The Seraphim, Gabriel

Peshawar, the Country of a Hundred Flowers, was recorded in the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions written by the Master Xuanzang. It was one of the 138 countries he visited. It was a Land of Abundance of abundance with lush flowers and fruits, and a prosperous trading nation. It was also a well-known provincial capital of Pakistan in later generations.

After defeating the warriors of the Arabian Empire and taking a short rest, the two continued on their way. The red-haired girl led Shirou to a small hill where no outsiders would come, and suddenly stopped. She turned to Shirou and gave him instructions.

"We've arrived. The master is on this slope. Go ahead and see him. I'll stay here and keep watch. Don't worry, the master isn't a scary person."

"Hmm." Shirou climbed the slope with a puzzled look in his eyes, and saw a person wearing a straw hat sitting cross-legged on a rock above, seemingly chanting something.

"Oh! Shirou, you've finally arrived." The monk who had his back to Shirou spoke first, raising his hands and stretching them as far as he could, giving a proper yawn.

"Huh?" Shirou recognized the newcomer as the familiar figure who would be remembered by everyone if one mentioned riding a white horse.

"Oh dear, Shirou, you must have had a tough journey. Being chased by a group of fierce foreign women must have been very difficult." The black-haired Xuanzang Sanzang came up, put his arm around Shirou, and patted his back comfortingly.

"Um..." Shirou wanted to say something, but because of his height, his face was covered by two soft mounds of flesh.

"No need to say anything." She nodded sadly, clearly understanding, and said, "I know, I know. I'm really being harassed by a bunch of male demons, each one of them wanting to eat me up. Being popular is exhausting!"

"Wait a minute? Why are you here? Even if you took the wrong path on your journey to the West, that's over a hundred years ago, right? This isn't right!" Shirou complained.

The black-haired woman chuckled, scratching the back of her head, and said, "Eek, I don't know what happened either. It seems like during the Flaming Mountain Cup Martial Arts Tournament, I was fanned by Banana Leaf Fan fan and fell into a cave, I think it was called the Time Nest? Coming here, I met so many kind people, they've really been a great help."

"Huh?" Shirou always felt that this person was quite unreliable.

"Anyway, let's talk as we go, otherwise Charlemagne will find out and send his army to catch up soon. Here! You're in charge of carrying these bags, use this carrying pole." Xuanzang pointed to two large baskets behind him filled with various things, and then handed over the staff he was holding.

Shirou stared blankly at Xuanzang and asked, "Does your attitude completely change once you've tricked someone into becoming your disciple?"

"Eh..." Xuanzang was stunned for a moment when he heard Shirou's words, not knowing what to say. But he quickly reacted, laughing and patting Shirou's shoulder repeatedly, saying, "You're so annoying! Hahaha, I'm always sincere to my disciples. There's a saying, 'A teacher for a day is a father for life,' right?"

"..." Shirou looked at the woman expressionlessly, expressing deep doubt as to whether she was indeed the legendary Tang Dynasty monk.

"Hmm, no!" The black-haired woman looked at the boy and tried to say in a questioning tone, "Well... does a strict teacher produce outstanding students?"

"Alright, that's enough. Let's go. You're waiting for me here, which means you have somewhere to take me, right?" Shirou said.

"Ah, yes, yes." Xuanzang nodded repeatedly. She didn't want to be alone here. It was so much better to have her disciple with her. She could sit on the ground and wouldn't have to worry about food or lodging.

"Oh right! I still need to give you a Dharma name. Hmm... My eldest disciple in my original world was Wukong, and you are the first disciple in this world. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form, so how about you be called Wuse?"

"Wait a minute! I never agreed to be your apprentice, and the Tang Dynasty monk I know is a man, he doesn't know anything about the Buddha's Palm." Shirou pouted and complained.

"Hahaha, you're so funny, Shirou. How can a monk be a man? A man should be called a nun." Xuanzang burst into laughter, clutching his stomach, as if he had heard something hilarious.

Shirou was speechless and eventually gave up trying to defend himself.

Oh well, everyone already knows that the character in Journey to the West is both useless and troublesome.

However, he had already traveled on foot 1,400 years ago, passing through 138 countries, receiving the courtesy of several Kings, and after studying in the India kingdom of India, he traveled to various states in India, preaching Mahayana Buddhism and gaining great fame.

He was then summoned to the Imperial Palace by King Harsha, who then ruled northern India, and was given the highest level of courtesy.

King Harsha decided to hold the largest Buddhist debate in the capital Kannauj, with Xuanzang as the chief debater. The debate was attended by 18 King of India, 3,000 Buddhist scholars from both Mahayana and Hinayana traditions, and 2,000 non-Buddhist practitioners.

In this conference, Xuanzang, as the main speaker, had to preach to nearly 10,000 people in an open square, allowing people from other sects to pose difficult questions to him, which he then refuted one by one, and no one could refute him. He had the style of Zhuge Liang debating with the Confucian scholars, and this was done in a foreign country in front of thousands of people.

For a time, Xuanzang became famous throughout the Indian subcontinent and was revered as "Mahayana Devata" by Mahayana Devata Buddhism and "Liberation Devata" by Theravada Buddhism, thus being recorded in the annals of Buddhism worldwide. From then on, all monks had to pay homage to him and use his special title.

From then on, Xuanzang was considered one of the most accomplished Buddhist masters in all of India at that time, and was recognized by everyone in the country, from the King to the common people. In later generations, his Buddha bone relic were enshrined not only in China, but also in many other countries such as Japan and India.

He translated thousands of Buddhist scriptures throughout his life and wrote the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, which later became an essential source of information for archaeological work in the Western Regions, and was even the only document available. In India, the ruins of famous Buddhist temples were discovered thanks to this book.

"Charlemagne's empire, in a sense, is like the Tang Dynasty inheriting the traditions of the Sui Dynasty. Although it is not as powerful as the Tang Dynasty, which defeated the Turkic and destroyed Goguryeo, it is much weaker."

"Moreover, Charlemagne's empire is currently at its peak, and the Durandal was given to Roland by the Archangel Gabriel to present to Charlemagne. However, Charlemagne, seeing Roland's bravery and skill in battle, returned the holy sword to him."

Xuanzang shrugged and continued, "But what's interesting is that the angel not only gave Charlemagne the Holy Sword, but also conveyed messages to the Prophet Muhammad in the past. In fact, he also transmitted scriptures to Moses and Jesus of Israel."

"I know all these legends and stories. Can you get to the point? I want to find my companions," Shirou said.

Xuanzang glanced at the boy and said, "Shirou, what I just said happened not long ago. If you're looking for your companions, I might have some clues. Anyway, let's go see that angel now."

"Huh? What did you say?" Shirou stopped and looked at the Tang Dynasty monk with a puzzled expression.

"Go see that angel," Xuanzang repeated.

In the magnificent palace, a lovely blonde girl lay on her side on a Persian carpet, lazily flipping through ancient books, eating fruit from a fruit bowl in front of her, and casually bending her right leg to scratch an itch on her left leg.

"Ugh... I'm so bored, I really want some potato chips..."

Chapter 318 Seraphim Gabriel

"Where are we going to find angels? Are we in heaven?" Shirou asked, puzzled.

"Over there!" The black-haired woman adjusted her straw hat and pointed to the other side of the hillside.

At that moment, Sita also came over leading his horse.

"So you've finished talking?" the red-haired girl asked.

"Yes, thank you, Sita," Xuanzang replied with a smile and a nod.

"Then my mission is complete." The red-haired girl nodded in agreement, then turned to the boy and said, "Well then, Shirou, let's part ways here."

"Huh? Sita, are you leaving now? I haven't thanked you yet." Shirou said to the girl. He never expected that after risking her life to bring him out of the Imperial Palace and fight against the attacking soldiers, she would just leave so easily.

"No need, Shirou, we've fought side by side! But I must go now," Sita said.

"Where are you going?" Shirou asked.

Sita said firmly, "Go and lift the curse on me. I have been cursed since my time more than ten lifetimes ago, and no matter how many times I reincarnate, I cannot break the curse. I will never be able to stay peacefully with my beloved husband. I must find a way to resolve this."

Seeing the girl's expression, Shirou understood her thoughts; they wouldn't change. He also lacked the power to lift the curse, so he could only bid her farewell. "Sita, good luck, goodbye."

"Yes, Shirou! Until we meet again." Sita jumped onto his horse and said to the boy.

"Goodbye, I hope you will be freed from the curse soon," Xuanzang said, waving goodbye.

"Goodbye, sister, and may you soon return to your disciple's side." Sita said, kicking her horse and galloping off in another direction.

"Does she have some kind of troublesome curse on her?" Shirou asked Xuanzang worriedly, watching the red-haired girl's figure gradually disappear.

"You've heard of the Indian epic Ramayana? And what about Rama and Sita?"

"You mean Sita, the wife who was taken away by the demon king Ravana, is related to the Sita I know?"

After that, Rama spent fourteen years learning from a master, and with the help of the Divine Monkey Hanuman, he finally defeated the demon king and reclaimed Sita with his Monkey army. During this time, Rama killed an enemy Monkey and was cursed.

However, at this point, after defeating the demon king and completing his mission, Rama was no longer the warrior who fought wholeheartedly for love and justice. He had been corrupted by the desire for fame, fortune, and power, and began to transform into a tyrant.

Sita's chastity and made Sita throw herself into the fire to prove her innocence. Sita jumped into the fire, and was then lifted out of the flames by a giant hand that appeared as Fire God. Rama then accepted Sita.

After a tender moment, the two held a joyous celebration and divided the demon king's treasure with the Monkey army. Rama then decided to return to his homeland. By this time, the old King had died, and the people expressed their willingness to support the powerful Rama as their king. However, they did not believe in Sita's Sita, which had been taken from them for fourteen years. So Rama abandoned the pregnant Sita on the banks of the Ganges River and returned to the Imperial Palace alone to inherit the throne.

Sita gave birth to twins by the river and received help from a sage. After the children grew a little older, the sage decided to help Sita prove her innocence. Rama said that although he was willing to believe Sita, he still could not convince the people.

Sita, because Rama still refused to believe her, called upon Mother Earth, saying, "If I am innocent, then let the earth crack open."

Then the ground cracked open, revealing a huge, bottomless fissure. Sita resolutely jumped into the crack and never came out again.

Rama, an avatar of Vishnu, one of the three principal Hindu gods who was in charge of maintaining the world, later became a notorious tyrant in history. After his death, his avatar merged with his original form and returned to heaven.

The couple were reunited in heaven, but sadly, their independent consciousness as humans had vanished, and their souls ceased to exist.

"Yes, in this world, that curse has never ended. Rama and Sita will continue to reincarnate, just like all couples in the world who are separated because of suspicion. In fact, before I was swatted here..."

I've also seen their reincarnations from a hundred years ago, the Queen of Zhu Zi Kingdom, whose beloved husband was stolen by the Monster Sai Taisui. Although she wore the Five-Colored Cloud Robe bestowed by the Great Immortal Ziyang, which prevented the demon from getting close, the Queen still became suspicious. Although the Queen listened to Wukong's advice and accepted him at the time.

However, when we obtained the scriptures and returned, we never heard from the Queen's husband again.

"Hmm... I see." Shirou paused for a moment, thinking that everything in this world had turned upside down, which didn't seem to be all bad. However, judging from Sita's way of doing things, he could understand how difficult the fate of the girl who had helped him would be.

The red-haired girl was no longer in sight, and Shirou sighed with regret.

"Isn't there any other way?" Shirou asked.

Xuanzang shook his head. "Cause and effect, all curses lie within love. As long as they still love each other, they will inevitably be separated when they meet and their love is ignited. When they reunite, it will be the time when they are separated by death."

"I see," Shirou replied in a low voice, wanting to do something for the red-haired girl who had helped him.

"Hmm... perhaps it's not possible for you either... but you can't do it now... Never mind! Let's go." Xuanzang hesitated and said softly.

"Well, in your time, religion may have faded from the center of the world stage, but for some people, religious beliefs are like a vital part of life, absolutely necessary," Xuanzang said with a light laugh.

Indeed, with the advancement of science, we can now explain almost everything we see and hear in life. As a result, the importance of religion has diminished considerably.

Later religions were used more to soothe the unavoidable pain in people's daily lives and to provide motivation for moving forward. Even if these functions were to be fulfilled, there are various inspirational books and self-help books that can replace them.

Shirou nodded and continued, "Yes, but there's still demand for religion. Many temples are still very prosperous, even though most are just casual believers. There are still many businessmen who spend a lot of money to be the first to burn incense, donate to repair temples, and build Buddha statues. Shaolin Temple, in particular, has become incredibly wealthy through its operations; its commercialization has been extremely successful, and it almost became a listed company."

"Shaolin Temple? Really?" Xuanzang exclaimed, quite shocked. She had hoped to secretly translate Buddhist scriptures at Shaolin Temple after returning to the Tang Dynasty.

"Moreover, in other worlds, there are also powerful organizations like the Church of the Holy See that can rival the Mage's Association. However, compared to religion, they feel more like violent institutions to me," Shirou nodded and said. After all, the presence of a priest there had a profound impact on him.

"Enough, let's not talk about this anymore," Xuanzang said, changing the subject and looking at Shirou with mixed feelings.

Walking down the hillside and heading to the right, the path paved with gravel indicated that we were not far from a bustling, thriving place.

"Oh, we're almost there!" Xuanzang exclaimed happily.

Following Xuanzang's gaze, Shirou looked into the distance and saw a building less than a hundred meters away that clearly resembled the style of the ancient Arabian Empire's Damascus. Similar styles can be seen in the mosques that have been preserved in later generations. This type of architecture likes to use symmetrical squares and circles, and the gates between the city walls are mostly oval, with straight sides and curved tops, just like the arches of a round bridge.

A slender, tall tower with a pointed top and a rounded body is usually made of a cylinder, with several elliptical protrusions in the middle, and a cone-shaped tip at the very top.

The castle at the very center has a huge spherical roof, with a spire rising from the very center.

The female monk walking ahead suddenly said, "Shirou, you'd better be careful from now on."

"Huh? What's going on?" Shirou asked, puzzled.

"Did you know? In the Arabian Empire of this world, for devout believers, women dominate everything in the home. Married men must wear veils to cover their hair and cannot let any woman other than their wife see their face or body."

"However, as a prince of Eastern Country, Shirou, you should be treated with great leniency by both the Charlemagne Empire and the Arabian Empire."

Xuanzang said with a wicked smile, "Because in their eyes, marrying you is equivalent to opening the door to Eastern Country. At that time, a large amount of silk, tea, porcelain, lacquerware and all kinds of goods will be offered to them. And most importantly, it also means that the last third of the world will accept their teachings."

"I don't have that kind of convenient ability, and besides, Eastern Country, which Eastern Country countries anyway?!" Shirou couldn't help but complain.

"That's just how this world is set up," the black-haired female monk wearing a straw hat said with a chuckle, then looked at Shirou seriously and said, "However, Shirou, you must understand that this is how they think. As long as they get you, it's equivalent to getting inexhaustible wealth and supreme glory."

However, these disputes had nothing to do with the girls Shirou was about to meet, who lived in the castle in the center of the city. The castle had been specially vacated by the lord and offered to the messenger of Allah.

In the largest room of the castle, a blonde girl lay lazily on a Persian carpet, her legs crossed, and listlessly complained:

"That's enough! It would be so much better to stay home, play games, and save the world. Why did you have to go out and attend some festival? And now look what's happened. We've ended up in some random place. I really want some potato chips. Hey there! You've finished your juice, have another one."

"Damn it! Why am I, the mighty Demoness Satanichia, serving fruit and juice to an angel?!" The crimson-haired girl, now dressed in a servant's uniform, reluctantly poured the fallen angel another glass of freshly squeezed juice.

"No, Satania, we're living under someone else's roof now, so it's only right that we help with the housework," said the short-haired black girl who was diligently cleaning and had brought the corners of the room to a spotless finish.

"But! But! Gabriel and Raphael received the highest level of hospitality, so why do I have to work?! I want to lie on the floor and roll around!"

On the other side, the silver-haired angel Raphael, sitting in a chair, smiled and took an apple from the fruit plate, handing it over and saying, "Hehehe, because this is our territory. Why don't you come over here? I don't need you to serve me, and I'll even share the good food with you. Here, this apple is for you."

"Really!" Satania asked excitedly as she took the apple.

Raphael raised her delicate white-stockinged foot towards the red-haired demon and said, "Hmm, as long as you agree to be my dog, you'll be fine. First, kneel down and lick my feet."

"Who would do such a thing?!" Satania hesitated for a moment, glanced at her small, delicate toes, then at the apple in her hand, and finally threw the apple to the ground, shouting in a frantic voice.

"Hmm! Gabriel! Lady Raphael! Is there anything I can help you with?" The guards outside the door, swords in hand, turned to look inside upon hearing the voices and called out.

"Waaah! It's nothing! I just accidentally dropped something! I'll pick it up right now!" Satania crouched down, covering her head in fright, and said through gritted teeth, "... Damn it."

The group, who were simply attending a festival and enjoying the fireworks, were suddenly transported to this world by the witch's teleportation array before they could even process their joy.

They soon discovered that they were in a world of religious conflict, but to the angels, neither side seemed to be a problem.

Because Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all originate from the same source and believe in the same one God, only they use different names. The supreme scripture of Judaism is the Old Testament Bible, and Islam developed the New Testament from it. Islam acknowledges both the Old and New Testament of the Bible, and Muhammad is the prophet mentioned in the Bible. The Quran is the last scripture left to mankind by Allah, or God.

However, Judaism does not acknowledge Jesus, while most Christianity believes that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one, and Islam considers the Quran to be the most complete and perfect scripture.

Angels are considered messengers of God everywhere, but in Judaism, angels wrestled with people. In Christianity, their status is even higher; they are said to occasionally cast out the Yellow Peril and save the world.

In Islam doctrine, all living beings are creations of Allah, including angels, demons, and humans. Angels are beautiful winged creatures, led by the Gabriel Jibril, who act as messengers conveying Allah's message.

In the male-dominated Islam world, angels are typically male, but in this world where the opposite is true, angels are typically female.

Therefore, Gabriel's arrival in this world felt perfectly natural. After displaying a little Holy Light, she was treated as a distinguished guest by the believers of the Arabian Empire and stayed in a luxurious palace. They also sent powerful warriors to protect her.

However, Satania, as a great demon, is in an awkward position. Although demons coexist with angels, like light and darkness, they are villains in the shadows of every era. Apart from a few shady and extremely dangerous cult followers, no one welcomes them.

After all, compared to the original world, the humans here are all far too strong. Especially those so-called heroes, she might not be a match for them at all, even though she is the strongest and most evil demon!

"Thank you for your hard work. I've finished cleaning here. Now I'll go to the kitchen and help with the cooking." At this moment, Vignette walked out of the room and bowed to the guards.

"Hmm, Vignette is such a good girl. It's okay for her to rest for a while. If you want, you can stay here forever." The guard leader smiled and patted the girl's head, speaking kindly. Kind and hardworking children are liked wherever they go.