Only God
Chapter 283 - 243 No One Will Notice

Chapter 283: Chapter 243 No One Will Notice

In the midst of Ajia Royal City, the time approached dusk as those who were praying gradually dispersed.

Daniel had been busy all day, and his back and waist ached his lips were dry, and his throat was a bit tight.

In this New Rule Garden, he constantly explained the Scripture and blessed people, offering solace to those in distress and assisting Xilan with prayers.

The preachers of this church, along with the active True Believers who helped with various matters, didn’t receive any material rewards from the church, even during festivities they merely received some wheat stored in New Rule Garden.

They acted this way out of great passionate faith, not worldly benefits.

Daniel was among them.

Moreover, since Daniel was Xilan’s disciple, he displayed even greater diligence and hardship than others. He did not find joy in worldly pleasures but rather found immense achievement and satisfaction in others’ admiration and their close faith in God.

Thus, some wealthy freemen or some nobles would offer him their wealth for support, which he either resolutely refused or passed on to the church.

These actions of his baffled people, leading them to question Daniel.

And Daniel often replied:

"The gold, food, cattle, and sheep you wish to give me could bring me happiness.

But how can worldly happiness compare to spiritual joy?"

"And in God’s Kingdom, where countless joys await us, how could I follow my own desires and not act according to God’s will?"

"By accepting your wealth, wouldn’t I be forsaking the future happiness in Heaven?"

Daniel lived a life as austere as Xilan’s, sometimes even more so than his teacher.

After the evening prayer, Daniel bid farewell to Xilan and gradually walked back to his residence in the suburbs, a humble hut built of mud, wood, and thatch, located in an area where freemen and slaves lived together, which was utterly unremarkable and simple.

As Daniel walked the streets, the neighbors came out to bless him, admiringly gazing at Xilan’s disciple.

On this street, many were True Believers because of Daniel.

Though Daniel’s house was modest, he himself added luster to it.

Daniel greeted everyone with a smile and returned their blessings.

He reached home and, while the sun hadn’t completely set, took out a wooden board with carvings to studiously read under the remaining sunlight, delving into the Scripture’s embedded meanings.

Morning prayers, leading readings, preaching, explaining, studying, evening prayers, studying again... This was Daniel’s day.

Today was supposed to be as ordinary as any other day.

However, after nightfall, someone knocked on Daniel’s door.

The sound was very brief.

Daniel sat up from his light sleep, having lived a life of rising at sunrise and resting at sunset, he was just about to fall asleep when he was disturbed.

He muttered a few complaints softly, dressed himself, and then opened the tightly closed door.

A Stone Slave appeared before him, disheveled, and face stained with dried blood,

"Mo’er?"

Under the clear moonlight, Daniel recognized him, it was Mo’er, the father of the boy from a few days ago.

"Dan, Daniel... Daniel!"

Mo’er showed an agitated expression, his voice trembling and hoarse, evidently having undergone extraordinary torment.

"Come in quickly, what happened to you? Weren’t you deployed with the troops?"

Daniel noticed something odd, took a step forward, and then saw Mo’er’s left shoulder sleeve hanging empty,

"What is this?!"

Mo’er didn’t come in, but with a coarse breath and a hoarse voice said:

"Help us, Daniel, for the sake of God, help us."

"What happened? What did you encounter?

And... weren’t you deployed? How did you end up here?"

After a series of questions, Mo’er fell silent for a moment.

Then he slowly exhaled, his words sending shivers through Daniel.

"Daniel, we... we’ve rebelled."

These brief words boomed in Daniel’s mind, as if struck by lightning.

"What do you mean, what exactly do you mean?"

Mo’er grabbed Daniel’s hand, saying,

"Daniel...you must help us, we are all True Believers, for God’s sake..."

Daniel felt dizzy. He took a deep breath and shakily repeated,

"First tell me what happened...

First tell me what exactly happened?!"

Seeing this, Mo’er hoarsely explained,

"The soldiers whipped us, bullied us, let us die of thirst and starvation, and wouldn’t let us touch even a bit of their provisions.

We couldn’t bear it any longer, and I, along with a few other brothers from the True Believers, led everyone to rebel and killed those soldiers completely."

Daniel pressed on,

"Then what?"

He stared intently at Mo’er.

"Then, then the Beastmen came.

They overwhelmed us and caught us rebels off guard.

We became their prisoners, and we thought we were doomed."

Mo’er’s voice grew louder, his emotions flaring and his words somewhat disjointed,

"Do you know what happened? Do you know what happened?

The barbarians we saw didn’t strike us with their swords; instead, they let us all go."

"That high-horse-riding, finely armored one, snake-like, like a king. He said he knew our hero Baird, he admired him, so he let us go."

"The Beastmen even gave us their food.

My God, those generals had never treated us so well."

Following that, Mo’er recounted what happened next.

Since that battle, the Stone Slaves had broken free from the military’s grasp and started retreating en masse to Ajia Land.

Most of the Stone Slaves were slaves, and Ajia Land was their homeland; aside from returning there, they found no other place to go.

It was tragic, even though each of them realized that going back to Ajia Land might not end well.

But as slaves, they saw no other choice.

"So you’re saying... you rebelled and then escaped back here."

Daniel finally calmed down and asked.

"You’re right, Daniel.

You must help us, we are all True Believers."

Mo’er pleaded,

"May God bless you, may God watch over you, Daniel."

Daniel took a deep breath, and after an internal struggle, he spoke:

"How can I help?

Listen, do not involve New Rule Garden."

"We need some people, there’s a gap in the city wall and it’s not heavily guarded. Just with a few ladders, we can all climb over, escape back into the Royal City, and then no one will notice."

Mo’er, as if afraid Daniel would refuse, emphasized again:

"No one will notice."