The author of the book "The Book of the Dead"

Chapter 210 Seven Hundred Years of Archives, Legends of Immortals and Gods.

"A file of an elderly person over 760 years old, are there immortals in modern times?"

"I want to see who's behind this."

The young man, named Zhao Hong, had no family background or connections. He earned his position in a high-ranking department solely through his own abilities, making him one of the best among his peers.

Out of a sense of responsibility to the country and its people, Zhao Hong resolutely took on the task that would offend people.

Of course, given his qualifications, he could only handle welfare department work at most, and he had no right to inquire about actual expenditures. Unexpectedly, a small department caught a big fish.

Zhao Hong contacted the team members.

Two women and one man arrived.

The group was also extremely shocked when they heard about the seven-hundred-year-old archive.

One man said, "The money hasn't been claimed. Could it be a system error?"

Zhao Hong checked the payment records one by one. Forty years ago, when the digital age was just beginning, only records from those years could be found.

"Don't rush to cancel it. Find out whose account it is first."

The group entered the paper archives area.

"Found it! There is a withdrawal record from 4640 (1943 AD), where the head of household withdrew one million yuan."

"Hmm? Could you find out the name of the homeowner?"

"No, we don't have the authority."

Zhao Hong frowned deeply.

This small-scale file review operation seems a bit off; it's as if it's uncovered some secret.

Following the clues, the group arrived at an antique three-story building with a sign that read: "Huangming Archives No. 3 (Top Secret, Class A)".

There are no blind spots in the surveillance here.

The old building has state-of-the-art alloy doors.

Inside the main gate, Zhao Hong led the group into the building, took out various files, and kept muttering to himself.

"Who is it? Someone of such high rank."

"found it!!"

A woman took out a thick ancient book.

"The nameless Taoist priest's contributions include: participating in the construction of the Penglai fleet, establishing the commercial laws of the Ming Dynasty, discovering Taoist geniuses, making great contributions to the founding of the Ming Dynasty, and receiving the salary of a prince for generations."

"Hmm? Wasn't it Liang Daoxuan, the King of the East Sea, who established the Penglai Fleet? And who is this nameless Taoist priest?"

This file is practically useless.

After that, the files went cold.

This bizarre scene further convinced everyone that it must be a case of receiving a salary without working.

"Place it in the newspaper."

It is a top secret of the Ming Dynasty.

In this era, these are at best old documents, with too many historical legacies. We shouldn't be bound by these legacies; that's the significance of the Efficiency Department.

The following day, this news went viral and became a trending topic.

"A 700-year-old's account was discovered in the welfare department!"

A post on the internet has sparked heated discussions.

"The 700-year-old pension system confirms the ancient legend of immortals. During the Southern Liang Dynasty, the belief in the worship of the Lingbao God arose among the people. The establishment of the Tang and Song Dynasties was related to Lingbao. The Jade Emperor belief in the Song Dynasty was actually based on Lingbao."

According to folk legends, Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Emperor Chengzong of Tang, Emperor Taizu of Song, Lü Dongbin, Duke Liang Xuan, and even the Lyon dynasty of England, and Yuchi Rus of Persia, all experienced what is known as ascending to the heavens, or "ascending to the sky"...

A post pieced together the story's details.

With a large number of Taoists speaking out, the one-sided criticism has turned into a debate between two factions.

Some people believe that it is an ancient tradition and that it is fine for the current dynasty to inherit it.

This pension is also known as the Divine Archives.

The group discovered that there seemed to be quite a few folk tales about Lingbao in various places.

From the medieval period beginning with the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, to the early modern period marked by the establishment of the Penglai Company, there seems to have been an overabundance of beliefs in Lingbao, the Jade Emperor, and Xuantian Shangdi.

"Is the magnificent Chinese mythology a romantic legend of the ancients, or have we lost this part of our history?"

Is there anything missing from our history?

Chinese civilization is brilliant and glorious.

The Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties period is known as an era of decline, but what followed was a period of rapid progress.

The glorious Tang Dynasty's martial virtues, the Song Dynasty's culture, the Ming Dynasty's integrity, and the Ming Dynasty's reforms, all culminating in the great harmony of all people.

The territory of China is 13 million square kilometers. As the leader of the Zhuxia Alliance, it also has six core member states: Penglai, Holy Fire Persia, Songzhou, Thousand Islands, Beihai, and Guangnan.

It is undoubtedly the world's number one power, crushing the Yin Kingdom and the American Merchant Alliance, which had broken away from the control of the Ming Dynasty in the Americas.

Is there a part of such a brilliant history that remains unknown to most people?
Zhao Hong paced back and forth in front of the archives.

The most recent record of ascending to heaven is the account personally given by Duke Liang Xuan, the Protector of the State.

"Does the Dao of Immortality truly exist in this world, unknown to most?" Looking at the files on his computer and his nearly overflowing inbox, Zhao Hong fell into deep thought.

Tap tap tap...

Footsteps were heard outside the hall, and the guards reported.

"Director Zhao, someone wants to see you."

"I will not see anyone who pleads for leniency, anyone who requests the retraction of articles, or anyone who asks me to fabricate fake news to fool them. I will send them back."

Zhao Hong said somewhat impatiently. This job is inherently prone to offending people; he's young and impetuous, but he's got a tough exterior.

"He is in Luoyang, not outside the gate."

"Who sent me to Luoyang?"

"This person is the last holder of the title of Marquis of Heluo, the father of geology, a historian, the curator of the Central Plains Museum, His Excellency Zhu Hongtao."

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this person's name, Zhao Hong's expression hardened.

This person was neither a high-ranking official nor the richest man, but a renowned master who permanently solved the Yellow River flood problem, participated in major engineering projects, established the discipline of geology, and discovered multiple mineral deposits. He was the founder of related disciplines.

He also made significant achievements in the field of history, and his disciples are found all over the world.

Zhu Hongtao was also a business prodigy. He bought a lot of land when he was young, and sold all of it in his later years, making billions of yuan. He did not use the money for enjoyment, but instead established several charitable foundations to help the needy.

More importantly, this person was Zhao Hong's master's grandmaster.

Zhao Hong boarded the next available flight and flew to Luoyang.

Luoyang, an ancient capital with a history spanning millennia, is a place where modernity and classicism intertwine.

The setting sun melts gold, and the dusk clouds merge together.

Beneath the azure sky stood a magnificent pagoda.

This is the Jade Emperor Pagoda, a building constructed by Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin.

Behind the Jade Emperor Pagoda stands a magnificent museum with the inscription: Central Plains Museum.

It was a closed day, and the special car entered the exhibition hall through the back door.

The ceramic floor was smooth, and the showroom was dimly lit.

The shoes made a clear sound as they stepped on the ground.

Zhao Hong went alone into the depths of the exhibition hall.

The literary and military achievements of the ancient Song Dynasty, the Buddhist statues of the Southern Dynasties, the swords and armor of the Northern Dynasties, and Wang Ningzhi's "Green Mountain Calligraphy" from the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

Each and every one of them is a national treasure.

Being here feels like time has reversed, yin and yang have flowed backward, and an ancient and vicissitude-filled atmosphere washes over you.

There is a figure in the center of the exhibition hall.

The man was thin with long white hair, dressed in ancient scholar's robes, and gazing at the central display stand.

This booth displays a gleaming sword.

Zhao Hong's gaze was drawn to the sword.

No matter how many times I've seen it, I'm still amazed by the sword's sharpness and the historical significance it embodies.

This sword is said to have been the personal sword of an emperor during the Han Dynasty, and it has been passed down through the lives of Zhang Jiao, Cao Cao, Sima Yan, Zu Ti, Emperor Wu of Song Liu Yu, Liang Shanbo, a famous scholar from Jiangzuo, Emperor Wu of Liang Liang Yan, Emperor Taizu of Song Zhao Kuangyin, Emperor Taizu of Ming Zhu Yuanzhang, and so on.

Passed down through generations, its fame is no less than that of the lost He Shi Bi jade, and its importance even far surpasses that of the He Shi Bi jade. It has been regarded as a spiritual totem by countries in the West, China, and Penglai.

This sword is named the Heaven-Slaying Sword.

"Grandmaster..." Zhao Hong stood obediently behind that person.

The man turned around. He was an old man with a dignified and kind demeanor. His fame did not make him arrogant. The wrinkles and scars on his face symbolized the marks of time.

"Zhao Hong, I've heard of you. You have a PhD in History from Jiankang University. It's a bit of a pity that you went into politics."

Before Zhao Hong could answer, Zhu Hongtao continued on his own:

"Zhao Hong, do you believe in gods?"

"I don't pay attention to supernatural phenomena or believe in any divine records."

Zhu Hongtao turned around, examining the ancient Yitian Sword with a strange glint in his eyes, and said, "Our history seems to have some gaps. This Yitian Sword is known as the Sword of the Heavenly Emperor. Legend has it that the sword will sing on the day when the gods descend to earth."

"Let me clarify the news about the 'divine pension'. It's just a loophole in the system upgrade. There are some things you can't know the truth about."

Zhao Hong didn't believe in immortals, but he respected Zhu Hongtao's authority; after all, someone of Zhu's status wouldn't bother to amuse himself. So he couldn't help but say:

"Does Grandmaster have evidence?"

Zhu Hongtao suddenly turned around, the light illuminating half of his face in shadow and the other half in brightness, and then began to speak.

"I am the proof."

"That was in 1943, 4640 years ago, eighty-one years ago, during the Second World War..."

……

The year 4640 of the Yellow Emperor's reign, the year 1943, the year that disappeared, Zhuji County, Kuaiji Prefecture.

(End of this chapter)