271: Chapter 69: The Age-Old Dream of Billions of Citizens 271: Chapter 69: The Age-Old Dream of Billions of Citizens “The time-space of the Outer Dimension is not stable, being influenced by both the Real World and Dreamland, as well as other higher dimensions.”
“The first time you all entered the school, it was at night because you knew nothing about it, and you had no clear concept in your minds.
‘School’ was just a place your subconscious associated with where you believed you were, so it manifested as a school.”
“When you entered the same dimension for the second time, including those students who hadn’t awakened yet, you all had the concept of a school in your minds, and that’s why the darkness disappeared.
To summarize, what you saw was what you wanted to see.”
The next day back in reality, Nurse Liu answered all of Wang Yunxiao’s questions in class.
“Why do I say this dimension is relatively safe?
Because you were the first ones to enter, what this dimension specifically shows in terms of structure and scene entirely depends on your own recognition.”
“The reason I didn’t tell you the truth is that once I add my description, your perception would be biased.
Even my own understanding would interfere with the dimension, bringing unknown risks to you.”
“As for the other dimension you entered last night, that is a world that has essentially matured, which we generally call the Dynastic World.
You might have realized that the operating rules of that world are absurd and unreasonable…”
“Unfortunately, in many people’s established cognition, such a world is what the real world truly looks like.”
Nurse Liu drew a circle on the blackboard and wrote the large characters for ‘Dynasty’.
“Those living in the Imperial City have been enjoying luxurious lives from an early age, indulging in the utmost opulence of the world.
Their vision is blocked by palace walls, and their only understanding of the real world comes from regional reports.”
“The vast nation and its territories, as well as the people living on this land, are nothing more than numbers on paper to them.
How much territory is lost, how many people have died, it’s all just changes in numbers.”
“To them, the commoners’ only value is to pay taxes.
And even such a simple demand cannot be met without dying in large numbers or rising up in rebellion on a whim—it’s really harder to take care of them than cats and dogs.
This is the most basic understanding of the commoners from the perspective of those inside the palace walls.”
“The Emperor, although able to review memorials and learn more about worldly affairs, is but one person; he does not represent the entire dynasty.
Inside the palace walls are also the royalty and nobility, concubines and eunuchs, princes and imperial grandsons, as well as a large group of people who rely on them; together, they constitute the entire dynasty.”
“On the other hand, the ordinary people’s understanding of the dynasty is also limited to the Emperor wearing a Dragon Robe and sitting in the Golden Chariot Hall.
They know there’s a city called the Capital where the Emperor resides, an Emperor who has inexhaustible gold and silver, endless food, and countless armies.
Whenever natural disasters and calamities strike, with everyone struggling to survive, they can only gather to rebel.”
“But why rebel?
And what to do after rebelling?”
“Simply put, enter the city, grab food, survive.”
“If they aspire for something higher, they’d seize the Capital, take the Emperor’s gold, silver, and food, and turn their fate around.”
“Ultimately, that’s all there is to it.”
“You find that world absurd because you are living in a new era, where you have learned new knowledge at school.
It is a new age that your predecessors have earned for you through decades of relentless effort and struggle.”
“Our nation has four hundred million people, and ninety-nine percent of them still live in the old dreams you can’t see.
We can solve tangible enemies with guns, but these intangible shackles can only be dissipated by decade-long, even century-long efforts.”
Standing at the podium, Nurse Liu looked down at the students who were listening intently.
“Don’t worry too much about choosing sides in the Dynastic World, as it’s just a place for your experience.
Dreams are just dreams; it doesn’t matter which side you choose.
The question you should consider is what choices to make in the Real World.”
Wang Yunxiao raised his hand to ask a question, “Teacher Liu, based on what you’re saying, can we still practice the Martial Arts Techniques we exchanged for?”
“You can practice them.
This Martial Arts is genuine, and the level of compilation is quite good.
To be honest, I’m somewhat impressed that you were able to exchange for this Martial Arts on your first entry into the Dynastic World.”
Nurse Liu shrugged, “Although what we see as the dream of the old world, we are actually a very small group.
Many people take it for granted, and many more yearn for the dream to become reality.
Once a fixed impression is formed in the collective subconscious, even if it is not true, it can be passed off as true.”
“The Martial Arts collection of the Thousand-Year Dynasty is exceedingly rich.
After all, for the Imperial Court, gathering various Martial Arts from the Jianghu World wasn’t a difficult task.
Take for example the ‘Hundred Thousand Mountains and Rivers’ you exchanged for; it is both a fist manual and a Body Refining Cultivation Technique, including military formations for cooperative combat called Mountain and River Formations.”
“In the palace, there are Martial Doctors who collect the strengths of various schools to compile such a comprehensive catalog of Martial Arts, used to train Imperial Bodyguards and Imperial Guards.
It even has advanced versions specifically tailored for Martial Path prodigies, more than one indeed.”
Wang Yunxiao couldn’t help but ask, “Teacher Liu, if they had such powerful Martial Arts Techniques before, why was the Former Dynasty still overthrown?”
It was because the President was godly and mighty, beating the lousy Emperor to his knees begging for mercy!
(Not really)
The question was actually a bit sensitive, but Nurse Liu still answered seriously.
“If there truly were supreme powerhouses guarding the Imperial City, suppressing the nation’s fortune, they could indeed maintain the illusory splendor of a thousand years.
However, the Secret Manuals of the Imperial Court could not produce true top-tier powerhouses.”
“I’m not very knowledgeable about the practice of the Martial Path, but from what I’ve heard, a martial practitioner who only practices martial skills without cultivating the heart can only become second-rate.
Real top-tier Martial Artists at least have to cultivate their minds to completion.
But the Imperial Court’s first requirement for a Martial Artist is loyalty.
If loyalty is placed before the Martial Heart, no matter how many Divine Skill Secret Manuals there are, one cannot cultivate to the highest level.”
“There’s another important reason—it’s a different era.”
“When the Foreigners knocked on the national gates, with Western education introduced into the Central Land and the citizens began to observe the world, those supposed top-tier Martial Artists and Great Grandmasters, if they continued to cling to conservative and outdated ideas and failed to adapt to the flow of the times, they were doomed to be discarded by the era, becoming history’s refuse.”
“The President personally laid the last handful of earth on that bygone era.”