The Faceless Men were born in the mines of ancient Valyria.
These slaves lived to dig, did they think simple death would bring liberation?
No.
When these slaves died, not even their corpses would be spared!
Because the ancient Valyrian Empire always possessed three strange powers:
Blood Magic, Necromancy, and Prophecy.
Through Necromancy, these suicidal slaves were transformed into mindless, controlled undead, repeating their 'pre-death' work day after day.
Here, slaves from different nations prayed to their respective gods in endless suffering, yet they all prayed for the same thing:
Deliverance.
They were tired of the Dragonlords' rule.
They sought true deliverance.
A deliverance where both flesh and soul were completely annihilated.
The first Faceless Man realized that all gods had their own tools to execute various wills in the world.
And that hundreds of gods were, in fact, the same god with hundreds of different faces.
This is the origin of the god of many faces.
Thus, this Faceless Man, for the first time as a tool of the god of many faces, 'liberated' one of the most suffering slaves.
He shattered the slave's skull with a pickaxe and threw his body into a pool of magma.
And so, this slave was truly free... This was the origin of 'the Gift'.
Subsequently, a second Faceless Man joined the ranks of the rebels.
Then came the third, and the fourth... And Braavos is a city-state founded by refugees who escaped Valyrian slavery.
The Faceless Men, as part of the rebellious slaves, also followed the Northmen here and flourished.
It can be said that the Black and White Temple and Braavos have been closely intertwined since their inception, inseparable, together forming the cornerstone of the city-state of Braavos.
And eventually, along with forces like the Iron Bank, they formed the upper power structure of Braavos.
The Iron Bank cannot collect debts without the assassination methods of the Black and White Temple, and the Black and White Temple cannot do without the financial support of the Iron Bank.
For such a behemoth, Lynn, who was about to face war, had no time or energy to deal with them.
He only hoped they would behave themselves and not cause him trouble.
Otherwise, after Lynn took action, he wouldn't mind riding a giant dragon to give them something to do, lest they be idle all day.
Death.
This word, for a Faceless Man, should have been the most intimate word in the world.
They are servants of death, givers of 'the Gift'.
They see death as a release, an ultimate peace.
But at this moment, when this word came out of Lynn's mouth, Jaqen for the first time felt the weight behind it.
What a joke, giving others deliverance and giving himself deliverance were two completely different things.
That was true nothingness, the end of both body and soul.
When it was his turn, who was not suffering, to face 'death', it was false not to be afraid.
Jaqen had no doubt that Lynn could easily achieve this.
All his secrets, all his disguises, all his skills, became a transparent joke in front of Lynn.
The god of many faces above.
What kind of monster was this?
On Jaqen's ordinary, forgettable face, muscles twitched uncontrollably.
His prideful composure, that ethereal state of mind where he considered himself 'nothing', had completely collapsed.
The poisoned needle in his sleeve now felt heavier than Casterly Rock.
He knew that if he made the slightest move, Lynn would definitely send him to meet the god of many faces.
"Why?"
After a long time, Jaqen finally squeezed out three words through gritted teeth.
"You hate dragons, you hate those who ride them."
"You want to know their weaknesses, and then bring that 'knowledge' back to the House of Black and White, for your ridiculous 'holy war', right?"
Lynn was stating an established fact.
Jaqen's body trembled violently.
"You!"
"Dragons are symbols of tyranny! They are tools of enslavement!"
Flames finally ignited in Jaqen's eyes.
That was the fanaticism and anger of a touched belief.
"The forty Dragonlord families of ancient Valyria used Dragonfire to turn half the world into their mines and slave camps!"
"They drank and feasted in the sky."
"And our ancestors were whipped in the sunless depths, swallowed by magma, wailing in endless agony!"
His voice grew increasingly high-pitched, as if he had returned to the hell where the many-faced god was born.
"The first Faceless Man heard their prayers!"
"He bestowed 'the Gift' upon those most suffering brethren, and he also swore to bestow this 'Gift' upon those high and mighty Dragonlords!"
"We do not abhor dragons as creatures, or other supernatural powers; we abhor the absolute power they represent!"
"It is the sin that makes mortals arrogant!"
"Anyone who wields these supernatural powers will eventually be consumed by them, becoming new tyrants!"
"We are merely preventing history from repeating itself!"
Jaqen stared intently at Lynn.
These words were his last line of defense, and the entire meaning of his personal mission to Westeros this time.
Lynn listened quietly.
"Are you done?"
Jaqen was stunned.
"Everything you said is true."
Lynn nodded.
"The Dragonlords of ancient Valyria, in your eyes, were indeed a bunch of bastards."
"Of course, I also think they were bastards, absolute bastards."
"But please do not doubt, I am not deliberately pandering to you."
"With the capabilities of your Black and White Temple, it shouldn't be difficult to understand that I, not long ago, liberated all the slaves in Astapor; I abhor this brutal system more than anyone in the world."
This unexpected agreement made all the arguments Jaqen had prepared get stuck in his throat.
Yes, if Lynn hadn't taken such actions, he wouldn't have said so much to Lynn.
He came here mainly to see what kind of person Lynn was, and then decide whether to give Lynn 'deliverance'.
Otherwise, he would have found a way to kill Lynn long ago.
"However,"
Lynn's tone shifted.
"Have you ever considered that what do those Dragonlords you speak of have to do with me?"
"My surname is Lynn, and I come from a place even more remote than Asshai."
"I am not a Targaryen, nor am I a descendant of those forty Dragonlord families of ancient Valyria."
"I am just an ordinary person who unexpectedly acquired a dragon."
"Ordinary?"
Jaqen almost burst out laughing.
"An ordinary person can hatch a Dragon Egg out of thin air?"
"An ordinary person can see through all my secrets?"
"An ordinary person can create human skin masks that even the Black and White Temple cannot rival?"
"You are clearly a monster more terrifying than the Dragonlords!"
"Monster?" Lynn smiled.
"Perhaps."
"But in my opinion, what is truly terrifying is not power itself, but the human heart that wields it."
Lynn took a step forward, and the invisible aura pressed down on Jaqen, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
"A sword, in the hands of a knight, can protect the innocent."
"In the hands of a bandit, it can indiscriminately slaughter defenseless women and children."
"Are you going to destroy all the swords in the world just because a bandit killed someone?"
"Dragons are the same."
"It is merely a power, a sharper sword."
"In the hands of a Dragonlord, it is a tool of enslavement, but in my hands..."
Lynn paused, his gaze seemingly penetrating the roof of the humble room, looking towards the more distant Slavers Bay.
"It will be the iron plow that ends chaos and brings order."
Jaqen was completely stunned.
"You... what do you want to do?"
"What do I want to do?"
Lynn withdrew his gaze, letting it fall back on Jaqen's face.
"I want to see fewer people in this world who need your 'Gift' of suffering."
"I want grain to grow in the farmers' fields, not to be trampled underfoot by the iron hooves of nobles."
"I want children to sit by the fire and listen to bards sing, not become homeless orphans in the flames of war."
"I want the winters of Westeros to no longer be so harsh."
"I want every castle, every village, to have enough food and firewood to get through winter."
Lynn's voice held no hint of demagoguery, yet these calm words struck Jaqen's heart again and again.
"Your many-faced god was born of despair; you use death to end suffering."
"And I want to eradicate despair by living."
"Tell me, Jaqen, who among us is right? And how do our goals differ?"
Jaqen opened his mouth but could not refute.
the Black and White Temple had witnessed all of Lynn's actions in Essos.
So much so that when Meereen wanted to hire them to kill Lynn, they ultimately chose not to accept the mission.
Jaqen came here personally mainly to make contact with Lynn, and to study his giant dragon, and after everything was clear, to decide whether to make a move against Lynn.
This was considered setting a precedent for the Black and White Temple.
Lynn's words overturned the creed Jaqen had held for half his life.
The doctrine of the House of Black and White was termination.
They were like silent scavengers, erasing the suffering and evil of the world one by one, ultimately reducing everything to nothingness.
But this man in front of him, he actually wanted to build a completely new order on a pile of ruins?
He wanted to create!
What an arrogant, yet captivating ideal.
Jaqen's heart was in turmoil.
He recalled the original intention of the first Faceless Man.
He was not for slaughter, but for the 'liberation' of souls suffering in agony.
If there truly were no suffering in this world, what meaning would the existence of the many-faced god have?
At that time, people would not need faith at all; they would only believe in themselves!
Everyone would have the right to control their own destiny!
Lynn glanced outside the door and smiled.
"A scholar from my homeland once said something, different from the language here, but I can give you a simple translation."
"When the Great Dao prevails, the world is for all; the virtuous and capable are chosen, and faith and harmony are cultivated."
"Therefore, people do not only love their own parents, nor only their own children, so that the elderly have an end, the strong have a use, and the young have growth..."
"Therefore, plots are closed and do not arise, and theft, robbery, and rebellion do not occur, so outer doors are not shut; this is called Great Harmony."
"I have always kept his words in my heart, and I am willing to fight for them."
"You..."
Jaqen's voice was filled with disbelief.
Although Lynn's words were a bit awkward, the beauty within them was instantly grasped by Jaqen.
This was countless times stronger than the doctrines of their Black and White Temple.
That was truly an ideal society!
Moreover, the current Black and White Temple was no longer as pure as before; some high-ranking members, for gold, disregarded right and wrong, forcibly bestowing the Gift upon targets.
Just as Lynn said, they were gradually losing their original intention due to power and strength.
Seeing the incredulity in Jaqen's eyes, Lynn smiled with satisfaction.
He now understood that the wisdom of his ancestors was simply a dimensionality reduction strike for the people of the world of Ice and Fire.
They couldn't summarize such profound philosophical concepts even if they tried for a lifetime.
First, he had convinced Arya, and now there was Jaqen.
This was good.
Lynn threw the human skin mask of Stannis in front of Jaqen.
"Go, tell a good story."
"One that makes all of Westeros believe that Robert Baratheon died due to his own brother's conspiracy."
"Changing the world is never just talk, but action, so let's start here, Jaqen."
Jaqen picked up the mask.
It felt warm to the touch, yet heavy as a thousand pounds.
The masks of the Faceless Men came from those who dedicated their lives to the many-faced god.
When a Faceless Man puts it on, he inherits the memories of the deceased.
As Jaqen put the mask on his face and felt the same effect as the products of the Black and White Temple, the shock in his heart was already evident.
This not only represented an ordinary mask.
It represented the supreme heritage of the Faceless Men.
Jaqen looked at Lynn, and a bold idea surged in his heart.
Could it be... he... This thought made his hostility towards Lynn vanish without a trace.
He spoke.
"All my life, I have been searching for Valyrian Dragon Eggs, Necromancy, and Blood Magic, to find and destroy them."
"If you are right, I don't mind convincing the Black and White Temple to give these things to you."
"In your hands, they might unleash a completely different power... Let it be... for that world of Great Harmony you speak of..."
With that, Jaqen gave Lynn a deep look.
Then his figure, like a drop of water merging into the sea, silently disappeared into the shadows outside the door.
"Necromancy? Blood Magic? Interesting."
Lynn smiled, then spoke to the empty room.
"Alright, Lord Varys, come out, how much longer are you going to eavesdrop?"
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