Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

Shangluo panicked. This armor couldn't withstand an impact of that magnitude.

"Afraid. Afraid." Apollonia muttered.

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid you'll be beaten to death. Woohoo, if you get beaten to death, how will I survive? Promise me you won't die, okay?"

This was the truth. If Shangluo were killed now, Apollonia would be back to her desperate state. She wouldn't even know where to get gas.

"Oh, by the way, it's out of gas. Give me another bottle."

"Oh, trouble." He got off the bicycle, took out the gas cylinder, and asked Apollonia to half squat down and expose the back of her neck.

There is still enough gas in the cylinders and they can be used for a long time.

"By the way, Karin, how long will it take to get there? Even though I only have this one mission, they've already started working over there, so I have to hurry."

"It's not far, just by the lake ahead."

"Then I'll get off the car and go. Let's move quickly." He was halfway through when Apollonia suddenly stood up:

"Be careful, there is something in the woods ahead! It's not alive and has no heat!" She reached behind her neck to close the lid of the air chamber, holding the spear horizontally in a defensive gesture.

Shangluo was not idle either. He swung out the lightsaber and poured the other half bottle of Qi Hai onto the blade.

A white deer appeared before him. Its purity was pure, without a trace of color. Its horns, stretching out to the left and right, seemed to hold up the night sky, and its eyes shone with flowing stars.

"That's it! It's not warm, but it's moving!"

"This is..." Karin suddenly parked the car to the side. "Don't do anything, this is Mr. Lu!"

"Mr. Lu?" Shangluo was stunned for a moment. "Who is this Mr. Lu?"

"It's Mr. Fox's landlord. Mr. Fox collects drachmas to pay him rent."

"what?"

"That's what Mr. Fox said anyway. Mr. Deer never speaks. But he listens to me quietly."

"That's not Mr. Deer," Apollonia observed. "It's a female deer. You should call her Ms. Deer. I know who she is. This is Diana's doe. No wonder she's the landlord; she's truly the manager of this forest. It seems to be signaling that there's danger ahead and doesn't want us to go any further. How about you, Karin, go meet her? And ask who the spirit ahead is, too."

Chapter 165 White Deer

"Is this Diana's doe? Why can't I sense it?"

A distant voice answered from the unknown. It was a steady female voice, resonating with the divine:

"Because Lady Diana is the deity of all things in the wilderness. My existence far surpasses yours, little girl."

"Speak! Sorry. Sorry, I always mistook you for Mr. Deer."

"It's alright, son of the forest. If I cared about your offense, you would have turned to dust like a dead branch."

Bai Lu didn't look at her anymore, but walked towards Shangluo and Apollonia.

She knelt slightly forward and said, "Welcome to Lady Diana's suspended temple. Welcome, and Lady Apollonia."

She put Shangluo before Apollonia, which surprised Shangluo.

"what do you mean?"

"Lady Apollonia is your subordinate, isn't she? So you should be in front." Star-like eyes stared at Shangluo, making him feel slightly uneasy.

"Are you speaking to me? Or are you speaking to the future or past 'me'? Or are you speaking to the God-King who has yet to be born?"

"It's all the same, my lord. In the spirit world, time has no meaning."

"The Riddler is really annoying. The Riddler Deer is the same."

"Forgive my rudeness, but as you say: eliminating uncertainty is a burden to me. The language of spirits is different from that of humans. I have tried to keep my message brief so that you can understand. In short, your presence is very important."

"What about the other routes?"

The white deer was obviously stunned for a moment, and even its antlers were shaking slightly.

"I'm sorry, but I have a message for you: You can tear down other trees, but please don't tear down the cypress tree. The cypress is sacred to Lady Diana, and she will be furious when she returns to the palace. If possible, please use that multifunctional sword in your hand, which is some kind of magical item, to establish a sympathetic link with them. Please."

"Okay, wait a minute."

He called Han Xingzhi. As before, Han Xingzhi seemed surprisingly free and not busy at all. He agreed immediately and began to convey the message.

"Is that all?" Shangluo put down the phone.

"Thank you for your understanding." The white deer knelt again. "The cypress trees are very important to us, truly important. A forest king must have a forest to be called a forest king. If your friend continues to tear down the trees, the forest will be gone. And please tell your friend from the north: don't throw coins around in the forest. The drachma has a very high denomination, and it will take us a long time to metabolize all the drachmas he's thrown in."

"Huh? Do you want me to make a phone call?"

"No, he's already done it. The deal's done, and I can't interfere with a deal guaranteed by Helios. But please don't do it next time. Go spend your money somewhere else."

"Okay, okay." Shangluo felt a bit guilty after saying this. The four men didn't seem to be here to complete a mission, but rather to cause trouble. They did everything they should and shouldn't have done.

"So," he asked Bai Lu, "Ms. Lu, do you have any advice for me now that you've appeared?"

"I had no intention of appearing. With the throne now vacant, I had no intention of interfering in the war in the wilderness. The Forest King is the custodian of the throne, and it is fitting that such a noble man as you should be in charge. The burden that the Romans could not bear should have been borne by someone else long ago."

"So you were the one who brought me in before?"

"The deer is a symbol of kingship in the wilderness." The white deer raised its antlers high. "The Romans repeatedly desecrated the Golden Bough ceremony, not actually crowning themselves, but simply breaking the bough and leaving. If they think the forest is a human farm, where they can take whatever they want, they are deeply mistaken. A noble forest king must complete the ceremony. A coward who dares not wear the crown is unworthy of being the custodian of the Golden Bough. Therefore, I choose you, my lord."

"Well, I knew it wouldn't be that simple."

"Of course, I don't actually need to show up." The white deer blinked. "I'm not a clay statue. I'm the guardian of the sacred forest, Diana's doe. Or as the fox said, I'm the landlord here. Your friends are too noisy. If they continue to make trouble, the roof will collapse. So, as the landlord, I have to show up in advance and ask them to abide by the rules."

"I think they'll stop. They're good kids."

"Of course. It's precisely because they are children, and children have no taboos, that I asked you to persuade them instead of letting the forest take revenge on them directly."

"Do we need to stop the matter of the Great Spring Spirit?"

"That has nothing to do with the temple," the white deer replied. "The holy hunting god does not need the service of those pathetic sword dancers. The temple here is to protect the people in the wilderness, not to harm them. The reason for their suffering is the karma of the Romans. All of this is the karma of the Romans. As an individual, Karin is an innocent victim. But as a whole, the Romans must pay the price for betrayal. So all the joys and sorrows here have nothing to do with me. That's not fair, is it?"

"Indeed."

"But my duty is to protect the sacred forest. Fairness and justice have nothing to do with the deer, only with the king. So if you believe Karin is innocent, then pardon her. This is the authority of the king."

Shangluo nodded. "I will do that, but before that, I have to clear up a doubt. My guide, Titus, told me not to trust any living being except Helios. So, should I trust you?"

"Giving up the jewel in your hand to chase after a shadow in the water will often lead to nothing. Since you have Apollo's oracle, why do you trust Helios's contract?"

【Hey~】

Bai Lu bowed slightly and added the second half of the sentence:

"Without a doubt, Lady Apollo is closer to fate itself than Helios. Although she herself usually doesn't know what she's talking about."

[Hey, hey, hey! The second half of the sentence is redundant!]

"Okay." Shangluo nodded. "I trust your words. And it seems you have no need to lie to me. You didn't change my decision, you just strengthened my actions."

"A wise observation—'Know thyself,' that is the motto inscribed at the entrance to the Oracle of Delphi. As the name suggests, it specializes in producing 'correct but useless riddles.' While Lord Apollo is closer to destiny itself, ultimately, it is humanity itself that can solve human problems."

"Are you done yet?! Can you please stop sabotaging me?! Is this what a deer should do?"

"The Hunting God uses arrows to strike vital points. Leading hunters to glory is the duty of the deer, and it is also the duty of the Hunting God's servants." The white deer replied calmly, "Then do what you must. The temple stands on the side of the brave and bears witness to your story and your heroic journey. On this heroic journey, the Hunting God's servants will hunt the 'wilderness' with you."

Chapter 166 God’s Intention

So this is her duty as a guardian. She hopes to create a good story with you. She hates the Romans because they always pick the branches and run away. Their stories are too boring. Hunting the gods requires blood. Whether it's the blood of the branch holder or the branch snatcher, the more the better.

"That's right." Although Apollonia said it very directly, Bai Lu expressed his agreement without hesitation.

"Stories are the most important thing to gods?" Shangluo asked.

For gods, stories are the very proof of their existence. The very foundation of every Hero's Tour is a transcendental being's desire for them to create better stories. Settings are the bones of a god, stories are its flesh and blood, and stories are the true carriers of memes. This is why Hero's Tours are so similar to tabletop games—or rather, why tabletop games can emerge from Hero's Tours. Because the two are fundamentally the same: both rely on collaboration between the host and the players to create a good story.

“Hunting is also a story?”

Celebrations, rituals, even wars, are all stories. The gods are cruel, willing to launch the Trojan War and shed the blood of thousands, because it makes for a good story. The gods preside over the stories, and when they are not around, lesser gods preside, like the "Diana's Doe" before you. However, Diana has no interest in the Trojan War. The gods crave stories, but stories of different kinds. Diana's stories are always about hunting in the wilderness.

"By becoming a hero, you can complete the pilgrimage and receive rewards." Bai Lu added, "The miracle of the gods is light. It does not diminish in the slightest just because it shines upon you. On the contrary, the more miracles appear, the greater the glory of the gods. Therefore, the gods are inherently generous. As long as you can complete a story worthy of the reward, the hero will naturally receive the glory worthy of him."

"Can I be considered a hero? I don't think I'm that strong yet."

"Being a hero isn't about strength or weakness, it's about the story. Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, wasn't strong either, but his Odyssey is a story that will be sung to the end. Your story is also very delicious."

The deer stuck out its tongue and licked its lips. Its tongue was red—even though its eyes were as deep as stars, its tongue and lips were still the color of blood.

[It appeared! It appeared! The essence of the Ancient God has appeared! He wants to eat people!]

Retracting its tongue, the White Deer returned to its original form. Moonlight shone on Him, casting a soft white glow. "In short, my worthy one. Until your story loses its luster, the Temple of Diana will always favor you."

This means that if you pluck the Golden Bough, the story of the hunt and the hunted will always follow you. Such is the nature of the Golden Bough: when you hold it, others will naturally come to take it. But who is the hunter and who is the hunted depends on your own ability. The more usurpers you hunt, the more the miracle of the Hunting God will become apparent. This is the source of the power of the demigods.

"So..." He paused. "Before, I asked you if you were speaking to my past or future self, and you replied that time has no meaning. So, my future self will also have my own powers and my own rituals?"

"It will happen, Your Excellency." Bai Lu bowed his head slightly. "It's just that at this moment, no one fights for your story, and no one sings your story—oh no, there is already a little bit. I see a little seed of divinity in you."

"You don't mean those bottles of Wangzai milk, do you?"

"Seeing, hearing, and observing the Buddha in a single thought brings immeasurable benefits to humans and gods. All wishes are quickly fulfilled, and no karmic obstacles can ever block them. Who can predict the future?"

"Well, I guess I can't get anything out of this."

"That's right. Whenever you ask something very specific, He will never answer. Because every answer eliminates uncertainty."

"By the way, what exactly does this sentence mean?"

What this means is that a divine being like Him carries responsibility for what He says, and He bears the consequences of His words. If He says you can become a Divine King, then He will become the cause and effect on your path to the throne. He can only stake his entire future on you, or else insert Himself into the equation. Therefore, the Dao Ancestor's willingness to say "yes" or "no" to you is surprising even to me. Most divine beings, like Him, only use metaphors and allusions to hint at their meaning, or to allude to other words and scriptures. As for their meaning, it's up to you to interpret it.

"Then why do you keep telling me so specifically?"

[Hey, children say whatever they want. It doesn't matter what I say.]

Bai Lu added, "So this is why the Oracle of Delphi specializes in producing 'correct but useless riddles.' Although they are correct, they never back up their words, making them useless. Sometimes they produce hundreds a day, more than the human production of toilet paper."

[Can you please stop destroying my stage! ]

"Tsk tsk tsk. Alright, alright, I think I know." Shangluo looked ahead. "Since I can't get anything out of you, I'll just do it. I'll just confirm it one last time."

He looked at the white deer:

"I'm going to break the branch. I'm going to actually complete this ritual, and then the divine power will attach to the golden branch?"

"Yes," Bai Lu gave a clear answer, because this was related to his duties. Moreover, this was a clear rule, established beforehand.

"Will you lead the way, then?"

"This way." The white deer said nothing more, flicked its antlers, and walked deeper into the forest. "The pathetic Sword Dancer is up ahead. I'm showing up here to remind you. Although the Sword Dancer is pathetic, her strength is forged from that very fact. She's very powerful."

"Then is there any strategy?" Shangluo asked her.

"Haven't the Romans provided enough guides? They copied everything here and there and released them as games. Every detail is in there. They've broken the Hero's Pilgrimage down to pieces. They're too utilitarian, just completing the mission. The gods hate monotony; that's not a story at all, so their rituals around the world are gradually becoming ineffective. Well, your story ends here."

She raised her head slightly. "That's it up ahead... the scent of flowers that don't belong here. Her story has nothing to do with me, but it makes for a good story. Go free that poor sword dancer, and remember the Romans' strategy; it will indeed help you."

Chapter 167: The Great Spring Spirit

The moonlight cast shadows on the rocks. The great spring spirit stood by the spring, gazing at the water like a statue.

As Titus had previously described, the "Giant Spring Spirit" before him was enormous in every sense of the word, standing at a height estimated to be over 2.4 meters, perhaps around 2.5. His heavy armor covered him without a single gap, revealing only the lower half of his face, his long, narrow ears, and the golden hair that flowed from behind his helmet.

A white deer, a man in golden armor, a girl pushing a bicycle, and Shangluo. This strange group emerged from the dense forest, but did not attract the attention of the great elf.

"Let's stop here." Bai Lu turned and returned to the forest. As the "guardian" of this heroic tour, she was quite respectful by personally leading Shangluo for a short distance.

But there might be another reason, which is that Shangluo's progress is much slower than others. Bai Lu hopes that everyone can finish on time, so he led Shangluo for a while.

"Hmm." Shangluo calmed down and listened to other parts of the forest. Luliang was quiet, and Wenyuan's artillery fire had ceased. Only occasionally could a "strange" burst of gunfire be heard—unusually loud and clear, almost like artillery fire. Shot after shot, and before each shot, a colorful rainbow light could be seen piercing the dense forest. The light lasted only a moment, then vanished, followed by the sound of gunfire.

Besides the gunfire, the loudest noise came from Han Xingzhi's area to the north. It wasn't the sound of fighting, but rather the roar of a strange engine.

Feeling somewhat worried, he still made a phone call.

"Strange sound? What strange sound? Everything is normal here." Han Xingzhi asked. But the strange roaring sound had already come along the channel.

"So, are you okay?"