Chapter 231 Is God’s will manifest?
In a blink of an eye, it was the day of the grand ceremony to worship the gods. Before dawn, the temple square was already full of people.
Even the main roads outside the square were crowded with believers coming from all over.
Outside the entire temple, the streets were deserted and the scene was grand.
Legend has it that on the day of the grand ceremony of worshiping the gods, the great god Guiyuan will descend to the mortal world, attach himself to the statue of the god, look at the believers in the world with his own eyes, and bless them.
Many believers sold their property for travel expenses and traveled all the way to Luocheng, just to have the chance to witness the divine light appear in the world when the gods appeared, to receive the gods' protection, and to have a long and prosperous life from then on.
Some people even brought their seriously ill relatives with them and came with their entire family, hoping to be saved.
Amid the devout prayers of all believers, the first ray of morning sunshine finally shone on the land of Luocheng.
The tall statue in front of the temple square was also coated with a deep glow by the morning sun.
The statue has kind eyes and eyebrows, with slightly lowered eyebrows, as if overlooking the people of the world.
Someone noticed something different and whispered, "Why does the statue's face look different from before?"
He was immediately stopped by his companions:
"Don't talk nonsense! Offending the gods is a grave sin!"
"That must be because the gods are omnipotent and ever-changing. The gods suddenly changed their appearance, perhaps to test our loyalty—no matter what form they take, we must recognize them!"
This explanation is self-consistent and perfect.
The archbishop is currently receiving the emperor and civil and military officials inside the temple.
The Emperor of Guifang also noticed something different about the statue, so he respectfully asked, "Archbishop, why has the statue changed?"
He glanced at the archbishop and couldn't help but wonder, "Why does the current statue look a bit like the archbishop?"
The Archbishop said, "The gods are omnipotent and ever-changing. I am the incarnation of the gods on earth, so it's not surprising that we share some similarities."
The Emperor of Guifang was initially a little confused, but after being bewitched by his words, his eyes gradually became blurry: "That's right, the gods are omnipotent and ever-changing..."
He quickly knelt down and prayed to the statue: "God, please don't blame me, please don't blame me! May the gods stay in Guifang and bless the country to prosper. May I be blessed with a long life and the cure of all my illnesses."
The civil and military officials behind him also knelt down and prayed.
Then the whole hall was filled with the sound of whispering and muttering.
After the prayer, the emperor and the archbishop appeared on the altar in the statue square with civil and military officials.
The crowd below cheered loudly, shouting not "Long live the Emperor" but "Long live the gods, long live the bishop!"
The emperor did not feel that his imperial power was challenged at all. He held the archbishop's hand intimately and walked to the highest point of the altar together.
After another round of worship, the divine attendant loudly announced: "Offer a sacrifice to the gods to show our piety!"
Then, a group of young children in plain clothes, with innocent eyes, were brought to the altar.
"Light the fire!" With the order, a blazing flame ignited in the altar which was more than twenty feet in diameter.
As the flames started to blaze, the children grew nervous. The youngest ones started crying and struggled to run, but were held tightly by the guards.
Normally, gold, silver and treasures are used to worship the gods, but the sacrifices used in the annual sacrifice temple are these children under the age of six.
Everyone knows what's going to happen next.
But they turned a blind eye, as if those innocent children and cattle and sheep were not worth mentioning.
Even their parents were among them, and instead of stopping them, they looked proud.
Only one young man stepped out from among the civil and military officials and said, "Father, how can you sacrifice children to the gods? This is utterly cruel! Please order the release of those children immediately!"
The Emperor said, "Sixth Prince, you have been studying in Feng Country for many years. You may not know this. These children are chosen by the gods. The sacrifice is to send them to the paradise and reach the gods. This is a great honor, and many people would love it."
The young prince found it unbelievable. How come he had only been away for a few years and the country had become so ridiculous when he came back?
"What do you mean by sending me to paradise? It's clearly pushing me into a fire pit and burning me alive!"
"Father, the punishment of burning at the stake has always been used against the most heinous crimes! The youngest of these children is only two years old, and the oldest is only five or six. How could you, Father, have the heart to do this to them?"
The emperor said, "This temporary pain is merely a test from the gods. Only after experiencing the agony of fire can their souls become pure. Once they reach heaven, they will be able to enjoy eternal happiness."
"But……"
"Sixth Prince, are you questioning the gods?" the Archbishop said coldly, his tone accusing the emperor. "No wonder the gods are angry and repeatedly send down hints. It turns out that the royal family's faith is impure!"
Upon hearing this, the emperor panicked. "Come here, drag this rebellious son away and throw him into the Heavenly Prison for trial! Anyone who offends the gods, even if he is my son, will not be tolerated!"
As the Sixth Prince was being dragged away, he pleaded loudly, "Father, you may condemn me, but those children are innocent. You must not burn them to death at will! Why should we worship such a cruel and indifferent god? He is not a god, but a devil! Father... Father..."
The Archbishop stepped forward leisurely. "Let the Sixth Prince return. Since he doesn't believe in the gods, let him see a true miracle. As the gods' representatives on earth, we naturally have the responsibility to enlighten all living beings and bring them into the arms of the gods."
The emperor nodded slightly, his voice becoming more pious: "Thank you, God, for your tolerance. Thank you, God, for giving that wicked boy a chance."
Then he glared again: "Drag that evil boy up here? Make him kneel beside you and feel the grace of the gods!"
The archbishop quietly gathered a magical power and dropped it on the statue. The next moment, colorful light appeared behind the god.
"God is obviously working!" someone shouted.
The crowd suddenly became excited, and some people shouted: "Long live the gods!"
Some people knelt and kowtowed, their foreheads bleeding, but they didn't feel any pain at all.
Some people cried bitterly, as if all the grievances and sufferings were vented at this moment.
All the civil and military officials also knelt down, transformed into devout believers, and constantly recited the grace of the gods.
Even the king of a country knelt down excitedly and kowtowed, making a wish to the gods sincerely.
The Sixth Prince knelt at the edge of the altar, gazing in disbelief at the radiant light emanating from the statue, and could not help but ask:
"Are you really a god? Do gods really exist in this world? If you are a god, please save those children!"
The gods seemed to have heard his voice, and a brilliant light slowly floated towards him.
The Sixth Prince was immediately overjoyed: "Did you hear that? Are you willing to save those children?"
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