Only God
Chapter 273 - 234 The Abolition of the Church’s God_2

Chapter 273: Chapter 234 The Abolition of the Church’s God_2

Xilan’s complexion suddenly turned pale, and after a long moment, he regained his composure and asked intensely,

"Where are those priests who killed him? Where are they?!"

Before the Stone Slave could reply, Daniel spoke up,

"Teacher, what are you intending to do?

I know what you want to do... but now, now is not the time!"

Daniel’s words fell like a bucket of cold water onto the elf’s head, pulling him out of his anger into sober clarity.

The New Rule Garden had just begun to prepare for a turnaround and needed to avoid any conflicts at all costs.

After all... the new King Anuket still held great prejudice against the Church.

"Fine...fine..."

Xilan calmed down, murmuring tremulously, then turning to Daniel,

"Take this brother and see to his accommodations... I will see to writing that letter as soon as possible."

Daniel nodded, comforting Xilan by saying,

"Teacher, when the Heavenly City descends, God Will judge all, and His justice will be revealed upon the soul of each who has passed."

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

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

The next day, Xilan had finished writing that letter, demonstrating his elegant literary flair and exquisite brushwork.

In the letter, Xilan first narrated how the Three-eyed Ape People in the early days of the Kingdom had served both Kagawus and the Lord Divine simultaneously, and through various examples, he conveyed the sacred thoughts and concepts of the Church and articulated the disputes between the Church and the Great Temple.

The letter would soon receive a response, and not long after, Anuket once again summoned Antion.

Antion ascended to the Palace slowly, a servant of the King leading this disciple of the Hermit into a room.

Walking on the finely carpeted floor strewn with petals, Antion could guess why the King had summoned him, but what he couldn’t have expected was that an unexpected figure would also be summoned by the King.

In the room where the King had summoned Antion, the High Priest Hetep sat opposite the King.

Antion looked in surprise at the High Priest, noting that the King seemed to have been discussing with him for some time.

"Antion, come in," said Anuket.

Antion nodded slightly, looking at Hetep, who gave him a nod in return.

Why would His Majesty summon both me and Hetep at the same time?

Before Antion had time to ponder, King Anuket asked,

"I was told that

after the rise of the Church, countless Kagawus Temples fell into disuse.

No offerings were made to Kagawus; Divine Statues gathered dust and became overgrown with moss.

My noble ministers also frequently complain to me about the ugliness of the New Rule Garden. They claim these True Believers sacrifice children in wicked rituals to grow their ranks."

There clearly wasn’t much goodwill in the King’s questioning,

and Hetep, following the King’s lead, said,

"Your Majesty, after the rise of the Church, not only do the Stone Slaves believe, but even the inherently devout nobles, those graced with the gift of the Prophetic God, have also turned to believe in this so-called Heavenly City."

Anuket, upon hearing this, continued,

"Why is that? Are they dissatisfied with the Netherworld of the Death God Nakbet?"

"In my view, Your Majesty, it’s because of the deliberate deception by those people. They’ve concocted an afterlife world they call the ’Heavenly City,’ creating a collective illusion for those True Believers," said Hetep, his voice cold,

"No one has ever seen this so-called Heavenly City, nor can anyone verify it. Preachers deceive Kagawus’s children with smooth words, telling them that the Heavenly City surely will come.

Yet when will the Heavenly City come, and how exactly will it come? Even the preachers themselves do not know."

Upon hearing this, Antion, friendly with Xilan, couldn’t help but speak up,

"High Priest, as children of Kagawus, how many of us have lived to see the Netherworld?"

Hetep stared coldly at Antion.

Antion paid no heed and turned to the King, saying,

"Your Majesty, the so-called sinful rituals are nothing more than out-of-tune rumors.

The Church has grown strong because Queen Isis once made a vow to the Prophet.

Now, the New Rule Garden has countless followers, and the Ancient Language was also a gift from that Prophet..."

He was cut off before he could finish by the High Priest.

"Even so, should we sit idly by and watch them steal Kagawus’s believers? Should we watch them deceive our innocent people?

As a Priest, have you not seen the dust covering the statues of Kagawus?"

Angel was momentarily at a loss for words, then hesitated again as he attempted to speak.

Kagawus had instructed him not to reveal his identity as the son of prophecy without His permission.

It was Anuket who spoke up:

"Hetep, High Priest of Kagawus.

I know you cannot bear to watch dust settle on the statues of Kagawus, nor watch the children of Kagawus convert to another god.

But from the defense written by the one named Xilan, I’ve learned much about the so-called Church."

Hetep bowed his head,

"Please state Your Will, Your Majesty, aside from Kagawus, I only follow your commands."

Anuket looked at both of them and began to speak,

"In a letter, I saw the defense put forth by Xilan’s Church, and the deeds of the Prophet.

While he could not confirm to me whether the Prophet truly saved Ajia Royal City, undoubtedly, the Ancient Language he brought benefits each one of us."

Upon hearing this, Antion’s face showed some pleasure.

Although he was the son of prophecy, he did not come to Ajia Land to destroy heresy; he came to fulfill the Prophecy of Kagawus.

His interactions with Xilan and others had always been greatly beneficial to him,

which is why he defended the New Rule Garden.

Anuket then slowly revealed his own plans.

"Since in the era of King Lam, the Three-eyed Ape People once worshipped both Kagawus and the Church’s god, and the Great Temple still has halls for offerings to that god."

"Your Majesty, are you saying?"

Hetep and Antion asked simultaneously.

"Then... now we can follow in our ancestors’ footsteps, integrating Kagawus with their god, uniting the two religions, the two faiths.

With Kagawus as the primary and their god as auxiliary, just as in the ordering of offerings in the Great Temple."

As his voice fell, Anuket’s expression was solemn, his tone serious.

Being a ruler of a nation, he was certainly no fool.

A fool could not wrestle back his power from the hands of the Minister.

Even as Anuket was determined to protect the glory of Kagawus, as a King, he would not persecute the True Believers on a grand scale without careful consideration.

After much reflection, Anuket found inspiration from the Great Temple.

Since the Three-eyed Ape People also once served that god,

why not integrate the two religions, the two beliefs?

Demanding the New Rule Garden to erect statues of Kagawus, recite prayers for Kagawus, accept guidance from the Great Temple, obey the King protected by the Prophetic God...

In this way, as time flies, through the passing of long ages, like the tide laps upon the shore, gradually, one day, the lord from the high mountains will be supplanted by Kagawus, the ethereal Heavenly City will become another synonym for the Netherworld, and the altars without statues will begin to offer Divine Statues of the Prophetic God.

By then, people will have forgotten the Church’s god, as they had forgotten that temple in the Great Temple, treating it as a punctuation mark in history,

This was the most perfect plan conceived by Anuket.

Even though such a plan might incite opposition from the True Believers, it was far more viable than the direct abolition of the Church’s god and banning the New Rule Garden from the faith.

For faith,

persecution is but a knife that harms the flesh.

But forgetting is the true poison that kills belief.