Only God
Chapter 253 - 218: To Break the Spirit of the Church

Chapter 253: Chapter 218: To Break the Spirit of the Church

Xilan gazed at the altar before him, leading the people as they knelt and sat facing the three steles inscribed with Holy Scripture.

Outside the church, as the crow of a rooster arose, Daniel rang the church bells, their melodious and solemn toll echoing throughout the New Rule Garden.

Everyone, as if by an unspoken agreement, bowed their heads and placed their palms together, one after another, closing their eyes and praying in unison with Xilan.

"God, do not grant me splendor; instead, clothe me in sackcloth and bestow upon me thorns."

Xilan prayed aloud, while behind him, an innumerable throng of Preachers chanted the same prayer.

"Praise You, Lord, thank You for praising You, for You are our God, and Your kingdom will eventually come, bringing us endless peace and joy.

One day, You will remove my sackcloth, take away the thorns, and henceforth, the dry well will turn into a springing fountain, even in Leprosy Valley happiness will come overnight."

In the chorus of prayers, their frail bodies bathed in the morning breeze, at this moment united in faith, praying for the sackcloth they wore, praying for the coming of Heaven.

After morning prayers, Xilan proceeded to the wheat fields of the New Rule Garden, while Daniel slowly approached.

"The one named Naya has appeared again."

Daniel stepped forward and said in a low voice,

"The Prophet’s Disciple, what should we do?"

Xilan became tense, his ears twitching in the wind, and he asked,

"Has he made any move?"

Daniel looked gravely,

"He bet with two Preachers that if they could refute him, he would convert to the Church; if they were refuted, they would become his Disciples and devoutly serve Kagawus."

"Such things are happening... Then what?"

"The two Preachers lost... publicly refuted by Naya, they ultimately had to fulfill the wager and became his disciples."

Hearing this, Xilan inhaled sharply.

The two Preachers had been refuted by Naya and became his disciples.

Naya’s actions were doubtlessly provocative to the Church, trampling on the dignity of the Church.

Added to that was his previous behavior in bewitching Ankagaw.

Xilan clenched his fists and muttered,

"He’s systematically destroying the foundation we’ve painstakingly established."

Daniel nodded slightly, his brow furrowed.

"Preacher Xilan, what should we do?

We cannot tolerate him continuing like this.

I’ve heard that the priests of the Great Temple, constrained by past vows, dare not physically destroy us, so they’ve brought in this Hermit to try to destroy us spiritually."

Xilan heard this and walked pensively through the wheat field, contemplating like a Priest of Logos from ancient times.

The pale blue wheat swayed with the wind, signifying that when autumn comes and it turns golden, it will show that this is God’s Pattern Garden, a place where faith converges.

After an indeterminate time, Xilan slowly stopped.

"Daniel, find him, and let me debate with him, let me refute him."

"But... Xilan, this..."

Daniel was taken aback, looking at Xilan with concern,

"It’s too impulsive, too rash; you should let someone else go, like me, to refute the heresy."

For the leader of the entire New Rule Garden to debate with that Hermit, Daniel could hardly imagine what would happen if the debate was lost.

If the debate ended in a disastrous defeat, countless Believers would leave, and the spirit of the entire New Rule Garden would collapse...

"Daniel, I know what you’re worried about, but... this is my mission, one I cannot shirk or have you carry for me."

Xilan looked directly at Daniel,

"Because...

I am a Disciple of the Prophet, I am God’s Preacher."

...............

The next morning, in front of the Great Temple, an unexpected guest arrived.

Daniel sat on the back of a camel, led by the priests of the Great Temple, who escorted him step by step into the heart of the Great Temple.

Stone Slave people were not permitted to set foot in the Temple of Kagawus; for this reason, Daniel traveled on the back of a camel.

The priests had thought of this because over twenty years ago, the son of Prime Minister Ibia, Casas, had used such a method to bring a Stone Slave into the Temple.

Hermit Naya, leaning on his staff, watched as Daniel rode slowly on the camel, remaining silent.

"The venerable Hermit Naya."

It was Daniel on the camel who greeted first, showing ample respect,

"I am here on behalf of the Prophet’s follower Xilan."

Upon the mention of Xilan, Hermit Naya narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on Daniel.

"I have heard of him, he is your leader, who rules over your church."

Naya said, his voice old and hoarse.

"He is indeed our leader, but he does not rule our church."

Daniel politely corrected,

"The only ruler of our church is God."

Naya said,

"Interesting."

Daniel did not respond but took out a piece of papyrus from his bosom and handed it to Naya from atop the camel.

The Hermit did not immediately look at the content, instead asking first,

"What’s written inside?"

"Our Preacher invites you to the New Rule Garden, where he will answer all your doubts about us and our God and will refute your various prejudices against us."

"Interesting."

Hermit Naya repeated.

Daniel did not answer; he performed a bow, ready to take his leave.

The hermit Naya watched Daniel atop the camel, scrutinizing his attire from head to toe.

Then, Naya suddenly said,

"Your way of life far more resembles those who serve God than the priests here."

As those words fell, the priests beside the hermit immediately looked embarrassed, their hands clasped in front of them or behind their backs, not knowing what to say for a moment.

The High Priest Ora’s complexion turned somewhat pale.

Daniel halted the camel, stopped, and turned his head to respond softly,

"Thank you for your praise; I know it is one of the few you give."

"Let your leader wait,

I will come to your Pattern Garden."

After speaking, hermit Naya turned around without even a parting glance, and slowly walked toward Kagawus’s Temple.

High Priest Ora hurried to follow, his pallor still not cleared.

That believer in God, Daniel, and those from the Church, had received the hermit’s praise. It was a mere appreciation, rare though it might be, and not that strange.

But High Priest Ora knew clearly that the priests of the Great Temple had never received such praise from the hermit Naya.

Even more so, Ora could hear disdain for the priests in the hermit’s praise.

The other priests also hurried forward, not daring to be negligent, their faces, long bathed in incense, filled with a mixture of awe and reverence for the hermit Naya.

.........

Xilan sat in the study of the New Rule Garden, continuously perusing texts, preparing for the upcoming debate.

By then, Daniel knocked and entered, saying,

"I have delivered your message to hermit Naya."

Xilan nodded, took a deep breath, and slowly said,

"To be honest, I do not know how to secure victory in this debate; I am not entirely confident."

"Who has full confidence, aside from God?"

Daniel consoled him.

"Yes, Daniel, all we need to do is to hold firm to the path of faith."

As Xilan spoke, he murmured a prayer under his breath.

"The time is seven days from now, at dawn, on the plaza in front of the Royal City, correct?"

Daniel asked.

"Yes, you know debates often cannot convince the other party, only presenting everything before the public can help determine the winner."

Xilan explained, his hands involuntarily clenching tightly.

That hermit could easily shake the faith of the other Preachers; he must not be underestimated.

Regardless of the reassurances, the fear of failure still haunted him.

And in the event of failure, what awaited him might be the downfall of the New Rule Garden or possibly the collapse of faith.

Then, he would not be able to traverse the difficult path or maintain the original way.

"Daniel, please step outside for a moment; I need to continue preparing."

Xilan sighed deeply and said softly.

Daniel nodded and left the study, leaving Xilan alone inside.

The day of the debate was in seven days, and Xilan dared not waste a moment; he spent every day preparing.

He not only read and reread the Holy Scriptures multiple times, but also constantly refined and summarized his points on papyrus, even debating with himself.

And Xilan did all this for one thing—to defend the path of the Prophet, to guard the faith of the people.

Xilan did not have the Prophet’s confidence; beyond fervent prayer, all he could do was to prepare with all his might.

Days passed by.

The night before the debate, a heavy rain fell outside the New Rule Garden.

At that moment, all the believers had already returned home, and in the whole New Rule Garden, only a handful of people remained, including Xilan.

Xilan knelt before the altar, as the sound of rain pattered outside, rain strands hitting the soil, filling the air with the musty scent of mud; leaves danced in the wind, as if heralding the onset of a storm.

Xilan silently recited prayers, pleading for God’s favor upon this New Rule Garden, which believed in Him, and he also promised God that he would do everything in his power to defend the faith.

"Lord, may you protect us."

Xilan said, preparing to rise from the altar and go back to conserve his energy.

A sequence of hurried footsteps trod upon the New Rule Garden. Xilan turned his head just in time to see Daniel bursting in through the heavy rain, his clothes thoroughly drenched, with rainwater dripping from his face.

"Xilan! Xilan!"

"What is it?"

Xilan stood up from the ground and stepped forward to ask.

"That hermit, hermit Naya has arrived!"

Daniel spoke urgently,

"He wants to hold the debate tonight!

He says he will refute us tonight and completely dismantle our Church, spiritually!"

The sound of thunder exploded in Xilan’s heart, as the disciple of the Prophet had not expected that the hermit would visit at night, with such a sharp and exhibited intent to spiritually dismantle the Church.

"Tell him that the time is tomorrow."

Xilan gritted his teeth and said.

Daniel instead shook his head, continuing,

"He only wants tonight, apart from tonight, he will not engage in any debate with us.

If we win,

he will let us preach unmolested and free the two Preachers, granting them their freedom.

But if he wins,

we must dismantle our altar and erect a Divine Statue of Kagawus!"

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