The bandit leader's expression looked as if he had seen a ghost.
"This bowl of water is your soul. If it is clear, I will forgive you; if it is turbid, then you will be punished; if it becomes filthy, then I will send you to hell."
Gregory handed some water to the bandit leader's eyes and asked again: "Is this water clear?"
The bandit leader trembled and leaned his head over, but the night was pitch black and he couldn't see anything clearly. He raised his head, looked at Gregory, and shook his head cautiously.
"Can't you see clearly? I can't see clearly either. After all, you and I are both mortals. A person's soul is like water in the dark night. No one can see through it. Come on, take this bowl of water."
The bandit leader didn't know what kind of medicine was sold in Gregory's gourd, so he took the bowl of water with trembling hands.
"However, God always takes the form of fire and illuminates everything."
As he spoke, Gregory lit the oil lamp and illuminated the surrounding area a little.
"Beneath the light, what else can the night cover?"
The bandit leader shook his head blankly.
At this moment, a moth flew towards the oil lamp and was burned to ashes by the fire.
“Fire brings light to us and destruction to sinners.”
In the face of the bandit leader's secretly frightened expression, Gregory slowly brought the oil lamp closer to the bowl of water and said, "Now, tell me, is this water clear?"
The bandit leader trembled and leaned his head over. When he saw that the bowl of water was crystal clear, he breathed a sigh of relief. However, before he could completely put down his thoughts, Gregory's hand holding the oil lamp suddenly tilted and dropped a drop of oil into the water. Looking over again, there was already a little oil stain floating on the originally clear water, which was very annoying.
The bandit leader's heart skipped a beat, not knowing what Gregory wanted to do. But I heard Gregory say quietly: "This drop of oil represents the original sin that human beings are born with, and no one can avoid it. But this is just the beginning. From now on, I am God's agent in the world. Come on, Confess all your sins before God!”
The bandit leader was so frightened that his hands shook and he almost spilled the water. Fortunately, Gregory helped him hold the water bowl in time.
"Be careful," said Gregory, "don't forget, the water in this is your soul. If the water is gone, do you still want to continue living?"
"Spare...spare me..."
"God will not forgive you just because you beg. The only way to obtain forgiveness from God is to confess everything before God."
Under the oil lamp, Gregory's face was horrifying.
The bandit leader knew he couldn't escape. He hesitated for a long time and then said: "...I am a bandit.".
He originally thought that Gregory would ask questions after what he said, so that he could answer in a clear direction. However, Gregory said nothing, only looked at him sternly with his eyes, as if he had seen through everything.
"...robbed several villages."
Gregory silently poured a drop of oil into the water. Although the movement was not big, it scared the bandit leader into a cold sweat.
"I also kidnapped many people and asked them to borrow money to pay the ransom..."
Gregory dropped another drop of oil into the water.
"But, but I have never killed anyone! I swear to God!"
Gregory raised his hand. The oil continued to pour into the water, creating a long line in the air.
"Wait...wait a minute, I said I never killed anyone!"
Gregory stopped filling the oil and stared into the bandit leader's eyes: "You just lied in the name of God. This is a serious crime."
"That's enough! You're just teasing me!" The bandit leader threw away the bowl with determination, "I can't beat you anyway. I'm alone and I only have one life left. You can kill or chop me as you please!"
Valley frame
However, before the bowl of water hit the ground, it appeared in Gregory's hand again, without a drop of water or oil in it being spilled. Facing the bandit leader who was beginning to give up on himself, Gregory sighed and said:
"I know you. Your hometown is in a small village near Cologne. Your name is Norbert, and your mother's name is Adela. You also have an older brother, but he died ten years ago."
Listening to Gregory's words, the mouth of the bandit named Norbert gradually opened in surprise: "...how do you know this?"
"Of course your mother told me. A small part of the reason why I'm here today is because of her - want to meet her?"
Looking at Gregory, Norbert nodded unconsciously.
So at that moment, the surrounding scenery changed. The roads and villages imprinted deepest in Norbert's memory appeared before his eyes.
"I'm back?"
Norbert's body swayed. He stumbled and tried to walk into the village, but was held back by Gregory. Gregory pointed in the opposite direction to the village and said, "Your mother, over there."
Looking at the direction pointed by Gregory, Norbert already understood something in his mind. Sure enough, Gregory took him into a cemetery. Gregory raised the oil lamp in his hand and illuminated Norbert's mother's tombstone, where there was a bouquet of withered flowers.
"She died of a stroke. She was a devout believer during her lifetime. However, every time she confessed in front of me, she always mentioned you - obviously it was not her fault at all, but she kept fighting for your sins. The gods pray for forgiveness. And this is why I appear in front of you today."
"...My brother is dead, and there are no other relatives in the family. Who buried her?"
"God teaches us: 'Love your neighbor'. She believes in God and is our brother and sister, so we will naturally bury her."
Norbert turned his head and stared at Gregory for a long time. Suddenly, he knelt down with a thump.
"I have killed many people, but if I were to tell you the exact number, it would be like the bread I had eaten. I can't remember it."
Gregory listened silently and poured a few more drops of oil into the bowl.
"I also had a wife...who I snatched away and then she was beaten to death by me."
Gregory nodded and poured a few more drops of oil into the bowl.
There was a hint of crying in Norbert's voice: "Also... when I was a child, I crushed the bird my brother kept in a cage to death. He cried about it for several days."
Gregory stared at Norbert and added another drop of oil.
"Later, my enemies came to the door. I was not here, and my brother was hacked to death by them in order to protect his mother... It was all my fault."
Norbert covered his face and cried.
Gregory waited quietly for him to finish crying, and then said: "It seems that you have confessed everything before God."
"Master," Norbert asked, wiping his tears, "how dirty is my water now?"
Gregory silently handed the bowl to him and showed it to him. I saw that the bowl of originally clear water was now covered with a thick layer of oil.
"Then", Norbert took a few deep breaths and then asked as calmly as possible, "what kind of punishment will I receive?"
But Gregory shook his head; "Don't forget, child, God is this fire. It can bring light, it can bring destruction - it can also bring salvation."
In Norbert's astonished eyes, Gregory brought the lamp closer to the bowl of oily water. The oil on the water touched the fire and ignited. The flame was so beautiful that Norbert was stunned.
The oil is gone and the fire is out. Gregory handed the bowl of water to Norbert again and asked: "Now, is the water clear?"
Norbert took the bowl with trembling hands, stared at the water inside for a while, and took another sip.
"It's clear..." he cried, "It's really clear again."
