Nu Yalang of Tang Dynasty

In the next few days, Zhou Jun followed Tulishi, visited many leaders and nobles in the Huihe tribe, and toured the grasslands.

As the days passed, the day for the mission's return finally arrived.

Zhou Jun solemnly took over the oath from the Bone Strength Pei Luo that the nine surnames would jointly attack the Bashmi tribe, said goodbye to Tulishi, and embarked on the journey back to the Shuofang Army camp.

Perhaps due to a different state of mind, the journey back was much easier than when we came.

The grasslands are getting farther and farther away, and the desert is falling.

Riding on the edge of the Zadagad Desert, Zhou Jun saw the endless yellow sand, which was as bright and dazzling as golden sand under the sunlight, and he suddenly felt a sense of the vastness of the world.

Zhou Jun looked at Sun Aying, who was guarding him, and asked, "How do you feel about the calligraphy skills I gave you earlier?"

Sun Aying said respectfully: "Hui Zhou Lingshi, I have finished reading it."

Zhou Jun was surprised. Although the textbook on Chinese calligraphy was filled with basic characters, there were almost more than 300 characters.

It has only been a while, but Sun Aying has already finished reading it?

Zhou Jun asked a few questions and tested Sun Aying.

As a result, Sun A's responses were fluent and there were no mistakes or omissions.

Zhou Jun was surprised and asked: "Have you really never attended a private school before?"

Sun Ah Ying replied with some shyness: "When I passed by the private school in the past, I would always hide under the window and listen secretly for a while. Sometimes I would forget the time and my parents would scold me when I came home."

Zhou Jun sighed after hearing this.

Sun Aying looked at Zhou Jun, hesitated for a while, and then said: "Zhou Lingshi, everyone says you are a hero you only see in dramas."

Zhou Jun asked: "Why do you say this?"

Sun Aying: "You are kind to others, eager to do justice, and wise and brave. Even the old soldiers say they have never seen such a character before. Isn't it a hero you can only see in dramas?"

Zhou Jun laughed: "I've said this too much, how can I be considered a hero?"

Sun Aying scratched his head and said sheepishly: "Everyone knows it, but I don't know why. Following Zhou Lingshi, I always feel that I am following the backbone of my work, and I have a head start in doing things."

Zhou Jun looked at this young man and said with a smile: "Ah Ying, throughout the ages, heroes have always been diligent and studious. Listen to me, if you study carefully, you will become a great person in the future."

Hearing this, Sun Aying looked excited and nodded vigorously.

At this time, the Buddhist monk Yis rode to Zhou Jun's side and stopped talking.

Zhou Jun looked at Yisi and saw that his whole body was wrapped in a cloth robe. After several days of recuperation, his health had obviously improved a lot.

Seeing that Yis had something to say, Sun Aying apologized to Zhou Jun and walked away.

Yis lifted his hood and said respectfully to Zhou Jun: "Zhou Lingshi, you are my benefactor, I owe you my life."

Zhou Jun glanced at Yisi and thought to himself, after getting along with him for a few days, this Buddhist monk was really knowledgeable. He was proficient in Latin, Persian, Turkic, Tianzhu, and Tang Dynasty Mandarin.

Zhou Jun asked Yisi: "What are you going to do when you return to Qikou?"

Yis: "I want to see Shuofang's commander, apply for a release from him, and then go to Chang'an as soon as possible."

Zhou Jun: "When you go to Chang'an, are you sure that the Buddhist temple there will recognize your identity?"

Iss: "The Patriarch once sent a letter to the Tang Dynasty Church, announcing our arrival in advance, and I also carry the monastic order with me, so identity recognition should not be a problem."

Zhou Jun nodded.

Yis glanced at Zhou Jun and asked, "Zhou Lingshi, do you believe in religion?"

Zhou Jun was stunned. This guy hadn't even arrived in the Tang Dynasty, but he was already thinking about preaching?

After thinking about it carefully, Zhou Jun first shook his head, and then nodded hesitantly.

Yisi didn't quite understand this move.

Zhou Jun said: "I believe in God, but strictly speaking, I am not a believer in any religion."

"I believe that there is an unpredictable and mysterious force in the universe that controls the operation of all matter and spirit."

"The so-called human, the so-called world, is nothing but an insignificant thing to it."

Iss was stunned: "Do you believe in Gnosticism?"

"Gnosticism?" Zhou Jun vaguely heard of this thing in history books, but couldn't remember the concept: "What is that?"

Iss: "Before I explain Gnosticism, I first want to ask you a question."

Zhou Jun: "Excuse me?"

Iss: "Do you think the world is kind or evil?"

Zhou Jun hesitated for a moment and replied: "It's a mixed bag of good and bad."

Iss: "Yes, there is both good and evil in this world."

"So, if God is the only God and the source of all things, then where did this world full of colors and sin come from?"

Zhou Jun was a little confused: "What you want to ask is, why did God create the world?"

Iss nodded and said: "Yes, according to the teachings of the Bible, the omnipotent God is omniscient, benevolent, and loving. He created this world with divine power."

"Since He knows everything and deeply loves everything He created, why do he allow evil things to come into the world and make the world both beautiful and miserable?"

Zhou Jun thought carefully for a while and gave an answer: "Because he wants to give creation a test?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Jun rejected his answer.

According to the teachings of the Bible, if God is omniscient, he does not need to use so-called tests to test and punish the loyalty of people; if God is benevolent, he should not create evil things to poison living beings.

This supreme god, while giving good things to the world, also released evil, which sounds like it has nothing to do with omniscience and kindness.

Seeing that Zhou Jun was thoughtful, Yis said: "You also realize that this logical contradiction is the starting point of the Gnostic sect's thinking."

"The supreme God cannot and should not tolerate the existence of evil in the world to interfere with His creation."

"So, the Gnostics believe that the Supreme God is a more phantom-like existence. It possesses endless divine power, but no one can understand his will."

Zhou Jun was stunned for a while when he heard this. It turns out that there are such sects in the world.

After a pause, Zhou Jun asked Yisi again: "Then what kind of teachings do you believe in?"

Iss smiled bitterly and said: "The Scriptures are the Nestorian sect, which, like the Gnostic sect, is called a heretical doctrine by the church."

"It's just that in terms of doctrine, we are not as radical as the Gnostics."

"We believe that humanity and divinity are independent of each other. Take Jesus Christ, for example. We believe that he has both humanity and divinity."

"His every move and decision-making on this world will be influenced by human nature on the one hand, and divinity on the other hand."

"Therefore, when creating and treating believers, there will be some uncertain factors in his behavior."

Zhou Jun nodded and said: "This just explains the opposition between good and evil."

Iss said: "Yes, it is precisely because the Nestorians believe that human nature and divinity are independent, so we believe that the Virgin Mary only gave Jesus the body, but she does not possess divinity herself."

"So, the church kicked us out of Constantinople."

Zhou Jun shook his head, there are so many different sects in the Christian Church.