He changed Tiwat

After five hundred years of solitude, Nasita made friends for the first time, gained a mentor she could rely on, and also discovered the way to save everyone...

Humming off-key, she skipped and hopped ahead, leading the way, just like the other little girls who had come with their parents to participate in the festival celebrations, completely immersed in the festive atmosphere.

Han Fulai followed behind, silently watching Naxi Da's joyful figure.

He was someone who really loved children, from the siblings Yixian and Yizhu in Liyue, to Joel in Mondstadt, to Nagatsuki in Inazuma... He never hesitated to show his kindness to those children.

Previously, Nasita was seen as an "incompetent god" in his eyes, so he never gave her a kind look, but now Nasita is his "lovely disciple".

The saying goes, "A teacher for a day is a father for life." Although Han Fulai doesn't have children yet, seeing Naxida's childlike innocence that matches her age, he felt a bit like an "old father."

In fact, the "Flora Festival" was originally held to celebrate Nasita's birthday. It was a festival that existed for her, and she should indeed be happy.

It's a pity this isn't the real "Flora of the Flower Goddess," otherwise he would have been quite interested to see how Nasita would celebrate this festival.

It was almost 7 p.m., and it was time for the Zuber Theatre Troupe to perform "Dance of the Flower Goddess".

The crowds on the street were moving towards the theater, preparing to find a good spot to watch the dance. Many folk dance artists spontaneously created a lively atmosphere and performed their own street dances on the street.

They shook hand drums, spinning their bodies to the beat, sometimes doing somersaults, sometimes doing handstands, freely displaying their youth and vitality.

Nasita seemed quite interested in the performances, but she knew she didn't have time to linger, only letting her eyes drift briefly over the performers.

Unbeknownst to her, she had already begun to imitate the dance moves of those celebrities, her bouncy steps even incorporating a rhythm.

Han Fulai turned his head away to avoid laughing out loud—Nassida's current appearance, in his eyes, was like... well, a happy little badminton shuttlecock?

Of course, in order to maintain the dignity of a "master", Han Fulai's expression was not very relaxed, and his smile seemed unfathomable and indistinct.

But his smile took on a different meaning in Paimon's eyes.

Paimon quietly leaned closer to Yingmei and whispered, "Don't you think his smile is weird?"

“It is indeed very strange,” Yingmei said, expressing her strong agreement.

Having known Han Fulai for so long, Ying had gotten used to his sarcastic smile that made her want to punch him, but the way Han Fulai was acting now, with his forced smile, was hard to describe... as if he was thinking of some wicked idea.

Paimon lowered his voice even further: "Do you think he and Narcida might end up having a relationship like Shadow's?"

Yingmei's eyes widened: "Huh? No way?!"

Paimon said seriously, "I also thought it was impossible for him to be with Shadow before."

Yingmei exclaimed in horror: "Nasida is so young!"

Paimon shook his head: "No, no, actually, Nasita is already five hundred years old, the same age as that fox..."

In most cases, they trusted Han Fulai quite a bit, both in terms of his intelligence and character—there was only one exception, after all, in their eyes, Han was not only an "external brain" but also a "playboy."

and……

"You remember that light novel, right? The one I recommended to Ying before," Paimon said mysteriously.

Yingmei nodded: "It's called... something about my love affair?"

"About My Chaotic Youth Romantic Tale." Paimon recited the long title without stuttering, clearly having a deep impression of the book. "The male protagonist in that book is a top student, so he tutors younger female students—one of the female protagonists in the book is his 'student'! According to the book, this is called a 'raising-a-female-protagonist'!"

Ying was speechless for a moment.

Seeing the two whispering to each other, Dixia curiously leaned closer and asked, "What are you two talking about? What female lead?"

Han Fulai's lips twitched.

With his current hearing, Ying and Paimon's "whispers" didn't actually escape his ears; he was just too lazy to comment... He could take it as a joke, but if Dixia took it seriously, wouldn't his reputation be ruined?

Seeing that they were almost at the theater, he quickly interrupted their conversation: "Dishia, I have an important task for you."

Ying and Paimon both glanced at him sideways. This guy deliberately changed the subject; he was definitely feeling guilty!

Han Fulai pretended not to know and seriously gave Dixia the task: "Based on the situation of the previous two 'cycles', the Great Sage will soon bring mercenaries to seal off the Zuber Theater and end the festival... Judging by the time, they should be here in half an hour."

"Ying and I will be assisting Nasita in continuously casting 'The Temple of Maya' and will be unable to leave, so this task can only be entrusted to you—stop the Great Sage and the 'Group of Thirty,' and do not let any of them enter the theater. This time, I must ensure that the performance in the theater proceeds smoothly."

Dixia laughed heartily: "Don't worry, leave it to me. As long as I have a breath left, I will never let a single dog of the Order of the Church enter the theater."

Without even asking Han Fulai's reason, she drew her golden greatsword from the Eye of God and strode toward the intersection.

"Huh? What is Dixia going to do?" Nasita asked, turning back after noticing Dixia had left.

Han Fulai briefly explained Dixia's mission to her. Naxida was initially somewhat bewildered, but then, as if struck by a thought, she blurted out, "Could it be that the theater performance is also related to 'reincarnation'?"

She knew very well that her master never did anything meaningless.

Since Han Fulai said he wanted to ensure the smooth running of the theater performances, he must have had his reasons.

Han Fulai nodded slightly: "I have a hypothesis, although it has not been confirmed yet, but I think it is worth trying, and it will be good for your growth."

“My ‘growth’?” Nasita tilted her head.

Han Fulai said seriously, "If the performance can proceed smoothly, it might help you absorb 'willpower' and make you become the god you want to be, capable of protecting your people, even faster. On the other hand, doing so also has a high chance of thwarting one of the Church Council's conspiracies."

Naxida's expression also became serious: "In that case, please explain, Master."

Ying and Paimon put away their previous joking intentions and responded with the same solemn expressions.

Han Fulai didn't keep them in suspense any longer and began his explanation directly: "We have now confirmed that the three events—'the sealing of Sumeru City,' 'the kidnapping of Dina Zede,' and 'the Great Sage's order to stop the Flower Goddess's birthday festival'—are the 'main storylines' that we have to go through in every 'reincarnation.'"

“Other events in the ‘cycle’ will change depending on people’s different actions, but only these three things are certain to happen. Obviously, these three events are a ‘script’ written by Hazard through manipulation of the ‘void’, and he must have a purpose in doing so.”

"Based on the intelligence we have now, the 'lockdown' is to prevent people from discovering the truth outside the city, and the 'kidnapping' is to create so-called 'security risks' to obtain an excuse to stop the festival. So, why did he stop the festival?"

"No matter how the festival proceeds or what plays are performed at the Zubair Theater, the 'reincarnation' will automatically end and restart when the time comes. It seems a bit superfluous for Azhar to send a 'puppet' to stop the festival."

"Oh right!" Paimon suddenly realized, "He clearly doesn't need to come out specifically to stop the ceremony, so why does he always have to jump out every time?"

"Actually, there are more doubts than that," Han Fulai said in a deep voice. "There is another fundamental question that has not yet been resolved—why did the Great Sage set the dream scene as the 'Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival'?"

"You should know that in the entire Sumeru region, only the Grand Bazaar holds the 'Flower Goddess Birthday Festival' to celebrate the birthday of the Little Auspicious Grass King. In other places, today is just an ordinary day."

"If he just wanted to conceal the truth about the dream, wouldn't it have been better to choose a more ordinary, everyday scene as the background? Why deliberately use the 'Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival' as the background? Special days are prone to special events, and correspondingly, it is easier for flaws to appear."

"From a practical standpoint, the Great Sage's actions actually increased the cost of maintaining the dream realm. He had to fabricate a kidnapping case to obtain a legitimate reason to suspend the festival. Isn't that just putting unnecessary pressure on himself?"

His words prompted Nasita to frown as well: "Yes, I have the same question. Why did he insist on using my birthday festival as the blueprint for the dream? Is it just a coincidence?"

“No, it’s not a coincidence.” Ying suddenly looked up, and she instantly understood many things.

“I remember during the first ‘cycle,’ when Hazard came to the Zubair Theater to stop the performance, he said something very strange… He said, ‘You should all just celebrate the birth of the god.’”

"The Order of the Church harvests dreams in order to forcibly absorb the 'power of will' within the entire Sumeru range, so that someone can 'ascend to godhood.' According to the rules of Sky Island, the positions of demon gods are fixed. The prerequisite for Azar to 'ascend to godhood' is that there must be an empty throne of a certain demon god..."

“Many demons died in the war between demons, leaving many vacant positions. But if, if Azar is seeking the position of the ‘Grass God’ or one of the ‘Seven Rulers of the Mortal World,’ he must first push the person in that seat off—his target is you, Nasita!”

These are things that the old Ying probably would have found hard to imagine, but after obtaining the divine status of Orobas in the White Night Kingdom, Ying became much more familiar with the process of the "Sky Island Examination" and immediately connected the key points.

Han Fulai nodded again: "Yes, the 'Void' is the 'Heart of God', and the 'Heart of God' has already fallen into the hands of the Council of Religion. If we add the 'Willpower' of an entire nation... the god that Azar wants to create will not be an ordinary demon god, but the 'Grass God' who is one of the 'Seven Rulers of the Mortal World'."

"The power of the demon god needs the faith of humans to maintain it. The more believers there are, the more 'wish power' the demon god can receive, and the stronger its power will become."

“Under normal circumstances, the Seven Rulers of the Mortal Realm each possess the power of faith in at least one nation, but Nasita, your situation is very special.”

"Under the deliberate guidance of the Council of the Faith, the faith of the people of Sumeru is directed toward the deceased King of the Great Compassionate Tree, and the faith power allocated to you is very scarce."

“Your followers are concentrated in the Grand Bazaar area, and you can only receive a certain amount of ‘wish power’ during the annual ‘Flower Goddess’s Birthday Festival’ – or rather, you only have a sense of existence as a deity during this period.”

"It is no exaggeration to say that the worshippers in the Grand Bazaar are the foundation of your divinity, and your only remaining foundation. If you lose these worshippers, your divinity may collapse immediately..."

“If we consider the ‘Flower Goddess’s Birthday Festival’ as a ceremony to offer faith and ‘wishes’ to you, then the process of this ceremony should end with the ‘Flower Goddess’s Dance’ that the Flower Goddess offered to the Grass Goddess to celebrate her birthday. According to tradition, all the Grass Goddess’s followers will collectively offer birthday blessings to the Grass Goddess after watching the ‘Flower Goddess’s Dance’.”

"And in the 'Flora Festival' of this dream, Hazard interrupts the ritual process time and time again, so that you can't get the 'power of your wishes' you deserve."

"Moreover, as the 'reincarnation' continues, your followers will also be 'worn down'. In the entire city of Sumeru, only the people in this place repeatedly hold the festival, and their spiritual consciousness is the most active and the most susceptible to 'wear and tear'—so far, all the unconscious people lying in the 'Temple of Maya' are your followers, and this is no coincidence either."

"Hazard is using this method to murder your followers, seize your faith, and dethrone you from the throne of God!"

Chapter Ninety-Eight: Let the Entire Sumeru Hear Your Voice

"So he really came for Narcida? That Great Sage is even worse than I imagined, a hundred times worse!" Little Paimon stomped his little feet indignantly in the air.

"Yes, once we're out of this dream, we must go to the Order House to settle this score with him." Ying silently placed her hand on her waist, poised to draw her sword at any moment.

If nothing unexpected happens, Hazard has now messed with the most dangerous "debt collector" in all of Teyvat.

Although the so-called "artificial seven ruling" is just Han Fulai's guess and may not be true, Ying and Paimeng have great faith in Han Fulai's judgment. After all, past experience tells them that his "guess" are basically equivalent to "correct answers". Even if they are not completely correct, he will at least be 70 or 80% sure before he speaks.

Moreover, now that Naxida has become Han Fulai's "student," she is already considered one of their "own people."

Azhar's attempt to seize Nasita's divine position is tantamount to going against Ying and Paimon.

Going against Ying and Paimon often has serious consequences.

Nasita remained calm; she simply nodded silently.

Having been imprisoned in the Jingshan Palace for five hundred years, Naxida had long since become accustomed to her situation.

From the moment she was brought back to Sumeru City by the sages of the Order of the Church five hundred years ago, "incompetence" has become an indelible label on her, and the sages' disappointed lament still echoes in her ears.

No one expected her, no one cared about her; she was utterly unworthy of being a god.

What Sumeru needs is a "god of wisdom" who can guide this country, not a newborn, ignorant child full of curiosity about the world.

What they need is a "sun" that can illuminate everything and allow all things to grow... not a dim and lifeless "moon" that cannot replace the "sun".

If killing her could bring back the Tree King, wouldn't the sages act without hesitation?

In fact, she had already vaguely sensed Hazard's plan.

The reason why Hazar chose the "Flora Festival" as the background of her dream, besides the reasons mentioned by Han Fulai, may also have a symbolic meaning—to make this day her "death anniversary," and at the same time, the "birthday" of the newborn grass god created by the Order of the Church.

It is both a "day of death" and a "birthday," both death and rebirth; this is what is meant by "reincarnation."

It perfectly aligns with the aesthetics of scholars in the Order of the Church.

To be honest, if Azar's only target was her, Nasita would even be willing to give up her divine position and accept such a death—if it could bring back the Great Tree King, or bring in a more capable, true "God of Wisdom" to guide the people of Sumeru, Nasita would have no complaints.

But Hazard has other targets besides her.

This "cycle of the Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival" has affected countless innocent people in Sumeru, especially those simple and kind-hearted people in the Grand Bazaar who remember this insignificant "Little Lucky Grass King," are willing to follow this "incompetent deity," and are even willing to celebrate her birthday...

“They died because of your incompetence.” — This was the only thing Nasita could not accept.

So she made her choice.

She chose to become "the sun".

Perhaps she is not mature enough yet, and is not qualified to be the "sun" of Sumeru, but that doesn't matter, because she has a very, very good master.

This master will teach her, support her, and help her become a qualified deity.

Naxi Da said something softly.

She said, "I will no longer tolerate their misbehavior."

The sun's light and heat encourage all things to grow, but the scorching sun can also cause plants to wither and rivers to dry up. Life and death have always been closely linked.

Of the seven elements of Teyvat, the grass element has always been a symbol of life. Users of the grass element are often skilled in healing, including the deceased grass god, the Great Tree King, who left behind an impression of "kindness" and "compassion".

However, even plants have thorns and brambles—kindness and compassion are not without limits.

Nasita has decided to protect her people, and therefore she must have the power to do so, and demonstrate her power to the world.

Hearing Naxida's statement, Han Fulai silently breathed a sigh of relief.

Nasita understood his hint and gave a satisfactory answer.

Her words just now, in effect, determined the fate of the sages, and even the entire Council of Sages.

Although she still retains a childlike innocence, she has already begun to show the potential to become a god.

To protect those she cares about, she must seize control of Sumeru, and to do so, she must be prepared to have her hands stained with blood.

Han Fulai smiled and said, "Naxi Da, there is a bird in Mount Sumeru that doesn't move, fly, or sing for five hundred years. What is the name of this bird?"

Naxida smiled in response: "A bird does not move for five hundred years to strengthen its will; a bird does not fly for five hundred years to grow its wings; a bird does not sing for five hundred years to observe the world. Such a bird, if it does not fly, it will soar to the sky; if it does not sing, it will amaze everyone with its song."

Han Fulai nodded: "Let's go. It's time for everyone in Sumeru to hear the bird's song."

Ying and Paimon exchanged a glance, seeing the same sentiment in each other's eyes—

These two became master and apprentice because they both liked "wonderful metaphors," right?

The stage of the Zubair Theater was packed with enthusiastic audiences, all eagerly awaiting the arrival of the theater's star performer, Nilu.

They can only see Nel perform the "Flower Goddess Dance" during the annual "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival".

Everyone who has seen that dance says that once you've seen it, you'll never forget it.

Backstage at the theater, Nel was sitting in front of the makeup mirror, talking to her reflection: "Everyone at the Grand Bazaar really likes Little Lucky Grass King. I really want to hear her opinion on my 'Dance of the Flower Goddess'... Ah! No, no, never mind. If she really comes, I'll be so nervous..."