Miracle 56

It was said that Yang Mou’s top enforcer, Zhang Qian, was causing a commotion in the church. Luan Yi recognized him, knowing he belonged to the Witchcraft Sect, and he smiled coldly, fixing his gaze on Zhang Qian and asking, “May I inquire what divine arts your church possesses?”

“Our bishop can split bricks with his bare hands and is impervious to blades and weapons. I, Zhang Qian, have only mastered a fraction of it,” Zhang Qian replied. At this, two followers behind him brought forth a freshly fired yellow brick and placed it before him. Zhang Qian pressed his fingers together, forming his palm into a blade, and with a lightning-fast motion, he chopped the brick into two.

He then drew his treasured sword from his waist and pressed it against his throat. The spectators within the hall were stunned, a gasp escaping from the crowd.

Upon closer inspection, however, the sword pressed against Zhang Qian’s throat not only failed to injure him, but actually began to bend.

Having demonstrated these two feats, Zhang Qian sheathed his sword and, with a self-satisfied air, asked Luan Yi, “Well? How does our bishop compare?”

Luan Yi secretly laughed, thinking: “There’s a road to Heaven, yet you refuse to take it; Hell has no gate, but you rush in.” He had originally intended to perform a few acts of trickery during the opening ceremony, but lacked an appropriate pretext to introduce them. Now, Zhang Qian had presented him with the perfect opportunity. Since you’ve come to challenge the gates, I’ll show you what ‘magic’ truly is.

Without betraying his thoughts, Luan Yi snorted coldly and said, “A petty trick! Someone, bring me a brick.” Luan Fu, stationed at the back door, received the order and ran to the courtyard where bricks left from construction remained.

In the Eastern Han dynasty, brick-making was still primitive; the bricks were simply dried mud, far less sturdy than those of later generations. Luan Yi took a mud brick from Luan Fu, weighed it in his hand, and then closed his eyes in prayer: “Merciful Lady! Today, within your sacred hall, evildoers question your might. For the sake of spreading your word and upholding your name, I am compelled to contend with them. Grant me boundless strength to break this brick. Ah… Heavenly Gate!”

The congregation witnessed Luan Yi finish his prayer, then suddenly open his eyes, which seemed charged with some mysterious energy. With a loud shout, “Hey, break for me!” he snapped the mud brick in two with his bare hands.

To snap a brick and to chop it are vastly different. Anyone with basic knowledge knows that chopping a brick relies heavily on leverage, while snapping it requires pure strength. To snap a brick over three inches long is far more difficult than chopping it, the difference is substantial.

The superiority was immediately clear. The entire audience was astonished, even Zhang Qian staggered in disbelief.

After a period of indoctrination, Dian Wei had become a devoted follower of the Holy Mother’s Church. Watching Luan Yi’s contest with Zhang Qian, he hid by the back door, chuckling to himself.

He could see that Zhang Qian had trained in iron-body techniques, which enabled him to chop bricks and withstand blades. But while Zhang Qian had iron-body skills, Luan Yi possessed the divine strength bestowed by the Holy Mother. At eight, Luan Yi could lift a hundred-pound stone; at thirteen, nearly a thousand-pound cauldron. Breaking a brick was child's play.

Casting a glance at the dumbstruck Zhang Qian, Luan Yi folded his arms across his chest and, with hands tucked in his sleeves, asked, “Well? Are you convinced?”

“Uh…” Zhang Qian felt uneasy, stammering, “But… what about being impervious to blades and weapons?”

“Blades and weapons? Hmph… How could one brandish weapons in the sacred hall? You dared to draw your sword inside—this warrants punishment!” As he spoke, Luan Yi, full of authority, descended from the dais, pushed through the crowd, and approached Zhang Qian directly.

Zhang Qian was alarmed, “What are you doing? Are you going to hit me?”

“Hit you?” Luan Yi snorted, suddenly drawing both hands from his sleeves. With a flick, two clusters of roaring flames blazed in his palms.

Zhang Qian was terrified, “Ah… what are you doing? What are you doing?” His followers were even more frightened, forgetting to intervene.

Luan Yi advanced upon the trembling Zhang Qian, and with two fiery palms, struck Zhang Qian’s chest. Zhang Qian felt a tidal wave of force surge through him, and he was hurled out like a cannonball. Seated near the back, he flew through the window, landing in the courtyard, blood spraying everywhere.

Pitiful Zhang Qian, who boasted of ten years’ iron-body training and exceptional resilience, now faced the “Mighty God.” Against absolute power, his copper skin and iron bones were no match; internal injuries were unavoidable.

Luan Yi shook his hands again, extinguishing the flames, and shouted fiercely at Zhang Qian’s followers, “Demons, begone!”

The followers, terrified by Luan Yi’s divine powers and “celestial fire,” fled in panic, only remembering to retrieve their leader Zhang Qian after they had reached the gate, and finally returned to carry him out.

Little did they know, Luan Yi had no real supernatural abilities. The fire in his hands was created using a trick: while his hands were in his sleeves, he secretly took paste made from flour and water from a hidden pouch, coating his hands to insulate them from heat. Then, from a second pouch, he covered his palms with white phosphorus and sulfur. White phosphorus ignites at low temperatures, and with the warmth of his hands, it burst into flames, aided by the sulfur.

Luan Yi had not concealed this method from the loyal church servants; he had explained it in detail. However, he lied about its origins, claiming the Holy Mother had revealed to him that white phosphorus burns at low temperatures, and paste can protect against the heat, and so forth. His followers, utterly devoted, believed him without question.

They thought, “If not for the Holy Mother’s guidance, who could know such miraculous knowledge?” Thus, their young master, the leader of the Holy Mother’s Church, was surely favored by the Holy Mother.

The church servants knew white phosphorus could ignite spontaneously, but the ordinary guests had no idea, and believed Luan Yi truly possessed supernatural powers. Awe-struck, they gazed at him with worship, some even kneeling in reverence, crying out, “Great Immortal! Great Immortal!”

Luan Yi helped them up one by one, telling them he was no immortal. There were no immortals in this world; all divine beings were in Heaven, serving the Supreme Holy Mother. The abilities he had just displayed were entirely due to his faith in the Holy Mother. Anyone could do the same, so long as they sincerely believed, unwaveringly acknowledged her as their Lord, and diligently served her.

The crowd was overjoyed to hear this. Many declared on the spot their willingness to accept the Holy Mother as their Lord, to serve and honor her for life.

Luan Yi smiled, telling them that those who wished to believe in the Lord were saved, and had already taken their first step toward Heaven. But not everyone could become a true member of the Holy Mother’s Church.

“Ah?” The crowd exclaimed. In their experience, Han dynasty temples never refused visitors; anyone who donated incense money could worship and become a follower. They had never seen any temple impose conditions for acceptance as the Holy Mother’s Church did. “May we ask, what requirements are needed to join?”

Luan Yi smiled again, saying, “To join the Holy Mother’s Church, there are two steps. First, anyone wishing to join must attend Sunday worship every week for three consecutive months. At the same time, they must read the ‘Mother’s Scripture’ daily, and offer prayers before and after every meal. If they can do this, the church servants will permit them to make a solemn pledge, acknowledging the Holy Mother as their Lord. After making this pledge, they must continue regular worship, timely prayers, and diligent study of the scripture for three more months. After passing the servants’ exam, they may receive baptism, and only then are they true church members. At that time, the church will issue a wooden cross badge as proof of membership. Anyone wearing the cross is favored by the Holy Mother, who will watch over and protect them from Heaven.”

“Oh?” The listeners nodded quietly. According to Luan Yi, joining wasn’t difficult at all.

Little did they realize, Luan Yi understood human nature well—people often disdain what is freely given. By contrast, they value what requires effort, even minimal effort. So, borrowing from the Christian membership process of his previous life, he devised this induction procedure for the Holy Mother’s Church, encouraging participation while making the identity of a church member seem hard-won—a perfect strategy.

After the first worship service, Luan Yi arranged a banquet. Due to limited space, it followed the buffet model of later times: the dining hall featured eight large cauldrons filled with various dishes. Guests could take bowls and plates at the entrance, serve themselves, and eat standing in the courtyard.

Initially, people were uncomfortable with this method, grumbling privately about the lack of tables and chairs. Yet, out of reverence for the Holy Mother, they dared not voice their complaints. Instead, they enjoyed the delicacies, chatting with acquaintances about their experiences at the ceremony and marveling at the leader’s supernatural powers. As they warmed up, they found the buffet quite agreeable—no fixed seats, freedom to move, and opportunities to reconnect with old friends.

During the meal, church servants mingled, telling jokes and sharing stories. They also taught prayers and informed everyone that the offering box was at the gate; donations could be made as they left. Of course, offerings at the Holy Mother’s Church were entirely voluntary—unlike the Witchcraft Sect. You could drop a grain of rice or a large copper coin, and no one would call you stingy. Even if you gave nothing, you wouldn’t be stopped at the door.

Naturally, more generous offerings were better. The more you gave, the more the Holy Mother would delight in you, and the easier it would be to pass the membership test, get baptized, and enter Heaven.

The servants explained that all offerings would be used for public welfare—building bridges, roads, aiding the needy, or constructing and repairing churches. These acts of charity would be recorded by the Holy Mother as merit, serving as the key to Heaven, and would be returned manifold in the afterlife.

With such assurances, few could resist giving. As they left after the meal, most dropped coins in the offering box—though many gave only a few, and some gave nothing at all, claiming they had no money and hurried away.

Luan Yi understood; he did not blame them. For a long time, they had suffered at the hands of temples demanding excessive tribute.