Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

Qi Yuan waved him off, "Don't go too far! Where can I get you a limited edition Nendoroid from a few years ago?"

"Isn't this the court's business? And this is a matter of life and death for me! So it's not too much for me to take this opportunity to ask for a small toy! It's not too much! Doesn't the court have everything?"

"Uh," Han Wu sat down next to him, "If it's a small toy, it seems that it is indeed possible. What toy? I remember you asked me for it when you were a child."

He didn't look at Han Xingzhi directly. He felt that Qi Yuan was much more reliable than his own nephew:

"What's this 'hidden version' he's talking about?"

"Uncle Han, this was the last joint work by Badashanren before they announced their closure. After that, Badashanren only accepted custom orders, and they only made one or two per month. You can't buy them at all."

"I seem to have heard of 'Eight Good Men'. Is this a studio?"

"I don't know. It could be eight people, but it also seems like it's just one person. But the clay figures he produces are always very stable, so it looks like they belong to just one person."

"Is that Eight Great Benefactors very powerful?"

"Honestly, they are truly amazing," Qi Yuan replied in the affirmative. "There are two things that are remarkable about his clay figurines: first, he really knows his stuff. The modeling and details are so impressive that even the original artist says they've surpassed the original. Second, his pieces aren't mass-produced items that can be coated with resin. Instead, they're pre-painted. And they're not pigments, they're glazed! Each one has a beautiful glaze, demonstrating impeccable masterwork."

"So now, you can't buy it?" Han Wu asked.

"It's out of stock. Firstly, the Eight Great Benefactors are now semi-retired, and secondly, this co-branded model is limited to 500 pieces, each numbered. And within those 500 pieces, there are five hidden models: 5, 99, 199, 299, and 399. The others only have the individual King of Good and Evil, or the hidden model's combination, and they come with a landscape base. Where can I get this now?"

"God have mercy! I'm only saying this because I really want this. Ah!!! Why was I born so late? When the Eight Good Men were active, I thought "The Invincible King Lingguan" was a comic for children. Every episode was just about transforming and beating up bad guys. There was nothing interesting about it. By the time I got into it, the Eight Good Men had already retired! I didn't catch up with the good times at all. What a pity! What a pity!"

"Stop messing around! Come with me!" Han Wu stepped forward and was about to drag Han Xingzhi out, but Shang Luo next to him suddenly pulled his sleeve.

"Why, you're begging for mercy? This is your golden branch. Instead of looking for a stranger, why not ask this kid to go? If he doesn't leave, I'll drag him over there by force."

"No. Wait a moment, I'm going to make a phone call."

After walking to the intersection, Shangluo turned on his cell phone.

【What, you know who it is? 】

"When I heard the names of the Eight Great Benefactors, I knew what I was going to do. So this is what I gave that day."

He called up Zhu Xianxun's chat thread. It was dinner time, so he should be free.

Chapter 125 The Gift from Wudang Mountain

He tentatively sent a message asking—

Another call came in from the other end. During lunch time, Zhu Xianxin seemed to be free.

"Ah, how come you only realized it was me now? I thought you'd figured it out on the first day. I heard about Bada Shanren from Hunyuan Daoguo. He's a historical figure who deserves our pity, but I admire him greatly. He's also a relative of mine. So I borrowed his name as my 'stage name.'"

"So, Your Majesty, you made those clay figures?"

"It's just a little hobby I had as a kid. The court gives out so much money, so it's not a problem for me to take some as pocket money. And I earned it with my own ability, so there's nothing to complain about."

"Oh~~ My classmates all said that your craftsmanship is very good and that your glaze is very good."

"My craftsmanship is so good because I also love 'Super Wang Lingguan'. Ah, that's the original work I read as a child. The author went on hiatus but has returned to serialize 'Invincible Wang Lingguan' now. Only when you truly love the series can you create something that everyone will like. As for the glaze, as I mentioned before, it's a byproduct of my alchemy. So I bake it with the clay figures in the alchemy furnace at Yuxi Palace. Many people say it has a particularly pleasant aroma, which is the medicinal fragrance from the furnace."

"So after the first year of Shaoping."

"Yes, I ascended the throne after the first year of Shaoping, and I didn't have much spare time, so I only made one occasionally for fun. Mainly because I didn't have time to receive and ship goods - because I didn't want the Jinyiwei to know that I was earning pocket money outside, otherwise they would never let me out of this door, so at that time I had to go to receive orders and ship goods myself. But I am too busy now, and I really don't have time to take the subway and run around like I did when I was a child. You happened to be there that day, and I thought I could let you help me in the future and let you earn some pocket money, so I asked you to make a trip. Why, you suddenly asked this, just to confirm?"

Shangluo conveyed Han Xingzhi's request.

"Ah, I'm glad to know there are still kids who remember my work from a few years ago. I was really pleased with it back then, so I'll make a copy for him now. I'll mark it 501 and give it my signature."

"Oh~~ Then he will definitely be very happy to know this news. I am very happy too."

"Then come get it tomorrow morning. It's just a little gadget. I'll put it in the alchemy furnace this afternoon, and we'll be done when we start it tomorrow morning. Tsk, why don't you just stay home tonight? I know the constant barrage of calls late at night is a bit overwhelming for you. I'll arrange a guest room for you in Changchun Palace. Come with me to Yuxi Palace tomorrow morning. How about we have some pig's trotters together in the morning?"

"Okay!" Shangluo felt that he had fallen in love with the feeling of eating pig's trotters early in the morning. He always felt uncomfortable if he didn't eat it. Only after eating it did he feel refreshed.

"But remember, don't expose me. You know, our family has always had some strange ancestors, such as carpenters, blacksmiths, watchmakers, and animal trainers. If they knew I was making clay figures, I'm afraid the Zhu family's reputation would be further damaged. I guess the Jinyiwei may have guessed some of it, but for the sake of the Zhu family's reputation, they kept laughing and pretending not to see it. Don't expose yourself, otherwise we will lose our pocket money."

"That's it. I'll give it to you tomorrow. The Eight Great Benefactors still have number 501. He'll sign it and give it to you. Can you recognize his signature?"

"Oh!!!" Han Xingzhi stood up. "If there's a signature, it must be authentic! The eight great philanthropists' signatures are specially designed animals! There's a cormorant with its eyes rolling back, a catfish with its eyes rolling back, and a plum blossom with its eyes rolling back. If there's this signature, it must be him! But can I specifically ask for the cormorant design?"

"How do you roll your eyes like a plum blossom? Okay, let me tell you."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Han Xingzhi grabbed his hand and shook it violently, even more excited than when he first joined the team that day. "From now on, you are my big brother! If big brother tells me to climb the knife mountain, I will climb the knife mountain. If big brother tells me to pick the golden branch, I will definitely accompany you!"

"Hey, Han, calm down. I'm just a middleman. You don't have to do this."

"No, no, no, you know me, the Eight Great Benefactors, but I don't. You are my eldest brother!"

Han Wu on the side shook his head and said, "Little kid, you're so easy to get rid of. So you're willing to go, right?"

"Of course I will! This is my eldest brother's business! My eldest brother's business is my business!"

"I'm telling you, calling him Big Brother is too much of a generation short." Han Wu didn't finish the rest of the sentence, because the Thirteen Protectors had to keep the title of Sword Master secret within a certain range. It wouldn't be good if the title spread too widely. It would encourage those with ulterior motives to challenge Shangluo.

He didn't know what Shangluo was capable of, but sword cultivation was no joke; if he killed someone or was killed by someone, it would cause a huge mess.

"Then pack up and we're going to the Jinyiwei Yamen now. The stuff arrived this morning, so you can go try it first. Also, Shangluo, when you were out just now, Lu Huaiyang called. He said your line was busy and asked you to call him back when you have time."

"Captain Lu, it's me." Shangluo answered the phone.

"You're quite busy, kid. I have to wait in line to see the Imperial Sword Master, right? Do you want me to arrange for a sword-carrying boy for you?"

"Ah, something happened just now. Something happened. Captain Lu, are you looking for me?"

"Wudang Mountain replied. They said... I don't know what they meant, so I'll summarize it. Anyway, they seem to know you have a very powerful sword, and they don't think you need any sword manuals or sword techniques. So they plan to give you a 'scabbard'."

"Scabbard? What scabbard?"

Shangluo didn't understand, but Wudang Mountain seemed to know that there was a "strange" sword here. But does the flashlight pulled out of the mobile phone still need a scabbard?

"I don't know what it is either. They'll make it and send it to you in a couple of days. Anyway, I'll let you know. Just make sure you receive it."

"How do they deliver it?"

"I don't know. They might send it by express, or they might ask a Taoist priest to deliver it. Things are very random in Wudang Mountain, so it could be delivered in any way. Who knows, when you go back one day, the 'scabbard' might be on your desk. Just keep it safe. In the next few days—how are things going over there? Is that kid named Han willing to come? Lu Liang has been waiting for a long time. After taking the Qi Hai, she dismantled three wooden dummies in a row and was just getting ready to practice."

"It's done. I'll be there in a moment."

"Well, I'll have the Romans prepare their gear. They'll give you a practice run. One, two, three, four. One more to go. But it's not a big deal. It doesn't require five people. They said they're confident you can clear it in one go."

Chapter 126 Combat Power

"Sometimes I find that our logistics efficiency is surprisingly high."

We were still discussing equipment yesterday, but by noon today, all the equipment had been packed and delivered. Even Shangluo felt that this was a bit too fast.

The Romans were unpacking the boxes themselves, while Lu Huaiyang and Shangluo were watching from the side.

"Hmm," Lu Huaiyang pondered this question for a moment. "Perhaps it's because both sides have quite a few 'superhumans' running this society at the top. So when all important matters are handled by superhumans, efficiency is exceptionally high. For example, after the agreement was finalized yesterday, Rome prepared the equipment overnight. At the same time, the Ninghe took off from Pontianak and headed straight for Constantinia Airport. After maintenance, it flew back to Pudong Airport in the early morning. After unloading, it was directly loaded onto a transport plane and brought to the military airport in Daxiaochang. In 45 minutes, it was in front of you."

"Is our cross-border connection so fast?"

"The Ming and Qin dynasties have been allies for centuries. Especially when it comes to handling emergencies like this, we have red telephones to communicate with each other, allowing us to skip the formalities on both sides. So, last time, you spoke a few extra words on the phone and were reprimanded by the operator. That phone is truly important, and there's only one. If you occupy that window, no one else will be able to get through."

"So can we use it as some kind of pager?"

Shangluo's first thought was the pager, or pager. This very old personal radio device, also known as a "radio calling service," was already part of history by the time Shangluo was born, but its uses were fascinating.

The pager itself was only about the size of a palm, with a screen the size of a few fingernails, displaying only a few lines of numbers. Radio resources were also scarce at the time, making it impossible to deliver visual and image information to everyone. Instead, a pager could be used to "call" a public telephone booth or the number of the person's location.

Of course, after the advent of mobile phones, this device became obsolete overnight and was only used by some enthusiasts or in special occasions such as hospitals.

Shangluo always felt that these other Fetion cards were essentially similar to pagers. While they had comprehensive functions, the amount of information a person could convey through them was actually quite limited. Others viewed Fetion cards as a significant drain on their energy. Beyond the first few days, no one would devote their full attention to them day and night.

"Pager? What is that?" Lu Huaiyang had never heard of this name, but Shangluo told him about it.

"It's really interesting. If everyone could use Fetion cards, even a simplified version, then this 'pager' function would probably be the first to become popular. After all, it only requires sending a line of numbers. As for public telephone booths, we have them everywhere here, so we can use them. There are indeed quite a few cultivators now, such as Qi Yuan from your class. I know her father, and she seems very suitable for using this simplified Fetion card as a pager. Okay, I'll propose it to my superiors."

That's not impossible. Although all the Fetion cards were given by Daozu himself, he didn't particularly care about them being shared among family members. Everyone had several, and replacing them with new ones freed up the old ones. However, a complete Fetion card would require too much effort and wouldn't be suitable for everyone. With a slight simplification, it could be used by many more people, including Lu Liang.

At this point, he suddenly thought: "Oh, speaking of proposing to the higher-ups, I almost forgot. How come after just one day of not seeing you, you've become the Grand Master of the Imperial Palace? Where's your sword?"

Shangluo took out his phone, turned it on, and flicked the cover with his wrist to turn on the flashlight. Then he flicked it again, opened the cover, and the flashlight retracted.

"This is the sword," he said, turning off the switch.

"I now understand why swordsmanship is unnecessary. Ordinary swordsmanship would be useless to you—but His Majesty the Emperor's arrangements are indeed very accurate. By arranging you as the Sword Master, I'm afraid no one will challenge you at all. I'm more interested in the scabbard that can accommodate the Invisible Sword. If Wudang Mountain doesn't require it to be kept secret, why not show it to me?"

"Alright. But I have a question, Captain Lu. Can you beat me? I'm not challenging you. I'm just trying to figure out what my current level is."

"Then look at what this is?" Lu Huaiyang raised his hand, holding Shangluo's schoolbag.

"Huh? My bag? Haven't I been carrying it with me the whole time?"

"So, the only way to defeat martial arts in the world is speed—but honestly, I absolutely will not challenge you. Guns are terrifying as weapons, and even more terrifying in the hands of a child."

"So I'm at this level? That seems pretty impressive."

"Yes, you are already invincible. If the purpose is to spar, you are the undisputed number one swordsman, even 'invincible'. But a fight of life and death is another matter. You must be careful. If you lose your life, you lose everything."

This reassured Shangluo. The sword in his hand could be described as "equal to all," and even masters barely above the level of celestial beings would be wary of the powerful weapon in his hand. This meant that in battles below celestial level, he should be able to fight back at all costs, or at least display his sword to intimidate his opponent.

However, this also meant that he'd better not draw his sword at any time. It was better to keep such a dangerous weapon properly hidden and only show it to those who posed a threat when needed.

"All right!"

Not far away, the Romans also unpacked their luggage. It took so long to do so because the luggage had been framed during air transportation to protect the flimsy magic items inside.

The wooden shelves crackled and scattered across the atrium, revealing the black wooden boxes inside.

It was indeed a wooden box, with some wood grain visible, but the entire box was painted black. There were no markings on the outside, and no opening to be found.

Titus, the crow, stepped forward, felt around a corner of the box, and then pressed a button. The black wooden boxes opened in all directions, revealing the delivery queue.

5 sets of "diving suits" and matching water tanks and cylinders filled with EITR agents.

The diving suit is exactly the same as the equipment of the Hydra troops, but it is slightly smaller and is a children's version.

However, there were no markings on it that indicated the Hydra troops. Judging from previous board games, Shangluo had some guesses—this wasn't just the Hydra troops' uniform, but rather the common equipment worn by all Roman Interior Guards during their heroic tours.

Chapter 127 Nightfall

After the briefing began, Titus was the speaker.

Four people, wearing the uniforms of the training school and the teaching school, sat on small stools, their schoolbags left behind. All four of them had left their afternoon club activities to come.

"Well, young heroes of Aurora, these behind me are the phlogiston stealth gear used by the Roman Guard. You must wear them to 'enter the night.' First, let me ask, has anyone played our game 'Heroes' Tour'?"

"Me." Han Xingzhi raised his hand.

"Oh, this young man looks like a professional gamer. So, did you buy the enhanced version? That's the expansion pack for 'Golden Bough' and complete it?"

"Of course, I've completed it many times."

"Very good, very good! As a Qigong practitioner from Aurora, you should know the true purpose of these board games from your mysticism classes. We are seeking help from players around the world. Every time you complete a level, you provide valuable reference experience for our Hero's Tour. Although the game is very different from the real Hero's Tour to ensure your safety, some basic concepts are similar. For example, Mr. Han, do you know why we call diving 'nightfall'?"

"Because from a symbolic perspective, night is a concept relative to day. We wouldn't say there's night in the universe, because there's no day, right? Only areas that were once known by humans but have since 'sunk' are considered to be in 'night.' In other words, only places where the light of human civilization once shone and then left experience 'night.'"

"A very fitting statement! But I'm here to tell you what the Roman Interior Guard was actually defending against. The so-called 'night' is now merely a point in time. The night of Lake Nemi has the Forest King, the night of Gloucester has the Wicker King, and so on. In classical times, they believed that Greek caves harbored spirits and monsters because those caves were shrouded in eternal darkness, beyond human cognition. So what can illuminate the night?"

"Yes, lamp?" Shangluo replied.

"Yes, it's a lamp. In other words, it's fire. It's the power of fire that allows human civilization to transcend day and night. In Chinese history, there were great individuals like 'Suiren' who shouldered a noble mission. However, in earlier times, before humans mastered the ability to drill wood to make fire, fire was extremely precious. On the one hand, people used fire to drive away prey, use fire to cook food, and use fire to survive the cold winters. On the other hand, fire had to be carefully guarded to prevent it from spreading and causing harm. In other words, fire could neither spread nor be extinguished. Controlling fire, mastering fire, and preserving fire was the mission of the 'fire watcher', the predecessor of the Roman Interior Guard."

As he spoke, he bowed slightly:

"Now, I am honored to invite you all to participate in a heroic parade. As extraordinary beings among humans, you are all qualified to shoulder the mission of fire watchers. Since the beginning of human civilization, this has been the glorious mission of guarding everyone in the moonlight. Although you are not Roman internal guards, because you have fulfilled the duties of fire watchers, you will all receive an honorable medal. Show this medal to Rome, and you will receive our hospitality, and we will also provide all reasonable assistance. So."

He paused. "Here are some precautions. Fire is precious, so we must go to the place where the divine power resides to obtain the fire. Fire is also dangerous, so please also pay attention to the following rules. The first and most important point is: trust no one except Mithras Helios."

This name immediately attracted Shangluo's attention:

"Helios? It's, the sun god?"

"It's not just Helios. It's Mithras Helios—the god of oaths, the victorious sun, the revealer of magic, the guide to the underworld, the god of resurrection, and the chief deity of Roman legions and soldiers. Many elements of modern magic come from Mithras Helios, especially spells related to sacrificial sites. Our heroic pilgrimage has greatly increased its efficiency thanks to the sacrificial sites of Mithras Helios. Otherwise, we would have to travel for more than ten years like we did on an Odyssey, and we wouldn't have caught up with anything."

"What is its relationship to Rome?"

"They are allies. Just as Cathay is an ally of Rome, Rome also has gods like Mithras Helios as allies. So there's no need for you to worship them as gods, and you probably have no interest in worshipping this foreign god. Mithras Helios and Rome cooperate through equal exchanges, clear rules, and a written 'contract'. So, rather than rules, it's better to call them a manual. Reading the manual carefully will help you better utilize the power of Helios. The relevant content has been distributed in the folders in your hands."

He raised his second finger: