Chapter 45: Luo River Tribe |
The sunlight had been bright.
Luo Ya took out several baskets of fresh fish from home.
Afterward, she began cleaning them, rubbing coarse salt over their surfaces.
Then, she laid the fish out one by one on the stone slab, making it easier for them to dry.
Winter was approaching, and they needed to start storing enough food to get through this year’s cold season.
The Luo River Tribe lived nestled alongside the vast Luo River, relying on fishing and hunting for generations.
The Luo River originated from distant, continuous mountain ranges, and for hundreds of years, it had nourished the lands and people along its banks.
Even the river within the Theocratic State of the Stars was merely one of its tributaries.
For centuries, the Luo River had been gentle and generous, never once flooding, allowing the tribes along its banks to thrive and multiply.
The fertile plains beside the Luo River were cultivated into rich fields, yielding abundant harvests year after year, enabling the tribe to develop rapidly. Today, it had grown into a large tribe with more than two thousand people.
Because of this, they were filled with reverence and gratitude toward the Theocratic State of the Stars that had brought all this, as well as the great deity said to command the Stars.
“Luo Ya!”
“The Divine Envoy has arrived!”
“Quick, let’s go to the altar!”
Luo Mother hurried back,
her face glowing with excitement and devotion.
Divine Envoy?
Luo Ya’s heart skipped a beat,
and she quickly set down her work.
Following her mother, she ran toward the altar at the center of the tribe.
She noticed that nearly the entire tribe was rushing toward the altar.
Every face was filled with excitement and reverence.
By the time they arrived, the altar was already covered in a dense mass of kneeling figures.
Before Luo Ya could see clearly ahead, her mother pulled her down to kneel. Like the others, she bowed her head devoutly, praying for the deity’s protection and blessings.
After the prayers ended,
Luo Ya finally dared to raise her head and look toward the altar above.
With just one glance, she froze.
The Divine Envoy’s golden hair
seemed like flowing molten gold under the sunlight.
His golden pupils
were like fragments of stars contained within them.
Exactly as the missionaries had described!
This was the symbol of a Recipient of Divine Grace!
Proof of being personally blessed by the deity!
An indescribable shock and reverence
instantly surged into Luo Ya’s heart.
……
He stood on the altar, watching the endless stream of believers gathering below.
An indescribable surge stirred within his heart.
This feeling of being needed, of being revered, greatly diluted the fear buried deep inside him.
Back then, when faced with the Divine Grace Technique that You had presented,
he chose to join.
Thus, he became a member of the Stars Church,
serving You as the leader of the Stars Church.
They infiltrated the Solar Dynasty, exploiting the asymmetry of information and the gaps within human hearts.
Subtly sowing discord,
between the Wa, Ya, and Ze Bloodlines.
In the end, that vast dynasty
collapsed and split into three duchies.
……
After the Solar Dynasty split into three,
their mission had been completed.
But they also had to leave the Theocratic State of the Stars and the three great duchies.
Because Lei was still alive!
If this powerful wielder of Authority discovered their existence and what they had done behind the scenes,
then they would undoubtedly die!
No one would question the power of a wielder of Authority, because it was a force that surpassed Divine Grace!
It was called, “Authority”!
Thus, under You’s arrangements,
they left the Theocratic State of the Stars under the guise of “spreading the faith”.
This way, it would not arouse unnecessary suspicion within the state, nor would they need to hide. They only had to wait for Lei to naturally return to the Sea of Stars, and they could openly return.
Seeing that no more believers were arriving,
He turned his gaze toward the priest beside him, Mo.
At this moment, Mo was still in immense shock.
The state had indeed informed him that a new priest would come to assist, but they never said it would be a Recipient of Divine Grace!
If he remembered correctly,
all Recipients of Divine Grace came from the Solar Dynasty.
And although both nations believed in the Lord of the Stars,
they had historically had little interaction.
So why would a Recipient of Divine Grace from the Solar Dynasty
become a missionary of the Theocratic State of the Stars?
Naturally, He would not reveal the truth to Mo.
He merely brushed it off with the reason of “desiring to spread the glory of the deity”.
Although Mo was full of doubts, he could understand.
After all, he himself had also chosen, for the sake of his great faith,
to give up the comfortable life within the state and remain in this remote tribe for thirty years.
And in these thirty years, he had not only made everyone in the Luo River Tribe devoutly believe in the great deity, but also taught them Farming, allowing the tribe to develop to its current state.
“Mo.” He reminded softly.
Mo came back to his senses, faced the believers below the altar, and merely raised his hand slightly. The entire crowd fell silent instantly.
“This is He, a priest sent by the state to preach alongside me.”
“At the same time, he is also a messenger of the deity, walking among mortals, blessed by divine grace.”
“You must not show him any disrespect.”
Immediately, enthusiastic cheers erupted from the crowd.
“We greet the Divine Envoy!”
He knew.
What they worshipped was him,
and also the great deity behind him.
A gentle yet solemn smile appeared on his face.
“Thanks to the deity’s blessing, I have obtained Divine Grace.”
“In the future, if anyone in the tribe is injured or falls ill, you may come to me.”
Divine Grace itself had no hierarchy.
But in this era of scarce medical resources,
the power of “Starlight” was undoubtedly more welcomed than the power of “Flame”.
Because the power of “Starlight” could not only form protective barriers to block damage, but also heal various injuries and illnesses, while also possessing a certain degree of offensive capability.
It could be said to be an extremely versatile ability.
The power of “Flame” was different. Although it had extremely high destructive power, it could only deal damage and could do nothing else.
And what He possessed was precisely the power of Starlight.
As soon as his words fell,
astonished exclamations erupted from the crowd.
Soon after, everyone began praising the greatness and benevolence of the deity.
He and Mo then took turns explaining the doctrines of the Theocratic State of the Stars and the deity’s grace, before the crowd gradually dispersed in satisfaction and excitement, returning to their respective tasks.
……
The moonlight was bright, and the starlight dazzling.
Inside the house, Luo Ya and Luo Mother wore worried expressions.
The sun had long since set.
Yet Luo Father and Luo Ya’s brothers had still not returned.
“Why haven’t Father and the others come back yet?”
Luo Ya looked again and again at the tightly shut wooden door, the unease in her heart growing heavier.
Luo Mother frowned deeply,
and finally could no longer sit still.
“I’ll go take a look by the river.”
“Perhaps the catch was good today, and they were delayed.”
Luo Father and Luo Ya’s brothers were known in the tribe for their excellent swimming skills. Their daily work was to dive into the Luo River to catch fish.
Luo Mother hurriedly left.
Not long after,
a chaotic шум of voices came from outside.
Luo Ya’s heart tightened as she rushed out the door.
She saw her father and eldest brother being carried back by others.
At this moment, both of them were completely drenched, their faces deathly pale.