Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

Chapter 406 Snake Pill

"What happened? I just went to the bathroom, how come the audition is over?"

When Phaethon came back, he found that only Yanqiu and Shangluo were left in the room.

"It's just perfect. You can come read the script with Miss Yanqiu. She'll be filling in for me later. I'm going to the bathroom first."

Phaethon at the door stepped aside to let him pass and closed the door.

In the studio's bathroom, there were no water stains on the marble floor, and the stainless steel faucets didn't make any "tick-tick" sounds. Like other places in Yujing, all the facilities here were very well prepared.

"It's okay. The environment here is nice. I'll just hide here." After opening the door of a cubicle, Shangluo sat on the toilet.

[It feels so weird. It feels like I'm squeezed into the same cubicle with you.]

"I'll be out as soon as I'm done with my work."

"It's even weirder when you say 'doing things'! Do you have to cast a spell in the bathroom? Tsk, the mention of 'casting a spell' makes it even weirder."

"Isn't there a way around this? Of course I have to avoid her when casting a spell on her silhouette."

【Would you mind watching what you are saying?】

"Tsk tsk tsk." Shangluo shook his head. "You have a very rich mind, little girl. But it's no wonder, you surf the Internet all day long."

[To be more precise, it's like a disco on a grave. The Akashic Records I'm browsing are a completely dead internet, a stagnant pool of water, completely unavailable for surfing. But once our internet is set up here, the Akashic Records should become more lively. Once the flood of information arrives, we'll be able to surf the internet. So, shall we start now?]

"Well, let's get started."

The spellcasting begins.

He took out his cell phone, but instead of turning on the screen, he started pulling out the "antenna".

He pulled out the antenna and coiled it around his finger. It was quite long, so he had to wind it for a while, like yarn.

[By the way, why did you just tell Yanqiu that you were going to get the Baihong mirror to create an image and then imitate her?]

"Because I sometimes have to keep my powers secret—for example, I do want her to fight for me, but I don't intend to be manipulated like a puppet. My plan is to copy her skills. Is that technically feasible?"

It wasn't possible before. But it is now possible because the hardware and software are all in place.

As he was talking, the people from Shangluo also pulled out all the "antennas" in their mobile phones.

This wasn't a true antenna, but a ball of "light silver." Compared to divine chromium, light silver was a feminine divine metal. Its most fundamental characteristic was its plasticity. It could be stretched like a rope, or, as it was now—

After applying spiritual power, Shangluo rubbed the light silver vigorously with his hands and rolled it into a ball.This state is actually called Jianwan, or Jiandan, or Danjian in Wudang and Wudang, and is a weapon for swordsmen.This kind of sword pill is used when performing the flying sword. At first, it is an ink-shaped sword, an air sword, and then the flying sword is used to take the head off a person's neck. These are all methods of sword cultivation.

But Shangluo wasn't here to practice swordsmanship today. What he was going to perform wasn't magic, but magic—but not entirely magic.

Light silver is essentially a snake's slough, and the slough can be considered the snake's container. By using light silver to create a container, one can contain the snake's power.

"Okay, the group is ready."

He released his magical power and tested it with his hand. This ball at least looked round.

"That's about it, since we're just trying it out temporarily. Next, we'll transform this ball into a container. But please note, the snake's power you're borrowing isn't from this world. So, not only the air within the container, but even the space itself must be from that world. While this might be complicated in theory, it's quite simple for you, as everything in that world is within your control. All you need is a channel—bring it forth, Spear of the Apollo."

Shangluo reached into the bundle and lifted a corner. The Spear of the Apollo appeared in the form of an embroidery needle, but it was still connected to the corner of the bundle.

[Actually, the Spear of Apollo carries the power of Helios and has many other uses, but I'm not very good at using them. Forget it, using it as a flagpole or a needle is pretty much the same. Just stick the needle in.]

The shrunken Apollo Spear pierced the ball, and the ball slowly grew larger, then larger, and gradually heavier, until it became the size and weight of a billiard ball, and became as thick as a snake pill.

Apart from the metallic luster, the feel and weight of the ball in his hand were exactly the same as those of the snake pill.

"What did you put in it?"

【water.Filled with the original soup of that world - the water of the sea of ​​bitterness.As the water poured in, the space also flowed in along with the water of the Sea of ​​Bitterness. 】

"Why do I feel like this thing looks familiar?"

[Like Snake Dan? ]

"No. Like something else. Like a divine machine?"

Is that so? But on second thought, it's certainly true. A divine machine, too, consists of a divine metal shell containing a divine essence—if this is a divine machine, perhaps it's an anti-divine machine, housing the power of the Serpent God. But it's currently empty, with no occupants. Rather than a divine machine, it's more like a record, a CD, or something like that.

“Is this how the Romans carried the silhouette?”

No. Silhouettes don't need to be that complicated, but their use is limited. The Romans used a similar device to a camera, except the film was made of a very thin layer of light silver. Because it was just a negative, it could be as thin as gold foil, thinner than the beef slices in beef noodles. A small amount of snake skin can make a lot of it. And you've transformed the form here, using the form of a pill to carry it.

"Then next, we need to ask the occupant of the container to come out."

As he was talking, there was a knock on the toilet door. Three long knocks and three short knocks.

"Come in~" Shangluo lowered his voice, but did not open the door. Instead, he looked up.

A glove floated in from above the cubicle. The palm of the glove was bandaged, so objects could only be picked up with the tips of the fingers. Five fingers came together, holding a blue snake pill in the palm of the hand.

[The former young player said this place is so far away. Can we go back now? ]

"Okay, okay. You've worked hard, go back and watch TV."

Putting the snake pill in Shangluo's hand, the former young general said goodbye and left from the original place.

"Well, Mr. Snake Dan, maybe I should call you—Hidden Water?"

The snake trembled violently. It wanted to move, but Shangluo held it tightly, unable to move.

"You're such a good hider, you've spit yourself out. If you hadn't revealed yourself by changing color last night, I wouldn't have noticed. After all, I don't have much impression of you. It's always been the escaping energy that's been talking to me—but I'm surprised you haven't run away. Tell me what you think? Do you see this container in my hand? If you're not satisfied with the answer, I'll seal you back in."

In a channel only two people could hear, Apollonia smiled cheerfully: "Even if we're satisfied, we'll still seal you in, hehe. We're worried about you hiding here and there. We're just deciding whether to send you back."

Chapter 407: Juling and dispatching generals

"Creator, I have no choice but to come to the heavens. I cannot stay in that world, so I can only hide here with you."

"So, what's the reason?"

The Water Serpent's explanation is very short, because there is only one answer: it murdered the Fire Serpent.

"So, it was you who killed the Fire Snake?"

"Not only have I committed a crime against the gods, I have also committed my first murder. My sins are so great that I deserve judgment, but the myconids' judges are us. Therefore, I have sentenced myself to exile."

"But why did you come out in the form of Snake Dan?"

"Because... because the Terrifying Land didn't tell me, I'll be eaten by you."

"Wait, why is he the one telling you? I thought the one who talked the most was the White Snake."

"That's not true. The first to climb to the highest level we know of, frozen in time by the truth it witnessed, was the Earth of Terror. It dared not speak of what it had seen. Although the seeds of the Fire Serpent were planted long ago, it was the original serpent."

"Okay, I'll believe you for now, because no matter how you explain it, it has nothing to do with me. What I care about is that you ran away, you know? We have an agreement between us that you are not allowed to leave your own continent."

Wait, he wasn't the one you signed the contract with. If he was the snake pill, you'd have made the agreement after you got the pill. By the time you made the agreement, it was already in your possession. So, that's why the warning system wasn't triggered. It wasn't actually a violation.

"Yes, that's true." Shangluo modified his wording and conveyed Apollonia's original words to Hiding Water.

"It seems so. But this brings up another aspect: My creator, as Serpent Dan, I have committed two grave sins. I no longer have a place in that world. I beg you not to send me back, even if you have to eat me."

"Are you more afraid of facing your sins than being eaten? But you have to know that you are not the culprit, you are just a knife."

"Killing the fire snake was entirely my own idea, not because I was ordered to do so. So, if you can eat me, my self-exile will have come to an end."

"But if you thought you could be eaten, why did you change positions yesterday?"

"Because... uh..." It hesitated, "Because I don't really want to die yet, and that gentleman said he doesn't care what he eats, he just likes the blue color. I don't want to be eaten right away, so I quietly returned my place to Qishedan last night."

This guy seems to have gained enlightenment, just like the other snakes. If he were still in mushroom form, completely disregarding himself, he probably wouldn't have even tried to hide and would have been eaten. But from another perspective, his sneaking out is also a testament to his wisdom. He's learned shame, so he wants to hide somewhere.

Shangluo shook his head. "So hiding here with me won't solve any problems. I'm going to deal with you. Before I deal with you, do you have anything else to say?"

"Creator, I have a question for you: What can I do to cleanse myself from my sins?"

Shangluo was silent for a while and gave the answer:

"You must understand that sin can never be washed away. It's like swinging a knife at wood. The knife has already been swung. No matter how quickly the wood heals, the act of swinging the knife will never disappear. It's 'sin.' But there's another level you haven't yet understood: punishment. Sin is an ethical issue, while punishment has nothing to do with ethics; it's a social issue. Even cats and dogs in this world know they can make mistakes; they eat food covertly. But punishment is different. Punishment is imposed from above. Cats may not understand what punishment is, but dogs are more likely to understand it and learn from it."

"."

"do you understand?"

"No. I have never seen a cat or a dog." Hidden Water replied, "Maybe it's just like you said, I am a cat."

"You're not a cat. You're simply contemplating the relationship between humans and gods, something even Neanderthals could consider. But to consider the relationship between humans and society, one must first have a society. Many barbarians in this world only consider the first level, failing to properly address the second, thus becoming reckless and unrestrained. But you can take your time to reflect, for even barbarians have the opportunity to learn to read and write. All you need to know is that you must accept your punishment now."

"I understand." Hidden Water replied, "Please tell me."

"Well, actually, there are three things wrong with you. Let's go through them in reverse order. First, although you didn't swear an oath, you stowed away. You entered our territory without permission. I have a friend who went through a lot of trouble to get a residence permit. Normally, we would deport you back to your place of origin for this kind of behavior."

"Please don't deport me! I really don't dare go back! I don't dare face those mushroom people again."

"Then the second thing: you murdered the Fire Snake, right? This has nothing to do with me; it's an internal affair. A similar example is that in neighboring Japan, there was a man named Taira Hideyoshi who went insane and invaded Korea. Our country sent out heavenly soldiers to quell those bandits. Afterwards, in his country, there was a man named Minamoto no Ieyasu who eliminated the remaining followers of Taira Hideyoshi—what you did is similar. Our assessment is: it has nothing to do with us. We didn't vent our anger on Minamoto no Ieyasu for Taira Hideyoshi's crimes, nor did we show him leniency for eliminating the remaining followers of Hideyoshi. Because all of this has nothing to do with us. We are a superior country, we are gods, understand? A fight between ants has nothing to do with us."

"I see. What about the third one?"

"The third thing is what happened before: all snakes must be punished in their own tribes, but you escaped. You were not present during the punishment, so this matter is not yet over, and I have to make up for it now. In summary, your murder has nothing to do with me, and you will be punished for smuggling and stealing. The two will be combined and you will be sentenced to imprisonment. Unlike exile, imprisonment is more severe. You will be confined to a designated place and forced to do labor, rather than being free to move around in exile. Of course, commuting the sentence to exile is also possible, because your accomplices are all exiled. So do you want to hire a lawyer to appeal?"

"No, no, no, no!" Hidden Water quickly replied, "Just a prison sentence! Prison sentence is good! Please don't let me go back! What lawyer? No, no, no. It's good to be locked up."

"As for prison sentences, there's another principle: You have to support yourself with the proceeds of your labor, because I don't keep idle people here—or idle snakes. So besides staying in your own cell, you have to obey my orders."

"Where is the cell? Where?" He was as anxious as a hungry ghost who had been hungry for three years, and wanted to find a small room to hide in.

"Here." Shangluo held up the ball in his hand with the needle still stuck in it, "Go in by yourself."

"okay!"

Following the needle, he entered the pill - the weight did not change, because the snake pill itself did not enter, only the snake entered. When Shangluo took the water snake pill out of the bag again, the water snake pill had stopped moving, just like the other pills.

"Ah, it's pitch black in here. Great! I can finally rest easy." A voice emanated from the silver ball. "Do you have any instructions now? If not, I'd like to get some sleep—ah, I don't know why. Although I know my sins haven't been washed away, after being punished, I feel like everything is finally settled."

[This is called summoning spirits and sending generals.] Apollonia's voice was filled with joy:

[Yes, but it wasn't done with Taoism, it was done with magic. The difference is that there were no spells. It figured it out on its own and entered the room on its own, but in reality, it was imprisoned in a cage, awaiting orders, just like a real spirit-binding general.]

"Is this how you guys do talk therapy?"

Yes, those spirits can't be forced. We use talk therapy or find loopholes to force them into signing a contract. There's no such thing as a spell, in principle. The Romans were known for their gratitude, so there's no way to punish them with divine law. This is the only way—but it's still pretty effective. Now you can put him to work. As a water snake, he has the ability to transform and hide. He's imitated Qi Snake Dan perfectly, and can even make Qi Snake Dan mimic his own form. So, have him record Yanqiu's performance; he should be able to learn almost everything. If you discuss this with her, you might even learn some of her professional skills as a performer.

Chapter 408 Copy

"You mean, you can include my acting ability in this pill? But can this be materialized?"

Although Yan Qiu has an identity as an actress, her main job is to be a Qi practitioner.As a Qi practitioner, she was quite curious about this "supernatural power".

"I'm also curious, if it were you, what would you do?"

"I'm afraid it can only be like I thought before, that you and I can communicate with each other, and then you can act like me. Most of our spells and magical powers are like this. For example, if you need to increase the speed, then you need to find a Tianyi Nobleman to help you chant the spell, or you can chant the spell yourself. If you want to seal a flying sword, then you need to restrain a sword spirit inside, or raise a sword spirit, or some other spirit that is willing to enter and help you operate the flying sword. We have almost nothing that can operate automatically without a real consciousness - but we have many ways to cultivate autonomous consciousness, such as Tianyi Nobleman."

"Well, for example, is the Tianyi nobleman painting in the camera?"

"Yes, for example, there are also Tianyi Guiren inside the subway ticket gates and ATMs."

"Huh? Is that in there too?" Shangluo recalled that he passed through the subway turnstile every morning. Could Doudou be sitting in there too?

"A few, yes. We have a few gates under testing at several subway stations in Pukou and Shangyuan County. There are none in the old city because there are so many people, and a gate failure during the morning rush hour would be a disaster. The other gates all work based on the principle of punched paper tape, running only a few fixed logic processes, much simpler than those programmed jacquard looms at the Weaving Bureau."

"Wait, is the Weaving Bureau so impressive? I thought the salaries there were very high. There are three students in my class who are going to join the Weaving Bureau. Are they very impressive?"

"They've already secured a future position in the Weaving Bureau while still in high school—absolutely genius! Neo-Confucianism is all about 'exhausting the principles and exhausting one's nature, ultimately reaching destiny.' They're studying the fundamental principles of controlling and regulating machines—control theory, perhaps information theory and systems theory as well. Oh~~ I really admire these Neo-Confucianists, and those who aspire to become them. They're all educated people."

"By the way, have we ever tried to use these automated methods to perform some magic?"

"It's not like we haven't tried. After all, Qigong practitioners can learn it too—but for now, there's still a little bit of a gap between our current path and what we're doing."

"Integration? Can't we just let Doudou push buttons? I've seen that happen. I've seen Doudou controlling the oil system, and Doudou just sits inside and pushes buttons."

"That's the problem—when you see Beans tapping buttons to control the fuel system, it's because they can directly affect the engine's operation after tapping the button. This is very exciting and very engaging. But if you put Beans into logic gates, they become part of a larger system. Their personalities become unimportant, and they become no different from tool beans. In this situation, Beans will feel extremely bored, and their days will feel like years. That's why no Beans sign up."

"Ah, they won't be remembered in there, right? I have a lot of beanies in my car, and they're all sitting in there in their team uniforms."

"Yes, it seems you already understand the preferences of the Beans." Yanqiu nodded. "Beans want to do things that can be remembered, rather than being embedded in a machine as cogs. On the other hand, Beans' work is not that precise. They are prone to making mistakes when they doze off. Errors in logic circuits accumulate over time, and a single Bean's slip of the hand can affect the work of thousands of Beans. They are more suited to working directly with people, engaging in creative work, rather than being incorporated into a large machine as insignificant components."

“People would think so too.”

"Yes. So, our spiritual objects sometimes have to be used sparingly. They might seem highly efficient, but there's nothing we can do if Doudou doesn't want to. Just like you could arrange people like logic gates to perform calculations, but where would you find so many well-trained, quick-witted people standing there to act as logic gates? Large-scale integrated automation isn't absolutely necessary, though. Doudou can do a lot of the work, so it's not a big deal. Your desire to make something move on its own is very Roman-like."

"So they're like the Romans?"