Chapter 61: The Visit of the Two Beauties

In a matter of weeks, the Holy Mother Church swept across the entire nation of Jinan like a surging tide, spreading with wildfire intensity into neighboring regions—Taishan County, Bohai County, Chenliu County… as well as the eastern part of Yanzhou, Qingzhou, Yuzhou, and the southern reaches of Jizhou. Four months after its founding, five thousand people had formally pledged their devotion, recognizing the Holy Mother as their Lord; more than fifty thousand zealous followers awaited the moment their conduct met the church’s standards, so they too could pledge themselves. Additionally, two hundred individuals, whose exceptional commitment warranted special consideration, were baptized early as true believers—among them, Wu Tian and his wife from Wujiapu, Wu Biao who had just welcomed a new daughter-in-law, and the blacksmith Li Zhuang.

These numbers continued to soar at a feverish pace.

Five months in, those who had declared their allegiance numbered twenty thousand, the baptized had grown to eight hundred, and the tally of activists—along with believers outside Licheng County—exceeded one hundred thousand.

On a spring afternoon, the main road from Licheng County to Mount Li resounded with the crisp clatter of wagon wheels.

A modest-looking yet exceedingly comfortable carriage sped toward the Holy Mother Church’s headquarters at the foot of Mount Li, drawn by two teams of tall, powerful horses. Twelve robust riders escorted it, five of whom wore the church’s immaculate robes of divine servitude. One among them was especially imposing—broad-chested, towering over eight feet tall, though his fierce visage was far from pleasing, striking terror in those who beheld him. Yet the locals who passed by seemed unafraid; many greeted him warmly, “Good day, Sir Dian!”

This man was none other than Dian Wei.

He nodded and clasped his hands in return, “Greetings, brother!” Along the way, at least twenty people hailed him, and Dian Wei always responded with courtesy.

Inside the carriage, two passengers, intrigued by the scene, laughed and asked, “Brother Dian, who would have thought you’re so popular! Do most people in the county know you?”

Dian Wei laughed heartily, “Not to boast, but thanks to the leader’s favor, eight or nine out of ten people here know my name.” He then recounted the grand ceremony held at the end of last year when the church conducted its pledge ritual. Over five thousand gathered before Mount Li, simultaneously declaring their devotion. Before the assembled masses, Luan Yi publicly announced his appointment as the church’s first Defender Knight.

Dian Wei took much pride in this, and his words flowed freely. He told his companions that being a Defender Knight was an honor—the first in the whole church, and presently its sole martial servant. His duty: to uphold the glory of the Holy Mother with his own fists.

The carriage’s occupants grew ever more curious as they listened. In their minds, they pictured the events along the Jinan roads—once within its borders, one could hardly avoid hearing tales of the Holy Mother Church. After hearing and seeing for themselves, they were astonished. To them, the people of Jinan still lived in poverty, yet their faces wore perpetual smiles, and their eyes shone with gentle hope. They realized that the people of Jinan were genuinely happy.

Their happiness even surpassed that of the dignitaries and nobility of Luoyang.

Once their surprise had faded, they asked the locals, “How is it that you live so poorly, yet are always cheerful?”

The villagers bristled at this, replying indignantly, “What do you mean, poorly? Life’s much better than before. Folks now eat their fill twice a day. On holidays and Sundays, sometimes the church and the wealthy go house to house, giving out grain, porridge, and buns, so everyone’s meals improve. Such good times—no one dared dream of them before! You call this poverty?” He tugged at his gray robe’s sleeve with excitement. “Look—this clothing… it’s new! Made of cotton, fine material! The church gave it out for free. I’ll tell you something funny: my father, my grandfather, his father… not one ever wore clothes so fine. I’m nearly sixty now—never expected, before I reach heaven, to wear such garments in this world.”

The two travelers from afar would never forget the old man’s expression as he spoke, his eyes brimming with tears—not bitter, but sweetly moved. In those tears were happiness, joy, gratitude, and hope… For a moment, they felt that only those who could shed such tears were truly alive, while all the lifeless, drifting souls they’d met before were but walking corpses beneath the sun.

The rattling wheels brought the carriage’s occupants back to reality. One lifted the curtain and asked, “Brother Dian! Are we almost there?”

“Miss Diao Chan! Yes, just ahead!” Dian Wei replied.

Indeed, as Dian Wei said, the travelers inside the carriage were Cai Yan and Diao Chan.

More than two years had passed since they parted from Luan Yi, and they missed him dearly. At Diao Chan’s urging, the two set off together, undeterred by the distance, and ventured east from Luoyang, journeying a thousand miles to find Jinan. They headed straight for Licheng County’s office, only to find it empty—no sign of Luan Yi. By chance, they encountered Dian Wei, who was there to collect something. After questioning him, they learned that not only was Luan Yi absent, but his future in-laws, Luan Miao and Lady Luan Biao, were gone as well. The whole family had, since the previous week, moved to a manor adjacent to the factory and church.

Following Dian Wei’s pointing finger, Cai Yan and Diao Chan gazed into the distance. At the horizon, they saw continuous mountains, their peaks lush and vibrant, covered with thriving vegetation. Birds soared and circled above, filling the scene with beauty and vitality. “This must be the Mount Li Luan wrote about in his letters,” Cai Yan mused.

“It must be,” Diao Chan agreed.

Below Mount Li stretched endless fertile fields. It was spring planting season, and farmers wielded their hoes while singing songs of praise to the Holy Mother in the thick Jinan accent.

At the heart of these rich lands, clusters of buildings rose—houses of blue brick and gray tile glimmered in the sunlight.

Tall, solid outer walls enclosed the complex, with small watchtowers on the walls where guards stood with longbows, waving at the visitors when they recognized Dian Wei.

Dian Wei called out, “Li Zhuang… Is the leader in the new manor now?”

Fully armed, Li Zhuang waved back, “No, the leader’s at the factory today!”

“Ah, understood. May the Holy Mother bless you,” Dian Wei declared, his right hand pressed to his left chest.

“And may she bless you,” Li Zhuang replied.

Dian Wei turned his horse, following the wall toward the factory district at the southern end of the buildings.

Soon, the factory gates came into view. Dian Wei was about to have the doorkeeper report Cai Yan and Diao Chan’s arrival to Luan Yi, but Cai Yan stopped him.

She said, “Brother Dian, since we’ve come so quietly, why not surprise Ziqi with our sudden appearance?”

Dian Wei smiled, said nothing more, and asked the doorkeeper, “Where is the leader now?”

“He’s in the smithy, teaching the blacksmiths how to forge weapons.”

“Understood. May the Holy Mother bless you!”

“And may she bless you!” The doorkeeper returned the greeting, hand to chest.

Dian Wei led Cai Yan and Diao Chan straight to the west courtyard, which had once produced gold and silver jewelry but now had been transformed into a blacksmith workshop. Blocks of gold and silver were stored away, while baskets of iron ore were brought in.

In the massive furnace, molten iron churned, black smoke rising through the chimney to the sky.

Stacks of weapons, yet to be stored—blades, spears, swords, halberds, bows and arrows, armor—stood by the walls.

Xiaocui, standing in the courtyard, saw Dian Wei leading two people through the gate. She recognized them and exclaimed in delight, “Oh… Sister Cai, Sister Diao Chan! You’ve come!” Without another word, she dashed into the main workshop, shouting nonstop, “Leader, young master! Sister Cai, Sister Diao Chan are here! They’re here!”

Moments later, Xiaocui emerged, followed by Luan Yi.

At that moment, Luan Yi’s face was blackened by smoke, only the whites of his eyes visible; his once-white robe was covered in soot, making him nearly unrecognizable to Cai Yan and Diao Chan.

Seeing Luan Yi’s comical appearance, the two women could not help but burst into laughter.

Luan Yi grinned awkwardly, flashing his white teeth, took the handkerchief Xiaocui offered, wiped his face, and exclaimed with delight, “Why did you two come without any warning?”

Diao Chan replied, “We wanted to surprise you!”

Cai Yan looked Luan Yi up and down, smiling, “Ziqi, you now lead tens of thousands of followers, yet here you are, filthy as ever. Why come to such a dirty place?”

“Miss Cai, you don’t know,” Xiaocui explained. “In our Holy Mother Church, there are ranks, but everyone is equal in status. The leader often eats and lives with the craftsmen and farmers.”

Cai Yan was astonished, objecting, “Doesn’t that upset the proper order? By that logic, even the emperor would be equal to craftsmen, farmers, and merchants?”

“The emperor sits above all, of course he cannot be the same as commoners. However…” Luan Yi paused, then continued, “Yet if His Majesty were to believe in the Holy Mother, he would willingly make himself equal to us ordinary folk.”

In the courtyard, after exchanging heartfelt pleasantries, Luan Yi led Cai Yan and Diao Chan out of the workshop, returning to the villa east of the factory.

While Xiaocui prepared rooms for the guests, Luan Yi washed and changed into clean clothes. He was about to seek out Cai Yan and Diao Chan when Diao Chan approached him, now dressed once more in feminine attire.

Time had deepened her beauty, making her all the more mature and alluring; her eyes, enchanting as ever, seemed to pierce straight to the heart. Her pink dress fitted perfectly, accentuating her graceful curves, and Luan Yi felt his blood race at the sight.

“Luan Lang, are you hiding something from us?” Diao Chan asked directly as she drew near.

“Why would you ask me that, Chan’er?”