He changed Tiwat

Han Fulai's trip to Bubulu was quite fruitful. He not only obtained information about the remnants of the Demon God and Ba Che from Bai Shu, further improving the feasibility of his plan, but also gained a bargaining chip that was enough to persuade Ningguang.

Looking at the attack on Liyue Harbor from Han Fulai's perspective, excluding his unexpected entry into the game, there were a total of three forces involved in the planning and competition—and for these three forces, it was a zero-sum game.

Needless to say, the forces of Winterfell, who have unleashed their arrogance, are in a precarious position. The plans of Ningguang, representing the Seven Stars government, and the Liyue Asuras are also in conflict—because this time, there can only be one hero. It can be either Shen He, the disciple of the Asuras, representing their power, or Ningguang, representing the Seven Stars government from Tianquan.

If the immortals' plan is perfectly executed, it would mean that the Liyue immortals have sent a white-haired fairy to save Liyue Harbor. Even if the immortals have no desire for worldly power, they cannot fully trust the Seven Stars government, represented by Ningguang. If the crisis in Liyue Harbor can only be resolved through the immortals' intervention, it would mean that even after the Geo Archon's retirement, Liyue is still ruled by the immortals.

For Ningguang, this was naturally unacceptable. The reason Ningguang rushed to rebuild the Jade Pavilion during this period was to rely on the Seven Star Government's ability to resolve Ba Che's crisis, and she absolutely would not allow immortals to participate in the war.

From Gan Yu's perspective, which is simply about protecting Liyue Harbor, either the Liyue Asuras or Ningguang defeating Báchá signifies the end of the crisis for Liyue Harbor. Therefore, Gan Yu's approach is to observe both sides' plans proceeding simultaneously, silently preparing to clean up the mess should the worst-case scenario occur. This is also why she advised Han Fulai not to get involved; she knows that Han Fulai, unlike her who participated in the Demon God War, wouldn't be able to bring himself to sacrifice those close to him.

Zhongli knew that Bache would attack Liyue Harbor, yet he quietly left the harbor at this crucial moment, leaving only a wisp of Celestial Power for Han Fulai as a precaution. This also hinted at Zhongli's attitude. Zhongli believed they could handle Bache; Bache was not a demon god, but merely the wife and follower of the demon god Oser. In other words, its combat power was not as great as that of the vortex demon god Oser.

Since Liyue's current forces can handle Oser, dealing with Barchak is only natural. Who does it is unimportant. Protecting Liyue Harbor is the top priority; either the Liyue Ascetics or Ningguang can handle Barchak, and Ganyu's attitude reflects Zhongli's as well.

Ningguang is the Tianquan star of Liyue. She is a brilliant businesswoman and a seasoned politician—but not a philanthropist. She has no interest in doing favors for others.

Han Fulai understood this very well.

While he had previously enjoyed a pleasant working relationship with Ningguang and Keqing, this did not change his true identity. He was Ningguang's adopted younger brother, Keqing's personal secretary, and even Keqing's only confidant—but he bore the indelible mark of the Sage faction.

His smooth entry into Moonsea Pavilion and his meteoric rise to the position of Executive Vice Minister weren't due to any civil service exam, but rather his status as Gan Yu's personal secretary. Ningguang had told him frankly that Gan Yu had privately reached an agreement with her regarding his employment at Moonsea Pavilion. Although his exam results were legal and compliant, he was essentially the most influential person in Moonsea Pavilion, with connections far stronger than Huixin's and others—his relationship with Gan Yu was a contractual one witnessed by the divine power of the Rock King Emperor.

During the Battle of Osel, he skillfully maneuvered between the Celestial and Seven Star factions, maintaining the current situation of co-rule between humans and Celestials in Liyue. In the Moonlit Pavilion reorganization incident, he played the most important role, making the Moonlit Pavilion an independent kingdom of Ganyu. In the Lantern Festival incident, he directly used Xiao, the great demon slayer, to guard the Golden House, even acting first and reporting later without informing Keqing, his nominal superior.

—All of this clearly tells Ningguang that Han Fulai is essentially "the Emperor's man" and "the Immortal's man".

He once told Ningguang, "In the Moon Sea Pavilion, I am an immortal; in the Jade Pavilion, I am a human."

This only shows that he and the Seven Stars government represented by Ningguang share common interests. In an extreme situation where Han Fulai had to choose sides, he would inevitably have no choice but to stand on Gan Yu's side, on the side of the immortals that Gan Yu represents.

He himself was well aware of this, and Ningguang was equally well aware of it.

—Because power is only accountable to the source of power.

He was holding the rice bowl given to him by the immortal, so naturally he was responsible to the immortal.

Ningguang is an even more steadfast advocate of rule by people than Keqing—although the "people" in her rule by people may only be Ningguang herself.

Therefore, when this matter involved a conflict of interest between the Liyue faction and the immortals, Ningguang couldn't possibly believe that a key figure in the immortal faction would side with her. This is why Ningguang and Keqing, two members of the Liyue faction, joined forces to exclude Han Fulai, using the pretext of bidding for the reconstruction of the Jade Pavilion to send him away on a business trip. As a result, Han Fulai received no prior notice until he met Shen He.

Han Fulai certainly understood Ningguang and Keqing. To be honest, if he were Ningguang, he would also have ruled out himself as a variable. Sending him to gather materials for the reconstruction of Qunyu Pavilion, and then sharing some of the credit afterward—this was already a heartwarming and impeccable gesture.

In the past, even if Han Fulai saw through Ningguang's intentions, he would have silently accepted the arrangement and would have been happy to use the pretext of preparing materials for the reconstruction of Qunyu Pavilion to slack off for a few more days.

But he glanced at Shen He again within the magic array of the Minghai Qixia Zhenjun Cave.

In a guesthouse in an abandoned mine, he saw Shen He's lonely smile.

At that moment, the aliens who traveled to another world and those who couldn't integrate into human society shared the same feelings.

That was the first time two people, who were helpless and adrift in this world, had their hearts connected.

He made up his mind. This time, he would no longer be anyone's subordinate or pawn. He would take charge of his own life!

When you have no cards in your hand, other people's cards can also be your cards. Ba Che, Shen He, Qun Yu Ge, and Han Fu Lai will use these three cards to achieve four goals.

He wants to defeat Ba Che and protect Liyue Harbor; he wants to help Shen He completely control the remnants of the demon god within him; he wants to ensure that the credit for defeating Ba Che this time belongs entirely to the Seven Stars government; he also wants to change the current Liyue and create a new order!

"Power is only accountable to the source of power, but this time, I am accountable to myself."

Han Fulai whispered this to himself, then knocked on the door of Ningguang's temporary office.

Chapter Ninety-Six: I, Ningguang, only know one move.

Bai Xiao was on duty in Ningguang's temporary office at Yuehaiting today, and her reaction upon seeing Han Fulai was clearly somewhat awkward.

"Deputy Minister Han, what brings you here... Uh, Lady Ningguang is not at Yuehai Pavilion right now."

Needless to say, Ningguang had already instructed Baixiao to avoid meeting Han Fulai as much as possible these past few days. However, these reactions were within Han Fulai's expectations.

"It's okay, I can wait."

Han Fulai smiled and unceremoniously found a chair to sit down.

He arrived deliberately a while early to ensure he could meet with Ningguang. As the saying goes, you can run away, but you can't hide; by occupying Ningguang's office, he could always wait for her to return to work. Moreover, as the Executive Deputy Director of Yuehaiting, it was perfectly reasonable for him to wait to report to Ningguang, and he also held a higher position than Baixiao, so Baixiao had no right to dismiss him.

"By the way, Miss Baixiao, I've been traveling for work lately. Could you please tell me about the current work focus at Yuehaiting?" Han Fulai said to Baixiao.

Bai Xiao looked helpless. Han Fulai was clearly using this as an excuse to keep her from going out to find Ning Guang. However, Bai Xiao's current administrative rank was the deputy secretary-general of Yue Hai Ting, and nominally she was under the jurisdiction of Han Fulai, the second-in-command of Li Yue's civil servants. Although Han Fulai would not normally inquire about her work, she had no reason to refuse if he wanted to hear her report.

Han Fulai and Bai Xiaola chatted casually about work for a while before Ningguang pushed open the door and entered the office.

Upon seeing Han Fulai, Ningguang showed surprise, but quickly grasped the situation. Given Han Fulai's previous abilities and methods, it was quite normal for him to see through her plan. Expecting Bai Xiao to stop Han Fulai was asking the impossible.

"Bai Xiao, you can go out now. I have something to discuss with Vice Minister Han."

Bai Xiao gave Ning Guang a grateful look, bowed, and fled the office as if escaping.

"Sister Ningguang seems to be in a hurry, as if she has just left on a long trip?" Han Fulai asked.

"Yes, I just came back from the construction site of Guyun Pavilion." Ningguang didn't hide anything. After sitting down, she casually summoned her usual pipe, but didn't light it. She just played with it in her palm.

"Guyun Pavilion... It seems that Sister Ningguang's ambush is fully prepared, only lacking that Ba Che to be a victim of injustice." Han Fulai said with a smile.

Han Fulai pointed it out, but Ningguang didn't care and calmly replied, "Keqing is supervising the construction at Guyun Pavilion. A large number of replica Returning Machines have been deployed on the Guyun Pavilion site, and if nothing unexpected happens, it will be completed tonight."

"No wonder I haven't seen Lord Keqing in the city these past few days." Han Fulai nodded slightly.

"By the way, Xiao Han, how's your material preparation going? I heard from Bai Wen that you should be searching for materials on the 'Qianqi Core' right now," Ning Guang asked casually.

"Thanks to my sister Shen He, I've already prepared the 'Immortal Talisman' and the 'Mingxia Floating Life Stone' in advance. Now everything is ready, and I'm just waiting for the 'Thousand Wonders Core' to be completed tomorrow... Otherwise, I won't have time to chat with Sister Ningguang," Han Fulai said with a smile.

"Oh? Is that girl named Shen He really your sister?" Ningguang asked with a smile.

“It wasn’t before, but it is from now on,” Han Fulai replied earnestly.

"Looks like I'll have another god-sister from now on." Ningguang nodded and said no more.

After a moment of silence, Ningguang finally couldn't help but say, "You know. You shouldn't have come."

Han Fulai recalled his conversation with Ningguang at the Qunyu Pavilion on the day of the Immortal Invocation Ceremony, as if it had happened just yesterday.

In the blink of an eye, so much time has passed, long enough for him to be able to say those words to Ningguang now.

"But I still came."

The Han Fulai of today is not the same Han Fulai of the past.

Ningguang sighed.

“I received intelligence from Captain Beidou half a month ago that the sea near Guyun Pavilion had changed. She has lived at sea for many years and is very sensitive to changes in the ocean. After I sent people to investigate, I found that the seal of Guyun Pavilion had indeed shown signs of loosening, and a talisman was left at the scene.”

"Is it the 'Unrestricted Talisman'?" Han Fulai immediately guessed the key point.

“That’s right. It is indeed the Talisman of No Taboos. Last time, D'Artagnan released the demon god Oser with a replica of the Talisman of No Taboos. The Talisman of No Taboos left at the scene this time should also be the same replica. It can be basically confirmed that it was done by the Fatui. Their imitation technology seems to have become more sophisticated.”

Han Fulai nodded. Zhongli had deliberately given D'Artagnan a Talisman of No Taboos for his retirement plan, and two months had passed since then. It wouldn't be surprising if the Fools, with their technology, had developed a more powerful replica of the Talisman of No Taboos.

"Based on various signs, the creature released this time is Bác, the wife of the Whirlpool Demon God Osel. You know, we defeated Osel last time by piloting the Jade Pavilion, and Bác holds a deep grudge against the Jade Pavilion. It has been lying dormant in the sea, conserving its strength and waiting for an opportunity to take revenge on the Jade Pavilion. Judging from the peculiar fishy smell in the ocean currents and the decrease in the number of fish, it is slowly approaching Liyue Harbor from the seabed."

"So Sister Ningguang plans to use the Qunyu Pavilion as bait, and lure Bache out by taking advantage of his desire for revenge. You first descended the Qunyu Pavilion under the pretext of rebuilding it, so that Bache would temporarily lose his target. When the time is right, you will open the Qunyu Pavilion to the sea and attract Bache into the battlefield you have designated."

“That’s right. I asked Keqing to help create a batch of replicas of the End Machines, using amber as their power source. Even ordinary Thousand Rock soldiers without the Vision can operate them. Although they can only attack with Geo and can’t use elemental reactions like you did last time—but, even ants can kill an elephant if there are enough of them,” Ningguang said.

"Moreover, the Returning to the End is merely to delay Ba Che's advance and confine it to your predetermined attack range," Han Fulai interjected.

"Even with Lady Keqing's strong assistance, the construction and repair work of Qunyu Pavilion is still not perfect. Given Ningguang's personality, she wouldn't be in such a hurry to send Qunyu Pavilion into the sky. Moreover, the three things that Ningguang requested this time, on the surface, are three immortal treasures, but in terms of actual effects, these three things are all aimed at enhancing the power of Qunyu Pavilion."

"Leaving aside the 'Thousand Wonders Core' and 'Immortal Talismans' as the pivots controlling the Jade Pavilion, why is it that the 'Mingxia Floating Life Stone' should be as big as possible? If we only consider economics, the floating life stone only needs to be able to support the current weight of the Jade Pavilion. A floating life stone that is too large would provide unnecessary lift and would only waste the Mora used for the acquisition."

Han Fulai smiled and said, "I heard someone tell me that before the 'Mingxia Floating Life Stone' is activated, its weight is no different from that of an ordinary stone. Presumably, Sister Ningguang wants the floating life stone to be as big as possible, what she actually wants is to make the Qunyu Pavilion as heavy as possible - the heavier the Qunyu Pavilion is, the greater the energy that will hit Ba Che's head."

"Your compromise on the renovation of Qunyu Pavilion, your purchase of wound medicine from Bubulu and borrowing Qiqi to prevent personnel injuries, plus your pursuit of these three things, all point to one thing—your true purpose is to destroy Qunyu Pavilion!"

Using the kinetic energy formula that Han Fulai learned in middle school, kinetic energy is equal to half the product of an object's mass and the square of its velocity. Therefore, for objects of the same mass, the greater their velocity, the greater their kinetic energy; and for objects of the same velocity, the greater their mass, the greater their kinetic energy.

The "Floating Life Stone of Mingxia," the "Core of a Thousand Wonders," and the "Immortal Talismans" are all designed to increase the speed and mass of the Jade Pavilion! And increasing the speed and mass of the Jade Pavilion is to increase the kinetic energy of its fall!

Ningguang shook her head, a self-deprecating smile on her face.

"I knew I couldn't hide it from you. Yes, this time, I'm going to really take down the Jade Pavilion."

She twirled the pipe in her hand and pointed at Han Fulai.

"I want to tell everyone that the power of the Jade Pavilion is real. And even if I destroy one Jade Pavilion, I can rebuild another!"

Han Fulai recalled his conversation with Ningguang at the Qunyu Pavilion during the ritual of inviting immortals. At that time, Ningguang had used the same expression to guide him into the realm of thinking about the seven ruling powers in the mortal world.

At that time, he described Ningguang in eight words.

Ningguang smiled. "I, Ningguang, only know one move. I've been training for a thousand days to use it in one day."

Chapter Ninety-Seven: Raising an army for a thousand days, using it for one day.

"As expected..." Han Fulai sighed softly.

Ningguang keenly noticed a hint of reluctance in Han Fulai's voice.

"What? You're reluctant to let me smash up my Qunyu Pavilion?" Ningguang asked with a smile.

Han Fulai smiled somewhat awkwardly, "...I do feel it's a pity."

He felt regret not because of his closeness to Ningguang, or because he coveted the Jade Pavilion, but because he had been poor since childhood and simply couldn't stand seeing rich people waste things. Han Fulai, whose family ran a breakfast stall, was also quite frugal in his daily life. He would frown if he saw others leaving food uneaten in the cafeteria, and he especially couldn't stand seeing people feeding tomahawk steaks to dogs.

Ningguang, being from the fishing village of Yaoguangtan, understood Han Fulai's mindset. She chuckled and said, "No need to regret it. When I decided to smash up Qunyu Pavilion, it was no longer Qunyu Pavilion, but an investment, a bargaining chip."

“I understand.” Han Fulai nodded. “Smashing down Qunyu Pavilion can bring considerable returns.”

"First and foremost, we must be able to ensure the defeat of Ba Che. In the Battle of Aosai, the self-destruction of the Qunyu Pavilion was the last resort to defeat the Demon God. Now, the rebuilt Qunyu Pavilion is of even greater quality, and defeating Ba Che should be more than enough."

"Secondly, it can ensure that the Liyue immortals cannot interfere in the battle. If the battle drags on, there may be unexpected changes that give the Liyue immortals an opportunity to make a move. But as long as we lure Ba Che to the designated location, the Jade Pavilion can deliver a fatal blow, and all the credit will go to you and the Seven Stars Government."

"Then, this action can also demonstrate your determination, letting people know that you will do anything to defend Liyue Harbor. If necessary, you are truly willing to sacrifice the Jade Pavilion to annihilate the invading enemy."

Han Fulai sighed. The current situation was like Ningguang holding a nuclear button. During the Battle of Ocel, all of Teyvat knew that Ningguang's Jade Pavilion was a weapon and a bomb, and that Ningguang held the button to drop this nuclear bomb. But some people would always wonder if Ningguang really had the resolve to press that nuclear button.

The sword of Damocles hanging overhead is a deterrent, but only when that sword is actually about to fall.

During the Lantern Festival, the bombing at the General Affairs Department left Ningguang with a bitter pill to swallow. Now that the Fools have unleashed their fury again, Ningguang is clearly prepared to retaliate. She intends to show those who have tested her limits just how formidable Ningguang truly is.

It should be said that Ningguang's decision was absolutely correct, not to mention that Ningguang's benefits go far beyond the three points mentioned above.

Ningguang smiled and gestured with her eyes for Han Fulai to continue.

"From a political perspective, Ningguang's actions will establish the image of the Seven Stars government as an iron-fisted force. After all, every citizen wants their government to be strong and powerful. After the Jade Pavilion is destroyed, the will of the people of Liyue Harbor will be entirely in Ningguang's hands. 'Heavenly authority is supreme' is not just empty talk from a novel."

Han Fulai stopped short of revealing his meaning, but Ningguang certainly understood. If anyone in Liyue Harbor is truly striving to replace the Geo Archon, it's not Keqing, but Ningguang.

Ningguang smiled but did not respond.

Han Fulai continued, "By sacrificing the Jade Pavilion to repel Ba Che, you can also gain the concessions of the Liyue Asmodians. Even if the Liyue Asmodians are dissatisfied with the Seven Stars government, this battle will allow the Jade Pavilion to be used as leverage to gain you enormous political resources. Sacrificing your home to save Liyue is an achievement that even the Liyue Asmodians, who experienced the Demon God War, must acknowledge. You will be the hero of Liyue Harbor, and the only hero of this battle!"

In the previous battle against Oser, under Zhongli's instructions and Han Fulai's execution, a balanced situation was achieved where humans and immortals shared the credit. But Ningguang was clearly not satisfied with this, and this time Bache provided an excellent opportunity, which Ningguang would not let go.

"Not only that, this investment will also bring you a satisfactory return in business. Right now, Jade Pavilion is just Ningguang's private residence—but if you sacrifice Jade Pavilion to protect Liyue Harbor, Jade Pavilion will become the guardian deity of Liyue Harbor. I believe no merchant can refuse to contribute a little Mora to the guardian deity of Liyue Harbor, and no one will complain that the guardian deity of Liyue Harbor is too powerful or too big."

It's like people having the 60,000-ton "Guangyu Jingmo" and "Yueli Dongfang" fishery administration vessels, and then feeling that the new 80,000-ton fishery administration vessel isn't that big.

"The special significance and status that Sister Ningguang has long bestowed upon Qunyu Pavilion will reap rich rewards in this battle. I can't help but wonder, when Sister Ningguang drew up the first blueprint for Qunyu Pavilion, did she already think about using it as an investment in the future? Did she already plan... to 'take it a step further'?"

"—'Raising an army for a thousand days is for using it in one day.' What a wonderful saying, and what a wonderful person."

Han Fulai's words came entirely from the heart.

Just imagining the barefoot fishing girl on Yaoguang Beach who dared to reach for the sky, and having such a long-term strategic vision when accumulating capital for Qunyu Pavilion, one can't help but feel awe.

“Xiao Han, if one day you no longer wish to work at Yuehaiting, why not come work for me? I’m willing to entrust the Ningguang Chamber of Commerce to you; your business acumen is unparalleled in my life.” Ningguang clapped her hands, her wine-red eyes filled with approval.

Han Fulai gave a wry smile. "Thank you for your kindness, Sister Ningguang. If Lord Ganyu ever abandons me, I'll be counting on you to take me in."

Ningguang turned to the side, tapped the table lightly with her pipe, and said, "Since you know all this, what's your bargaining chip?"

Ningguang's words hit the nail on the head.

She was a businesswoman, and as such, she wasn't driven by profit. Han Fulai could see the significance of Qunyu Pavilion's investment for Ningguang, so he had no reason to stop her—unless he could bring in a better business. Therefore, Ningguang was very curious about what kind of leverage Han Fulai possessed that gave him the confidence to persuade her.

Han Fulai nodded.

“I have brought even more business to Sister Ningguang. I believe that after listening to what I have to say, you will find that keeping Qunyu Pavilion is far more beneficial than sacrificing its interests.”

"How big of a deal?" Ningguang leaned forward slightly.

“That’s as big as the whole of Teyvat,” Han Fulai replied earnestly.

“Oh?” Ningguang glanced at Han Fulai, a smile playing on her lips. “I hope this isn’t another of your ‘monumental lies’.”

Is this the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"? Han Fulai gave a wry smile. Last time, he manipulated the media too successfully through the press conference, which made even Ningguang have to be wary of him.