his way to investigate Qingce Village, and deliberately bumped into Keqing in front of Wangshu Inn. He then took the opportunity to explain the situation to Keqing and asked her to take charge of investigating the fireworks theft case.

So who told Peng Yi about Ke Qing's whereabouts? The only person Han Fulai could think of was Bai Shu, the owner of Bu Bu Lu.

Before Han Fulai and Ke Qing delivered gifts to Xiao at Wangshu Inn, they encountered Bai Zhu and Qi Qi, who had come to collect medicinal herbs.

After meeting them, Bai Shu set off back to Liyue Harbor, where he encountered Peng Yi, who was preparing to escort the second batch of fireworks to Qingce Village.

Bai Shu is a skilled healer and handsome, a celebrity in Liyue Harbor. People often greet him when he walks on the street, and many female fans even pretend to be sick to get medicine from Bu Bu Lu just to see him.

If Peng Yi happens to run into Bai Shu, it would be perfectly normal for them to exchange greetings and chat during the Lantern Festival. It would also be natural for Bai Shu to mention meeting Yu Heng Xing Ke Qing at the Wang Shu Inn during their conversation.

Pengyi learned of Keqing's whereabouts and, fearing suspicion during the subsequent investigation, had no choice but to change his plans and go to Keqing to report the fireworks theft.

In this way, Pengyi's various illogical actions in this fireworks theft case can be reasonably explained.

Pengyi and Xingxiu conspired to steal the fireworks, informing Xingxiu of the General Affairs Department's locations for all the fireworks in advance. Taking advantage of his position, he deliberately stored the fireworks outside Liyue Harbor in places easily accessible to the treasure-stealing group, while the group proceeded to collect the fireworks stored by the General Affairs Department in various locations according to plan.

Peng Yi was afraid of fireworks, or perhaps he didn't have enough gunpowder, so he specially made a second batch of fireworks and arranged with Xing Xiu to deliver them by highway robbery. So Xing Xiu sent the unlucky Kang Sheng to pretend to rob and receive the goods, but unexpectedly they ran into the Fei Yun Merchant Guild coming to Qing Ce Manor to deliver supplies, and the escort was none other than the chivalrous second young master Xing Qiu—something neither Xing Xiu nor Peng Yi could have predicted.

Peng Yi had no idea that Ke Qing's visit to the Immortals would change. Bai Shu, on the other hand, had gone to Dihua Island to collect the digestive herbs that were selling well during the Lantern Festival, where he met Ke Qing and relayed the news of Ke Qing's presence at Wangshu Inn back to Liyue Harbor. This meant that he was bound to run into Ke Qing on the road today, and he couldn't pretend he couldn't find her to secretly deliver the second batch of fireworks to Qingce Manor.

Therefore, Pengyi had no choice but to change his original plan and go to Wangshu Inn to explain the situation to Keqing. Under normal circumstances, Pengyi's response would have been enough to deal with Keqing and absolve him of responsibility. Even in the worst-case scenario, if Xingxiu were caught, he would insist that the thieves only wanted to steal fireworks in order to escape punishment. Keqing would treat this case as an ordinary theft, and none of it would involve Pengyi.

But now that Ke Qing has a temporary personal secretary, Han Fulai, who was temporarily transferred to her side, Peng Yi's originally flawless plan has become the biggest flaw that Han Fulai used to break through Xing Xiu's psychological defenses.

Han Fulai's biggest question now is Peng Yihe's motives for participating in the breaching of dikes and flooding of farmland. Why would they get involved in such a thing? And who is the mastermind behind it all?

Of course, Han Fulai would never tell Xingxiu these things. He was still hoping that Xingxiu would tell him the identity of the mastermind.

"Choose. Die here, or reveal the mastermind behind you." Han Fulai's tone was completely calm, as if he were stating a matter of course.

For Xingxiu, the choices he faced were as follows—

Option 1: Keep quiet.

In Xingxiu's view, Pengyi had already received a reduced sentence because of his exposure, and the mastermind behind the scenes would remain unscathed because of his silence. Only he would be killed here by that seemingly ruthless, short, green fairy. In other words, he would bear all the blame and protect everyone else.

Option 2: Reveal the mastermind behind it and try to get lenient treatment.

In this way, the construction itself would not be a capital offense, and none of the accomplices could escape unscathed.

Xingxiu's intense internal struggle was clearly visible on his face, which Han Fulai observed with a slight smile. History had repeatedly taught Han Fulai the lesson that "it's not scarcity that's worrisome, but inequality," and he knew perfectly well what Xingxiu would choose.

"...Sir, if I confess, will you really treat me leniently?" Xingxiu asked.

"Confess and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be punished severely." Han Fulai nodded solemnly, adopting the air of a superior.

“Then… I confess!” Xingxiu gritted his teeth. “The person who ordered me to do these things was Pengyi!”

Chapter Thirty-Three: Disaster is Business Opportunity

Upon hearing Xingxiu's confession, Han Fulai frowned.

The mastermind is Peng Yi? How could that be?

Han Fulai had considered the motives behind destroying dikes and flooding fields. Throughout human history, many have profited from wars, and many have profited from disasters. One could say that when one thinks of disaster, one should think of business opportunities.

If flooding the fields and destroying the dikes would benefit anyone, it would primarily be the Fatui. For Winterfell, which is constantly engaged in open and covert struggles with Liyue, the more chaotic Liyue becomes, the better it is for Winterfell. Furthermore, this isn't the first time the Fatui have caused trouble in Liyue; Han Fulai's first suspect would be the Fatui.

Besides the fools, many others will benefit. For example, it will benefit wealthy merchants who own banks and money shops, as they can take the opportunity to lend money to disaster victims; it will benefit the gentry and landlords of Qingce Village, as they can take the opportunity to lower land prices and acquire land; it will benefit large grain merchants, as they can raise prices due to the poor harvest; even construction workers like Keqing will benefit, since there are still projects to be done in rebuilding dikes and post-disaster reconstruction…

It can be said that many wealthy merchants from various industries can find business opportunities in the flooded fields caused by the breaching of dikes, but this does not include Pengyi.

Peng Yi was just a fireworks maker. Fireworks weren't a major industry in Liyue, and Peng Yi wasn't a wealthy merchant; he was merely a small business owner and artisan. He didn't have the capital to profit from disasters. Fireworks weren't a necessity either; no one would buy fireworks to celebrate a flood.

Why would a fireworks master plan such a major operation as destroying a dike and flooding fields? What benefit would he gain from it?

Add to that Peng Yi's flawed fireworks theft plan... No matter how Han Fulai thought about it, he didn't believe Peng Yi could bear the responsibility of being the mastermind behind it all.

Was Xingxiu still lying? But he saw Xingxiu's inner struggle and changes in expression. If this was Xingxiu's acting, then he shouldn't have joined the treasure-stealing gang. He might have had a better future if he joined Yunhan Society and learned opera from Yun Jin.

However, from Xingxiu's perspective, he has no reason to lie. Xingxiu had been denying everything until Han Fulai said that Pengyi had betrayed him, at which point he confessed. If the premise is that the General Affairs Department has already arrested Pengyi and that Pengyi has already betrayed Xingxiu, then wouldn't it be meaningless for Xingxiu to tell a lie that could be verified by confronting Pengyi?

Therefore, Xingxiu's current testimony should be credible.

Based on a comprehensive analysis of the known intelligence, Han Fulai deduced that the mastermind behind the scenes was instructing Xingxiu through Pengyi, and Xingxiu was unaware of the identity of the mysterious mastermind.

This is certainly perfectly reasonable. But it also means that Xingxiu probably doesn't know any valuable information either; the focus is still on Pengyi. Fortunately, he has already arranged for Keqing to return to Liyue Harbor as quickly as possible to arrest Pengyi, but his interrogation seems to have been in vain.

Seeing Han Fulai's unfriendly expression, as if he didn't believe him, Xingxiu exclaimed, "Sir, what I said is true! I have a map of the fireworks display area from the General Affairs Department in my pocket, which Pengyi wrote for me."

With Xiao watching nearby, Han Fulai wasn't worried about what tricks Xingxiu might play. He squatted down and rummaged through Xingxiu's inner pocket, and sure enough, found a scroll.

Han Fulai unfurled the scroll and discovered that it was indeed a planning map of the fireworks display area. Moreover, the handwriting left by the cartographer was similar to the planning map he had seen in Keqing's carriage, and it should be Peng Yi's handwriting.

Han Fulai's calligraphy skills were quite good, and he certainly understood some principles of calligraphy. Everyone has their own writing habits, and these habits are often hidden in inconspicuous places such as stroke order or character structure. Even if the writer wants to deliberately change their handwriting, it is easy to overlook these writing habits.

Moreover, Tomyoshi did not intend to conceal his handwriting. Based on this drawing, it can be concluded that Tomyoshi planned this fireworks theft and gave the thieves a copy of the General Affairs Department's fireworks arrangement plan.

Moreover, on this planning map, several river embankments near Qingcezhuang have been circled, clearly marking the embankments that are to be blown up.

For Han Fulai, this scroll was an unexpected delight. Not only did it provide evidence of Peng Yi's involvement in destroying the dike and flooding the fields, but it also thoughtfully marked the dike that was slated to be blown up.

Han Fulai showed a somewhat gratified expression. It seemed that his efforts to send Ke Qing away to interrogate the treasure-stealing group had paid off.

If Keqing had been the one to arrest these people, Xingxiu and the others would have been captured anyway, but they would have had some ability to resist and at least have time to destroy the evidence. However, Xiao's strength was too great; he instantly incapacitated Xingxiu, thus preserving this crucial evidence.

The Qianyan Army was already short-handed, and the mobile forces brought back by Keqing might not be enough either. However, to be on the safe side, Han Fulai planned to have the Qianyan Army guard every nearby dike. Now that they had this map, they could allocate manpower accordingly to prevent the enemy's mastermind from changing and continuing their plan to destroy dikes and flood fields.

Han Fulai hadn't forgotten that many of the members of the treasure-hunting team sent out by Xingxiu to collect fireworks were still on their way back, and the enemy could very well use that batch of fireworks that hadn't arrived yet to continue their plans.

He put the scroll away and asked Xingxiu, "Now tell me, why did Pengyi instruct you to do this?"

Although questioning Peng Yi directly after capturing him would be the same, Han Fulai was indeed curious about their reasons for participating in the destruction of the dike and flooding of the fields.

"I don't know," Xingxiu replied.

"Don't know or don't want to say?" Han Fulai's tone turned cold, and he glanced at Xingxiu's broken arm.

Upon seeing this, Xingxiu shook his head frantically.

"Sir, I really didn't know! I was just doing a job for money!"

"How much did you collect?" Han Fulai continued to ask.

“He prepaid me 10 million Mora, and agreed to give me another 10 million Mora after the deal was done.”

"What about the stolen money?"

"I shared it with...with the brothers in the treasure-hunting group..." Xingxiu answered tremblingly.

Hearing this, Xiu Yong, who was standing next to Xing Xiu, shouted, "You took ten million Mora, but only gave each of us ten thousand Mora! You even tricked the brothers into doing this kind of head-grabbing thing with you! You don't deserve to be the boss at all!"

"You bastard, if you don't speak, no one will think you're mute!" Xingxiu quickly scolded his subordinate.

"Where's the money?" Han Fulai pressed.

He wasn't after the money itself, but rather that Pengyi's money was of dubious origin, and perhaps clues could be found within it. For instance, the box or bag containing Mora might bear the markings of relevant money changers or banks.

“He gave me gold bars worth ten million Mora… I secretly buried them here before,” Xingxiu replied with a mournful face. He shifted his position, and sure enough, there was a small, inconspicuous mound of earth under his buttocks.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Fireworks Flash and Dudu Can

Han Fulai asked Xingxiu to move aside, picked up Xingxiu's shovel, dug up the small mound, and sure enough, there was a box underneath.

He opened the box and saw that it contained twenty gold bars neatly stacked inside.

Han Fulai picked up a gold bar and weighed it; it was about two ounces. That's equivalent to five million Mora for one kilogram of gold.

This shows that gold on Teyvat is still very valuable, and Ningguang's plan to gradually replace Mora with gold and silver is entirely feasible.

Han Fulai examined the gold bars carefully, turning them over and over, confirming that there were no marks left by the minter. At least, he found nothing resembling a mark. This indicated that these gold bars did not come from a reputable luxury goods store like Mingxingzhai. He could only take them back to Liyue Harbor and ask Ningguang; she should have ways to investigate the origin of these gold bars.

"When are you planning to blow up the dike?" Han Fulai asked, twirling a gold bar in front of Xingxiu.

Even after Xingxiu was caught, he still tried to hide the embezzled money, which shows how deeply he loved those gold bars.

“Tomorrow night…” Xingxiu looked at the gold bars in Han Fulai’s hand, his face showing an expression more painful than if he had lost an arm.

"I plan to wait until tomorrow when we need to use these fireworks before digging out the gold bars, giving one to each member of the group to boost morale, and then telling them about blowing up the dike." Xingxiu said, turning his head to glare at Xiuyong, who was the most talkative. "If I tell them too early, I'm afraid the news will leak out."

"Don't you know that doing something like this will make the Thousand Rock Army go all out to hunt down the treasure-hunting groups within Liyue? Aren't you afraid that you might earn this money but not live to spend it?" Han Fulai asked.

Xingxiu sighed, "We treasure-hunting gangs are all in it for the money. For money, we'll venture into even the most dangerous secret realms. As for being chased, we can just stop operating within Liyue territory in the future. Besides... I didn't expect to get caught."

Xingxiu was right. Treasure-hunting groups are scattered throughout Teyvat; they can be found wherever there might be treasure. Their members are not limited to any particular country, and they don't operate solely within the borders of any given nation. If they commit a crime in Liyue, they can simply flee to another country; the Thousand Rock Army can't possibly pursue them across borders.

Moreover, those who become famous in treasure-hunting gangs are often desperate criminals. There are even examples of famous treasure-hunting gang members who unearth treasures and then bury them, thus creating new treasure legends.

Han Fulai knew that most of these guys were willing to risk their lives for money. Since Xingxiu had managed to become a leader, he must be one of the best in this group when it came to risking his life for money. He was actually capable of doing things that would cost him his head for money.

"One last question, how did you and Pengyi contact each other?" Han Fulai asked.

“I met Pengyi back in Mondstadt,” Xingxiu replied. “When we were digging for treasure, we sometimes needed to use gunpowder to blast rocks and stuff. Pengyi said he was traveling around Teyvat to improve the way fireworks were made.”

“That day I saw Pengyi testing his fireworks outside Mondstadt. It was called something like ‘Flame Flash Dudu’. He said a hospitable knight from the Knights of Favonius taught him how to do it… To be honest, it was the first time I’d ever seen fireworks that could blast such a big crater in the ground.” Xingxiu said, gesturing with his left hand to show what he considered a “big” crater.

"So I bought his fireworks at a high price, and we got to know each other over time. I would occasionally go to him to buy goods in Liyue. A few days ago, I went to Pengyi to buy some fireworks, and Pengyi suddenly said that he was willing to pay 20 million Mora to ask me to do something for him... You know what happened next, sir."

Han Fulai smirked. If Pengyi's special fireworks were all like those "flashy, goo-go" fireworks, then this batch of fireworks could practically be used as bombs...

Keqing, look at the weird things your subordinates have made! How dare you set off such things all over Liyue! And Ningguang, Liyue desperately needs a "Fireworks and Firecrackers Management Law"! Han Fulai silently complained in his heart.

Han Fulai packed up the gold bars, bowed to Xiao again, and said, "Immortal Xiao, I am going to Qingce Manor to find someone to take back these fireworks and the thieves. Until I return, I will have to trouble you to guard this place."

Xiao remained silent and nodded.

Han Fulai immediately headed straight for Qingce Village.

Based on the distance, Keqing would need to travel back to Liyue Harbor and then to Qingce Village. Even if she traveled at top speed without any delays, it would still take her most of the day.

Xiao, after all, was an immortal with demon-slaying duties to perform; there was no reason for him to stay here and watch over the treasure-hunting gang indefinitely. Even if Xiao were willing to help, Han Fulai wasn't shameless enough to let Xiao do such menial work for him.

Xingqiu and Chongyun were currently leading the Feiyun Merchant Guild's retainers to guard Qingce Village, protecting it from the bandits who had caused widespread panic among the villagers. However, now that the leader of the treasure-stealing gang had been captured, there was no need to waste manpower continuing to guard Qingce Village.

He planned to ask Xingqiu and Chongyun for help, requesting that they bring people from the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce to assist him.

Fortunately, the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce had a large number of people with them this time, and he planned to take a few of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce's servants to guard the batch of fireworks stored in the cave.

Xingqiu and Chongyun can take this opportunity to "act chivalrously" and capture the members of the treasure-hunting group who are acting as lookouts in other places. Then, they can send some servants to escort the captured members of the treasure-hunting group back to Liyue Harbor and hand them over to the General Affairs Department for trial.

Although some members of the thieving gang were sent by Xingxiu to steal fireworks from other places, they would eventually bring the fireworks back to Qingce Mountain. Han Fulai could set up an ambush in advance and wait for them to walk into the trap.

In short, before Ke Qing led the Thousand Rock Army to Qingce Village, Han Fulai planned to use all available resources to completely eliminate the threat posed by this group of treasure thieves.

In this way, once Keqing led the Thousand Rock Army to arrive and guarded the river embankment near Qingce Village, the crisis of "dam destruction and flooding of fields" was officially over.

Han Fulai arrived at Qingce Manor and explained the situation to Xingqiu. Xingqiu readily agreed and led the servants of Chongyun and Feiyun Chamber of Commerce to provide righteous assistance.

The plan was going smoothly. As night was falling, a dozen or so members of the heist gang had gathered at the fireworks stockpile site. Of course, they were all tied up and gathered together.

Watching as some of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce's servants, led by Xingqiu and Chongyun, escorted the group of treasure hunters away, Han Fulai finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

The treasure-hunting gang has been captured, Pengyi will be under Keqing's control, Yanhua is now under her control, and Xiao can come to help whenever she calls. The matter of Qingce Manor has now been resolved satisfactorily.

His response should have been flawless; all that's left is to return to Liyue Harbor tomorrow, interrogate Pengyi, and then expose the mastermind behind it all.