Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"Oh, it's you." She stared at Shangluo and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Next!" Shangluo shook the fishing rod violently and threw the blood sausage tied to the other end of the fishing line into Xiaohong's mouth.

"What is that?" She chewed it and spat out the fishing line.

"Next!" Without waiting for him to finish eating, Shangluo grabbed a handful of blood sausage and threw it forward.

"Ah!" The giant dragon tumbled in the water, and its dragon head grabbed all the blood sausages in the air like lightning.

After taking all of it into his mouth, the dragon roared, "You are making a nest!"

"We cook delicious food at home, please try it."

Before the mist that was shot up into the sky fell, the red dragon that broke through the water surface turned into a red lightning and flashed in front of Shangluo. It grabbed Shangluo's hand and took the food box from him: "Next time, don't throw it around. Call me out directly."

“But when I saw the sacrifices made to the East China Sea, they were all thrown into the sea.”

"How deep is the East China Sea? How deep is this landscape pool? If it sinks to the bottom, it won't taste good."

"You won't eat it if it sinks to the bottom? Are you an ornamental fish?"

"No, but I used to be." Xiao Hong said helplessly, "I still can't control my instincts. I don't want to eat the feed that sinks to the bottom. I think it's not fresh."

"So how does it taste? I heard that dragons love it."

"Taste? Very good."

"So after you eat, you should explain something, right?"

"???" Xiao Hong was stunned for a moment, and handed the blood sausage back, "Then I won't eat it. You want to vomit after eating something from you? I'm not a delicate princess who can be convinced by a meal. It's too early for you to make me explain."

“Suck, suck, suck, suck~~” Shangluo picked up a sausage, patted the white marble railing of Taiye Lake, and shook it in front of her eyes——

"Ah~~" Xiaohong opened her mouth instinctively. When she heard the patting on the railing and the "slurping" sound, she couldn't suppress the desire to eat like a koi in the pond.

Shangluo threw the sausage into her mouth.

"Well, do you think I'm a carp?" She chewed the sausage angrily without any delay.

[Wow, have you been with Zhu Ling for a long time? You can even tame a dragon.]

"Well, bring it here." Xiaohong couldn't resist her instinct after all, and took the food box from Shangluo again. Instead of waiting for Shangluo to tease her again, it's better to feed herself.

"Go ahead." She threw a stick into her mouth. "Even if I eat so much food from your house, I can't eat it for free. Is there anything you want to ask?"

"Have you ever seen the surnames of previous generations?"

"I have seen him." Xiao Hong replied, "He is a middle-aged man who looks very sick and seems to be dying at any time. I am afraid that he will die in my pool. He smells like medicine all over and looks unpalatable."

[I think I heard something incredible... She will eat anything that falls into the pool, right?]

Shangluo took the initiative to ignore this question. After all, the people who threw people into the Taiye Lake were most likely Jinyiwei or other secret agents of the Imperial Palace, and it had nothing to do with them.

"So, is there any interaction between him and the Emperor?"

"Which one are you talking about? This one now? No." Xiao Hong replied, "At least I didn't see it. But if I didn't see it, there would probably be no interaction."

"why?"

"Because if those big shots want to talk about something important, they usually talk about it when they come to Taiye Lake to relax after eating. So I know a lot of things. As long as they talk by the Taiye Lake, I can remember them. But the previous generation's surname and the current emperor have never met each other. He was still the crown prince at that time."

"Where did he get his medicine from?"

"I don't know." Xiao Hong replied, "He probably made the medicine himself. Although the late emperor is cultivating immortality now, I have never seen him make medicine before."

"I see. It seems that he is not ill. Or, the reason he became a Taoist practitioner may be due to some congenital deficiency. But he ate himself so much that he looked sick. I don't think it has anything to do with the court. It is caused by the Dharma he practiced in Nanyang."

"Now that you mention it, I can see it. I've been here for so long, and I don't think I've ever seen anyone eat the golden elixir."

"Because everyone knows that golden elixirs cannot be eaten. But in Nanyang, maybe because the formula is different? Or the way of cultivation is different? At least Guoxing seems to be eating it. This generation of Guoxing is also particularly enthusiastic about refining medicine. He has been sponsoring any business related to refining medicine. I see that his complexion has always been good, and he may have made one step further than his father."

[Wow, it turns out they are the ones who are really making elixirs. ]

"I am more inclined to believe that Jinyiwei's alchemy practice is mainly based on inner elixir. Most of the other elixirs they refine are functional and practical elixirs, rather than golden elixirs that increase cultivation. But in Nanyang, there may be more natural treasures there, so refining golden elixirs can also be tried."

"Do you have any other questions?" Xiaohong asked while eating sausages.

"No more. Thank you."

"Okay then." She put down the food box, took out the plate, tilted her head back and poured all the remaining sausages into her mouth. "Remember to come back next time, and don't forget to feed the fish when you come. Feeding the fish can accumulate merit."

After saying this, she turned into a flash of lightning and returned to the invisible "Dragon Palace" in the Taiye Lake.

[Hey, hey, hey, I thought you wanted to ask where the Dragon Palace is. This pool is only 1 meters deep, and you can't even find where the Dragon Palace is. If the East China Sea deliberately hid the Dragon Palace, you probably wouldn't be able to find it.]

"Will she tell you if you ask her?" Shang Luo shook his head. "You don't know how to fish. To catch a big fish, you have to play a long game. This time when we're dealing with the Dragon Palace, let's first try to see if we can get the location of their hometown directly from the Dragon Palace. If that doesn't work, I'll start with the person at the door. But it's not that simple."

[Indeed. When you first asked her about it, she seemed very reluctant to reveal the secret. Later, when she felt guilty, she was not so willing to tell you. Finally, she relaxed her guard when you asked her something that had nothing to do with her.]

"So, what do you think? This secret seems to be very important to the dragon?"

Chapter 1046 There is a Dragon Here

[Hey! When you say that, I remember a story. A long time ago, there was a kingdom somewhere, and a circle on the map of the kingdom was marked with "Here is a dragon". The story is long, so I won't go into details. Anyway, "Here is a dragon" is an expression for something unknown. ]

"I've read that story, too. It says that there are actually real dragons, and that the dragons are troubled by the expression 'there are dragons here'. It's as if the dragons don't let people in the kingdom go out, so there are always knights and heroes running out of the kingdom to challenge the dragons, and the dragons are overwhelmed. Fortunately, dragons can grow or shrink, rise or hide. Those dragons hid themselves and turned into small lizards, hiding tightly around the kingdom."

[So Shangluo, what do you think is the case - the Dragon Palace is actually hidden? It may not be a real city, or even just a "code name"? The real Dragon Palace may be very small. ]

"Ah, that's true! If dragons can be big or small, then the Dragon Palace doesn't necessarily need to be very big. Maybe the real Dragon Palace is actually hidden behind a rock!"

[We are so smart! We solved the secret of Dragon Palace in one go.]

"."

【.】

Both men fell silent.

[Do you think this is realistic? ]

"I always feel that it's not that simple. The Dragon King said that this time he wants the Dragon Palace to 'unwind' and join the battle, which means that the Dragon Palace can move and has the ability to fight."

[I'm afraid we'll know what the Dragon Palace looks like when the time comes - but is it important to you? ]

"Very important. The Dragon Palace is different from your Poseidon. The Dragon Palace should not be separated from the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court. But now the Dragon Palace is obviously too independent. We don't even know the location of the Dragon Palace. This is not a good thing. If loyalty is not absolute, it is absolutely disloyal. I have to completely uncover the secrets of the Dragon Palace, so that I can let them hide under the waves of the East China Sea without worry."

[So compared to Xu Fu, the East China Sea is also a problem you want to solve? ]

"Xu Fu is an enemy that is about to surface. He wants to revive Qin Shi Huang, which is to cause trouble for the court. But compared to the visible Xu Fu, those dragons that are so hidden that we can't see their heads or tails are also our targets for 'taming'. We can't let them run around like snakes in the mountains beside the bed of the heaven."

The next morning, Shangluo woke up early.

Agatha stood in the living room.

"Good morning, Ms. Agatha."

"Good morning, Your Majesty. Her Majesty Victoria originally said she would get up and see you off, but she seems to be a little sleepy due to jet lag. So, let me see you off."

"Ah! Thank you very much."

"I have packed some supplies that you may need." She took out a military backpack. "There are enough supplies in here to support one person for half a year. Two people can survive for three months, and so on. Although you may not be able to use it now, I suggest you accept it in case you need it."

Shangluo thanked her while stuffing the backpack into his bag. His bag was quite big, although it could hold supplies for three to five years, not to mention half a year. But since this was professional advice from a professional, he accepted it. After watching Agatha return to the frame, he began to count the supplies in his bag.

If nothing unexpected happens, this trip won't be too long.

The main target was still Xu Fu. However, dealing with Xu Fu was a matter for the entire Celestial Court, so all the various factions affiliated with the Celestial Court were mobilizing their forces, preparing to first encircle the Wa Kingdom where Xu Fu was located. During this time, Shangluo planned to take a day off to attend to personal matters, namely, to go to Southeast Asia to film the commercial he had previously promised to use for his national surname.

Overall, how quickly this task is completed depends on when Xu Fu is captured.

Shangluo didn't want to spend too much time on Xu Fu - because the emperor was in seclusion, and now the emperor had handed over the affairs of the heaven to him. Now he was also in charge of capturing Xu Fu, so the capital was empty and many things would be delayed.

[So, you want to end this as quickly as possible, right?]

"My time is very precious." Shang Luo replied, "I am about to ascend to heaven, and someone has to watch over my family. So I don't plan to waste time with Xu Fu. Once I find any clues, I will go all in. It would be best if I could kill him with one blow - I actually want to capture Xu Fu alive. If he really lived this long, instead of taking a rest somewhere in the middle and just resurrected, then he would be a living history book, and I should be able to get a lot of information from him."

[That's why so many people are being mobilized, right?]

"That's right. To catch a monster, you have to make some noise."

This was no ordinary military operation. This was the first time that the entire empire was mobilized as a "heavenly court".

The Heavenly Palace is different from the Imperial Court. The Dragon Palace does obey the Emperor, but it does not obey the Imperial Court. The Dragon King may respect the elders, but they will never obey the orders of the Cabinet. But the Heavenly Palace is not like that.

The Heaven Court has no territorial waters, nor any "exclusive economic zone". All land under heaven belongs to the king, and the waves that secular power could not reach in the past are also under the jurisdiction of the Heaven Court.

Down to the deep sea, up to the deep space. The universe is full of everything. This is the goal that the Heavenly Court wants to achieve.

If we can't even completely tame the Dragon Palace at our doorstep, let alone the vast sea of ​​stars.

In this operation, Longgong was the most enthusiastic - because this matter was related to the interests of Longgong.

[I wonder if this is an attempt by Ryugu to gain territory on the shore.]

"It's hard for me to say." Shang Luo said as he sorted out his packages. "No matter what, this matter will eventually be brought to the Heavenly Court for a verdict. But since the Dragon Palace is so proactive, I hope they can reveal more information about themselves in the process."

【Oh, by the way, did you notice? In the past, Nanyang was similar to the Dragon Palace. The people of Nanyang were easy to talk to, but they lived far away overseas, and the imperial court did not govern Nanyang. But now a bigger goal has emerged, and the "independence" that belonged to Nanyang in the past has become less important now. 】

"I hope that we can reach such a solution with Dragon Palace in the end. However, it seems a bit difficult." Shangluo shook his head. "Nanyang and we completely eliminated the border because we both participated in the Ascension Plan. As for Dragon Palace, we also have to find some plans that Dragon Palace can fully devote themselves to."

[So what does the Dragon Palace want? What does the invisible hand want? ]

"You can't see it if they don't make a move. But once they make a move, that invisible hand will no longer be invisible." Shang Luo put the bag back on his back and said, "Okay, it's packed. Apollonia, help me call the others in the group so they can get ready to go. Phaethon will go with me."

[She had already left the house. How could she be waiting for you to call her? She went to the intersection to feed the dog.]

"She is really enjoying herself at home. Even the police dog at the door has gotten to know her. I might as well go there. I ate their sticky rice the other day, but I haven't thanked them yet. Before I leave this time, I'll thank them first."

Chapter 1047 Neighborhood

Shangluo strolled to the street corner.

Before he knew it, he had been back for quite some time, but he seldom took a good look at the place where he lived.

This is a good place. It is located in the city center of Yingtian Old Town, very close to the subway entrance and the commercial street. You can walk 200 meters to the metropolitan landscape, but you can still stay quiet in the streets.

Everyone around is a neighbor. The so-called "neighbor" is a group of people who basically never move away. There are not many floating populations in Beijing, and there are almost none here. Even tourists are rarely seen. And because everyone, including the police, knows each other, there are almost no problems here.

The paving stones in the middle of the street were worn smooth and round, and dark green moss grew on the edges. Any stone on the ground was older than the history of many countries. Under the eaves of the houses on the street, there lived the swallows who returned every year, because no one would touch the swallows' nests.

Even stray cats have a fixed place to live here. Every stray cat has a registered "name" at the police station, and a label indicating "sterilized" is stamped on their ears. In the morning, these "registered" stray cats come out of their cat beds, lie down in the sun and turn their bellies up. The aroma of fried dough sticks and glutinous rice cakes wafts from the breakfast shop on the roadside, but they don't bother because they are already full.

The cat lay on the ground, not even looking at the people passing by, and even the passing police dog ignored them.

"It tastes so good." Director Huang squatted on the roadside with Phaethon. The black spaniel from the police station was wagging its tail and eating the sausages that Phaethon brought.

"I've never seen it taste so good. What did you cook it with? Raw meat and bones?"

“It’s a specialty of Rome.”

"Oh, you feed the dog at your house too, right?"

“No, it’s for human consumption.”

"Oh sorry." She glanced at Phaethon and noticed her backpack. "Are you going home?"

"No, it's still early. I just have to go on a long trip with my employer."

"Oh, you've had a hard time." Director Huang lowered his voice, "So your Shangluo, is he very powerful? Does he know magic?"

"Ah? Why do you ask this suddenly?"

"I saw it in the newspaper. But I didn't tell anyone. Is he very powerful? There are always some very powerful things happening in your place. Although others may not notice it, I can always see it here - there are still hundreds of people living in your house now, right? That room is crowded with five people. You must have used something, some magic weapon or something like that?"

"Yeah." Phaethon nodded. There was nothing to hide now.

"But." Phaethon asked again tentatively, "Head, we have known each other for a long time. We have often met since I moved in. I want to ask - from your perspective, if one day the imperial court becomes the heaven, what would you think?"

She plans to help Shangluo do an investigation and interview. On the eve of the world's great changes, one very important thing is to take care of everyone's mentality.

After all, even a minor surgery for appendicitis would be a major event that would change everyone's daily life, not to mention ascending to heaven. This would completely change everyone's life, and would also put a period on the history so far and open a new chapter.

This was supposedly the work of the Heavenly Court. However, Shangluo alone couldn't possibly take into account the sentiments of the billions of people. Before this work officially began, he needed to gather widespread opinions and understand their mindsets—a process known as "collecting folk songs."

Phaethon felt that she had to step on the wind for Shangluo. The police station chief who managed the surrounding area was obviously a very good subject for collecting folk songs. In theory, she was the one who "protected" this street.

——Although there is actually nothing to cover, at least she understands everyone.

"If you want to say that, do you want to hear my opinion, or the opinions of our grid - or the residents around us?"