He changed Tiwat

There was nothing Sidaf could do to help in this regard. Sidaf had never heard of the "beast-like" symptoms that appeared after Baddis absorbed the "knowledge in the can of gods."

As a Habantha of the Chancellery, Saidaf is qualified to access "Divine Jar Knowledge" after approval. In fact, he had applied for and received approval to use "Divine Jar Knowledge" for his research more than half a year ago.

Based on his personal experience, although "divine knowledge" is touted as "divine wisdom," its essence is nothing more than scholars from the Order Institute digitizing the archaeological findings unearthed from divine ruins.

The "divine knowledge" that Saidaf had encountered was actually star charts left behind by ancient priests in the ruins. In the past, to access these things, one had to risk going into the ruins to investigate. Now, one can sit in the research room of the Order of the Church and examine them from various angles, and search for relevant academic papers through the "Void," making research much more convenient.

"Beastification" and all that... Seidarfi himself is sitting here perfectly fine, obviously he has never experienced something like Badis's situation.

But Cydaf also provided a useful piece of information—the “canned knowledge of the gods” he had come across looked no different from ordinary “canned knowledge”, except that it contained more herbal elemental power and was a bit greener in color.

The "canned knowledge" with a red exterior that Han Fulai mentioned is likely the result of its contents being contaminated.

This might be because Baddis and his gang secretly modified the "divine knowledge" after stealing it, leading to the strange contamination... Of course, only Baddis, who has now become an idiot, knows the truth.

Regarding the connection between the theft of the "Divine Jar Knowledge" and the Great Sage Azhar and his assistant, Miss Setare, as well as whether Setare really hired the Gilded Brigade to kidnap Dina Zede, Saidaf said he would express serious concern on behalf of the "Pulbiruni Family" and contact the victim Huma'i's family to investigate the matter further.

Han Fulai didn't have much hope for this. The witnesses and physical evidence were now in the hands of the Order of the Church. As for the truth, it all depended on the Order of the Church's blue background, white lettering, red words, and white teeth.

You're not convinced? What can you do about it?

He told these things to Saidaf not in the hope of actually bringing down Hazard, but to leave more "hidden dangers" for Hazard.

The more people who know the truth, the higher the cost for Hazard to cover it up.

Only by waiting for the right opportunity to unleash these pent-up "hidden dangers" can a decisive victory be achieved.

The most valuable intelligence Han Fulai obtained from Saidaf was a date:

According to the plan of the Institute of Buddhist Scriptures, on this year's "Knowledge of the Treasury Day," which is December 12, all "divine knowledge" will be entered into the "Void" database and officially opened to scholars.

“Knowledge Treasury” is another name for “Void”.

Han Fulai had previously heard "Sanbing" mention the "Knowledge Treasury" theory from the Red King while working at the "Evil Eye Factory":

“All sentient beings in the world have a self, called ‘Manas’, which is each person’s ‘individual unconsciousness’. Above the ‘individual unconsciousness’ there is the ‘collective unconsciousness’. The source of all sentient beings’ ‘Manas’ comes from the eighth consciousness, ‘Alaya’—the world tree that gathers all soul and memory information.”

The "Alaya-vijnana" is the origin of all things in the universe, containing all things and ensuring their preservation, hence it is called the "storehouse of consciousness." Because it can contain the seeds that give rise to all things, it is also called the "seed consciousness."

The Council of the Church refers to "emptiness" as "the storehouse of consciousness," which essentially elevates "emptiness" to the same status as the "World Tree," claiming that "emptiness," like the "World Tree," is all-encompassing and contains all the "wisdom" of this world.

This is clearly an exaggeration, but it fits the arrogant attitude of scholars from the Order of the Church.

Originally, "Knowledge Day" was to commemorate the birth of "Void," but it later evolved into a festival to express reverence for "wisdom." Every year on "Knowledge Day," the Chancellery will input the year's academic achievements—or rather, the "wisdom" created by scholars—into "Void's" database through "canned knowledge," making "Void's" "wisdom" even more abundant.

This year, the inclusion of "divine knowledge" into the "void" should be considered a perfectly normal thing by outsiders.

Scholars in the Faculty of Sciences originally relied heavily on the World Tree for their research. The "wisdom of the gods" contained within the World Tree was equivalent to "Teyvat Knowledge Network" for them. Anyone who has written a thesis knows how important this thing is.

Later, the World Tree server malfunctioned, and the Teyvat Knowledge Network kept refusing access to scholars. The Council decided to build its own "private server" to use, so it collected various "divine knowledge" to enrich the database of the "Void" in order to establish a "Sumeru Knowledge Network".

The preparations for "Xumi Knowledge Network" are basically complete. It's only reasonable for it to officially launch on this commemorative "Knowledge Collection Day"!

But Han Fulai doesn't think so.

As the secretary of Yuehaiting, Han Fulai was well-versed in various deceptive tactics. Creating a "Liyue Coin" system to cover up the fact that "Golden House" had ceased production was his doing.

He sensed something familiar about the "divine knowledge in cans".

Is it possible that the Council of Religious Affairs' "secret project" is related to "divine knowledge in a can"?

Is it possible that contaminated "canned knowledge of the gods" could be input into the "void"?

Is it even possible that the abyssal power that pollutes the "knowledge jarred by the gods" is what the Order of the Church is currently pursuing?

In addition, the Great Sage Hazard's recent series of rather hasty actions...

Han Fulai's intuition told him that "the day of recognizing the hidden treasure" might be an important milestone in the "secret project" of the Order of the Church.

He needs to figure out the Church's schemes completely before that happens.

Chapter Sixty-Three: Am I qualified to debate with you?

Han Fulai and Saidaf talked for almost an entire afternoon, and it was nearly evening when they came out.

Soon it will be time for Nel's "Dance of the Flower Goddess".

This is the climax of the "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival," and the most anticipated festival performance for everyone.

Dina Zede couldn't watch the performance live, but Yingmei had promised to film it and give it to her as a souvenir. Han Fulai, who had taken photos for Ray's films and helped Xavier shoot commercials, was a professional in photography and would definitely offer Yingmei some guidance.

If he rushes back now, he should be able to catch Nel's "Dance of the Flower Goddess".

However, upon entering the Grand Bazaar, Han Fulai immediately noticed something amiss—the once bustling "flower street" was now filled with guards in groups of thirty, brutally dismantling the flower baskets and colorful flags that the shopkeepers had used to decorate their stores. The stall owners and residents of the Grand Bazaar glared at the guards with faces full of grief and indignation, but dared not utter a word of complaint.

Han Fulai knew something was wrong and quickly ran towards the Zuber Theater.

Sure enough, the theater was also surrounded by the "group of thirty" guards.

On the stage of the Zubair Theater, there was Miss Nel, dressed in full costume and ready to perform, as well as Ying and Paimon blocking her way, and two uninvited guests dressed in the uniforms of the Church.

The female scholar among them appeared to be no more than thirty years old, yet she had already received the "Golden Laurel Crown," a symbol of the title "Habantha"... coupled with her honey-colored skin, a quintessential symbol of the desert people—

Without a doubt, she is the legendary desert genius, the academic star who has been appointed as the Grand Sage's assistant, Setare.

The elderly man beside her, wearing a monocle and a blue headscarf, with a serious expression, was none other than the highest leader of the Order of the Fathers, the Great Sage Azhar.

The fact that these two important figures are here is probably not for watching a performance.

Ying and Paimon had clearly already "debated" with Setare, and the result...

"...Even if you are a 'Knight of Honor' of Mondstadt, you cannot disregard the laws of Sumeru. Accusations without any evidence are nothing but slander, and I reserve the right to pursue the unfounded accusations you two just made against me." Setare's face was fierce as she glared coldly at Yingmei.

Ying had just accused Setare of colluding with the Gilded Troupe to kidnap Dina Zede, but Setare refuted her vehemently. Unfortunately, Ying didn't have any evidence to substantiate the accusation, so she could only let Setare righteously "educate" her on the laws of Sumeru.

Seeing that Ying had nothing to say, Setare turned to Nilu and began to loudly reprimand her: "And your Zuber Theater Troupe... The Council of the Church ordered you to immediately stop your illegal assembly, but you still incited the people to defy the Council's orders. If it weren't for the Great Sage's leniency, we could have arrested the festival organizers immediately, understand?"

Nilu clutched her chest and whispered in defense, "No, Mr. Zuber has already reported all the celebrations organized by the troupe to the religious officer in advance. This is not an illegal gathering."

Mr. Zubair, who was in the audience, also took out the prepared application documents: "This is my application for the event submitted to Instructor Sharif. Our holding of the 'Flora Festival' is in accordance with the Instruction Council's event application procedures!"

Setare gave Mr. Zubair a cold glance and replied, "Commissioner Sharif was suspended by the Council of the Nativity two days ago for dereliction of duty in the review process, and the application for the activities he handled is now being reviewed again by the Council. Our review has concluded that the Zubair Theatre Company's celebration activities violated regulations!"

Miss Anaye, who was standing next to Zuber, covered her mouth in surprise when she heard that her father had been suspended from his post by the Church.

What shocked her even more was the shamelessness of the Order of the Church—a festival that had already been approved could be re-examined by dismissing the officials in charge.

Han Fulai, standing in the crowd, sighed silently.

Yes, this is a common principle for governments around the world: it's easy to make a case "ironclad and historically sound"—just make sure everyone from top to bottom has the same story; it's even easier to "overturn a verdict"—just scrutinize all the investigators from top to bottom.

Ultimately, the "final interpretation right" lies with the Religious Council; they are the ones who set the rules.

It's like competing against Ningguang using Liyue Millennium. Ningguang is the inventor of Liyue Millennium. She's giving you a revised rulebook right now. How can you compete with Ningguang?

Setare, without any hesitation, laid bare this "final right of interpretation": "Holding large-scale religious ceremonies in private is strictly prohibited by the Council of the Holy See. The right to organize and interpret such activities belongs to the Council of the Holy See. We have no need to explain anything to you. If you continue to insist on this, we will have no choice but to order an investigation into all organizers of the Flora Festival..."

“How…how could this happen…” Nilu clutched her chest, her face filled with grief.

Ying and Paimon were even more indignant: "You are simply being unreasonable! The 'Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival' is something the Church Council should have been holding, and it is you who have failed to fulfill your responsibilities for so many years!"

"Furthermore, the theater has not received any so-called ban from you. Your forced obstruction of the 'Flower Goddess Festival' is an abuse of power!"

The crowd below also started to clamor, shouting that "the Church has failed in its duty" and "the Great Sage has abused his power."

The Great Sage Hazard, who had been silent until now, finally spoke: "Quiet."

These two words, carrying the accumulated prestige of this great sage over many years, resounded in the "void terminals" of all those present.

As a great sage of the Order of the Church and the controller of the "Void," his words could be transmitted to the ears of everyone in Sumeru through the "Void Terminal." He had only activated the broadcast function of the Grand Bazaar area, yet his authority had already been deeply imprinted in the minds of everyone present.

“Art…dance…in this land of wisdom and reason, you pursue these frivolous and empty things, don’t you feel ashamed?” Hazar’s voice was calm, but his words were unusually sharp: “For all scholars who pursue truth, reality and truth, the gods created the city of Sumeru, this paradise…and people like you want to defile it.”

Nilu shook her head repeatedly: "No, I believe that the gods have never rejected art, just like the goddess of flowers once danced for our gods..."

Hazard looked at him with pity, like a teacher looking at a wayward student: "With your knowledge, I don't think you're qualified to debate with me. What you should do now is find someone to take down these ridiculous setups as soon as possible."

He glanced at Setare: "Once we get back, have the scribe immediately publish the decree banning public art performances to the people through the 'Void'."

Setare nodded quickly: "Yes, I'll let you know when I get back."

Hazard glanced one last time at the floral decorations in the Zubair Theater and smiled contemptuously: "'Floral Festival'... Ha, you can celebrate the birth of your god."

Just as he was about to turn and leave, a figure leaped onto the stage.

Hazard frowned at the burly, bearded man before him: "What do you want to do?"

"Let's debate," the man said defiantly, raising his chin. "A Grand Sage of the Order of the Church, surely you wouldn't be afraid?"

Hazard scoffed dismissively, seemingly feeling that even answering the question would lower his noble status as a great sage.

The dark-faced man waved his hand across his face, and when he lowered his hand, he had transformed into a handsome and refined scholar: "Standing before you is Han Fulai, Honorary Academician of the Liyue Academy of Celestial Arts, founder of the Liyue Preparatory School for Immortals, and Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the Moonlit Pavilion."

Am I qualified to debate with you?

Chapter Sixty-Four: The Great Sage Nel! [4k]

When Han Fulai finally shed his disguise, the person most surprised was Nilu.

From a "fisherman" visiting relatives in Sumeru, to a "seaman" representing a fleet to negotiate business, to a "broker" with extensive connections, and later to a "disciple of the immortals" and a "hero of Liyue"... Nilu truly felt that Mr. Han Jiangxue already had enough legendary identities, but she never expected him to pull out a new one.

Moreover, this new identity is none other than Han Fulai, the "successor of the Emperor" who is rumored to have declared war on General Lei Dian and defeated "Wu Xiang's One Blade"!

This story is the most popular new legend in the Sumeru Tavern lately, and the storyteller Madah tells it every few days—"Thunder roars beyond the distant seas, and the savior of destiny descends. A great black ship sails through the thunderstorm, and the banners of Heaven's Justice fly high. The Pure Land hangs high with thousands of stars, just as mortals dream. Finally, there will be earthly beings who can shake the majesty of the heavens!"

Even the renowned blond "Knight of Honor" is merely a supporting character in this legend...

It turns out she had already met the legendary protagonist, who came to see her performances every day and even claimed to be her fan... Good heavens!

Nilu felt her cheeks burning, and an expectation arose involuntarily in her heart—if it was this person, then the Zuber Theater would be saved, right?

Many people in the audience who had heard of Han Fulai's name began to discuss among themselves. Rumors circulated that this Vice Minister of Liyue was extremely compassionate towards the people, and wherever he went, he would uphold justice for the poor. With him in charge, could they really put up a fight against the Order of the Fathers?

Ying and Paimon both pouted, their faces saying, "Why did you take so long?" and "If you had come earlier, would we have had to endure this?"

Han Fulai smiled and winked at them, after all, "heroes always make their appearance at the last moment."

Ye Lan often said, "It's more convenient to have more 'identities' when you're walking around in this world."

Being a "river dragon" in the Grand Bazaar and an "honorary academician" in front of Hazard is just Han Fulai's basic operation.

If he were to list all his "identities" one by one, the small Zubair Theater probably wouldn't be able to accommodate so many people... and there's a reason why he chose to tell Hazard those three titles.

Azar is a sage of the "Minglun School", the abbot of the Lido Fandi Academy, and a great sage of the Sumeru Teaching Academy. These three titles represent his academic achievements, academic status, and administrative rank, respectively. The three titles that Han Fulai mentioned, namely honorary academician, founder of the academy, and executive vice minister of Yuehaiting, correspond exactly to the titles that Azar possesses.

You, Hazar, are just a scholar without any extraordinary powers. I won't use the power of a demon god or my status as a "successor of the emperor" to bully you. Let's compete face to face on equal footing—that's what Han Fulai meant by those three titles he just mentioned.

The anger of the people in the Grand Bazaar had reached a breaking point, currently being suppressed only by the long-standing authority of the Vatican, and could explode at any moment. Han Fulai's decision to reveal his true identity at this critical juncture and publicly challenge Hazard was precisely to capitalize on this boiling public sentiment and force Hazard to agree to the debate.

As a great sage of the Order of the Church, Azar was one of the most intelligent people in Sumeru. He could naturally understand Han Fulai's implied meaning and his purpose in appearing at this time.

Han Fulai, using an alias, infiltrated Sumeru City. He had previously debated with Siegfried Sharif at the Zuber Theater, obstructing the Siege Council's decrees. Clearly, he was determined to oppose the Siege Council, or rather, to oppose Azar. Han Fulai's appearance to challenge them now was precisely to publicly undermine the Siege Council's authority.

He didn't know Han Fulai's reasons for doing this, nor did he intend to find out. As long as the "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival" went smoothly, everything would be settled. He had previously refused Vice Minister Han's request for a state visit in the name of Yue Haiting precisely to avoid any complications at this crucial moment.

Speaking of which, he had clearly instructed the disciplinary officers to arrest and detain those who were in the way, but the "Gathering Sand Hall" inexplicably released them all... The branches of trees always grow wildly regardless of the gardener's wishes, which is probably the helplessness of the rainforest country.

However, Azar did not intend to argue with this important figure from Liyue in public, even if it was just an "academic debate".

Given their respective statuses, whenever they appear in public, their words and actions represent Sumeru and Liyue respectively, meaning they essentially lack any concept of "personal stance." Whatever the topic of their "debate," it will be interpreted as an ideological clash between the two nations.

The outcome of the "debate" is irrelevant; the key is that someone can represent the will of the people in the Grand Bazaar and openly oppose the decrees of the Vatican.

Once this door is opened, one thing after another will follow.

So Hazard bowed slightly to Han Fulai with great politeness and said in a low voice, "So you are the Deputy Minister Han who created 'fertilizer' and 'artificial stone'... We also have several Tusatas in our Church who are conducting research on 'fertility' and 'solidified soil'. We would be very happy if you were willing to have an academic exchange with the Church."

"However, this is not the place to talk. I humbly request that Vice Minister Han accompany me to the Education and Training Institute. I'm sure my colleagues there are also looking forward to exchanging ideas with you."

Hazard's words were a veiled attack, a strategic retreat.

In the eyes of an "official scholar" like Hazar, Han Fulai was clearly a "folk scientist." He specifically pointed out that there were also Tasadas in the Church who were conducting research on "the bounty of abundance" and "the solidification of soil," which was a veiled indication that your "academic status" was not equivalent to that of the great sages, and that you were not even ranked in the Church.

Both the "Liyue Academy of Celestial Arts" and the "Liuxian Preparatory School" were founded by Han Fulai within this year, and their qualifications are very shallow. The titles of these two places are obviously not as prestigious as those of the Sumeru Academy, which has a history of thousands of years.

In fact, Hazard was already being quite lenient by not saying that Han Fulai had a diploma from a shady college—besides, those two places really do seem to appoint scoundrels and riffraff as professors…

Whatever opinions Vice Minister Han may have about the Religious Affairs Council, he should discuss them behind closed doors at the Council, whether it's a debate or a shouting match, as long as no one outside can hear it.

The great sage agreed to the debate on the spot, only requesting that the venue be changed. His reasons were very valid and sufficient, and no one else had anything to say about it.

Hazard knew that Han Fulai couldn't refuse this "invitation," so he winked at Setare, who was standing next to him: "Setare, why don't you hurry back to the courtyard and inform everyone that Deputy Minister Han is visiting?"

Setare nodded hastily, "Okay, I... I'll go back and prepare right away..."

But Han Fulai was no ordinary person; while others had nothing to say, he had plenty to say.

He slightly raised his hand to stop Setare.