As Gao Yiye continued her explanation, the scene on the Immortal Treasure Mirror shifted.
A vast panorama of Huanglong Mountain unfolded.
A concrete road—wide, solid, and unmistakably artificial—wound its way upward, spiraling along a steep slope like a gray dragon clinging to the mountainside. It climbed higher and higher, cutting through the rugged terrain, before finally cresting the summit.
At the mountaintop, a group of labor reform prisoners stood holding hoes, picks, and measuring tools. Their clothes were dusty, their faces darkened by sun and sweat.
For a brief moment, there was silence.
Then someone shouted.
"We succeeded!"
Another voice followed immediately.
"It's built!"
"The Heaven-Defying Highway is finally complete!"
Cheers erupted. The prisoners raised their tools toward the sky, laughing, shouting, some even wiping tears from their eyes.
The image shifted again.
This time, the scene was indoors.
The same group of labor reform prisoners now stood neatly in rows. Their clothes had been cleaned, and each person wore a large red flower pinned to their chest.
Standing before them was Warden Zhong Gaoliang.
He spoke loudly and clearly.
"Thank you for your contributions to the development of Huanglong Mountain. Your spirit of unyielding struggle and defiance of hardship has greatly inspired those who will follow."
He paused, then continued.
"To commend your efforts, the Gao Family Village Committee, after deliberation, has decided to grant you early release. From this day forward, you are free citizens, enjoying the same rights and treatment as all ordinary residents of Gao Family Village."
For a heartbeat, the hall was silent.
Then—
Cheers exploded.
The former prisoners shouted, laughed, some embraced one another, others clenched their fists in excitement.
Warden Zhong Gaoliang raised his hand.
"Now," he said, "please let your representative step forward and speak."
A man from the Thirty-Two Labor Reform Valley stepped forward. His eyes were red, his voice trembling with emotion.
"I thank Dao Xuan Tianzun," he said loudly.
"I thank the Gao Family Village Committee.
I thank Warden Zhong Gaoliang.
I thank my parents and my fellow inmates!"
He took a deep breath.
"It is because of your support that I can stand here and speak these words."
His voice steadied.
"What I want to say now is this: after I am released, I will put the skills I learned in the labor reform valley to good use. I will become a glorious technical worker."
His eyes shone.
"My dream is that one day, I can wear a Blue Hat, lead a team of Yellow Hats, and struggle on the front lines of building Gao Family Village!"
"Whoosh!"
Thunderous applause filled the hall.
His fellow inmates shouted encouragement.
"Go for it!"
"You can do it!"
Wang Chenggong stared at the Treasure Mirror, completely dumbfounded.
"What… what exactly is going on here?" he muttered.
Feitian Shu clapped him on the shoulder and laughed.
"This is exactly what you're seeing," he said. "Every scene shown on this Treasure Mirror actually happened somewhere else."
Wang Chenggong felt his head spin.
There was simply too much information.
Even he—someone who had studied for a few days—felt utterly lost. As for his two thousand illiterate subordinates, they watched with mouths hanging open, as if witnessing a divine myth.
The screen shifted again.
Gao Yiye reappeared, smiling.
"Next is our second news item," she said. "West Steel No. 1 Factory has received a major order."
"The Prince of Qin's household has decided to fund the construction of a railway line from Xi'an to Yan'an Prefecture. This railway will require a huge quantity of rails, as well as a train."
She continued calmly.
"West Steel No. 1 Factory is currently working tirelessly, putting in overtime to fulfill this grand order."
The image cut to the interior of the steel factory.
In the casting workshop, a worker carefully observed molten iron pouring into molds. Hearing movement, he suddenly turned his head toward the camera.
"Oh my!" he exclaimed. "Greetings, Dao Xuan Tianzun!"
From off-camera, the calm voice of the Dao Xuan Tianzun's Test03 series sounded.
"Come. Face this way and introduce the technology you are currently using to our viewers."
The worker straightened immediately, energized.
"Before," he explained, "all our rails were hand-forged. It was slow, and the quality often varied. We had to compare, re-hammer, and even re-melt them again and again."
"But now," he said proudly, "our steel quality has been optimized. We can use casting molds to mass-produce rails in a single process."
"My workload has been greatly reduced. Now I just need to carefully monitor the molds."
The camera zoomed in, focusing on the bright red molten iron flowing smoothly into the molds. The scene was strangely mesmerizing.
Dao Xuan Tianzun's voice spoke again.
"Ensure construction safety. Strictly follow the operating manual."
The worker nodded firmly.
"Understood!"
The image shifted back.
Gao Yiye continued, "Next is our third news item."
"The Gao Family Village Militia, during the defense of Luoyang, displayed remarkable discipline and overwhelming momentum. They routed the siege forces led by Meng Hu and Du Hu, sending them fleeing in disarray, crying for their mothers."
She added evenly, "Due to the overly graphic nature of the scenes, frontline footage will not be broadcast."
"Over five hundred rebel soldiers were captured outside Luoyang. They will soon be escorted to Huanglong Mountain and assigned to the Thirty-Two Labor Reform Valley."
Wang Chenggong jumped.
"What? Meng Hu and Du Hu attacked Luoyang?"
"They were defeated too?"
"And five hundred of their men are being sent to our valley?"
Before he could recover, Gao Yiye continued.
"Next, entertainment news."
"According to information personally provided by Dao Xuan Tianzun, the Flower World Star Agency is currently preparing a new film titled A Foot Soldier from Daling River Border Army."
"The plot remains confidential. However, General Lao Nanfeng himself will star as the male lead."
"Filming locations have been selected in Han City."
The screen shifted.
An aerial view of Han City appeared.
For common people who had never seen a city from above, the sight was overwhelming. Gasps echoed through the crowd.
Gao Yiye's voice continued.
"This is Han City, where General Lao Nanfeng's team is currently filming. Nearly half of the city's population is participating as extras."
The camera zoomed in.
Common folk appeared filthy and disheveled, as if they had gone days without bathing, their faces etched with exhaustion and hardship.
The plaques above Han City's gates had been removed, replaced with new ones bearing the characters:
Daling River City.
Large formations of Gao Family Village Militia, clad in standard Ming armor, stood as defenders.
Chen Qianhu—his face perpetually grim—wore Ming official robes, portraying Zu Dashou.
The image cut back to Gao Yiye.
"The clips shown were from A Foot Soldier from Daling River Border Army," she said. "To avoid spoilers, no further footage will be broadcast. Those interested should await the official release."
Wang Chenggong blurted out, "What kind of play mobilizes half a city?"
"Even imperial corvée labor wouldn't dare do this!"
Feitian Shu laughed.
"If it's something Dao Xuan Tianzun wishes to do," he said, "no one is unwilling. Everyone respects Him from the bottom of their hearts."
Wang Chenggong lowered his voice.
"What exactly has Dao Xuan Tianzun done… to make everyone like this?"
Before Feitian Shu could answer—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Feitian Shu chuckled.
"Dinnertime. We eat right after the news broadcast. Come on."
Wang Chenggong followed, thinking grimly that the food would likely be thin gruel.
But when the meal box was placed in his hands—
He was utterly bewildered.
Utterly bewildered.