Only God

Before that night, Denis never would have imagined that he would abandon so much happiness, journey to Kaelonde like a penitent monk, and, most unfortunately, encounter a great fire.

"God, is this Your wrath and warning?

Please forgive me, let the person You sent forgive me."

Denis knelt on the ground, hands clasped together in supplication, constantly murmuring the scriptures that he knew all too well, attempting to find the Lord's shelter within them.

That being said, even though Denis thought his current life resembled that of a penitent monk, in reality, compared to those sects wandering and preaching everywhere, Denis's journey was blissfully comfortable.

The day after Xilan left, Bishop Denis claimed that he was called by the Lord to travel to Kaelonde. Hearing this, the Governor hurriedly prepared a top-quality steed and an experienced coachman for him, along with three monks and eight servants. There was also a small troop of knights and soldiers to guard the Bishop's safety.

Besides that, the Governor had prepared enough money and supplies for Bishop Denis. The road to Kaelonde was unobstructed, and along the way, he received warm welcomes and support from the True Believers due to his episcopal status.

Even so, in Bishop Denis's view, this was not the life a bishop should have been living.

"Father, my godfather, the fire is out, the fire is really out."

A knight knocked fervently, his voice filled with excitement.

Hearing this news, Denis breathed a sigh of relief; he was now finally safe.

Thus, Denis opened the door and offered blessings to the knight.

The devout knight respectfully kissed the back of Denis's hand and then excitedly asked,

"My godfather, where does God wait for you, what revelation will He give you?"

Denis was speechless for a moment, and then he managed to stammer out,

"The time has not yet come, the time has not yet come, why the rush?"

The knight realized he was too hasty and hastily asked the bishop for forgiveness for his intrusion, then respectfully turned and left.

Denis closed the door and heaved a deep sigh; he had deceived these people into believing he was called to Kaelonde, but in truth, he was there for confession.

"When will the man... the man that God sent, appear?"

Denis murmured to himself.

"I am here."

Denis shuddered.

He turned around sharply and saw a man standing with his back to him near the simple shrine.

The man's hands were clasped together as if conversing with God.

Denis hurried over and then knelt down, bowing to kiss the man's shoe tip.

After a moment, the bishop looked up, his voice trembling,

"You've come, you've finally come.

I confess all my sins before the great Lord, may the glory be His."

The man turned around, saw Denis kneeling, also knelt on one knee, and brought his ear close to the bishop's mouth, his voice flat,

"Confess."

Denis immediately collapsed to the ground, his eyes brimming with panicked tears, as if they were about to fall; this barren journey was finally coming to an end, his ordeal could finally be over, he thought, "God, I swear to You, after this, I will turn over a new leaf."

"I confess, I confess my past ignorance and folly, I've envied my brother when I should have lived in harmony and love with him, I confess.

I confess, in the monastery, I was obsequiously obedient to the deputy abbot, not for theology, but in hopes of rising to power one day, I confess.

I confess, I've defended those who have committed great evils, exonerating the wicked and thus allowing justice to be clouded, I confess..."

Denis said a lot in one breath, confessing and praising God while occasionally reciting scripture, it was clear that fear had taken hold of his heart.

Xilan listened to Denis's confessions in silence, saying nothing, merely listening.

After a long time, it seemed Denis had said everything he wanted to say, he swallowed a gulp of saliva as if awaiting the judgment of a prisoner.

Silence crowded the air around them.

After a while, Xilan asked,

"What else?"

Denis stared blankly, shaking his head frantically,

"No more, no more.

My wife, she ran into it herself, she wasn't killed by me…

Murder is a cardinal sin, how could I possibly commit murder?

Forgive me, God, it really was her who ran into it!"

Denis's voice trembled lightly.

He always insisted that his wife was not killed by him, but died from a trivial accident.

Other sins can be confessed, even publicly, but murder... that was an exceedingly heavy sin.

The sin of murder, under secular law, would dissipate all past glory and wealth, and within the doctrines of the True Religion, even the soul would fall into the depths of Hell.

So Denis firmly believed it was an accident, it must have been an accident.

Before the shrine, the surroundings were dead silent, Denis shivered, his eyes uncontrollably glancing towards Xilan.

The man's head moved slightly, then slowly stood up, gradually distancing from the sinner in front of him, and then, a sound of inconsolable sorrow followed,

"You have been overcome by yourself."

Denis was paralysed, his body stiff as a corpse, his heartbeat slowed by several beats, he couldn't believe what he was hearing, his whole head was in a state of shutdown.

"No, no, don't, don't!"

After a while, Denis said tremblingly.

But Xilan had already stood up, he slowly moved away from the sinner, who knelt on the ground, desperately crawling over, trying to grasp Xilan's legs to make him stay, but Denis could not catch up with the man by any means.

Denis lay on the ground, kissing the floor, weeping in a trembling voice,

"Please stay! Take my life, burn down my house, kill my children, do anything, but please stay!"

Xilan did not stop his steps, he slowly opened the door, a stream of post-disaster sunlight shone in, he turned his back on the sinner, casting a long shadow.

Denis howled in pain like a wild beast,

"Why is this? Weren't you sent by God to hear my sins? Why is this?"

No matter how Denis tried to keep him, the man continued walking unceasingly.

"I have shown myself, and now I must go."

Xilan tilted his head, not looking at him,

"Because before God, you also refuse to admit your sins truthfully."

Denis wanted to say something else, his mouth agape, at that moment, a wisp of ash floated from somewhere, fluttering against Denis's face, making it impossible for him to open his eyes, his mouth involuntarily closed, until Xilan had completely left, he couldn't say a word, he couldn't see anything.

When the Bishop passed away, authority also departed, and the events of the past were excavated from the burial of history.

People finally understood what kind of person Bishop Denis truly was.

He envied his brother, was eager to please,

After holding Divine Office, he protected wrongdoers and exonerated the wicked,

He recklessly amassed wealth, killed his wife, and repeatedly committed adultery.

The Prophet came before him, listening with God, yet he remained deluded, attempting to conceal,

Thus, when he was remorseful,

God allowed the Angels to cover his eyes and silence his mouth.