Chapter 195: Is the Golden Eye plug-and-play?
The question that Michelle had been wanting to ask all along was who the youth summoned earlier was.
She also wondered if the summoned spirit was actually Mr. Devil himself.
After all, how could she possibly summon a spirit of that level?
Summoning a spirit is like applying for a bank loan. If one doesn't go through the internal procedures, the qualification review alone would take a long time.
As an ordinary university student without a stable income, it is absolutely impossible for her to apply for a sufficient loan.
Unless she goes through the internal procedures, or maybe this bank is owned by her family.
It's hard for her not to have certain associations with these thoughts.
As a top student of Tulip, Michelle may be a country girl with limited exposure, but her knowledge surpasses the average level of society.
She is not easily fooled.
At the hospital, Alena held a lively discussion with her for several hours, trying to figure out the identity of the young man.
Unfortunately, they had never encountered this type of ability before, so they could only make simple guesses.
Insufficient experience cannot be compensated by knowledge storage. This was their first encounter with the "truth" they had actually witnessed up close.
Although the youth's appearance seemed incredibly real, with golden eyes and a golden tree, these were all symbols representing an inseparable connection with the golden tree.
But the analysis was stuck at this point.
The historical records of the Imperial Era have basically been buried, as every new era must sweep away the remnants of the previous era into the trash bin.
The Allied Nations' uprising from the bottom up successfully killed the empire, which is indeed a commendable achievement. But few people care about how the losers think. Descriptions of the empire are basically symbolic labels such as "feudal class," "reactionary faction," "nobility," etc. Most of those conservative imperial aristocrats were hanged from lampposts.
As for what kind of person the last emperor was?
No one knows... There are records about him, but very few in-depth details.
After his coronation, apart from some tangible records of achievements, such as conquering five countries, there were very few other records.
As for portraits, there are none. Even if there were, they wouldn't be very reliable. Is it possible that Zhu Yuanzhang really had a shoe horn-shaped face?
Family members? None. Personal biographies? Such as "My Coronation" or "Yes, Your Majesty"? None.
In fact, this is also in line with the treatment of the last emperor.
Most people tend to remember the heyday of a dynasty, but seldom remember its last ruler. From the Qin, Han, Three Kingdoms, Wei Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Five Dynasties, Ten Kingdoms, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, to Qing, with so many dynasties, many people can easily recall the prosperous times, but few can name their last emperors.
Except for the short-lived Qin Dynasty, the defiant demise of Chongzhen, or the brutal end of Yang Guang, who were all accomplished individuals in their own rights.
If one were to rely solely on memory, they might easily mistake Tang Xuanzong as a ruler of a fallen nation for many years, little knowing that the An Lushan Rebellion failed to exterminate the Tang Dynasty.
Everyone wishes they could go back to the Qin, Tang, or Ming dynasties, either to become the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's son, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's grandson, or to provide guidance to Emperor Li Er. But who would ever want to be an advisor to Emperor Hu Hai or serve as a secretary to Emperor Chongzhen?
Similarly, the history of an empire spans thousands of years, and many people are eager to discuss its peak periods of prosperity.
Historians commonly acknowledge that the first and last emperors of a dynasty are remarkable figures, yet public opinion regarding them varies greatly.
The first emperor at least is hailed as a hero who brought an end to an era of chaos, which is understandable. But what about the last emperor?
The Golden Power is an invincible path.
Oh, but you were stabbed to death with a sword.
I am the most powerful emperor in a thousand years, wielding the Golden Power to rule over the heavens.
Oh, but you were stabbed to death with a sword.
During my reign, the empire's territory was vast.
Oh, but you were stabbed to death with a sword.
Can we not talk about this?
Your empire is gone.
Let's talk about the way I was stabbed to death, shall we? Let me tell you, Liliana's touch feels amazing on my cheek.
Yes, there is a clear record in the history books – the fact that the emperor flirted with the first prime minister Liliana before his death.
I really don't know if the historians who recorded this were motivated by jealousy to include such a trivial incident in the biography.
It is imaginable what the people of allied countries would think of Liliana given her reputation.
After hundreds of years, neither Alena nor Michelle could imagine that the striking and heroic young man would be the last emperor.
Michelle's speculation leans more towards individuals from other periods of the empire's history.
During the era of allied countries, nobody possessed the Golden Power because it was exclusive to the royal bloodline.
However, the Golden Power could be bestowed upon a hero who received the blessings of gold, granting them the power of the incomplete Golden Power.
Such individuals are known as 'apostles', loyal to the imperial family, donning golden armor, and fighting for the emperor, wielding their blades with great skill.
The number of apostles in history is extremely small, and without exception, they were the contemporary heroes who expanded the empire's territory and pacified all corners.
Michelle had never seen the Golden Eyes, nor did she know how Golden Power manifested itself. Naturally, she couldn't distinguish between the "incomplete" and "complete" Golden Eyes. It couldn't be that one eye was bright while the other was not, right?
Usually, one eye is covered, and when needed, the seal is lifted, and then...
Kakashi, right?
Could it be that the Golden Eyes are also plug-and-play?
All kinds of speculations ultimately lead to no results. Michelle knew he was an "Heroic Spirit," speculating towards the direction of the dead.
However, Alena said it was an incarnation, and she seemed to hope that the other party was alive.
Michelle didn't have the heart to shatter the other party's beautiful fantasy. Perhaps she also entertained the speculation that the "Heroic Spirit" was Mr. Devil... If it were true, the two would have met.
But when Michelle heard Bai Wei speak his native language and realized he was from the Ming Country, her speculation no longer held.
The people from the Ming Country and the Golden Power simply couldn't be mixed together.
Her mood lightened a bit, but she couldn't pinpoint where the relief came from. There was some subtle disappointment, yet also a sense of inexplicable ease.
...
Leaving the dormitory, Bai Wei noticed that there were some subtle changes in the scenery of the tulips.
"The school anniversary is coming soon," Michelle remembered.
"The school anniversary?"
"Yeah, it's the tulips' school anniversary... Usually, it's not celebrated, but this year happens to be the 500th anniversary?"
"Five hundred years," Bai Wei paused, "So it was founded in the first year of the Swordflower Alliance?"
"When we say 'founded,' it was actually just a rebranding. When the Alliance Liberation Army arrived here, the teachers here took off the sign of the Imperial Royal Military Academy and replaced it with a blank plaque. Then they carried the plaque to find the Chief, who simply filled in a name and hung it here." Michelle remembered this piece of history because it was written in the student handbook. "It is said that those ugly words on the plaque hung for more than a hundred years before they were finally taken down and sent to the Gaodeng City Museum as a collection."
"After all, it was a peaceful liberation."
Listening to Bai Wei's tone, Michelle had the feeling of seeing her daughter change her surname after marriage.
"When is this school anniversary?"
"Probably in about a week?" Michelle suddenly wore a troubled expression. "Still a week away."
"Why?"
"This time, it is said that the school anniversary will invite students from other colleges, it's an internal gathering of the Swordflower Alliance."
"Is the Tulip Academy worried that you guys wouldn't find boyfriends or girlfriends in university, so they're boosting the birth rate in advance?"
"It's not that kind of gathering. This gathering, to put it nicely, is for mutual exchanges. But you can probably guess what kind of university alliance the Swordflower Alliance is, Mr. Devil."
In Bai Wei's mind, scenes from the dressing room suddenly replayed, along with the phrase "faq~" spoken with a serious tone.
No, not that... it's the college league.
But it's not a regular college league, it's an ice hockey league that requires a group of fighters and a forward responsible for mocking the opposing team.
Michelle continued, "The friendly match is a prelude to the college league... so fighting is inevitable."
Bai Wei exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't this just a stage for showing off?"
If people want to become famous, they need a stage, and the college league is a great place to gain recognition.
Michelle said, "Alena has already been signed up, so she can't avoid this kind of thing."
“Well, she's really unlucky, having to rush to the scene and mock right away."
“It's not all bad, though. There are prizes for this friendly match, and it won't be difficult for Alena to win the third prize with her skills."
“Prizes? Let me take a look..." Bai Wei looked at the bulletin board where the prizes were listed, "Third prize, Golden Branch... hmm↗"
“What's wrong, Mr. Devil?"
“Miss Michelle, now it's time for you to repay the favor!"
