Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"Don't you want to dismount?"

"Yes, we have already dismounted. Emperor Taizu said to dismount outside, but he didn't say we couldn't get down inside and get back on again. Besides, that's the dismounting square, not the carriage square. We can take a carriage, it's not a big deal. Let's get in, we're almost there."

Heading north along the avenue, a small carriage carrying several people headed toward the Xiaoling Mausoleum. One kilometer to the east, parallel to the Xiaoling Mausoleum's sacred path, lay the Grand Palace's Suzaku Avenue. Court officials were gathering on Suzaku Avenue, preparing to attend court in the Fengtian Hall—but the emperor wasn't there; he was here.

The car slowly turned in front of the Xiaoling Mausoleum's main gate and headed north along its walls. A cave entrance appeared before us, but it wasn't a cold, dark cave, but a tunnel illuminated by electric lights. The road continued into the tunnel, where two Jinyiwei guards in flying fish uniforms stood at the entrance.

The two Jinyiwei saluted the oncoming car and moved to the side of the road.

Entering the tunnel, the car traveled through the beams of spotlights. Every time it passed a light, it went deeper into the Purple Mountain.

The scenery on either side remained unchanged. Because the road curved slightly to the right, the tunnel's exit and end were nowhere to be seen, either forward or backward.

Finally, the car arrived at the end of the tunnel.

The palace-like gate was built into the rock and was half-open. There were also two Jinyiwei here.

Seeing Shangluo's figure, the two Jinyiwei also made way and left the door.

"The Dao Ancestor is just inside the gate?"

"There is another door inside." Lu Huaiyang continued to lead the way.

Through the small door, there was a screen wall, and beyond it—the space suddenly opened up. Crystals arranged the stars in the dome, and rivers of mercury flowed through sealed glass tubes. Whale oil lamps burned constantly, illuminating the gates of the inner palace.

Chapter 68 Gift

The inner palace was built on a three-tiered Sumeru pedestal, but each tier was relatively low, accessible in just a few steps. The palace door was tightly shut, and no one was in front of it.

The bricks in front of the hall were made of fine black clay bricks, the same type of "gold bricks" used in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Gold bricks are very cold, especially when placed inside the mountain. In front of the closed hall door stood nothing but a cushion.

"This is it. We can only send you here." Lu Huaiyang and Wen Yuan stopped under the Sumeru throne, and only Shangluo went up.

"Thank you." Shangluo looked back at them for a while.

"There should be a cushion up there. His Majesty the Emperor had it placed there. He said there's still some preparation work to do inside, so he asked you to sit on it for a while. We have no choice but to leave now. We can't peek into the secrets inside the door. See you later, then."

"See you soon."

Shangluo sat down on the futon. He initially planned to sit upright, but a sore leg forced him to sit sideways for a moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the palace plaque.

"Um???"

He seemed to have seen that plaque somewhere.

The door suddenly opened, and someone walked out—a young man in a blue dragon robe, standing in front of Shangluo.

He lowered his head and stared at Shangluo for a long time: "You are Shangluo, right?"

Shangluo stood up and straightened his posture.

He said to the emperor, "It is me."

The moment the answer was "made", there was a "dang" sound and a distant chime sound came from inside the door.

"It seems you are indeed right. I'll know by ringing the chime. Then..." He stepped forward and stood side by side with Shangluo, facing the palace gate. "Grandfather, please give me a lecture."

【.】The old man's voice appeared in Shangluo's mind, occupying the same frequency band as Apollonia:

[Practice to make your body look like a crane,

[Two boxes of scriptures under a thousand pine trees.]

I came to ask Wu Yu,

【The clouds are in the blue sky and the water is in the bottle.】

"???" Shangluo seemed to understand something, but also seemed not to understand. He also suddenly remembered that the emperor did not address this person as "Daozu" but "Huangzu".

"You can really hear it. The person the emperor is looking for is you." The emperor walked up to him and said, "Let's confirm what the emperor just said to you. I will say the first couplet, and you will say the rest. Practice your body shape like a crane..."

"I have practiced to the point where my body is like a crane, and I hold two boxes of scriptures under a thousand pine trees. I came to ask Dao Wuyu, and he said, 'The clouds are in the blue sky and the water is in the bottle.'" Shangluo repeated the man's words.

"Very good. The Emperor said before that you would know who he was after listening to this poem, and there was no need to explain anything else. You know it now, right?"

Shangluo nodded.

"Well, there's a gift that the Emperor asked me to give you. I don't really understand what it is, but once the Emperor tells you, you'll understand." As he spoke, the Emperor pulled one out of his sleeve.

A jade pendant with a flip-top. It's square, palm-sized, and has two flaps that can be opened and closed. When opened, one side reveals a mirror-like smoothness, while the other is engraved with nine numbers, along with symbols for rice and stars.

"I think I understand, but I'm not sure if it's what I think it is. But what does the court call it?"

"This is the sound transmission jade pendant used by the Jinyiwei. They were first issued ten years ago. It's just a little weird. Others have jade plates, and I can't figure out why yours looks like this. Try your luck to activate it."

“.” Shangluo stood there in a daze.

"What's wrong? Wait, you haven't reached the Qi training stage yet?"

Shangluo nodded.

"That's not right. Then why did the Royal Ancestor give you the Jade Token? It's only for Qi cultivators. Can you use it without the need for true Qi to activate it? Do you have any other magical tools on you?"

"It's me." Apollonia's voice suddenly appeared. "I can sense there's room for me in there. Maybe there's a cover on the back that can be removed. Yes, it's right there."

Shangluo pushed on the back of the jade pendant, and sure enough, the cover could be removed. A circular groove was left inside the jade pendant, and golden lines formed a dense array pattern, covering the entire space inside the back cover.

"Well, are you going in?"

"At this point, I don't have much choice. Put me in there. It's not a good idea to stay in this little box."

Shangluo took out the golden ball, inserted it, and then closed the back cover.

"That's it?" The emperor still didn't understand. "Then how do I use it? Do you understand?"

"If I'm not mistaken, it should be like this." He placed his finger on the red telephone pattern - a slight vibration came from the jade pendant, responding to his touch.

The jade pendant lit up. A blue sky with white clouds, and above it a chessboard-like grid, each containing a different pattern. There were icons of Go, an abacus, a notebook, and a phone, with a chat bubble in the center.

"Holy crap!" The emperor was shocked. "Your jade token doesn't even require luck to work, and you can even see the image directly with your naked eye? It's really high-end stuff!"

He also took out a jade token from his pocket, pressed it a few times, and then shouted into it:

"Grandpa! I want one too! His is much more useful!"

Just like a stone falling into a deep pool, there is no echo in the void.

"Tsk, so stingy. So, Shangluo, is this your name? I'll add you on Fetion. Open the middle one." As he spoke, he tapped on his jade token, his eyes staring straight ahead.

"Wait! Your Majesty, does the jade token in your hand have the same image as mine?"

"Yeah, but it's very troublesome. You have to focus your mind completely on it to see it. You can only operate it with one finger, and typing is too slow. You actually have physical buttons on this one, which is really convenient."

"Does every Jinyiwei have one?" Shangluo suddenly remembered that Wen Yuan seemed to have mentioned to him yesterday that there was a "convenient" way of sending messages between Jinyiwei.

"Well, every Qigong practitioner has one. Qigong practitioners use it to communicate with each other, otherwise it would be too troublesome. Everyone is usually busy and doesn't have time to call each other. So just send Fetion messages. Even though you haven't reached the Qigong stage yet, you can still get in touch with them. Huang Zu said you actually know how to use it? No need for me to teach you. Then open the Fetion message in the middle and I'll add you to the group. Hey, how come you already have a contact? Who is Apollonia? Have you logged in before?"

"Ah, it seems so. I think I've logged in."

"That's easy. I just sent you an invitation and added you to the Nanzhen Jinyiwei group. Okay, that's it."

The emperor put the jade token away and said, "You can go back now. I have other things to do."

"That's it. That's it? Didn't Daozu want to talk to me?"

"That's all. 'Clouds in the blue sky, water in the bottle.' Daozu said you'll understand after listening to it—I didn't, anyway. Perhaps Daozu wants to wait until you understand what he means before he tells you something important. He's always been like this, you know. From now on, if you need anything, you can come to me. Right now, it seems like you and a few Foundation Establishment stage experts are the only ones who've added me on Feixin directly, whether it's business or personal matters. Also, next time, don't bother coming. I'll just send you a Feixin if you have anything to say. Please make sure to check it out."

Chapter 69 Yuxi Palace

After watching Shangluo disappear behind the screen wall, the emperor looked up at the plaque on the inner hall:

Okhei Palace

"Did he really see it from the plaque? Or somewhere else?"

He entered the inner hall and closed the door.

"Grandfather, isn't this a bit hurtful to him? After all, he made incredible contributions to the world just by being born, and it took you ten years to find him. Shouldn't you give him more?"

Don't reward him openly, just reward him secretly. It's better to stop when you have enough than to keep on giving. It's impossible to keep something sharp for long.

"I see. Being too conspicuous right now isn't good for him. Besides, only the Emperor knows what kind of merits he's made. We've waited this long, so a little longer won't be a big deal. So what about the hidden reward? Should I allocate funds from the imperial treasury to reward him?"

Mencius and Gaozi once debated at Shiqiu. Gaozi said to the other masters, "Great grace is never expressed in words, and words are endless. Therefore, this time, I will be the one to reward, and the emperor does not need to reward."

"Did you win the prize this time? When did you win it? Doesn't everyone have that Fetion card?"

Holding the sign, Shangluo stood alone between the screen wall and the door.

"So it's him! No wonder the Emperor calls him the Imperial Ancestor, not the Taoist Ancestor. Apollonia, what do you think?"

【.】

"Apollonia?" Noticing that Apollonia didn't reply, Shangluo decided to try using Fetion to ask her. He took out the jade token.

[Don't move! It's light! Haha! I see it! I can see it! Daozu opened a window for me, and now I can see!]

As she was laughing, she suddenly burst into tears:

[Woo. Woo. Woo. Woo.]

"What are you doing crying and laughing? Can you see it?"

[Yes! For the first time, I finally saw the world clearly. Do you know how beautiful light is? Move your hand away, you're blocking the camera.]

"Huh?" Shangluo turned the jade token over, and only then did he notice that there was a slightly protruding cylinder on the back, and there was a red circle around it that flashed like breathing.

[Don't keep looking at yourself, the camera is facing outside. Ah! The mountains are blue, the grass is black, the trees are purple! This world is so beautiful!]

"You must be seeing something. The colors don't seem right. And the thing in front of you is a fake mountain, a bonsai. The real mountain is outside."

[Um, something seems off. It seems the colors aren't correct. I'll download the calibration file. Wait a minute. Now everything is normal. The mountains are green. Daozu is such a nice person!]

"Hehehe." Shangluo murmured, "Do you know who he is? You just think he's a good person."

【who?】

"The Supreme Daluo Celestial Immortal, Purple Extreme Immortal, Holy Wisdom, Illuminating Spirits, the Three Elements, the Jade Void Chief, the Five Thunders Great True Man, the Mysterious Capital Realm, the Longevity Emperor—that's the Jiajing Daoist Lord. And this isn't just any Jiajing Daoist Lord. The poem he mentioned is actually a line from a TV series in which he plays a leading role. He said that line so I could be the first to know. So how did he even see that TV series?"

I've told you before that when you came into this world, everything you consider "public information" was projected into the Akashic Records. So, it's not just me who knows this, he knows it too. If I'm not mistaken, this thing you could call a "phone" is your personal contribution to the Akashic Records. So, is that TV show amazing?

"You can see it, right? Then just watch that TV series again."

5 seconds later.

Apollonia was in great shock.

This, this, this, this... How ruthless he is. He only reveals his humanity to those closest to him, employing those who are virtuous and dismissing those who are not. He is cold, cruel, and yet so close to the Way of Heaven, like the icy sun. When he was still human, he could single-handedly manipulate the entire imperial court, and now he has ascended to godhood! This... How terrifying! He is both the emperor's ancestor and a member of the Qigong clan. He is simply a God-Emperor! The God-Emperor who has come to earth! He has also accessed the Akashic Records, which can know everything! If he wants to launch a massive attack, no one in this world can stop him!

"Divine Emperor. That title isn't quite right. According to our custom, perhaps Dao Lord is more appropriate. Now that I think about it, he's the one closest to the original Dao. The cold and cruel path of cultivation is exactly the same as his own nature. Thunder magic, thunder magic, the Jinyiwei thunder magic must have come from him. No wonder so many of the Jinyiwei claim to be his second-generation disciples. He passed down the tradition of thunder magic to the Jinyiwei."

But why did he stay? If he wanted to live forever, why did he build his own temple in Purple Gold Mountain?

"I don't know. But now I do understand what the Jinyiwei said about 'the Taoist master must have a deeper meaning.' When he recited to me the poem 'Cloudy Sky, Blue Sky, Water in the Bottle,' it must have been more than just a code. What he wanted to say must be hidden in that poem."

I have trained myself to the shape of a crane, and beneath a thousand pines stand two boxes of scriptures. I came to ask for the way, and Wu Yu replied, "The clouds are in the blue sky, and the water is in the bottle."

Shangluo repeated it silently again. He could vaguely sense some "meaning", but he was not sure yet.

"So, what does it mean? This riddle is still too difficult for me. We don't even know if he's hostile or not."

"You can rest assured about that. He's an extremely rational old man. He cast aside subjective emotions like 'hostility' when he was young. He employs those who are worthy and dismisses those who are not. As a boss, at least he rewards and punishes clearly and won't let his subjective preferences affect the overall situation. As long as you can keep pace with him, he is actually a good boss. He has always been good to his own people."

"Then you decide. What should we do now?"

"I think he revealed his identity to me to give me a complete account. He then gave me this riddle, hoping I could discover information through 'association' rather than having it directly 'instilled' into me. He wanted me to see the world with my own eyes and draw my own conclusions. Because if I saw it with my own eyes, it would surely be far more profound than if someone 'instilled' it into me. It's not over yet, it's not over yet. Once I've made my own decision, he'll definitely summon me again."

Boom————

The distant sound of chimes pierced the gates of Yuxi Palace, and the clear and powerful sound echoed in the ears of Shangluo and Apollonia.

[He actually heard it?! And you were right! No wonder you've gained a few more insights. You've already caught up with him.]

"Is that so? Then all we have to do next is find that target. Young Minister Yan Shifan's job of writing Qingci isn't difficult, I can do it too."

"By the way, where's your reward? Didn't he say he'd give you a reward if you won the Formula One race?"

"He probably thought that if I couldn't even solve 'Clouds in the Blue Sky, Water in the Bottle,' there was no point in giving me that 'gift.' As for the clue, it should be on that 'phone.' Wait."

He peeked outside and saw neither Lu Huaiyang nor Wen Yuan were there. He spoke to the Imperial Guards at the door and learned that they had assumed the meeting would last a long time, so they had gone to the back row of the Fengtian Hall to attend the meeting. The Imperial Guards at the door had already called Lu Huaiyang via Feixun, and someone would be there to pick him up shortly.