Bab 131: Chapter 131: The Eternal Beauty of Yongzhou
As Yan Xia strolled through the ancient city, he stopped at a tea house to listen to a short musical performance and sipped on a cup of light tea.
Later, he came across a brothel, and the women there, eager to welcome the tall Yan Xia, almost melted into his embrace. But when Ella approached, the women, feeling ashamed, quickly moved away and silently watched from a distance, admiring the handsome couple.
Ella's android body, placed here, was indeed captivating, and if she were to change into a silk dress and white skirt, she would be as beautiful as a heavenly fairy.
After spending some time in the city, the two of them left after a few days.
They rode in a carriage pulled by a strange beast called Jiliang, which was a divine horse with a white body, red mane, and eyes like golden orbs. It was said that riding on its back could prolong one's life by a thousand years.
The Jiliang was swift, covering a thousand miles without showing any signs of fatigue.
After a few days of travel, they arrived at a large river, the Xiang River, which was 60 kilometers wide. Following the river downstream for another 100 kilometers, they reached a wharf.
The wharf was filled with large sailing ships, each about 60 to 70 meters in length, according to the boatmen.
They were told that after crossing the river and continuing their journey, they would reach the grand city of Yongzhou in Jingzhou.
Yongzhou, also known as Lingling, had the elegant name of "Xiaoxiang." It was located at the confluence of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers, and during the time of Earth, it was also a grand ancient city. It was said that the county and prefecture were established as early as the Qin and Han dynasties.
As the sailing ship crossed the river, Yan Xia spotted a tall black and white tower standing tall on the horizon.
The tower faced south, had an octagonal structure, and rose to a height of 2000 meters. At the top, a white dragon coiled around, surrounded by phoenixes, creating an awe-inspiring and majestic sight.
"That's the Huilong Tower, standing tall above the Xiao River. We are at the very spot where the Xiao and Xiang Rivers meet, which is why we can see it."
"The coiled dragon must be the soul of the evil dragon suppressed by the Huilong Tower. From its appearance, it must be at least a few miles long, capable of swallowing our ship in one bite."
The other passengers on the ship couldn't help but exclaim in awe at the sight of the Huilong Tower.
As the ship crossed the river, the photovoltaic panels in the sky became less transparent, blocking out the sunlight, and the entire Kyushu region was plunged into darkness. Only small holes in some of the panels allowed rays of light to pass through, resembling the moon and stars.
After disembarking, Yan Xia and Ella took advantage of the night to walk towards the city of Yongzhou.
When they had walked halfway, the clouds in the sky parted, and the moonlight illuminated a rock wall in the distance, revealing a man-made cave entrance.
They walked towards it and entered a stone cave.
The moonlight shone through the entrance, casting its glow directly into a pool of spring water within the cave, and then reflecting off the white walls, projecting a clear crescent shape.
"The Pale Rock and Autumn Moon, one of the Eight Sceneries of Yongzhou, as recorded," Ella explained.
Ella's knowledge database contained an abundance of information, even recreating such a scene here.
"If it weren't for the strange creatures within the Federation, this place could also be opened as a tourist attraction," Yan Xia remarked.
While technology could create many things, it didn't necessarily mean that beings could feel nature through it. Yan Xia himself, with the advancement of technology, had gradually drifted away from nature. But upon reaching this place, he surprisingly experienced a rare sense of physical and mental pleasure.
"Modern people and ancient people might have some conflicts, which is why it hasn't been opened to the public," Ella explained.
Ella had done the calculations and believed that the probability of conflict was high. Some people might be curious and interact with the ancient people, sharing modern knowledge with them, or even directly telling them that they were manufactured.
That wouldn't be beneficial for research.
"We can allow scholars to apply for access, but keep it closed to regular tourists."
If scholars from the Civilization Federation, numbering in the hundreds of billions, could study this world, they might be able to observe the abode of the gods from different perspectives.
The advancement of civilization is twofold: technology and energy.
But that doesn't diminish the importance of other factors, such as internal management. Neglecting this could lead to a collapse from within, as seen in the case of the Olive Branch Civilization.
This is a profound subject that demands meticulous attention.
Leaving the Pale Rock and Autumn Moon behind, they were not far from the city of Yongzhou.
They had already entered the Jingmen Pass, so the city walls of Yongzhou were not very high, only 70 meters. It was late at night, and the city gates were tightly shut, so Yan Xia and Ella decided to climb over the wall.
Inside the city of Yongzhou, all was quiet, and they didn't disturb anyone. They found a temple and decided to stay there.
Upon entering the temple, they saw a pond called the Pan Pond. Following the pond, they reached a gatehouse with a wooden carved plaque above it that read "Lingxing Gate." The gatehouse was constructed with wooden mortise and tenon joints, and two stone lions stood on either side of the entrance. The gatehouse was adorned with intricate carvings of dragons and phoenixes, so lifelike they seemed ready to leap off the walls.
Passing through the Lingxing Gate, they saw another gate in the distance, the main gate of the temple. This gate connected to the shrines of local celebrities and officials. The gatehouse was slightly taller than the Lingxing Gate, and even the pillars were carved with coiled dragons and dancing phoenixes. Entering through this gate, they arrived at the main hall of the temple.
They saw a platform in front of the hall, surrounded on three sides, with a central staircase leading up to it. The staircase was decorated with carvings of flowers and animals, and on either side stood a pair of stone lions. The hall was empty, so Yan Xia and Ella ventured inside.
The main hall was empty, but they could walk to the back, where they found the Chongsheng Shrine. The walls were adorned with intricate colored murals depicting various stories, and the entire temple exuded a sense of grandeur and weight. The carvings seemed to come alive.
"Is this the Ningyuan Confucian Temple?"
Yan Xia and Ella spent the night in the temple, and when they left the next morning, they found the streets filled with scholars and literati. It turned out that not far away was the Pingzhou Academy, one of the most renowned academies in all of Jingzhou, having produced countless great scholars.
They followed the flow of people and passed by a theater, from which the sounds of a Qi opera, "Crossing the Plum Garden," could be heard.
Yan Xia spent some time in this city, reluctant to leave.
They had already been traveling for two and a half days, and it was time to return, even though they hadn't fully explored the area.
"It's truly a shame to leave," Yan Xia said.
The natural and simple charm of this ancient era brought a sense of tranquility, allowing one to set aside all worries.
...
Returning to the Floating Continent, Yan Xia noticed that the other tourists shared his sentiment. The essence of tourism was experiencing the local culture, and the ancient culture here could enrich the cultural foundation of the viewers.
Yan Xia walked towards the cabin and sat on a sofa, observing a Lightwing scholar intently manipulating a virtual panel, which was hidden from view, only visible to the scholar.
"This is a scholar from the Lightwing race," Ella informed him after checking the scholar's information.
Yan Xia was curious. Why was this scholar, who had come for tourism, so tense? Was he researching something?
Through Ella, he obtained permission to view the scholar's virtual panel.
On the panel were incredibly complex formulas, and as Yan Xia studied them, his expression grew more serious. These formulas were none other than Fermat's Last Theorem.
This theorem was like a history of human mathematics and was closely related to string theory.
Status Power Mingguan
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Power 
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