Chapter 763 35: The Mysterious East, Sacred Julu

And the rumors about Julu are becoming more and more numerous.

People always tend to idealize things.

This is especially true for those whose thoughts are just beginning to take root.

It is precisely because of complete unfamiliarity that they are left with ample room for imagination.

And this wave.

Once again surged with the return of the Ghanaian envoys from Kyushu, becoming even more prevalent.

.....

Kunbisaleh, the King's Palace.

Tunqamanin sat high on the throne, his eyes burning as he stared at the dusty leader of the returning envoy, the flickering candlelight illuminating the messenger's face, still showing the shock and daze as if in a dream.

"Speak," the king's voice was low, carrying unquestionable authority, "Tell me everything you saw in that Eastern Kyushu, especially the Gu Clan's foundational Julu, and the capital city of their immense dynasty."

The envoy took a deep breath, as if it required tremendous effort to transform the mind-bending sights into words.

"Your Majesty," his voice trembled slightly with excitement, "That Kyushu... its vastness far exceeds our imagination, like an endless continent."

"But the most mind-shattering aspect is the... order and prosperity on that land."

He first described the Song Dynasty's capital they arrived at, named "Kaifeng" or "Bianjing" by the Gu Clan: "Your Majesty, it is a... a living behemoth constructed of bricks, flowing water, and people!"

"The city walls soar like mountains, and the streets within are wide as squares, enough to accommodate ten horse-drawn carriages side by side!"

"After nightfall, the city does not sleep. Countless objects called lanterns ignite the night, bright as day, with markets bustling until dawn. The sea of lights and sounds is enough to swallow ten Kunbisaleh!"

"Water there is not a precious gift but a tamed servant." The envoy gestured, attempting to help the king understand the unimaginable scenes, "Not only are there clear, bottomless canals crisscrossing the city, but cargo-laden ships shuttle back and forth, and there is a massive waterwheel powered by water that lifts river water to high places, irrigating the boundless rice fields and gardens around the city."

"It is not a river, Your Majesty, they are dragons chained to serve people!"

"And... glass." The envoy uttered an unfamiliar word, carefully taking a monocular telescope from a silk pouch, "The dignitaries of the Gu Clan call it a thousand-mile eye."

"Through it, you can clearly see antelopes leaping on sand dunes several miles away!"

"And in Bianjing, this glass, clearer than the purest crystal, is heavily embedded in the windows of noble houses, allowing sunlight to pour in unobstructed, making the interiors as bright as being in the sea of light blessed by Allah!"

"They even use it to make exquisite cups, allowing one to clearly see the color of the nectar when drinking!"

Shifting the topic, he finally mentioned the legendary land: "However, Your Majesty, even such a miraculous Bianjing in the eyes of the Gu Clan seems not to be the pinnacle of wisdom."

"They speak with immense reverence of their family's roots—Julu."

The envoy's tone became more mysterious and longing: "It is a land said to have been nurtured by peace for a thousand years, with no high walls, no standing army, yet possessing the profound wisdom that even Bianjing admires."

"All of the Gu Clan's secrets—arts of manipulating stars, skills to improve species, are said to originate from there."

"Julu is described as a living library, a utopia governed by knowledge and virtue."

"Privately, the students say, that is the true source of Kyushu's wisdom, a temple of knowledge!!!"

The envoy finally prostrated on the ground, his voice filled with utmost sincerity and awe: "Your Majesty, all that Lord Gu said, is the truth!"

"The strength of Kyushu does not lie in its weapons, but in its principles of harnessing objects and governing people!"

"Bianjing demonstrates its overwhelming power, while Julu symbolizes its profound wisdom!"

"What they possess is not the golden wealth we understand, but... the authority to harness everything and define order!"

As the envoy spoke, he had people bring out records from that time.

There were also various paintings.

All these were insights from their time in Kyushu, including the immense respect numerous Kyushu people had for this legendary family.

Dead silence filled the hall.

The scrolls were passed around among the nobles in the hall, each person's face showing an incredulous expression.

Is all this real?

Could such a capital city really exist in the world?

Even as everything before them seemed so real, they still found it hard to believe, even questioning if they were dreaming!

It completely exceeded their worldview!

But what lay before them left them with no choice but to believe!

Because these envoys brought back not just these accounts, but many artifacts of Kyushu!

And these are the realities they had to accept!

Even though they had some anticipation of Kyushu's strength, at this moment, even Tunqamanin had to admit that Kyushu's strength had entirely surpassed their imagination.

The entire hall was silent for a long time.

Until, after a long period, Tunqamanin broke the dead silence in the hall once more.

"From today onward..."

"You must remember, do not provoke the envoys from Kyushu."

He was referring to Gu Zi and others.

As the influence of the Gu Academy gradually spread throughout Ghana, its propaganda also began to exert a certain influence on the noble governance of Ghana.

Many people wanted Gu Zi dead.

But they were frustrated by the lack of opportunity.

And this time, Tunqamanin singled everything out with a formal warning!

He absolutely could not let anything happen to Gu Zi!

Of course, this was not entirely due to fear of a place like Kyushu, but because of his ambition as a formidable ruler.

Now that Ghana had established a connection with distant Kyushu.

Even though the journey to Kyushu was extremely arduous, filled with countless uncertainties, what did it matter?

Why couldn't Ghana seize this opportunity to become even stronger?

If it were an inept ruler.

This group with Gu Zi might have been apprehended right away, but Tunqamanin was very different indeed.

He was ambitious.

Hearing this, a group of Ghanaian nobles nodded slightly.

They dared not refuse.

Not only due to the pressure from Tunqamanin but also a fear of the unknown.

....

As the matter continued to ferment, all kinds of rumors about Kyushu also spread across Ghana entirely.

Of course, almost everything had been excessively mythologized.

Especially regarding all things related to the Gu Clan!

——The common people wouldn't pay attention to the grandeur of a nation; they'd focus on things that capture their interest.

And to the people of Ghana,

The Gu Clan happened to be the existence they were most fascinated with.

When various private messages spread from the palace, stories about what generations of the Gu Clan had done were told with great flair.

Stories of immortals who could control great waters with a wave, ensuring abundant harvests everywhere.

Stories of invincible beings who never tasted defeat in their lifetime.

How blissful is the life of the people in Julu?

"Mysterious East...."

"Holy Julu."

All these things were continuously fermenting with time.

And with that came the rise of seafaring.

In addition to nobles who dispatched individuals to explore, countless commoners, driven solely by their faith, set out to sea in those primitive boats.

Even knowing they might die, they were fearless.

Because they believed their sincerity would safely carry them to Kyushu!

No one could deter their determination.

Gu Yi had been silently observing all this, for in fact, the activities of the Ghanaian envoys upon arriving in Kyushu had undoubtedly been orchestrated by him; without him, these people would not have reached Julu.

He wished to see how things would unfold when the entire Gu Clan seriously pursued something overseas.

Even though there might be some risks involved, he had to do this.

As the era continued to advance.

For the Gu Clan to step onto the world stage was already imminent.

And entirely different from before.

As the matter with Tuo Hai began steadily moving along, what the Gu Clan needed to do was gradually establish a firm foothold overseas.

And this venture with Ghana was its first step!.....

....

(Ps: Begging for monthly votes, pleading for more support from my brothers, with much gratitude to the fish!)