Chapter 81: Saint York

Perhaps because of the bad memories of several accidents on the flying boat, Qi Xuansu did not take the flying boat to the New World this time, but chose a steam armored ship.

Of course, he did not board this ship in an open identity, but changed his identity.

It is worth mentioning that Qi Xuansu's destination this time was not the Southern Continent, but the Northern Continent under the control of the Holy Court.

Unlike the Western Continent, which has been managed by the Holy Court for thousands of years, the Northern Continent is still in a "pioneering" period. Neither the population nor the degree of organization is sufficient to support the Holy Court's complete control of the Northern Continent. Although the Holy Court nominally occupies the Northern Continent, its actual rule is very loose and the states are like separate states. In addition to sharing the same respect for the Holy Court, there are even conflicts. Because of this, the Holy Court finally lost the Southern Continent.

After all, the population is too small, and the area of ​​the New World is larger than that of the Western Continent. Even if the Holy Court continues to transport immigrants and slaves to the New World, the land is still vast and sparsely populated, and it is even more difficult to suppress the successive aboriginal uprisings.

This is not a matter of a few apostles of the gods. Maybe the gods can defeat the local ancient gods and defeat an empire, but the gods alone cannot establish effective rule. Someone must do it. .??.

Just like the Golden Horde back then, it was one thing to sweep the world with unparalleled force, but it was another thing to govern the world's national destiny for hundreds of years.

For various reasons, the power of the Holy Court in the Northern Continent cannot achieve the same pervasiveness as in the Western Continent. When Qi Xuansu comes to the Northern Continent, as long as he does not make too much noise and pays attention to hiding his whereabouts, nothing will happen.

As the saying goes, if you know yourself and your enemy, you will be victorious in any battle. Qi Xuansu still wanted to see with his own eyes what the Northern Continent was like under the rule of the Holy Court, and then adjust the strategies on the Southern Continent based on the actual situation.

Of course, Beichen Hall has reported on these situations. The written files can fill a room, but seeing them is worse than hearing them. If you can know the real situation just by looking at the files, the Taoist sect will not need to conduct inspections.

Deceiving the superiors and concealing the truth, and layer upon layer of deceit, is a unique skill that can be learned by oneself regardless of whether it is Chinese or foreign. For example, the typhoon disaster in Borneo left a deep impression on Qi Xuansu, and in the end no one knew the real figures.

Besides that, there is another reason.

Before Qi Xuansu left, the Imperial Master personally summoned him.

The Imperial Master did not express his opinions on specific matters, but talked about some metaphysical content.

The National Master believes that most of the time, seemingly correct policies and paths may not be recognized and responded to by the majority of people. For a leader, when leading forward, he must remain vigilant and review frequently so that his followers

You won't be far behind.

If you take a step ahead, you will gain unparalleled support and fanatical following. Being two steps ahead will get a heartfelt response. If you are three steps ahead, you will be misunderstood and questioned. If you are four steps ahead, you will be abandoned and betrayed by most people. If you are five steps ahead or more, you will lose all your followers, and you will even be regarded as a madman, and you will be forced to fight alone.

This is the tragedy of many great people, and it is also a reality that cannot be ignored.

This is like implementing the civil servant cabinet system in the Zulong era when the county system was not fully mature. It would not be understood by people and was not in line with the actual situation at the time. Xuansheng also did not depose the emperor for these reasons.

The meaning of the National Master is very simple. Every place has its own actual situation. Don’t copy Taoism’s policies mechanically, even if Taoism is right. If we think that Dao Sect is absolutely civilized and absolutely advanced, and we have to use Dao Sect's advanced experience to guide the Southern Continent, not to mention whether it is appropriate or not, we will fall into the above situation internally.

Indeed, the best way is to strengthen the foundation so that it can keep up and eventually get on the right path. However, Dao Sect does not have such conditions, nor does it have such time. The best way is to adapt measures to local conditions.

When necessary, don't act arbitrarily and listen to the opinions of fellow Taoists from the Xidao Sect.

In this case, Qi Xuansu would like to go to the Northern Continent to take a look.

Perhaps because I didn't take a flying boat, although this sea journey was long, I didn't encounter too many twists and turns. We didn't encounter any dragons making waves, nor any deep-sea monsters. After all, it was a very mature route.

As we all know, the largest and most prosperous city in the western world today is Londinium, while the most prosperous city in the northern continent is St. York.

This was originally the territory of the aboriginal people. As early as the reign of Emperor Shizong of the Great Wei Dynasty, Westerners came here. In the early years of Daxuan, the Dutch bought several islands from the aborigines and opened a trading post at the corner of the river mouth. Forty years later, the Duke of York of the Loon Kingdom captured this place and renamed it St. York. It gradually developed into the most prosperous area and in many cases also assumed the functions of the capital.

St. York is divided into Midtown, Kings, Queens, Brown and Richmond.

This is a typical port city, quite similar to Jinling Mansion and Lion City.

The Holy Court has large dioceses, which are similar to the three divisions of Taoist sects. Each diocese has a patriarch, which is similar to the deputy head of Taoist sects.

Jiaoda Zhenren, also known as the Patriarch. The patriarch of the core diocese of the Western Continent will naturally become the pope, occupy the Holy See, and control the cardinals.

After the Holy See seized the New World, it also established a diocese and a patriarch here. The patriarch's St. Francis Cathedral is located in the core of Midtown, and even the city council had to make concessions for it.

However, even with a patriarch in charge, the city is far from being "clean". Behind the prosperity, there are rapid changes, the rise of steam evangelicals, pagans who have merged with local witchcraft, and many unknown horrors that have not yet been explored.

Here, divine magic is not the only thing, and Taoism is only a supporting role.

The fundamental reason is that a large number of foreign populations have created this phenomenon.

Immigrants from Western countries, trafficked slaves, lingering indigenous people, and Orientals from the Eastern world are mixed together, and different cultures of various civilizations gather together.

Qi Xuansu came to the deck, and he had changed his appearance at this time.

No Taoist robes, no Taoist hats, but Westerners' black formal clothes, white shirts, exquisite vests, expensive pocket watches, half-high hats, leather shoes that can reflect people's shadows, monocles connected to thin metal chains, and a cane inlaid with silver decorations.

Brown hair, blue eyes, beard.

A standard Western gentleman, a respectable man who came to the New World in a first-class cabin.

For a warrior who changes constantly, changing his body and appearance is very simple, and even the length and color of hair and beard are not a problem.

As for forging an identity, it is not difficult for Beichen Hall. They have many identities that can be used at any time. They have been filling in details for decades, as if there is such a person in the world, and they can completely pass off the fake as the real one.

Qi Xuansu leaned on the railing and looked at the St. York Harbor that was getting closer and closer. The first thing that caught his eye was a huge statue of a goddess, wearing armor, holding a sword, pointing to the sea, which was the symbol of the Holy Court. Below the statue of the goddess is St. Paul's Cathedral, which is second only to St. Francis Cathedral.

Then there are the chimneys that spew out billowing black smoke, covering the sky and the sun. Instead of rendering the goddess a glorious image, it seems that dark clouds are pressing down on the city, and even the setting sun has become bloody.

People in the Central Plains don't like to build too high buildings, but there are many high-rise buildings here, as high as five or six floors, and there are also seven or eight floors. I don't know what it means.

In addition, there are long railroad tracks crisscrossing like a spider web.

Accompanied by the sound of the whistle, the black train spewed out billowing white smoke and whistled across the bridge. With Qi Xuansu's eyesight, he could vaguely see that there were gentlemen dressed like Qi Xuansu sitting in the carriage, as well as ladies holding feather folding fans and wearing gauze hats.

This is the steam evangelical sect that has emerged in the Holy Court.

Qi Xuansu's eyes followed the train and the railroad tracks and looked into the distance.

The location of the goddess statue is in the Richmond District. Although the area of ​​this district is three times that of the Midtown District, it has the smallest population. It faces the Midtown District across the estuary and is not connected by a bridge. It is usually completed by ferry.

In the Richmond District, there are various parks, church universities, and private residences. Although it cannot be compared with the Midtown District, the cultural atmosphere here is relatively strong.

There are Gothic castles and Baroque churches here, and tall and dark towers. Under the rendering of steam and the West, there is a unique Western artistic conception that is very different from the East. Especially at night, all the spires of the tall buildings are lit up, which is even more beautiful.

Steam is everywhere, and the whole city seems to be inseparable from the existence of steam. Above the city, there are airships that are different from flying boats passing by, full of obvious mechanical colors, leaving long white steam tails behind.

There are even several small floating cities, as if an island rises from the ground and is placed in the sky. Although the area is not large, only some single-family castles, churches, and gardens can be built, but it is shocking.

The last time Qi Xuansu saw a similar scene was in Kunlun Cave Heaven and Lingshan Cave Heaven, but it was not exactly the same, because the bottom of these floating islands was also spewing steam, condensing into clouds and mist, as if it was built on the clouds.

This is a civilization that is completely different from Eastern civilization.

Steam, alchemy, and machinery have penetrated into every corner of this city, just like the Taoist talisman formations have penetrated into every gap in the oriental city.

Qi Xuansu retracted his gaze from a distance and looked at the port that was getting closer and closer.

Masts and chimneys stood in a row, wooden sailing ships and ironclad ships coexisted.

There were two worlds here.

On one side was the dock for passenger ships, which was very neat, with carefully paved brick and stone roads, kerosene street lights on both sides, iron chains as railings, exquisite rental carriages, and even the drivers were well-dressed. On the other side was the dock for cargo ships, all kinds of ragged coolies, all kinds of empty cargo boxes and barrels, all kinds of warehouses and trucks, noisy shouts and bell whistles, and not far away was a low shantytown that stretched as far as the eye could see, filled with the disgusting smell of stinky water and dead fish.

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