One day in early November, as the year drew to a close, Zhou Ming and more than a thousand farmers from Glan Territory were sent by their lord to Saint Marne Monastery, over a hundred li south of the territory, to perform a month of "Love Work" for the Church.
This "Love Work" was much like the three days of weekly Zhou Labor they performed for their lord during the busy farming season. It was also unpaid compulsory labor, except that they were serving the Church instead.
Yet unbelievably, none of the farmers in the territory resisted this "Love Work." Some even cheered with delight when they heard there was Love Work to do. Without needing much urging from the lord, they packed their belongings and prepared to work at the monastery with great enthusiasm.
After two days on the road, Zhou Ming arrived at Saint Marne Monastery. After only one day of work, he understood why the farmers liked doing Love Work.
A spacious, brightly lit cathedral, clean and tidy accommodations, free hot water in the bathhouse, and three delicious hot meals a day...
There were also priests and monks whose eyes brimmed with compassion for all living beings. They walked among the farmers, praying for these lost lambs and soothing their hearts with gentle words. The place was practically as comfortable as heaven... even though the daily workload was far from easy.
No wonder the Church in this world stands above even the King. When it comes to winning people over, the Church leaves those lords miles behind!
That also explained why, whenever there was a bountiful harvest, farmers did not store away their surplus grain and bread, but delivered it all to the monastery.
It also explained why so many aging farmers did not leave the wealth they had painstakingly accumulated over the years to their descendants, but donated it all to the Church in hopes of entering "heaven."
It was not because these farmers were ignorant or foolish. It was because the lords of this world oppressed and exploited them too harshly, leaving them without the slightest sense of security in their own private property. Rather than having it stripped away by the lord through one method or another, they preferred to give it all to the Church in exchange for spiritual solace.
During breaks, when he joined the group prayers and saw the farmers prostrating themselves on the ground with such incomparable devotion, Zhou Ming understood that if he wanted to conquer this world, an enemy even more terrifying than the lords was this Church, which had won the support of nearly all the common people.
The power of the people was immense; Zhou Ming had never doubted that. But faced with these farmers, who had been brainwashed by the Church and regularly gathered for collective prayers, he knew that simple force could never shake that power.
Moreover, when he saw the exquisite reliefs and colorful patterns painted across the monastery's walls and ceilings, as well as the Library Pavilion filled with all kinds of parchment books, Zhou Ming realized that the Church had monopolized not only faith, but knowledge and art as well... and those things were even more important than force.
Knowledge. I need to understand this world's knowledge—as much of it as possible!
After seeing the Library Pavilion, Zhou Ming immediately wanted to "arm" his mind. He pleaded bitterly with Sister Mary, who was responsible for managing the Library Pavilion, and repeatedly promised that he would not damage the books. Only then did Sister Mary agree to let him enter.
He gently pulled a thick parchment book resembling an Oxford dictionary from the shelf and eagerly began flipping through it.
The book was filled with tadpole-like letters. Apart from a few dozen, he did not recognize a single one of the rest.
I should have asked Madam Madeline to teach me some basic literacy. She knows many words. If she had guided me in, taught me these phonetic letters, I wouldn't be unable to read them now.
Unfortunately, he had made the wrong choice. There was no longer any chance to ask Madam Madeline for help... he had no desire to run into her son Edward at the castle.
"Child, what are you doing?"
At some point, an old man in a gray robe, wearing a kindly smile, had silently appeared behind him.
"Oh, sorry, Father Robert. I was reading this book. I'll put it back right away!"
Zhou Ming knew the old man. He was Father Robert, the kindly priest who had stood before the altar leading prayers these past few days—a man of great prestige among the faithful.
"There is no need, child. I can see the thirst for knowledge in your eyes. Do you wish to understand this book?"
Father Robert smiled. His magnetic voice carried a soothing power.
"Yes, Father. I truly want to understand the beginning of this book. What does the first passage on the first page mean?"
Zhou Ming put on an "eager" expression, placing the book before the priest and staring straight at him, hoping he would clear away his doubts.
"This passage means: God is above, messengers below. Let it be solemnly proclaimed to the world: in the beginning, the heavens were dark, the earth was empty and chaotic, and the divine spirit moved upon the waters. God said, let there be light..."
Father Robert was more than willing to guide this lost lamb toward the path ahead through the religious scripture, the "Holy Father Scripture"...
Time passed quickly.
The entire night went by, and the candle burned down to its end. Over that one night, Zhou Ming memorized a full four hundred words.
"Child, your talent astonishes me. In one night, you have learned what others need half a year to master."
Father Robert spoke with an amazed expression. He had taught many students, including gifted ones, but none had been gifted enough to understand more than ten pages of the "Holy Father Scripture" after a single night.
This child must have an affinity with God. He had to be an apostle of God left behind in the mortal world. He might even be qualified to become Father Robert's attendant.
However...
There seemed to be none of that devotion or piety toward God in the child's eyes. He was simply interested in those words.
"Respected Father Robert, may I come again tomorrow? May I learn more from the 'Holy Father Scripture' with you?"
The excitement had not yet faded from Zhou Ming's face as he looked at Father Robert expectantly.
"You may, child, so long as you are willing to come."
Father Robert smiled kindly. As one of God's most devout apostles, he would not abandon even the most inconspicuous lost lamb, even if that lamb was not yet devout enough.
"Thank you, Father! Thank you, Father!"
For the next half month, no matter how exhausted he was from working during the day, Zhou Ming came to the Library Pavilion every night without fail to seek Father Robert's guidance.
In just over twenty days, he was able to understand the Church classic, the "Holy Father Scripture," which contained tens of thousands of words, and could recognize more than ninety percent of its characters.
"Oh God! This child's talent is simply too great. If he could become my attendant, he would certainly inherit my legacy in the future and pass on my devotion to God and my understanding of Him..."
"But..."
"This child is the Son of a Farmer. Even if he inherited my legacy, he would still suffer suppression and exclusion within the Church..."
Father Robert was tempted, yet deeply hesitant. Like the knightly class, the monastic class mostly came from the nobility. Very few were commoners, and only in the poorest and most remote parishes did priests of common birth have even the slightest chance of rising through the ranks.
Father Robert himself, for example, was descended from a fallen noble family that had lost its Nobility Title. After serving Saint Marne Monastery tirelessly for over twenty years, he was still only a Blessing Elder, ranking seventh or eighth in authority within Saint Marne Monastery, and he still faced severe exclusion. If Little Ryan...
In the end, Father Robert dismissed the idea.
Zhou Ming had no idea that an opportunity to change his fate had already slipped past him. Still, having learned a great deal and received a handwritten notebook from Father Robert, he felt that the journey had been immensely rewarding as he traveled back to Glan Territory.
If I ever get another chance to do Love Work, I must ask Father Robert more questions!
Having found a staircase leading to the hall of knowledge, Zhou Ming naturally wanted to climb even higher.
Before you continue