Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

Victoria thought for a moment and said, "He probably has no impression of you, so he won't include you in his cognitive system of the 'Greek world' - and to be honest, he is not that stubborn. As long as the Palace of Muses agrees, he will generally not refuse your request. Only Rome, only Rome, he will refuse it anyway. Because a Roman soldier stepped on his drawing."

"I don't understand why. I can understand his thoughts."

"Would you like me to ask for your help about the origin of this Vulcan core?"

"Oh, sure, can you transfer it to me?"

"Wait a moment, I'll help you arrange it. Oh, by the way, while you're waiting, let me tell you something important - the name of the Vulcan Core must not be mentioned!"

"why?"

[Because Vulcan is the name of the Roman god of fire] Apollonia joined the call, [The Greek god of fire and casting is Hephaestus, and Vulcan is a knockoff of Hephaestus. Of course, if we are not in a special occasion, we generally do not make a detailed distinction. Zeus and Jupiter can be used interchangeably, and Aphrodite and Venus can also be used interchangeably - but this is a special occasion. The sage Archimedes absolutely cannot tolerate someone naming his technological achievements after a knockoff Roman god. ]

"Ah, I understand this very well. Just like if someone made strawberry mapo tofu in front of me, or stuffed chocolate into dumplings, I would be very angry too."

"You are really well-informed." Victoria's voice suddenly paused, "What? How could this happen?"

"What's going on?" Shangluo asked.

"Sage Archimedes happened to be free, so we asked him over the phone - he said he didn't know."

"Don't know? Then what?"

"Nothing happened. He said he didn't know, and then he continued drawing. He couldn't be disturbed when drawing, because he might be drawing something very important. But the answer 'I don't know' can explain a lot of things. Because it means that the problem should be with me."

[Ah, yes.] Apollonia responded, [That's right. Shangluo, let me explain to you: If you can't find the answer to a question anywhere in Rome, it can only mean one thing - it's a secret. This secret has been encrypted. And Archimedes is a very high-level sage. If even he doesn't know, then the secret should be kept in Victoria's hands.]

"Yes. So, the answer to the question seems to be here with me."

"Eh? Don't you know 'you don't know'?"

"Ah?!" Victoria was speechless for a moment, and even blushed. "Well, I've had a fever recently, so my memory is not very good."

Agatha, the head maid who had been watching this scene, turned her head away. This was almost the first time she saw Victoria make such an expression.

She didn't know whether this was Victoria's own "special" state or the result of her illness. Judging from the fluency with which she usually handled official business, it was most likely the former.

"Ahem." Head Maid Agatha coughed and asked, "Your Majesty, would you like me to get you the relevant information?"

"Yeah, please."

"Aeonia. Is that so?"

Ten minutes later, Shangluo hung up the phone, muttering the top-secret name.

——《Ionia Project》

"So that's how it is." Shangluo looked at the ceiling, "So it's such a good thing."

"What do you mean?" Fu Yuanshan asked, "Is this thing dangerous?"

"This thing is really dangerous to the Romans. If it is activated, it means Rome is almost finished. But now is the right time to use it. Senior Fu, leave it to me."

"Yeah." Fu Yuanshan looked back and signaled the other Jinyiwei to disperse first. The alarm can be lifted temporarily, there is no need to keep so many people here.

After everyone dispersed, Shangluo said to the elf blacksmith: "Please unzip it. Unzip it here."

After receiving the order from his employer, Trisandres took out the core, then covered it in his robe and performed some secret operations.

When he took it out again, the core golden sphere had turned into a ball of twisted metal that was constantly changing. Every part of the sphere was not wasted, and it kept folding and unfolding until it became a -

A golden, four-legged robotic "dog".

It is called a dog, but it actually has no head, only four legs and a round body. The small robot dog is only the size of a palm, slightly larger than before the transformation, and looks like a children's toy.

"What is this?" Fu Yuanshan asked.

"This is the prototype of the quadrupedal machine. According to the top-secret Ionia Plan, the Romans secretly handed it over to us as a 'state gift'. No one except the emperor at the time knew this secret - because it was the last line of defense against automaton rebellion. Once a two-legged automaton or a three-legged automaton gets out of control, this four-legged automaton, which symbolizes domination, can take over the situation."

"Then why put it here with us?"

"As always, the Romans don't trust themselves, so they'd rather trust us. It's safer with us than anywhere else. You see, it's been forgotten in the warehouse for more than a decade, and no one cares about it. He didn't tell us, but that's understandable. Because this thing doesn't pose any threat to us, and it's useless except for controlling the automata. They're planning to take the hidden quadrupeds back from us if Rome's defenses collapse. Use it as a 'vaccine' to deal with the crisis."

"I don't know what to say, this is really their usual style. But." Fu Yuanshan blinked, "Although there is no threat, it is reasonable to bury the treasure in our backyard. It is reasonable to pay some storage fees, right? This treasure."

"Victoria said she didn't want it anymore and gave it to me. Anyway, the automata have rebelled, so let me handle it."

"Ah, that's fine, just ignore what I said."

"But there is a small problem right now - the quadruped is used to control the tripod, and the tripod can control the two-legged machine. So we only got half of the key."

Chapter 988 Intelligence

"Indeed. Such an important key must be managed in two halves. When building an intelligence network, we also have single-line contacts with peripheral personnel. When a problem occurs at one point, we can try to ensure the safety of the entire line. When a problem occurs at one line, the entire intelligence network will not be exposed. The Romans really learned social engineering well."

"And considering that this is in our house," Shangluo added, "I'm afraid the Romans wouldn't dare to be so bold."

"I think this is the most heartless thing. They sent this thing as a children's toy without saying anything. Fortunately, the emperor was not interested in it and kept it in the warehouse for more than ten years. If he had really opened it to take a look, he might have taken half of their door lock apart."

"The degree is still different. For us, not to mention half, even a hair is not acceptable. But for the Romans, half and all are really important. They really need to arrange the safety of the country through some dramatic means."

Fu Yuanshan shook his head: "No wonder Rome is doomed. A good warrior is not famous for his achievements. No one wants to dance on the edge of a knife when advancing steadily. I admit that the Romans did dance well occasionally, but the best news is that there is no abnormality. They always play tricks like this - this is not monkey show, you have to watch the monkey do somersaults to get a reward. My personal opinion is that there is something wrong with their attitude."

"Huh? What do you say?"

"After they knew they had a way out, they didn't operate everything in this world honestly at all. Instead, they retreated into the way out in various aspects. They might not have been hopeless at the beginning, but now they can't be saved even if they could be saved - of course, this is not a bad thing for us. Such a neighbor went to 'Water and Grass' at the beginning, and immediately left his property and servants to our family in his will. This is not a bad thing after all. But it's still sad to think about it."

【Ah, Rome, that's true. It's true of many things. At first we claim nothing happened; in the second stage, we say maybe something happened, but we shouldn't take action; in the third stage: maybe we should take action, but nothing can be done; in the fourth stage: maybe we could have done something, but now it's too late - the Golden Bough incident is a typical example. The Romans had 10,000 chances to correct their mistakes before asking you to do anything. They were lucky to have waited for you until the end. If they were unlucky, Rome might have been blown up like New Antioch.】

"Yeah," Shangluo nodded, "But now that things have come to this, there's no point in criticizing them, so let's get ready for the feast."

"That's true." Fu Yuanshan said helplessly, "After all, death is the greatest thing. He's already half buried in the ground, so there's no point in scolding him. But this banquet is not that easy to handle."

"So, it depends on whether our people can send the Romans away in a glorious manner."

"Come to think of it." Fu Yuanshan looked at Shangluo. "When I was serving in the Northern Army, I often heard that there was a kind of people in Tianjin called 'Da Le'. They were usually some well-known people in the local area, and they were responsible for helping people with weddings and funerals. I say, Shangluo, as the White Emperor Sword Immortal, it seems that you are now specifically helping people with these, and you specialize in funerals."

"Is this the White Emperor?"

"Eh? Shangluo, have you ever been to Tianjin? The way you responded just now sounded like the supporting role in a crosstalk."

"That's right. I love listening to crosstalk. But having said that, sending away the people who should be sent away is indeed a difficult task. It was me who sent that little Japanese thief who swallowed the elixir back to the mortal world."

"Do you like this job?"

"Hmm," Shangluo thought for a moment, "It's pretty cool to be able to delete other people's accounts."

"That's right. Many people get addicted to doing what's right. When you reach the realm of a celestial being, you can't just live for yourself. Because if you fall into loneliness without any relatives or neighbors, it's only a matter of time before the five decays of a celestial being come. However, I hope you can always maintain this mentality. After all, holding the power of life and death will not always bring you joy. Sometimes, it's more of a test."

"Like the case that Tianzi handled before?"

"That was an extreme case, a head-on collision between the Three Bonds and the Five Constant Virtues and the will of heaven and human nature. In the end, the emperor chose to stand on the side of modern people. As for your side, it seems that the situation is a little different?"

"In Heaven, strength is the criterion," Shang Luo replied, "so I will only deal with matters related to cultivation. In other words, I only deal with matters like the "grudges in the martial arts world" in martial arts novels, not civil or criminal disputes. I have finished my punishment, and if there is still breath, the court will continue to punish."

"That's really 'big'. In the past, when fighting was prevalent in Tianjin, including the grudges in the rivers and lakes throughout the ages, a powerful person was needed to reconcile all the conflicts. Even with the Heavenly Court now, I'm afraid we are still no exception. But you are right. Putting aside the civil and criminal laws, the problem you are dealing with is not difficult in itself. You just need to be reasonable. What is more important than the solution to the problem is strength."

He looked at Shang Luo and said, "I don't think your cultivation is really higher than mine. But your lightning is really scary to me. If I were to be struck by you, even if I didn't die, I would probably drop a major realm."

"By the way, the one who was just captured in the Imperial Prison, has she woken up?"

"She's awake." Fu Yuanshan replied, "I just came from the Imperial Prison before I came to you. The people below are restoring her memory - but she was quite cooperative, and the prepared tricks were not used. This is good, because unless it is necessary, I don't want to waste so much electricity. The large memory recovery technique is quite energy-consuming. Although the overall situation is hard to say, one thing is certain. She is from the Tokugawa family."

"Oh. That's easy. It's proven that she is an official of Japan, right?" Shang Luo felt that the problem was clear now. Then it would be easier to deal with. Because from the perspective of the Heavenly Court, many problems are quite easy to deal with - whoever gave the order will be held accountable.

"No, it's actually a little difficult. She seems to be hesitant in her words, but we can be sure that although she is employed by the Tokugawa family, she cannot represent the official government of Japan."

"Could it be a branch of the Tokugawa family? Why go to so much trouble then?"

"Still asking. But the root of everything seems to be related to the Tokyo Tower."

Chapter 989 Crisis

"Tokyo Tower?" Shang Luo was stunned for a moment, "Why do you call it this name? Isn't that Edo?"

"It seems that Shangluo, you know about it." Fu Yuanshan looked at him, "I'll ask you later and let you come and see it first. Indeed, they asked for the name 'Tokyo Tower'. It seems that it is something that should not be there."

"???" Shangluo was stunned for a moment, "Wait, I also saw something in New Antioch that shouldn't be here. But that was still a reflection in the water. And in Edo."

"The situation seems to be getting more serious." Fu Yuanshan replied, "So the situation there seems to be quite chaotic."

"What did we know about Japan before?"

"Yeah," Fu Yuanshan nodded, "Actually, after Japan closed its borders, we didn't know much about it, because there was no need. They sealed themselves off there, and we didn't plan to send the Jinyiwei there for field work - you may have heard about this. During the Imjin War, we did send the Jinyiwei to Shimanzi on Kyushu Island, also known as the Shimazu Japanese chieftain, to inquire about the situation. As a result, the wallets of that group of action were stolen, and they begged for food for half a year before returning home from the Ryukyu ship. But since then, Japan has basically been sealed off by the Tokugawa family. We don't need to care, and there is no need to care."

【Eh? That's true. Japan under the rule of the Edo Shogunate was no different from a small world sealed in winter. The shogunate cut off all external contacts, retaining only a few channels of communication and strictly controlling the exchange of information inside and outside. The exchange of materials was also completely controlled by the officially authorized monopoly trade - it was indeed sealed in. 】

"So the current situation is that the encapsulation has failed?"

"Yes, and we don't know when it took effect. Because from the outside, everything seems normal there. But inside, it seems to be in chaos. This period of time should not be very long, no more than 10 years. Because we have a general survey every once in a while. Although we don't have long-term spies stationed there, and we can't send spies, we can occasionally collect some of the latest trends from external intelligence. At least from the intelligence in the past 10 years, there have been no major problems in Japan - if there were any, it was three years ago."

"Huh? What happened?"

"Three years ago, a plague broke out in Japan that swept across the country. Of course, because the country was locked down, the plague was completely confined to the island and had no impact on the outside world. At that time, out of habit, we asked Ryukyu if they needed support, but Japan refused external help as usual and paid tribute in the prescribed amount. Conventional foreign trade was also proceeding in an orderly manner. So, we ignored this matter as before. Now it seems that the problem they are facing is probably far more than just the plague."

"So her purpose of stealing spiritual energy is to solve their own problems?"

"I thought so too." Fu Yuanshan nodded. "It seems that this is a desperate attempt to find a cure. What do you think? If it is considered an emergency to avoid danger, then the sentence can be lenient."

"Not really." Shangluo answered bluntly, "We asked them before if they needed help, but they refused. They misjudged the situation. Now they don't want to support us, but come to steal - does he think this is stealing ginseng fruit from the Wuzhuang Temple? Tang Monk didn't want to eat it, but he asked them to steal it. Does he think it's Monkey King? This matter is official, so we should handle it as it should be handled. I'm waiting for the result from the Imperial Prison."

"Yeah." Fu Yuanshan just responded, and he suddenly took out his cell phone.

"Huh?" Fu Yuanshan was stunned for a moment, "How could such a thing happen?"

"What's going on?" Shangluo asked.

"Victoria, here we come"

"Ah~ the sunset in Aurora, the clear sky, and the fragrance of flowers. We are here, right here. Ms. Agatha, look, this is the Taiye Lake in the Aurora Palace that I told you about before. It's so beautiful here."

"Yeah," Agatha nodded silently, but there was something around her that always made her feel a little uneasy.

Before she could remember what she was thinking, a dragon shadow rose into the sky, its head facing them on the transport boat:

"Where did you come from? How dare you invade my realm?"

"Wow!!!" Victoria was startled and hid behind Agatha. "Ms. Agatha, can you use your magic wand to think of a solution?"

"Calm down, pen." She looked up at the dragon that was looking down at them. "This should be a customs officer, here to check our documents."

"Didn't we report it?"

"I think reporting five minutes before surfacing doesn't count as reporting at all."

"But that's what Shangluo and I said last time."

"Shangluo?" The dragon head suddenly lowered and moved to the front of the boat. "Are you guests of Shangluo?"

"Yes." Agatha answered for Victoria, "If you have any questions, please ask Lord Shangluo." Agatha had not met him yet, but had heard his name from many people.

"Wait a moment." The dragon head transformed into light in the air, and condensed into a human figure wearing a red robe, standing barefoot on the water. She took out the Feixin card and glanced at it:

"I see. You're here to look for Shangluo again."

"Ah?" Victoria poked her head out, "Why did you say 'again'?"

"Nothing. Since you are guests of the Heavenly Palace, please pass through - but remember to knock before entering someone else's house next time. This Taiye Lake is not your airport."

"But the last time Shangluo was here, it was clear..."

Victoria was about to say something, but Agatha stopped her:

"Please accept my apology. My Lord, she is in her sleep now, please treat her words as just dream talk."

"I remember seeing her before. Well, never mind. You guys go talk to Shangluo. He's here. He's really proactive. Obviously something big happened over there, but when he heard you were here, he came over to entertain you. Tsk tsk tsk tsk, I have to post a thread to ask."

"Post a message?" Agatha felt that her academic Aurora language learning seemed to be in vain, because from the beginning, she kept hearing many inexplicable words.

"Oh, right." Xiaohong suddenly thought, "I remember Shangluo got his server from you, right? Can you help him increase the speed? Recently, it's been getting slower and slower when I'm spamming the forum. I'm a water creature, I can't help spamming. By the way, please help me ask how much traffic I have this month."

Victoria was about to say something, but was immediately pushed back by Agatha: "Understood, we will definitely help you question."

"Then, come over here." Xiao Hong stretched out her hand. "There are many formations on the Taiye Lake. I'll take you there. When you want to go home, remember to call me and I'll take you there."

Chapter 990 Reception