Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

Chapter 212: A lot of help

"Korea Department Store? What do they sell there?"

Lu Liang, standing opposite, put down his book. "It's a direct sale of tribute goods. The bestseller is Korean paper, called 'Huang'en Korean Paper.' Huang'en Korean Paper is cotton-filled, and is great for wiping kitchen fumes. We also have Huang'en green tea, Huang'en lemonade, Huang'en dried pollack—in flavors like five-spice and satay—and Huang'en persimmon dried goods gift packs. It's a big seller at Korea Department Store, and they have lovely and enthusiastic Korean saleswomen there. The food isn't quite as good, though. Do you like Huang'en hot pot?"

"What is the Royal Grace Pot?"

"Yeah, it's North Korean hot pot. It's a stew made with a bunch of military rations, similar to curry, but with Korean chrysanthemum sauce. It looks a bit mushy, but it tastes pretty good. Inside the restaurant, you can also eat Pyongyang cold noodles and air-flown matsutake mushrooms. North Korea has sent us the best of the best."

"Oh~~ That seems okay? Are there any other options?"

"Anything else?" Lu Liang glanced at the ceiling. "Nanyang Department Store is owned by a Guo family, and they specialize in Nanyang goods, mainly household appliances and the like. You've had your fill of Nanyang dishes here, so just take your pick. Besides Nanyang Department Store, I remember there's something else."

"There is also Yiluhua." Han Xingzhi reminded in a low voice from under the quilt.

"Yes, and there's also the Iruka Department Store."

"Whose is this?"

"Iluhua is the department store of Ryukyu. You know Ryukyu, Wanguo Jinliang. They're a secondary vendor, but their products are very strong. Iluhua can also display the authentic varieties of the over a hundred cheeses we saw in Arikia. They can also stock everything like Roman red wine, sausages and hams from various regions. I don't even know where they get all their goods."

"We've eaten that too. Well, let's add it as an alternative." Shangluo took note and planned to go back and choose again - even though he had to build his foundation tomorrow, his mentality was very good.

"Oh, right," he asked again, "I still occasionally hear some news about Korea and Ryukyu. But it seems like I've never heard anything about Japan. What's Japan like now?"

Wen Yuan, standing by, replied, "Japan, that's the Edo Shogunate, right? They were also a model tributary state, but completely different from Korea—how does the song go? They don't care about their children, they care about their family."

"No matter how much our children contribute to the family, all we want is a peaceful life?" Shangluo finished singing.

"Yes, that's the song. Although Korea has made many contributions to the imperial court, it's completely integrated into our industrial system. We supply Korea with ore and then allocate a portion of our production quotas to them. The shogunate is completely the opposite. The Edo shogunate pursued a policy of isolation. Apart from paying tribute to the imperial court and communicating with Korea and the Ryukyu Islands, it did not have any external communication. The Edo shogunate's industrial level was similar to that of Korea, with a wide range of industries, but the degree of industrialization was much lower because they prioritized self-sufficiency. In fact, this was a good thing because they didn't cause trouble for the imperial court. If everyone was as active as Korea, it would increase the workload of the imperial court, and others might not be able to learn the loyalty and efficiency of the Koreans. In comparison, the Edo shogunate was also good because they focused on not causing trouble for the imperial court."

Lu Huaiyang sighed at the window. "We don't ask everyone to learn from Korea. They just need to learn more from the old and young turtles of the Tokugawa family and not cause trouble for the court. It would be best if they don't cause trouble for the court. It's a pity that those Nanyang and Yangzhou states are not honest and are all too excited. It's true that people's hearts have changed after the machine has turned. I heard that work was much easier before modern times, unlike now. I even became familiar with Captain Lin when I was on the scene."

As they were talking, the program started. Shangluo tried to listen for a while.

He fell asleep.

When he woke up again, it was already bright daylight. Lu Huaiyang was still sitting there in the same position as last night, but he had rested and was quietly eating breakfast. He could go downstairs to eat, but he still preferred to eat in silence. He made no sound when he ate the spring rolls, and even when he drank his tea, no sound could be heard. Noticing Shangluo's gaze looking over, he smiled:

"How was your rest?"

"Cell phone. Where's my cell phone?" He squinted his eyes and felt around on the bed.

"I put it under your pillow."

Shangluo's ear was pressed against the pillow, and a slight breathing sound came from under the pillow.

【Hu~~Hu~~】

Apollonia was still asleep.

He stood up carefully so as not to wake Apollonia, and then went to take a shower as usual. When he came out again, Lu Huaiyang had already taken out his school uniform and spread it at the head of his bed.

"Ah, thank you Uncle Lu, oh no, Captain Lu. Thank you."

"Very good. You know the rules much better than that guy when it comes to calling your job title at work. You and Shang Buhuan are really alike, serious and reliable. And most importantly," he patted Shang Luo's chest, "you have a good heart."

"Everyone is a good person."

"Being a good person is easy—though not that easy. But being a powerful good person is not easy in any way. Karin's story has deeply touched me. We care for you like we care for auspicious signs, not just out of some illusory luck, but because you truly want to bring auspicious signs to others. This kind of heart is very important. It can help you gain the 'Tao'. The people you have helped may also lend a hand to you at some point in the future."

"I wasn't born this way. Frankly, I used to think the world wasn't trustworthy. But everyone here is a good person. I feel like if I don't become a good person, I'd be failing everyone and the world."

"What you think is not important; what matters is what you did. Did Liu Xuande really never regret leading the people across the river? I think there was a moment when he might have regretted it. But what he did throughout his life was worthy of what everyone had done for him, and worthy of the Prime Minister's dedication until his death. That's enough. Let's judge by his deeds, not his heart."

"If you think about it this way, it's the imperial court that's gaining power, and then I'm here to help~"

"Hmm, that makes sense." Lu Huaiyang nodded. "Then today, it's our turn to help you. While you were asleep, the Emperor called and said he had arranged everything and the plane would land before noon. The Emperor is adjourning court today and waiting for you at Yuxi Palace. The statue and any other spiritual objects we can prepare have already been sent over. If you need to strengthen your muscles and marrow, we've also prepared a bathtub of spiritual fluid, ready for use at any time."

Chapter 213 The Last Meal of a Mortal

Shangluo sipped on his bowl of vermicelli and goose soup while Zhu Xian'en sat across from him. Lunch seemed much simpler than breakfast. Besides the goose soup, there were also crystal lamb dumplings, conchs cooked in light fermented rice wine, boiled pork, and a vegetarian dish, braised shiitake mushrooms. In all the meals Shangluo and Zhu Xian'en had, this was the first time they had seen a dish like braised shiitake mushrooms, a completely vegetarian dish with no meat in it, and the whole meal was surprisingly light.

"You don't seem to have eaten enough this morning, yet you still have such a good appetite for lunch."

"I woke up in the morning and had some jelly and spring rolls, and then I was almost there. Then I took a ride, and there were actually two cars ahead of me on the road."

"We should have sent more, but too many cars would have blocked the road, making it unsafe. That's why we only sent two. We can't expect you to travel thousands of miles safely only to have something happen to you in the capital. Well, how was your last meal as a mortal? I specially selected light dishes."

"Well, it's indeed light."

By his previous standards, this was incredibly bland, even lighter than spring rolls—he'd had shrimp spring rolls dipped in a rich curry sauce that morning, and he couldn't even taste the seasoning for this lunch, not even a hint of salt.

"By the way, do celestial beings have to be so particular when eating?"

"It really depends on each individual's situation. For example, Senior Fu doesn't restrict his diet and even eats for free everywhere. I asked him about this before, and he said it's called the Way of Blessings and Fate, meaning he just eats for free. I can't really say why, but I heard that even before he ascended, he was also eating for free all day long. Do you plan to restrict your diet?"

"Forget it. I feel so tired. I'll just eat whatever I need to eat."

"Yeah, it's not bad. If I had the chance, I probably wouldn't avoid it. Meat is so delicious. Eating meat is what life is all about. By the way, I heard that you guys are planning to have a meal together during the break?"

"Oh yes, it's my treat."

"I remember back then, it was always Guo Xing who treated us to meals. Anyway, it was all up to him to sign. Have you chosen where to eat? You haven't decided yet, right? Then this is for you."

He handed over a small envelope on the table with a print of an island coconut grove on it.

"This is?"

"Actually, it's Guoxing who's treating. It's a meal voucher from Nanyang Department Store, but it's not for you. It's a benefit given by the school to faculty and staff."

"Your Majesty, do you still have a teaching position?"

"I don't have one, but my wife...ah, the Empress, she has a teaching position. She was my classmate in the Chemical Engineering Department of Nanjing University. After graduation, she stayed on campus and got a teaching position. She should be on lunch break at this time. We can't use this meal voucher. We can't just run to the department store to eat with it, right? You're here. If you weren't here, I would probably give it to my sister. My sister said she's too busy with her internship lately and doesn't have time, so I'm giving it to you. It's a waste if you don't use it."

"Ah, thanks."

Although a meal is not very expensive, it would be a waste not to eat when someone treats you.

"Hmm," Zhu Xianxun suddenly put down his chopsticks. "I thought of giving you this because something happened recently and I wanted to thank you. But I really don't know how to thank you. Using someone else's things to thank you doesn't seem sincere. This meal voucher is something that belongs to us, after all. It's just a small token of my appreciation."

"Did anything special happen?"

"Yes." Zhu Xianxi nodded. "I communicated with Zhang Tianshi, and he saw you in Xingzhou. So, you also saw the Water Dragon, right? Do you know the purpose of developing the Water Dragon?"

"Are we going to the moon to mine spirit stones?"

"That plan was derived after the project was established. The original code name for the Water Dragon was 'Water Dragon Song', and the Water Dragon was just a sub-project included within it, used as the delivery vehicle for 'that bomb'."

Having said that, Shangluo understood what it was. Lu Huaiyang seemed to have mentioned it before. It was a research conducted to explore the principles of the sun.

"Could it be, an atomic bomb?"

"You call it an atomic bomb, but I only learned about it these past two days. Here, we call it a 'shaqi bomb,' because the raw materials used to make it produce a chaotic, disordered, and violent shaqi. And you seem to be using shaqi to boil water and generate electricity? That's truly impressive! My heart skipped a beat when I read the information."

"Oh, that's too kind." Shangluo didn't know how to respond, but he probably guessed what happened. "Is there a problem with the research on evil spirits?"

"That morning, on the day you went to Rome to break the branches, a major accident occurred at the Gobi Desert's Sha Qi Research Base. A researcher, one of my schoolmates, was directly impacted by a large amount of Sha Qi in a short period of time. He was immediately rushed to the Imperial Guards General Hospital in Nanjing for emergency treatment. I visited him as a schoolmate."

"How is he doing now?"

"He was in very bad condition. He wasn't a Qigong practitioner, just an ordinary researcher. His flesh and blood had already collapsed due to the evil spirit, and his internal organs were gradually turning into pus. I wanted to go in to see him, but the doctor said he was very fragile and was afraid that I would also be hit by the evil spirit. I could only bow to him through the glass. I discussed it with the doctor, and there is currently no treatment plan. The damage caused by the evil spirit is very subtle, causing the collapse of multiple organs throughout the body. There is no medicine at all. But -"

He paused. "I immediately thought of a solution. I urgently transferred a batch of Qi Hai Spiritual Liquid. The amount was insufficient at the time, so I had to dilute it before soaking him in it. The effect was immediate. The abundant spiritual energy drove away the evil spirit, and his blood indicators began to gradually recover that day. We gave him supplemental blood transfusions, and his indicators did not decline any further."

"Cure?"

"It's hard to say. We'll have to observe him for the next two days, but I called him this morning and he's surprisingly able to eat liquid food. Although it will take at least six months to fully cure him, without the ectoplasmic fluid formula you provided, we would have lost this hero."

"Ah, so that's how it is." Shangluo was a little moved. At first, he just wanted to recharge and help Lu Liang. He didn't expect it to have so many uses.

"So, we, and I, are very grateful to you." He glanced at the closed door of Yuxi Palace. "The statue has been brought in, and we've done our best to make all the preparations. Daozu will personally look after you. So if...if, and I mean if, if the results are not ideal, you must, must, must not force it. You are still young, you have plenty of opportunities, so don't force it. Although it may sound a bit discouraging to say this before, it is my sincere words. Living a good life is more important than anything else."

Chapter 214 Bottom Line Plan

Is this considered a backhanded move? But then again, he's a pretty good guy. If he had some selfish motives, he'd definitely put you on a pedestal, making it hard for you to turn back. Now, even if you quit right now, there's a way out.

"I'm not someone who cares about face. If I can't succeed, I will stop immediately. But then again..."

He asked Zhu Xianxun: "Is there any way for me to stop building the foundation?"

"Yes, I didn't say those words to give you a way out. I'm a man of action, and I only speak when I have action. I've personally witnessed the dangers of foundation building, although it wasn't a good experience. When Wen Yuan's father failed to build his foundation, the spiritual energy in his body turned into evil energy and burst out, and he couldn't be saved. During this treatment, we found that highly concentrated spiritual energy can 'compensate' for the damage caused by the evil energy. So-"

He pointed at the gate of Yuxi Palace. "I've also prepared a whole bathtub of bottled Qi Hai for you inside. Most of it is refined by me in the laboratory, and a small amount is the first batch of spiritual liquid after production starts. The effects of both are the same. So if you ever feel something is wrong, don't hesitate, jump in the bathtub and soak immediately. I believe that even if you have gone astray, I can save you."

"Ah! So that's how it is! I thought you were just giving me chicken soup."

"When I give you chicken soup, I usually do it physically. Do you want some more? Even though it's goose soup."

"Thank you, thank you." Shangluo handed over the bowl of soup. The goose soup tasted quite good.

"So, are you full?" Zhu Xianxun asked.

"Yeah, I'm getting excited." Shangluo wiped his mouth with Korean tissue paper and put the paper into the trash can.

"Well, let's go in. You follow me."

When he came here before, he had been outside the Yuxi Palace and had not entered. This was the first time he was able to enter the palace gate of Yuxi Palace.

He had been wondering how Zhu Xianxun could open such a large door by himself. Now he knew.

After Zhu Xianxun inserted the key, the door opened.

The two doors were tightly closed. Two humanoid figures, tentatively called "golden men," stood behind the door and pulled it open.

The golden figures were slightly taller than average, about two meters tall. Their robes were worn with both civil and military sleeves, leaving only their right arms exposed. The joints and palms of their right arms had puppet-like structures. The two golden figures wore red and white Nuo masks, the red one revealing fangs, the white one depicting a priest. The masks had no moving parts, and no visible emotion.

“What are these two???”

"The red-faced one is Lü Fang, and the white-faced one is Huang Jin."

"what?"

"I came up with the name myself. These two golden men were here before I came. They don't talk, but they help me move things - otherwise how would I have moved the stone statue in? I couldn't have moved it myself. When I called them Lü Fang Huang Jin, Daozu didn't have any objections, so I've kept calling them that. You can call them that too."

"Er Lufang?" He called out to the red-faced golden man. The golden man with the Nuo mask turned around and lowered his head slightly.

After the door was opened, the two golden men took up their heavenly postures and stood still.

What is this? Apollonia encountered something she couldn't understand. It seemed to have wisdom, but it wasn't. This is...

"You don't recognize it? Then this is..."

"This is a spirit figurine." A distant voice came from inside the door, answering Shangluo's question. "It's a spiritual object made by an ancient alchemist. Someone found it and presented it to me. I liked it, so I stayed to sweep the courtyard."

"Grandfather, can we come in now?"

The Taoist master turned on the lights, and the hall became bright.

The doorway was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside. Facing the door was an alchemy furnace. The walls on either side were densely packed with niches, each filled with a variety of ornaments. There were lamps, gourds, vases, mirrors, and so on, and aside from the gourds, none of them were the same. Gourds were the most numerous, of varying sizes, dimensions, and colors, scattered throughout the space. Each one, covered in a different talisman, sat quietly in its niche.

There was a small table in the corner, on which were placed a row of flasks and test tubes, as well as many brown glass bottles, all with labels on them. It was obvious that Zhu Xianxun had put them there.

The stone statue stood in the center of the hall, with the white lion Luo Luo lying nearby. Next to Luo Luo was a dog food bowl, pierced with several foam nails. It was the same bowl Shang Luo had cut open that day. There was plenty of dog food in the bowl, but the lion didn't touch a single bite.

"He only eats dog food. He won't eat meat or bones. He probably ate dog food in the past." Zhu Xianxun asked the golden man to close the door. "Oh, by the way, let me introduce you. This is the outer hall of Yuxi Palace. The Taoist master's abode is in the inner hall. I've only been there once as a child. I wouldn't have gone in otherwise unless the Taoist master summoned me. This is what the inner hall looks like."

He took a look inside.

A "ding" sound of a chime was heard.

"Oh, I can tell. Then I'll tell you, the inner hall is exactly the same as the inner hall of the 'Little Yuxi Palace' in the Western Garden of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The Jingzhe is a lotus seat surrounded by the Bagua. There are beaded curtains all around the Jingzhe, like a crown, so you can't see what's inside clearly. But Lu Fang and Huang Jin would occasionally bring things out from inside for me, and I would ask them to bring in anything I had."

"Little Yuxi Palace is the original Yuxi Palace?"

"Yes, this is the Yuxi Palace where the Taoist master practiced Taoism when he came to the world. Now there is the Big Yuxi Palace here, and that is the Small Yuxi Palace. There are people specially taking care of it now. By the way, Huang Jin, go and get the bathtub."

While the two men were walking inside, Huang Jin took the lead and carried out the "bathtub" that Zhu Xianxun had prepared for Shangluo from the inner hall. Shangluo thought it was a ceramic bathtub, but unexpectedly it was a golden copper vat, the large gilded copper vat that was placed in front of the main hall in the palace to store water.

"Um, sorry, I couldn't find one big enough right now, so I brought one over from the entrance of Fengtian Hall. Just in case, I have to fill it up with spiritual fluid to avoid running out. It's not full though, so it should be just up to your chest when you run in. This thing was originally used to put out fires, but it's perfect for suppressing evil spirits now. It's very auspicious. So, have you decided on a plan?"

"It's decided." Shangluo took out his hunting knife. "I think this is the best way. Use the hunting knife to open this stone statue. Only Phaethon is inside."

Zhu Xianxun shook his head. "I think it's probably hopeless. After exploring it with my spiritual sense, I found that it's solid inside. In other words, there's no 'skin' in the biological sense. The entire statue is just the skin of the golden elixir. If you use this hunting knife, which can cut through any skin, to open the statue, it will most likely explode the golden elixir. So, are you ready?"

“‘Don’t name your food.’ I’m ready for that.”