novelraw Chapter 160: They Really Think Their Child Can Be Chosen as a Divine Child or a Divine Servant
Chapter 160: They Really Think Their Child Can Be Chosen as a Divine Child or a Divine Servant
In the White Elephant Empire, every parent had brought their child along.
For most of the White Elephant Empire’s people,
life was a bitter struggle, one dictated by the old saying: dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and a mouse’s son can only dig holes.
However, after the Evil Spirits invaded the White Elephant Empire and found their own Deities,
the Deities began to search the entire Empire for suitable successors—Divine Children.
This massive search for a Divine Child
completely disregarded one’s background, giving the common people a glimmer of hope to finally turn their fortunes around.
And so, they desperately brought their children to the vicinity of the Divine Hall to register.
Some families even went to incredible lengths just to scrape together the travel fees,
selling everything they owned just to gather enough money to let their child try their luck.
Because if they didn’t try,
they might never again have such a chance to completely change their family’s fate for generations to come.
Just then, the calling of numbers began.
An Order Manager holding a megaphone shouted, "Children with numbers one to one thousand, line up immediately and enter the Divine Hall.
Even if your children cannot become a Divine Child, they might have the chance to become a Divine Servant.
Tending to the Deities and Divine Children is also a fine job.
So there are still plenty of opportunities."
"Oh, Deities, please bless my child. Let them be chosen! Even if not as a Divine Child, becoming a Divine Servant would be enough."
"My child has been brilliant since birth. If it weren’t for our damned surname holding him back, he would have made a name for himself long ago."
"This is our make-or-break moment. If my child succeeds this time, those people back in the village will probably never ask me to repay my debts again."
The parents whose numbers were called were overcome with emotion; some already had tears welling in their eyes.
One by one, they all knelt outside the cordoned-off area, pressing their palms together,
praying ceaselessly for heaven’s blessing and muttering under their breath.
Some even kowtowed repeatedly, their foreheads quickly turning red and swollen.
No one present mocked them, because everyone shared the same faith and prayer.
"Look at this bunch from the lowly surnames."
"Do they really think their children can be chosen as a Divine Child or a Divine Servant?"
"They don’t even stop to consider if their children have what it takes."
On the other side, the crowd parted to let several people from the White Elephant Empire, dressed in lavish clothes, walk through.
They were surrounded by a group of bodyguards in black, a clear sign of their extraordinary status in the White Elephant Empire.
The one who had spoken was a middle-aged man in fine clothes.
A boy stood beside him. Like the man, the boy wore an arrogant expression, his chin held high.
He looked at the surrounding children with condescending pride, raised the number in his hand, and said smugly, "I have number one.
While you were all scrambling from dawn till dusk just to get a number, all my father had to do was lift a finger, and someone would deliver the tag right to us.
That’s just how life is. While you are still struggling to run the race, I’m already waiting for you at the finish line.
Still, I’m rather looking forward to one of you becoming my Divine Servant."
The surrounding people of the White Elephant Empire were furious but dared not speak. They pulled their children and turned away.
In this White Elephant Empire, one’s surname determined everything.
The high-level surnames controlled ninety percent of the White Elephant Empire’s resources.
The Low Level surnames could only get the scraps left over by the high-level ones—the remaining ten percent. The surname system was incredibly rigid; no one could defy it.
This deeply entrenched situation had existed for ages, forcing generations of Low Level families to live this way.
After their parents dispersed, the children whose numbers had been called obediently formed a line.
One after another, they began to walk toward the Divine Hall.
At the very front of the line, other Order Managers were there to guide them.
Every child’s eyes were filled with a mix of panic, unease, nervousness, and confusion.
They had no idea what the adults were up to.
Some children’s eyes were already turning red, and they looked around in fear, glancing here and there.
The Divine Hall that awaited them was dimly lit, with only a few candles casting a faint, flickering glow.
After lining up, the children walked together into the Divine Hall ahead.
CREAK—
The two heavy doors were slammed shut.
"The Divine Child and Divine Servants chosen by the Deities will surely be the best among their peers,
so the selection time will vary.
Some may take longer, some may be shorter. There is no need to be anxious.
You will be notified as soon as there is a result.
Parents who can’t wait are welcome to return to their lodgings for now."
The Order Manager with the megaphone shouted.
"How long will it take, roughly?" a parent asked.
"At the latest, by the time the sun rises again tomorrow. If they are chosen, they will become a Divine Servant or a Divine Child to serve the Deities."
The Order Manager replied with a smile.
...
The Divine Hall was built on a grand scale. After entering, the children stood there obediently.
After the staff who had led them inside closed the two heavy doors,
they left through a small, secluded side door.
Some of the older children heard the sound of Chains locking that side door from the outside. They didn’t understand, nor could they make sense of it.
The children looked around. The surrounding walls were covered with exquisite works of art, depicting images of the White Elephant Empire’s Deities, seemingly telling their stories.
They were vibrant, colorful, and lifelike.
"Hey, look! The Deities and divine beasts in the paintings on the wall are moving!"
An eight or nine-year-old child shouted.
"You’re right! Hey, they really do seem to be moving! Are the Deities inside the walls?"
Another child asked innocently.
A slightly older child, who understood a bit more, knelt down immediately.
Mimicking the adults outside, he pressed his palms together and prayed incessantly, "Oh Deities, please, you have to choose me.
My family is so poor.
Our house is old and in disrepair, with cracks in the walls.
When it rains, water seeps into the house, and my bed has mold spots on it."
On the way here, the adults in his family had told him
that the purpose of this trip was the hope of becoming a child of the majestic Deities.
If he were chosen, he would have the highest status in the entire White Elephant Empire.
It would be no exaggeration to say he could have anything he wanted just by asking.
It wasn’t just for his family; he himself desperately wanted to become that kind of person.
"A bunch of country bumpkins like you probably wouldn’t understand, would you? I’ve seen this mural in a book.
This is a story about the Magic City. It tells of Bhatna City on the middle reaches of the Ganges River,
a cultural center that prospered thanks to the grace of the god Shiva.
The story involves the grace of the gods, human suffering, and ultimate salvation, showing the interaction between gods and men in the White Elephant Myth."
The rich young master from before began to explain, his hands clasped behind his back as he postured pretentiously.