"So...why are you still here?" Armstrong had already left the ward, leaving only the Elric brothers and Ashes.

Edward looked at the ashes peeling oranges for himself to eat, and asked helplessly. Logically speaking, isn't this for the sick? And are you really okay with it?

"Hey, can't I stay here? What a cruel and heartless child... Actually, there is one more thing. Mustang wants me to accompany you, because according to the intelligence, which town seems to have a slightly different atmosphere."

Hui Jin swallowed the orange in his mouth and looked at Edward with a smile, his tone full of mystery and fun.

"Oh, what kind of different atmosphere allows him to dispatch two national alchemists at once? I can't handle anything by myself!" Edward couldn't help curling his lips and said with some disdain.

"What else could it be? In which town? As mentioned before, there is a cult that has almost swept over the entire town, and it has controlled the people very well...even beyond the government's control...you think, what kind of atmosphere could it be?

"Hui Jing looked at Edward with a look of disdain with a smile.

Edward frowned when he heard this, and then thought for a moment before asking Ashes uncertainly, "You mean... turmoil?"

"So, it's just that there is this atmosphere, but it is no exaggeration to say that religion, especially cults, is a time bomb that may detonate at any time, so we are allowed to go together. After all... we really don't want to see it

Your hands are stained with blood..." Hui Jin's tone couldn't help but be a little heavy, and Edward felt a chill run down his spine.

"Well, you don't need to worry too much. It's just a possibility. What if it's just a religion that encourages people to do good. Everything is just a guess. Before it is implemented, it is just a possibility..." Ashes

Looking at Edward with a heavy expression, he laughed and patted his shoulder.

…

On the streets of Lior, everyone has a smile on their face and looks prosperous. It is just a remote town, but it is full of human touch.

The tavern on the street was full of people, and a man's voice came from the old-fashioned radio placed on the table, "All living beings in the world can obtain salvation and atone for their sins as long as they believe in God and worship God.

I am the sun in the sky and your parents..."

Sitting on the bar, Hui Jin smiled and listened to the teachings coming from his ears. He chuckled and whispered to the fire prevention girl next to him, "I think the Wang family didn't publicize it well enough, otherwise they wouldn't have betrayed each other..."

The fire prevention girl glanced at Ashes angrily and said helplessly, "Master Ashes, please don't make fun of the dead..."

Edward ignored the soliloquy of Ashes beside him, but listened to the voice on the radio. He frowned and asked the shopkeeper, "Mr. Shopkeeper, I would like to ask, what is the status of this radio?"

The shopkeeper who was cleaning the glass raised his head, looked at Edward and said with a smile, "Are you a stranger? I don't know, it's normal. This is His Majesty Pope Conyero, who came to our town a few years ago to pay homage to us.

We spread the doctrine, and he is the messenger of God, who can make the living immortal and the dead resurrected. He is a great man who masters the art of miracles!"

"The living will live forever, and the dead will be resurrected. It doesn't sound like the truth..." Edward frowned and said to himself.

Based on the information I heard from the believers, this is almost certainly a cult... It uses unknown means to show the so-called miraculous skills to the ignorant townspeople, and then makes them believe in the religion, in order to deceive them...

I just hope that their goal is money or something else, and not a rebellion that will cause riots. Thinking of this, Edward glanced at Ashes, who was still smiling next to him, and felt a little uncomfortable...

He had seen with his own eyes that this guy could burn an enemy who was almost unable to resist to ashes, and he could still talk and joke with a smile. In Edward's eyes, Ashes was actually an almost cold-blooded person who didn't care about other people's lives...

The owner of the tavern suddenly remembered something and said with a smile to Edward, "By the way, His Holiness the Pope is going to show off the miraculous technique in the square later. You might as well go and see it. Maybe you can also become a believer in the Rete Religion. This

This is a good thing for you."

When Edward heard his boss's suggestion, he laughed and said, "Of course, of course we will go and have a look, right Mr. Ashes."

Originally, Edward thought that Ashes would follow his words. After all, the purpose of their trip was the Pope Conero of the Rete Religion. However, Edward heard Ashes' impatient tone and said, "Hey, I must go."

? I also want to accompany my young lady to experience the simple folk customs here..."

Edward almost choked himself with a mouthful of water. He turned his head and looked at Ashes and said seriously, "You guy, do you have priorities? Have you forgotten the purpose of our coming here?"

Looking at Edward with a serious face, Hui Jin shrugged helplessly, "Okay, go, why don't I go? It's true, your child is not cute at all, and he won't grow taller in the future~"

"I'm not a child! I will definitely grow taller in the future! You guys are so ungrateful!" Edward's furious look made the whole tavern laugh, and a happy atmosphere spread among everyone...

…

"Hey, this is the church of the Rete Sect. It's really grand. It looks like it's making a lot of money..." Hui Jin and others came to the door of the church, which had been crowded with people for a long time. They looked at the majestic church and looked slightly sideways.

It's completely unfair. The buildings in the entire town are all low-rise adobe houses. Only this church is a pure white stone building. Not to mention the cost of construction, the annual maintenance costs a fortune.

Not a small expense…

In such a remote town, the sudden appearance of such a magnificent church is really... suspicious.

Without keeping everyone waiting, a middle-aged man in a black robe slowly walked to the center of the square amidst the petals of flowers and the applause of the crowd, smiling and extending his hand to signal to everyone.

Looking at everyone without saying a word, he casually took a falling flower. A burst of red light flashed in his hand, and the flower turned into a huge flower and gemstone statue in front of everyone. It looked very magical and attracted people.

to the cheers of the crowd.

"Is this the art of miracles? Judging from the reaction, it's completely alchemy..." Edward stood on the wooden box and looked at the kind-hearted Conello who was receiving cheers from the crowd in the center of the square and said with squinted eyes.

"Yes, but... he did not follow the principle of equivalent exchange. Logically speaking, one part of quality can only be exchanged for one part of quality, and he also turned plants into minerals... Brother, could it be said that in his hands

Is there a Philosopher's Stone?" Alphonse looked at Edward and asked in a somewhat expectant tone.

"Ah, it can't be wrong. He has a red gemstone ring on his hand, so that's it. Really, it took no effort at all..." Edward's eyes turned fierce as he looked at the Conyero cultivator who turned and left in the center of the square.

Zong.

Ashes on the side was speechless when he heard the two bandits' speeches. He picked up Edward's clothes, lifted him up and said with a smile, "Even if it is, you can't just go up and grab it. Let's understand the situation first...

"

With the help of Edward's dancing resistance and Alphonse's helplessness, Ashes put Edward down and took the fireproof girl to the square where the crowd had dispersed and there were only a few people...

The Elric brothers also hurriedly followed. Soon they arrived at the place where Pope Cornero performed his miracle before. Looking at the gem statue left in the center of the square in front of them, Ashes instinctively felt a little disgusted...

Looking at the ashes of the beautiful statue and the fire-proof girl beside him, they can feel that this is not a miracle, it is simply a sin. The soul is refined into matter, and the fluctuation of the soul is still on the statue, exuding waves of malice...

The Elric brothers on the side were naturally unable to sense the fluctuations of the soul. They were just amazed at the power of the Philosopher's Stone. It could really create something out of nothing. It was truly miraculous.

In the eyes of the Elric brothers, the gem statue in front of them is no different from a real gem. It is a real gem. It is different from the deception method of turning coal into gold that they encountered before. It truly changes the properties and quality of matter.

It can be called a miracle...

Ashes, who was disgusted by the statue, pulled the fire girl and turned away from the statue, heading towards the church door...

The Elric brothers behind him did not notice the abnormality of Ashes, and hurriedly followed him, complaining, "Really, why are you so anxious? We also want to study how the Philosopher's Stone changes the properties and quality of matter."

Where’s…”

Ashes took a deep breath, ignored Edward, pushed open the church door, and walked in...

"What a strange guy, Alphonse, have you offended him?" Edward looked at the strange ashes and asked his brother in confusion.

"Hey? Why me? I don't have it, brother. I don't know why Mr. Ashes looks a little angry..." The cute Alphonse scratched his head and looked at the Ashes in front of him and said without knowing why.

The four of them entered the church and looked at the magnificent interior and the statue of God Leit in front of them. Ashes felt more malice. This statue of a so-called god was also made of the Philosopher's Stone and human souls.

Hui Jin frowned and looked at the solemn statue standing in the center of the hall, and had the urge to smash it...

It's not that Ashes feels uncomfortable, it just feels disgusting... Unlike the souls that Ashes feels or even absorbs in the Black Soul World, the souls here, especially those that keep wailing, are really unbearable, full of malice, and full of resentment.
Chapter completed!