He changed Tiwat

But Paulinka still has to go through the necessary procedures.

"Who are you?" he asked again.

"A fellow countryman who has forgotten his homeland," the masked man replied.

"How was the hike?" Borrenka asked again.

"I almost had to wash the dishes," the masked man replied.

Borrenka scanned his surroundings warily: "Was the north wind blowing on the way here?"

The masked man shook his head: "No, the wind is blowing from the south."

Borrenka seemed relieved and silently watched the masked man, as if waiting for him to say something.

The masked man paused for a moment, then said something completely nonsensical: "That's hilarious."

"..."

A moment of silence.

Borrenka coughed lightly; even knowing it was a code, the conversation was still incredibly awkward…

"Alright, welcome back. I'm your contact, Warrant Officer Borrenka. Hello, Lieutenant Nathan."

The masked man nodded slightly.

"Can you tell me who those two people who are following you are?" Borenka then asked.

Nathan pointed to the male soldier: "This is Matsuda."

He then pointed to the female soldier: "This is Xiaoshan."

“They were my recruits in the resistance, who volunteered to leave Taman Sa with me and join a greater cause.”

“Oh…I see…” Borenka nodded, scrutinizing the soldiers named Koyama and Matsuda once more.

Compared to the tall, muscular Borenka, these two malnourished soldiers from Haigi Island looked like little chicks, not even meeting the standards of the Fools' recruits.

However, Borrenka still gave the two newcomers a solemn military salute, as was customary.

"As per the rules, I'm in charge of all new recruits. Let me introduce myself again, I'm Warrant Officer Borenka, and from now on you'll call me 'Sir,' understand? New recruits?"

"Yes." Koyama and Matsuda's voices were clearly tinged with fear.

"..." Borrenka continued to stare at the two, his gaze conveying a silent, oppressive aura.

The soldier named Matsuda reacted quickly, immediately adding "Sir." Koyama was a beat slower, reluctantly echoing the greeting.

Borrenka finally gave a satisfied hum: "Let me make this clear from the start: even if you were introduced by Lord Nathan, you still have to pass our tests before you can join our ranks. Forget the tricks you learned at Coral Palace; I will retrain you recruits until you are capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities."

"In terms of the outcome, some people can embrace the new world, while others... will only fall into the sea. I don't care what happened to you before, or why you wanted to join us. All I want is the result. The first test for you is to obey the orders of your superiors, and don't ask why."

"And the answer?"

"Yes, sir!" Koyama and Matsuda answered quickly this time.

Borrenka clapped his hands rhythmically a few times, and several torches lit up in the distance, as if sending some kind of signal.

"The supporting vessel is ready. Please board with me and Lord Nathan. This is a simple order; I hope you will carry it out properly."

The Fools' secret stronghold on Ba Yun Island, which is also the Evil Eye Factory, is actually located by waterway.

Nathan only revealed that it was built on the west side of Bayun Island, and the specific route had to be led by a contact. Even he couldn't find the way on his own... Nathan's condition didn't lie. Han Fulai was puzzled when he heard this. Why couldn't Nathan find the way? Only now did he realize that in this vast sea, without a specific nautical chart to guide him, it was indeed impossible to find the seaside cave that was concealed by a secret method.

If he had a "layered map" from the game, he should be able to see that the entrance is actually located beneath a secret realm on the west side of Hachiyū Island—and that secret realm is called "Jinshiro-yashiki".

More than two thousand years ago, the "King of Toyama" under the command of the great serpent Orobas first landed on Hachiyū Island, and his vanguard headquarters was set up in this "Jinshiro-yashiki".

"Jindai" is an official title on Umijima Island, similar to the position of "regent" in the shogunate. Before conquering "Higashiyama", "King of Higashiyama" held the position of "Jindai", so his headquarters was called "Jindai-yashiki" on Umijima Island.

More than two thousand years have passed, and the former "Jinshiro Yashiki" has long been destroyed by the shogunate army. Now, only a clearing in the mountains remains. Even Sango Mikoto would not want to go to a place with nothing to pay homage to his ancestors.

In fact, the only people who frequented the former "Jinshiro Yashiki" were the sea monsters who gathered in the surrounding area. They only used the place as a mountain stronghold because of its good terrain, which allowed them to retreat into the mountains and hide at any time.

The Fools set up the Evil Eye Factory under the "Jinshiro Residence" of the "King of Higashiyama," where they refined the demonic remnants of the Umi-no-Omikami and used these remnants to harm the people of Umi-no-Omikami Island—this is undoubtedly a biting irony.

Ironically, the Fools operated here for nearly two years, committing countless heinous acts, yet neither the shogunate nor Umijima knew anything about it…

But to be honest, the scenery here is actually quite nice.

Up close, there are towering mountains and dense forests; in the distance, the water meets the sky. The afterglow of the setting sun spreads across the sea, echoing the red maple leaves of the nearby Hiki Village... If it weren't for the fact that it doesn't fit Nathan's "persona," Han Fulai would have been tempted to recite a poem.

"I walk with my staff through the overgrown garden, climbing high and laughing at the evening breeze. The endless autumn colors obscure the clear sky. In the distance, I see the setting sun on the river, swirling with tumbleweeds."

Very fitting for the occasion.

Yes, he is the "masked man".

The mask was obviously taken from Nathan, and the uniform he was wearing was the same as Nathan's.

His height and build are similar to Nathan's. If he covers his face and asks Xin Hai for some hair dye, that should be enough.

The location and password for the rendezvous were naturally revealed by Nathan. To be honest, if Nathan had refused to speak, even if he and Kanoin had searched the Snake Bone Mine for another six months, they might not have been able to find this place. Who would have thought that the Fools would open a factory right under the nose of Umijima?

Of course, it can't be blamed on Xin Hai's subordinates for poor reconnaissance. This place happens to be a blind spot for Tengdou Fortress and Feimu Village, and ordinary sentries really couldn't see the small boat that was making a big detour from the back of the island.

Ying looked at the hole thoughtfully.

Previously, when escorting Ms. Hiiragi Senri away from the island, she had overheard the magistrate's soldiers mentioning that the batch of "crystallized bone marrow" was to be sent to Umijima Island. Yes, the direction was indeed Umijima Island, but the Fools would turn back halfway to this seaside cave, so to the magistrate's men, it seemed the goods were indeed being sent to Umijima Island…

However, she couldn't express her sudden realization to Han Fulai right now—she was playing the role of "Xiaoshan".

Anyway, once she changes her clothes, puts on a wig, and wears a straw hat, she becomes a gender-swapped version of Matsuda.

The reason she doesn't dress up as a man is simply because Teyvat doesn't have a four-dimensional chest wrap. After all, Luminous has two real "mountains" on her chest, so it's impossible for her to dress up as a man.

In this regard, the "Matsuda" standing next to her, that is, Miss Yukiaki, had a very deep understanding of this...

As for the real Matsuda, he is currently guarding Nathan with Koyama and Uncle Todoroki, trying to atone for his crimes.

This time, there were truly three pairs of eyes watching Nathan constantly. Nathan, whose power had been sealed, was half-dead and lying paralyzed next to Washizu's corpse...

Last night, Han Fu came to Xin Hai to discuss the plan to destroy the Fools' Evil Eye Factory. He suggested that while the news of Nathan's identity being exposed had not yet spread, they should continue to block the news and create the illusion that Nathan, the military doctor, had to join the medical team to take care of Washijin because of Xin Hai's orders. They should delay as long as possible.

He then used this time difference to impersonate Nathan and make contact with the Fatui, trying to see if he could infiltrate the Fatui Evil Eye factory—even if the disguise failed, he could at least capture a few Fatui members who were there to meet him and find out the location.

The good news is that the person who was supposed to meet Nathan wasn't a specific individual. Nathan and the other person had never met before and had to verify each other's identities through passwords, which made it much easier for him to disguise himself.

The Evil Eye Factory is almost here.

Chapter 124 Clenching My Left Hand [4k]

Han Fulai exchanged glances with Xingqiu and Yingmei through the mask.

Having located the Evil Eye Factory, their mission was essentially complete.

The Fools must have a very strong defense force inside the factory, and they have the advantage of location. It would be unwise for just three of them to venture into the lion's den.

According to the game's storyline that Han Fulai knew, there was a powerful Fool's Enforcer named "Scrapped Soldiers" guarding this Evil Eye Factory.

The "scatterers" in the story even easily defeated Yingmei, who possesses the power of three elements, making them a formidable enemy.

They didn't need to fight the "scatterers" in the Fools' stronghold.

According to Han Fulai's pre-arranged plan, after they landed, they were supposed to kill the group of fools who were supposed to meet them, and then wait for the resistance army and the "Death Star" to provide further support.

For this "infiltration and search," Han Fulai mobilized "the three branches of the armed forces"—the "Death Star" of Beidou was tracking from afar at sea, the resistance detachment led by Kanoin and Manyo was following on land, and as for the air, of course, it was Paimon, who was always inseparable from Yingmei.

After all, there are no flying "boy scouts" on Haiji Island, and Paimon would definitely be exposed if he stayed with Ying... He could play a greater role as a "spy satellite" in the sky.

Beidou, Wanye, and Shiroin are all holders of the Eye of God, capable of tracking traces of elemental power using their elemental vision. Han Fulai had Paimon carry a piece of high-purity amber in the sky so that Beidou and the others could follow Paimon and find their whereabouts.

Since Teyvat doesn't have a GPS system, how could these fools have imagined that there was a "satellite" following them in the sky?

If the "Tianheng" hadn't been so large and conspicuous that it couldn't handle the tracking mission, Han Fulai would have even considered dragging the "Tianheng" along and blowing up the Evil Eye Factory. No matter what seat you hold as an executive officer of the Fools, all are equal before the naval cannons.

Unfortunately, it can't be done.

Now that they've located the Evil Eye factory, they should theoretically eliminate Paulenka, the "commander" who led the way.

Xingqiu gripped the training rifle in his right hand tightly.

In the Fools' code, "clenching the right hand" means "forming an alliance".

Xingqiu's meaning was naturally "I will listen to Brother Han".

But Ying raised her left fist at him.

The meaning of "clenching the left hand" is "avenging oneself".

Han Fulai sighed silently.

Actually, he hadn't planned to bring Xingqiu and Ying with him at all. Having two more people would require two more disguises and would make it easier to expose flaws. When making plans last night, he only intended to disguise himself as Nathan to scout ahead, with Xiao Pai, the "spy satellite," following him from the sky, which would be enough.

Ying had agreed readily last night and was even pleased to say that her Paimon had finally acted as a "guide" this time... However, this morning, before they set off, Ying received devastating news from Xin Hai.

— Several resistance soldiers who suffered severe backlash from the Evil Eye died this morning, including Teppei.

Upon hearing the news of Teppei's death, Ying remained silent for a long time.

This was the first time she had experienced the death of a friend on the continent of Teyvat.

She had only known Zheping for half a month, which was less than the time she had known Beidou, Xingqiu, and others, so their friendship could not be considered deep.

If Teppei had died on the battlefield, Ying would probably have only mourned him and sighed at the impermanence of life... As a traveler who has traversed many worlds, she has experienced far too much separation and death.

But Zheping was killed by the Fools.

She still remembered what Zheping had said to her in her hospital bed yesterday.

He said, "What a pity. Ying, I thought I was about to catch up with you."

He said, "I was indeed not being watched by the gods."

He said, "For me, and for everyone lying here, catch the culprit who spread the evil eye. Don't let anyone else follow in my footsteps."

She replied, "Leave it to me. I'll take your share too."

She agreed to Zheping's request.

She did catch "Mr. N," who spread the evil eye, but she only fulfilled half of her promise to Teppei.

Even if there is no "Mr. N", there will be "Mr. O", "Mr. P"... As long as the Evil Eye Factory is still there, the Fools will always send out the next person to continue spreading the Evil Eye.

As long as the Fools' evil experiments on Hachiyeon Island continue, there will always be another Teppei.

Even on his deathbed, Zheping was still thinking of others and worried that someone would follow in his footsteps... So, she had to fulfill Zheping's wish.

She accepted the commission.

As an adventurer, Ying has a 100% success rate in completing her quests.

She made up her mind to avenge the victims of the evil eye, including Zheping!

With Borrenka leading the way, the group easily passed the guards outside the cave and entered the cave.

Contrary to expectations of numerous fortifications, the Fatui's defenses of the Evil Eye Factory were remarkably lax. Apart from a few of his men brought by Paulenka to meet Nathan, there were only two Fatui guards at the entrance, fewer than the wealthy families in Inazuma Castle.

Of course, there are reasons for this.

They reached the bottom of the cave after only a few steps.

The cave was actually very shallow and a dead end.

There are no minerals or factories in the cave.

Even if some fishermen or pirates accidentally wandered into this cave, they probably wouldn't notice anything unusual.

This is why the Fools didn't heavily guard the cave; external guards were pointless. If Borrenka hadn't been out on a mission today, there wouldn't even have been a gatekeeper at the entrance.

Han Fulai was somewhat relieved at this point, realizing that not following the original plan was actually the right choice.

Even if he really blew up the cave where the Evil Eye Factory was located with the "Tianheng", it wouldn't harm the factory in the slightest.

Because the actual factory area is underground.

When they reached the bottom of the cave, there was nothing there, but suddenly a teleportation array lit up on the ground.

According to Borrenka, the teleportation array was activated from within the factory, and without the cooperation of insiders, outsiders would have no way to infiltrate the underground factory.

In terms of covert operations, the Fools have indeed done their job thoroughly. It's not like in the game where anyone can just kick down the door and barge in... They've been able to operate on Bayun Island for so long without being detected, so they must have some tricks up their sleeves.

After the three of them followed Borrenka onto the magic circle, they were quickly teleported to the underground factory area.

Compared to the Tala Sands and the Serpent Bone Mine, the Fools' factory looked much more advanced, with various mechanical pipelines everywhere, and elemental lights on the ground and ceiling. In the distance, one could also see a mechanically driven assembly line that looked very similar to a modern factory, and the goods being transported on the assembly line were "Crystallized Bone Marrow".

In front of the production line is a blast furnace with a shape very similar to "Mikage Furnace Core". It should also use a similar technology to "Mikage Furnace Core" to activate the "evil spirit" energy in "crystallized bone marrow" and then extract that energy to make the evil eye.