Comprehensive network wizard, magic emperor.

Chapter 237 Heretics Enter Hongdu, Even the King Is Unworthy

With Pentecost just a week away, all countries that follow the five gods are beginning to prepare for celebrations of the most important festival of the year.

People in agrarian countries have laid down their hoes, and fishermen in the sailing islands have put their nets back in their holds.

The newly purchased machine-woven and dyed fabric was cut up and made into winter clothes, which were then put on the children before Pentecost.

Mountain dwellers slaughter pigs, herders kill sheep, and coastal residents spread out fish, shrimp, and shellfish to dry. Families take out the grain they've stored up in the autumn and make local specialties like pastries, noodles, candies, and snacks.

Smoked and cured chicken, duck, fish and meat are placed in a stew pot. While it is still steaming hot, it is first offered to the Five Gods. After it has cooled down, it is shared with the family.

In the morning in Shita Town, wisps of smoke, like clouds, floated on the brown-red rooftops, the houses shrouded in a misty white vapor. It had rained the night before, and the streets were still damp and muddy.

Schools were out for summer break, and most factories had stopped operating. The townspeople, young and old, flocked to the church, joining the worshippers who had come from far and wide.

A procession of thousands lined the streets to bid farewell to the priests and believers of the tower-guarding order.

They will travel to Hongdu to spread the teachings of miracles.

The Tower Guardian Order prepared for this long journey for over a month, selecting personnel, training them in etiquette and manners, rehearsing, preparing speeches, and developing contingency plans for unexpected events. Many difficulties were overcome one by one, but in the end, only the issue of the ceremonial procession remained, which could not be finalized.

As it concerned the sect's reputation, Viren Pearl, Kochen Ancher, and other wealthy believers prepared a large sum of money, enough to pave a sea bridge from Kimbey to Honduran with copper coins and paper money, and offered jewelry, gold and silver utensils to decorate their facades, enough to crush an oxcart.

The old priest knew that his group was going to confront and compete with the mainstream orthodoxy of the current sect, and he was also aware of the sect's magnificent and imposing presence.

He had studied at the Papacy's synagogue for three months, and by the time Pentecost arrived at the end of the year, the area outside the synagogue's limestone walls was a place of joy and brightness.

The priests, dressed in white robes embroidered with gold thread and silver trim, with flowing tassels on their sleeves and rings inlaid with pearls and emeralds on their fingers, stood gracefully before the pilgrims, like a pure and noble snowflake.

The white-clad knight riding a white steed, wearing pure white lacquered armor and holding a tall golden prayer flag, resembled a swift and proud frost wind.

At that time and place, thousands of snowflakes and thousands of frosts, densely connected, covered the main road of the Holy City of Xinwei, flowing like an ice river, the footsteps and hooves of horses clamoring like waves, and jewels and gold and silver reflecting dazzling brilliance in the sunlight.

Pilgrims invariably refer to it as the arrival of a divine kingdom.

Even after thousands of days and nights, the old priest could not forget the image of the white-robed priest and the knight. This image was the result of donations from hundreds of millions of believers over the past centuries.

The Five Gods Church of the Kening Empire could not compare to the scale of the papacy's ceremonial procession, but it was still a behemoth to the Tower Keeper's Order, which was rooted in the remote countryside.

The old priest refused the money offered by the congregation, returned their treasures, and did not order the artisans, tailors, or embroiderers to rush the production of prayer flags and flagpoles.

He simply prepared a comfortable, loose-fitting black-dyed robe, a thick, warm inner garment, two pairs of boots, three pairs of wool socks, and a box of black holy ointment for each of his entourage.

On the day of departure, the members of the Tower Keeper's Order looked like a uniformly dressed tour group, smiling and greeting the people who came to see them off, carrying suitcases and bundles in their hands and on their shoulders, as they walked out of the town.

The Duke's convoy was already waiting there to transport the order of believers to the port of Golden Cup to board their ship.

The sect members bid farewell to their families and friends. Their identities had always been kept secret, perhaps even from their own spouses. But now, they were revealing themselves openly, declaring their truth to the empire and the world.

The order remains a secret sect, but now some members need to step into the public eye.

The scarred sailor touched his wife's face, giving her advice and listening to her advice.

"My dear Rote, why are you going to Hongdu all of a sudden?" His wife shook her head and chuckled, lowering her eyes.

"Go help out. While you're at it, check out the sword fighting in Hongdu."

"Don't go on stage."

“I know,” Scarface agreed, stroking his wife’s swollen belly. “If you run into any trouble, just do as I say. Take good care of the children… I’m sorry I can’t stay here.”

"Alright, stop talking. Go do what a man should do. Protect the High Priest."

Scarface agreed, turned and climbed into the carriage. He saw his wife's small figure waving in the back window. The crowd, like a wall, receded into the distance, becoming a low black line in his field of vision, obscured by withered yellow grass. When even the entire town of Shita could not be seen, only the white tower on the distant coastal promontory still stood on the horizon, like a short thumb.

Then, the lighthouse disappeared from sight. They boarded a ferry, and White Stone Island receded into the distance, becoming a grain of iron-gray on the sea surface.

At Hongdu Port, Viren Pearl had already arranged for people to receive the ship. In addition to the convoy responsible for escorting it, reporters from several newspapers also came after hearing the news.

This year's Pentecost is different from previous years. A month ago, the Emperor announced that he would clarify the true faith and invited the orthodox and various branches of the Five Communions to conduct a great debate on the truth of the faith.

As a shared belief in the five gods, over the centuries, with the rise and fall of various civilizations, branch sects have long since spread throughout the countries of the bountiful continent and its colonies, wielding considerable influence.

While the branches and factions differ from the orthodox ones in their beliefs, practices, and organizational structures, they all adhere to the original doctrines and regard the Father as their head.

The Tower Keepers are the only faction that differs from the mainstream, and their reputation as heretics only fuels suspicion.

After the cabinet announced the list of invited religious groups, the heretical sect in Shita Town, which had initially seemed insignificant, suddenly became a hot topic. Newspapers and radio stations broke the news, revealing that the governor of Baishi Island and high-ranking imperial officials were followers of the sect. This immediately stirred up the sensitive political nerves of the people of Hongdu, sparking a flurry of speculation. The more they dug, the more information they found, providing Hongdu newspapers with a continuous stream of breaking news for half a month, making the newspapers' sales figures very attractive to the editors and publishers.

Reporters from the port swarmed forward, camera flashes went off, and reporters with pens and papers bombarded him with questions, their chatter as loud as a hundred seagulls.

The villagers of Stone Tower were cautious and discreet, wearing hoods and keeping their heads down in silence, following closely behind the old priest and Viscount Pearl as they rode to the upper town to settle down.

The next morning, royal carriages arrived to invite the sect leader to the palace for an audience.

This was not a formal meeting, so Emperor Corvin Ewin sat on his throne in the small hall, gazing at the old priest who walked in through the door. He was dressed in a black robe, and his forehead was covered with black ointment, which resembled an eye.

"Whom am I talking to?"

"Hugh Norway, the humble shepherd of the five gods, the humble believer in miracles, the priest of the Stone Tower parish of White Rock Island, Your Majesty."

“You are not the person I invited by imperial decree.” Kevin Evan opened and closed his lips, his expression as cold as a statue.

“Your Majesty, you are merely a king among men. The Miracle Walker is a celestial being. Why do you think He would condescend to serve a mortal? It is you who should be the one to pay homage.”

For the first time, Kevin Evan smiled.

"A country shaman, hiding in the borderlands, performs some ridiculous spells to bewitch the people. He actually dares to disregard my decrees and send you, a muddle-headed and arrogant old man, to appease my good intentions."

His speech quickened, like the approaching thunder of a summer night, from muffled to deafening. "It seems you've made up your minds to rebel with Kochen Ancher, so there's no need to debate any righteous beliefs. You're due to leave Hongdu before sunset."

"Your Majesty," the old priest said calmly, "do you intend to expel the people of Stone Tower Town, or the Cult of Miracles?"

Kevin Evan frowned slightly.

The old priest continued, “If you intend to expel the people of Stone Tower Town, then we will leave Hongdu. If you intend to expel the Cult of Miracles, then the scholars of the Royal Academy of Sciences, as well as the servants of the noblemen’s residences, will also leave.”

The emperor was silent.

He looked at the guards standing at the door, who should have pushed the door open and asked him to leave, but instead stood there as if they were blind and deaf.

A faint chill crept up his spine, softening Kevin Evan's tone.

"I never imagined you could extend your reach so far, or lay such a deep ambush. Well done, Viren Pearl, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, you've done all this so quickly. What do you plan to do next? Hang me, or chop off my head with the guillotine?"

The old priest shook his head. “All we have done is to let the world see the truth and witness miracles. We have no ulterior motives and will not harm Your Majesty. We have come in response to your summons, which is already a sign of respect for the King. But Your Majesty, you cannot use a mere decree to command the gods for you. That would be disrespectful to miracles.”

"I am not worthy?" Kevin Evan laughed for the second time.

“You are not worthy,” the old priest replied coldly.

"Very good, very good. I look forward to your speech. Go back and prepare well."

The old priest bowed and took his leave.

Before the arrival of the Descent of the Gods, he had no further opportunity to meet with the emperor, as he was busy with other matters every day.

The nobles of Hongdu sensed an impending storm, but could not make it out clearly.

People were immersed in the joyful atmosphere of the holiday week. Smoke drifted from chimneys, shop windows were filled with best-selling products, factory smoke still billowed from chimneys, and homeless people slept soundly in cardboard boxes in the sewers. In the evening, they would go out to beg, rummaging through garbage dumps for food. They would be able to eat their fill this week.

The Lighthouse Master has a temporary break. Perhaps it's because the New Year is approaching and the festive atmosphere is so joyful that even illnesses are no longer a problem. There are far fewer visitors coming to the Lighthouse Master seeking medical advice and treatment.

He seized this opportunity to work day and night to complete the underwater aquaculture tanks.

Various festivals are held in the town. Since the old priest is not here, the mayor is in charge of hosting them, and group activities are arranged every day.

This commotion had nothing to do with the Lighthouse Master and his disciples. However, one day, according to local custom, sticky malt candy was given to beloved neighbors. Suddenly, many children came to the cape and filled the Night Watchman's courtyard with baskets of candy and many holiday cards.

Lin Bo read through them one by one after dinner, a smile unconsciously appearing on his face.

The apprentices also received greeting cards and candy. They have now achieved some success in their medical skills and often travel to towns or cities to treat patients with mobility issues. They have had a relatively quiet week so far.

"It's so nice to have so few patients. Everyone's healthy," the grocer remarked as he read the cards.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a series of urgent honking sounds came from outside the courtyard, indicating that a visitor had come seeking medical help.

Everyone stared at the grocer with strange looks, but he kept his head down and remained silent.

(End of this chapter)