MMB Chapter 119 The King of the Xiongnu
Chapter 119 The King of the Xiongnu
Chapter 119 The King of the Xiongnu
Turin, Italy.
As the former capital of the House of Savoy, the capital of the Piedmont region, and currently the third largest city in Italy.
The former glory of the Savoy dynasty has long since settled into a certain unhurried undertone in the streets of this Piedmont capital.
But it has nurtured a unique rhythm that blends industrial precision with mysticism.
Su Fan appeared in this city, this time playing the role of Attila, the Hun king.
After the Xiongnu were soundly defeated by the Han Dynasty, leaving no royal court south of the Gobi Desert, some of the Southern Xiongnu chose to assimilate into Han culture, some fled to Central Asia, and others went to Europe.
The Hun king Attila, played by Su Fan, is a member of the Hunnic tribe in Europe. He even robbed Rome and arrogantly demanded that Rome pay him 600 catties of gold every year.
Influenced by the Christian Roman Bishop Leo I with the help of God, he ultimately only plundered the gold and did not destroy the city of Rome.
Of course, this Hun king Attila was also from the Hunnic region of Europe. With Attila's death, the powerful Hunnic people completely perished, disappearing without a trace and vanishing into the long river of history.
After all, nomadic peoples like the Xiongnu mainly rose to prominence by producing an outstanding military leader, and disappeared without a capable leader once that leader left.
Of course, in the European region, the Huns referred to themselves or were recorded as the Huns, but the term "Hun" was clearly a derogatory term that was not recognized by the locals.
As for why Su Fan came to Turin dressed as this character, it's naturally to cause trouble.
Su Fan's idea was simple: to absorb a wave of faith power. The St. John's Basilica in Turin contained precious artifacts believed by Christians to be related to the Passion of Jesus, which were on public display for believers to admire. The faith power on them was probably overflowing.
In Piazza San Giovanni, people unconsciously shrank back, glancing questioningly at the still clear sky. Several tourists resting on the church steps felt a sudden, inexplicable unease, as if they had been swept by the gaze of some predator.
The dimness inside the church contrasted sharply with the bright Italian afternoon sun outside, the gap resembling the slightly open eyelids of a giant beast.
A figure stepped out of the sacred darkness and into the sunlight.
The newcomer was tall, not exaggeratedly giant, but every inch of him exuded the sharpness and power of a prairie wolf.
He was dressed in a rough, dark brown, almost black fur coat with worn edges, stained with what appeared to be dried blood and dust from a long journey.
It was Su Fan who played Attila, the Hunnic king.
The sudden appearance of Su Fan, dressed as Attila the Hun, shattered the clamor in the square. Countless gazes converged, initially filled with astonishment and confusion, which quickly transformed into an indescribable fear. Was this costume some kind of extreme performance art?
But the raw and imposing aura that emanated from the very marrow of his bones—an aura that no performance could ever achieve—made even the most oblivious person uneasy.
"I, Attila, King of the Huns, have returned!" Attila's Latin was ancient and harsh, as if it had traveled through the dust of more than a dozen centuries, carrying the echo of the Hunnic iron hooves crushing the borders of Rome.
In modern Italy, almost no one hears Latin anymore; there are no communities where it is the first or mother tongue.
However, the language did not die out; it remains an official language of the Roman Catholic Church. To this day, Latin is widely used in Vatican official documents, codes, and liturgical rites. Clergy continue to study the language.
Not everyone is illiterate.
After the initial shock and stunned silence, several figures in the crowd suddenly trembled, their faces turning deathly pale, even paler than the clouds that occasionally drifted overhead.
They were clergy members of this church, or students and professors from a nearby seminary, or scholars who were deeply versed in classical studies.
They understood.
"Latin, he's speaking late Classical Latin mixed with barbarian accents, that's impossible—" the scholar murmured dreamily, "the pronunciation, the grammatical structure, and those proper nouns and metaphors are not something modern people can imitate, unless—"
Unless, of course, the speaker actually came from that era.
This thought sent a chill down the spine of everyone who understood it, a chill that shot straight to the top of their head. Any rational explanation seemed pale and laughable in the face of this impeccable, historically rich ancient language.
In the chaos, an elderly priest approached Attila the Hun, seemingly unaffected by the latter's imposing presence, and calmly said, "May the glory of the Lord protect you! What brings you here?"
"I don't know why I returned from the underworld, but I was influenced by a special will and came here. That consciousness told me that I should come here, that there is something here that attracts me," Attila the Hun said, looking at the old priest.
"What attracts you?" the old priest repeated, his gaze following Attila as he looked towards the cathedral behind him. "Is it within this sanctuary? Is it the call of the Lord, or some other entanglement?"
He did not wait for Attila's reply, or rather, Attila's silence seemed to be an answer in itself.
The old priest turned slightly to the side, making an inviting gesture, his movement natural and without fear: "It's windy and too noisy here. If you'd like, you can come with me to the small chapel next door. It's quieter there, and perhaps you can perceive more clearly what is attracting you."
Su Fan, playing Attila the Hun, looked up at the old priest Anlao, his eyes filled with confusion, not the arrogance of an emperor nor the ferocity of a warrior: "Why? You seem unafraid of me?"
Upon hearing this, the old priest revealed an extremely compassionate smile, a smile that seemed to radiate an inner glow from his wrinkled face. It was as warm and comforting as a spring breeze.
"Fear stems from the unknown and the anticipation of harm," he said slowly, his voice gentle yet firm. "I know nothing about you except what you've told me. But since you've chosen to enter this quiet place, at least for now, I see not a scourge of God bringing destruction, but a lost soul seeking answers."
"Why aren't you afraid!" The old priest tilted his head slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the roof of the prayer room, reaching towards an unseen, supreme height. "Because I believe that whether one is alive or dead, whether one is a great king or a lowly sinner, before this cross, there is a possibility of being heard and guided. The Lord's radiance can illuminate all darkness and soothe all restless souls."
From the conversation, Su Fan understood that the priest was a very devout believer. According to Su Fan's original plan, he would impersonate Attila the Hun and descend, which would inevitably cause great turmoil. Then he would go directly to the Shroud of Turin, cleanse himself of the power of faith within it, and then go to another place to cause trouble.
As a result of the old priest's appearance, it became inappropriate for him to directly rob the item.