Douluo: The Adventures of King Skin

"What I expect to happen is evil? What I expect to happen is evil? What I expect to happen is evil? Why is the evil consciousness like this? Why is the evil consciousness not like this?"

——"Zhuangzi·Equality of Things"

The atmosphere was weird, and everyone was not in the mood to participate in the rest of the ceremony, so they stood up and walked back in unison.

Pyrrhus went back with them.

Passing by a crowded place, the smell of blood and burnt sacrifices wafted over them. It was estimated that they had just killed a sacrificial cow.

Kadmiya strode past with a calm expression.

Maria was still serious, but she didn't explain anything further.

Deidamia was worried, and from time to time she raised her eyes to look at everyone's faces - Pyrrhus subconsciously tightened his lips.

Troyas's face was full of doubts. She grabbed Pyrrhus's clothes but was unwilling to hold his hand. She put her other hand on her shoulder.

Nikesi's face was red, and he was still a little dazed, as if he hadn't fully woken up, and just followed him blankly.

Cleopatra's expression was a little cheerful, but thoughtful.

Everyone has their own quirks.

Pyrrhus just paid attention to his legs and tried to walk as naturally as possible...

A gust of wind blew and my clothes felt wet.

This woman drools a lot...

and many more……

This taste...

It doesn’t seem like it’s all saliva…

He still wasn't sure what happened last night.

I can still taste a bit of irony on my lips, but I don't know if it's mine.

Maybe maybe...it's Dedamia's?

Does anyone remember what happened last night?

Do you want to discuss it with them?

However, according to the saying before the secret ceremony, this kind of thing cannot be spoken out, otherwise it will "die immediately" before it is spoken.

He doesn't care about it himself, but he still has to consider other people's feelings.

Himself...

He probably seems to be able to remember that he actually saw the so-called revelation.

——But I don’t remember it at all!

He probably seems to be able to remember that he did take advantage of it a little bit.

——But I don’t remember it at all!

Sometimes people have a dream all night and cannot remember any details when they wake up in the morning.

At this time, you will feel inexplicable pity, because the world in dreams is often much more beautiful than reality.

Now Pyrrhus felt a little confused and lost.

After all, it was a revelation!

Is the revelation real?

Or is it just an illusion?

But is the hallucination necessarily false?

Does the absurd experience of time travel have to be true?

Maybe this world is idealistic at all, and reality is just a degraded dream?

And revelation is the rare corner of reality that can be seen when you are "awake"?

He felt that everything in front of him was probably real...

Right?

On the way here, Pyrrhus felt that he was not strong enough.

Now looking at the warblers and swallows surrounding me, I can only feel an excessive emptiness, which can not but be said to be another kind of sadness.

In life, we are not only surrounded by external disturbances, but also controlled by internal hormones.

It can be said that everything is unsatisfactory.

Zhuang Zhou dreamed of a butterfly, which means he is suitable for his ambition.

When people are awake, they feel troubled and unfree, and when they are dreaming, they have no independent will. Can they feel free at such times?

Maybe dreams are the real reality, and people can remain calm when facing all the reality?

Perhaps freedom itself is an illusion that can only be experienced when one appears to be awake but cannot see reality?

perhaps……

Maybe Zhuang Zhou is still alive?

Maybe my little brain can't figure out this kind of problem in my whole life. Maybe it would be easier to just go to the east and ask Zhuang Ziwu, the great sage in this field! ?

…………

…………

It was still early when we returned to Athens, and there was still a layer of mist on the streets.

First send the master and apprentice to their residence, and then send Cadmiya back to the Acropolis.

No wave goodbye.

I originally wanted to invite the Egyptian mission to Lamia for academic exchanges, but now I don’t know how to ask.

Let’s go back and ask Manethos directly!

The four of them returned home. Fotiya hadn't gotten up yet, and the three girls had to go back to catch up on their beauty sleep.

Pyrrhus also spared himself the trouble of making excuses.

I secretly got some hot water and went back to my room.

**

As soon as he entered the room, Pyrrhus quickly took off his dirty clothes, and his attention was attracted by a pile of letters on the table.

The thickest portion at the top belonged to Pythias. Pyrrhus remembered what happened to Zhuang Zhou, so he picked it up and read it.

The navigator mentioned three things in his letter:

One was his ideas about shipbuilding and exploration.

The exploration routes he prepared were: one was to go west and continue to break through the Pillars of Hercules to explore the outer ocean. There were three routes: returning to the north, exploring Africa to the south, and exploring the ocean to the west; the other was to go east into the Black Sea and explore several routes. Large rivers, either the Polisthenis River entering the Kingdom of Bosporus, or the mouth of the Istus River entering the Gauls' territory on the west, may have a chance to find a passage into the North Pole from the east.

Therefore, he planned to build two types of ships. One was a light ship used to explore the mainland deep into the inland rivers, the kind that could be carried on the ground. What was lacking was personnel and equipment;

The other is a giant ship used for ocean voyages. It can carry a large amount of supplies, is equipped with new sails, and can be operated by a small number of people to maintain endurance to the greatest extent.

A preliminary sketch is also attached below.

The second is the progress of shipyard preparations.

The purchased giant wood has begun to dry, and the construction of the dry dock is progressing faster than expected, but the craftsmen we are looking for now have no experience in building large ships.

Thessaly was originally a people in the center of the land, and the Magnesians who lived near the sea were too technologically advanced. The only people with experience in shipbuilding were the Lamians who had suffered a lot, so there were no qualified craftsmen in the country. .

Pythias has sent people back to Masseria to ask for help, but it may take several months to come and go.

So he hoped that Pyrrhus could recruit a group of qualified craftsmen in Greece.

The third is to ask for money.

"..."

Don't mention money in advance.

Pyrrhus was interested in several of the routes mentioned by Pythias.

If we take the western route, the biggest obstacle now is the Carthaginians. They prohibit anyone from entering or exiting the Pillars of Hercules, which is the Strait of Gibraltar. In other words, they may have mastered a lot of hydrological data on the Atlantic coast, and may even have established They established many colonial strongholds - legend has it that they had completed a voyage around Africa hundreds of years ago.

Pyrrhus hoped for a diplomatic solution if possible and a peaceful sharing of all their maritime achievements.

In this way, there is no need to go to the northern and southern routes on the western route. As for the American route, which is too risky, we should wait until the new ship is launched to accumulate experience.

On the Eastern Front, Pyrrhus guessed that the two big rivers he was talking about were the Dnieper River and the Danube River?

In the upper reaches of the Danube River were the Gauls and the Germans, who had a large amount of human resources, and the Gauls may not only be good at making iron, but also had other skills that the Greeks did not know.

The upper reaches of the Dnieper River should now be the territory of the Scythians, but the word Scythia actually means "steppe". In short, they are some nomadic people, and you can trade horses with them.

Pythias said he wanted to reach the North Sea from the Dnieper River, well...

It's not impossible.

The sea level is now higher than in later generations, and the climate is also humid. It is very likely that Russia is still a lake and swamp, and opening up this shipping route is also of great significance.

If we consider it from the perspective of opening up the Eastern Sea Route, things are different.

There is no Suez Canal these days. If you take the Silk Road, you have to go through Ptolemaic territory or Seleucid territory and build new ships on the other side of the Indian Ocean. It is better to wait until Antigonus destroys them.

Or we could take the western route and go around the Cape of Good Hope, but I heard that it is one of the worst places in the world where sea conditions are so bad that it would be difficult for later warships to navigate.

Then there’s the legendary Northern Sea Route. With the temperature so high now, maybe we can try it?

There is also the seemingly dumber American route. If we find an ocean current route, it may be faster than taking the Indian Ocean?Pyrrhus couldn't tell.

In short, in terms of shipping routes, we should go from east to west, first inland rivers and then oceans.

As for building a big ship, he might have to ask his future father-in-law for help, who was the man who built the siege ship.