Silver Appears

The people from the Honglu Temple have arrived.

Li Qi turned to look at the giant roc, which was only as tall as a person. "Senior, then we shall part ways here. You can go back and report to your teacher."

Dapeng seemed to feel particularly uncomfortable staying in the Tang Kingdom, so he immediately nodded. "Then take care, young master. By the way, please take this; it was left to you by Great Shaman."

As she spoke, she flapped her wings and waddled back to the parking space.

Li Qi then accepted the gift from the other party.

A... talisman? Made of bamboo?

It must be some kind of Law Treasure; let's keep it for now.

Looking up again, I saw that Dapeng had gone far away.

She didn't even dare to take off from the spot; instead, she had to return to her original position to take off again and then follow the flight path to leave this place.

Thinking about it carefully, she didn't go through Outer Heaven way, probably because she was afraid of being discovered.

She quickly disappeared from Li Qi's sight and went back to report.

The world cannot be explored at will, but the Outer Heavens are very likely to be detected by the Ranked Shaman.

After watching her leave, Li Qi stepped forward, not even bothering to bow, and walked straight up to her.

There was no other way; I was holding a rabbit that was curled up into a ball.

He looked at the two officials in front of him.

Honglu Temple Order Officer, Lower Subordinate Eighth Rank

Honglu Temple Regular, holding the Principal Ninth Rank.

Hmm... it really is quite a shabby welcoming procession.

But that's quite normal.

It's not like the Great Shaman is coming in person, there's no need for such a grand display.

It's not a big deal that an eighth-rank official came to greet him; his main purpose was to ensure that the Polaris Golden Core Method in his mind could remain in the Tang Kingdom.

After Li Qi walked out, he held the rabbit and said, "Thank you all for coming to greet me. Please lead the way."

"This way, young master. We have prepared the carriages and horses and are just waiting for your arrival." The magistrate named Chen Wei was neither humble nor arrogant, and had a businesslike expression on his face.

On the other hand, the regular customer named Fang Yuanzheng smiled broadly and said, "Young master, please come with us. We can admire the sights of Chang'an while we discuss our upcoming itinerary."

Li Qi nodded and followed the group forward.

After walking only a few steps, about a mile, Li Qi boarded a carriage from the Honglu Temple.

This appears to be a government vehicle, taking up quite a bit of space. It is pulled by two Savage Beasts that Li Qi doesn't recognize, and they look extremely ferocious and domineering.

The vehicle was three zhang tall and four zhang wide and long, resembling a small house.

The car comes in four colors, and while the decorations are not extravagant, they are not simple either; they have a rustic and dignified feel.

Once inside the car, the other ordinary employees of the Honglu Temple Ceremonial drove or busied themselves, Xia Li Qi, Chen Wei, and Fang Yuanzheng sitting in the largest compartment of the car.

Yes, this carriage is actually divided into different sizes. There are three rooms inside: one large and two small. The small rooms at the back are probably used for logistics and defense, not for carrying passengers.

The people from the Honglu Temple were all performing their duties, with only the two leaders, one senior and one junior, sitting with Li Qi.

Fang Yuanzheng seemed to be the one to strike up the conversation. As soon as he sat down, he took out a small square plate, which looked like some kind of token. "Is this your first time in the Central Plains, young master?"

Li Qi placed Shen Shuibi on his lap, used the table to cover the rabbit, and nodded. "Yes, this is my first time here."

"My Central Plains is as prosperous as brocade. Young master, you must see it for yourself. By the way, did you purchase any terminals before you came?" Fang Yuanzheng.

"Terminal? No, what is this?" Li Qi had never heard of this thing before, nor had he read about it in any books, so he asked.

"If you don't have one, then we'll give you one as a gift, young master. You'll know what it is once you try it out. In the Central Plains these days, you can't move an inch without a terminal," Fang Yuanzheng a smile. Then, he handed the token-like object to Li Qi.

As soon as Li Qi took it, he felt that the thing was trying to transmit a kind of 'Literary Qi' to him.

The Literary Qi can carry information, and not a small amount of it.

Li Qi curiously accepted the Literary Qi, assuming they were instruction manuals.

But he was wrong...

The moment he chose to accept, he felt that he had gained a certain 'authority'.

The world before his eyes had changed... no, it hadn't changed, but Li Qi was now able to see these things.

Ordinary users may not be able to see it; they can only see the surface.

But through True Knowledge Dao Charm, Li Qi saw that this terminal was connected to a great road.

The grand road that runs through the entire world!

Countless Law Treasure, along with these terminals, are connected as one through that great road.

The magical Law Treasure around us, including the floor tiles, walls, and some of the functions on the vehicle, all presented as visual operation screens, which could be selected simply by thinking.

With this permission, he can call a vehicle to pick him up, turn the tap on and off, heat the bath water, and so on.

It's like smart homes, but... it's expanded to the whole society.

All public facilities in Chang'an can be used!

Whether there are any available public restrooms, whether the bus should stop here, and where the mail should be delivered—this terminal covers everything from healthcare and cultural entertainment to transportation. You can control these public Law Treasure whenever you need them.

Moreover, there is information, which can not only be disseminated by oneself to communicate with others.

This... is a super-enhanced version of the internet?

The Internet? No, it's the Internet of Things (IoT), which has no delays, no signal loss, and relies on that grand road to form!

All the terminals and Law Treasure are connected to that great road.

That avenue can even traverse space and reach other worlds.

Through this terminal, he can directly access countless pieces of information, such as today's news that just popped up.

There was an author whose book was very successful.

A groundbreaking new discovery, based on profound Reason Way, has been made and will soon be put into use.

A wise man proposed a solution to the problem of redundant funds, which, if applied in practice, could greatly improve efficiency.

There was also news of great shows being staged, concerts by famous performers and renowned singers.

News of a major movement being fully implemented.

New types of equipment, and news of successive victories on the East China Sea battlefield.

Li Qi even saw himself on the push notification on the terminal. There was a notice that the young master of Wushen Mountain was coming to Chang'an to study, and there were a few comments below.

All news is pushed directly to the device, allowing you to read it anytime, anywhere.

An information collection terminal.

In addition to these information centralization functions, this also allows individuals to directly apply for and access certain social resources by paying a certain price.

From basic food delivery to commercial financial services, reporting emergency repairs, and so on, different people will receive different tasks, and at the same time, they will be called upon by others according to their profession.

Everyone became a part of the operation of the massive machine that is the Tang Kingdom.

This is the ultimate and complete Internet of Things, monitoring countless places while also providing convenience for everyone.

They gave up some freedom in exchange for ultimate convenience.

Through this terminal, he could even see that this avenue had granted the two officials of the Honglu Temple some special privileges, allowing them to directly access certain powers of this avenue.

Li Qi now understood.

This is the essence of 'official position'.

This great road draws upon the power of Human Path... no, it might even be Human Path itself!

In the area it covers, the power of all beings who voluntarily join is integrated and then distributed for use.

This is a great road that connects countless worlds and gathers the power of countless worlds.

Li Qi even sensed it...

When I used my terminal to access this major road, I was also integrated into it.

It's not about forcibly seizing it, but rather that if one wants to use the functions of this Great Dao, then one must provide their own power to it.

You have to pay a price for ordering someone to deliver takeout or using public Law Treasure.

Li Qi is an outsider, but he still has to pay a price, which seems to be some kind of currency.

This currency, however, requires completion for others.

There are no middlemen, no bosses or anything else to squeeze money out of you; it's just an exchange of labor.

By providing services to others, such as selling my own elixirs or helping others refine weapons, I can accumulate a certain currency for myself within these rules.

With this currency, one can make payments and have others serve one's needs.

Through the True Knowledge Dao Charm, Li Qi could perceive...

Therefore, users of this terminal must provide services to others while demanding services from them.

Does it mean "everyone for me, and I for everyone"?

Under the regulation of that major road, it seems that this has indeed been achieved.

There is absolutely no redundant communication in between, which greatly reduces the communication costs in between. No one will charge 'management costs' or generate 'profits'.

Seemingly noticing Li Qi's surprised expression, Fang Yuanzheng immediately explained, "I have heard that you are a man of great learning, so I suppose you already understand the function of this item."

"Within the Tang Kingdom, everyone possesses this terminal. It was created by the great Daoist master Mo Dun in the past. Based on the dragon vein of our Tang Kingdom, it forms a passage that connects all the heavens and myriad worlds, allowing for the exchange of goods and services. Under the rules, each entity is interconnected, utilizing the information processing mechanism formed by the Daoist Qimen Dunjia Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. His Majesty calls it a wonder of our time and personally bestowed upon it the name 'Pillar of All Realms'." Fang Yuan was explaining the origin of this object to Li Qi.

Dragon Vein?

In other words... the great path that runs through the world, seen through the True Knowledge Dao Charm, is not the Human Path itself, but merely the Dragon Vein of the Tang Kingdom.

Wait, didn't the Dragon Vein of the Tang Kingdom explode?

Even Li Qi had heard that the rebellion in the Tang Kingdom in the past directly led to the previous emperor shattering his own dragon Dragon Vein and making a desperate gamble, which is how he turned the tide.

It's only been a short time, and it's already been rebuilt?

While Li Qi was surprised, he also controlled the terminal and tried to output some information into it.

For example, he wants to see what records he has made on it.

But as soon as I started searching, a message popped up.

The medical appointment booked by user Li Qi (甲戌乾壹零肆六拾柒柒谵) has been registered. He is registering on behalf of his wife, Shen Shuibi (乙申震肆壹肆柒伍拾柒六零). The Vice Minister of the Honglu Temple has granted free medical care. Please prepare and submit your application. A suitable clinic will be arranged. Click below to apply. If you are unable to attend after applying, you will be required to pay a 10% penalty, totaling four million taels of silver, plus a Grade 8 Upper World title.

Silver!

Li Qi was stunned.

He wasn't surprised that Shen Shuibi had successfully registered, since he already knew about it and had gone through a lot of trouble with the Honglu Temple to get it.

What truly surprised him was the silver!

Throughout the entire Wushen Mountain region, including the Baiyue region, there has never been anything called 'silver'; silver simply does not exist in the monetary system.

Unexpectedly, they found silver in the Tang Kingdom, and it turned out that silver was actually being used as currency.

In other words, the 'currency' I had previously guessed was actually silver.

Did the Tang Kingdom use silver as currency?

Why is that? Is there a deeper meaning?

Upon arriving, Li Qi was filled with doubts.

Fang Yuanzheng still chattering incessantly in his ear about the wonders of the 'Nexus of All Realms'.

Li Qi couldn't stand it any longer and interrupted the other person, asking, "Fang Changke, may I ask about this silver?"

Fang Yuanzheng, who was interrupted, was not annoyed, but smiled and said, "Ah, young master is still young, I'm afraid you have never seen this before?"

"Silver, like gold, copper, iron and tin, is a metal in the world and used to be called the Five Metals. However, now only the Central Plains has it, because a great man has emerged in the Central Plains, known as 'Lord Qian'."

Fang Yuanzheng introduced, "Qian Jun is good at managing finances, can handle ten thousand affairs a day, and is good at circulation. He wrote to His Majesty, and united the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of the Imperial Treasury, and the Ministry of Finance to collect silver from all over the country and use it as currency. He also restricted the use of silver in transactions with the Central Plains. He eventually achieved enlightenment by collecting silver from all over the country as the foundation of his Dao. He is currently the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and his official rank is the fourth grade."

"Now, silver is the primary currency, copper coins are used as a supplement, and world currency is used as a form of large-value document; this has become the norm," Fang Yuanzheng said to Li Qi with a smile.

But Li Qi couldn't laugh.

He immediately realized what it was.

The US dollar... no, silver hegemony!?

The four million taels of silver was a 10% penalty for breach of contract, meaning the total treatment cost was no more than forty million.

Forty million coins could be exchanged for a specialized Human Path Medical School from the Tang Kingdom to treat a fatal injury of a fifth-grade cultivator.

Silver is just an ordinary substance.

By using silver as the base currency for exchanging Tang Kingdom's productivity, it was easy to promote silver to all realms and even exert influence throughout the world.

In this way, as long as the Tang Kingdom controls the minting of silver coins, it can levy taxes on all the myriad worlds and even the entire world, while establishing a silver hegemony and easily harvesting a large amount of resources from all the myriad worlds using silver, which is entirely mortal.

Just think how outrageous that is.

Wushen Mountain treated Yang Ning and gave her a sun of the sixth rank!

The treatment for Shen Shuibi only cost 40 million taels of silver plus ten eighth-grade worlds.

In other words, under the value system of silver hegemony, forty million taels of silver plus several eighth-grade worlds can buy a sun that is at least a sixth-grade one, or even more expensive, because Shen Shuibi's injuries are more serious than Yang Ning's.

The 'Nexus of All Realms' that previously benefited all people was Human Path.

The current Silver Hegemony is also Human Path.

Li Qi continued listening to the officials from the Honglu Temple Ceremonial rambling on and on.

A glimpse of the leopard through a tube reveals only a part of its brilliance.

Li Qi continued listening to the two officials' descriptions, and gradually sketched out a three-dimensional, real Tang Kingdom in his mind.