Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"Indeed." Shangluo clenched his right fist and extinguished the lightning ball he had just summoned. He could feel the surging power of thunder and lightning surging in his body, and even the "extra part" seemed to play a positive role in casting the spell.

"It's really different from before. To be honest, my previous experience with lightning was really limited to Taoism, and it was difficult for me to really use lightning as I wish. But after entering this state, I suddenly felt that my mastery of lightning magic had actually improved to a higher level."

"That's why Sun Wukong became so powerful after only a few years of training." Ao Zang replied, "Those who have mastered the seventy-two transformations can change their bodies at will, and use their 'transformed bodies' to meditate and comprehend. As the saying goes, a mountain looks like a peak when you look at it from the side. Some mysteries that you can't comprehend on your own can be understood in an instant by changing your body. Of course, practicing in this way can achieve twice the result with half the effort - as long as you can master the seventy-two transformations, even if you can't achieve great magical powers, at least you won't lose to anyone in martial arts."

"Ah, so shooting lightning balls falls into the realm of martial arts?"

"That's right." Ao Zang nodded, "This is where Investiture of the Gods is rougher than Journey to the West. In Investiture of the Gods, there is only one dimension of power, mana, but in reality, nothing can be solved entirely by mana. In addition to fighting on the battlefield, in the final analysis, martial arts are still needed to end the battle - this lightning ball is actually considered lightning martial arts, which is different from the magic power of raising clouds and rain."

[Hey, so King Ao Zang doesn't like "Investiture of the Gods" very much. Is it because the dragon race is portrayed too harshly in the film? ]

"It's not that good in Journey to the West either."

[That's different. In Journey to the West, Monkey King is polite to the Dragon King, who also has his own seat in the Heavenly Palace. It's obviously the behavior of a minister in the court. In Investiture of the Gods, it's just like some weird NPC monster. Even if it gets close to the protagonists, it can't help but be called a "born from an egg".]

"Ahem." Shangluo still put away the thunder technique, "So, Your Excellency King Ao Zang, are you going to lend me this dragon ball?"

"What do you mean by borrow? Just give it to the Great Sage - oh no, just give it to Lord Shang Tian."

"But I remember that this was your wife's dragon ball, and then it was passed on to your daughter? It's not appropriate to keep it with me, right?"

"These are just a small token of my appreciation. My wife is in Dragon Sleep, and my useless daughter has to be locked up. This dragon ball is just sitting there unused anyway, so why not leave it to the Immortal for his use? That's how we can truly make the most of it."

"Oh my, how can I not be so polite. I'll take it then." Calming his mind, he visualized his original form and could easily change back to his original form. After only one change, he got the hang of it. Now that he was wearing clothes, he wouldn't lose his composure if he changed back to his original form.

A wisp of clear air dissipated, Shangluo returned to his original appearance, and the dragon ball appeared in his hand.

"Thank you, old Dragon King." He put the dragon ball into the package.

"No thanks, no thanks. As long as Shang Tianjun likes it."

"but."

Hearing the word "but", Ao Zang's heart immediately tightened, "Shang Tianjun, is there anything else you want? Do you want more weapons and armor?"

"Ah? Is there more?"

"Forehead"

"Ah," Shang Luo patted his head, "I'm sorry, I made you misunderstand, King Ao Zang. I'm not Monkey King, how can I have endless benefits? I want to ask, this dragon ball is so useful, but I also want to learn other changes of the 72 transformations. I wonder if Your Excellency King Ao Zang knows if there is a way to transform into other things?"

"This, I can't help you. Mastering the 72 transformations, that's Monkey King, that's the skill of Sun Dasheng. I can't say whether Sun Dasheng is still there, after all, we have never seen Sun Dasheng. But in theory, you have to visualize each transformation one by one, and make fine adjustments one by one."

【It means you have to make your own characters.】

"So." Ao Zang shook his head, "I guess, if there is no great power like Bodhi Patriarch who is proficient in this magic, you will probably have to collect them one by one by yourself. Of course, if you, Lord Shang Tian, ​​don't mind, there is still a way for the Dragon Palace to become shrimp soldiers and crab generals."

"Eh? You still have this?"

"Yes, as many as you want. But this is a low-level transformation."

"It's fine if you have it. I'm not picky about food. Give them all to me."

"Okay. I'll make a phone call. Let's not talk about the shrimp soldiers, the crab general's transformation will be here soon. Since you want it, then try it on."

Chapter 1090 Dragon Clan

Ao Zang signed a note and handed it to someone else. The person looked like an ordinary person and behaved normally. But Shangluo could sense that there was a different power flowing in his body that was different from that of a Qigong practitioner. This person was also a dragon.

"Okay, I've dispatched a Crab General. Lord Shang Tian, ​​please have your meal here first. The Crab General is on the way."

"By the way, King Ao Zang, didn't you make the phone call? Why did you send a warrant?"

"I just called someone to get the warrant."

"Then why don't you just call and ask Crab General to come over?"

Ao Zang shook his head: "This is an extraordinary period. Otherwise, Lord Shang Tian, ​​why do you think I must lock Xiao Yi up? There are many people in the Dragon Palace who are willing to listen to her."

"So she's so popular? But when I look at her in person, she doesn't seem to be alert to the things around her at all. She doesn't look like someone who can win people's hearts."

"As long as she is the son of the dragon, she will definitely attract attention like a magnet. No matter what her personality is, it will only be a reason to support her. If she is useful, she is smart, if she is not useful, she is pure. The emperors of ancient and modern times are cautious in appointing a crown prince, and our small court in the East China Sea is the same. So I have to be vigilant. What's more, she didn't do anything to stir up the East China Sea. What if she really did something? I'm not ready to abdicate and let the wise take over."

"That's true."

What Shangluo knows now is that in the "Urashima Taro" incident that led to an all-out war between Ryugu and Xufu, Otohime did everything that was completely unfair to Ryugu. She just invited Urashima Taro to a meal as Ryugu's host, and then kept him in Ryugu as requested by Ryugu and did not let him leave - Otohime only did these things.

As for the later part, Ryugu was going to let Urashima Taro take the box back to explode Xu Fu's formation, but the plan was exposed by the turtle. That was done by Kame-hime. Shangluo had no idea what happened between the turtle and Urashima Taro. He didn't even know who Urashima Taro was. He had only heard the story once.

He only knew that the crime for which Yiji was imprisoned in this incident was, at most, "negligence" or "misuse of personnel", because she herself was not involved in it, and she probably knew not much more about the matter than Shangluo, at most she had met him once at the dinner table when she hosted a dinner party.

This matter could be a big deal or a small one. He was inclined to think that Ao Zang's decision this time was "protective detention", because he had imprisoned Yi Ji in the Imperial Prison, which was completely out of the control of the Dragon Palace, and actually handed it over to Shangluo for management.

In addition, since Ao Zang offered the gift to her voluntarily, Shangluo, who had no grudge against her, had no need to harm Yiji.

[And it’s really big, right? ]

"what are you talking about"

[Ahaha, do I need to tell you that? I can’t even wear clothes. ]

"First, you need to understand the physiological structure of dragons. Are you sure that this part of the chest has the same function as the human part?"

[What does it matter if there are physiological differences? Your blood pressure rises when you see a robot! Aren’t robots and humans even more different?]

"Tsk, I won't argue with you."

[So since they've asked you to do something, then if conditions permit, we should do it as thoroughly as possible. Miss Otohime is just sitting there doing nothing in the Imperial Prison anyway, why not give her some fun, like letting her surf the Internet or something.]

"That's not difficult. However, I have other plans. King Ao Zang is right. Letting her contact the outside world at this time may attract unnecessary attention. So, I will arrange an intranet for her to play with later."

[Intranet?]

"We'll talk about it later. I'm not good at practicing martial arts, but I still have some ideas for entertaining people. I'm the best at getting everyone to play together."

Seeing Shangluo's expression change slightly, Ao Zang, who had no ability to read minds, also knew that the matter was done.

He bowed slightly and said, "Shang Tianjun, please honor me with a meal at Dong Hai's. If you all have nothing else to do, please stay so that I can fulfill this favor."

"Of course. Now that we are all here, it would be nice to have a meal." Shangluo looked at the others, "Is everyone free today?"

Everyone nodded, indicating that they had no objection.

"I have no objection." Zheng Shijie also nodded, "But, King Ao Zang, what are we eating today?"

"It must be something that won't go wrong. Dong Hai has done too many wrong things recently, so of course he needs some moderate, peaceful, and stable food to ease the tension."

"Ah, that's the rule, right?"

"Yes, it's a regular practice."

Shangluo was surprised and asked, "What is the rule?"

The "regular" came up.

The first thing served was a cup of Longjing tea, followed by "four dried fruits" such as peach kernels and ginkgo nuts, "four fresh fruits" such as crabapple and peaches, and "four snacks" such as milk pastry and coconut cheese.

A large number of small plates were placed in front of Shangluo. Each plate had a different pattern. For example, the plate for peaches was a celadon plate, with emerald green and pink. The plate for crabapples was a white porcelain plate, with peach kernels and other dried fruits placed in the flower plates.

And finally, there was a hot towel for the autumn and winter season. The towel was neither hot nor cold, so he wiped his hands and then the meal could begin.

"What is this?" It was the first time Shangluo saw a table full of snacks before dinner. He still remembered the snacks he had with tea in the afternoon, which were just a few small plates. He didn't expect that a large table of snacks would be served all of a sudden.

"This is the standard bird's nest and abalone banquet." Zheng Shijie replied, "This is the safest one."

"Wow!" Han Xingzhi beside him opened his mouth wide, "Is this the bird's nest and shark's fin banquet? I didn't expect that I could actually eat it. My dad only ate it once. It turns out that hanging out with big brother is a blessing. There are delicious foods to eat when you go out."

Ao Zang happened to be away, so Shangluo asked him casually: "What's next?"

"How would I know? This is too high-end. Even my dad only ate it once. How would I know? Isn't the national surname right next to it?"

"Ahem." Zheng Shijie coughed, "It's true that the class is not over yet."

"How many dishes are there in total?"

"King Ao Zang will definitely give you the best, but he also said that he wanted it to be 'modest', so there will probably be only 49 dishes - which is already very few. There are also 81 dishes, but I think 81 dishes is a bit too extravagant. Usually when I invite people to a bird's nest and abalone banquet, it is usually 36 or 49 dishes. 49 dishes is already very solemn, even the elders don't eat it often."

"49 dishes? How can we eat so many?"

Chapter 1091: Swallow Wing Feast

"Don't worry, it won't be served all at once. The four fresh fruits and four dried fruits served to you now are snacks before Ao Zang comes back. After he finishes his work and the people he will bring with him are seated, the appetizers will be served - four candied fruits and four small condiments, as well as eight cold dishes of four meat and four vegetable dishes, served with Shaoxing wine.

"After the appetizers, it's the main course, which usually consists of nine dishes. The first two dishes must be shark's fin and bird's nest - so the bird's nest banquet comes from this. Shark's fin can be braised in yellow sauce, braised in yellow sauce, or cooked with three shreds, crab roe, or chicken mince, and there are dozens of ways to cook it. Bird's nest is usually served in clear soup or braised in white sauce, and there are also dozens of ways to cook it, but the taste will be different from the shark's fin, the first dish. Then the nine dishes are served in order, and the next one will be served after you have finished eating.

"The main dishes usually include abalone, mandarin fish and the like, and they are cooked in a variety of ways, such as grilling, roasting, stir-frying and frying. There is tea between each dish. The whole main course is usually served with Dunhuang wine."

"The last thing is dessert, usually a light dessert, with some sweet and savory snacks to finish, and some delicious nut tea. Then after you finish eating, it will be served again, from the dining table to a casual environment, with four fresh fruits, four dried fruits and various teas. This is usually not counted in the 49 main courses, but it is still included as usual."

"." Shangluo was stunned for a few seconds, "So, can we finish it?"

"Don't worry, the bird's nest and shark's fin banquet is very slow to eat - I don't like 81 dishes because it takes from afternoon to evening to eat once. Wow, I wasted a whole day sitting behind the table, and my legs are numb. If it's 49 dishes, it will take five or six hours to finish. Let me check the time: if I start eating later, I can finish it around or in the evening.

"You don't have to eat all the dim sum and cold dishes at once, because dim sum is just for show, and appetizers like cold dishes will not be removed. After that, the main dishes will be served one by one, and basically they will be served when everyone has almost finished eating. Serving them one by one gives you enough time to digest, so don't worry about not being able to finish. In fact, the portion is not that big, for example, bird's nest is only about the size of a bowl, you will definitely be able to finish it."

"I see." Shangluo nodded, "So this is what you wealthy families eat at banquets."

"Oh, you are wrong. The real 'rich and powerful' don't eat this."

"You mean my senior brother?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk." Zheng Shijie shook his head repeatedly. "What do you think the emperor can eat? It's nothing more than roast duck with pork elbows, and some barley tea and mung bean soup."

"So my senior brother has never eaten these?"

"He really has never eaten it. Because bird's-and-fin feast is an official dish, which official would dare to invite him to dinner? And he really is not interested in it. The Zhu family has no other hobbies but to eat meat. I can't say anything. Anyway, this bird's-and-fin feast has nothing to do with the Zhu family. When they invite guests to dinner, they usually eat barbecue, stew and the like. Ah, it's a good thing that he doesn't like to invite guests to dinner."

"That sounds pretty good. I really like their food."

"It's pretty good if you get used to it, but in fact, the selection of ingredients in their family is shockingly simple - as for meat, they only eat pork and mutton, and they don't eat much beef. As for poultry, they usually eat duck and goose, especially goose. They eat a huge amount of goose, from head to toe. They basically don't eat fish, and they don't touch other rare ingredients from the mountains and the sea. The only thing they have added in the past few hundred years is rabbit meat, and they eat some rabbit meat occasionally. As for game, they rarely even eat the most stable venison, and only eat a little bit in winter when they are nourishing their body."

"Ah, now that you mention it, it seems a little bit."

"More than a little. Then you think, these dishes are either roasted, grilled, or stewed, or roasted and then roasted, or roasted and then stewed, and they are all cooked in the same way over and over again, which makes people numb. The people in the Zhu family seem to never get tired of eating any of them - I advised them to at least understand the concept of eating first, at least eat more chicken. My goodness, I remember one time I had four geese for a meal, roasted goose, braised goose, cured goose, and goose soup. I ate so much that my throat was about to start to swell with white hair and green water, and the crude fiber made me unable to sleep well all night."

"Well, he doesn't think he's ever treated me to a meal like this before."

"That's right, you're fine now. You can just eat your daily meals at his house, and you don't have to go to their family banquet. They're really afraid of being invited here, so they have a bird's nest and abalone banquet. You can find all kinds of ingredients in a bird's nest and abalone banquet, except goose. I've always wondered who eats all the geese every day if no one else eats them. Most of them are eaten by the Zhu family and their fellow villagers from Fengyang Prefecture. The geese they eat are all from their hometown."

"Then he knows I'm having a bird's nest banquet here, that's not good, right?"

"That's right. You'd better not let him know, otherwise he will definitely treat you back. He did the same to me back then."

"So, if we're having a banquet, we have to have bird's nest and shark's fin banquet." Han Xingzhi nodded in response.

These words made Wen Yuan and even Lu Liang beside them nod their heads continuously.

Shangluo suddenly remembered something.

He remembered the first time he went to Lu Huaiyang's house, he had a meal at his house.

That meal was all braised meatballs, braised pork, braised fish and braised spareribs.

"You remembered it, didn't you?" Lu Liang covered his forehead. "The head of our family, the Jinyiwei, have been influenced by the taste of the palace for a long time. Sometimes they really can't finish the food, so they bring it back for us to eat. Then we also braise it, and eat it for a month or so. People are about to become the color of soy sauce."

"Oh, right." Zheng Shijie suddenly thought, "So Shang Tianjun, do you need to treat us?"

"I"

Zheng Shijie simply didn't ask him, and instead asked Wen Yuan and the others beside him: "What does he usually treat you to?"

"City Center." Wen Yuan gave the answer directly.

"There's only McDonald's." Han Xingzhi also nodded.

"Ah, Shangluo, do you need a chef who can prepare a bird's nest banquet? Because I think you may have banquet needs or something."

"What cuisine is this chef from?"

"Each cuisine's bird's-and-fin banquet is basically the same," Zheng Shijie replied. "The bird's-and-fin banquet has the same standard across the country and it won't change much. After all, people don't eat it that often, so it's enough to prepare it a few times a year. Adding more twists will only cause problems. So if you need it, Shangluo, you can set up a few kitchens at home to cook bird's-and-fin banquets."

"That's fine, but I'm actually preparing for what will happen after Xu Fu. Don't worry, I'll have a plan for the dinner when the time comes. It doesn't matter if it's a table at McDonald's or four dishes and a soup. Anyway, I'll definitely make sure it's done. This is my specialty."

Chapter 1092: Dish

“I didn’t know I could eat so much.”