Only God
Chapter 258 - 221 Ajia Land Forever Endures

Chapter 258: Chapter 221 Ajia Land Forever Endures

"His Majesty the King remained bedridden with serious illness, his condition neither worsening nor improving, as if stuck in a state of limbo.

As her son’s illness dragged on, Queen Isis, who had been in power for years, became increasingly vigilant. Any action by the nobles within the city could arouse her suspicion.

With age, this ruthless and meritorious woman of the Kingdom began to harbor a certain sorrow. Awakening in the early morning, she would suddenly feel an ineffable emptiness and a loathing for everything, unable to find much solace even in the arms of her lover.

The faint anguish, like the pinch of ants, tormented Queen Isis every day. She tried to ignore it but could not. The emptiness swept through her mind like the wind at times, and at other times dissipated like smoke.

Slander, poisoning, jealousy... those cruel acts of the past were no longer present, and the once hardened heart of Queen Isis became weaker with the passing of time.

In her empty days, Queen Isis recalled Prophet Noen.

She began to peruse some Holy Scripture that nobles had transcribed from the Church, initially just to pass the time. But as she continued to read, Queen Isis gradually sensed something elusive within, an impression she had never experienced before.

Confused, Queen Isis summoned High Priest Ora and asked,

"Ora, High Priest serving Kagawus.

You are someone I trust, and I do not fear telling you. These days, I feel that I can no longer gain anything from Kagawus, but instead, I find something in the three Holy Scriptures of the New Rule Garden.

Can you explain this to me? Why is that?"

High Priest Ora was extremely taken aback, not knowing how to respond for a long while. After much hesitation, he told Queen Isis that there was a Hermit who might be able to answer her quandary and requested that the Queen allow the Hermit to enter the Palace for an explanation.

Queen Isis readily agreed to High Priest Ora’s request.

For many years, faith in Kagawus had been deeply ingrained in the heart of Queen Isis. Thus, she found herself in a considerable struggle with this new faith brought by the Prophet.

A servant cannot serve two masters, how could one serve two Divine beings?

Perhaps for the common folk, serving two Divine beings was not conflicting, but for the rulers of the state, for the Regent Queen herself, this matter, seriously speaking, could impact the entire Kingdom’s rise and fall.

After more than a dozen days, the Hermit had not made his appearance at the Palace to meet with Queen Isis.

The figure of Queen Isis was shrouded in shadows, her gaze shooting from the side of the throne towards the grand corridor leading to it.

High Priest Ora’s face was pale, his forehead covered in cold sweat; he held his hands tight, occasionally glancing back at the young man beside him.

Antion looked up, curiously examining Queen Isis, who was beside the throne.

High Priest Ora approached the throne, trembling, waiting for Isis’s questioning.

"Who is this? A Priest? If not, he must kneel."

This came from a servant nearby, chiding Antion upon seeing him. Nobles usually performed the kneeling ritual when they had an audience with the King and kissed the dust before the throne.

"Who is he? Is this child the Hermit you spoke of?"

Queen Isis raised her hand to stop her servant, yet her tone was full of skepticism and indignation.

Antion appeared to be barely in his twenties; how could such a person possibly be the so-called Hermit of Solitary Island?

Ora wiped the cold sweat from his brow, slowly beginning to speak:

"Queen Isis, though he is not the Hermit I mentioned, he is indeed the Hermit’s only disciple. I swear in the name of Kagawus, he will be able to clear your doubts."

High Priest Ora, although swearing in the name of Kagawus, had a trembling voice.

Antion stepped forward and gave a respectful bow to Queen Isis.

Upon seeing this, Isis took a deep breath, restraining a trace of anger, and poured out her doubts and hesitations.

Antion listened quietly, occasionally asking questions with a mild and persuasive tone. In conversation with him, even Queen Isis, who had encountered various characters, felt a sense of refreshment as if bathed in the spring breeze.

"I am very confused, a servant cannot serve two masters, yet I find comfort in the Scripture from the Church. What does this mean?"

Queen Isis asked softly.

Antion replied slowly,

"Noble Queen, it’s simply because you understand neither the Church nor Kagawus."

Queen Isis was taken aback for a moment, Antion’s frankness could be considered offensive, but Queen Isis was not at all displeased.

"What does this mean?"

Antion spoke slowly,

"Your Grace, you are a subject of Kagawus. After many years of accumulation, you thought you had fully recognized Kagawus and became numb to the original faith.

Then, amidst the numbness and emptiness, you encountered a new faith. Everything about it seemed so novel in your eyes, and thus you were tempted, you hesitated.

Little did you know that the Divine’s wisdom is surely beyond the reach of our mortal eyes. You’ve merely hit a bottleneck in knowledge, thinking you understood Kagawus enough, while in truth you only understand Kagawus as you see it, not delving deeper, nor willing to make the effort to truly understand."

Antion’s voice was calm yet compelling, like a sage not of this world.

Queen Isis looked at him in astonishment. Every word he spoke struck at her heart, perfectly explaining her doubts.

It reminded her of the former Prophet Noen.

High Priest Ora watched everything happening in the palace with keen eyes. He was no longer trembling with fear, and his look towards Antion changed from suspicion to admiration.

Could it be that this Antion... might be Kagawus’s greatest defender in this era?

...

Sacrificial Festival.

In this Golden Age when the Divine walked the earth, sacrificial rituals were performed, offering food, wine, flowers, spices, and other gifts to express their respect and gratitude.

The Three-eyed Ape People would hold grand celebrations and parades on special festivals or occasions such as the New Year Festival, the Flood Day, and the King’s Ascension Day.

During these events, they would carry Divine Statues on splendid palanquins, pulled by livestock or human force along the streets, singing, dancing, and cheering in praise. Sometimes, they would even kill living animals or humans as offerings to the Divine, seeking Kagawus’s blessing and pardon.

In the morning, Three-eyed Ape People nobles would start with bathing and dressing up. They typically wore white or light-colored linen clothing suitable for the hot and dry climate. They also applied aromatic oils or spices to keep their bodies clean and fragrant. Men usually kept their hair short, and women either wore it long or styled in braids or twists. Both genders enjoyed wearing jewelry to adorn themselves.

Their breakfast was simple, usually comprising bread, beer, fruits, and the like. Lunch was the main meal and was sometimes taken at work sites. Dinner was when they feasted, coming together as a family at home. Wealthy families would have meats, vegetables, dairy products, and might also hire musicians or dancers to elevate the mood.

Even on these significant feast days, slaves had the chance to rest. Usually living and eating at their masters’ homes, on this day, they could cook rough barley porridge elsewhere, gather to pray, or roam the streets, spending their masters’ gifts and savings on various trinkets.

On the day of the Sacrificial Festival, His Majesty the King remained bedridden, and Queen Isis was not in the mood to hold a grand celebration; she decreed that everything be simplified. The nobles, adept at discerning signs of the times, had already grown accustomed to catching every whisper of change. This year’s Sacrificial Festival was by far less vibrant than previous ones.

Even so, the slaves still enjoyed their due holidays.

New Rule Garden began bustling about. On this day of the Sacrificial Festival, countless Stone Slaves flocked here, offering earnest prayers. After receiving food from the Church, they hurried to present their modest wealth as offerings to the God they believed in.

Facing the slaves’ utmost efforts in making sacrifices, Xilan, unable to decline further, followed the Scriptures and accepted only one-tenth of the wealth offered to him, refusing and stopping any more.

"I forgave my brother according to the Scriptures," he wept before me and confessed his past mistakes... I tell you, this is the miracle that the Scriptures have brought me.

"I used to have no relatives and had become a lonely and helpless slave. Numbly passing the days, I contemplated death several times. But here, I’ve found so many brothers."

"My son and I worked at our master’s house. They overheard our prayers by chance and, out of curiosity, were touched by God and came to this Church. Since then, they’ve treated us as one of their own, often giving us plenty of wheat, and today they even gifted us a pair of goats, a male and a female."

......After collective prayers, daily trivialities spread within the Church. New Rule Garden was more than just a temple serving God; it was a gathering place. People mingled in groups large and small, each with its own community, sharing their lives and supporting each other in times of need.

In those narratives, there was always no shortage of descriptions such as miracles and sanctity, supplemented by quotations from the three Holy Scriptures, giving an added sense of mystery to the exchanges. The omnipresence and omnipotence of God slowly infiltrated each heart through their conversations.

Xilan watched over the joyous New Rule Garden, smiling happily. Nobles and slaves, men and women alike found their place in God’s Church amidst this lively atmosphere, where the image of God deepened, touching their souls.

Many who were once desolate and led a miserable life, spending their days in toil, found in Prophet Noen’s New Rule Garden faith in the same God. They discovered the hope to reach the Heavenly City and sought spiritual solace.

"This is the path trodden by the Prophet, the path revealed by God."

Xilan murmured.

People gathered in New Rule Garden until deep into the night, leaving reluctantly. They bid each other farewell, quoting Scripture to wish each other well and agreeing to pray together next time.

Those who were originally unrelated to each other, as distant as stars in the night sky never crossing paths, were now interconnected through the same faith, transcending the barriers of status and wealth.

The surrounding scarcity and suffering, the stagnant water of death, were revitalized with the emergence of the Church, slowly turning it into living water.

Xilan stayed awake all night and, after the rooster crowed, stepped out of New Rule Garden to see the sun rising slowly from the horizon. The night had passed, and the earth welcomed the dawn once more.

Countless believers, upon the sound of the church bell, joined their hands and silently recited the Scriptures, gradually converging towards the New Rule Garden.

Xilan led the crowd in prayer, and in this chorus of simultaneous supplications, he found the meaning of his life.

Sacrifices, prayers, labor, meals... This was the daily life of the Church. The sun set today and would rise again tomorrow as usual. Generations came and went while Ajia Land stood eternal.