Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"You can start preparing now." Lu Huaiyang replied, "It's only a short distance away."

"Well, I'll go wake up the other team members."

"We're here. It's the mark on the map ahead."

Five minutes later, Phaethon glanced at the map. Lu Liang, who was standing next to her, should have been the one to look at the map, but he was looking down at his phone, so she had to look at it herself. However, there was no need to look at it at this point, because the "Ximano" road sign had already appeared above her head. The two words "Ximano" were written in Chinese characters, just there.

"This place really uses the same words as yours."

"What else? Write letters? That's outrageous." Lu Liang stretched and sat up. "Okay, wait here. I have to go to work."

"Won't I come with you?"

"You are not a Jinyiwei, so let us handle this dangerous task." She pointed to the back, "Open the tailgate, I want to bring the 'baby' out."

"Well, okay." Phaethon was determined to go, but was rejected by the genuine Jinyiwei, so she had to stay where she was - she was a rule-abiding person. But she still planned to ask Shangluo if she could go with him.

After pressing the switch to open the two tailgates of the mine-proof vehicle, Phaethon looked back. From the moment he got on the vehicle, there was a huge metal box placed at the back, and there was no movement from beginning to end.

"By the way, what do we have in this car? What treasure is it?"

"Wait, I'll bring them out and you'll see."

Lu Liang walked to the back door and knocked on the iron box three times: "Time to work, everyone! We're here."

The pressure relief valve of the iron box opened. The pressurized spiritual energy was released from inside and dissipated into the air, and the hydraulic door opened accordingly.

The first to show up was a small dog wearing a bulletproof vest, with its front paws resting on the switch. The words "King Kong" were written on the vest, which was its name.

Behind him were more than a dozen dogs wearing bulletproof vests, also in boxes. Most of them were greyhounds, but there were also a few mastiffs and Chow Chows, and a yellow dog that looked ordinary. Before the door opened, they had already gotten out of their seats one after another, ready to line up to go out.

From beginning to end, these dogs moved silently without barking. They also had a jade plaque on their necks.

"Eh?" Phaethon asked in surprise when he saw a line of dogs coming out. "Are these the dogs that this truck is carrying?"

"Well, they are going to participate in the mission." Lu Liang was waiting for the door to close in the back.

"Why can dogs go but I can't?"

"Because they are Jinyiwei."

"???"

"Let me introduce him to you." Lu Liang waved his hand, "King Kong! Come here!"

The greyhound at the head of the team looked back, winked at the other dogs, signaling them to move on, and walked to the car door.

"This is Sergeant King Kong, the captain of Dan Dog Team 4. They are the Jinyiwei, one of the highest technical achievements of Dandingmen - Dan Dogs. They have taken elixirs that strengthen their wisdom and bodies. They not only have senses beyond the mortal world, but also open their spiritual wisdom. The criteria for selecting them are loyalty, excellence, and steadfastness. Only the best military dogs will be qualified to be promoted to Dan Dogs."

"So they are the Royal Guards?"

"Yes, they have military ranks, military status, and military pay. Their offspring will also be selected to become new Danes - oh, and from a biological point of view, they have evolved into a completely new species, and are reproductively isolated from other ordinary dogs. Only Danes and Danes can produce fertile offspring. King Kong is a second-generation Dane, and has more stable traits than newborn Danes."

King Kong nodded.

"Eh? Why isn't he yelling?"

"Of course they won't bark. People don't yell like monkeys, do they? - Of course, it's a pity that they can't talk. After all, from a physiological point of view, dogs can't communicate with humans using language. So if you want to communicate, use Fetion cards. They will send Fetion messages. Or you can talk to them directly. Although you can't speak, they can understand. But."

Lu Liang paused and said, "Their senses are too sharp, so it's best to speak softly to them."

"That's why I don't like their singing. It's so noisy." King Kong said silently in the group, "This group of new guys are just as noisy as raccoons. There's also one who sings really badly, and I can't turn him off. He seems to be a high-ranking official. I don't even dare to say anything."

"Oh, that's right." Lu Liang explained, "King Kong is already 35 years old this year, and his son is already a third-generation Dane. His son is older than me."

"How high is King Kong's rank? As I recall, Long Long seemed to be a regular animal?"

"That's far from enough. The highest rank of Dan Dog is only Staff Sergeant. He is now a Sergeant, which is several levels away from the regular animal level. They have not fully reached the level of Qigong practitioners, let alone the innate spirit beasts equivalent to the foundation-building period. However, the second generation of Dan Dogs is stronger than the first generation, and the third generation is stronger than the second generation. As long as we continue to iterate, our Dan technique will continue to improve, and eventually we may be able to iterate humans into new humans - this is part of the plan."

"Why a dog, then?"

"Because this is science, we have to test it on dogs first."

"Ah, indeed."

【Indeed.】Apollonia also agreed.

"So as a byproduct of iteration, these outstanding Danes served within the Royal Guards."

"Is this person new here too?" King Kong asked.

"She? She's not."

"But she has the scent of that great man. And she herself has a deep root." Afraid that Lu Liang would not understand, King Kong explained, "She should be able to achieve enlightenment."

"Eh? Uncle King Kong, do you think my appearance is good enough for this?"

King Kong glanced at her and turned his head back: "I'm going to lead the team."

Just like when he came out, King Kong left silently.

Chapter 1186 Route

"Tsk." Lu Liang looked at the direction where King Kong left, "This means that my roots are not strong and my face is not good. That's true. I was promoted after Shangluo came. Of course, it is different from those who were promoted to Qigong practitioners at the beginning. But it's still a bit uncomfortable to be told by him."

"Is what he said reliable?"

"Dogs are sometimes more reliable than people. Qi training dogs may also be more reliable than Qi training practitioners. After all, sometimes they can see things that we can't see, which is why Dan dogs are trained to join the Jinyiwei's operations. So his words are quite trustworthy."

"So they usually stay in boxes?"

"Yes." Lu Liang nodded. "Dan dogs have very sharp senses. They usually patrol specific floors in the prison and don't come out. Especially in the summer, the chirping of cicadas is almost as deafening as the roar of airplanes taking off and landing. It's a happy thing for them to come out and get some fresh air occasionally."

"Really?" Phaethon looked ahead, "You're so silent, I really can't tell why you're happy."

"They are professionally trained and generally don't laugh out loud."

Shangluo watched a group of silent military dogs run past him. The yellow dog in the lead, with a name tag with the words "King Kong" on it, nodded to Lu Huaiyang, and Lu Huaiyang actually returned the greeting.

"What is this?"

[Dan Gou, the biochemically modified war dog of the Jinyiwei, is initially estimated to have the intelligence of a 16-year-old human. Not only is their body enhanced to an extraordinary level, but their senses are also incredibly sharp, so that they can only live on a specific floor of the Imperial Prison to shield themselves from external interference through the ground - in simple terms, this is it.]

"Yes, that's right." Lu Huaiyang glanced at the text typed by Apollonia, "The King Kong just now is my old partner. When I first entered the industry, he was just an ordinary soldier. Now he is a sergeant, and I have also been promoted to colonel. Time really spares no one."

"Wait, this dog"

[The Danish dog has a lifespan far exceeding that of ordinary canines, with an average lifespan of 40 years. A few individuals can live to over 50 years old, and they can remain energetic until they die. Oh, by the way, because they cannot go out, they are usually bored, so the Internet we opened has greatly improved the living conditions of the Danish dogs. Before, I was not sure whether many of the netizens we met were people behind the screen. Now I am finally sure that they are dogs. 】

"How did you know I was going to ask these questions? And you even summarized them for me?"

[Because I just asked someone in the know for you. They don't seem to know who you are yet? When they find out, they will definitely come to repay you - after all, you can probably guess that they can't go out casually after their spiritual wisdom is opened, and they have to be locked up in the imperial prison with the prisoners. Although they are jailers in mentality, it is still different after all.]

"By the way." Shangluo asked Lu Huaiyang, "Is it necessary to dispatch them for this operation? These Danish dogs seem very precious."

"No." Lu Huaiyang shook his head and said, "You are wrong. Objects are precious, but these Dan dogs are our operators, so of course they have to go to work when there is a job - they are actually treated the same as Tianyi Guiren, and are treated as human assistants."

"Now that you mention it, I feel embarrassed not to take out my dog."

"Yes." Lu Huaiyang remembered, "Where are your two generals? I remember they were running around and peeking into other people's studios during the competition. Why don't you take them out when you are serious?"

"Our community doesn't allow people to keep dogs casually. I don't have time to get a license, so I just left it with Zhu Ling. Or I can give her a call and ask her to give it to me."

"No, no, no, no!" Lu Huaiyang waved his hands fiercely, "She'll definitely come over if she hears! We might as well stop working if she comes. Don't use your dog, ours will be just fine. The one on you, her security is already a big problem, isn't it?"

Titus and the others were getting out of the back car. When they heard Lu Huaiyang mention this, they could only agree in their hearts. However, they had no objection to being able to participate in such an event. After all, military achievements were also important to them.

Shangluo had helped them solve the problem of the Forest King before. Although this matter cannot be considered as repaying a favor, it can also prove their role in the future Pax Sinica system. They were originally used to maintain Pax Romana, but they also need to find their own position in the new system.

After Victoria decided to place Roma under guardianship—although it was hard to say whether it was end-of-life guardianship or underage guardianship in the new world—they really had to pull themselves together. Move, it was like an order from Victoria.

"Then this action is still the same."

"Understood." Before Lu Huaiyang could finish his words, Titus took over the conversation, "We will play as forwards."

"You are really very durable." Before he had actually seen it, Lu Huaiyang could hardly imagine that after being hit by a magical weapon like the Six Soul Banner, he could recover in a short time. This was even more durable than a sandbag.

"There is just one question," Titus asked, "Are we walking in front of those dogs or behind them?"

"Ah, this." This question made Lu Huaiyang a little embarrassed - the Dan dogs of the Jinyiwei were military. They were indeed more durable than ordinary dogs, and in some cases they could have the strength comparable to that of a Qigong practitioner, but they would still die after all.

"I see. Let's go ahead." Seeing that Lu Huaiyang was in a dilemma, he knew how he should go. "Those dogs are important to you, right? I know we are not as important as those dogs."

"Excuse me, please. They are indeed very important to the Jinyiwei."

"So, what should we do this time?"

"The route has been planned. According to Xu Fu's description, the place we are going to is called 'Kongo Peak', also known as Koyasan. It is the location of the 'Kongo Peak Temple' established by the Tang Dynasty esoteric Buddhist monk Kukai. It is also commonly known as Koyasan, which refers to the area where Kongo Peak is located."

“So there’s a Buddhist temple there?”

"Yes. Then, I will give you a map and you will follow the route on the map. There are about 16 scenic spots along the route."

"Are we going to check in?!"

"Yes, according to Xu Fu's request, we have to take the path of 'Shugendo', passing many temples, as well as many waterfalls and mountains similar to Ryukyu Utake where 'spirits' reside."

"Why do I have a bad feeling?! It sounds like we're going to enter the spirit world! Is this really the mission? Wait, wait, we need to get the stealth gear. Do you want your dog? We have dog-sized gear, too."

Chapter 1187 Stealth Equipment

After a long time, Shangluo put on the stealth suit again.

I have to say that this fabric is pretty good. For a piece of clothing, the most direct experience that the person wearing it can get is the touch of the fabric.

This dress still has the same excellent touch as last time. It feels like nothing is on, but it can control the temperature and humidity around it within a reasonable range. It seems that there is some mysterious energy that is changing the surrounding environment——

[It's phlogiston.] Apollonia replied, [This dress has many special functions when used with the phlogiston bottle. When the air conditioner is the basic function - Oh, by the way, the last time you used it was a summer night, and it was quite cool. Now that winter has arrived, does it feel different? It's very useful. You can see that Titus and the others wear it all the time, but the other matching equipment is optional. For example, they now have optional combat equipment.]

"I have a question - why didn't this suit make me feel warm when I drank the water of the River Styx?"

[Well, this involves the core issue, which even ordinary users don’t know.] This is the locker room, and only Shangluo is here when changing clothes.

【Do you want to try transformation? 】

"Can this thing also be used when transforming?"

[I haven't seen how it looks exactly - after all, I've never seen anyone who can perform 72 transformations before. But in principle, it should work. You'll know if you try it.]

Shangluo looked around and confirmed that there was no one around, then he took out the dragon ball and turned it into black mist.

When the black mist condensed into shape, the dragon man's form appeared. Unlike Otohime's silver tights before, he was still wearing the previous battle suit, and various aspects of his body had changed in size, including those parts that he didn't have before.

"So this dress isn't a real dress?"

The result is obvious. If this dress really has a physical body, then it cannot be scattered with Shangluo, nor can it be worn after the incarnation. After all, the seventy-two transformations can be regarded as a change of person to some extent, but Shangluo's consciousness has not been interrupted and is controlling another body.

[You discovered that the technology for this suit also came from a certain hero's pilgrimage, and it happened quite recently. Specifically, it happened after you came, because the story of that hero's pilgrimage was from a fairy tale by a man named Andersen from Denmark in 'another history'. I think by now, you should know which suit this is.]

"Is this the emperor's new clothes?"

【Yes.】

"Then I'm not wearing anything?!"

[In theory, yes. But as long as you firmly believe that you are wearing clothes, then you are wearing it. Remember before I said that I would tailor it to your measurements? Why do you think it was so fast? No, it was not tailor-made at all. All the togas look the same. It's just that when I say this to you, it will make you feel more like a set of clothes than a false symbol.]

"So I wasn't actually wearing any clothes in real life before?"

The Romans' concept of "reality" might be slightly different from yours. They believed that as long as everyone in your network perceived you as wearing clothes—in other words, as long as everyone who saw you perceived you as wearing clothes—then you were wearing clothes. This was achieved by using runes to rewrite reality, a feat only possible with the power of phlogiston.

"I see. So the reason why the temperature can be changed is here, right? It turns out that it's not really regulating the air, but rather overwriting the reality around me to lower the air temperature?"

[To be precise, it is to adjust the temperature to a 'suitable' state, a state that makes you feel comfortable, rather than a specific temperature. Including the fabric of this set of clothes, it also makes you feel the most comfortable. ]

"I'm a little scared. What if my position is not firm and I suddenly feel that I'm not wearing anything? Then wouldn't it be true that I'm not wearing anything? Oh my goodness! So why did you tell me? If you tell me that, I'll know it!"

[You see, this is the importance of confidentiality.] Apollonia said helplessly, [Many devices in Rome work this way. When you treat it as a black box, it can work normally. But when you know its principle and often observe its status, you have to use it with extra caution in case you can't fool yourself. This is why it is so difficult for Victoria to use magic, because everything she sees is the emperor's new clothes. People around her are particularly afraid that she will sleepwalk and talk nonsense everywhere, because a wrong word may cause the wall of Constantinople to collapse.]

"Huh? Why did it collapse?"

[Are you sure you want to know? If you know, you'll have to keep it secret like Victoria.]

"I advise you not to ask. It's very scary." Victoria muttered, "It makes me afraid to open the curtains at night to look in that direction."

"Forget it, forget it. I won't ask anymore." Shang Luo looked at his clothes. "This dress is giving me a headache. Do you think I should wear some underwear to cover it up?"

[Don't think like that! If you don't believe it, the effect of this suit will not be effective. ]

"What the hell! How did Titus use this suit!"