Pivot of the Sky

Moses and others, unable to pass through the Eushir-controlled city of Marduk, have been cruising the plains for months, constantly migrating from one place to another, searching for water and food in the mountains, and life has been very difficult.

From the jungle river ferry controlled by the State of Kish in the Kingdom of Baron to the city of Marduk, a road has emerged. Many anticipating adventurers continue to come to this new city in search of wealth and dreams. There are also a number of businessmen who organize convoys to send supplies back to the specialties of the Duke Plains, which are difficult but profitable.

Like the new unknown world given by the Spirit, the Duke Plains are full of challenges and opportunities, and people come here looking for hope. Since when has there been a legend that vagrants without possession may even have a city state in the Plains of Turk, receive wealth comparable to that of a king, and may receive the blessings of the gods in the future. Migrants from the Kingdom of Baron, of course, chose the state of Marduk, while the merchants went further, crossing trails in the wilderness that were trampled by pedestrians and doing business with Salem City.

Salem City's trade with the Kingdom of Baron through the city of Marduk is the result of Medanzo's deliberate search for Eucil, which is beneficial to the development of both cities. At present, the largest enemy of the city of Salem is the Assyrians of the North, and if the Assyrians move from north to south to occupy the entire Duke plain, the city of Marduk will be difficult to establish, and the two states are in a relationship of cold lips.

Nor did Eucil want to fight the city of Salem, and he was happy to see a barrier in the centre of the Tuk Plains blocking his strong enemies in the north so that he could have more time to keep the city running steadily.

The fine iron and leather goods produced in the city of Salem are also needed by the Kingdom of Baron, not to mention the Divine Stone. Duke Town's mineral craftsmanship, which Amon taught Link, and Link taught the tribal cavemen, now has a group of fine craftsmen in Salem City who can not only smelt ore, but also create beautiful objects.

However, there are restrictions on trade between the Kingdom of Baron and Salem City. Products such as fine iron can only be transported out of the Duke Plains and are not allowed to be transported in. Weapons, armor, war horses and other important strategic goods must not be sold to Salem City.

If Salem needs these things, build them yourself, or you can only get them from another source, Amon opens another trade route in the Black Fire Swamp, to solve the problem, of course. But even if the long business road is open, it will not meet the urgent needs. Salem City is understaffed and has a lot to do. It is not possible to build all the war supplies.

Before the Black Fire Swamp roads were opened, Medanzo came up with another idea to trade like smuggling. Metanzo was originally smuggled from Margaux, pointing out that people were familiar with light cars.

Explorations and hunting in the wilderness are dangerous, naturally carrying weapons, armor, horses, and the personal equipment of expeditions and stray hunters going deep into the wilderness is not within the limits of trade. But a sophisticated set of armor and horses is never affordable to the average person, and many expeditions carry simple weapons, accompanied by walking into the wilderness for luck.

A commercial firm in Marduk City borrowed money for the purchase of war horses and weapons equipment designated by the commercial firm. Who will lend this money and how will it be returned in the future? Don't worry about that. Once you get into the wilderness, someone will buy their weapons and horses. The price is high, and you can make a fortune after paying off your bank's loan, without risking further into the wilderness.

It is normal for adventurers to lose weapons and horses in the wilderness jungle, sometimes because of road hazards, sometimes because they encounter beasts, and sometimes even because of their own lives. Adventure failure “Lucky” escapes back, returns the loan to the merchant and earns a fortune, then continues to borrow to buy equipment before leaving. It is in this way that Medanzo is able to obtain strategic supplies from the city of Salem on a continuous basis.

Interest is calculated on a time-bound basis in commercial bank borrowing, and vagrant explorers who smuggle goods in this way cannot earn money if their travel delays are too long, so they must strive for a quick return and walk as many times as possible in the shortest possible time to earn more profits.

The owner of this business in Marduk City is also an old friend, Nescot-Lee, a wealthy businessman in Uruk City. Not only did he make money from borrowing, but he also made money from the sale of various strategic goods, and it was a pleasure to organize merchant convoys from all over the Kingdom of Barren to the city of Marduk, in cooperation with Medanzo.

Thanks to the excellent business operations of Nescot-Lee, the goods delivered, the customers attracted and the taxes paid have all contributed to the prosperity and development of the city of Marduk, which has been praised many times by Eucil, the owner of the city. When Nescot-Lee came to Marduk City to inspect his own business, the owner of Eucil City deliberately invited the wealthy businessman and said that he would report to the Kingdom on the achievements of Nescot-Lee, possibly earning an aristocratic title as long as he continued to contribute to Marduk City.

On the high slopes of the mountains, merchants and adventurers can be seen crossing the city of Marduk to and from Salem, but Moses and others are unable to move forward, bound by a divine message: they are not allowed to build idols for any other god except Marduk.

But they believe in their only god, and accept the guidance of Arrocho, so that they can arrive here at all odds, and Moses and his people are naturally unwilling to accept this condition.

At the beginning, they prayed to the gods all night, and then heard the voice of the god's messenger. Medanzo told them that this was the test of the gods, the last obstacle they had to cross before returning home. The gods gave them confidence and courage, and now they need to solve it with their own wisdom and strength. In other words, Arojo will not take them directly, and this time it will be necessary for the people to find their own way through the ordeal.

What should we do? At the top of the mountain, you can look beyond the endless Tuk plains, but the city of Marduk is blocked from sight and backwards is a thousand miles of Syrian desert. The food carried in Moses' space apparatus has been depleted, and Arrocchio no longer shows miracles, and they can only pick wild fruit in the mountains and capture the bellies of prey.

A group of miners in Duke town chased their prey and water migration in the mountains, and when spring arrived, they finally paused to find a resting valley on the edge of the mountains. There is a fine clear spring on the hillside, forming a winding mountain that runs through a valley sheltered from the wind to the sun. Moses took out the food seeds he was carrying, and the fathers cultivated their crops on the edge of the mountains and built their humble huts and lived at the foot of the mountain.

The tribes guarded the field from being trampled by the beasts and took turns hunting in the nearby mountains. Seeds have just broken ground, there is still a long way to go before harvest, and it is very hard to get water and irrigation in the mountains every day and hunt for food in the mountains. Suffering is the second and most torturing feeling of invisibility of hope.

And the people said to Moses, "Do you want us to settle here because you let us reclaim the fields and build huts? Look around, there are desert mountains with no smoke. Not far down the mountain is the desert. We guard only a small mountain, inhabited in this barren valley, and can only build the most rudimentary huts. If so, why not stay in Ammon's territory and leave? We've been through so much, we don't want today's results! ”

Moses replied, "This is just where we are temporarily stationed. Spring is here, and we have to sow for the fall to reap the harvest, for food to survive further into the next winter. ”

Some people asked, “For the time being? But how long do we have to wander around here? Where is our god? ”

Moses persuaded: "This is God's test on us, and we are going to overcome it ourselves. Sowing here is for the future, building houses that will give you a better rest, and we will have better hopes and a better future until the day you embark on your journey. ”

Everyone asked, "Can you tell us how long you're staying here? ”

Moses didn't answer that question because he didn't know the answer himself, but he was holding a stick of iron: "Look at the land beneath your feet, the malt of broken earth is full of life, and look at the clouds in the sky, the pattern of change is always so beautiful and magical. Even the sun in the desert would always be so bright if there was hope in the heart. ”

In fact, Moses himself could have quietly bypassed the city of Marduk into the plains, and after crossing the Red Sea he had already had a level 7 achievement of two-sided strength. Although Amon has not yet given him the guidance of his original strength, Moses is already a great magician and warrior, and he can go anywhere he wants. But Moses did not abandon the people, he was their leader, and he was going to fulfill his promise.

And then Eucil sent people to them, and Eucil's messenger told Moses, “The great god Marduk has sent down the Oracle again, and you are all the best craftsmen on the continent, and if you wish to live in the city of Marduk and swear that you will always believe in the Great God of Marduk, you will have a happy and prosperous life. There are comfortable houses and beautiful girls in Marduk City, and artisan workshops are ready for you, with wine at the table. ”

Moses refused the request, but some people have moved privately, rather than waiting here for no purpose, to live comfortably in the city of Marduk. It's just so hard to face Arojo's guidance, but the gods have already said that they need to find a way to get through it themselves, and since that is the case, can Eucil's terms be accepted?

If they give up insisting, the benefits are at hand, and they have suffered long enough. Moses sensed the thoughts of many ethnic groups and was trying to get out of the dilemma. He sent twelve divisions to climb the slopes near the Tucker Plains to observe the terrain, see if there was a secret passage through which to pass, and then return to the site to discuss countermeasures.

After the departure of the twelve divisions, Moses alone climbed the highest peak beside the site, Mount Sinai. Moses prayed at the top of Mount Sinai for three days and three nights, and he cried in his heart: "Arojo, my only God! Please give us real guidance, I do not ask you to move mountains to reclaim the sea so that we can go directly to our homeland, just ask you to give us the right faith and how we can not lose ourselves on our journey. ”

Three days later, the silence on Mount Sinai, Moses worried about the people, was finally ready to go back and stood up with a long sigh. He was about to go down the mountain with the Iron Branch Staff, and suddenly he heard Arrocho's voice: "Moses, why are you still here when you could have passed through Marduk City? ”

Moses turned to his knees and crawled down to the deity he could not see in the sky: "My God, you have finally spoken! Marduk sent down the message that we should swear not to build idols for gods other than Him, an oath that blocked the footsteps of the people. ”

Arojo asked, “Did I ask you to build me a statue? If you really wanted to build me a statue, what would it look like? ”

Moses stood still and suddenly realized after half a day: "I see what you mean, not building idols does not shake our faith. ”

And Arojo asked, "Why haven't you led the people to the Turk Plains yet? The city of Marduk is not an obstacle. ”

Moses sighed, "But people don't know that, and I'm not even sure. Promising such a condition is disrespectful to you, and people fear losing God's guidance and even getting revenge on you. Oh, my God! Are you sure you don't want to show your face to the people and not build a statue for you? ”

Arojo replied: "Yes, I have only given you my word that you will firmly believe in your hearts and that you will not need and will not be allowed to build idols for me. If one day you see my face, it's also a secret you have to keep. Because from the beginning, I made such a deal with the people. I want to make these commitments clear today, and I want you to take them back and announce them. ”

Moses nodded quickly: "Okay, please make a pact with me and my people. ”

Arojo solemnly said: "You have no god but me! Otherwise, my guidance will be lost, as stipulated in the first treaty. No tangible idols may be built for God, and if so, the children of the Hereafter may forget the guidance of faith, merely praying for idols on the altar, as stipulated in the Second Treaty. These two treaties are sufficient to lift you out of your present predicament, as I have asked for and as I have promised. ”

Moses kissed the dirt: “Thank you, my God! ”

“Do not act on my behalf, everyone is responsible for their choices, as stipulated in the third treaty," Arojo added. The people were struggling, and after six days of work they should rest in peace and should not be forced to work any more, as stipulated in the Fourth Treaty. Respect your parents and never forget who brought you into this world to give you life, as stipulated in the Fifth Treaty. ”

Moses crawled and replied, “I have taken note of all this. ”

Arojo went on to say, "I have given you guidance on your strength, but also to understand the tests of the world. The quest for destiny runs through, and there are five more warnings when you return to your homeland. Innocent persons may not be killed, deprived of their lives by money or personal desire; fornication; theft; perjury; or embezzlement of things that do not belong to them. These covenants must be remembered that the State of Salem reserves for you ancestral lands and mines, and that you shall live in peace with the people there, and do not take for granted all that I have promised you. ”

Moses remembered in his heart the words of Arrocchio, the Ten Covenants God made with him and his people, later also known as the Ten Commandments. And after this, Arojo said, “Tell the people of my covenant, and if they will, I will fulfill my covenant and continue to guide them. After all this, you come back to Mount Sinai to see me. ”

Moses walked down Mount Sinai with his covenant with Arojo, passing through the flowing spring eye at the hillside, following the mountain in a light step. He couldn't wait to tell the people the good news. When he came to the place where the people lived, it was dark and the scene in front of him surprised him.

The empty space in the middle of the hut lit several large fire heaps, which had been used as a post-harvest wheat field in the autumn, and now has a sparkling golden cow in the center of the open space. There are people dancing around the bull, and there are people standing in a circle praying to the bull.

Moses drank and asked, "What are you doing? Where's this golden cow from? ”

This drink carries the magic of God and possesses the power to shock the soul from the sobriety of sobriety. Dancers stopped and prayers stood up, revealing confusion, panic and unwillingness. Joshua slipped out of the shadow of the hut and grabbed Moses' sleeve: "You're back! Things have happened here in the last three days, and a god has shown miracles.” He whispered about what happened...

The twelve divisions protecting the people left the camp, and Moses, the leader, climbed Mount Sinai. The people lost their hearts as if they had lost their hearts. Even the wind blowing through the treetops at night became so terrible that they spent their first night in fear and anxiety. In fact, most of them are strong, comparable to any regular army fighter on the road, but for the first time in such a long time, they have lost their stronger strength to shelter, and there has been some panic.

On the first day after Moses' departure, a disturbing situation arose. The prey in the nearby mountains became moonless, and the people who went into the mountains to hunt did not even grab a rabbit, and all came back empty-handed. For the first time, everyone slept hungry. The food they were carrying had been eaten, and the last batch had been sown as seeds.

The people went to sleep in hunger and anxiety, and on that night, the sober and the sleeping people heard a voice coming from nowhere, like a direct sound in their minds: “Do the miners of Duke Town want to save themselves from the fate of misery? I am Barclay, the great god, to guide you back to your dream home of happiness. ”

* * (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote on recommendations, monthly tickets (qidian.com) and your support is my biggest motivation.)