Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"So, did someone recommend me?" Wen Yuan asked in a low voice.

"No matter who recommends you. I will not be biased just because someone recommends you, and the emperor will not do it either. You can really take on this job, so I arranged for you to go.

"I understand." Wen Yuan nodded, "I will definitely not let the court down."

He took the code book and put it in his pocket and put it away.

"But there is a problem. When Shangluo left, he asked me to keep an eye on Han Xingzhi and ask him not to stay away from me. I want to find someone to help me keep an eye on him."

"Hey." Zhu Xianfen waved his hand, "Why don't you just bring it with you?"

"Bring it with you? He is not a pendant, he is a living person. This is not a spring outing, how can I bring him with me?"

"It will be useful to you if you take him with you. He is the lightbulb chosen by the Heavenly Master himself. He is the fiery eye discovered by the Heavenly Master himself. It will be useful to you if you take him with you. At least he will definitely not hold you back."

"But he can't run!"

"It's okay, I won't let you run away this time. Because it's not just you, but also Xiao Hong."

"Xiao Hong? Wait a minute." He understood immediately. A person I had seen before, a red one, a person who was mentioned by Zhu Xianxian, a familiar yet unfamiliar person. As a Jinyiwei who stood outside the door all day long, he immediately knew what Xiaohong was.

"Should we take the dragon with us? But it hasn't been long since we transformed into a dragon. Can we really take her with us?"

"It has been agreed before. Although he is the Dragon King of Taiye Pool, he listens to the instructions and the announcement. Although it is indeed a bit urgent to send him out on errands so quickly, but as long as you watch, it won't cause more trouble. Something happened." As he said that, Zhu Xianfen took out another golden tiger charm from the drawer.

Chapter 799 Ambrosia

"This is the talisman for dispatching the Dragon Palace. Well, although the Dragon King is currently the only commander, the job of announcing the decree is also left to you. It's a good thing to do. Our Dragon King seems to have a bad temper. Remember this when you go. Wear a raincoat.”

"Okay, I understand."

"Then, this matter will be left to you." He looked into Wen Yuan's eyes, "Don't let your grandfather go, this is the most important thing. The affairs of the court are, to be honest, external affairs. For the sake of your own family, can you worry more about it? You have to be careful about a plaque—get it, then go for it.”

Wen Yuan nodded solemnly and walked out quickly.

"He still has to do this." Huang Yuanjing sighed, "I just hope he won't be like his father."

"Probably not. Although they are father and son, their temperaments are different. As for Mr. Wen Ge, you can go out and explain it. In addition, I am actually a little confused."

He asked Huang Yuanjing: "Actually, until now, I don't think it is a good decision to send him out. After all, his family is a single generation of three generations. If something happens to him, I don't know how to explain it to Mr. Wen Ge. It's just that if something happens to him, I don't know. I decided to let him go because you said it would work, General Huang. So, is this really reliable?"

"Don't worry." Huang Yuanjing replied, "Although this thing sounds thrilling, it is actually not nervous at all - just for this reason: if it is really dangerous, then dogs should be used for experiments instead of Qilinzi directly. Even A place where Qilinzi can set foot must be absolutely foolproof."

"Yeah." Zhu Xianfen nodded, "Actually, my mood is quite complicated. I want to vote, but I don't want to vote... That's all. The decision-making power actually still belongs to Shangluo. It depends on the situation at that time. I will make another decision. Order whether to release it."

"So, you have finally decided?"

In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the top floor of the Empire State Building, the Two-Horned King Alexander turned his back to the slanting sunlight. He confirmed to Shangluo again.

The news from Phaethon was in line with his expectations, but he wanted to see Shangluo say this to him personally.

"Well. We finally decided to listen to your opinion first. As long as you are willing to help Apollonia 'come down' to the earth, we have many things we can talk about. Including, the future of the Roman Empire."

"The look on your face tells me that you're not really willing. You're taking a gamble."

"so what?"

"Sober ecstasy." Alexander looked into his eyes. "You can see that what you do is also risky in your own definition. But you seem to be full of confidence in this risky behavior. You are You ignited this fire through calm thinking, a combination of sobriety and ecstasy. You are truly a magician."

"I've never learned magic at all."

"Then you now know how to be a magician. You only lack a little theoretical knowledge - your characteristics are much more important than theoretical knowledge. Elves can know the magic of the heavens, but there are few real magicians among them. Appear. Because elves born from magic have difficulty understanding the source of power that creates them, there may be wizards among the elves, but I have never heard of mages. "

As he spoke, he stretched out his right hand: "Would you like a drink? My homemade wine."

"Forget it. Minors can't drink."

"..." Alexander was stunned for a moment, "You are really humorous. Do you really think of yourself as a Cathay person? My guest."

"I have never regarded myself as some extraordinary savior. My feet stand on the ground, and I am not above the rules and regulations of the world. Therefore, if I say I don't drink, I won't drink."

"Interesting. You are becoming more and more suitable to be a magician - then, I will drink a drink myself. Cheers to you, the greatest magician."

He signaled with his eyes to Ptolemy, who was serving beside him, and Ptolemy brought him a bottle and a tray from the pantry.

The wine glass Alexander used was a footless horn cup made of emerald. The entire cup is carved from a single piece of jadeite.

Picking up the croissant cup, he reached out to Ptolemy and caught the bright red wine Ptolemy poured from the bottle——

It's a bright red color that will be etched in your field of vision as soon as you take a look at it. It's closer to pink than the usual dark red color of blood. It was like fresh blood, freshly cut from an artery.

"It's a pity that you don't want to take a sip of the divine wine of immortality [Ambrosia]. This was once a divine wine that could only be enjoyed by the gods on Mount Olympus, and just one sip was enough to trigger a world war. You really don’t want to take a sip?”

"No need, we also have our own Peach Conference. Moreover, I will not die in the first place. Heavenly beings themselves are immortal."

Alexander was a little confused, but this was indeed what he was saying. The cup in his hand could actually drive the entire Senate crazy, but even the Pompey clan, which was most interested in big plans, failed to share a cup - for many reasons, the secondary reason being that he had not entered Alexandria at all in the plan, not on the list. The main reason is that Alexander does not intend to share [Ambrosia] at all.

To give Shangluo a drink is based on another consideration.

"Okay." He took a small sip and walked over with the horn cup in hand. There was still half of the glass, and the bright red wine was half full. He had no intention of continuing to drink, but was just going to hold the wine glass as his decoration.

"Then, let's talk about the key points." He walked to Shangluo's side, "Actually, I'm a little surprised that you don't drink this glass of wine. Because if you don't drink, many processes will not be able to proceed."

"Ha, so you started cooperation based on the premise that 'I can drink' from the beginning? Then if I don't drink, there will be no cooperation?"

"Not really. It's just that sometimes we talk about things at the wine table. The bigger the matter, the more we need to drink, right? The gatherings of heroes are also completed at cocktail parties."

"I advise you not to make insinuating remarks. Even if you say so, I won't take a sip."

"So, what if it's not wine, but blood?" He looked into Shangluo's eyes. The half-filled cup of bright red liquid slowly swayed with his wrist.

"You have touched upon my blind spot. Public order and good customs do not stipulate how old you can drink blood."

"It doesn't matter how old you are. As long as you drink this drink, it has nothing to do with public order and good morals."

"Is this a necessary drink for Apollonia's descent?"

"Yes." Alexander answered briefly and handed over the cup, "[Ambrosia] Half a cup. To show my sincerity, I have already drank it. The remaining half cup is yours."

Shangluo didn't say anything. He took the cup and drank the bright red content in one gulp.

"It turns out to be wine."

"Ha, you didn't drink it when it was said to be wine, but you drank it when it was said to be blood. Tsk, your taste is really picky. Don't worry, [Ambrosia] is indeed wine, at least for now."

Chapter 800 Sun God

"So, your taste is really picky. You seem to accept blood more easily than wine. Is this the taste of heavenly beings?"

".Roughly the same."

The two of them were talking as usual, but Shangluo's response was half a beat slower. He was comparing the answer with Apollonia.

"I don't know why, but before I drank it, I really seemed to think that drinking blood was more reasonable than drinking alcohol. Was I affected by something?"

【Blood food. Most gods are like this. You will produce blood food]

"Hey, doesn't it matter? I drank it all."

[I think he wants you to drink it before he starts the next step anyway. At this time, drinking wine has nothing to do with drinking blood. Wine and blood are from the same source. They are both the same, but there are some slight differences in the senses. And the wine was as red as a cherry, and it didn't look like normal wine. So what does it taste like? I haven't tried ambrosia yet, even though it is said to be the wine of the gods. 】

"It smells like wine. I've never been able to understand this thing. But if I have to comment, it seems to smell like weeds."

[It is Ambrosia grass, a wild grass that grows in the Acadian mountains near Sparta. Not only can the seeds grow, but even if they are cut into sections, they can sprout from each section and grow a brand new ambrosia grass. Moreover, the growth cycles of the entire population are intertwined and overlapping. In the warm and humid climate of the Mediterranean, they can continue to germinate in December every year. No matter if they are cut by knife, fire or lightning, the entire population will continuously sprout again from the original area. It looks like immortality - so Ambrosia is the 'immortal delicacy and secret wine' used to entertain the gods at Zeus's feast. 】

"This seems quite auspicious?"

[Geely, but this thing is very overbearing. It is an invasive species outside Arcadia. Because ambrosia grass grows and reproduces regardless of season, it can quickly take over the local ecosystem. Whether on the mountains or in the fields, everything is covered with ambrosia grass. Just because of limited natural conditions, it is actually difficult for ambrosia grass to grow wildly in places outside the Mediterranean climate. This thing symbolizes 'celestial food' to a certain extent, and as long as it comes in contact with it, it becomes 'not of this world' - and it dies. 】

"Huh? Then I will die if I drink it?"

[It’s not like you’ll die right away, otherwise I wouldn’t let you drink it. Because after all, it is the secret wine of the immortal world - the wine of secret rituals. Generally speaking, it is a good thing. Achilles' mother foresaw that she would die in battle, so she spread Ambrosia evenly all over Achilles' body. But this is only half of the ceremony. You already know the other half. She soaked Achilles in the water of the Great Styx, and the 'Indestructible King' was established.

[But we all know that it is death. He soaked in the Great River Styx, and his body was no different from the dead. Only the 'Achilles' heel' held by his mother belonged to the living. After this part was destroyed by Apollo's arrow, he was completely dead. 】

"So this ritual is divided into two parts? First use [Ambrosia Secret Wine], and then soak in the Great Styx. You can maintain the state of neither birth nor death, neither increase nor decrease, nor purity nor dirt, and achieve Vajra Immortality. Bad. How come I have seen it somewhere?”

[Have you seen it? What?]

"Roast suckling pig. You need to baste the suckling pig generously and evenly so the skin gets crispy and delicious. But no matter how crispy the skin gets, the spot where you stick the skewer will still be a hole, and you won't get a delicious crispy skin. You need a skewer to hold the suckling pig in place, otherwise it'll fall into the fire. Your Achilles' heel, isn't it the skewer you stick in when roasting the suckling pig? Or, for example, a hook for hanging a roast duck."

[I said. I am now sure that Alexander cannot hear us. No one could help but take advantage of this, let alone Alexander. His temperament has been known to people throughout the ages, but he can't even take a breath of it. Don't forget that when he encountered "King Solomon's Knot" in Virginia and couldn't untie it, his first reaction was to cut the knot as soon as he got there. 】

"I'm curious, why did Alexander take the initiative to wear armor? What's the logic of his behavior?"

[He has fucking logic. 】

"what?"

[I mean literally, fuck. His mother, Olympias, was a priestess of the Dionysian esoteric cult. It was her job as a priest to imitate the legend of Achilles and imbue her son with an aura of divinity. Alexander was obviously also affected. His target for armor was Achilles, the son of Zeus and Thetis, the son of a god and a nymph, and the champion warrior of the Eastern Expedition. Now it seems that even the way of death is completely imitated: dying suddenly at the most glorious moment of life. 】

"Wait a minute." The smell of alcohol dissipated from the corner of his mouth, and Shangluo suddenly thought, "If they want to become gods, what is their ultimate goal?"

[It must be through the path of Dionysus that he ascends to God and becomes the God King. The secret religion of Dionysus will inevitably follow this path, and Olympias spent her whole life gathering the ritual elements for Alexander - because the characteristic of the Dionysus pantheon is the double horns. Double horns symbolize fertility and desire. The adoptive father of Dionysus, the god of wine, is a mountain god with two horns. The artistic image of the Dionysus Madonna also has two horns. The god Amun, whom Alexander went to specifically seek, also has two horns. 】

"Huh?" Shangluo felt that this family was too powerful from the beginning, but he didn't expect that there was this level.

【This is not over yet. The most important ritual of the Dionysian Esoteric Cult is to tear the bull apart, because Dionysus will be reborn from the blood. Zoroastrianism also believes that the world was born from the flesh and blood of bulls, and Bactria, where Alexander's wife came from, adheres to Persian Zoroastrianism - in Alexander's time, this road to godhood was indeed practiced by them With. In Olympias' plan, she hoped that Alexander would become the universal god-king. Her plan had already succeeded in Egypt, and it was only a matter of time before it was replicated elsewhere. 】

"Then if they succeed"

[You can see the elements. Dionysus and Apollo are united here - Olympias' grand plan, which has both ritual and practical significance. Because this is the universal god-king, the king of the earth (Gaia), the sum of all concepts of human civilization, and is close to the god of human civilization: Ceres. In fact, you can see from the Greek pantheon that the kinship between gods is a metaphor for relative positions. Zeus, the direct ancestor of the line of gods, is the Mother Goddess of the Earth, or the God of Ceres. By then, only the God of Hunting had not yet entered this realm—Alexander had not become the God of the Wilderness after all. 】

"I suddenly have a bad feeling. Does the condition Alexander wants to offer include getting some interpretation elements from me?"

Chapter 801 Bacchus

[Let me remind you that Alexander was born for the second time, just like Dionysus. There are too many elements bound to Alexander. He has integrated the elements of Dionysus and Apollo, and through the recognition of the Amun priest, he directly became the son of Amon Zeus. Once he was reborn again, he would ascend as Ceres himself, an god even older than Zeus himself. He is already drinking the blood of Ambrosia, and he wants you to join in the Dionysian ecstasy. 】

Alexander looked at him. Waiting for his answer.

"So after knowing all this, do I still want to cooperate with him?"

[If you don’t cooperate with him, you won’t know what he is going to do. But I think cooperation is better than non-cooperation. Because you really can't kill him - in his current state, death is more terrifying than alive. Through a ritualized death, Alexander had locked the position of Apollo in himself. He's really just missing something, an element from Dionysus. 】

"Wait a minute, my seat is..."

【Yes. Blood, tear, rebirth, your position as King of Rome-King of the Forest belongs to the side of Dionysus. I guess he's targeting you. And he is only the king of Greece now. If he takes away the throne of the Roman king from you again, and adds Amun to the position of sun god sacrificed to him, he will become the undisputed king of Greece, Rome, Egypt, and the entire empire. owner. He is taking on the armor of Dionysus. And this is the only missing piece of such a huge puzzle! He might challenge you next! 】

Challenge, this is important. Shangluo obtained the position of forest king by breaking branches and challenging.

Shangluo calmed down and looked at Alexander: "Since you want to exchange my efforts for Apollonia's arrival, then let's make a price."

"You're getting more and more sober, and you're getting more and more crazy. You know what I'm going to do, don't you? I can read it in your eyes."

"Well, tell me your terms. What do you want?"

"I want you to accept my challenge! I invited you here just for this!"

really. Shangluo knew that he had guessed correctly, and Alexander was indeed going to challenge him.

"Okay, you can choose a venue." Shangluo reached into his arms, ready to take out the dick.

"The venue is right here."

"Here?" Shangluo looked around, "There are all pots and pans here. It's hard to clean up if they are broken. Are you sure you don't want to change them?"

"This is what I want to challenge - the King of Rome! I want to challenge your drinking ability! Do you dare!"

【Eh? 】

"???" Shangluo blinked, "What the hell?"

"I want to compete with you in drinking. Is there anything you don't understand?"

【ah! yes! What he wants is the fragment of Dionysus, and isn’t that just drinking wine! 】

Shangluo slapped his forehead with his palm: "So you tried every possible means to persuade me to drink in the first place, just to compete with me?"

"Yes." Alexander replied, "If you can't drink, then all my preparations will be in vain. So, we will decide the outcome of the game. Do you want to drink? The fairy delicacies and secret wine are ready."

"I have to explain clearly what the bet is before you do it."

"If you lose." He clapped his hands and called behind him: "Ptolemy!"

"I understand!" Ptolemy picked up the tray that had been prepared long ago and presented it respectfully to Shangluo.