novelAbuy Chapter 1 Jesus, You Hear Me
Chapter 1 Jesus, You Hear Me
Early December of the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen reign (1644).
Tianjin.
"We invite the Director of Astronomy to a banquet at the Catholic Temple."
"What is it?"
"I don't know, they only told me to come and invite them. The letter has been delivered, farewell."
The sound of horses' hooves hurriedly receded outside the cabin, as if the messenger were being chased by evil spirits.
"Hmph, they reek of the corruption of the evil school of Neo-Confucianism, and the stench of barbarians. They are not here to attend a banquet; they clearly have ill intentions."
There were twelve guardian deities, the Six Ding and Six Jia, on the left and right. The Six Ding wore crimson, yellow, plain, dark blue, and purple robes, while the Six Jia wore helmets, armor, and long swords at their waists.
"Let's strike first."
"No."
"We would like to ask Your Excellency to make the decision."
Everyone looked into the cabin.
Si Chen stood with his hands behind his back, turned around and gazed at his reflection in the bronze mirror.
I've been here for twenty-one years.
The person in the mirror wore a six-cornered hat and a black round-necked robe that reached his ankles, with a crane emblem on his chest that seemed ready to take flight.
In this mysterious and unpredictable Ming Dynasty, what hadn't I seen?
"I was originally a commoner from Liaodong." Si Chen lowered his eyes. "Back then, during the Tianqi Great Explosion."
I once personally twisted off the head of the great demon, and for this extraordinary achievement, I was granted the title of Heavenly Official.
At that time, they were still enjoying the romance and philosophical discussions of Jiangnan.
Being born into poverty is not a disgrace.
In terms of seniority, I am more qualified than them.
Those few underhanded tricks, I will cut them down with a single sword stroke.
The six Ding and six Jia had twelve blood-stained skulls hanging from their waists.
The Apocalyptic Explosion shattered the rift between the real universe and the subspace, the spirit world, and the highest heaven, causing the Heavenly Demon to descend upon the world, giving rise to all sorts of chaos.
How could Si Chen not deeply despise him?
The twelve men all became serious.
"Such great achievements are witnessed by Heaven and Earth, known to all people, and seen by the heavens."
Jia Chen, clad in black armor, stepped forward and cupped his hands, saying, "My lord, times have changed. A son of a wealthy family should not sit under a dangerous roof. Perhaps I should go and investigate first."
Si Chen helped Jia Chen up, saying, "Don't say anything more. My mind is made up. This Feast at Hongmen might not be such a bad thing after all."
The six Ding and six Jia exchanged a glance, and finally bowed their heads, their burly bodies, nearly eight feet tall, kneeling on one knee: "Yes."
They were ultimately just heroic warriors who existed in dependence on Sichen.
It's an antique from the Tang Dynasty.
Si Chen held the gilded invitation in his hand. The hot ink, carrying a familiar spiritual energy, turned into sparks as his fingers touched it.
"The aura of these evil-seeking sects of Neo-Confucianism and those who study things is truly disgusting."
Si Chen slowly stood up and stood with his hands behind his back.
The once bustling Tianjin Port, visible through the green gauze window, now appears dilapidated and desolate, with the ships in the waterways no longer as prosperous as before.
Back in the Wanli era, wealthy families amassed fortunes like mountains of flowers. Merchants in Fuzhou, their blue socks billowing like birdsong, carried thousands of taels of silver across hundreds of shoals. Flower viewers arrived, houses overflowing with blossoms, boats laden with cargo, yellow chickens pecking at the flowers, insects pecking at the blossoms, a scene of utter chaos on the street, white as jade. At dawn, the city bridge was ablaze with lights, and men, shoulder to shoulder, thronged the main road.
But in the blink of an eye, things took a sharp turn for the worse.
How can one not feel sorry for them?
Better to be a dog in times of peace than a human in times of chaos.
"The plague here is more severe than in the capital region; any who invade shall be executed."
Before he finished speaking, Si Chen transformed into a beam of blue light, carrying a flying sword, and soared straight into the sky, disappearing into the vast expanse.
The echoes of the Haihe River still linger.
The attendants and protectors on either side looked at each other in bewilderment.
A streak of azure sword light flashed across the sky, descending into the skylight of the Catholic temple and embedding itself deeply into the stone platform; the three-foot-long blade still trembled slightly.
Si Chen's figure slowly emerged in the light and shadow, his sleeves rolled up, and he stood with his hands behind his back.
Behind layers of curtains, amidst the swirling incense smoke, were many figures, including a dozen or so red-robed phantoms, and even two figures dressed in python robes sitting in the center, whispering among themselves.
Si Chen cupped his hands and said, "Gentlemen, hiding your true self is not the way to treat guests."
Pop, pop, pop.
"What courage! Going to the meeting alone."
Xu Wenjue, son of the Duke of Wei and the third son in his family, lifted the curtain and stepped into the hall in a python robe, jade crown and pearl shoes. He bowed and said, "It has been several years since I last saw you. The official in charge of astronomy still has the same demeanor."
Si Chen narrowed his eyes and looked around. "It's just a reputation that's somewhat undeserved. Young Master, what brings you here? Please speak frankly."
Xu Wenjue smiled and said, "Some friends asked me to make introductions. In order to resolve old grievances, I cannot refuse, so I am hosting this banquet to invite them."
Si Chen scoffed and made a move to leave, "It's just a mad dog barking at the sun, no need for the young master to worry about it."
The phantom behind the curtain trembled with rage.
Upon closer inspection, those illusory figures turned out to be several shadow puppets, while their real counterparts sat calmly in their homes thousands of miles away.
Xu Wenjue quickly stepped forward, "Hey, Heavenly Official, please wait. As the saying goes, it's better to resolve enmity than to let it fester."
I do know a little about this old grudge.
In May of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign, a massive explosion occurred at Wanggongchang, resulting in the death of the Crown Prince. This was merely an accident, and no one wanted to shed blood.
However, in March of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, the Heavenly Official went south of the Yangtze River with his sword. The following day, Yang Tingyun, one of the three pillars of Christianity, died suddenly in a Catholic church in Hangzhou.
In August of the same year, the emperor died.
Then, all the churches in the north were shattered by a sword light that descended from the sky, and the temples in Hejian, Shandong, were reduced to ashes.
Duke Mu Qiyuan of Qian was poisoned to death.
Christianity was severely weakened, and the Ming Dynasty suffered repeated defeats.
Xu Wenjue cupped his hands and said, "Back then, it was Duke Zhang Weixian of England who intervened and mediated. Everyone put up with each other for the sake of the country and each took a step back."
Now that all three pillars of Christianity have passed away, are the officials still not satisfied?
Si Chen remained unmoved, his eyes sharp. "Do you have anything else to say?"
The two stared at each other for a moment, neither willing to give in.
"Enough, enough. I heard that the Heavenly Official was traveling south, so I specially waited here for him. I didn't mean to disturb your presence. I, Xu, have prepared gifts to welcome the Heavenly Official." Xu Wenjue waved his hand, "Someone come here."
A beautiful young woman slowly stepped forward, took off her cloak, and bowed in greeting.
Her face was beautiful and flawless, but her eyes were lifeless.
Xu Wenjue smiled and asked, "Does the Heavenly Official recognize this woman?"
As he spoke, he pushed the woman into Si Chen's arms.
Si Chen raised his hand and touched the woman's brow, then pinched her chin and examined her from left to right. He noticed scales around her eyes and two small white horns on her forehead. "A descendant of the White Dragon?"
Xu Wenjue clapped his hands and laughed.
"This is the Bai Lin descendant, a descendant of the Sima clan, who is said to possess the same saintly qualities as before."
Although the Luo River broke its oath and the Five Barbarian Tribes invaded China, the dynasty's lifespan was as short as a flash in the pan, and even its people were inherently disadvantaged.
Although he holds the title of a figurehead emperor, it is enough to support the Heavenly Officials through this calamity.
As the saying goes, "He who bears the nation's shame is the master of the state."
The fate of the Ming Dynasty is about to collapse, and most of those whose fate is intertwined with it will perish along with it.
I know the Heavenly Official is eager to withdraw, but the ruler, his ministers, and his assistants cannot leave each other without permission.
Only the white-scaled creature can enable the Heavenly Official to rule the ruler as a subject and to cause the inferior to rebel against the superior.
In this way, he would no longer be bound by that fool in the city.
I wonder if the Heavenly Official is satisfied?
Si Chen glanced at this dragon descendant. He said it sounded nice that he was as holy as ever, but he was just a fool.
Although Si Chen longed for a Ming princess with red scales or a descendant of the Han emperor with golden scales, it was ultimately just wishful thinking.
Si Chen lowered his eyes, pondered for a moment, and his words lingered on his lips several times, as if he were extremely conflicted.
"Those who cultivate themselves should not be moved by external things."
If you're talking about forgiveness, I forgive none of them.
But I will accept this gift from the young master.
"When Christians see me in the future, they will give me a wide berth."
I'm just kidding, they'll all die if I see them.
Once I find their roots, I will wipe them all out.
Xu Wenjue cursed inwardly, "That little bastard, he's finally given in."
Seeing that Si Chen's expression shifted slightly and his tone finally softened, Xu Wenjue was overjoyed and immediately offered wine, "Shall we drink from this golden cup together?"
Si Chen reached out and took the wine. The clear liquid, carrying the fragrance of osmanthus, made his spiritual energy even more active and dynamic.
"No mercy shown to one another when the blade is drawn!"
"please!"
The two drank it all in one gulp.
Xu Wenjue grabbed Si Chen's arm and said, "A Christian Western scholar here has personally apologized to the Heavenly Official, so let bygones be bygones."
"Then let's meet them, it won't hurt." Si Chen nodded, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the shadow puppets, which gradually lost their movement, and his smile became more genuine.
As they chatted and laughed, they walked into the Catholic church.
Accompanied by Xu Wenjue, and surrounded by numerous close followers, servants, and missionaries, they rushed in.
The Catholic temple was not crowded at all.
Si Chen pointed to the figure hanging on the cross, "Is this Jesus?"
Si Chen's gaze shifted to another statue. "Then, this must be Xu Guangqi."
"Exactly." Xu Wenjue nodded, then stepped forward to bow, "A bow might be helpful."
Si Chen didn't take it to heart, "I have also personally paid my respects to Lord Guan, Princess Puji, and Lord Yue."
Those who hear of illicit rituals and blood sacrifices are superstitious fools who do not practice them.
"What is so special about Jesus that I do not know if he is worthy of my worship?"
"Is the Heavenly Official joking? How could someone be worshipping this statue?" Xu Wenjue immediately burst into laughter.
The missionaries all smiled but remained silent, fearing that this murderous god might harbor murderous intent.
"You said it yourself."
Si Chen strode forward, lit incense, and slowly bowed.
With this action, the air around the church seemed to thicken.
Not long after.
Click click click~
Strange noises came from the statue.
Everyone was horrified and quickly retreated three zhang away.
Si Chen watched as numerous cracks spread across the statues of Jesus and Xu Guangqi.
It exploded with a deafening roar, turning into dust, and the head of Jesus rolled to the ground at his feet.
Only half of Xu Guangqi's body remains in the sculpture.
The panicked expressions on everyone's faces froze.
"It seems your God isn't all that great."
Before Si Chen could finish speaking, the power of faith accumulated in these statues turned into white light and suddenly flowed back into Si Chen's brow.
A faint, luminous figure in a scholar's robe could be seen cursing, before slowly dissipating.
Si Chen closed his eyes, and with each breath, the world before him suddenly transformed.
The inner vision that countless cultivators throughout the world have sought but could not attain is right before your eyes.
But one can see the Milky Way flowing in all directions.
The Three Enclosures, Four Symbols, and Twenty-Eight Mansions transform into a sea of stars, shining brightly.
The 365 auxiliary stars correspond to acupoints on the human body, located at the edge of the starry sea, and appear slightly dim.
In the vast celestial sphere, the brightest star is the central celestial pole star, also known as the North Star or the North Pole, where Taiyi (the Supreme One) resides.
This dazzling star map is the unique inner vision of Sichen.
He once climbed to the star-gazing platform on Zhongnan Mountain and looked up at the vastness of the universe.
However, the stars in the sky were exactly the same as the mysterious scene in the inner landscape, seemingly within reach, as if they could be touched with a wave of the hand, only a foot and three inches from the sky.
Suddenly the sky shook and the earth trembled, and stars fell like rain.
A vast celestial sound came from the North Star, like the grandest bell, faint and mysterious, its origin unknown.
"Jesus, listen!"