Humbert interjected: "Sir, do you still want to listen to his quibbles? Punish this slave who violates the law, this is to maintain the dignity of the master, otherwise more and more slaves will follow his example and ignore you as a master." ”

Before Theo could speak, Amon looked up and scolded, "Shut up and listen to Aesop finish the story!" There was a strange majesty in his voice that rushed into his mind and made Humbert almost unable to stand still, as if he had been suppressed in some way and could no longer speak. Aesop began to tell the story of Pythagoras, a mysterious sage who was the son of a great nobleman and was very wealthy, but who led his disciples to form a community and live a collective life of asceticism. He was also a very clever doctor, and it is said that he was also a great magician, and some people even say that he had seen the gods and knew their secrets.

Once, Pythagoras went out to buy the group's daily necessities, and because of the large quantity, he paid for one stone at a time, and when he opened the money bag, he accidentally dropped the stone on the ground, and one of the slaves next to him picked it up. The owner of the shop, who was also at the time, shouted, "Pythagoras, look at your slave, whose hand has touched the stone and should have a finger cut off! ”

Pythagoras took the stone and rebuked the slave, "Copernicus, how come you have accidentally touched the stone again, and how much do you owe me with this finger?"

The slave named Copernicus replied: "Dear Monsieur Pythagoras, plus this time, I already owe you thirteen fingers. ”

Pythagoras waved his hand and called to his attendants, "Write it down to him that Copernicus owes me thirteen fingers." ”

The shopkeeper was surprised and asked, "Pythagoras, won't you cut off his fingers?"

Pythagoras replied lightly: "According to the decree, he should have his finger cut off, but also according to the decree, he is my property, and there is no dispute with others, I can decide when to cut off his finger, don't you see that I have written it down?"

The shopkeeper exclaimed, "But how can a man have thirteen fingers, he only has ten fingers, and you have already recorded thirteen." ”

Pythagoras sneered, "O ignorant and cruel man, thou art greedy for tyranny of others, and this greed has blinded the truth. Mathematically there is nothing wrong with that, he has ten fingers, cuts off thirteen, and leaves three minus, which is just a negative number. ...... If you don't understand, Copernicus, you explain. ”

Copernicus explained: "Suppose you have ten gold coins, and you buy thirteen gold coins, how many gold coins do you have left?

This is the end of Aesop's story, and the last sentence is: "Do you understand?" I don't know if others understand it, but Amon understands it anyway, and he can't help but smile. And Theo blinked his eyes and thought for a long time, and suddenly realized: "Write it down, Aesop owes a finger, and I can decide when to cut it!"

At the same time, according to the provisions of the two decrees, this is nothing more than a simple circumvention technique for the master to let the slave go, but the first person to come up with it is a genius, and the one who can do it is Xio. Aesop saluted and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Aesop is your property, and her fingers grow on Aesop's body, which is also your master's." ”

The shopkeeper's face darkened a little, and he wanted to refute but couldn't say anything. Amon has been paid, and Theo is ready to return to Monfilth after dealing with the aftermath, and the two parted ways here. As he was leaving, Amon saw Aesop setting up a car outside, walked over and greeted him alone, thanked him for accompanying him on his tour of the city-state in the past two days, and finally asked, "Aesop, the story you just told you claimed to be from your early years, have you really met the distant sage Pythagoras?"

Isolt nodded respectfully and said, "Yes, I have really seen it, I was very young at that time, and I was not a slave of Lord Xio. ”

Amun: "Is it true that you say that Pythagoras has seen the gods and even knows their secrets?"

Aesop quickly explained, "How do I know this, it's just people's legends. The sage was very mysterious, and there were many people around him who followed him, and there were also legends that he was the son of the gods, but legends are just legends. ”

Amon sighed and asked with interest, "So this person, where is he now?"

Aesop pointed north: "From here we go to the sea, and then cross the ocean to the north, and when we see the coast, we go west, and there is a peninsula surrounded by archipelagos, and there are many city-states called the United Kingdom of Heaton." The last time I heard from Pythagoras, he led his disciples to establish a secluded manor on the outskirts of the city-state of Croton, called the Pythagoras Manor. ”

Amon made a note of this place in his mind, and if he had the opportunity to travel far in the future, he could go there and try to ask Pythagoras for advice. I remember that Aristotle, who had saved himself from the siege of Duketown, was also from the Kingdom of Heaton, and that place was really worth visiting.

He thanked Aesop. Isolt asked rhetorically, "Benefactor, you just asked me a word, why do you say thank you?"

Amon: "Because the news you said could be very useful to me." ”

Isolt was a little curious and said, "Are you interested in the secrets of the gods? ”

Amon was a little surprised: "Oh, what do you suggest?"

Aesop pointed to the spire of the temple in the distance with his hand and said, "These are all ethereal legends, including the gods themselves, in that case, you might as well ask the gods themselves, if they really appear in the world." ...... Legend has it that the gods will also walk in various capacities and will even stand in front of you and speak to you. ”

Amon smiled, and suddenly remembered Yin Nanna, the shepherdesss slave incarnated by Mu Yun, and he smiled and said to Aesop: "Thank you for your suggestion, I will consider it." ”

Isolt bowed deeply and said, "You saved my life, and you gave me the opportunity to speak up just now, I haven't expressed my gratitude yet, why do you want to thank me again?"

Amon: "The first time I saw you, you yelled at me in the carriage and told me to hide. If I were just an ordinary passerby, your shout would have saved my life. In that case, it's not me who saved you, but you who saved me. You didn't forget to save the life of an innocent passerby when your own life was at stake, so I want to say thank you...... Aesop, may I ask you one more question, what is your deepest desire?"

Aesop replied with two serious words: "Freedom." ”

Amun: "Freedom, do you want to get rid of slavery?"

Aesop: "Not exactly, although I am a slave, when I look up at the starry sky, my mind can put on wings and fly freely. ...... The body is not encumbered by things, the mind is not bound by desires, and it is beyond existence that I yearn for freedom. ”

Unexpectedly, a slave would say such a thing, Amon was slightly taken aback, smiled and said: "I am afraid that the kind of freedom you are talking about can only be experienced by gods, and I want to say thank you again...... Aesop, take care, maybe one day you will reach the other side of freedom. ”

Amon wanted to buy this slave, maybe he could try to give him the status of a free man, but on the one hand, Xio may not be willing to sell, and on the other hand, it is really inconvenient for him to walk with a slave in Eju, so he has to dismiss the idea for the time being, and wait for the opportunity to talk about it later.

After saying goodbye, Amon returned to the inn to pack up his things, went straight to the mansion of Rod Dick in the east of the city, and came to the gate of the luxurious city lord's mansion and said to the gatekeeper with his head held high: "I am from afar, and I have something important to ask Lord Rod Dick. ”

There were four men who looked like gatekeepers standing in front of the gate, and there were six guards in bright armor next to them, and Amon didn't know who to look for, so he asked the one closest to him. The man lowered his head and glanced at Amun: "If you have something, you can go to the various offices of the city-state to apply for it, and don't stay here at will." I've come to see the lord of the city for something, but why don't you do anything else?"

This is true, you can find any place to do anything, if you come to see Rod Dick directly, this city lord will probably be busy to death even if he is not annoyed to death. Amon explained very politely: "My matter is a public and private matter, and I am afraid that the various bureaus of the city-state will not be able to handle it, and I must see the city lord of Dick himself, it is very important, and I am tired of reporting it." ”

The other three gatekeepers also came over and said, "Stranger, do you know the rules, is the lord of the city you can see when you say you can see it? Lord Dick is not at home! Even if you are at home, you must inform the porter to let you wait before you can wait." If you really have something very important, we don't dare to delay, please make it clear and show the credentials. ”

Another person reminded in a low voice: "We can let you wait outside the door, and when the adults return to the house, let the second butler of the porter inform you, and if the adults are willing to see you, they will call you in." ...... But if a small thing disturbs the rest of the adults, and the adults are angry, we will all be reprimanded, and we have to comfort and comfort the hard work, right?"

Amon had no experience in meeting a big man like Rod Dick, and certainly not when he came to meet people. If you are a distinguished guest, please go to the special living room to rest first, and then Lord Dick will receive you. Ordinary strangers come to visit, and if something really happens, they have to wait outside the door and let the porter report it. If nothing disturbed the adults' rest, the porter would also be reprimanded, so the man suggested that Amon should give him a bribe so that they could be accommodating.

I don't know if Amon understands or not, the man was about to stretch out his hand after saying this, but found that Amon had already turned around and left, and couldn't help but curse behind him: "Where did you come from, wild boy?

Amon was not reluctant to bribe the gatekeeper, but what happened in front of the house made him change his mind. He wasn't sure if Rod Dick could be trusted, and Nero's relics were quite precious, so wouldn't it be troublesome if the city lord had any other thoughts and detained him on the spot?

It's not that he hasn't suffered this kind of loss before, and Amon can deal with several accidents, but in Rod Dick's mansion, he can't get out with his ability.

Amon turned around and went to the Temple of Horus, located in the center of the city-state, he had already inquired in the past few days, Rod Dick, as the chief priest of the city-state of the headland, presided over the sacrifice to the gods every month, and the citizens of the city-state could visit and worship outside the temple hall, and today was just in time. He had originally wanted to wait for Rod Dick to return home outside the palace gate, but now he planned to go directly to the temple square and take Nero's staff out in public.

When Amon arrived in the square, the sacrifice had ended, and several priests were standing on the steps, and a tidal crowd was coming out of the wide and tall stone pillars in front of the temple. Rod Dick boarded the carriage with his entourage, with a guard of honor in front of him, and the crowd automatically retreated to make way for the lord of the city, who was already planning to return home.

At this moment, a voice shouted, "Lord Rod Dick, I have come to return the staff and relics of Nero, the great priest, according to the last words of Lord Nero, the former chief priest of the city-state of the headland!"

This voice was so loud that even several priests standing on the high steps heard it, and everyone was taken aback, and they all looked curiously in the direction from which the voice came, and some people whispered to the onlookers around them, "Who is Nero?"

Someone else explained: "Nero was the chief priest of the city-state more than thirty years ago, a great magician, who is said to have given his life for the country. ...... What's the matter, after so many years, someone actually sent back Lord Nero's staff!"

In front of Lord Rod Dick's guard of honor, there was a young man standing still in the place where the crowd parted, holding a staff in his hand, and he was the one who had just shouted. Someone stopped the convoy and raised his staff, and the warriors who guarded him drew their weapons one after another, if it weren't for what Amon just shouted, the guards would have taken him down at this time.

Rod Dick's carriage stopped, and he stepped down with the curtain, followed by two men whom Amon had ever seen, Fayol Judas, the clerk, and Aristotle, the aide. When Amon saw Rod Dick come out, he saluted on one knee, raised his staff above his head with both hands, and made a gesture of dedication, and the guards breathed a sigh of relief.

The crowd parted and formed a circular clearing, encircling Rod Dick's convoy and Amon in the middle, and several temple priests on the high ranks also hurriedly trotted over.

Aristotle felt familiar at Amun's sight, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it. It's not that this young sage doesn't remember his surname well, Amon's appearance has changed too much in the past two years, and his facial features are vaguely the same as before, but he has fully grown up Chengren.

Rod Dick was about to walk over and ask, but Fayol Judas pulled him and said, "Be careful, sir, find out the situation first, what if it's an assassin?"

Aristotle pulled the hem of his robe, separated the guards and walked in front of Amun, and asked with a pleasant face, "Young man, what is the matter with you stopping in front of the city lord's convoy and raising your staff?"

Amon replied loudly: "I have already said just now, according to the last words of the former chief priest of the city-state, the great magician Nero, I will return his staff and relics, it is said that this staff still contains the information left by Lord Nero, please check it with Lord Dick, the lord of the city!"

Aristotle reached out and took the staff, and asked, "What is your name, and how did you get Nero's relics?"

Amon: "I am a hunter in the mountains, my name is Amon, and while chasing my prey, I found a handwriting written in the cave, which was left by the former chief priest of the city-state of the headland, Nero, the great magician, who hoped that someone would find his relics and send them back to the city-state of the headland, return the staff to the temple, return the relics to the family, and promised a reward. I have traveled thousands of miles through the mountains and deserts to fulfill the last wish of the deceased!"

"Amon, your name is Amon?" Aristotle was slightly stunned, as if he remembered something, but without saying more, he turned around and walked back with his staff.

Several temple priests had already run down the long steps to Rod Dick's side, and an older priest looked at the staff in Aristotle's hand, and his voice trembled with excitement: "This, this, this is really the staff of the Lord Priest of the Cape City-State! Thirty years ago, Lord Nero took it and never returned, I really didn't expect to see it again!"

The staff is handled in yellow-brown wood, and is very strong and durable, showing no signs of decay. The top of it is inlaid with an earth pupil, and I don't know how it was made, this earth pupil seems to grow naturally in the wood grain and is wrapped, only a few sharp corners are exposed.

The crowd of onlookers could see it very clearly, as long as anyone who had seen it, they could recognize it at a glance as indeed the staff that Nero had used, and the stranger who had traveled thousands of miles did not lie. Rod Dick took the staff, and his hands couldn't help but tremble slightly with excitement, this staff was the object of the temple of the city-state of the headland, and only the previous chief priests were qualified to hold it.

After Nero's disappearance, the staff was also lost, and the next chief priest was Rod Dick's father, Dick Sr., a few years ago Rod Dick succeeded him as the chief priest, although he found another skilled craftsman to create the staff, but of course it is not as precious as this staff handed down from generation to generation, I never thought that it would come back today, is it a gift from the gods?

It was returned to the city-state by a stranger who had traveled thousands of miles to the city-state, and Rod Dick had taken it in front of the crowd, and its symbolism was of great importance!

Rod Dick had been in the officialdom for a long time, and his reaction was quite quick, he took the staff and immediately raised his hands above his head, turned around and knelt down in the direction of the temple and saluted: "Thank you Horus! Thank you to the great gods! Under your guidance, the staff of the chief priests of the past has returned to the city-state!"

As soon as the lord knelt down, everyone turned around and knelt down, and in a moment there was no one standing in the huge square. People were thanking the gods, and the voices of thousands of people were united like a tsunami of mountains. Seeing this, Amon knew that he had done the right thing, and it was the best choice to return the staff in public on such an occasion.

But when he heard the cries of thanks to the gods, he couldn't help but feel a little funny, were these people thanking Horus or Amun, him?

**

(To be continued)