Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"No problem, I can soak in the hot springs with my hands raised."

"I can leave my brain out there, no problem."

"She's not going to run away! You can ask for her autograph anytime, why now?"

"Really? Really?" they asked in unison.

"Yes, yes, I really won't run away. We'll see each other often in the future. What are you worried about? I think you're pretty normal normally. Why do you go crazy at a time like this?"

"That's Wang Lingguan!!!" Wen Yuan said excitedly.

"Yes! That's a superhero! It's the superhero Wang Lingguan! He's the idol I've admired since I was a child!"

"Don't link virtual characters with real people! It's very disturbing to others. Besides, Yanqiu is about the same age as you. You saw her as a cartoon character when you were little, and she's a real actor. They're clearly two different things. You two, calm down."

He brushed off both sides and said, "Behave normally. Shouldn't you show some dignity as a Qigong practitioner in front of 'Wang Lingguan'? Besides, she's a girl. What will she think of you if you act like this?"

"Oh~~ So she's actually a woman." Wen Yuan slapped her head, "Then I think I was a bit too much."

“You know that too.”

"Then let him sign it on you, Big Brother! This way we can always admire Wang Lingguan's calligraphy. Please, Big Brother! This way we can always stay calm!"

"Yo~" From a distance, Phaethon waved first, followed by Yanqiu. Lu Liang didn't even raise his hand to greet them until they were right in front of him.

"Hello, nice to meet you. Oh no, it's our second time. I remember you are Han Xingzhi?"

"Yes, yes, yes! It's me! Wang Lingguan! I've been your fan since I was born!"

"Ah, thank you. But I think I'm a little younger than you. And the one next to you, what's your name?"

"My name is... My name is Wen Yuan."

"Ah! Yes, Wen Yang! Your name is Wen Yang!"

"No, not Wen Yang. Wen Yang is from the Three Kingdoms. My name is Wen Yuan."

"Ah, yes, Wen Yuan, I remember now. I won't forget next time. So, let's go to the hot springs first? Then see you at the meeting."

Longchang Temple is a vast complex. While still a temple, the adjacent bathhouse is almost as large as the temple itself. Initially, there was no distinction between men and women, as there were no public bathhouses. If pilgrims staying in Longchang Temple's guest rooms were to burn incense, the monks would deliver hot spring water directly to their rooms.

As for the public baths, they were reserved for the monks in the temple. After all, Longchang Temple was a very high-ranking place, and the guests who came here to burn incense were also very prominent, so it was impossible for them to squeeze together to take a bath.

However, as the modern era unfolded, society's spending power increased, the population of Yujing grew, and so did the number of tourists willing to travel. In this context, Longchang Temple, drawing on the operational experience of other nearby hot spring baths, built an entire bathing area specifically for a high-end clientele. Initially, the temple's monks provided male-only bathing services. Later, the bathing area became fully socialized, with no monks involved in every step of the operation. Consequently, services for female guests were also opened, with specialized female staff hired to handle the process.

The entrance to the bathhouse is now separate from the main entrance to Longchang Temple. You can enter through the other door. You don't have to burn incense to enter and bathe. It just provides surrounding services related to Longchang Temple.

The entrance to the hot springs is not far from the station - because this station was built much later than Longchang Temple, and even later than the bathhouse. When it was built, it was originally taken into consideration as an access point for popular attractions.

Walking to the entrance of the spa, the lobby was open and quite busy. There were plenty of men, women, adults, and children. Besides the counter, there were also many children playing games like table football and waiting nearby. Shangluo also handed his wallet to Phaethon and asked her to go and do it.

Unlike many other hot spring baths in Tangshan, Longchang Temple closes in the evening and does not offer overnight stays or accommodation. Therefore, guests who come here tend to enter the park in the morning and stay until the evening.

Chapter 536 Hot Spring

Entering the lobby, a warm atmosphere wafted from the burning sandalwood. The entire lobby was covered in wooden floors—and once inside, the entire onsen was also covered in wooden floors. Besides the sandalwood, the entire space was filled with the rich aroma of wood. In the corner sat a few young monks, reading, mops beside them. Every once in a while, they would mop the floor, keeping it dry and clean.

Although Longchang Temple is now socially managed, monks are still employed wherever they are needed. Mopping the floor is part of their practice, cooking is part of their practice, firing the boiler is part of their practice, and scrubbing someone's back is also part of their practice.

"I have a suggestion for you." Wen Yuan lowered her voice, "Try not to experience back scrubbing."

"Why?" Shangluo asked, "I was just about to try it."

"The masters who scrub people's backs here have practiced Qigong. They're very powerful. While not internal martial arts like ours, they're very powerful external hard Qigong. Some are even retired imperial guards. Because they killed so many people, they've come here for thousands of years to practice, enjoying scrubbing people's backs. They'll randomly appear in the men's bathhouse when they have free time."

"It sounds like, have you rubbed it?"

"I was once unfortunate enough to be rubbed when I was young. It felt like I was hung up and beaten—but it's true that my meridians were unblocked afterward. It's very useful for martial artists. It's just that those masters only come to rub my back when they're in the mood. Normally, you can't get it even if you ask for it."

"Then I really want to give it a try. Does it cost money?"

"It's free. The bathing fee at Longchang Temple is paid upon entrance. There are no additional charges. Just don't waste anything. But is scrubbing really useful? You already have a celestial body, don't you? Do you still need a master who practices hard qigong to regulate your meridians?"

"Well, I think any kind of guidance would be helpful." He glanced over there. He had already given his wallet to Phaethon, who was handling the paperwork over there, so he just had to sit here.

"I just have a question I want to ask—what is hard qigong?"

"Hard Qigong is external martial arts, right?"

"Then what is external martial arts?"

"Hmm." Wen Yuan glanced at Han Xingzhi next to her, and both of them shook their heads.

"Let me put it this way, big brother. We both practice internal martial arts, and we don't know how to practice external martial arts. But it is said that some people can reach the same level as the foundation-building stage by practicing external martial arts. It's hard to say. But in a broad sense, the advantage of hard qigong is that everyone can learn it. No matter if you have talent or not, as long as you were dragged out by a carrot when you were young and have even a trace of spiritual roots, you can practice hard qigong."

"Actually, Lu Liang also practiced this before," Wen Yuan added, "but she received guidance from Master Jinghai of Wudang, and suddenly she became enlightened, so she was able to join Wudang. Also, if you look at the number of Jinyiwei, apart from the general staff, the number of agents is actually much larger than the number of Qigong practitioners. Because those who practice hard Qigong can also join the Jinyiwei. After all, we are not a sect of cultivation. We work for the court here. As long as they can serve the court, regardless of the practice method, the court will recruit them all."

"So that's how it is. Are there many people who practice hard qigong?"

"That's too many, millions of them. Because the Imperial Guards, the Army, the Navy, and the Serbian Army all train as soon as they join the army. In fact, there is a hidden standard: during training, only those with a little spiritual root will be recruited. So strictly speaking, our various armies are all trained, not ordinary people. They have at least practiced hard qigong, so it's not a big deal for them to carry dozens of kilograms of weight while marching. So as you saw at the shooting range that day, our guns are all a circle larger in caliber than the barbarians."

"In that case, can I do something for them?"

Shangluo's attention had always been on Qigong practitioners, on the inner sect. But it seemed that those practicing outer sects made up the vast majority of all "practitioners"—even though most of them didn't even know they were practicing.

"So, roughly how many people in the total population do these qualifications represent?"

"Actually, 95% of people possess this talent. We've delivered the 'radish' to almost every place we can, and almost everyone has tasted it, and everyone has been able to awaken a little bit of their immortal roots. However, practicing hard qigong is still a very difficult process, and we can't let everyone practice it. If you sign up for military service, you're prepared to endure hardships, so we have unified hard qigong training. Hard qigong also has one advantage, which is that its practice and testing have a complete set of rules and regulations. Unlike ours, which are so mysterious and only masters at a higher level can fully grasp the situation."

"Hmm" Shangluo touched his chin.

"What are you thinking?"

"I feel like the big plan later on can start from here. If we base it on the fact that 'most people have a certain level of spiritual roots', this matter will be much easier to handle."

As they were talking, Phaethon had also issued the ticket.

"Alright, you three, put on your cards."

The plaque was made of jade. Everything in this temple was fine, and the bathing fees were quite high. If this wasn't a celebration, Shangluo wouldn't have spent the money to bring all his acquaintances here.

The two sides greeted each other, and the man on the left and the woman on the right entered from both sides.

"Wow!" Shangluo walked out of the dressing room after changing into his bathrobe. This place was not what he had imagined. He thought it was probably a closed bathroom, but he didn't expect it to be open.

Various bathing pools dot the hillside. Guide signs are located nearby, detailing everything from the hot springs' recipes to their temperatures. At the highest point, a blazing hot spring reaches a staggering 48°C, so hot it would burn a person's hand. It's fed directly by a hot spring.

"My grandfather is probably there."

"Wow, your grandpa is quite impressive."

“其实没有45℃那么高啦。”文鸳摆了摆手，“真有48℃那人不都熟了。只是进水口48℃而已，整个池子的温度大概在42℃到43℃左右。”

"That's hot too!"

"Old men aren't that sensitive to temperature. I just saw a lot of cabinet cars go by. Most of the old men in the cabinet are probably soaking there today. We can just go around them."

"So do you have any recommendations?"

"Yes, yes. There's a slide over there. I loved going there when I was a kid. There's a heated swimming pool down below. Let's go there. There's a diving board next to the slide. We can climb up to the diving board and then, you know?"

Chapter 537

"Okay, let's confirm the time. It's 9:30 in the morning, and we'll meet in an hour."

The three of them agreed on a time and began looking for their favorite places to soak. Shangluo saw Wen Yuan heading straight for the heated pool, familiar with the area. He didn't even enter, but sat nearby in his bathrobe, ordering a cup of soy milk and drinking it. As he sipped, an outdoor movie played. He seemed to already enjoy this place, and he got straight to the point.

"Well, let me see where I'm going."

【Ah ah.】

"You what?"

【I want to come out too. I want to take a bath too. 】

"Didn't you say before that you could get out by turning into a paper man? If you want to take a bath, then you have to find a way out yourself."

Can a paper figure take a bath? Think about it carefully. It won't turn into a stuffed animal, right? Then, can I still keep it after the bath?

"Tsk, don't you have a Yaochi up there too?"

"Yes, I'm talking to you right now from inside the bath. But I feel like the facilities here aren't very rich. I'm the only one here, soaking in such a large infinity pool. Oh, and there's no good chef here to cook. Once the Pure Land is built, I'm going to develop it into a famous resort in the country, and I'll let everyone enjoy delicious barbecue."

"Taking a bath while eating barbecue?"

[Huh? You think that's not okay?]

"I think cold water is okay, and summer swimming pools are okay. But soaking in warm water with the smell of charcoal fire next to you, doesn't it feel like you're being boiled?"

【What you said seems to make sense.】

"That makes sense! Think about it yourself. It's like Tang Sanzang in a pot, with Zhu Bajie roasting next to him."

"Then we'll talk about it next time. Let me see the atlas. I need to check out how the hot springs are set up. Oh! The women's section seems more fun. There's a milk pool over there. Wow! And there's a rose pool! It's all rose petals! You should go to the women's section!"

"Would you please think carefully about what you are saying?"

[Wow, wow, wow~ It's not fun here. Why are there only medicinal springs? ]

"Because many of the people who come here are elderly men, they want to come here to maintain their health, understand? So I'll decide."

Dressed in a bathrobe, he first chose a hot spring—halfway up the mountain, with a sign at the entrance reading "Fangfeng Spring." Fangfeng is a traditional Chinese medicine known for its efficacy against rheumatism. This hot spring also seemed to contain a rheumatic medicine containing the same ingredient.

The medicine is placed at the water outlet and is brewed by the 41°C hot water at the outlet, making the whole pool filled with the fragrance of medicine.

But it's hard to say how much of a medicinal herb like that could actually help such a large pond. Shangluo didn't have rheumatism; he just thought the herb smelled good.

Walking to the bathtub, he pulled down his double-breasted bathrobe, revealing his calf-nose leggings underneath. This was his first time wearing calf-nose leggings, and he put them on by referring to the diagram in the locker room.

After wrapping up, the outer robe is used to block the wind, and when you take a bath, just wear the dubbin. After all, this is a more respectable place, and the Wengtang to the south is not so lenient. The old men in the cabinet probably don't want to be frank here, so wearing the dubbin is enough.

The pool wasn't big, only about the size of a circular swimming pool. As the temperature dropped, mist began to linger. Near the outlet, on the other side of the mist, there seemed to be an old man.

Shangluo found a place with a suitable distance and sat in an area with a temperature of around 40℃.

"Ah~~" He sat down in the hot spring.

The spring water floated, distributing the stress on my body. Every pore in my body relaxed in the hot water, and fatigue began to slowly dissipate.

Since returning to Yujing, he rarely took a bath, mainly because he didn't want to take a bath.

It was too much trouble to wash after each bath, but he felt uncomfortable not washing, so he simply didn't use the bathtub.

The bathtub at home was usually used by Phaethon, but she would rinse it herself after each use.

Phaethon had suggested that Shangluo join the service. However, Shangluo refused—after all, Phaethon wasn't a real maid. It made sense for him to let Phaethon handle some of the unavoidable tasks. But bathing was optional, and he didn't want to burden Phaethon, nor did he have the idea of "returning the money I spent." The money he spent wasn't actually enough to cover Phaethon's worth. As for staying to "compensate for his father," that was Phaethon's own business, and he wouldn't use it to blackmail Phaethon into working.

but

“It’s like taking a bath. You get addicted to it.”

He asked Apollonia, "Is it troublesome to clean the bathtub?"

[I don't know, probably similar to cleaning a fish tank.]

"I'm serious."

I'm being serious. Fish have metabolism, and humans do, too. So, aren't bathing and washing bathtubs similar? After all, you can't just wash it away with water; you still have to wipe it off with your hands.

"Hey, tell me." Shangluo pondered for a moment, "Do you think there's anyone willing to clean the bathtub?"

Doudou? Wait, I'll ask. Don't tell me, there really are some. Doudou are quite willing to work. After all, they don't really care about the pay, as long as there's work to do. The last thing they want is to be idle, because it can easily lead to trouble. Finding a job, even if it's just cleaning the bathtub or wiping the windows, is useful to them.

"Oh, very good. Very good."

Although he hadn't bathed in a while, this one brought him joy. His life used to be monotonous, with virtually no fatigue to overcome. But now, he faced new challenges every day, with plenty to do. He needed more ways to relax. Even a celestial being needed a change of pace now and then.

Taking a bath is a good choice. It can help you to empty your mind and think about life in a low-gravity environment.

"Hmm, Apollonia, it suddenly occurred to me that we have a zero-gravity bathtub. What do you think?"

Wait, let me see what it is. Ah, a high-end bathtub where you can float in it and feel almost weightless, right? It seems easy to make with the addition of torches, since torches are used to adjust physical properties. I'll let you try it later? It's a pretty advanced experience. I'll try it myself here first.

"Well, very good."

Shangluo was not an ascetic, he never minded finding some way to relax. He did not want to sit even if he could lie down.