Chapter 150: Faith

“My lord, it’s just up ahead!” Beck announced, brimming with excitement.

“Let’s ease up a bit. We don’t want to alarm them,” Wu Qingsong said.

However, his advice came a tad too late. As evening neared and most rabbitfolk and mousefolk slaves were busy preparing dinner, the abrupt arrival of their lord and his guards sent many into a panic. The sight was so intimidating that some of the more timid rabbitfolk passed out.

“Someone help those, actually, never mind. They’ll come around,” Wu Qingsong said with resignation.

He hoped they weren’t so easily frightened as to be scared to death.

The slums housing the slaves were compact, yet the place had morphed significantly from Wu Qingsong’s original vision. Many homes had been internally divided into two or even three stories using various materials, filled with crisscrossing staircases. It was evident that many families had welcomed new children.

Truly, they were among the most prolific of the beastfolk. Even as a member of the dogkind, renowned for their fertility, only recently had the first newborns arrived among the houndfolk who had been with Wu Qingsong the longest. Yet, for these rabbitfolk and mousefolk it had only been a little over half a year.

While not immediately problematic, Wu Qingsong began to ponder whether, without some form of control, his territory might soon face a population explosion.

After making several turns, the temple Beck had mentioned finally came into view.

However, the sight in front of him was a letdown because it vastly differed from what he had expected. In his imagination, even if it couldn’t match the grandeur of the Temple of Death he had seen before, it should at least be as big as a mountain shrine.

What stood before him, though, was merely a tiny shrine, no bigger than a toy. Frankly, some of the block-built houses Wu Qingsong had seen children play with in the modern world were significantly larger than this.

Despite its diminutive size, it was complete in every detail. Inside, there was an altar, a holy statue, and decorative sculptures, all accounted for.

However, the statue, ambiguously resembling either a rabbitfolk or a mousefolk, was indeed abstract, and the decorations were slightly twisted.

The altar bore a pitiful offering of grains and wild fruits. While Wu Qingsong hadn’t mistreated them as other lords might, since his fields had yet to yield crops and most food was being purchased, he could only afford to provide them with just enough to stave off hunger. Clearly, their deity was also enduring hunger.

“Who is the head here? Or should I ask for the priest? Witch? Priest?” Wu Qingsong asked.

He had been delving into the section about the Batiz people’s beliefs in The Book of the Dead lately, finding some concepts particularly fascinating. 

Now that a grassroots form of religion had emerged in his territory, he seized this chance to discuss it with a genuine religious figure.

However, the rabbitfolk and mousefolk all hid within their homes, with no one responding.

Beck explained that the Elven Empire had officially abolished all beastfolk worship of Ancestral Spirits, allowing only the worship of the eight main Elven gods, represented by the Goddess of Light and Hope, Aymes. Yet, in the countryside, particularly in remote areas, ancestral worship persisted.

The empire’s scrutiny and control were stricter toward the more powerful beastfolk races. For instance, among the dogpeople, practicing Ancestral Spirit worship, once exposed, was a grave offense, with the lightest punishment being captured and sold into slavery, and the proceeds from the sale rewarded to the whistleblower. However, for species like the rabbitfolk and mousefolk, the empire’s control over their beliefs was virtually nonexistent.

Beck chuckled with a mocking laugh, “Lord, you might not be aware, but the ancestors of the rabbitfolk and mousefolk never encourage resistance or promote virtues like courage, sacrifice, and dedication. Instead, they advocate endurance, compliance, and prolific breeding. They believe all beastfolk are born sinful, and living in this world is both a form of suffering and atonement. By diligently working and enduring hardships while raising their offspring, they believe they can absolve their sins after death and enter an eternal haven to live blissfully.”

“Living is suffering? Then why don’t they simply end their lives?” Wu Qingsong sarcastically remarked.

“My Lord, according to their beliefs, suicide is seen as evading atonement. Those who take their own lives are condemned to eternal suffering in hell after death.”

It all made sense now.

From a ruler’s perspective, this religion was practically delightful. Had the elves not had their own set of beliefs, Wu Qingsong guessed they might have been tempted to force all beastfolk to adopt this creed.

“Do people really believe in this?”

“My Lord, it seems they have little choice. Without this faith, how could they muster the courage to live on?” Beck replied, shaking his head.

It was a compelling point. Born as rabbitfolk or mousefolk, without such faith, how could one come to terms with their race’s weakness? How could one accept the reality that anyone could bully them, rob them, and even kill and trade their kin with impunity? Without believing they were inherently sinful, who could accept such a fate? Without the belief in a better afterlife and the notion that suicide would lead to eternal suffering, many rabbitfolk and mousefolk might indeed have chosen to end their despair through suicide.

At least, Wu Qingsong felt he certainly couldn’t accept such a fate.

Reflecting on the Batiz people’s vastly different religious views, Wu Qingsong’s interest in the temple’s native clergy grew stronger.

“Find those associated with this temple and bring them to my office,” he instructed. “Be gentle, don’t frighten them. I’m not out to punish or harm them. I just have some questions.”

Back in his office, Wu Qingsong felt compelled to ask Ram and the others about their religious beliefs.

Ram’s faith was naturally in the Ancestral Spirits, with the Wolf God being of primary importance, followed by the Raccoon Ancestor Spirit. In the Silver Moon Wolf Clan’s belief system, the Raccoon Ancestor Spirit seemed to be a vassal, associated with wisdom, stewardship, and commerce. In contrast, the Wolf God was undeniably associated with blood, courage, and war.

Ling and Liuli’s faith was in one of the Elves’ Eight Main Gods, the Goddess of Light and Hope, Aymes. This likely stemmed from their upbringing. During their childhood, the only source of hope was this benevolent goddess. However, after leaving their environment to journey with Wu Qingsong, who was an avowed non-believer, their devotion to Aymes gradually waned under his influence.

Harold also worshiped the Wolf God, but it was apparent that it wasn’t the same deity revered by the Silver Moon Wolf Clan. He didn’t want to discuss this matter further, and Wu Qingsong did not press for more details.

Angus and Beck’s faith was also in one of the Elves’ Eight Main Gods but in Ams, the God of Courage, Strength, and War.

Feya’s faith was in the Deer God, who was seen as a protector of forests and the vulnerable, a benevolent goddess. Yet, many in her village also revered one of the Eight Main Gods of the Elves, Hasgarut, the Guardian of Forests and the God of Order and Balance.

This situation seemed chaotic, but it likely reflected the success of Elven indoctrination efforts. The beastmen living closer to the Elves’ sphere of influence were more heavily influenced, whereas those further from the Elves’ direct control maintained their ancestral beliefs more robustly.

“If you were asked to change your beliefs, would you be willing to do so?” Wu Qingsong asked carefully.

“What exactly are you plotting now?” Ram quickly asked.