"So my owner should have returned long ago. However, he encountered a huge business deal and had no choice but to delay …"
Moments later, Xiang Zhitian put down the letter and got up to bow at Wu Ming. "Thank you for delivering this letter. According to my owner, you seem to be an expatriate living in the west?"
"That's right …"
This was an identity Wu Ming had forged for himself. He was an Easterner living in the west who had recently returned to the Great Chang Empire.
"My surname is Wu Ming. There's no need to stand on ceremony, manager."
"Alright, alright!"
The manager chuckled and replied. "Our owner had wanted to use our company as a guarantor to obtain a foreign travel permit for you. It was a simple matter, but recently, there has been some trouble!"
"Oh? What trouble? "
Wu Ming never expected there to be a change in the situation. The corners of his mouth curled up as he asked curiously.
"Sigh … It's only recently. A group of exiles from the west has been running around the port. They have committed many crimes and their methods are extremely cruel. It has caused an uproar … Out of consideration for public safety, the entire Stationing Corps has been given strict orders to increase the number of sea merchants, especially those from the west. The approval of travel permits and other documents has also been tightened …"
This was a new situation after he set sail. Wu Ming was naturally not aware of it.
"I see!"
Wu Ming nodded. "That's a little troublesome!"
The Great Chang Empire was a country with extremely strict management. Without a travel permit, it meant a series of problems.
First of all, there was no need to talk about lodgings. Wu Ming was very concerned about the various collections of books, as well as the Transcendental Learning Palace.
Even though he could swagger around brazenly and hide from mortals with his methods, he would still leave some traces. Wu Ming didn't have much confidence that he wouldn't be discovered in the face of the eight Core Deities and the massive Deity System under them.
After all, among the Lords of the Great Chang Empire, there was an existence suspected to be a Zenith Heaven!
If he were an ordinary person, it would be difficult for him to take a single step out of New Territories Harbor without a travel permit.
Relying solely on martial strength was even more undesirable. Right now, Wu Ming was pretending to be an ordinary person and was only restricted by the power of the mortal world. Once he revealed his strength above level six, he would be replaced by a bunch of True Gods staring at him all day long.
Perhaps, in the end, even the eight Sovereigns, who had hidden themselves so deeply, would be forced to reveal themselves.
"I'm really sorry that I wasn't able to help Mr. Wu this time …"
After a while, the shopkeeper personally sent Wu Ming out of the shop with an apologetic smile on his face. He originally wanted to give Wu Ming some gifts, but how could Wu Ming be interested in them? Naturally, he politely declined.
…
"A small trading firm naturally wouldn't be able to obtain a travel pass when the security is tight, but that might not be the case for other forces …"
Wu Ming walked out of the Four Seas Trading Company and wandered aimlessly on the streets, thinking to himself, 'I'll read all the books in the port first. If it really doesn't work, I'll have to take the risk and venture deep into the empire …'
Against a celestial system that had a temple in every city and a divine force surveillance network that spanned the entire empire, Wu Ming was not confident that he could strike multiple times without being exposed.
The more he understood the Great Chang Empire, the more he realized how terrifying and unfathomable the empire was.
Not long after, the sun gradually rose high in the sky, and the business of many inns and restaurants was at its peak.
Wu Ming walked into a random restaurant and after throwing out five silver coins, he was immediately treated as a VIP and invited to a special room.
The common currency used by the Great Chang Empire was still gold and silver. However, there was a tiny difference. Other than copper coins, there were large amounts of gold and silver coins. They were about the same size as copper coins, but their value was far higher.
This world's Great Chang Empire was rich in resources. It had also discovered several huge gold and silver mines in its colonies, so it was not lacking in precious metals.
And above the gold coins were all sorts of bills. They had divine forces rippling on them and were guaranteed by a True God, so their credibility was naturally very high.
Wu Ming was in control of an empire. After obtaining the money samples from Zhang Fan, he immediately prepared a batch as a backup.
"Sir, what would you like to eat?"
The waiter asked quickly with a sheep-belly towel draped over his shoulder.
Due to the harbor, the seafood in the restaurant was sold at a relatively low price. There was no lack of precious items.
"First, I'll tear up a chicken and stir-fry a few side dishes … Give me a flask of wine, the best."
Although his body no longer needed food to replenish his essence, Wu Ming did not give up on his desire for good food. He immediately said with a smile.
"Alright!"
The waiter quickly left. Not long after, he returned with a wooden plate and placed the side dishes on it. He then poured a cup of wine for Wu Ming. "Please enjoy!"
The aroma of the wine and dishes assailed his nose. A few vegetables and chicken offal emitted a unique fragrance. The wine was as rich as amber, so rich that one could pick out shreds with a pair of chopsticks.
Wu Ming could not help but secretly praise the chef after taking a few sips.
At the very least, the culinary skills of this chef were on par with the few chefs in King William's palace.
At that moment, the first floor of the restaurant slowly became noisy, growing louder and louder.
Many dock laborers in short gowns or shirtless surged in like a tidal wave, using all kinds of big bowls to get rice.
The staple food was snow-white rice, with salted fish as side dishes and a bowl of soup with a lot of oil floating on it. Compared to the laborers in the Dazhou World, the food was indeed quite good.
Even under Wu Zhi's rule, having three meals a day with white rice, fish, and meat was a treatment that only landlords could enjoy.
A wise man could tell autumn from a single leaf. Just by looking at the situation, Wu Ming knew that the prosperity and wealth of the Great Chang Empire far exceeded that of the Dazhou World.
…
After coming out of the restaurant, Wu Ming slowly walked along the street and came to the edge of the harbor.
There were fewer people here, and he could vaguely see the fields in the distance. It was filled with a rustic aura.
However, in midair, there was a clear spiritual light with the dignity of a god. It attracted Wu Ming's attention.
"I never expected to see a shrine in the outskirts."
Wu Ming's interest was piqued as he came in front of the shrine.
The shrine wasn't big, and it wasn't built in an imposing manner. However, the mottled plaque was spotless. It had an ancient charm to it, as though it was narrating its age.
"Xuandu Nine Heavens Clear Spirit Unity Perfected Lord?"
Wu Ming muttered as he recited the name of the god that was consecrated.
Typically, in the Great Chang Empire, Divine Dao Lords were ranked below true gods. Most of them were at the fifth level.
Gods at this level were like Earth Immortals and other fifth-level experts. They possessed the power of a domain and could form a world of their own.
Within the domain's range, they could augment their believers and even bestow them with Dharma spells. Only when one reached the level of a true god could they bestow their believers with complete divine spells.
And such gods were known as Earthly Gods in the Great Chang Empire. After all, they could only showcase their strength within a certain region. There was a limit.
Once an Earthly God took another step forward and became a true god, their might would turn the world upside down.
In the entire Great Chang Empire, there were countless Earthly Gods, Earthly Gods, and Lords. However, the number of true gods was relatively small. The ratio was nearly one percent. It was obvious how difficult it was to advance to the Divine Dao!
"Perfect. About the fifth level. Not too high or too low …"
Wu Ming smiled and walked straight in from the main entrance.
Buzz!
With his sharp perception, he immediately discovered that after walking through the door, he seemed to step into an invisible barrier. It separated the interior of the shrine from the outside world.
"Perfected Lord Xuandu is an Earthly God after all. He has a domain. At critical moments, it's not impossible for him to turn the entire shrine into his temporary divine kingdom …"
To any true god, or even an Earthly God, a shrine was an impregnable fortress.
And with the shrine as a stronghold and faith as a link, a network of divine powers that spanned the Great Chang Empire was formed. The core was the eight Lords.
Under such a strict system, it was as if the gods were watching from three feet above. Not a single thing could be hidden from them.
"Is Shan Xin here to offer incense? This way please! "
A temple attendant walked out and bowed slightly. He did not appear overbearing, nor did he appear subservient.
After washing his hands, Wu Ming took the incense and went to the shrine's main hall.
The offerings on the table were colorful. Many incense curled around them. On the altar, an elderly god came into view. He wore wide sleeves and a wide belt. He had a warm expression and his eyes had a benevolent look.
As a god, as long as he was not a god of death, killing, or war, he naturally had to portray an amiable image. Only then would he be able to attract devotees.
Of course, that was not what Wu Ming was looking at.
Amidst the lingering incense, he opened his Heavenly Eye and immediately saw a swath of green in front of him.
Rich green gases gathered and swirled around the god statue before tearing into the void. It was unknown where it went. The green here was the true essence of inner energy. It was a perfected green and was no trifling matter.
"It's indeed at the fifth level!"
Wu Ming immediately felt confident when he saw it. He threw a gold coin to the temple attendant and strode away.
…
"In the Great Chang Empire's divine powers network, true gods can only monitor the major cities. Other places are mostly controlled by Perfected Lord Xuandu …"
After a tour, Wu Ming gained some understanding of the Eastern celestial system.
"As long as I find the right method, it's not like there aren't any loopholes. However, this requires a large amount of foundational knowledge and experiments. I need data, a lot of data! This request … is probably only met by the Union. "
Although the Great Chang Empire was prosperous with the Divine Dao, it was not the only one.
In fact, the Divine Dao had its own niche. Furthermore, the advancement was difficult. Unless one had the luck from providence, it was very difficult to stand out.
What was closely related to the lives of ordinary people were the various Transcendental occupations.
For example, in the Seven Swords Academy, those who could unlock Sword Qi cultivation could advance to become a swordsman. Such talents would be roped in no matter where they went. They would be treated well.
And when Transcendents banded together, they would form a loose but massive guild. That was the nascent form of the Union.
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