Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"I'm not a delicate princess. I'm the Dragon King." She shook her right hand, and a phantom with scales and claws flashed by. "Don't treat the Pond Dragon King as the Dragon King. Even if I only have a well, as long as I have a fiefdom, I'm the Dragon King. The Dragon King is very powerful in his own water system. If I tell you not to catch any fish, you won't be able to catch any."

"Don't be like that. The fish in Taiye Lake are very important. It will be really troublesome if we can't catch them."

"Ha, you are scared now. Why don't you send me some boys and girls as tribute?"

"???"

"I'm talking about fish!" Xiao Hong tilted her head. "What are you thinking about? What use do I have for virgin boys and girls? Of course I want fish. If you want to fish, at least put the fry in first, right? What can you catch by baiting in the swimming pool?"

"Then can't you go to the pet market and buy it yourself?"

"What use do I have for a pet fish? I want a spiritual fish. Once I bring it in, it will quickly grow up for you. Besides, I'm the Dragon King, it would be too embarrassing for me to go out and buy things on the street by myself."

"Okay, I'll keep it for you."

[Ding, side quest received: Help Xiaohong find fish fry. I have added it to the quest log for you. Do you need help tracking it? ]

"What a mess"

[Oh, by the way, your main mission target is approaching. There are 3 seconds left before landing. 3, 2, 1. ]

A soft white beam of light shone down from the sky, covering Shangluo and Xiaohong. They found that there was someone where it shone, and the beam of light shifted a few meters to the side.

The black-haired girl descended along the beam of light, wearing a tight jumpsuit that reflected silver light. She had a white crown on her head, and antennas on both sides that stood up like dragon horns.

Along with them came two other guards dressed similarly, wearing red and blue bodysuits respectively, holding strange laser guns in their hands. The gun head was shaped like an egg beater, with a green light faintly shining from it. The two guards were wearing glass hoods like fish tanks, which seemed transparent, but the colorful light and shadows like bubbles blocked the view, so the faces of the two guards could not be seen clearly.

The three people landed smoothly in front of Shangluo.

The black-haired girl looked at Shangluo and pressed the side of the crown. A green interface suddenly popped up with strange text on it.

After taking a quick glance, she put her hand down: "Shang Tianjun, nice to meet you. I'm here with my father's order - and also, I have something to bring to you."

She took out a black glass bead with thousands of stars twinkling in it. "This is the treasure map you were looking for. The treasure is in the South China Sea. It's the reward I promised you. Please confirm it first. If there are no accidents, I will check this item off my task log first."

Chapter 1035 Map

Shangluo took the bead, which was about the size of an egg.

He originally thought it was some kind of "magic USB flash drive" that carried divine thoughts. But when he took it and looked at it carefully, he found that it was engraved with many tiny lines. There were several layers inside the ball, like a preserved egg. The outer transparent spherical shell was inlaid with golden bright spots like stars in the sky; inside was an opaque black sphere.

"How do I use this thing? Do I need to use magic?"

Otohime shook her head slightly: "In the Dragon Palace, the use of magic is the privilege of the Dragon King, so the equipment in the Dragon Palace does not use magic."

"So it's not a magic weapon? Then how can I use it?"

"This [Caged Light Ball] is an optical combination lock. In short, this sphere is divided into two layers, the inner and outer layers, both of which can rotate freely. Both layers are nano-engraved with curved light crystals, and the light path inside is tortuous. There are 1024 light spots on the outer layer, and although the inner layer is invisible, there are also 1024 spots. When the inner and outer points are aligned in pairs, a million different patterns will be presented, but there is only one correct message."

"???" Shang Luo took a look at the ball in his hand - the golden stars were all exactly the same, and the black sphere inside was completely uneven. He couldn't even feel that the inside of the ball could rotate freely, because the ball was as black as a black hole and he couldn't tell the direction at all. "Let's not talk about anything else, can the ball inside really rotate?"

"This is the first layer of encryption. It doesn't look like it can rotate, but in fact it can not only rotate, but it will also stop at a specific posture because the mass distribution of the ball in the inner layer is not uniform."

[I really can't tell. I've watched the video 20 times, and I really can't tell that the ball is spinning. The arc of the ball is so perfect that even if you zoom in to the extreme, you can't see any flaws.]

"So," Shangluo asked, "the outer layer is fine, but the inner layer is completely black. How can you tell which is which?"

"The answer is that you can't tell them apart." Otohime answered, "So the password has at least two layers, and you have to find them step by step. Because the first step of unlocking the password is always from the 'North Pole' of the inner sphere, which is directly above. Because the mass of the inner sphere is not uniform, the point that faces upwards after leveling is always the same."

"So that's how it is," Shangluo asked, "So, when I'm leveling it, should I put the ball in the water? If it's in the water, it will be like a water compass, so the North Pole will naturally be facing upwards."

"It has to be placed in a specific liquid, such as mercury, because the ball is quite heavy. After leveling it, the decryption process begins. The code for this ball is..."

She glanced at them: "Guansuo Si and Deneb Si."

"What do you mean?"

"It means that after you level it, you can manually rotate the outer celestial sphere - the golden spots on the celestial sphere are the arrangement of the star map. You align the star of the outer sphere, which represents the constellation of Corona Borealis, with the North Pole of the inner sphere, and then shine a strong light on it, and the position of the real keyhole will appear on the inner sphere. Then you align Deneb with the keyhole, and shine a strong light on it again, and the real pattern will appear. The place marked by the pattern is the treasure."

"How on earth did you come up with this weird way of unlocking the door?"

"The purpose of designing this lock is to prevent anyone other than us from opening it. After all, there are treasure maps inside." She added, "In fact, it's not just the password, the energy level is also a necessary part of unlocking the lock. This ball must be illuminated by a high-energy laser to show the pattern, and ordinary light, such as natural light, will not work. So even if you know the password, you can't unlock it if the civilization level is not high enough."

"."

"Oh, yes." She then added, "This password is the shortest, only two lines. If you really want to encrypt it, you can have a longer one. I have seen more than 30 lines, and you have to search more than 30 times."

"When you were unlocking it, did you also spin it in the water?"

"That's not the case. There is an unlocking platform, which is clamped with a special fixture and then adjusted by a mechanical arm. But the platform is very precise, and there is only one in the Dragon Palace. If you don't mind the trouble, you can unlock it by hand - or if you have a good memory, you can unlock it in one step. Of course, in the Dragon Palace where magic cannot be used, none of us can do this manually. Perhaps you on the shore can."

"Now that you mention it, it's actually quite convenient for you. When you need to check, just shine the laser on it. And since it's not a paper map, you can use it even underwater."

"No need, I can remember it after just one look. It seems there's no need to unlock these patterns a second time. Speaking of which," he asked Otohime:

"Are all the things in your Dragon Palace like this?"

"Since we can't use magic, we can only use tools."

"Then why do you have a human body?"

"Because I have a dragon ball," Otohime replied. "It's my mother's dragon ball."

"Oh sorry, I shouldn't have asked that."

"It's not a sad story. My mother was in hibernation, so in order to keep the Dragon Balls from being idle, I took them and used them."

"What about the two guards beside you?"

"They?" Otohime glanced back, "They are the security forces of the Dragon Palace. They have the authorization to hold the pearl."

"I mean their clothes." Shangluo looked around. "Fortunately, there's no one around. Are you planning to just leave like this? This is a bit too weird."

"Hmm?" Yi Ji asked doubtfully, "Wait, Shang Tianjun, you actually think this outfit is weird?"

Shangluo looked at her and the other two guards' clothes again - shiny tight jumpsuits, like something out of a 20th century science fiction movie.

nodded.

"It's really weird."

"But according to our calculations, this should be the most fashionable dress, and people in the future should all dress like this."

"What kind of future are you looking at?"

"Did we make a mistake?" She looked at her clothes. "But I quite like it. It shines like dragon scales. It's just that the people on the shore haven't accepted it yet."

"Let me ask you something first." Shangluo asked, "Are you here just to see me, or do you have something else to do?"

"I'm just looking for you," Otohime replied, "I've been ordered to serve as the liaison between you and the Ryugu until the mission is completed."

"that's it?"

"." She lowered her head slightly. "Okay. Actually, my father didn't want me to stay in Ryugu to participate in this operation. Because I was at fault for Urashima Taro's incident. I was the one who sent Kamehime and Mizuhime to the shore. This incident is under investigation, and as a party involved, I need to avoid suspicion. So, I came to the shore."

Chapter 1036 Dragon Palace

[So this person was kicked out. 】

"And what are your plans for life ashore?"

"I don't know." She shook her head. "My father gave me a treasure map and told me to just use it."

As she spoke, she pulled out a black metal card from her waist bag.

[Wow! This is... This is a debit card! And it’s black! ]

"Debit card? What is that?" Shangluo asked Apollonia.

[It is a metal card issued by some large banks with consumer credit function - a credit card. If it is black, the credit limit of this card is almost unlimited, because only a few selected customers can have it. Correspondingly, this card can only be used in a few occasions, because not all places can authenticate such a debit card. ]

"Is it something like this? Isn't that a problem? Where is she going to spend it?"

[It's not that troublesome. At least places like Jinling Hotel definitely support it. After handing the debit card to the front desk for verification, she can stay there as long as she wants.]

Shangluo nodded and explained to Yiji: "If you have that card, you can live here."

"Really?" She looked at the card. "But I don't know how to use it. And during the investigation, I can't come into contact with other people from the Dragon Palace. These guards can only send me here - if possible, can I accept your help?"

[Eh? Something's wrong with her! She obviously has countless ways to settle herself, why did she have to choose the path of 'asking for help'? This is wrong! Does she really not know anything? ]

"Well," Shangluo thought for a moment, "It's not impossible. How about I put you in a hotel?"

"Then could you go with me?"

[Why does she need you to accompany her in everything?! How come she is even more clingy than Victoria? ]

"Calm down. She just needs help. I'll be her guide and help her settle down."

[I advise you to calm down. Don't be fooled by the fact that this silver tights outlines the human figure. In fact, she is not even a mammal. She is a dragon wearing a dragon ball! Her body may be dozens of meters long, and her claws are bigger than you. You are not interested in giant beasts other than humans, right? ]

"Ah this. No, no."

[Your heartbeat is speeding up? No way! She's not even a white-haired dragon lady, she has black hair. Why are you?]

Suddenly, a breeze blew by, and an illusion flashed across Otohime's head—it was white hair.

[Wow! Your heartbeat! Are you really not going to let go of the white-haired dragon girl? And why did you turn into white hair at this time? ]

"Um." Shangluo asked tentatively, "I say, Miss Yiji, your hair seems to have changed color just now."

"Really?" She tried to touch her head. "I've been in the sun for a long time. The foam camouflage seems to be losing its effect. Should I wear a helmet as well?"

"Wait, what happens if it fails?"

"I will be transformed into a dragon." Otohime answered, "Dragons are our true selves. I can use my human body because of the power of the dragon balls. However, the dragon balls are just illusions, and bubbles are very fragile. If I stay in the sun for too long, I might change back."

She has always been open and honest about Shangluo's problems. She has a lot to say and is quite detailed when introducing them, but it is difficult to sense any emotional fluctuations from them.

Even though she was actually "kicked out of the house" temporarily, she just felt that this situation caused her trouble. She was calm as if this was not happening to her.

[Exactly the same. She is exactly the same as Xiao Hong. Sometimes she is terrifyingly calm, and often speaks lewd words. And from time to time, violent and wild power leaks out from under her beautiful appearance. Hey, hey, hey, do you really like this one? ]

"No no"

[You're still saying no?! Your behavior now is exactly the same as when you saw Xiao Hong.]

"Well, well." He looked at Otohime, "If there's nothing else, how about I take you to find a place to live now?"

"Thank you very much." Otohime responded with a standard bow, as if she had practiced it countless times.

【.】Apollonia covered her eyes. She discovered something strange. Shangluo was restrained towards Phaethon and even towards other people. But for Xiaohong, a strange creature full of power and not even human, he did not hide his love for her. This was even different from the feeling of seeing Ms. Agatha.

So what do you like?

"This is a dragon! If only I could ride a dragon..."

[So you want to ride, right?! You want to be a dragon rider? ]

"Isn't it cool? Being friends with a dragon is so cool." As he said that, he held Otohime's hand, led her to sit in the back seat of Grani, and got in from the other side.

"Hmm?" As soon as she got in the car, Yiji looked towards the direction of Shangluo.

"Is there anything wrong?" Shangluo asked.

"Is there something blocking us?"

[Ahaha! I knew it. The intuition of these two is equally accurate. It is the intuition of the beast.]

"That's not a thing. That's mine."

"Is it your familiar?"

【???】Apollonia was stunned for a moment, 【How does she know about familiars? Wait, their flying saucer was still performing sympathetic jumps before. Is there any technology exchange between the Dragon Palace and Rome? I don’t understand.】

"In fact, I also think that the technical route of Dragon Palace seems a bit weird."

Whether it's the sci-fi outfit or the classic flying saucer with a beam of light, without exception, they don't seem to belong to this era.

Although it has similarities with Rome, it is obviously completely different from Rome.

"Come to think of it, I really don't know the details of the Dragon Palace, and the Dragon Palace has no intention of explaining it. It seems that they are also trying to hide something from me."

【What are you going to do then? 】

"If they intend to hide it, I won't be able to find out even if I ask them. It's better to observe slowly. Grani, take us to Jinling Hotel."

At the front desk of Jinling Hotel, Shangluo took the debit card handed to him by Yiji.