Chapter 1230 Old Ibn’s Past

It was not until Aiwass and his party entered the city gate that Aiwass in the carriage put down the book "Rest" in his hand and looked at Old Ibn with some doubt: "Does this really work?"

This was something old Ibn had stuffed into his hand when they had just approached the oasis.

Old Eben had Aiwass read the lines from the first chapter above - Aiwass felt that this was somewhat embarrassing, so he slightly changed the lines to make it more natural.

Of course he knew what it was. It was like a religious scripture, except that in the desert there was no religion that believed in the savior in "Rest"...

But this is normal, Aiwass thought. After all, there are real gods in this world. Compared to the illusory savior of the future, a real god who can bestow power is more worthy of faith.

"It seems to be working quite well for me."

Haina complained, "They're all curled up on the ground like maggots, and they can't wait to kowtow."

When Haina learned that the "cake maker" who had brought her such great stimulation was the ritualist raised by the benevolent master of Qingquan City, she felt a great disgust towards his colleagues.

Even though I couldn't bring myself to hate them because I was still unfamiliar with them, I already knew deep down what a twisted bunch of scum they were. I wouldn't have the slightest bit of mercy or leniency towards them.

“You have no idea how much we value ‘Rest in Peace’.”

Old Ibn chuckled, speaking with a touch of melancholy and nostalgia, "For those families who could teach their children to read, the words they learned were invariably from 'The Sabbath'. For all families, including slaves, except for their fathers, mothers, and masters, the first words they learned were generally 'The heavens burst, and the Indigo King descended from the sandstorm, breathing fire.'

Every true Parthian has mixed feelings about the desert. It nurtured us, imprisoned us, and tortured us. Even though everyone believes in an afterlife, no one fails to long for the coming of the Savior who will lead us out of the desert. Precisely because of the twelve already fulfilled, almost impossible, and outrageous prophecies, many firmly believe that the first and thirteenth prophecy will also come true.

"Perhaps only those who follow the Horusites and pursue Mithra...would not believe in the coming of the savior."

The old man sighed softly and exhaled a breath of foul air.

His somewhat cloudy and dim pupils looked at the people kneeling outside.

Like the wind blowing down the wheat waves, people also fell down and kowtowed before them.

This is where old Ibn once walked.

He used to work here and study in the library.

He almost became a member of the "Water Raven Guards". If one of his senior brothers had not secretly advised him and asked him to take the Pure Sect Oath... he would have become a member of the Thirst Stone Makers.

Haina looked a little reluctant and whispered, "Isn't this a bit bad..."

"You don't know, we Anxi people are such mean bones, Lord Dane."

Old Ibn liked to call Haena by her surname.

Though born a commoner, Haena was already a member of the Arbitration Court. Although the Kingdom of Avalon no longer existed, Old Ibn still treated Aiwass and Haena the same way he had when he served the old queen—as the young princess's lover and the Knight of the Arbitration Court.

The old man's mouth curled up slightly, like a wry smile, a sneer, or even a mockery: "The better you treat us, the more greedy we become, and the more likely we are to harbor discontent. The harsher you discipline us, the more loyal and honest we become."

"this……"

Haina frowned and was speechless.

Old Iben looked out the window, and his pupils seemed to reflect the scene of his betrayal in the past.

His words became increasingly indifferent, as if nothing mattered to him and that this was how things were supposed to be. However, just listening to his words made Aiwass feel a pang in his heart:

"That's how slaves are. How can a master be at ease unless they are trained like dogs?

"If people could think, they would become human beings. But good masters do not need so many people. Most people are chickens, cattle, sheep, livestock, and ants. They are the hot soup in the pot, the filth in the street, the bloodstone on the altar, and the embers burning at the bottom of the pit..."

Old Iben, who was nearing the end of his life, squinted his eyes slightly, as if he was asleep or in a dream.

After a long time, he finally opened his eyes as if awakened by a start, muttering two meaningless words, his voice getting louder again: "It's only when you can bite that I feel at ease. It's only when you're not so smart that the master is willing to reward you with two bones."

"As for clever people... there are some. Anxi has the best craftsman in the world, who can write 5,800 words on a single finger bone - that's the number of words in "Anxi"; but if he can't do it, or if he damages the finger bone, his entire family will be buried with him.

"Among the Parthians, there are unparalleled singers—with all due respect, even the great singer of irises could not sing such a magnificent and sacred voice alone. And such a singer, should the Benevolent Master so desire, can have her tongue cut off as a memorial. Or perhaps, he can open her chest and abdomen to see if her lungs are larger than those of an ordinary person."

"No one thought there was anything wrong with it. Or maybe there was, except they died.

"My lord... you said that the Good Lords originally served only to protect the remains of our ancestors. They too have a sacred mission, like the Night's Watch holding a torch."

The old man said softly, "But the Night Watchmen... do they really hope the sun will rise again? When the sun doesn't shine, they are the only light. When the sun rises, the flames in their hands will be like children's jokes."

"I don't know what divine mission is, nor do I know what the good Lord has given me. I only know that if I don't smash all of this to pieces, there will be no dawn in this world.

"You have no idea how many foolish people wish the sun would never come out again. Simply because they've grown accustomed to living this way, simply because they've been given such a ridiculous amount of light and fire. Simply because they have it and others don't... so they hate a brighter world.

"If you want to smash all this, you must not be gentle. Without the most fierce scolding and the most vicious whipping, people will not stand up at all.

"—And the prophecy of 'Rest' is the best whip. It wakes people up, makes them look up from their trance... to see if the day has finally come.

"... Let's see if the day has finally come."

Old Iben repeated the last sentence.

His eyes flickered, as if he saw some illusion, or as if there were tears in his eyes.

He looked at the people kneeling on the ground, as if he saw his past self and his companions.

——His senior brother, the person he once admired, was betrayed by his junior fellow... Ibn's nephew.

"...Aziz bin Abdullah."

Ibn spoke slowly, "That man was able to enter the Great Library to study ritual magic because of my recommendation. He was a slave exiled here from a city where his lord had been killed and exterminated. My sister took pity on the child and adopted him."

In order to move up a level, he reported Old Ibn and his senior brother one by one - because their act of secretly helping slaves escape was considered "stealing the property of a good master."

"At the time, I had no idea that the person who reported them was my nephew, my sister's adopted son..."

Old Ibn said sarcastically, “After we were expelled from the academy, we took our companions to live in my sister’s house. We planned how to secretly rescue the innocent and righteous people who were chosen as materials for the thirst stone and replace them with sinners.

"We weren't even planning to rebel against the Good Lord."

Because they all knew what would happen if Qingquan City lost its kind master.

"Perhaps to advance further, or perhaps out of jealousy of my and my talents... Aziz bin Abdul, who was still an apprentice, secretly gathered evidence and brought the Raven Guards to capture us on the spot.

“They fought hard to get me out.

"And it was on this road that they were hanged. They would rather die than reveal my whereabouts.

“My sister, Aziz’s adoptive mother… was also tortured to death by the Good Lord for taking us in.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Tang also remained silent like Mu.

His brows were slightly furrowed, and only his pursed lips and clenched fists could reveal his boiling emotions at the moment.

And Aiwass slowly opened his eyes.

"If so," Aiwass said, "then let the prophecy come true."

Update completed meow!

Thank you sister Zeze for your golden cuteness, I kowtow to you, bang bang bang!

(End of this chapter)