Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

“So that’s how it is”

"Brother!" Han Xingzhi held up the ticket and put it on his head. "This is a ticket to a meet-and-greet that money can't buy! How did you get it?"

"So this isn't for sale? Um, it was a gift from the director."

Chapter 284 Shake people

"Yeah, yeah. You can only get a spot by collecting stickers from magazines, putting them on a postcard, and mailing it in. No tickets are sold to the public. I bought twenty magazines! I tried 20 times and still didn't win."

"I bought 25 of them." Wen Yuan held his forehead, and he would recall how he filled out the postcards one by one.

Suddenly, he put down his hand: "Brother!"

He stood up and bowed to Shangluo.

[This bow~~I am so happy to meet a soulmate. The peach blossoms are smiling and reflected on the altar~] Apollonia started playing music.

"Turn off the speakers for me."

【whispering sound. 】

"Second brother!"

"Third brother!" The two of them greeted each other.

"Hey, hey, hey, you two should stop it. I haven't agreed yet. One Han Xingzhi is enough. The two of you have conflicting personalities."

"I'm different from him." Wen Yuan raised her head. "I only call you Big Brother when I'm begging you."

"Okay. It's up to you." Shangluo waved his hand.

In reality, he was still worried about one thing. If the three brothers really swore an oath of respect, Wen Yuan would become "Second Brother." But calling someone "Second Brother" wasn't something you could do casually, especially to someone practicing Taoism. Wen Yuan had always had bad luck, and Shangluo didn't want to see him suffer because of this. So, he wouldn't accept "this oath" no matter what.

"Several other celestial masters also sent messages." Fu Yuanshan continued, "Zhang celestial master said, when you and Sa Zu finalize a learning plan, tell him that he is waiting for you to learn Tai Chi. Qiu celestial master has not Come out, he and Daozu have other things to discuss, it seems to be related to the spirit net, and you should be notified separately at that time. And this, this is given to you by Lu Zu."

He handed the small peach wood sword to Shangluo. But it was not just one sword, but a bunch of swords, which were placed in a small cylinder like a chopstick cage.

"this is?"

"Didn't Daozu tell you that if you can't settle something, you can ask Lu Zu to help you settle it? That's it."

Shangluo took it in his hand and looked at it. This thing was indeed like a bamboo stick tube. When he shook it, the sword-shaped bamboo sticks inside collided with each other, making a rustling sound.

"So I use this when I need to shake someone?"

"Yes, just shake it. That's how you shake people. We in the Shenxiao Sect shook the Heavenly General and the Moon General in the same way. But keep it for now, don't shake it randomly. After you meet Sa Zu, he will teach you how to shake Lu Zu for help. The talismans and spells we use in the Shenxiao Sect are basically the same. Before casting a spell, you have to ring the token. I heard you ring one downstairs? It seemed like a palm thunder. Who rang the token just now?"

"He made the noise." Shangluo pointed at Wen Yuan next to him.

"Well, you did it well, and you look pretty good. Now that we have the bottled Qi Hai, it's much easier to learn. In the past, you had to reach the Foundation Establishment stage to learn it. Just don't do it under the Imperial Kitchen next time, as it's easy to trip the circuit breaker, and if it does, no one can eat - that's all, see you later."

"Wait a minute!" Phaethon suddenly called him.

"Oh? Little girl, have you realized it? What did you realize?"

"Senior Fu, can I call you that? I have something to ask you." She asked respectfully.

"Ask, if you have any questions, just ask. This is considered a blessing."

"Where did you get your hair done?"

Fu Yuanshan touched his hair subconsciously, "It's natural, isn't it? In fact, it has always been in that house. But what you understand is not quite right."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Shangluo was also looking here. He asked:

"What? You want a perm too?"

"Yeah, yeah." Shangluo nodded. "Where did you get your hair done? I want one too. I have to go to school tomorrow morning, but I can't get through the school gate with this hair."

He hadn't rushed to dye his hair black again because he knew he could act as a "strategic deterrent" when he went to Rome. Each Celestial Being at the imperial court's disposal was a "tactical" force of ultimate strength. Unlike strategic Celestial Masters, tactical Celestial Beings, while not as powerful as the most powerful, could be deployed frequently. While powerful figures like Celestial Masters and Immortals would never act lightly, Celestial Beings were different; their appearances were far more frequent.

Dispatching celestial beings can solve problems that are serious enough for the two major powers to pay attention to, and there is almost no need to "call people" from higher levels.

But after returning, he also had to face the problem of reintegrating into society. He had to dye his hair, unless one day everyone could ascend to become a celestial being with white hair and red eyes, then he would not have to go to the barber shop anymore.

"You guys want to go to the place you always go to, right? Okay, let's eat first."

"Xiao Hu, come here."

At the south entrance of Xiamafang subway station, across the street from Xiamafang, Fu Yuanshan led the two into "Master Hu's Barber Shop." That's the name of the shop, which is across from Xiamafang and the Grand Palace.

In the dark barber shop, several old ladies were sitting under the lights getting their hair permed.

Inside the rows of seats, near the inner room, sat an old man in shorts and an apron, reading a newspaper.

"Xiao Hu?" he called again.

"Oh? Senior Brother Fu?" Seeing the old man who was several times older than Fu Yuanshan stood up, he said, "Are you getting your hair permed again today? You can't do it too often."

Without waiting for Fu Yuanshan to answer, he looked to the side and saw Shangluo's head, and immediately understood.

"Another one?"

Fu Yuanshan nodded.

"Who is this guy? I've never seen him as a child."

"Of course you haven't seen him. He's only been here a few days." He walked up to "Master Hu" and whispered a few words in his ear:

"Good guy! It turns out you are not a senior, but still in school?" The newspaper in his hand fell to the ground.

Walking up to Shangluo, he reached out and touched Shangluo's hair—he had handled countless white hairs of celestial beings over the years. This was real.

"It's true, it's really amazing. Little boy, which sect are you repairing? I see you're wearing a talisman tube, are you a thunder cultivator?"

Fu Yuanshan whispered a few more words to him.

"Yes, yes, that's the one! It's the one that Daozu met, right? Excuse me, excuse me." He bowed and motioned Shangluo to walk inside.

"Who is this?" Shangluo asked Fu Yuanshan.

Fu Yuanshan also came over and said, "This is Xiao Hu. My name is Xiao Hu. You can do whatever you want. He is my junior fellow apprentice and also from the Shenxiao Sect. Now he has retired and opened a barber shop not far from the government office. He doesn't just come here for me, he also sometimes goes there to cut the hair of several other seniors, because sometimes after coming out of seclusion, their hair grows long. Xiao Hu, you can just dye this one black, like me."

"okay."

"And the one next to you." He lowered his head and asked Phaethon, "How do you want to dye it?"

"Dye it blonde. Please, a shiny blonde. Glow like him, and blonde."

Chapter 285 Hair

"What do you think of this marigold yellow?" Master Hu asked, pointing to a color in the album.

“Will it glow?”

"will not."

"Not dyed, not dyed. Please change it."

"So what do you think of this Jasmine yellow?"

“Will it glow?”

"will not."

"Not dyed, not dyed. Please change to another one."

"This is the last one. What do you think of this almond yellow one?"

“Will it glow?”

"It doesn't glow. This one isn't as saturated as the previous ones, so it doesn't look glowing. But almond yellow can be very bright. Or this flax yellow is also okay. If that doesn't work, then go to the white series. There's a lotus seed white that's a light yellow that's shiny."

“But it still can’t shine, right?”

"To make it light up, you have to add a light bulb."

"Then why does his hair glow?" She pointed to Shangluo, who was dyeing his hair next to her. The dyeing was almost finished, and the black hair became dark and smooth, black and "glowing", a colorful black.

"Because his hair is the white hair of a celestial being. The white base is like white paper and can be dyed in any color. It looks good no matter how you dye it, and it always has a shine. And when the new hair grows out, it will have a gradient color, which is very beautiful, just like ink and wash dyeing. Little sister, do you want to try it?"

"Forget it."

She was unwilling to give up, but she could only close the album. No method could achieve the hair color she wanted. She wanted it to be the original one, with glow.

"Well, so, most importantly, you want your hair to glow?"

"Yeah, yeah." Phaethon nodded, wanting to be like him.

"In this case, I suggest you take care of your hair first and don't rush into dyeing it. From what you've said, it seems like you know exactly what kind of hair you want. Is it your old style? How did you take care of your hair in the past? Did you use any lotion?"

"I used to bathe in the waters of the Styx River to maintain my demigod body."

"Oh, that's right." As a retired Jinyiwei, he could probably understand. "Then have you considered using other detergents as an alternative?"

"Is there such a lotion?"

"It wasn't available before. But there's a new spiritual lotion that's been released recently, and I don't sell it here. If you want to use it, go to the department store and look."

"Is there such a thing? Oh, I completely forgot about it. Zhendan is about to ascend to heaven. I see. I will try it first. If I can wash it out with the same luster as him..."

"After you wash it, I will dye it golden. Wouldn't that be the golden, shiny hair you wanted?"

"Oh~~~ Thank you, Master. After all, I still need to consult professionals. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Master Hu helped her untie the barrier and tied her hair back into her original style.

Standing up from his chair, Phaethon glanced at himself in the mirror. His features appeared unchanged at first glance, but a closer look revealed a few minor flaws, including a small pimple at the corner of his mouth. His hair, though neatly combed, still had some messy strands sticking out, stealing the spotlight.

"Shangluo, I'm going to the department store. I'll be back soon."

"Well, be careful on the road. You know the way, right?" Shangluo, who was having his hair permed, turned his head to the side, trying to keep it within the range of the hood.

"The address is on the ticket. Nanyang Department Store, right? I'll go there first. If I can't find it, I'll ask someone."

"See you later then."

He pushed the door open, closed it, and the bell on the door jingled for a while. Phaethon walked into the subway entrance not far from the door.

"Alas." Fu Yuanshan, who was sitting near the window, was also getting his hair permed. He muttered to himself, looking at the newspaper: "All phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows; like dew and lightning, they should be viewed in this way."

"Senior Fu, can you still chant the Buddha's name?"

"The Buddha's name is chanted for her to hear. This is the suffering of sentient beings, and she has not yet transcended the sea of suffering. Did you know that there is suffering in the Asura realm in Buddhism?"

"I know, Ashura always looks angry."

"The Asura path is also called the non-heavenly path, because it does not enjoy the blessings and happiness of the heavens. It constantly fights with the gods and is defeated by them. Its body is broken and its blood flows like a river. Such suffering is unbearable. Although it is a good path and has the power to transcend the mundane world, it is also a boundless sea of suffering."

"What do you think of their collective rebirth in the Pure Land?"

"I think it's excessive. It's nothing more than a handful of people suffering from a short lifespan dragging everyone else down with them—of course, as immortal beings, we're not in a position to mock them. But standing on the dry shore and watching, I still feel a little emotional."

"Then she should be free from desire and escape from the sea of suffering?"

"That can only cultivate the Yin Spirit, and without food or attendance, it's useless. Taoism emphasizes the dual cultivation of body and mind, striving for immortality of body and mind, and cultivates the Yang Spirit. However, those Romans who went to the Pure Land and cultivated to the status of a Yin Spirit are not bad, at least better than becoming a wandering spirit in heaven and earth. But this person before me, she is so blessed that she doesn't know how to appreciate it. She isn't suffering at all; her suffering is all self-inflicted."

"Huh? So should I help her with something?"

"You should know this yourself, right? After all, you were accepted as a disciple by Sazu. Fortunately, you didn't become his disciple. Otherwise, I would have to call you Grandmaster Uncle, and I wouldn't dare to eat your food."

"Yeah, sure. But how do I maintain this hair?"

"No maintenance required, just wash and perm when needed, and dye it green if you want. Celestial beings are already free in this world, and they're moving higher. Oh, and do you know how to cultivate even higher?"

"I really don't know. I'll have to meet with Sazu tomorrow and he'll help me decide."

"Then let me tell you what happens next. Is there anything you want to know first?"

"There is indeed one thing - Senior Fu, your nickname is General Baifeng? Is this a Taoist name? Or something else? Does it have any specific meaning?"

"Puff~" He laughed, "Do you know what Baifeng means? My general title is Baifeng. There are also Wanguan, Ziying, and Dongshou General. Do you know what these mean? These are cats' names."

"Huh?" Shangluo thought it was some kind of "cool" name—but after thinking about it carefully, it did seem a bit strange. "Who gave it this name?"

"Daozu. Daozu used to keep many cats, and these are all their names. He named us 'Imperial Cat', meaning 'Imperial Cat', to make us diligently catch mice. This is Daozu's bad taste, I guess. It's also a reminder not to slack off. Heavenly beings are only the first step, and there shouldn't be any proper titles at this stage. Because in the future, everyone should have a Heavenly being. Well, for now we should be more restrained and not be too obsessed with empty names like titles."

"Oh~~ So that's how it is."