Only God

The confessional was isolated for both parties, and with the night pitch black, Bishop Denis could not even make out the outline of the other person, let alone see their face.

Bishop Denis then followed the usual practice, first praising God's mercy and greatness. He then said some words about how, despite revealing your faults, God would listen, and you would receive divine peace. Finally, he turned his ear, waiting for the True Believer to speak.

"Good Priest, in my life, I have done many wrong things."

The person finally spoke, and Bishop Denis found the voice both sorrowful and merciful, almost like the epitome of a True Believer.

Could such a person also do wrong?

God, the human heart is indeed unpredictable.

Bishop Denis muttered internally.

"Do you need to confess, to confess all sins to the glorious God?"

Bishop Denis asked in his usual gentle tone.

The man was silent for a moment, which did not surprise Bishop Denis as confession and repentance often involved a person's darkest, deepest side, and revealing it required great courage.

And many people, often do not have such courage. Even at death's door, they would not confess their most sinful secrets.

"I will confess to the merciful God…

As a child, I envied my brother because he was tall and strong, the inheritor of our family, while I, having grown up, could only receive a small piece of land, so I envied him."

Bishop Denis frowned, but soon let it go, as such occurrences were many in the world; he should not feel surprised.

"Almost every person has had sinful thoughts, and even historical figures could not avoid them.

And many who are praised often just have thoughts, without actions.

Face them, just as the Disciple Xilan of the Prophet faced his past."

In the darkness, the man nodded slightly.

"When I became an adult, in a fit of anger, unable to bear that pitiful land, I turned and entered the monastery to receive instruction from the mentors.

I was diligent, honest, and faithful, and more importantly, I had transcendent theological insights compared to my peers, able to recite every scripture and its commentary verbatim."

Bishop Denis was startled; he felt a sense of astonishment.

Could this person also have been a Monk?

Could this person also have stood out in the monastery for theological insights, just as he had?

"Good Priest, are you listening?"

The man asked.

Bishop Denis snapped back to reality and hurriedly said,

"Listening, listening, and God is listening too."

Then, Bishop Denis put on a compassionate demeanor and gently consoled,

"Go ahead and confess, you know, even Xilan once confessed to God.

Think about it, even such a great man, still in prison, confessed his faults to God, admitting he had doubted the Lord's mission.

Continue speaking. Not only am I listening, God is listening too."

In the darkness, he seemed to see the man nod,

"Yes, God is listening too."

The man repeated.

"The Vice-Dean, impressed by my theological insights, took a liking to me, and I seized the opportunity to defer to him in every possible way, currying favor. He was not stingy with his praise and even wrote letters recommending me to the Great Shepherd.

After this, everything went smoothly, as if God was navigating for me. I was received by the Shepherd, studied in the capital for five years, and then was assigned to a church as a Priest.

But it was then that the tragic misfortune occurred."

Bishop Denis anxiously asked,

"What happened?"

His palms were sweating.

The man's described experiences bore some resemblance to his own life, a similarity that brought a sense of panic to the Bishop.

"Someone tempted me; he gave me a small bag of gold, asking me to defend his son, who had committed adultery, asking me to absolve him in my capacity as a Priest. I could not resist the temptation; I took it."

Bishop Denis' breath suddenly stopped, memories from decades ago, like venomous snakes, bit into him.

Back then, he had done it several times, defended criminals in the guise of a Priest.

Even though the sins of those criminals were nearly obvious and definitive,

"How could you accept it! How could you accept it!?"

Bishop Denis's face turned red as he scolded excitedly.

"Yes, how could I accept it?!

Merciful God, I confess,

this charge is the least worthy of mention in my life that I often forget it."

Bishop Denis breathed rapidly and pressed on:

"What other sins do you have? Reveal them all! God will listen."

The man spoke again,

"As a servant of God, I should be an example for His people, leading His people to witness the truth.

But what have I done? I have baptized several tenant farmers' children, and not only did I not treat those children as my own, but I also piled the hardest and heaviest work on them, squandering their labor as a Godfather, taxing them much more heavily than others.

I confess, how could I treat them this way?"

Denis broke into a cold sweat, and the pitch-black room no longer seemed like a confessional, but rather like a huge mirror in which he saw a reflection.

That was truly... a reflection of sin.

"Do you, do you have any other sins?"

Bishop Denis asked pleadingly.

It seemed that at some point, there had been a sudden reversal of roles in the confessional.

That pleading tone, instead, sounded as if he himself was confessing to the man, as if he himself was repenting to the man.

"I killed my wife."

The man said calmly.

Bishop Denis's heart stirred up a storm.

His lips trembled, his palms and backs of his hands were sweaty, frightening memories surfaced before his eyes, completely breaking down his defenses.

"I pushed her, she slipped, her head hit the corner of the table, I swear to God I did not mean to kill her, but she just died, I cried for her for a long time, and rejoiced over her death because that meant I could enjoy happiness with my true love."

When he said this, the man paused, mocking:

"The joy of Hell, isn't it?"

Immediately, Bishop Denis started trembling violently, his vestment robe shaking uncontrollably, his muscles went limp, and he fell from the chair, staring fearfully at the confessional ahead, as if there were a ghost, a spirit, sitting across from the window sill.

The man slowly stood up, seemingly like an Angel scrutinizing God's servant. He was cloaked in sorrow, immovable, contemplating for a sinner.

Then, he delivered the verdict,

"Denis, you shall face retribution."

At that moment, Bishop Denis held his breath in fear, the grand and gorgeous vestment robe had fallen unnoticed, revealing the drab hemp garment beneath.

"No, no!"

Bishop Denis recollected an ancient Scripture, and he looked up to ask God,

"Lord,

what should I do?"

Across the window sill, the man who seemed to represent God stood silently.

Silence lingered, lingered for a long while.

He neither punished immediately nor spoke words of comfort,

Xilan simply said:

"You come to Kaelonde to find me, and I and God will listen to your sins."

After finishing, the door of the confessional was gently pushed open, the man almost silently left the confessional, leaving Bishop Denis trembling and shivering in the dark room, fearfully getting up from the ground, continuously murmuring prayers.

You shall face retribution…

The terrifying sentence echoed in his mind for a long time.

"No, don't... pack up, let those children pack up for me, I must go to Kaelonde, I need to go to Kaelonde!"

Denis was dominated by fear, regretting his past sins, though not out of a newfound conscience, but because of the retribution mentioned by the man.