Half a year later, the dusty Joshua returned to his hometown of Bethlehem. The plain of Salem is not as inhospitable today as it was 400 years ago, and Bethlehem is a small city-state south of the city of Salem, which appeared about 300 years ago. The flood caused a landslide in the valley of the Youngdi River, and a tributary of the Youngdi River was cut off and diverted through the Duk Plain to flow into the Syrian Desert to form an inland lake, which became known as the Yedan River. The Yodan River irrigated the fields of the plains, and Jesus' hometown was by the Yadan River.

After a long journey, Jesus was noticeably darker than before, his body became more muscular, his skin was bronzed, and he grew a beard like any other adult Salem man. Of course, the parents were very happy to see their son come back, but when he was the age of Jesus, it was time to marry a daughter-in-law, and his parents were already looking for a suitable marriage partner for him, but Josus shook his head and said, "You don't have to worry, I have my own plans." ”

The parents thought that he didn't like the girl he introduced, so they had to give up for the time being, but they didn't know that what Jesus had in mind was something else entirely. He took the cane given by Aroha to Tianzhu, and was lucky enough to find the sage Vincent Tebu, and asked many questions and was deeply inspired. But he refused Vincent's invitation and did not become a monk who believed in the immeasurable light, because he had already been given a mission by God.

In Tianzhu, Jesus also examined various local traditional religious beliefs, witnessed conflicts and strife between various sects, and had his own thoughts on many issues. Although he did not find the way beyond eternal life, or regretfully rejected another guidance, his state of mind became clearer and clearer.

The warrior named Saya had taught him the art of getting started, and on the way, Josus' magical staff was more about practicing the traditional miner's skills of the Salem people, which were much better than the best mining hammers in the world. This is what Josus's best skill at the moment, in fact, he himself does not know, and when he returns to his hometown, if he goes back hundreds of years, he can be regarded as the best craftsman in the town of Duk.

When he returned to his hometown, Jesus seemed to have become deeper, and his eyes seemed to be very deep, and he usually seemed to be thinking about something, and often came to the river alone to hold his staff and meditate. On this day, he saw a group of people walking upstream by the river, and was slightly startled when he heard their conversation.

While Joshua was away from his homeland, an ascetic came to the banks of the Yadan River, who told the people about the meaning of the Bible and dipped the water of the Yadan River on the people's bodies to symbolize God's blessing and a new beginning after the cleansing of the body and mind, a ritual called baptism. Many people gathered around him to be baptized by him and to hear his preaching.

It is said that this man from the city of Salem was a great achiever with divine powers, and he claimed to be waiting for the appearance of a man, the Messiah prophesied by Elijah. When Jesus heard this, he picked up his staff and walked upstream.

In the wilderness on the banks of the Yadan River, there was a man standing at the water's edge, dressed in clothes made of camel hair, with a belt tied around his waist, and his hair and beard had not been trimmed for a long time, but he was neatly combed. The man was preaching in a loud voice to the crowd before him: "Listen, the Kingdom of God will be before everyone's eyes, and prepare for it to embark on the path that will be guided by the light." ”

One of the listeners asked, "What do we need to prepare? Isn't the new kingdom for all the people of Salem, a covenant nation with God, God's chosen people on earth?"

The man shook his head and said, "What a naïve idea that God does not favor someone more for no reason, nor does He give up His followers for no reason." God has blessed the people of Salem, but that does not mean that the people of Salem deserve God's continued favor. Purifying the soul from sin is not to please God, but to be human. ”

By this time Jesus had approached and was stunned to see the preacher, for they had known each other for a long time. The man's name was John, and John's father was a priest on duty at the Aroha Temple in the city of Salem, who was of high prestige and was said to be a great achiever, but he did not have such a son until later in life.

John's mother was a distant cousin of Jesus' mother, and he was also Jesus' cousin, but the two families were very different, one was the heir to the priesthood, and the other was only the son of a carpenter. John should have succeeded his father in the city of Salem, so how could he go to the country to baptize people?

When John saw Jesus with a cane, he showed indescribable joy, stood up and strode up to meet them, and said with open arms, "My cousin, I can't describe my excitement, it's you...... You've come back from a long journey!"

Jesus was about to salute, but John hugged him, and he asked puzzledly: "My cousin, you did not inherit the priesthood in the city of Salem, but you came here?" I heard that a monk was here to perform a baptism ceremony for people to purify their bodies and minds, and they came here on purpose, but I didn't expect it to be you!"

John let go of his arms, still holding on to Jesus' arm, and said, "Did you come to me on purpose?"

Jesus nodded, "Yes, I want you to baptize me." ”

John let go of his hand and took a step back, looked him in the eye and said, "My baptism by the river is just a ritual that symbolizes the purification of the heart, and keeps people farther away from sin and closer to the gods. And you have never turned your back on the gods, and your heart and eyes are so pure that there is no need for me to baptize. ”

Jesus bowed, leaned on his cane, and said in a pleading tone, "I firmly believe that this is God's arrangement, and that my faith needs to be expressed in a form. ”

John finally nodded and said, "Well, when there is no one else, I will perform the baptism ceremony for you alone." ”

When the sun went down that day, John sent his disciples away, and the two cousins lit a bonfire by the river to tell their stories over the years. John told Joshua that he had been awakened to the power of the Source by his priestly father, and one day while meditating at night, he heard the voice of an angel. The voice told him to resign from the priesthood and go to the wilderness by the Jordan to do penance in the prophesied Messiah.

John left the city of Salem and came here, where he continued to practice assiduously in the wind and the sun, and he fed on wild fruits in the trees, grasshoppers in the steppes, honey from wild bees, and fish in the river. The voice of the angel told him to spread God's guidance to the world. So he secretly surveyed everyone he met, and through the baptism ritual he awakened the power of the source.

John's baptism was both a symbol and a true ritual, and he did not try to awaken strength for everyone, but chose only those who could truly understand the faith he preached.

Curiously, Jesus asked, "Why did you think of baptism?"

John replied, "The angels have shown me how to awaken the power of the Source for man, and I have attained great things to be able to do it." This is a valley in the wilderness, not a temple in the city of Salem, and this baptism does not mean meritorious status, nor is it to please God, but people spontaneously accept the guidance of Aroha, so I never say it explicitly.

I was also inspired by the legend of Pythagoras, a philosopher on the Heaton Peninsula more than 300 years ago, who founded a manor on the outskirts of Delphi to impart knowledge and teach people how to see the world. Entering that manor is also accompanied by a ritual called 'Purification of the Heart', which also contains the guidance of the Origin Power. It was in this way that I was inspired to dip pure water on people's bodies to symbolize cleansing of body and mind, awakening of strength, and performing rituals. ”

Then Jesus asked, "Which angel's voice did you hear?" As he spoke, he used his staff to flick the dry wood burning in the campfire, which looked like ordinary branches cut from a tree, and was undamaged.

John stood up and replied, "I heard the voice of Moses, who told me to come here and wait for a man, the Messiah prophesied by Elijah. When this man appears, he will carry the same cane that Moses used to lead his people back to their homeland. I was amazed and delighted that it was you, my cousin Jesus, who had come!"

As he spoke, he had already leaned down and bowed to Jesus. Jesus quickly lowered his staff and helped him up: "My cousin, do not bow to me like this, I have come to ask you to baptize me." ”

John took Jesus to the river, dipped his scarf in the water of the Yodan, poured it on Jesus' hair and forehead, and silently prayed the words of blessing. Then he saw the light, as if the stars were gathering in the sky, and they fell on Josus' body in the form of a dove with wings.

Jesus stood by the river with his staff in his hand, and a round light appeared behind his head, as if he was in a state of distraction, and when he came back to his senses, the light was introverted.

It was such a simple ritual that Joseph was awakened to the power of the Source, because he had cultivated the skills of the miners in Duk Town, and he already had this foundation. John didn't need to teach Jesus anything, he just took the angels' guidance and performed the ritual for Joshua in an unobtrusive way.

The angels were also Amon's disciples, and the power they cultivated was taught by Amon, so they were not sure how Jesus should cultivate in the human world, and if they interfered too much, it might have an unknown impact on his verification.

John only needs to awaken the power for Josus, and every time he comprehends a new realm in the future, there will naturally be corresponding information imprinted into the soul in that magical staff, including all kinds of magical achievements and other secrets, just how Jesus' own cultivation. When the old madman handed the Iron Staff to Amun, he also left the secret he knew in the pupil of the earth in the staff, and Amon could read a new piece of information every time he broke through a layer of realm.

(To be continued)