Chapter 281: Consuming Dragon Bones, Everyone Becomes Immortal, All as Dragons!
After the Empress had finished laughing, a situation now lay before her.
“Esteemed ministers, how should we handle the dragon bones?”
“Your Majesty…” Qian Yuanshen, the Minister of Revenue, stepped forward, “We can display the dragon bones and inform the people of the realm that the dragon bones are within our dynasty, signifying that the heavenly mandate is with us. This can boost the people’s morale and deter other nations!”
The Empress nodded approvingly, “You speak well!”
“Your Majesty…” Wang Rushui, the Minister of Works, stepped forward, “We can enshrine the dragon bones in the imperial mausoleum. This will suppress the nation’s fortune, safeguard our dynasty, and perpetuate our legacy! It will bless the Great Wu for generations to come and ensure its continuity!”
The Empress nodded again, pleased with the suggestion, “Well said!”
“Your Majesty…” Li Kaiguang, the Minister of War, stepped forward, “We can build a Hall of War centered around the dragon bones. It will not only enshrine the dragon bones but also honor the heroes from across the realm! This will surely boost the morale of our military and enhance our nation’s strength!”
Once again, the Empress nodded with great satisfaction, “This method is excellent!”
…
One after another, the officials put forward their ideas. Each suggestion delighted the Empress.
At this moment, the Empress noticed Lin Beifan standing in silence. She smiled and said, “Minister Lin, all the court officials have presented their opinions. What do you think? Share your thoughts with everyone.”
Lin Beifan stepped forward, looking at the court officials, and disdainfully stated, “Esteemed gentlemen, your perspectives are too limited!”
The officials immediately became displeased, and many of them spoke up.
“Minister Lin, what’s your insight?”
“Don’t just critique, share your ideas and let everyone hear them!”
“If you can’t come up with a better idea, then I won’t agree!”
…
Lin Beifan calmly clasped his hands, “Your Majesty, the suggestions made by the officials, such as displaying it to the realm, using it to suppress the nation’s fortune, or building a Hall of War, are all somewhat lacking in essence. They have completely missed the right direction! In fact, the greatest use of the dragon bones is for refining elixirs of immortality, allowing people to achieve immortality, transcend worldly limitations, and ascend as immortals!”
Elixir of immortality, transcendence as immortals!
With these eight words, the Empress’s and all the civil and military officials’ eyes lit up, and their breaths quickened!
The Empress urgently inquired, “Minister, are you speaking the truth?”
“How could I deceive Your Majesty?” Lin Beifan smiled and continued, “These dragon bones are inherently divine, remnants of a divine dragon, carrying its essence! It’s like eating what you want to become. By consuming dragon bones, it’s as if you’re ingesting an immortal elixir. How far can you be from becoming an immortal and transcending worldly constraints?”
The Empress nodded excitedly, as did the officials.
“Even if one cannot become immortal, extending one’s lifespan is still a possibility! Your Majesty, esteemed gentlemen, don’t you agree?”
Once again, the Empress and the officials nodded enthusiastically.
Lin Beifan stood before the dragon bones, excitement evident in his outstretched hands as he exclaimed, “Look, how massive these dragon bones are! Even if we use them to make soup, it would be enough for the entire nation to have a sip!”
“If, however, we forge these dragon bones into an elixir of immortality and have the entire nation consume it!”
“By doing so, everyone would become immortal, akin to dragons!”
With intense excitement, Lin Beifan continued, “We could establish an unsurpassed divine realm, exert control over the entire universe! Generation after generation, an eternal legacy! Above the heavens and below the earth, we would stand unrivaled!”
A sharp inhale echoed through the room. The Empress gasped, and the officials followed suit.
What a grand vision!
What an audacious spirit!
It completely surpassed their imagination!
It shook their souls!
The officials began to feel ashamed; were they looked down upon by Lin Beifan just moments ago?
Indeed, his disdain was rightful; compared to Lin Beifan’s ideas, theirs seemed utterly insignificant!
“Minister, can all this really be achieved?” the Empress asked with excitement.
Lin Beifan smiled slightly, “Your Majesty, where there’s a will, there’s a way! After all, now that we’ve even discovered dragon bones, is becoming an immortal or a sage still far-fetched?”
The Empress nodded in agreement, smiling, “Your words are absolutely correct! Minister Lin, among all the civil and military officials, you are the one I trust the most. Thus, I entrust this pair of dragon bones to you for handling. You must make good use of them and not let me down!”
Lin Beifan responded loudly, “Thank you for Your Majesty’s benevolence!”
“Furthermore, this matter is of great importance and must not be mishandled! Therefore, I grant you the authority to mobilize all the military forces within the capital to ensure the utmost security of the dragon bones. Make sure they are not tainted by others!”
Lin Beifan once again exclaimed loudly, “Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace!”
After gaining the right to handle the dragon bones, Lin Beifan immediately set his plans in motion.
The first thing he needed to do was to display the dragon bones, boost morale, and deter potential adversaries.
That very night, he announced the matter to the public.
The entire city was shocked and news spread across the world at an astonishing speed!
“Our court has actually discovered dragon bones as told in legends!”
“Is it true? In my entire life, I’ve never even seen a divine dragon, and yet, we’ve found dragon bones!”
“It’s very likely true! Today, 100,000 imperial troops left the city, accompanied by numerous experts, all for transporting this colossal artifact! If it wasn’t for the discovery of dragon bones, the court wouldn’t have gone to such lengths!”
“Is it true? We’ll know if we go and see tomorrow, won’t we?”
“That’s true!”
…
And so, the next day arrived. The city square was packed with a sea of people, all eager to see the dragon bones.
Lin Beifan stood before the colossal structure, facing tens of thousands of citizens, and loudly proclaimed, “Quiet down! Everyone, please be quiet! The dragon bones are about to be displayed. They are divine artifacts with spirits. Disturbing the dragon spirit above wouldn’t be a good idea! Therefore, let’s all watch in silence and avoid making loud noises!”
As the Prefect of the capital, Lin Beifan’s words held considerable weight.
As soon as he finished speaking, the scene instantly fell quiet, all eyes fixed on the colossal object behind Lin Beifan. Lin Beifan was very satisfied and loudly declared, “The auspicious moment has arrived. Let the unveiling begin!”
With Lin Beifan’s words still echoing, the massive curtain that covered the colossal object was lifted.
Thus, everyone saw a gigantic set of bones neatly arranged on the square.
The monstrous and terrifying colossal skull, the serpent-like coiled body, the five-clawed limbs resembling human hands, and the fish-like tail bone, around ten zhang in length…
Such a vivid image left no doubt, this was—
“It’s dragon bones!”
“These are indeed dragon bones!”
“Only dragons have bones of such massive size!”
…
The common people exclaimed in awe, their voices echoing in waves, creating a thunderous sound.
At this point, Lin Beifan gently waved his hand, and a cloud drifted down from the sky, revealing a hole within it. Sunlight shone through the hole, falling directly upon the dragon bones, creating a radiant and sacred scene.
“Dragon bones! They are truly dragon bones!”
The common people were extremely excited, now even more convinced.
Because only genuine dragon bones possessed such divinity, bestowed upon by the heavens and earth.
“Dear fellow countrymen, what does the discovery of dragon bones within our nation signify?”
With intense excitement, Lin Beifan declared, “It signifies that the heavens bless our Great Wu, guarding our citizens! Only with the heavens’ favor would they bestow dragon bones. This is an auspicious omen!”
“Heavens bless our Great Wu, guarding our citizens!”
“Heavens’ favor, bestowing dragon bones!”
“This is an auspicious omen!”
…
The common people became even more stirred up.
Lin Beifan continued loudly, “Therefore, it is at the behest of Her Majesty that I have displayed the dragon bones, allowing everyone to witness this divine artifact! We aim to convey that the way of heaven is within us, the will of heaven is with us, and the heart of heaven is with us!”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!” the crowd said in unison.
Without anyone leading the way, everyone knelt down one after another, worshipping the dragon bones!
And this matter gradually spread to other countries, reaching the ears of ambitious individuals.
“The Great Wu court discovered dragon bones and even displayed them publicly?”
“How is that possible? There are no dragons in the world to begin with. How could dragon bones exist? Could it be that the Great Wu court is playing tricks to deceive the common people into serving them?”
“This kind of trickery has long been overused. This king doesn’t believe those are real dragon bones! We must investigate further!”
“As soon as there’s any development, report it immediately!”
…
Various spies from all corners had arrived in the capital city. At this moment, the display of the dragon bones continued. To gain the trust of others, Lin Beifan summoned a cloud every day, revealing a hole in it to let sunlight shine through, creating the appearance of a divine light. He also secretly scattered some seeds into the ground, then controlled the energy of water and soil to nurture their growth. They quickly sprouted, blooming into an array of flowers, creating a miraculous scene.
At times, when Lin Beifan was in a good mood, he conjured a gentle drizzle, allowing it to sprinkle around the dragon bones in a small area. He then manipulated the underground water to bubble up, creating a unique and awe-inspiring phenomenon known as “Heavenly Dew and Earthly Springs.”
“This is a miracle!”
“The dragon bones are manifesting miracles!”
…
The common people became even more convinced. The ambitious figures who had been quietly observing from the sidelines were also gradually shaken!
Could it truly be dragon bones?
On the third night of the dragon bones’ exhibition, someone couldn’t sit still any longer and paid a late-night visit. Lin Beifan stood before the dragon bones and loudly questioned, “Lord Gao, it’s late at night, and you’ve come here. What’s the purpose of your visit?”
The visitor before him was none other than Gao Tianyao, the Minister of Personnel.
“Cough… cough…” Gao Tianyao coughed twice. “I’m here to see the dragon bones!”
Lin Beifan grinned. “I remember you coming every day. Could it be that you still haven’t seen enough?”
“I’ve seen enough! It’s just that this time, I came to… to…” Gao Tianyao hesitated and stuttered, “I came to touch the dragon bones up close. Please, Sir Lin, show some flexibility!”
Lin Beifan was taken aback. “Her Majesty ordered me to guard the dragon bones and not allow anyone to approach! If anything goes wrong, I’ll be held accountable! I don’t want to disappoint the Emperor’s favor. Lord Gao, do you think this is appropriate? Are you intentionally making things difficult for me?”
Gao Tianyao quickly said, “Sir Lin, please listen to me…”
Impatiently, Lin Beifan cut in. “Don’t waste words. I have one thing to say: If you want to touch, you have to pay!”
Gao Tianyao exclaimed, “What the heck!”
All the emotions I’ve been brewing and the lines I’ve prepared for so long, and you just threw me off with a single sentence!
“Sir Lin, how much do you want?” Gao Tianyao asked in a hushed tone.
Lin Beifan whispered back, “Well, it depends on how long you want to touch and how you want to touch! We’ve known each other for a long time. A touch costs 100,000 taels! If you scrape off a layer of skin, add another 100,000!”
Gao Tianyao exclaimed, “What the heck!”
