Chapter 686 Capturing a Wild Daughter
Rome, Pantheon.
Luo En sat on the throne, looking at the twelve figures standing respectfully in the hall, and asked:
"These are the preachers you selected?"
"Yes, sir."
Ariadne, Fedra, and Cassandra, who were standing behind the throne, answered respectfully.
Over the long years, Dionysus has undergone constant changes, reorganizations and transformations, and eventually formed a large and vibrant organization.
It takes Greece and Rome as the axis, Celtic and Nordic as the two wings, and the Garden of Eden as the holy land. It successfully connects the five great gods and billions of creatures into a whole, and melts thousands of beliefs into one.
It’s called——[The Holy See]!
As the helmsmen of the faith reform and the servants closest to God, Ariadne, Phaedra and Cassandra were naturally given the title of "Saints" by the believers and were worshipped and respected.
At the same time, they are also the real leaders of the human side in the Holy See.
That is, the Pope.
"Sir, this is their identity information, please take a look."
Cassandra stepped forward and handed over a parchment scroll.
Loen opened it and saw the names of the twelve leaders:
Peter, Andrew, James the Greater, son of Zebedee, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the Less, son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon, Matthias.
Is it them?
Luo En was slightly stunned and couldn't help but look at the twelve people in the hall again.
They are young and old, tall and short, fat and thin, and even have different skin colors and ethnicities.
But they all have a certain quality:
Piety, courage, tenacity, and dedication to ideals - fanaticism!
This also brought them a tragic ending:
1. "Peter" requested to be crucified upside down, and used the blood of the upside-down cross to wash away his previous cowardice and indecision in questioning God.
2. "Andrew" was tied to an X-shaped cross in the Patras area and continued to preach during the three long days of torture. The rack later became the guardian symbol of Scotland, witnessing how faith transcends physical pain.
3. James the Greater became the first apostle to be martyred and was beheaded by King Herod. The calmness shown by this "Son of Thunder" at the moment of death made the soldier who was executing him convert on the spot, completing the final miracle with his blood.
4. "Philip" was crucified upside down and stoned to death in Asia Minor. His widow and daughter sang hymns at the execution ground, and the songs of faith penetrated the cruelty of the executioner.
5. "Bartholomew" suffered the horrific death penalty of flaying in Armenia. Legend has it that when his skin was completely peeled off, a large-scale wave of conversions broke out among the onlookers, and the tyrant's torture rack became the most powerful preaching platform.
6. Thomas traveled to India to preach and was eventually pierced by a spear on the Malabar Coast. His tomb still attracts millions of pilgrims, proving that truth never needs to be protected by force.
7. "Matthew" was pierced through the back by a sword in Ethiopia. This former tax collector used his life to complete the ultimate transformation from a wealth grabber to a spiritual devotee.
8. "James the Less" was pushed down from the top of the Jerusalem Temple and beaten to death. His death marked the beginning of the great persecution of the Jerusalem Church and the pilgrims' stairs were forged with blood.
9. After Thaddaeus won the debate with the magicians in Persia, he was crucified. The pagan priests were horrified to find that death had multiplied the influence of this "apostate."
10. "Simon" was sawed off along with the rebels in Persia. This "radical" finally demonstrated the power of non-violent resistance in the most painful way.
11. Matthias preached in Jerusalem and was first stoned and then beheaded.
12. After "John" was captured, the enemy tyrant threw the 94-year-old man into a boiling oil pan...
The above is the future of all of them.
A tragic song written with blood for faith.
Later, they were given the same name in the Bible - the Twelve Apostles.
Luo En's eyes were complicated, and a trace of pity arose in his heart. He asked:
“Do you know what you’re going to go through?”
"Yes, Lady Cassandra has informed us of the outcome."
The twelve people answered in unison, without a trace of hesitation in their voices or a wavering expression.
As the most outstanding prophet, it was not difficult for Cassandra to predict the fate of ordinary people, and she did not hide some things.
When faced with this sacred mission, many people initially ran for the position.
There were many candidates whose knowledge, status, and bloodlines far surpassed those of the twelve people before them. Some were even scholars who had personally participated in the writing of the Bible and heroes with divine blood. However, after learning the price of spreading the way of God, those people, without exception, became shaken and chose to retreat.
After rounds of screening, only the twelve of them persisted to the end.
Without exception, they all knew their fate and accepted it.
Therefore, they were not chosen by fate, but actively chose their fate.
This is also the reason why they can stand out from the crowd and become the "Twelve Apostles".
Looking at those faces that exuded fanaticism, determination and idealism, Lorne was silent for a long time before speaking again:
"It's not too late to regret or quit now."
"All nations on earth will become paradise, and all people on earth will be saved! We will never regret even if we die to spread the Lord's gospel and complete the Lord's great cause!"
The twelve people answered loudly, still without the slightest sign of wavering.
Loen did not continue to dissuade him. He raised his hand slightly forward, and the solemn temple turned into a low stone chamber.
Loen took off the gorgeous clothes of a god and put on the simple white robe of a human. He sat at the head of a long table and waved to the twelve people around him:
"Come on, let's have a meal together before we set off. Just think of it as me practicing for you."
"How can we, as lowly beings, sit at the same table with [Father]?"
The twelve preachers were flattered when they heard this and quickly waved their hands to refuse.
Luo En glanced at the twelve preachers and said calmly:
"I was once a member of the Son of Man. I am no different from you in essence, and there is no distinction between high and low. There is no need for you to be nervous. Just treat this as an ordinary family dinner."
Faced with God's repeated requests, the twelve preachers had no choice but to agree and took their seats tremblingly.
The dim candlelight in the room swayed in the wind, emitting a soft warmth.
Ariadne, Fedra, and Cassandra took the initiative to act as maids, going in and out of the kitchen connected to Mount Ares, and bringing freshly baked bread, freshly stewed soup, and a few simple home-cooked dishes to the table.
The aroma of food filled the air, exuding a simple and warm taste.
The apostles' somewhat nervous mood was gradually calmed down.
With Lorne's encouragement, they put aside their awkwardness and uneasiness and enjoyed the dinner cooked by Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, while chatting and laughing.
The twelve people sometimes discussed their understanding of the words of the Bible, sometimes shared the local customs and practices of different places, and sometimes imagined the vision after the event was accomplished...
Loen in the center sometimes listened patiently, sometimes interjected a few comments, and sometimes served food and rice to the apostles, urging them to eat more. He did not have a single trace of being superior to God. He was just like an ordinary father who tried his best to take care of each of his "children".
Gradually, the atmosphere on the field became harmonious and even warm.
The apostles looked toward the Father with eyes no longer filled with awe, but with love and closeness.
The belief that "God loves the world" is engraved in their souls and bones like an iron rule.
At least, that's what their Father said.
Lorne was also looking at the twelve people at the dining table, his gentle eyes revealing a hint of complexity.
Just as it was not Sakyamuni but King Ashoka who developed Buddhism into a systematic religion and promoted it, the actual founders of the future Christianity were not Jesus alone, but the twelve apostles who came from all walks of life, were well-versed in the scriptures, and devoted their lives to preaching.
The reason is simple. What Sakyamuni originally created was just a subject of study and a method of personal practice. But religion does not require knowledge, but reverence, dissemination, confusion and unreasonable belief.
As the greatest contributor to the spread of Buddhism, Ashoka's own choice was actually highly utilitarian.
His life achievements can be clearly divided into two parts. The first half of his life was the "Black Ashoka" era, in which he mainly secured the throne through struggle and defeated the Sixteen Powerful Kingdoms by force, basically unified most of India, and established the Maurya Dynasty.
The second half of his life was the era of "White Ashoka", during which he worked hard to promote Buddhism throughout the country and contributed to the prosperity of this world religion. The reign of Ashoka became an unprecedented and prosperous era in the history of ancient India. Buddhism became the state religion.
Legend has it that this change was due to the fact that Ashoka felt deep remorse after witnessing the massacre when he conquered Kalinga, so he stopped the military expansion.
But in fact, that was because he had already conquered almost the entire territory of India and did not need to continue expanding by force.
On the contrary, his top priority was to stop the war, call on the people to stop killing and rebelling, and accept the rule of the Maurya Empire.
Since Ashoka was descended from the untouchables who raised peacocks, he was destined to be unable to gain recognition and a basis for his rule from Brahmanism, which emphasized bloodline and order.
Therefore, Buddhism, which advocates equality of all beings and abstinence from killing and violence, became his best choice.
Buddhism came into being as a result, and successfully ushered in the "Era of Dharma", suppressing Brahmanism for a thousand years.
In comparison, the twelve apostles carefully selected by the Holy See were much purer.
They are not seeking wealth, status or fame, but for the future described by this "Father". They are willing to travel thousands of miles across mountains and rivers to spread the gospel of salvation to every corner of the world.
Hardship, danger and death cannot stop them.
It is precisely because of these people that Christianity will spread more widely and have more lasting vitality than Buddhism in the future.
Of course, from a rational point of view, Loen does not reject Ashoka's relatively utilitarian behavior.
Otherwise, he would not have left Polos with the Buddha and left his token to Polos, indicating that he would pass it on to his grandson Ashoka in the future.
It's just that he feels that the more he gives, the more he should get in return.
He should give even if his followers do not ask for it.
This is God’s mercy and God’s justice.
Loen's eyes flashed, and a golden holy grail emerged from the magic circle and landed on the table in front of him.
Then, he raised his hand slightly and inserted his five fingers into his palm.
The golden-red divine blood fell into the cup through the fingers and turned into scarlet wine, with a rich and intoxicating aroma spreading.
“Take and drink my blood which is shed for you, and the blood of the covenant between God and man.”
At Loen's signal, Ariadne, Fedra and Cassandra stepped forward, divided the wine in the cup into twelve portions, and delivered them to each apostle in turn.
Then, Loen raised his glass and said:
"You are about to go on a long journey, and I have no other gift for you. Come, drink this cup. Our blood is thicker than water, and we are connected by blood!"
The twelve apostles quickly stood up, raised their glasses together to salute the merciful Heavenly Father, and then drank the wine in the glasses.
As the wine entered their mouths, it turned into a surging warm current, silently planting the mark of blessing in their bodies.
When the wine glasses of the twelve people were placed back on the table one by one, the farewell dinner came to an end.
The apostles paid a final salute to Loen in the hall, then picked up their bags and set out on their respective paths.
Loen stood at the door of the temple for a long time, until he could no longer see the twelve people, then he gradually withdrew his gaze.
After calming down a little, he glanced at the letter in his hand and suddenly felt a headache.
Without a doubt, this is another troublesome matter.
Forget it, it will come sooner or later, so it’s better to suffer a short pain than a long one.
Loen shook his head, walked out of the Pantheon, and arrived at the island of Avalon in the Celtic Age of Gods through the space teleportation array of the next door Temple of the Three Phases of Fate.
However, as soon as he landed on the island, a broad and heavy sword suddenly emerged from the hazy mist and was placed on his neck.
"Hey, kid, who are you? Where are you from? What do you want to do by sneaking into my house? Tell the truth!"
A muffled question came from behind, and as it spoke, the heavy sword moved a little closer to Loen's neck.
Lorne turned his head and looked slightly behind him.
I saw a tall knight standing in the fog. She was wearing heavy black and silver knight armor, lined with dark red tights, the breastplate was engraved with exquisite fairy words, and the helmet was shaped like a ferocious dragon head, hiding the user's face and breath.
However, this level of magical disguise was nothing to Loen.
His sight was unhindered as he peered inside the armor, taking in the knight's features.
The other person had almost the same face as Altria and Morgan—short blond hair and emerald green pupils, but his eyes were sharper and wilder, with a provocative sneer on the corner of his mouth. His skin was slightly pale, and there was a small scar under his left eye, which added a bit of wildness and rebelliousness.
Seeing that Loen had not answered yet, the knight became impatient and asked again:
"Boy, I'm asking you a question. Are you deaf?"
Lorne sighed, turned around and looked at the knight, and said seriously:
"Um, I'm your father..."
The knight was stunned, then flew into a rage:
"You still dare to be stubborn, you are dead!"
In an instant, a huge sword with great force was swung towards the suspect's head.
(End of this chapter)
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