He changed Tiwat

After a moment's thought, Han Fulai decided on today's itinerary: "After breakfast, let's go to the Grand Bazaar and take a look around, as if we're inspecting our investment projects."

Upon careful analysis, the stories of "grass god's miraculous appearances" that Nilu and Dinazedai told us yesterday actually contain elements of absurdity or wishful thinking:

For example, if Fahad got drunk and lost his way, he would wake up to find himself sitting under a tree not far from home. It is very likely that he bumped into the tree and fell asleep on his way home drunk. It is very common for people who have blacked out to forget how they got home.

As for the fact that Srimadi's granddaughter said that someone chatted with her at night until she fell asleep, it is also possible that the lonely little girl was chatting with her "imaginary friend". There are many lonely children who talk to themselves or even take their own stories as real, so it is not reliable.

As for Dina Zede's claim of "having seen the Little Lucky Grass King," it was entirely a dream experience.

Dina Zede, who was running a high fever at the time, was very likely hallucinating. The stories and unfamiliar terms that the Little Lucky Grass King told her in her dream could also have been fragments she saw from the "Void Terminal".

As a child, Dina Zede didn't understand the meaning of those terms. Even though she had read them in books or elsewhere, they didn't leave a deep impression. However, these terms remained in her subconscious. The connection between dreams and the subconscious is very close. Her dreams about "deserts," "sand walls," and "Teyvat" were very likely just a regurgitation of information from her subconscious.

Most importantly, in all these stories of "grass god apparitions," no one has ever seen the grass god in person, no one can describe the grass god's appearance, and no one has ever seen any trace left by the grass god.

To put it bluntly, these followers of the Little Lucky Grass King in the Grand Bazaar cannot produce even the slightest evidence that the Little Lucky Grass King truly exists.

Those who worship the Anemo Archon can recount the miracles of the Anemo Archon moving mountains to the vast plains of Mondstadt; those who worship the Geo Archon can point to Lone Cloud Pavilion and tell everyone that the rock spear that the Emperor once hurled could even fill the ocean; General Raiden sits in the castle tower, and anyone who wants to be beheaded can apply for a "duel before the Emperor"...

Only the Grass God is a deity that is "existent if you believe in him, non-existent if you don't."

They say she resides in the Pure Goodness Palace, yet in the past five hundred years, not a single person from Sumeru has seen her; they say she is the "Goddess of Wisdom," yet no academic achievement in the Academy has any connection to this "Goddess of Wisdom"; even those in the Grand Bazaar who claim to have "received the grace of the Grass Goddess" cannot say which flower or tree in the entire Sumeru Kingdom was created by the Grass Goddess's divine power, or which person's illness was cured by the Grass Goddess...

On the contrary, the presence of the Great Tree King, who has been dead for five hundred years, is far stronger than that of the current Little Auspicious Grass King. The Doctrine uses various festivals and events, such as the preaching of "Knowledge Day", to repeatedly commemorate and spread the deeds of the deceased Tree King. Even when picking mushrooms in the Daocheng Forest, you can find "Tree King's Sacred Body Mushrooms".

Based on the various intelligence Han Fulai has gathered so far, the Little Auspicious Grass King of Sumeru is undoubtedly in a very weak state.

Her reclusive lifestyle over the past five hundred years is likely due to the effects of the "World Tree's disease"; her power is also quite weak, unable even to perform miracles for her followers, at most she can only talk to people in their dreams; a demon god who cannot perform miracles to obtain "wish power" naturally becomes weaker and weaker, falling into a vicious cycle, and now the Grass Goddess, weakened to the extreme, has even had her power stolen by the Fools...

Furthermore, given the Church's disregard and even contempt for the Little Lucky Grass King, Han Fulai strongly suspected that the Church and the Fools had reached some kind of secret cooperation, and that the so-called "secret project" was likely a conspiracy between the two to usurp the divine power.

To confirm these speculations, the simplest way is, of course, to barge directly into the Pure Goodness Palace and see the condition of the Grass God with your own eyes—just like when the executor "Prince" of Winter broke into the "Golden House" to confirm whether Mora had stopped production. It is the simplest and most effective method.

Unfortunately, Han Fulai couldn't do that.

This is partly because Sumeru is still a friendly ally of Liyue on the surface, and there are currently no problems with cooperation between the two countries in culture, education, and trade. The "successor of the Emperor" breaking into the Palace of Pure Goodness at night can only lead to serious diplomatic problems. After all, he did not come to Sumeru to start a war, so he cannot say something like, "My Buyeer got lost in your Sumeru, and if you won't let me in to look for him, I can only bombard the Order of the Fathers."

On the other hand, this matter involves the Kingdom of Zhidong and the Fools. Rushing into the Pure Good Palace could very well lead to falling headlong into a trap set by the Fools. Just like when they set a trap for the "Young Master" in the "Golden House," the Fools must have received news that Yingmei had discovered what was happening on the "Golden Apple Islands." If he were the Fools' executor, he would definitely be prepared to "lure the enemy into the trap."

In order to find out the true situation in Xumi City, Han Fulai had already prepared two routes before coming to Xumi.

First, he could gather intelligence through influential figures in Sumeru. Many wealthy merchants in Sumeru had trade dealings with the Liyue Seven Stars, such as the "Lambad Tavern" where he was currently staying, and the "Puspa Cafe" on the Trade Street, etc. He carried a large number of letters of introduction, and could easily change his identity to use the connections of any Seven Star he wanted.

Secondly, there was the prestigious scholarly family of the Church of Jesus, the "Pulbiluni School." Among the pile of letters of introduction he carried was, of course, Haidif's. The reason he used the identity of "Han Jiangxue" was primarily to leverage the friendship Jiang Xue had built with the "Pulbiluni School" when she brought Jiang'er to Sumeru for treatment. The "leader" of the "Pulbiluni School," the one with the title "Habantha," Seidafi Pulbiruni, was already inquiring about the recent "project" undertaken by the Church of Jesus.

After recently meeting with Nilu and the others, Han Fulai gained a third avenue—

It is the "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival".

Admittedly, the "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival" is a festival that is not valued much by the people of Sumeru, but conversely, this is also what makes the "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival" so special. The grass goddess, who is ignored by the entire Sumeru, only shows her presence at this "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival".

Only the "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival" commemorates the "Little Lucky Grass King," not the "Great Compassion Tree King." And only in this grand bazaar that celebrates the "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival" do "believers in the Little Lucky Grass King" and "the legend of the Little Lucky Grass King" exist.

The demons on the continent of Teyvat need the "willpower" of humans to maintain their power, a fact that Han Fulai, having attained godhood, has a very direct understanding of—

The deeds he accomplished and the legends he left behind have now become the source of his strength.

Liyue, Inazuma, Mondstadt... those who trust him, those who hope he can create a better society, a better country, a better world, are all objects of his "wish power".

Although he was granted godhood by impersonating the "Salt Demon God" Heuria, his path to godhood was quite orthodox: "He who bears the stain of the nation is called the master of the state; he who bears the misfortune of the nation is called the king of the world."

As a "newly born god," he doesn't have many legendary deeds, and there aren't many beings who would provide him with "wish power." Naturally, his power cannot compare to that of established demon gods like Wendy and Zhongli.

But as long as he continues to implement the "Teyvat Community of Shared Future" plan, constantly creates new achievements, and responds to the wishes of people in various countries, he will inevitably grow stronger and stronger.

In this respect, demons are actually quite similar to politicians on Earth. The more "voters" who support you, the more "votes" you get. If the seven kingdoms are like seven "constituencies," then winning the majority of votes in a constituency means you can be elected as one of the "Seven Rulers of the Mortal World." The Demon War is essentially an "election" where "physical elimination of competitors" is achieved.

What if someone could win all the votes in all the constituencies?

It's time for someone else to take over the "Prime Minister" position on the Isle of Skye.

As a demon god, Little Lucky Grass King needs "willpower" to maintain his divine status.

In the entire Sumeru region, only this grand bazaar still "votes" for the Little Auspicious Grass King. The annual "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival" is the only "voting day" on which she can receive "votes".

The day of the "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival" should be the day when the Little Lucky Grass King can reap the most "wishes," and it is also the day when she is most likely to "manifest."

Another point is something Han Fulai didn't tell Ying and Paimon, but he already had certainty about in his heart—

Last night, the "Catherine on vacation" they met at the Grand Bazaar possessed a power of grass element that the Catherine of everyday life never had!

As soon as they entered the Grand Bazaar, Han Fulai and the others immediately sensed that something was amiss.

The joyous atmosphere that filled the Grand Bazaar vanished overnight. Residents silently dismantled the festive flags in front of their shops, and the musicians who had been singing and dancing on the streets the night before were now packing up their instruments with sorrowful expressions.

The reason for all this was the Papal proclamation they saw at the entrance of the Zubair Theater:

Because the “Zubair Theatre” has long violated the relevant rectification orders of the Holy See, the Holy See has decided to prohibit all performing arts activities of the “Zubair Theatre”.

Sheikh Zubair, the theater's manager, was ordered to close the theater and dismiss its staff within three days, and then went to the Vatican to receive punishment.

Instructor: Shariputra

Chapter 46 I, the River Dragon of Liyue, exercise my legitimate rights! [4k5]

"Why?!"

Upon seeing the notice, both Ying and Paimon felt as if they had been struck on the head with a stick.

Just yesterday, everyone was enthusiastically preparing for the "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival," gathering together to imagine the parade; just yesterday, everyone in the troupe was working so hard to solicit sponsorships and rehearsing "The Legend of the Flower Knight" with such dedication... Yet, in the blink of an eye, all of this effort was condemned to death by this cold, impersonal notice.

After the initial shock, the second emotion that surfaced in their eyes was anger.

The Order of the Fathers is far too arrogant!

The "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival" is to celebrate the birthday of the god of Mount Sumeru, the Little Auspicious Grass King. It should have been funded by the Church and the Church should have been responsible for the organization of the event, personnel, venues, etc. It was the Church's dereliction of duty that forced everyone at the Zubair Theater and the people of the Grand Bazaar to find their own way to raise funds.

Now, neither the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints nor the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are required to contribute money or personnel. Even the venue for the festival and the ceremonial food, such as the "Seven Delicacies Table," are prepared by the people of the Grand Bazaar themselves. Moreover, everyone is just having fun within the Grand Bazaar, and the float parade will not disturb the scholars and gentlemen of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the so-called "Upper City"...

Everyone is so restrained, so why does the Order of the Fathers still have to do this?

Is it a crime to hold a festival for the Little Lucky Grass King?

Why is the Papacy so ruthless, even going so far as to shut down the Zubair Theatre?!

想起迪娜泽黛那充满期待的眼神，想起她在生命的最后时刻鼓起勇气踏出家门，只为了给她敬爱的小吉祥草王好好过一个生日……荧和派蒙只觉得满腔怒火无法抑制，恨不得抓住那个写告示的舍利夫揍一顿！

—The theater manager, Mr. Sheikh Zubair, thought so too.

They heard Mr. Zubair roar from inside the theater: "Why!? Sheriff, you bastard!"

Han Fulai and the others rushed to the theater upon hearing the commotion, only to see the refined Mr. Zuber wielding a prop sword, struggling to rush forward and slash someone. Nilu and two other theater staff members held his arms tightly...

The bastard that Mr. Zubair wanted to chop down was the middle-aged man in a scholar's robe standing opposite him.

Judging by his appearance alone, Mr. Sharif fits the stereotypical image of a scholar from the Order of the Fathers—a neatly combed slicked-back hairstyle, rigid square-framed glasses, a serious expression, and sunken, gaunt cheeks... all of which immediately evoke the image of a "dean of students".

His tone was equally rigid and dogmatic: "This isn't the first time I've come to warn you."

“When I came last time, I told you to improve the quality of your performances and put on more ‘intelligent’ plays. You ignored the warnings from the Church of the Fathers and insisted on performing those…those things that insult intelligence, so the Church of the Fathers had no choice but to take measures to stop this farce.”

Although his voice was calm, the contempt in his words was completely undisguised.

“When I asked you before, you didn’t say this! And even if it didn’t pass this review, there should be another chance for review. Why are you closing the theater now? You even said you would demolish it!”

"And you only gave us three days... What can we do in three days? Even if I listen to you and disband the troupe right now, what will happen to these people? How will we settle these suddenly unemployed theater staff? How will they eat and support their families?"

"And the theater's guests... It's been ten years, and the audience has a deep affection for this theater. Suddenly saying that the theater is to be demolished, have you considered the feelings of the residents of the Grand Bazaar?"

Zuber tried his best to suppress his anger and argue with Sharif, but Sharif remained unmoved, simply pushing up his glasses with his middle finger: "This is not a problem for me to consider, Mr. Zuber. Since you have thought it through so clearly, you should reflect on why you failed to prepare in advance?"

Even the most good-natured Nel couldn't accept Sharif's statement: "Please wait a moment, Mr. Sharif. I know the Church doesn't have a good impression of us, but our audience isn't the scholars of the Church, but our friends in the Grand Bazaar."

“If the performance is obscure or detached from real life, no one will come to see it… This would cut off our livelihood and deviate from the original purpose of our performance. We perform to bring joy to people, not to ‘spread wisdom’! Besides, if the theater is demolished, many people here will be homeless!”

Many of the theater staff members lowered their heads sadly.

For example, Kurosh, a juggler in the troupe, was originally a farmer from Vimo Village. Because the "Dead Zone" polluted his family's land, he was forced to go to the city to work and make a living.

Having neither education nor any skills, Kuros couldn't find a job to eat in Sumeru City and was almost reduced to sleeping on the streets. Fortunately, Mr. Zuber took him in and trained him in acrobatics, giving him this job so that he could make a living.

There's also Miss Ricard, the prop master in the troupe. She's a mother of two and was once an adventurer, but unfortunately, she suffered an old injury during an adventure and can no longer do heavy work. After her husband passed away, Ricard had to raise her two children on her own, earning a meager income by weaving mats and selling shoes on the street, often going hungry for two meals out of three.

Thanks to Mr. Zubair's appreciation for her weaving skills, he took her in to work in the theater troupe making props and doing some cleaning and chores, and even paid her enough to support her family of three. Without the work in the theater troupe, the three of them would have starved to death.

For many people, the disbandment of the theater troupe was no different from the sky falling down.

However, Sharif didn't see these "unwise" people in his eyes. He simply said coldly, "I don't want to explain it all over again. Since time is of the essence, we should do it quickly instead of wasting time here."

Zuber gritted his teeth: "But we are not prepared to accept such an unreasonable notification! This is not in accordance with the normal procedures of the Holy See!"

Sharif's tone remained icy: "I'm here only to fulfill my obligation to inform you. What you think is none of my business. I've fulfilled my obligation to provide both written and verbal notifications. If you intend to violently resist administrative enforcement, the 'Group of Thirty' will handle it."

"enough!"

At that moment, a young girl suddenly ran out from backstage at the theater.

She glared at Sharif with hatred, her whole body trembling: "There's a limit to causing trouble, Father!"

Han Fulai remembered this girl.

Her name was Anaye, a newly joined prop engineer in the troupe, and she was quite talented in prop making. Miss Ricard once praised Anaye, saying that her skills were good enough to pass the entrance exam for the "Scholarly School" of the Faculty of Arts—now it seems that she may very well have been a student of the "Scholarly School" before.

Anaye's cry of "father" surprised Ying and Paimon, who were watching from the sidelines, and most of the troupe members were also discussing it.

"Huh? Miss Anaye is actually that instructor's daughter?"

"...She and Sharif, who hates artistic performances the most, are actually father and daughter?"

However, upon closer inspection, the two do have somewhat similar features. If Anaye were to wear square-framed glasses, they might look even more alike.

From the perspective of the Church of Christ, it is undoubtedly "self-degradation" for the students of the Church of Christ to run to a small theater in a low-lying residential area to make props... Sharif might feel that his daughter has completely disgraced him as a great scholar.

The reason why Sharif made things so difficult for Zuber's Theatre was actually to prevent his daughter from "falling into depravity".

Anaye clearly thought so too. She said angrily, "What do you mean by the orders of the Council of the Church? It's just because you don't like this place, so you keep using the Council's power to threaten us! Let me tell you, even if you demolish this place, it won't change anything... I will absolutely not go back with you!"

Sharif stared at Anaye without saying a word.

Anaye was even more furious: "You've always been unreasonable, towards others, towards me... but I never imagined my father could be this despicable!"

Upon hearing this, Sharif finally reacted—he turned and left.

Anaye only heard her father's utterly indifferent reply: "I'm just doing my job. It has absolutely nothing to do with where you are, what you're doing, or what you think. I hope you're not so stupid as to be beyond redemption. Hurry up and pack your things and prepare to close down."

Faced with her father's indifferent back, Anaye slowly slumped to the ground, tears streaming down her face.

"Why...why are you always like this...always like this!"

Seeing this, Nilu quickly hugged Anaye and gently comforted her.

Ying and Paimon were filled with righteous indignation and wanted to stop Sharif, but someone stepped in front of Sharif before they could.

Sharif frowned at the bearded man before him: "What do you want?"

Han Fulai, with his hands on his hips like a venerable monk, laughed heartily and said, "Do you know who I am?"

"Listen to my name: 'Living on the banks of the Azure River, I am most renowned for my heroism. Thick eyebrows, large eyes, and ruddy complexion. My beard hangs like iron wire, and my voice is like a bronze bell. My imposing body is eight feet tall, and I can wield a sharp sword with a frosty edge. I charge through the waves and leap over the water, achieving extraordinary feats. Han Jiangxue of Liyue, nicknamed the River Dragon.'"

Sharif checked the information on the "Void Terminal": "Han Jiangxue, a Liyue native, a fisherman."

"No matter what your purpose is in stopping me, I still have to warn you in advance - foreign tourists are also subject to local laws in Xumi, so please do not do anything irrational."

Han Fulai scoffed, "A mere instructor, so short-sighted, he doesn't even know who the big shot is behind me."

Sharif's brow furrowed even deeper: "...Do I need to know?"

Han Fulai held his chin high and stepped aside to let the "big boss" behind him—the blond traveler who was rolling up his sleeves, ready to beat someone up—appear.

"Do you recognize this lady? She's the 'Honorary Knight' who saved Mondstadt, the most famous adventurer in the world, and also the 'title sponsor' of this year's 'Flora Festival,' Miss Ying! And I am Miss Ying's agent, entrusted by her to represent her in the collaboration with the Zubair Theater!"

Sharif finally understood: "Oh, so you're a dentist."

"Middleman" is an ancient term referring to a middleman who connects two trading companies to facilitate a deal. In international trade, they often act as a representative of one party and receive commissions or a cut. These people usually have extensive connections, a strong sense of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry), and engage in both legitimate and illegitimate business. They hold positions both openly and covertly, so one cannot judge them solely by their apparent profession.

The broker surnamed Han was blocking his way, clearly because of money.

The Zubair Theater is about to close down, and the "Flora Festival" will also be canceled. Miss Ying's sponsorship fee may be refunded, but Han Jiangxue's commission is destined to be lost.

But what does this have to do with Shariputra?

He ignored him and started to walk away, but "Han Jiangxue" blocked his way again: "We in Liyue have an old saying, 'Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents.' You've offended me, Hunjianglong, and you think you can just walk away?"

Sharif stopped and glanced contemptuously at the "river dragon": "If you have any objections, you can apply for administrative review to the Papacy. The relevant department of the Papacy will reply to you within thirty working days. I am only informing the Zubair Theater of the Papacy's decision as a Papacy officer. Handling appeals from irrelevant personnel is not part of my job."

Han Fulai chuckled: "Yes, I will apply to the Order of the Church for administrative review. The application will not only include reviewing the appropriateness of this administrative order, but also, in the name of Miss Ying, the 'Honorary Knight' of the Knights of Favonius, I will file a complaint with the Disciplinary Officer of the Order of the Church against you, Order of the Church of the Church, for abusing your power and infringing on the legitimate rights and interests of Mondstadt merchants!"

Among the foreign law books that Yan Fei gave him on his birthday were the legal provisions of Xumi, which Han Fulai had really studied carefully—the one he studied most thoroughly was the "Cultural Law".