Volume 4: War of the Gods Chapter 142: Road of the Gods

  John entertained at his residence and urged Armond to come, saying that he had recently learned to cook and wanted the general to taste the delicious dishes he made with his own hands. Armond really couldn't imagine John cooking, so he went out of curiosity. At the time, there were only three people in the dining room, and Medanzo was also sitting beside him, constantly pouring wine for Armond.

  John sent all the servants away, poured a glass of wine for Armon and then went into the kitchen. He was busy for half a day, probably cooking. After finishing a bottle of wine, John finally walked in with a delicate silver plate, on which were three roasted fish. He placed the dish in front of Armon and said respectfully: "General, please try my culinary skills."

  Amon put down the cup in his hand, retracted his smile and stared at John without speaking, his gaze seeming to contain an invisible pressure. John saw Amon not eating, patted his forehead and laughed: "General, are you worried that my cooking is not good? This was caught by me personally from the Ronnie River. I tasted it earlier, the flavor is still okay!" Then he picked up his knife and fork, cut a piece of fish meat, took a big bite, chewed even the bones thoroughly and swallowed them together.

  At this time Amun stood up and coldly said: "John, what exactly do you want from me?"

  The Ediu people, who worship the nine gods of heaven, do not eat fish and never fish in the Roni River because of an ancient legend that the fish in the Roni River have the flesh and blood of Osiris. John invited Amun to dinner today and brought up a plate of fish, which is blasphemy against the gods, but it doesn't seem like he's trying to trap Amun since he ate some himself.

  The atmosphere became somewhat awkward, and Mei Danzuo hastily stood up laughing to mediate: "Ah Meng Shen, John has already discovered that Moses and the others are cultivating the power of two sides as one, but he hasn't mentioned it to anyone. He also knows that Lin Ke and I are your disciples, so he wants to obtain this power transmission too. You had already taught John the mining skills in Huolie Mountain, and he can suppress that restless power, which is also due to your guidance. In fact, he has long been your disciple, so just formally agree now!"

  Ah Mon ignored Medanzo and continued to stare at John, asking: "So all of this was your plan, you're really not simple. The general who used to have a bad temper now has such meticulous thoughts, it makes me very happy. I just want to ask you one question, if I refuse your request, will you use my secret to blackmail me or hold a grudge?"

  "General, John would never dare to do so and wouldn't have made this request if he didn't mean it. It's like putting his life in your hands. You've shown me great kindness, even if you refuse me, I'll be eternally grateful!"

  Although Amun had lost his powers, his detective skills and that strange sense of intuition were sharper than ever before. As John replied without hiding anything, Amun could clearly sense the emotions in his heart, firm and sincere. After thinking for a moment, Amun sat down, cut a piece of fish with his dinner knife, ate it, and then drank a glass of wine before slowly speaking: "How do you explain this dish of fish? If it's just to show your loyalty to me, it seems unnecessary, and I don't appreciate such behavior."

  John knelt there and raised his head, saying: "Since I was born, everyone has told me to believe in gods, to believe in those gods, but I have never received true guidance from the gods. I once told you my experience, countless times praying to the Moon Goddess, trying to calm down that restless power, but it was useless.

  Until you came to Mount Hiei, bringing me true awakening and peace. You told me that I must have a firm belief, whether it comes from faith or not, to see clearly the pursuit of my heart, to find a state of clarity, only then will I know what I need to overcome. Later on, I succeeded in becoming a great warrior, an achievement that many people dream of but cannot attain."

  Amon's expression softened, and he couldn't help but feel a little amused. The goddess of moonlight that John mentioned was indeed Best, who not only served as the underworld attendant of Osiris but also symbolized the beauty and tranquility of human life under the night sky. Thinking this to himself, Amon still spoke in a serious tone: "I can see that your original wish has been fulfilled; do you now want to ask for more from me?"

  John shook his head, "No, not to ask for more from you! This dish of fish today is to tell you my true conviction in my heart. Just now, Medanzo called you the God Amun, it's also my heartfelt voice, you are so real in front of me!"

  Amun asked again: "John, how do you view the divine in your heart?"

  John closed his eyes slightly, placing his hand on his chest and replied: "I have no intention of being disrespectful to any divine spirit. If there is a spirit that can guide me through the turmoil within my heart without getting lost, and help me walk out of the distress of body and mind to gain true strength and a peaceful soul, then that is what I call God! Whether he stands on the high platform of the temple or sits in front of me eating the roasted fish I personally offer."

  Amun finally cracked a smile and beckoned: "Get up, sit down and eat well. Don't follow Meidan Zuo's lead in causing trouble from now on."

  John still knelt on the ground and said: "Oh God Amun, you have not given me clear guidance yet."

  Maidanzo slapped him and said, "I thought you were quite clever, how did you become stupid again? I told you to get up, so get up." John suddenly realized, surprised and delighted, bowed to Amun and then stood up.

  Several nights later, on the open space in front of the Temple of Bastet, Amun imparted to John the power of duality. It was a night with a full moon, and the moonlight cast an ethereal glow over everything, making his figure bathed in milky white light appear serene and mystical. Amun lost his powers without even drawing his staff.

  Even back in the days of Mount Horeb, Amun had already taught John a meditation technique to cultivate the power of duality. However, he did not explicitly state each step and the trials that lay ahead, but rather cleared the fog for him to see the true path clearly.

  For the first time in his life, Arin didn't cast any divine magic, but only let John pray under the moonlight. With the guidance of faith in his heart, he opened this path to the gods. This was different from any awakening ceremony in the temple, and it seemed like just a moment of enlightenment under the moonlight, but several years had passed between them.

  Amon instructed John, after returning to forget that he was a great warrior, start again from scratch to verify this path, cultivate the simplest divine technique, review the most basic physical technique, and experience the connotation of various tests.

  After John left, Ah Meng did not leave, standing in front of the Best Temple, looking up at the moonlight in the sky. He stretched out his hand, palm up, as if stroking that ubiquitous light, and for some reason, he felt a sense of emotion, opening his mouth to recite a poem, which was exactly the chapter about Best in that volume of scriptures.

  Amon surprisingly recited poetry, which was probably hard for him to imagine himself, but at this moment he sang so naturally, as if comforting the legendary moon goddess. After finishing the recitation, the night was quiet, and Amon suddenly turned around, just seeing Xue Dingyan crouching on the threshold of the temple.

  The cat's eyes were brimming with tears. Ah Meng walked over, crouched down and asked: "I've never seen tears in your eyes before, I'm sorry, did my singing bring back painful memories for you?"

  Xue Dingyuan turned his head away, but his voice came from Ah Meng's mind: "You're wrong, that was just the moonlight reflected in my eyes. I'm just curious, when did you learn to recite poetry?"

  Amun: "I've asked you several times after reading that scroll, but you never explained. You want me to help you get out of trouble, but I have to understand what kind of trouble it is and how the legend in the scroll explains it."

  Xue Dingyan: "I let you see those legends, just to tell you the stories of the world. When you can understand them, you will naturally understand. Language is unable to express it. You just transmitted the divine path of John, calling it the power of one body and two faces, but you yourself must truly possess that kind of power in order to help me. I have already waited for so many years, I don't mind continuing to wait."

  Amun looked at Xue Dingyuan and said, "But I don't want you to wait too long, can you give me some hints? If this is a test, how can I pass it?"

  Xue Dingyuan lowered his head and buried it between his front paws, saying: "You've already come this far, not even the gods can let you directly recover your strength. The trial you're facing is a kind of understanding, not how to recover your strength, but how to find yourself back. Only when you put everything down can you welcome the moment of re-owning everything. I know very clearly how to pass this trial, but it's not that telling you the reason will make you achieve it, otherwise everyone in this world would be a god."

  Amun fell silent for half a day, carefully pondering Xue Dingyuan's words. Finally, he let out a sigh and said: "Understanding the truth and putting it into practice are two different things. Witnessing the existence of gods, understanding the secrets of becoming a god, does not mean that one is a god oneself. Even if one looks down on all achievements in this world, pulls the gods off their pedestals to curse, trample, and insult them, one will not become more noble or attain true transcendence because of it. I understand this truth... But what about the legend of the goddess Bastet accepting her fate and turning into a cat, being sealed and controlled by Osiris? What's going on with that?"

  Xue Dingyuan's body curled up, as if a bit cold, the fur was trembling. Ah Meng held it on his lap and said softly: "What's wrong, do you feel cold, or did I ask wrongly?"

  Xue Dingyuan replied, "You have witnessed with your own eyes how Enqi fell. It was a test of fate, a judgment of the end times. I too have experienced it. My body was destroyed, but my soul did not disperse. Originally, I was a cat. When faced with the opportunity to choose again, I became a cat once more. It was Osiris who guided me in reviving, and before I could clearly understand all of this, he sealed my powers with a divine oath."

  Ammon looked down at it for half a day, furrowed his brow and said: "I don't understand."

  Xue Dingyuan's sigh came from his soul: "When you can understand, you will naturally understand, no need for me to explain. The process of helping me unseal the seal can also help you face the test of breaking through the 9th level achievement, but it's still too early to say these things now."

  Amun suddenly thought of something and asked: "Have you also experienced the test of losing power?"

  "Of course, if I hadn't gone through this trial, how could I have sealed myself in a cat's body for so many years and still remain clear-headed and calm? An ordinary person can't do it, but you need to! The one who can truly guide you past this door may not be me, maybe someone else will give you more important inspiration, not necessarily a divine being. But ultimately, everything depends on yourself, when your heart no longer has the confusion of power, then power won't confuse you either."

  Spring has come and gone, and the seeds sown on the newly opened land have sprouted. The long and hot summer is about to end, and the wheat in the fields is ripe and ready for harvest. Moses and his people are about to welcome their first harvest. The annual Isis Goddess Blessing Ceremony is finally going to be held, and Amun orders Lin Ke to guard the territory, dividing the 36 Imperial Guards into three teams, one team staying in the manor, and the other two escorting him to Dreamflight, with John and Medanzo following closely behind Amun.

  For so long, Armon has not recovered his strength. Although he was very clear about the truth in Xue Dingxiao's words, and the old madman's last message also had similar sayings, being clear did not mean that he had passed the test. This time, Armon brought not only two teams of guards but also Meidanzuo and Yohann, two top-notch experts, which should be enough to ensure safety.

  But during this period, Armon did one thing, which was to practice his physical and mental skills as usual every day. Since he couldn't use his powers, he practiced various martial arts and basic meditation techniques for divine magic, without thinking about how to apply them, Armon became even more focused.

  He can feel the growth of his law power, but he cannot use it. It's like a person trapped in a desert who keeps digging up treasures but can't buy anything. If one day he walks out of the desert and into the human world, he will have an astonishing accumulation. Ah Meng is now making such preparations, and although he doesn't know when he can recover his strength, what he has achieved while waiting for that day to come is far beyond what he had before.

  Amon had set out ahead of time and arrived in Melford several days before the ceremony. First, he would have to pay his respects to Saint Maria, whom he hadn't seen for nearly half a year.

  The meeting place was still in the spacious private study of the Holy Girl, first following the etiquette to ask for a seat, the Holy Girl gave the general a seat, talked about some past events and the preparations for the grand ceremony, the Holy Girl also kindly asked the general about his life on the territory, without any disrespect.

  Amon wanted to find an opportunity to have a private conversation with Maria, but before he could even open his mouth, Maria waved her hand towards the surroundings and said: "I have a few questions to ask General alone, all of you withdraw." Gabriel was already used to this scene, after the servants had all withdrawn from the room, she went out and actively closed the door, with Pei Sword guarding the entrance.

  Only Amun and Maria were left alone, the two of them didn't speak for a long time, silently gazing at each other, as if they were having a silent conversation. This quiet gaze was such a rare moment.

  Unfortunately, the Saint's time was limited and they couldn't just gaze at each other in silence forever. Finally, it was Maria who broke the silence with a soft sigh, saying: "Amon, your achievements are astonishing! I knew you'd do well, but I didn't expect you to do this well!"

  Amon also let out a sigh: "I remember when the army returned to Meng Fei Si, you were the only one who didn't come to congratulate me, but instead sent someone to express encouragement and blessings. Today, everything I've achieved, I should thank you the most, Maria! Everything came from your guidance and help." She didn't call him General, but directly called him Amon, and he also didn't call her Holy Maiden, but directly called her Maria.

  Maria looked at him, the ripples in her eyes seemed to be comforting like Isis' blessing, and she said slowly: "I didn't congratulate you at that time, because I knew it wasn't what you wanted, nor was it your true pursuit. Although famous throughout the country, shaking Egypt, but from the beginning, you weren't here for this, whether you got or lost all of this, you wouldn't be moved. You want to save your people and lead them back home, but still haven't achieved your wish. In my eyes, you are the one who needs comfort the most."

  When she spoke, her cherry lips parted slightly, revealing her breath, looking so beautiful and alluring. Amun had a moment when he even avoided eye contact, lowered his head to look at his hands, but then raised his gaze again, staring at her red lips: "Everything about me can't escape your eyes."

  "Mary asked again: 'You can already fulfill your wish today, why haven't you done so yet?'"

  This time, Ah Mon really lowered his head and replied in a low voice: "You understand my situation. Although I have the highest status and prestige, and my reputation and glory have reached their peak, I am not free to leave my territory at will. This time, I took advantage of the opportunity to attend the grand ceremony to come see you. Moreover, I lost my strength, far from being strong and magical, and I don't know how to recover or when I can recover. In this situation, I have no confidence, and considering my personality, I want to be cautious and thorough in everything, so I hesitated and didn't make a decision."

  This was Amun's most secret privacy, he had never mentioned it to George, Medanzo, Link, John and others, but under Maria's gaze, he said it out calmly. Maria was slightly surprised: "You hid it very well, even I didn't see through it! Thank you for trusting me, telling me all this."

  Amun clasped his hands together and bowed his head, bitterly smiling: "If I can't even trust you, who else can I trust?"

  Maria looked at him, her gaze gradually having a kind of invisible pressure: "There's one thing you're wrong about! You've considered this matter thoroughly enough, even if it's the gods who can't decide everything in the world. You've done your best and there's no way to do better. This isn't like you, otherwise you wouldn't have ambushed the enemy from behind and captured the King of Hatti. Can I ask you a few questions? Please answer me, and also answer yourself."

  Amun: "Ask away."

  Maria: "You were once a passerby who almost fell into the Roni River, but later became a general who shook the mainland. Are you still that passerby on the battlefield? When you return with honor and hand over your military power, unable to leave your territory, are you still the great general on the battlefield in your territory? At this moment, sitting in front of me with your head down, are you still the pure youth from Du Ke Town? If not, then who are you? If so, who is Ah Mon?"

  Ammon finally lifted his head, and his gaze met hers again: "I understand."

  Maria: "Do you really understand?"

  Ammon nodded and said: "I really understand now, thank you, Aiko! Your words have freed me."