Bizarre Detective Agency

  Chapter 700 Two hundred and seventy-seven. Spread on the land where there is no hope

   "Son, enough is enough, you just don't know it yet."

  The old man said kindly, and took out two straw dolls from his arms: "This is the Lord's reward for your piety. Bring it, and the Lord's punishment will no longer come to our soul and body."

  Lu Li took it and looked down at the empty eye sockets of the simple straw doll.

  The old man handed the other doll to Anna, and Anna's response was to open the sleeves and let them see the illusory arm.

   "It turned out to be a family member." The old man and the four disciples bowed their heads slightly.

   In the Church of Silence, weirdness has a higher status.

  Anna had seen the appearance of a follower and knew how to disguise, so she raised her cloak slightly in response.

  Lu Li held the straw doll and remained quiet, because he did not really believe in the time of silence. Until the bell disappeared, Anna gently pulled his palm, and Lu Li, who trusted Anna, chose to keep up with the cultists.

   The soles of the shoes stepped on the stones that could be seen everywhere in the wilderness, and there was a sound of rolling friction, but Lu Li was still there and did not disappear.

  The old man expected to see shock or other emotions from Lu Li's face, but Lu Li only had thoughts.

  Straw dolls allow a non-believer to escape the rituals of silence, does this mean that...belief is not necessary.

   It is not faith that makes believers resist the third scourge, but straw dolls.

  Lu Li re-observed the straw doll. The simple ones are woven like a child's hand, and the rough ones will be stabbed by spikes if they are placed close to the body.

   It is not a commodity and it is not worth much.

   His gaze swept across the old man and the four believers. Do they also have a straw doll on them?

When    silence enveloped the whole world, seven figures walked safely in the wilderness.

   Twenty minutes later, the evil spirit broadcast sounded, and the silence subsided, retreating to the deserted oasis deep in the barren land.

"what is that?"

  The old man looked at Lu Li, his wrinkled eyes filled with childlike curiosity.

   "Evil spirit broadcast, will sense the approaching evil spirit." Lu Li said.

   "Interesting little things," said the old man, looking away.

   The outline of the village appeared at the end of the front. The old man looked into the distance and said, "There are our companions in that village, and he will find carriages and horses for us."

   An hour later, they walked into the deserted and silent village.

  There was no one strangely in the village, including the companion the old man said.

  The drying oil lamps in the houses were dimly lit, the domestic pigs were sleeping in the filthy pens, the wild dogs were wary of uninvited visitors, and the only horses were tied in the stables.

   As if the villagers here disappeared in an instant.

   Observing the disturbing uninhabited village, the old man made a wise decision: "Take food and a carriage and leave immediately."

   simply scavenged for some food, and they quickly fled the village with a carriage.

   waited far enough away that the old man on the trolley whispered, "This is why we need the Lord's redemption..."

  They got into the carriage, and when they stepped up, Lu Li saw the straw dolls hanging around their waists—of course they also had them.

  The old man spoke a lot, or more than Lu Li and the four taciturn believers like Lu Li.

   Contrary to what Lu Li thought, the old man did not have a higher status in the church, but he was also different from ordinary believers: he was a guide.

   Guide the lost and unbelievers back to the embrace of the time of silence.

   A daytime interaction allowed Lu Li to understand the situation of the church in a quiet time: they are expanding the number of believers, but there are very few true fanatics: believers who will be rewarded by the Lord.

  Lu Li will be rewarded because he saved the guide.

   But Lu Li thought maybe it was because he saved the old man, and the old man had extra straw dolls.

  Migrating in the evening, the carriage drove everyone into a dilapidated town.

   Most of the residents of the town have moved out, leaving only the numbness of the townspeople who cannot leave and cannot leave, and people disappear every day.

   They were indifferent to the cloaked group and let them live in the former townspeople's house.

  This place has been looted long ago, even the wooden frame and chairs have been dismantled into wood and used for fire, and there is nothing left in the empty living room.

  The devotees lit the fireplace, went to the dark outside to find some water, and brought it back to boil it into soup.

  嘭嘭——

When    was about to be shrouded in darkness, the wooden door was knocked and the dust fell.

  The devotees gathered on the floor by the fireplace turned their heads.

   One of the believers got up, walked to the door and opened the wooden door.

There was an ox cart full of goods parked on the street, a chubby middle-aged man smiled, froze his smile after seeing the cloak of the believer and the figure inside, and quietly took a few steps back: "I'm just a businessman... you guys Need something, or want to sell something?"

  Because of his identity, he couldn't help but ask.

"We do not--"

   "Six blankets." Lu Li by the fireplace stood up.

  The interrupted old man nodded and thanked him.

   "390 shillings." Merchant bid.

   The old man frowned, dissatisfied with the high price: "With luck, you can buy them for 90 shillings."

  It is hard to imagine that a church guide who believes in evil spirits will haggle the price.

   "We are going to take a big risk." The businessman said, smiling and accepting the shilling from Lu Li.

   When the business came to the door, the businessman did not care whether they were heretics or not, and urged the guards to bring six blankets and asked Lu Li, who was paying readily, if he needed anything else.

  Lu Li looked at the old man, the old man shook his head and said, "I don't need children... it's enough."

   The wooden door was closed and the people went back to the fireplace. Lu Li took off the blanket, and the believers helped the old man lay it out. Some wanted to give their blanket to the guide, but he refused.

  The vegetable soup was boiled and boiled, and the believers distributed the food and ate it quietly.

  The hot soup enters the stomach, dispelling the chills brought by the night.

   Next is Mass time.

   When the four believers gathered around the fireplace to form a circle in the cell, the shadows were drawn long and narrow, and the eerie whispers overflowed.

  The old man did not participate in Mass. He could see that Lu Li was unfamiliar with the church, and he didn't mind it, but kindly asked Lu Li what he was puzzled about like a warm-hearted neighbor: "Son, I can see your confusion... Ask boldly, Lord will forgive believers for all their sins."

   The attitude of the guide made Lu Li feel more conflicted about him——

  The contact on the road, they brought Lu Li the feeling that "it is not harmful".

   They do not attack people they encounter, nor do they force preaching.

   In fact, except for the old man, the four believers remained silent.

   And this doesn't match what Lu Li has seen and heard along the way - they shouldn't be so peaceful.

  The guide is hiding his minions, or has he discovered something?

   At this moment, a question suddenly popped into Lu Li's mind. It should have disappeared as suddenly as it appeared suddenly, but before it was snuffed out, reason caught it, and human nature reminded Lu Li: ask him that.

   "...Why did you kidnap those people."

   The old man's old face was confused.

   "Kidnapping? We didn't—"

   (end of this chapter)