Looking Back on the Past

"I'm so hungry!"

"Wouldn't you be full after just one breath of Spiritual Qi?"

"What are you saying? If you're going to pretend to be an ordinary person for a day, how can you give up before the time is up?"

"."

"And it's all your fault! You kept me up all night last night, boohoo!"

Yang Ning rolled her eyes and immediately covered the girl's mouth. "Don't talk about this in the street!"

The girl's eyes were clear, yet filled with confusion. "Why? Isn't this just common sense and human nature?"

"Common sense is common sense, but it's a common sense that can't be discussed openly!"

"But I used to hear the elders talk about these things all the time, saying things like how the top courtesan at the Yihong Courtyard was all like this and that."

"So Taiheng is gone. That era of moral decay and depravity is over. Now it's a new era, and it should have new customs and a new atmosphere!"

"Oh oh!"

I watched as a young girl walked ahead, wearing a light gray knit sweater of unknown name, revealing her snow-white, straight, and slender legs that seemed to glow, Valentino high heels that showed off her ten round and smooth toes, and her hair tied in a bun, bouncing around with boundless energy.

Who would have thought that she would be Hengming, the immortal artifact that had protected Taiheng for 300,000 years!

Indeed, Hengming ultimately chose to become a woman.

As for the reason, Yang Ning didn't know either; all he could say was, "Boys, you can't guess what's on a girl's mind."

"I want to eat this!"

"Purchase!"

"I want to eat this!"

"Purchase!"

"I want to eat this!"

"I'll buy some too! Two servings, boss!"

"Okay!"

Walking along a snack street in Panjing, the two ate as they went. They ate dozens of kilograms of food, yet their bellies didn't bulge. Their mouths were greasy from all the various delicacies, but they still couldn't get enough.

"If I'd known being human was this good, I would have studied the Shapeshifting Technique sooner!" Hengming said excitedly, still holding a large bunch of kebabs in his hands. Suddenly, he changed the subject. "No, if I had transformed too early and met you, I wouldn't have this kind of life!"

"What was life like during the Taiheng era?" Yang Ning asked.

Even though he knows all of this, you don't need to pretend to be Omniscient and Omnipotent in front of your girlfriend. Satisfying her desire to confide in you is the most important thing.

"Hmph, those people over there are all so arrogant. They're a little more restrained in front of me, but in front of ordinary people, they practically stick their noses up to the sky!" Hengming said angrily. "Those restaurants and eateries don't serve poor people either. Not only can they not afford the food, they can't even get into the cities where cultivators live!"

"The food there is indeed delicious, but it's all obtained by exploiting ordinary cultivators and common people. Just thinking about how they treated me to these things back then makes me want to vomit!"

"And then there are the ordinary people, who not only lack food and clothing, but also live in thatched huts. They toil all year to grow crops, only to reap meager rewards. Countless ordinary people freeze or starve to death every year. They struggle to survive, let alone run a food stall!!"

Yang Ning patted Hengming's shoulder in silence, intending to comfort him, but the smooth touch made his mind wander.

But today he's just a mortal, and he's too lazy to suppress these strange hormones; let them think whatever they want.

"All of this is because of you. Without you, I wouldn't even know what a normal world or a normal country should be like!" Hengming turned his head and looked at Yang Ning with deep affection.

Yang Ning smiled and said seriously, "I acknowledge my contributions, but it can't all be attributed to me. I didn't create all the rules and regulations of Great Xia today. You should thank the older generation of revolutionaries. Without their sacrifices, we wouldn't be enjoying what we have today!"

Especially the teacher; without him, Yang Ning could not have been born into a modern world where everyone is equal and where trust and harmony are valued.

Without twenty years of modern life, he would never have conceived the idea of changing the world.

After all, people cannot imagine something they have never seen, just as people living in a three-dimensional world will never know what a four-dimensional world is like.

"Next, shall we go see a movie?"

"OK!"

The Great Xia Dynasty attaches great importance to the cultural industry, so it has not only brought in elite directors, screenwriters, actors, and camera equipment from all over the world, but also brought in countless great writers, poets, and historians from history.

Various historical stories, human emotions, urban legends, and myths are all within the scope of Da Xia's filming.

These films will not only be shown within the Great Xia Dynasty, but will also be exported to many other places such as the South Sea Man Family, the Demon Alliance, the Tianfei Palace, the Three Ring Island, the Jiang Yun Nation, and the Tianyi Sect.

As for the role of movies, they may seem like just something to watch for entertainment, but in reality, they can subtly make a person feel good about the place where the movie's story takes place, thus silently shaping a nation's collective memory of another country.

Of course, these memories cannot be fabricated. After all, we live in the internet age. You claim to be a beacon of civilization, but when you visit your country, you find drug addicts everywhere, prostitutes on the streets, and even Lolita islands at sea. Where is the civilization in this beacon? What does it illuminate?

If you engage in false advertising and are discovered, the consequences of a national collapse and the effects of a celebrity's collapse are different, but roughly the same.

Since the Great Xia Dynasty was upright and had nothing to fear, it naturally had nothing to fear from these things.

Moreover, Emperor Yang Sheng of the Great Xia Dynasty loved farming, Empress Little Dragon Girl was stunningly beautiful and gentle in nature, Chen Ke was tough in his dealings with foreign countries, used both soft and hard tactics in diplomacy, and possessed the refined and gentle temperament of a gentleman.

Needless to say, Zhuge Liang was eight feet tall and had a magnificent appearance. His looks alone could captivate countless people, not to mention his abilities in governing the country and leading the army.

There are also Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Di, Li Shimin, all of whom were handsome and capable fighters.

These high-ranking officials of the Great Xia Dynasty, just by looking at them, could attract a large number of fans. Coupled with their approachable personalities, people from all over the country would look at the group and then at their own sect leaders and lords who didn't treat ordinary people like human beings, and their inclinations would naturally follow.

These days, it's become popular to travel to Daxia via a strait, because the western part of Diluo Temple and the northern part of Daxia Demon Plain are separated only by a strait less than 80 kilometers wide.

Anyone with a cultivation level of the sixth Body Refinement Realm could easily run across the seawater.

After touring Panjing, Hengming wanted to see historical sites in various places, so Yang Ning had no choice but to go along with him.

What was originally agreed upon as a one-day mortal encounter was extended to two, three, four, and five days at Hengming's insistence.

Arriving in Linyang by high-speed rail, I found myself at the border of two provinces. The area has developed significantly, with the original outer walls demolished and the area expanded many times over.

The Linyang Valley opposite Linyang was widened, and four eight-lane tunnels were built. In the center of Linyang Valley and Linyang City, a Linyang Museum was also built to commemorate the Battle of Linyang.

The two followed the tour guide, looking at the various armors, swords, bows, and firearms in the exhibition hall.

"Because this was the first time firearms appeared on the battlefield, this gun was named the Linyang-style, and the first enemy he killed was a scion of a certain Aristocratic Clan in Taiheng back then." The tour guide's clear voice rang out. "At that time, firearms did not have various rune arrays installed, and the bullets were not decorated with runes. If one activated Divine Sense or had a fast reaction speed, the firearms could not harm cultivators. However, the cultivator at that time was completely unfamiliar with firearms, and his unfamiliarity with the mechanism produced an effect similar to 'first encounter kill'!"

"Did you do this on purpose?" Hengming grabbed Yang Ning's arm and asked curiously, "It seems like all the disciples sent to Great Xia by those Aristocratic Clan are dead!"

"Of course it was intentional!" Yang Ning nodded. "If they seize power in the rebel army, what difference would there be between Great Xia and Taiheng? I don't want them to be reincarnated in Great Xia!"

"Impure World Reincarnation?"

"Oh, it's a technique, you can think of it as possession of another's body!"

Hengming blinked. Possession, Body Snatching?

Taiheng Body Snatching the Great Xia? That's a very apt description indeed.

"This is the tomb of General Wei Yan. At that time, General Wei Yan underestimated the enemy and advanced recklessly, but was ambushed and killed by our well-prepared forces. From then on, the Great Xia entered Linyang and began the road to unifying the world. Although General Wei Yan was an enemy, he loved his soldiers like his own children and did not oppress the common people during his tenure. He was also a first-rate general, so a tomb was erected for him. Our museum was also built on the site of Wei Yan's tomb!"

"Did you also command this?" Hengming asked again.

She knew Yang Ning had clones, but she didn't know exactly how many.

Therefore, when she discovered that the situation in the Great Xia was strange, she would speculate: Is this person his clone? Is that person...?

It was just speculation back then, but now we can finally ask the person in question.

"It was me!" Yang Ning nodded. "Otherwise, given the situation at the time, Great Xia would have been stuck here for decades!"

"I knew it!" Hengming nodded.

"Besides, you can't entirely blame me. That's just Wei Yan's personality. I only gave him a slight hint in his mind!" Yang Ning said.

His method of directing his clones was simple: set the overall goal of unifying the Great Xia Dynasty, and let everyone else do whatever they wanted.

However, apart from a few who knew it and a few who guessed it themselves, the vast majority of these clones were unaware that they were clones.

They truly believed that Imperial Heaven, Queen Earth had taken pity on them and given them another chance.

Wei Yan was like that. He thought to himself, "Back in Shu Han, I wasn't valued. After Zhuge Liang died, my status was even lower than that of Yang Yi. Now that I've come to a new world, why should I still follow Shu Han?"

The Great Xia is weak, and its emperor is no good either. Why not seize the Great Xia and become king myself!

The moment the thought crossed his mind, and with a little prompting from Yang Ning disguised as a soldier, he acted impulsively.

"What about the time with Er Feng?" Hengming asked, "Was that also you?"

Yang Ning was somewhat surprised. "Wow, your military skills are amazing! You found both of these crucial points!"

"Hehe..." Hengming chuckled, "It's not that I'm particularly good, everyone online says so!"

Yang Ning nodded. Er Feng had fought in the south and north, rising from a mere few hundred men to become the emperor of the Great Tang. Her strength was recognized by everyone.

Unfortunately, when they encountered Zhuge Liang, they lost their heads, underestimated the enemy, and acted rashly.

Some speculate that Er Feng did this to help Zhuge Liang, while others say it was normal for Er Feng. He had done this many times before, leading dozens of cavalry to scout enemy positions, and it wasn't without its failures. This time, however, the failure was more thorough, and he himself was captured.

However, the latter argument is untenable. His previous reconnaissance missions were against insignificant targets, but this time he's facing Zhuge Liang! How could he underestimate him?

Both sides have their own reasons!

The greatest truth naturally lies with Yang Ning.

"Of course I was in command!" Yang Ning nodded. "After all, with Er Feng's abilities, Kongming might not be able to guarantee a win."

Kongming is certainly powerful, but Er Feng's battle record is too exaggerated. It's common for her to fight against tens or hundreds of thousands of enemies with only a few thousand. If she really manages to manipulate things, wouldn't that create unnecessary variables?