Chapter 227 Please Teach Me
The time spent talking with the Empress is always short.
Soon, the royal carriage stopped in front of the Tianshi Mansion.
Today's visit had been announced in advance, and at the entrance of the magnificent Taoist main temple, several old priests wearing robes embroidered with fine red threads were already waiting with their heads bowed.
Zhao Duan followed the empress out of the car and joined the team behind Xu Zhenguan as an "attendant guard."
Suddenly it seemed inconspicuous.
"Congratulations to His Majesty the Great Heavenly Saint Emperor for coming..."
The square-faced Taoist priest in the lead held a whisk and bowed respectfully, with many priests following behind him.
Xu Zhenguan smiled and nodded.
In the past, as a princess, she also stayed in the Tianshi Mansion for a while and asked Zhang Tianshi for advice on cultivation.
Therefore, although he is an emperor, he is dressed as a Kundao today.
After a brief greeting, the group entered through the main gate.
It is worth mentioning that the last time Zhao Duan came here, he was led in through the side door by the Taoist boy guarding the gate, and did not walk through the main gate of the Tianshi Mansion.
Today, thanks to the Empress, I have the opportunity to witness the true appearance of this Taoist temple that has been passed down for thousands of years.
As you enter the main gate, you will see a very spacious square. The ground is paved with white stones, inlaid with a huge Tai Chi Bagua diagram.
As the group walked on the Tai Chi diagram, they felt awe.
At this moment, many low-level priests were standing in the distance on both sides of the square. Because they were too far away, they could not be seen clearly, but they all carried swords on their backs. From a distance, the sword tassels looked like a tide.
After passing through the main gate, a second gate that looks like an archway rises up in front of you.
The banners on the left and right... Xu Zhenguan looked up and couldn't help but sighed softly, reading:
"Heaven's movement is vigorous; the gentleman strives for self-improvement... The earth's state is gentle; the gentleman carries all things with virtue..."
She raised her eyes and saw four huge characters on the horizontal scroll:
Tao follows nature
"I remember it wasn't this the last time I came here."
Xu Zhenguan stopped to savor it, slightly surprised.
The old priest who led the way smiled and said:
"Indeed, it was changed not long ago to encourage young priests to study."
Xu Zhenguan nodded slightly, her eyebrows relaxed:
"Compared to the old couplet, this one has a different atmosphere. I wonder who created it?"
The old priest shook his head and said, "I'm not sure about that. It must have been approved by the Heavenly Master."
Xu Zhenguan nodded, and then stared at the words on the archway carefully for a few more seconds.
It was amazing at first glance, but after careful observation... the upper and lower couplets were okay, but the four key characters on the horizontal scroll seemed a bit mismatched with the other two couplets, as if they were awkwardly pieced together.
But... there is some hidden meaning in it.
But no one noticed that Zhao Duan behind the empress looked constipated and was complaining madly in his heart:
"Old Wang, Old Wang, you're really a piece of shit. You never paid me and I thought I copied my sentences but didn't use them. But the archway has already been replaced, and you kept waiting until I brought the Thousand Faces God to exchange..."
"Hey, come to think of it, the Empress is here, but why isn't Old Wang among the priests receiving her? Hmm, is it because his status isn't high enough, or is it because he's just a 'casual official' and doesn't want to join in the fun?"
Muttering to himself, the group passed through the second gate and in front of them was a ancestral hall with flying eaves and brackets.
The last time Zhao Duan passed by it from a distance, he took a look and knew that the portraits of the "Tianshi" of the Tianshi Mansion from all generations were enshrined inside.
After passing the Patriarch's Hall, rising from the ground is a huge bell tower as majestic as a giant.
The bell tower is gray, and a sundial is embedded in the front wall above it.
When sunlight hits the sundial, it casts a huge "pointer" on the ground.
Going further up, you will see the "Yellow Bell" fixed on the top of the bell tower. Unfortunately, it is too high and it is not clear when you look up.
Zhao Duan looked at the clock tower with mottled walls and weathered by wind and rain.
Suddenly I remembered the day I traveled through time, when I heard the city bells ringing from afar in the heavy rain.
It came from this bell tower.
"Stop here, I'm going to Zhang Tianshi's residence." Xu Zhenguan instructed the people behind him.
The bell tower serves as a boundary, dividing the Tianshi Mansion into inside and outside.
Zhao Duan noticed that the old priests of high rank who were leading the way also stopped.
It seems that I can't follow the empress in directly... No wonder the empress said that whether I can see the Heavenly Master depends on luck... Does she mean to wait for being summoned?
Zhao Duan was a little disappointed and felt that the hope was over, while the old priest smiled and led them, the attendants, to a nearby hall to wait.
"Envoy Zhao, please stay." Suddenly, one of the middle-aged priests stopped him and said with a smile:
"Priest Gongshu learned of your arrival and asked me to invite you over for a chat."
The Priest Gongshu? Jin Jian's fifth senior brother?
That fat man who cultivates the God of Craftsmen... Zhao Duan was somewhat tempted, but he looked hesitant.
The priest smiled and said:
"Don't worry, sir. Every time His Majesty comes, he spends at least an hour conversing with the Heavenly Master. Moreover, if there are any changes, he will naturally come to you without delay."
So... Zhao Duan nodded happily:
"Thank you, Priest, for leading the way."
Zhenbao said that it would be beneficial to establish a good relationship with him, and Zhao Duan listened to him.
When you are in the officialdom, you have many connections and many paths to take.
…
…
"Haha, Envoy Zhao is finally here. He said yesterday that he would come over when he was free. I didn't expect to see you again today."
Zhao Duan was led to a courtyard.
Then he saw Gongshu Tianyuan coming out of the gate, wearing a wrinkled dark gold priest robe, with a slightly funny fat face and squinting eyes, smiling and greeting him.
However, Zhao Duan was shocked.
Because the young fat priest looked haggard, with huge dark circles under his eyes like a panda, and his smile was a little crazy, and there was a hint of heat in his eyes when he looked at him.
"Why bother Priest Gongshu to come and greet me personally?"
Zhao Duan took a step back without leaving any trace, but was still forced to shake hands with the former. His hand felt greasy, so he wiped it behind his back without leaving any trace, and said with concern:
"The priest looks a little tired."
Gongshu Tianyuan's fat face froze, and he forced a smile:
"It's nothing, I just didn't sleep enough. Please come in... Hehe, my humble room is so shabby... I just learned that the envoy came with His Majesty, so I took the liberty to ask for an invitation."
It's more than just lack of sleep?
I didn’t sleep at all last night!
Originally, with his cultivation level, not sleeping for several days in a row was not a big problem, but the prerequisite was that he did not consume too much energy.
If you stay up late and crazily squeeze your brain power and energy, and work on your mind at high load, thinking and experimenting... no matter how high your level is, you won't be able to bear it.
As for the "culprit", it was undoubtedly the few strokes of the lens principle that Zhao Duan casually left on the glasses drawing.
This is also the reason why Gongshu Tianyuan was eager to invite him over.
Zhao Duan followed curiously and entered the workshop-style courtyard.
Different from the courtyards of literati and scholars, the several large rooms in the courtyard are filled with all kinds of messy objects.
The room they entered was quite spacious, but there was only a small bed in the corner.
Apart from that, there were only a few large tables in the room with various tools on them.
Next to the wall.
There is a row of shelves filled with all kinds of weird things, like a simple version of an industrial museum.
"Hehe, the place is a bit messy."
When Gongshu Tianyuan saw Zhao Duan looking at him curiously, he puffed out his chest slightly and a look of pride appeared on his fat, haggard face.
In his previous life, Zhao Duan had met some technical experts with his leaders and knew the temperament of these people very well.
Without any greetings, he took the initiative to reveal his ignorance and curiosity:
"I heard that the recording scrolls that fetch exorbitant prices on the black market are the work of a priest? Is this where the magical instruments are crafted?"
Gongshu Tianyuan smiled slightly. What he liked most was to show his works to others.
Of course, the prerequisite is that the person is someone he looks up to.
Seeing Zhao Duan asking this question, he cleared his throat, pulled him towards the shelf, and introduced:
"That's right. My lineage of cultivation requires constant creation of artifacts. These are some of my works. For example, this one."
He casually took out a palm-sized plate from the shelf.
He tapped it twice, and suddenly flames appeared in the plate. He turned the plate back and forth, and the fire did not go out.
Gongshu Tianyuan smiled and said:
"This item is called 'Wood Fire Channel'. I often use fire when refining magical instruments, so I created this thing. It doesn't need to be ignited, and it won't spread. Like a candle, it will only run out once the magic power inside is exhausted."
Knock twice more and it goes out.
Lighter... Zhao Duan nodded, finding it quite interesting.
Turning around, I saw a wooden figure dressed as a Western barbarian, holding a pot of wine in his hand, and asked curiously:
"This is?"
Gongshu Tianyuan said "Oh" and laughed:
"This is a toasting barbarian. Ahem, I like to study and cultivate, and I'm not good at socializing. Whenever I get together with fellow disciples, I'm frequently toasted. I'm so annoyed that I created this villain.
As long as it is placed on the banquet table, it will toast everyone one by one. Anyone who is toasted by it, as long as their realm does not exceed the Divine Chapter, will be controlled no matter what they are doing, and forced to drink a glass of wine before they can break free..."
Well, what he didn't mention was that when it was first developed, an operation malfunctioned, causing a group of warlocks to be forcibly controlled for a whole night, and no one could escape.
He was completely drunk and slept for three days before waking up...
“…” Zhao Duan took a deep breath.
Next to the little man, there was another wooden monk as tall as a wine barrel, holding a broken bowl and a Zen staff.
"What is this?"
Gongshu Tianyuan rolled up his sleeves, his face full of memories:
"This is one of my early works. At that time, I didn't like the monks in Shenlong Temple, so I pretended to be a 'begging monk' and threw it into the temple. Anyone who saw it, if they took out money and filled the bowl, would receive a cry of 'thank you for the alms'."
What a weird thing... Zhao Duan said cautiously:
"What if you don't give me money?"
Gongshu Tianyuan pondered for a moment, patted the monk's bald head, and said lightly:
"If you don't give it, it will raise its staff and teach the other party a lesson until it succeeds and returns to report."
Zhao Duan: "..."
Gongshu Tianyuan looked regretful:
"Unfortunately, the bald donkey from the Shenlong Temple came here very quickly, and my master even scolded me."
Zhao Duan calmed down and looked at the yellow paper skirt hesitantly:
"This one won't attack anyone, right?"
"Oh, this is a good thing," Gongshu Tianyuan's eyes lit up and he said proudly:
"When female monks are out and about, they often dread the arrival of their menstrual period... Due to the constant bleeding, the Great Mother Goddess will cause the female monk's magical power to decline, entering a period of weakness lasting several days. However, by calculating the date, wearing this paper skirt beforehand, and then taking it off, they can relieve the weakness caused by menstruation...
Unfortunately, this item is difficult to make and expensive, and even the noble ladies in the capital are rarely willing to buy it.
Only female monks are willing to do so. I once went to Jizhao Temple and tried to sell it to the female bodhisattvas there, but they didn’t know what I was talking about.”
As he spoke later, this descendant of the master craftsman with unique ideas looked lonely.
He seems frustrated that his work is not recognized.
...No, how big of a grudge do you have against Buddhism? Although this thing sounds powerful, won't it be considered a provocation or harassment?
Also, this is completely different from what I imagined, the weapon-smith master who can forge magical weapons, or the Taoist priest who can only refine a furnace of elixir in sixty years... Zhao Duan's expression was complicated.
"Haha, I'm sorry to have made you laugh, sir. You also think these things are flashy and useless, right?"
Gongshu Tianyuan laughed at himself and suddenly sat down.
In the corner, a round stool with long legs ran over and grabbed his butt.
No…this is not a question of superficiality…Zhao Duan is not good at commenting.
The look of desolation on Gongshu Tianyuan's face became more and more intense.
Suddenly, he went from being excited to being depressed and muttering:
"It's not that I have to create these weird things. I am a descendant of the God of Craftsmanship. If I want to make a breakthrough, I must create groundbreaking creations.
Swords, armor, and talisman whisks—these things—have been elevated to extremely high levels by the sorcerers of the past few thousand years… Even if I could imitate a thousand of them, I wouldn’t be able to break through in my cultivation. I’d have to find another way…”
Zhao Duan was moved. He had never thought that practicing as a sorcerer would be so difficult.
"Didn't you ask the Heavenly Master for advice?"
Gongshu Tianyuan lowered his head lower and lower:
"Master also said that I was going in the wrong direction, saying that the God of Craftsmanship was created by mortals' faith. Therefore, the God of Craftsmanship originally created things for the common people, while the magic tools I created have extremely narrow uses...
But I couldn't think of anything new that the people needed... until I saw your blueprint!"
Gongshu Tianyuan, with dark circles under his eyes and a dirty robe, suddenly raised his head with an excited look:
"Although the ice-making method benefits the people, it can't really be considered a masterpiece. However, the brief mention of glasses on the blueprint you gave Sixth Junior Sister has given me a glimpse of a new possibility!"
He jumped up, grabbed Zhao Duan's hand, looked excited, and spoke earnestly:
"I have invited you here to discuss the principle of light refraction that you have written about. Could you please explain it in detail?"
Zhao Duan was stunned.
His expression slowly turned strange.
It was not until this time that he began to understand why Zhang Tianshi's fifth disciple had come to him.
"This... could it be that the priest is overthinking it? It's just some mundane things..." Zhao Duan tried to pull his hand back, but failed to move it.
Gongshu Tianyuan shook his head with a firm expression. He had a strong premonition that if he could figure out the so-called principle, he might be able to create a wonderful artifact that did not require any magic power.
As Master said, this is the correct way to practice cultivation, and it is also an opportunity for me to make further progress.
"Please teach me!" Gongshu Tianyuan spoke earnestly, tears streaming down his face.
Zhao Duan sighed softly and said:
"Then I'll briefly explain it, but I can't guarantee whether it will be of any help to you."
Gongshu Tianyuan was overjoyed and hurriedly took out the drawing and pulled out a whiteboard for easy use.
Zhao Duan cleared his throat, turned around, wrote a few words on the whiteboard, and said:
“To explain light clearly, first, you need to understand two words.”
It was as if I was back in Xiuwen Hall again.
Zhao Duan wrote two big words on the whiteboard:
"physics"
…
Typos should be corrected first and then replaced
Thanks to Mercury's Masked Superman for his 100-point reward.
(End of this chapter)
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