Half a year later, the travel-worn Yola returned to his hometown of Bethlehem. The Plains of Salem were not as desolate as they had been four hundred years ago, and Bethlehem was a small city south of Salem that appeared about three hundred years ago. The flood caused landslides in the Euphrate Valley, and a tributary of the Euphrate River was cut off and diverted through the Plains of Duc into the Syah Desert to form an inland lake, which later became known as the Jedan River. The Jedan River irrigated the fields on the plains, and Yola's hometown was on the same side of the Jedan River.
After a long journey, Yola was noticeably darker than before, and his figure had become more robust, his skin had a bronze luster, and he had grown a beard like other adult Salem men. His parents were of course very happy to see their son return from a long journey, and at Yola's age, it was time for him to get married, and his parents were already looking for a suitable marriage partner for him, but Yola shook his head and said: "You don't have to worry, I have my own plans."
His parents thought that he had not taken a fancy to any of the girls they had introduced to him, and they had to give up for the time being, not knowing that Yola was thinking about something else entirely. He went to India with the cane given to him by the Alor River, and was lucky enough to find the sage Vincentros, and asked many questions and was very inspired. But he refused Vincentros's invitation and did not become a monk who believed in the Infinite Light, because he had already shouldered the mission given to him by God.
Yola also examined the local traditional religious beliefs in India, and witnessed the conflicts and disputes between the various sects, and had his own thoughts on many issues. Although he did not find the way to transcend eternal life, or rather he regretfully refused another kind of guidance, his mind became clearer and clearer.
The warrior named Xiao Ye had taught him the basics of martial arts, and on the way, Yola used the magical cane to practice the traditional Salem mining skills, which were much more useful than the best mining hammer in the world. This was Yola's best skill at present, and he did not know it himself, but when he returned home, if he went back hundreds of years, he would be the best craftsman in Duc.
Back in his hometown, Yola seemed to have become deeper, and his eyes seemed very deep. He usually seemed to be thinking about something, and often came to the river alone with the cane in his hand to meditate. One day he was slightly surprised to see a group of people walking up the river, and to hear their conversation.
While Joseph was away from his home, an ascetic came to the bank of Jedan, and he explained the meaning of the Scriptures to the people, and he bathed them with the water of Jedan. It symbolized God's blessing and a new beginning after cleansing the body and mind. This ceremony was called baptism. Quite a few people gathered around him. Accept His baptism and listen to His preaching every day.
It was said that this person came from the city of Tuleng and was a great achiever with the power bestowed by the gods. He claimed that he was waiting for the appearance of a person, the Messiah in Elijah's prophecy. When Jomo heard this, he picked up his cane and walked upstream.
In the wilderness by the Yedan River, there was a man standing by the water. He wore clothes woven from luo luo's wool and had a leather belt tied around his waist. His hair and beard had not been trimmed for a long time, but they were neatly combed. The man was using a loud voice to preach to the people in front of him: "Listen, the kingdom of God will appear before everyone's eyes. Be prepared for it and embark on the path guided by the light."
Someone in the audience asked: "What do we need to prepare for? The people of Tuleng are a people who have made a covenant with God, and are God's chosen people on earth. Isn't the new kingdom prepared for all the people of Tuleng? "
The man shook his head: "What a naive idea. God will not favor someone more for no reason, nor will he abandon his believers for no reason. God has blessed the people of Tuleng, but it does not mean that the people of Tuleng deserve God's continued favor. Cleansing the soul and keeping away from sin is not to please God, but it is what people should do. "
At this time, Jomo had come close and was stunned to see the speaker, because they had known each other for a long time.
The man's name was John. John's father was a priest on duty in the Asura Temple in Tuleng. He had always enjoyed a high reputation and was said to be a great achiever, but he only had such a son in his later years.
John's mother was a distant cousin of Jomo's mother, so he was also Jomo's cousin, but there was a big gap between their families. One was the heir of the priest, and the other was the son of a carpenter.
John should have inherited his father's priesthood in Tuleng. Why would he go to the countryside to baptize people?
When John saw Jomo holding a cane, he showed an indescribable joy. He stood up and separated the crowd, strode forward, and opened his arms: "My cousin, I can't describe how excited I am. So it's you … you've returned from a long journey!"
Jomo was about to bow, but was hugged by John. He asked in confusion: "My cousin, you didn't inherit the priesthood in Tuleng, but came here? I heard that a monk was holding a baptism ceremony to purify people here, so I came here.
I didn't expect it to be you! "
John loosened his arms, but still grabbed Jomo's arm and said: "Did you come here to see me?"
Jomo nodded: "Yes, I want to ask you to baptize me."
John let go of his hand and took a step back. He looked into his eyes and said: "I baptize people by the river, it's just a ritual to purify people's hearts, to make people further away from sin and closer to the gods. And you have never turned your back on the gods, your heart and eyes are so pure, there is no need for me to baptize you. "
Jomo bowed, leaned on his cane, and said in a pleading tone: "I firmly believe that this is God's arrangement, and I need to express my belief through a form."
John finally nodded and said: "Well, when there is no one else, I will hold a baptism ceremony for you alone."
After sunset, John sent the disciples away. The cousins lit a bonfire by the river and talked about their experiences over the years. Jomo told Jomo that he had been awakened by his priest father. One day, when he was meditating at night, he heard the voice of an angel. The voice told him to resign from his priesthood and go to the wilderness by the Jedan River to await the arrival of the prophesied Messiah.
Therefore, Hardedef left Shaleng and came here. Every day, he persisted in his arduous cultivation under the sun and wind. He ate the wild fruits in the bushes, the grasshoppers on the grassland, the honey brewed by wild bees, and the fish in the river for food. The angel's voice also told him to spread divine guidance to the world.
Thus, he had secretly baptised everyone Richard had met to awaken their origin power.
John's baptism was both a symbol and a true ritual. He didn't try to awaken everyone's origin power, only those who could truly understand what he was preaching.
"Why did you think of baptism?" Jomo asked curiously.
John answered, "The angel told me how to awaken the origin power of people, and I can do it now that I've achieved great success. This is a river valley in the wilderness, not a shrine in Talor. Baptism doesn't signify merit or status, nor is it to please God. It's just people accepting the guidance of the Alor River on their own accord, so I never made it clear.
My inspiration came from a legend in history. Three hundred years ago, there was a sage called Pythagoras who built a manor on the outskirts of Delphi and taught people how to view the world. Entering the manor requires a ritual called the 'Purification of the Soul', which also contains guidance from the origin power. I was inspired by this, so I used clean water to wash people's bodies. It symbolizes cleansing the body and mind, awakening the origin power as well as performing the ritual. "
"Which angel's voice did you hear?" Jomo asked. As he spoke, he used his staff to poke at the dry wood burning in the bonfire. The staff, which looked like it was made from ordinary tree branches, was actually undamaged.
John stood up and answered, "I heard Moses' voice. He told me to come here and wait for someone, the Messiah of Elijah's prophecy. When this person appeared, he would carry the staff that Moses had used when he led his people back to their homeland. The person who came was you, my cousin Jomo, which surprised and delighted me! " "Yes."
As he spoke, he had already bent down and knelt down in front of Jomo. Jomo hurriedly put down his staff and helped him up. "My cousin, don't bow to me like this. I'm here to ask you to baptize me."
John took Jomo to the river, dipped his scarf in the clear water from the Jedan River, and poured it on Jomo's hair and forehead. He silently prayed.
At this moment, he saw light, as if the sky was full of starlight gathering and turning into a dove with wings spread, landing on Jomo's body.
Jomo stood by the river with his staff in hand, and a round light appeared behind his head, as if he was experiencing something in a trance. When he came back to his senses, the light disappeared.
It was such a simple ritual that awakened the origin power of Jomo. Because he had practiced the skills of Duc, he already had this foundation. There was no need for John to teach Jomo anything. He just accepted the guidance of the angels and completed the ritual for Jomo in a way that would not attract attention.
The angels were also disciples of Amon, and the power they practiced was taught by Amon, so they were not sure how Jomo should practice on earth. If they interfered too much, it might have an unknown impact on his quest for confirmation.
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