仙舟联盟信仰危机小史 An Overview of the Faith Crises in the Xianzhou Alliance

一篇通识性质的历史科普短文。介绍了仙舟人在反抗「丰饶」以降、「巡猎」登神以前的信仰生活。 A popular science historical article providing an overview. It discusses the religious life of the Xianzhou people before they resisted Abundance and The H

其一 Part I

依照仙舟传说，一位英雄与燧皇齐心协力，射出一支光矢，摧毁了造翼者的穹桑。此后英雄不知所踪，直到祂升格为「帝弓司命」，再度归来，庇佑仙舟至今。

According to the Xianzhou legend, a hero and the Flint Emperor joined forces to fire an arrow of light to destroy the Muldrasil of wingweavers. Afterward, the hero vanished into the unknown until THEY ascended to become the Reignbow Arbiter. THEY then returned and took to protecting Xianzhou till the present.

从后世的视角看来，这件事看起来相当诡异：对于平均寿命高达八百年的仙舟人而言，这场战争不过是四代人前的往事，甚至称得上是「近代史」。可「浴火化神」这一没有任何实证的神话，却依然成为了仙舟人中最为主流的历史观。

This incident is quite peculiar if we look at it now. For Xianzhou citizens who have an average lifespan of 800 years, the war took place only four generations ago, and it can even be considered modern history. Still, the myth of fire deification, which was never proven, is a historical event known by most Xianzhou citizens.

若要讲清楚这件事，就不得不谈及星历3400年至星历4000年的一场信仰危机开始讲起了。

For a more thorough discussion about this matter, we must talk about the Crisis of Belief that spanned from Year 3400 to 4000 Star Calendar.

首先必须明确一个事实：「帝弓司命」这一尊号的诞生，是远早于「巡猎」作为星神正式出现的。在那位英雄与燧皇一起摧毁了穹桑之后，「帝弓司命」就成为了祂的尊号，而祂原本的名字则被避讳，不现于任何文献当中。

First and foremost, one thing is certain: The title of "Reignbow Arbiter" came about earlier than the official appearance of The Hunt as an Aeon. After the hero destroyed the Muldrasil with the Flint Emperor, "Reignbow Arbiter" became THEIR title. THEIR original name thus was tabooed and never mentioned in any writings.

英雄「牺牲」后不久，空劫之乱爆发。魔阴身彻底动摇了仙舟民心中残存的药师信仰。现在一个问题摆在仙舟人面前——抛弃了曾经信仰的星神后，仙舟人究竟该追随谁的命途？

Not long after the hero's "sacrifice," the Null disaster broke out. The little remaining faith the Xianzhou people had in Yaoshi wavered because of the mara-struck. They had to decide whose Path to follow after giving up on the Aeon they once believed in.

星际和平公司在联盟远航的第一个千年就与联盟接触，他们的「存护」信仰也对仙舟人造成了潜移默化的影响。从仙舟人对星神的称呼上便能看出，「补天司命」是除「帝弓司命」外唯一的「司命」。因此，当「慈怀药王」成为「寿瘟祸祖」之后，很大一部分仙舟人自然而言地选择踏上了天垣之神克里珀的命途，他们被称为「补天派」。

The IPC contacted the Alliance in the first millennium of the Alliance's voyage. Their Preservation beliefs gradually influenced the Xianzhou people. From the way they named the Aeon, we can see that the Reignbow Arbiter is the only Arbiter besides the Firmamend Arbiter. After Merciful Medicus turned into the Plagues Author, many of Xianzhou's peoples naturally decided to follow the Path of Qlipoth, the god of the skywall. They became known as the Firmamend Sect.

在信仰危机时代的600余年间，补天司命一度成为了仙舟联盟的主流信仰。尽管如今仙舟人的信仰生活已大幅度改变了，但很多补天司命时代的地名和建筑名依然将祂的痕迹烙印在了仙舟上。譬如曜青的「琥珀大街」、罗浮的「天垣洞天」、朱明的「补天殿」等等。

During the 600 years of the Crisis of Belief, the Firmamend Arbiter was once the pillar of the Xianzhou Alliance's beliefs. Although Xianzhou people's faiths have changed drastically by the present, traces of the Firmamend Arbiter can still be seen in the many names of places and buildings leftover from that bygone era, such as the Yaoqing's Amber Avenue, the Luofu's Skywall Delve, and the Zhuming's Firmamend Temple.

其中最为宏伟的两幢建筑，分别是公司在朱明建造的「补天殿」和苍城的「琥珀宫」。前者现在是朱明工造司附属学宫的所在地，而后者已经随着苍城一起消逝在了历史的长河中，只留下若干影像记录，和一首作者已不可考的小诗：

Among the structures, the two most magnificent ones are the Firmamend Temple built by the IPC in the Zhuming and the Amber Palace in Cangcheng. The former is now an affiliated academy of the Zhuming Artisanship Commission, whereas the latter has faded away over time along with Cangcheng, leaving only some videos and a poem by an untraceable author:

「凭栏俯瞰仙宫远，举步能乘碧洞云。遥看补天高壁处，天垣不与众峰群。」

"From the rails do I perceive the Celestial Hall, and upon clouds can I stride above the leagues of all. In the distance rises the apex of Firmamend high, and the skywall is parted from the peaks mountains though their nearness is nigh."

其二 Part II

尽管补天司命信仰一度成为了知识分子和商人中的主流信仰，但补天司命是一位不太关注凡人的星神，祂实际上并不符合大部分普通仙舟人偏向实用主义的精神底色。所以在民间，人们对信仰的选择呈现出了百花齐放的盛景。

Although the Firmamend Arbiter was once the centerpiece of faith among the intellectuals and merchants, the Aeon was one typically indifferent to the lives of mortals. Compared to that Arbiter's worldview, the people of Xianzhou leaned more toward pragmatism when it comes to their preferred spirituality. Therefore, diverse choices of new beliefs bloomed among them.

相当一部分人逆潮流而动，坚持自己的药师信仰。他们坚信丰饶民的行为不符合药师的意志，而魔阴身的存在也只是因为药师的意志并未被正确贯彻。这些人称自己为「药王秘传」（为了与现代的恐怖组织做出区分，下文称其为「旧•药王秘传」）。

Quite a number of people went against the trend and became faithfuls of the Yaoshi. They firmly believed that the behavior of the Denizens of Abundance deviated from Yaoshi's will, and the mara-struck only existed because Yaoshi's will was improperly executed. These people called themselves Disciples of Sanctus Medicus (hereafter referred to as the "Old Disciples of Sanctus Medicus" to differentiate them from modern terrorists).

在很长一段历史时期内，「旧•药王秘传」并不是一个臭名昭著的组织。他们以开放的姿态迎接质疑，广开医馆救助贫苦。对大部分早已抛弃药师信仰的仙舟人而言，这些药师遗老的行为虽然既可怜又可笑，但并不怎么可憎。

For a long time in history, the Old Disciples of Sanctus Medicus were not a notorious group. They accepted skepticism with an open mind and built apothecaries to help the poor and needy. For those who had long abandoned Yaoshi beliefs, the behavior of the group was pathetic and laughable, though not particularly detestable.

值得一提的是，虽然仙舟人在教科书上极力淡化这一点，但在信仰危机时代数千年后登上历史舞台并改变了整个仙舟医疗体系的「寒泉派」，前身就是隐秘延续了数千年的「旧•药王秘传」。甚至，直到近年一批妖人篡夺了「药王秘传」的名号四处作乱，「寒泉派」迫于压力才不得不发表声明，公开表示这个团体「已经彻底抛弃了对寿瘟祸祖的错误信仰」。

Here is something worth mentioning, though the Xianzhou people spared no efforts to diminish it: The predecessor of the Cold Springs Sect, which overhauled the entire Xianzhou healthcare system and stepped onto the historical stage several millennia after the Crisis of Belief, was the Old Disciples of Sanctus Medicus that existed in secret for thousands of years. In recent years, a group of sorcerers wreaked havoc by impersonating the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. Only then did the Cold Springs Sect publish a statement to clarify that they had abandoned the erroneous belief in the Plagues Author.

很多知识分子选择彻底抛弃旧有的道路，转而皈依遍智天君，踏上了「智识」的命途，被称为「遍智派」。在当时，大部分遍智派的成员对世俗事务兴趣不大，而是专注于象牙塔内的研究。这也使得他们在百花齐放的信仰危机时代中存在感不高。（他们甚至一直沿用了「天君」的提法，这很大程度上是因为他们认为对星神的尊称一点都不重要。）

Many intellectuals abandoned their old paths for good and chose to follow the Wisdomwalker on the Path of Erudition. They were called the Wisdom Sect. Back then, most Wisdom Sect members preferred to focus on academic research in their ivory towers than spending time on secular matters. Hence, their presence was not felt much during the Crisis of Belief era when the people were spoiled with a plethora of selectable beliefs. (They continued to use the term, "the Sacrosancts," mostly because they attached little importance to the title of Aeons.)

尽管存在感不高，信徒人数也有限，但遍智派却成功延续了下来。坐落于玉阙的「遍智格物院」，至今已有约5000年的历史，源源不断地向各仙舟各司部输出信仰遍智天君的高级技术人才，从没有信仰帝弓司命的仙舟人对此提出过任何异议。

The Wisdom Sect still exists, although it is hardly know and only has a small group of followers left. The Wisdom Sapientia Academe in the Yuque, which dates back to 5,000 years ago, has provided a constant supply of talented technicians who believe in the Wisdomwalker to various Xianzhou commissions. Not a single Xianzhou person who believes in the Reignbow Arbiter has any issues with the arrangement.

毕竟对于绝大多数神志清醒的、实用主义至上的仙舟人来说，「巡猎」是应当遵循的道路，而不是束缚百姓的枷锁，只要你踏在这条伟大的道路上，信什么星神都只是实现最终目标的手段罢了。

After all, to most Xianzhou people of sane and pragmatic mind, The Hunt is a righteous path to follow, not a shackle that controls the people. As long as you walk the right path, the Aeon you believe in is just something that helps you achieve your goals.

其三 Part III

除了那些信仰星神的，还有一些人选择信仰并非星神的存在——分别是信仰古国皇帝的「归航派」、信仰燧皇的「燧皇派」、以及信仰帝弓的「帝弓派」（彼时帝弓尚未登神）。

Besides those who believed in Aeons, some also believed in non-Aeon beings, such as the Homeward Sect that believed in the Primeval Imperium Emperor, the Flint Emperor Sect that believed in the Flint Emperor, and the Reignbow Sect that believed in Reignbow (the version of Reignbow who had not become an Aeon at that time).

这听起来是另一个诡异的事情：在早已对星神有清楚认知的高等文明中，竟会有人信仰并非星神的存在。

This sounds bizarre too. It's hard to believe there were people who believed in non-Aeon beings in an advanced civilization with a clear understanding of Aeons.

关于这两派信徒的历史文献，如今已经成为了宗教心理学的重要资料，有很多专著都在研究这种信仰背后的心理机制。但这已经远远超出了这篇小文所能承载的内容，我们在此处按下不表，只去谈论这些信徒最表层的动机。

The historical documents about the followers of these two factions have now become important resources in the field of religious psychology. Many monographs study the psychological mechanisms behind these beliefs, but it is not possible to include their content within the confines of this small document. Here, we will only discuss the most apparent motivation of these believers.

对于归航派而言，对古国帝尊的「信仰」和「忠诚」在很大程度上只是一个旗帜。促使他们选择信仰的，并非是某种哲学上的思辨，而是一种政治道路上的抉择。这其实是很容易理解的，即使当时的仙舟人从未踏上过「故土」，但这种「乡愁」却始终在每个仙舟人的血管中流淌着。

For those of the Homeward Sect, their faith and loyalty to the Primeval Imperium Emperor was largely just a facade. Their choice of belief was not a philosophical one, but a political one. This is actually quite understandable. Although the Xianzhou people at that time had never been home, their longing to be back never waned.

于是这些思乡者们宣布：「我们不应继续孤独地远行，而应该响应我们的皇帝的召唤，寻找道路、回归故土。」

So, these homesick people declared, "We should not continue our voyage alone. Instead, we should answer the call of our emperor and find our way back to our homeland."

在狐人加入仙舟联盟后，很大一部分渴望重建故土的狐人「青丘派」与归航派合流，直到现在都是一股不可小觑的政治力量。从这种驴唇不对马嘴的合流中也可以看出，对于归航派（和青丘派）而言，信仰不过是口号，他们只是想回家。

After the foxians joined the Xianzhou Alliance, many of them who wished to rebuild their homeland (the Verdantia Sect) merged with the Homeward Sect. Till this day, they remain a political force to be reckoned with. From this incongruous merging, we can see that this style of faith stands as something akin to a slogan for the Homeward Sect (as well as the Verdantia Sect). All they want is to be back in their homeland.

相比之下，「燧皇派」更像是在押宝。他们坚持相信燧皇终将登神，阻碍其登神之路的只有仙舟人的囚禁。如果自己坚定地追随燧皇，解放岁阳，助力燧皇成神，那么等到燧皇成为命途之主之后，燧皇派便会成为最接近星神的一批凡人，受惠于命途之力。

On the other hand, those of the Flint Emperor Sect looked like they were betting their future on their beliefs. They were convinced that the Flint Emperor would one day become an Aeon, and the only thing that stood in the way of the Flint Emperor's ascendancy was the captivity of the Xianzhou people. If they followed the Flint Emperor firmly, liberated the heliobi, and helped the Flint Emperor become an Aeon, then when the Flint Emperor became the ruler of a Path, they would become the closest mortals to the Aeon and benefit from the power of the Path.

想也知道，这种信仰很快催生了种种犯罪活动，并很快引来了有关部门的围剿。这群衷心辅佐燧皇的激进分子，毫不意外地退出了历史舞台。

To no one's surprise, this belief soon led to criminal activity, and those involved were arrested by the relevant authorities. These extremists who supported the Flint Emperor wholeheartedly eventually receded into oblivion.

关于这场闹剧，唯一值得一提的细节是：直到覆灭，燧皇派都没能在「燧皇掌管哪条命途」这件事上达成一致。有人说是「灵智」、有人说是「燃烧」，甚至有人说是「炙烤」——听起来像是掌控了银河中所有的烤肉串。

The only notable thing about this farce is that the Flint Emperor Sect remained undecided on the Path that the Flint Emperor would rule even until its demise. Some suggested "Intelligence," some proposed "Flame," and even some mentioned "Grilling," which sounded like they would have control over all the grilled meat skewers in the Cosmos.

其四 Part IV

在上文中，我们几乎没有谈及「帝弓派」在信仰危机时代的动向。原因简单却令人意外——帝弓派在当时几乎没有任何活跃，甚至不被认为是一种严肃的信仰。

In the above paragraph, we barely touched on the Reignbow Sect's actions during the Crisis of Belief. The reason is surprisingly simple — the sect was hardly active at that time, and the people did not even regard it as a proper belief.

这当然不是说仙舟人不崇敬帝弓。事实上，当时几乎每个仙舟人都会纪念帝弓司命，由衷感谢祂为仙舟存亡所做出的牺牲。可落实到信仰生活上，却没有几个人会认真相信一位牺牲的英雄会登神庇佑仙舟。

That does not mean that the Xianzhou people had no reverence for the Reignbow. In fact, almost everyone of the Xianzhou would commemorate the Reignbow's sacrifice in appreciation of what THEY had done for the survival of Xianzhou. But when it came to matters of faith, few of them truly believed that a martyred hero would ascend to become an Aeon and protect the Xianzhou.

不过既然谈到了这里，我想宕开一笔讲一件与此关联不大的事：现今很多历史营销号会着力渲染一种「虚构史学家恐慌」，这对历史普及工作是极为有害的。其中流传最广、危害最大的一条谣言，莫过于「《仙舟联盟宣言》已被虚构史学家篡改」。

Please allow me to digress and discuss something unrelated to the topic here. Nowadays, many accounts focusing on the discipline history are spreading anxiety on social media about the existence of History Fictionologists, which is highly detrimental to the education of historical knowledge. Among all rumors, the most widely circulated and devastating one is the claim that the Xianzhou Alliance Declaration has been tampered with by History Fictionologists.

这些营销号的「论据」无外乎如下：「《宣言》中声称『上至帝弓，下达十王』，可彼时帝弓司命尚未登神。」但读者诸君现在已经理解了「帝弓司命」这一尊号的历史，这条所谓的「论据」也就不攻自破了。

Most of the time, those rumor-mongers will emphasize how the Reignbow Arbiter had yet to become an Aeon when the declaration mentioned: "From Reignbow to the Ten Lords." Now that you have learned about the history behind the "Reignbow Arbiter" title, I believe the rumor can be easily debunked.

说回帝弓派。在信仰危机时代，像帝弓派这样真心信仰帝弓司命的派别终究不会大众。人们更希望在那些实际存在的星神身边寻求庇佑，而不需要一位不存在的神来提供情绪价值。面对这种边缘地位，帝弓派也不挣扎，只是继续向祈愿，期盼着英雄的归来。

Now, back to the topic of the Reignbow Sect. During the Crisis of Belief era, a sect that sincerely believed in the Reignbow Arbiter was not of the public's favor. People preferred to ask for protection from already existing Aeons instead of a non-existing one that could only provide emotional support. Despite being marginalized, the sect did not struggle. They kept praying, anticipating the return of the hero.

而随着神矢降临示现，击碎了丰饶民的盘踞的世界——仙舟人意识到，「帝弓司命」真的存在。先是太卜司，然后是公司和学会，各大派系纷纷确认了新星神「巡猎」的诞生。

Following the destruction of the Denizens of Abundance's territory by the divine arrow, the people of Xianzhou came to realize that the Reignbow Arbiter truly existed. The Divination Commission, followed by the IPC, the guild, and the other sects, acknowledged the birth of a new Aeon: The Hunt.

几乎在一夜之间，帝弓派从边缘团体一跃成为了和补天派分庭抗礼的主流信仰团体。

From a fringe group, the Reignbow Sect transformed into a popular sect that could compete with the Firmamend Sect almost overnight.

此后的事情，与其说是信仰分歧，不如说是路线之争。

The subsequent conflict that transpired was not a religious one, but one to determine the future path of Xianzhou.

补天派坚持认为应当遵循补天司命的意志，坚决反对仙舟投身于与丰饶民的战争当中。而帝弓派则认为，丰饶民绝不是可以靠「躲避」和「防御」来对付的敌人，想要使联盟存续，唯一的手段只有遵循巡猎的道路，追魔扫秽、荡涤妖寇。

The Firmamend Sect insisted on abiding by the Firmamend Arbiter's will and was strongly against Xianzhou's involvement in the war with the Denizens of Abundance. The Reignbow Sect opined that hiding and defending is not enough to fend off the Denizens of Abundance. For the survival of the Alliance, only by following the Path of The Hunt and cleansing the enemy could the future be secured.

再之后，随着远征的接连胜利、帝弓的数次垂迹、以及狐人与持明的加入，信仰的天平越来越向着帝弓派倾斜。直到约4100年时，「帝弓司命」彻底成为了仙舟联盟无可争议的正庙正神。

Following consecutive victorious expeditions, the numerous appearances of the Reignbow, and the joining of the foxian and Vidyadhara, the Reignbow Sect slowly gained traction among the people. In Year 4100, the Reignbow Arbiter became the undisputed main Aeon of the Xianzhou Alliance.

如是，仙舟的信仰危机时代结束了，帝弓司命的时代开始了。

Just like that, the Crisis of Belief came to an end, and the era of the Reignbow Arbiter began.