In their quest, Liang En and his companions were looking for a small chapel located on a field at the edge of a small town. From a great distance from the town, one could already see the golden cross atop the chapel roof.
Like any typical Japanese village, this place also suffered from an aging population, with Liang En rarely encountering anyone under 30 along the way.
This was partly due to Japan's declining birth rate, which naturally resulted in fewer births, while the allure of major cities like Tokyo drew young people away from their hometowns.
As a result, remote villages like this one had few young people willing to stay, and outsiders rarely ventured here, leading to an older average age among the remaining villagers.
After parking their car, they quickly reached the village's central chapel, only to find a religious ceremony in progress as they approached the entrance.
From the attendees inside, one could see the village's decline, as even the youngest person, including the priest, appeared to be in their forties or fifties.
Despite the solemnity of the ceremony, which seemed quite significant, there were no more than ten participants, all of advanced age.
Soon after, Liang En and Fan Meng stepped out of the chapel to wait by the door. Although they were not followers of this religion, they knew to show respect during such times, while Jeanne d'Arc participated in the ceremony inside.
Seven or eight minutes later, the church doors opened, and the congregants filed out. Following Jeanne's lead, Liang En and Fan Meng entered the seemingly modest church.
Inside, they discovered the church was not made of the common steel and concrete but of traditional Western stone construction.
Interestingly, the church's interior featured exquisite reliefs and sculptures that seemed somewhat mismatched with the building itself.
“I hear you wish to obtain the Visage of Christ from this church, is that true?” the priest, clad in a cassock, asked Liang En in broken English.
“Yes, Father,” Liang En replied in fluent Japanese. “We might find it easier to converse in Japanese, as the details of our discussion could be complicated and harder to articulate in an unfamiliar language.”
In the following minutes, Liang En explained in Japanese why he was there, emphasizing that he wasn't personally in need of the precious painting but was tasked by the Catholic Church in Osaka to procure it.
“I see,” the priest nodded after understanding the backstory. “This painting is very important to us, but as you can see, our community is in decline, and in 20 years, it might no longer be visited for worship.”
“It would be better for such a treasure to be held in a major city like Osaka, so I should be able to help you with this, but—”
“What would you need me to do?” Liang En asked promptly, noticing the priest's hesitant expression.
“Firstly, I think it’s a good idea to transfer this item to Osaka, as the number of faithful here is dwindling, making this place unsuitable for keeping such precious items,” the priest sighed.
“To be honest, it’s hard to part with a religious painting that has been here for so many years, but I know this place is no longer right for keeping such a treasure.”
“In my eyes, it would be a good thing for another capable church to have this icon, but before that, I hope this painting can bring some benefits to our local alumni.”
“So, I support transferring this painting to the Catholic Church in Osaka as you suggested, but first, I would like you to agree to two conditions,” the priest said seriously.
“Please go ahead!” Liang En nodded slightly.
Since the other party was willing to part with the item, it was normal to have conditions, and the decision to agree remained in his hands, so he was willing to hear the requests.
“The first condition is that I hope you can sponsor a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for those among our congregants who are still able to travel but may soon meet our deity,” the priest earnestly stated.
“We’ve read about this place countless times in the scriptures, so we hope to truly see it with our own eyes and touch it with our hands.”
“This request sounds—” Liang En furrowed his brow in thought, then asked directly, “Could you tell me how many people wish to make this pilgrimage?”
“Not many are left,” the priest said with a tinge of sadness, shaking his head. “Including myself, who needs to lead the group, we only have eight people, and each would only need 5,000 euros to support the journey.”
Due to the high proportion of elderly among the local faithful, most couldn’t endure the strain of long-distance travel, which is why only a few could be chosen.
“No problem, I think I can afford this expense,” Liang En earnestly nodded. “And if you go to Jerusalem, I can make arrangements with the French Catholic Church there in advance; you can seek their
help if needed.”
Although Liang En had previously returned items belonging to various churches and donated cultural relics to China, the benefits hadn’t reached his own pocket, so he maintained a good relationship with the church in France.
This relationship might not be useful for complex matters, but it certainly facilitated simple tasks, such as asking them to look after a group of Japanese faithful in Jerusalem.
The reason they had people in Jerusalem was straightforward; nearly all Christian denominations had permanent representatives there, so it was normal for the French Catholic Church to have staff in the city.
“The second and final condition is simple; I would like myself and two other chosen representatives to witness the entire process of transferring the item,” the priest continued.
Clearly, the priest was aware of the painting's value and was somewhat concerned that Liang En might employ underhanded methods to acquire it.
Liang En understood these concerns, as it was only their first meeting, so it was normal for the priest to be wary.
“Rest assured, I promise you that,” Liang En solemnly pledged. “We will transfer these items together to the Catholic Church in Osaka.”
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