The world-devouring dragon

The one hundred years between the 15th and 16th centuries was a turbulent era. With the destruction of the Byzantine Empire, a large number of Greek refugees sought refuge in Central and Western Europe. They brought with them a large number of ancient Roman and ancient Greek works. The works of these ancient sages surprised the Europeans at that time, and they were trapped in religion for a long time. They didn't know that such a great era existed in ancient times.

New architecture, new art, new knowledge, new system...

Ancient wisdom was being rediscovered in Italy, and Italian scholars continued to discuss the unheard-of wisdom of the sages. Then, following the footsteps of scholars such as Leonardo da Vinci, these new ideas continued to spread throughout Europe. More and more people began to come into contact with Venice, Milan, Austria, Prague, Luxembourg, Hamburg, Paris, and London... With this knowledge, in the end, new ideas brewed a brand new thing...

New religion.

…

"The righteous will have eternal life by faith..."

On September 21, 1517, in a church in Wittenberg, Germany, a middle-aged man close to 40 years old was patiently explaining the words of the Bible to the believers in front of him. Many believers listened attentively, but some Not very focused, looking around. Although the middle-aged man saw it, he did not get angry. Mortals are always impatient with the Holy Word. This is also common sense.

After the sermon and communion are over, according to local custom, it is time for confession. According to custom, middle-aged bishops must listen to confessions from believers in a secret room. Believers can confide their sins that they cannot usually talk about to the priest. Even if the priest knows about it, he cannot tell others because believers have already confessed their sins when they tell them. It is a confession, and God has forgiven it. The priest can no longer sin on a believer who has been forgiven by God.

Just like the usual confessions, it is filled with many sins that would stun ordinary people, such as adultery, incest, theft, robbery, rape, murder...the crimes are large and small, and the believers may be restless and shed tears. Or they are at a loss, not knowing what to do, and hearing these many crimes, the priest can only sigh and comfort them.

Confession proceeds step by step, and when a person comes to confess to the priest and asks the priest whether he can go to heaven, the priest comforts him by saying that as long as he repentes of his sins, he can be atonement. However...

"Father, I bought an indulgence."

The wide-eyed believer said to the priest. The middle-aged priest was speechless for a moment.

At the beginning of this year, the Pope ordered the sale of "Indulgence Tickets" on the pretext of repairing St. Peter's Basilica. As long as people are willing to buy Indulgence Tickets, no matter how big or small their crimes are, they can escape from hell and enter heaven as soon as possible.

"The coins jingle when they fall into the bottom of the coin cabinet, and the soul instantly escapes purgatory and ascends to heaven."

The priests who sell indulgences are even more publicized. Out of fear of hell, many believers have bought indulgences. Of course the priests also know this.

The church is the mediator between God and believers, and the pope has the right to interpret doctrine. Since it is what the pope says, it is naturally what God says. Even if many priests are dissatisfied, they can only approve it.

Listening to the believers' words, the middle-aged priest blushed and didn't know what to say.

…

Late at night, the priest was still thinking about what happened during the day.

This kind of thing has happened more than once. Every time there is a confession, there will be more or less believers who take out the atonement coupons. He cannot deny the atonement coupons because this is the meaning of the church, but he also cannot recognize the atonement. Couple, this totally goes against the meaning of the Bible.

"what should I do……"

Lying on the bed, the priest tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Half a month later, he received another news through his own channels. Cardinal Albrecht von Brandenburg of Mainz was selling indulgences on a large scale. The bishop spent a lot of money in order to ascend to the position of cardinal. A large amount of money was used to bribe the election, so the debt was high and funds were urgently needed to repay it.

This incident itself is not uncommon in the church, because even the Pope openly has a mistress and an illegitimate child, and tries every means to find a position in the church for his illegitimate child. Indulging in sexual activities between bishops and nuns is also a secret. The church is already rotten, so vote-buying is not surprising, but what is really surprising is...

This is a secret message from the Pope himself...

When he heard the news, the priest was silent for a long time, and just waved weakly to signal the messenger to leave.

That night, the priest couldn't sleep.

On the bookshelf next to the bed are many Greek and Roman works, "heresies" that are expressly prohibited by the church, but no matter how banned, scholars can always find various ways to preserve them, and the priest is no exception.

After a long time, the priest sat up from the bed, silently put on the monk's robe, solemnly put on the cross, and then walked to the church. He wanted to find an answer...

In the empty church, the dome was covered with classic stories from the Bible, but none of the many stories could explain the confusion in the priest's heart.

In the past few years, he has read many Greek works, learned ancient Greek writing, and been influenced by the philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome. Just like his silently changing signature, from Luder to Luther, the small difference makes a huge difference. Luther comes from ancient Greek, meaning "liberated person" and "free person", and the dissatisfaction and The struggle is evident.

Raising his head and looking at the many classic stories on the dome, the priest felt more confused and hesitant in his heart.

"what should I do……"

Although he was confused in his mouth, there was a light shining persistently in his heart. It was the answer that he understood but did not dare to understand, because the answer was too heavy and made him afraid and unbearable. However, it seemed to be burning in his heart. With a ball of fire, nameless anger prompted him to try to do something, at least write something.

Clench your fist tightly, then slowly release it after a long time, then clench it again after a moment, and then hesitantly release it...

Finally, he picked up the pen and tried to write something down. However, his usually ordinary movements became extremely heavy. The pen was so heavy that he could hardly hold it.

"call……"

Unconsciously, his breathing began to become rapid, and he was panting heavily. It was clearly autumn, but there was an inexplicable layer of fine sweat stains on his forehead, and his hands couldn't help shaking.

St. Peter, St. Basil, St. Cornelius, St. Ambrose, St. Andrew, St. Bartholomew, St. Francis, St. Gregory I, St. John, St. Jerome Mo ...and Justin, Clement, Origen, Ambrose, Augustine, Gregory, Thomas Aquinas...Under that answer are the famous saints and theologians of all ages. .

At this moment, many saints and scholars seemed to appear in front of him. What he had to face was not a pen, but countless saints and scholars from ancient times to the present, and many predecessors he admired.

The eyes of the saints and scholars who were kind or serious in the past seemed to have become extremely sharp at this moment, like sharp swords, which made him try to dodge.

"What are you doing! Stop! This is blasphemy!"

The saints yelled angrily.

He bit his lower lip tightly, unconsciously drawing blood from it. He tightened his grip on the pen in his hand, knowing that he could drop it at any time but he didn't dare to drop it.

"Why do we need indulgences?"

There seemed to be a confused voice in my heart.

"The church is the spokesperson of God, and the pope is God's apostle on earth. You must not judge God's will."

The saints replied, no, it was not the saints who were answering him, but his heart was telling him, but another voice was telling him.

"The church is rotten and it needs to change."

Those two voices tore at him, almost tearing him apart alive, while he screamed and screamed in pain. One of the two must be wrong, so who is wrong? Is it the church? Or yourself?

In a daze, he seemed to see the believer again, the believer who confessed to him but looked at him with wide eyes.

"Father, but I bought indulgences..."

Is this the church I see? Is the church really right? Did the church really not miss out?

The church that sells priesthood, the church that has a lot of wealth, the church that has a big belly, the church that dislikes the poor and loves the rich, the church that sells indulgences, the church that has fornication with noble ladies, the church that indulges in lewdness with nuns, the church that competes for secular power, A church where the pope has an illegitimate son, a church that instigates believers to rebel against the king, a church that uses animal bones to pass off the relics of saints...

Is this really the church I see?

After a long time, the pen in my hand was no longer heavy and fell down unconsciously. This time, there was no lingering in my heart.

…

A few days later, October 31, 1517, All Saints' Eve, a church in Wittenberg, Germany.

At dawn, the sweepers came as usual. This is not a heavy job, and you can get a certain reduction if you give it to the church. It is an enviable job.

However, just when he was about to clean it, he saw a long notice posted on the door of the church. He was a little confused. The illiterate young man did not understand what was written on it, so he immediately went to find the scholar in the castle. After the scholar arrived, he first looked at the words written on it carefully. After he read it, he was stunned for a moment. Then he couldn't help but take a few steps back and almost fell to the ground, with a look of horror and panic on his face.

"Ninety-five theses..."

…

58 years later, in the evening of 1575, on the outskirts of Florence.

"Jingle Bell……"

On the wild road, in the setting sun, a convoy of several carriages is slowly driving forward. The carriages behind are filled with things, and the bells on the horse bridles ring from time to time, making a sweet sound. ringtone.

The window of the carriage was slightly raised, and a lady whispered something to the steward beside the carriage. Then the steward understood and asked the driver.

"Alessio, madam asked me to ask you how far it is to Florence."

The coachman did not dare to be negligent and hurriedly lowered his head and replied.

"Almost there, my lord."

Although he is just a butler of a down-and-out aristocratic family, a noble is a noble after all. The butlers of aristocratic families are also called lord in awe by the common people. This is a common practice. In the carriage, the lady who heard their conversation said warmly to the little boy beside her who was listless due to the fatigue of the carriage.

"We're almost there. I'll find a doctor for you in a moment."

"It's just a little uncomfortable. Why bother to find a doctor? The children of the Galilei family are not so delicate."

On the other side, a stern-faced gentleman looked out the window and said in a deep voice. He was dressed meticulously. Even if he moved to Florence by carriage, this old-fashioned old aristocrat was unwilling to let go of his reserve. A corner of the clothes was messed up.

The lady glared at him dissatisfiedly, then turned to look at the child next to her, with a look of distress on her face.

Looking out the window, the old gentleman thought that the day would just go by, and that he might be able to enter the city just in time to avoid spending the night outside. However, something unexpected happened that disrupted his plan... and even the future of the entire family. destiny.

"Master Galilei! Here lies a man."

Suddenly, the coachman said in surprise.

people?

Galilei frowned, and then got out of the carriage. He saw a man covered in blood lying quietly in the grass not far in front of the carriage. There were wounds everywhere on his body, some of which were deep, and there were still things scattered around him. A package. Walking over, he looked carefully at the man covered in blood, shook him gently,

"Hey! Can you answer me?"

After a few shakes, just when the old gentleman thought the man was dead, he heard an imperceptible groan.

"Someone, bring me the water bag."

The old gentleman was also unusually calm and immediately called the servant, who quickly brought him a water bag. The old gentleman helped the man up and slowly poured the water into his mouth. After a while, the man slowly opened his eyes, and his pupils seemed to be a little confused.

"Are you okay? We saw you lying on the roadside here."

The man listened to the old gentleman's words as if he hadn't heard anything. Suddenly, his eyes showed eagerness. He didn't care about the wounds on his body. He turned around with difficulty and looked around. When he looked at the package not far away, he His face immediately showed rejoicing and joy, and he struggled to get rid of the old gentleman and crawled towards the package.

"Wait, you're still injured."

However, the old gentleman quickly grabbed him and said hastily.

The weak man at this moment was unable to break away from the old gentleman's strength, so he could only give up his struggle weakly and pant slightly. Then, he seemed to calm down and remembered something again. He looked around, with deep fear and worry on his face.

"Hurry... take..."

He opened his mouth and tried to say something, but it seemed as if his throat had been injured and he couldn't finish the sentence even after struggling.

The old gentleman frowned, looked at his expression, and said tentatively.

"You mean that package?"

The man's eyes suddenly showed strong eagerness and hope. The weak body did not know when and where the strength came from. His hands tightly clenched the old gentleman's clothes. The strength was incredible. He opened his lips, but he insisted. Speechless.

"……escape……"

In the end, only one word came out of his mouth with difficulty.

Quick, take, escape...

These three words confused the old gentleman. Seeing the confusion on the old gentleman's face, the man's face became more and more anxious, and finally even showed a look of despair and regret. However, just these few words, the old gentleman really It was difficult to understand what the man meant.

Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind and he couldn't help but ask.

"You want me to take the package and run away?"

The old gentleman could never forget the meaning in the man's eyes at that moment. It was as if a drowning person finally came to the surface and breathed the first breath of fresh air. The excitement and joy were beyond words.

The hand that gripped his clothes became harder and harder. The old gentleman already understood and just nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll leave with that package."

But the hand on his chest did not let go. The old gentleman looked at the man in front of him, and then realized that the man's pupils had lost their luster. He was already dead. It was just the obsession and unwillingness in his heart that made him die. He couldn't let go of his hand. In fact, he didn't hear the old gentleman's words before he died...

After taking a lot of effort to buckle that hand off, the old gentleman's clothes were already stained with blood, but the old gentleman who always liked neatness didn't care about it at the moment, but looked at the man in front of him in silence.

It's hard to imagine what kind of obsession it was that made this man burst out with such powerful power before he died.

The contents of the package have also been handed over by the servant. It is a small statue less than one foot. The girl who looks very heroic is wearing military armor. Her flying expression and lifelike look are something the old gentleman has never seen before. However, What is a bit strange is that it is covered with various strange patterns, which seem to be some religious symbols.

The old gentleman didn't understand this. He couldn't understand it. He just raised his head and looked at the sunset sky, his stern face gradually frowning.

"Walk!"

Without saying too much, the old gentleman said decisively.

"But...Master, this man's body is still lying here."

A servant said at a loss, but the old gentleman flatly refused.

"There's no time, let's go."

The old gentleman is not stupid. A man covered in blood, a statue that is particularly valued, and an obsession that cannot be reconciled before dying. This is definitely not an ordinary incident, and it is definitely not appropriate to stay for a long time at this moment.

Without even having time to bury the body, the group of people hurriedly left the place in a carriage and disappeared into the skyline.

After a while, the sky became dim, and suddenly thick dark clouds came over, and the sky became terrifyingly gloomy.

Along with the gloomy weather, numerous groups of bats appeared under the cover of dark clouds, and their shrill whistling sounds echoed around.

Then the swarm of bats hovered over the man's corpse for a while, then turned into a group of men and women and landed next to the body. These men and women had different temperaments, and their only characteristic was that their faces were unusually pale and bloodless.

When the leading man looked at the corpse and found that he did not find what he wanted, his face was particularly cold, with a hint of anger emerging, and finally he raised his head to the sky and let out an angry owl cry.

…

At this moment, in a manor in Florence, a little boy was sitting on a high stool, looking at the gloomy weather outside the window with a bored expression on his face.

The fatigue on the carriage did not affect the little guy too much. His active nature quickly restored his energy and he clamored for playmates. However, the adults who were busy moving did not pay attention to the little guy, which made him very discouraged. .

"Galileo..."

Listening to his mother's call, the little boy immediately turned his head...