The huge crystal lamp flows with divine and bright colors and hangs high above the arched dome.
Fragments of light slowly flowed across the lifelike classical murals on the walls.
Many churches are built next to the tombs, and the central cathedral of the City of God is no exception. The icy cross is illuminated by the snow-like moonlight.
On one side, there is a quiet church.
On one side, there is a desolate cemetery.
Almost all citizens of the City of God long to live in the cemetery next to the central cathedral in a dignified manner after death, but most people who die on Freedom Day have only one ending.
Be burned and turned into ashes.
Getting married in a sacred and solemn church is the dream of many young girls.
At the front of the church are classical pianos and orchestral instruments, and people in white robes are playing music solemnly.
The elegant reverberation of piano and woodwind instruments blends together, and the speed is slow.
Behind them is a huge sculpture covered in white cloth.
That is the god they believe in.
The strange thing is that the statue of the god is covered.
In the sound of music, the white gauze skirt is dragged to the ground, and the wedding dress, which symbolizes sincerity and purity, is like illusory white foam, stacked together.
There were several young girls in wedding dresses sitting in the front row. Their faces were shrouded in white gauze and could not be seen clearly.
He seemed to be holding something in his hand, it was red, not like flowers.
The scene in front of me was like a wedding in a church.
Tang Rou and Atherland quietly got in through the melted back door, and the strong smell of alcohol hit their faces.
It was as if this church had been washed away by strong alcohol. Just breathing the air here made Tang Rou feel tipsy.
She and Atherland crouched behind the seats to hide their figures, quietly looking forward.
This is a wedding without a groom.
But there are several brides.
When the music was over, they stood up with their skirts in hand, walking unsteadily.
His expressions were not right, he looked a little crazy.
Some people lifted their veils, with psychedelic expressions on their faces, looking up at the huge statues covered with white cloths, kneeling before their gods, confused and intoxicated.
Aslan pinched his nose, "Why is there such a strong smell of alcohol? And those women in wedding dresses in front, are they all drinking? Why do they all look like they can't stand still?"
Tang Rou frowned and suddenly thought of something, "In the ancient Inca civilization, there was a sacrificial ceremony. The girls who were sacrificed to the gods were mummified after being selected by the sacrifice."
"Before the sacrificial ceremony, they would continue to consume large amounts of alcohol and coca leaves for up to nine months before death, until the last moment of their lives."
"Wine and coca?"
"Well, fill them with wine and add anesthesia, so that they won't feel any pain at the moment of being sacrificed, and they will even experience joy."
All girls who believe in unorthodox religions long to become sacrifices to gods.
It is their glory to be chosen by the priests and become sacrifices.
Let them stand out from ordinary people, be carefully cared for, and become the chosen ones.
Being selected is a supreme honor.
Therefore, the sacrifices must not show fear or sadness. Any fear or tears are disrespectful to God.
If you look closely, you will find that the girls in white wedding dresses not far away are all smiling intoxicatedly. Their spirits have long been paralyzed by alcohol and coca leaves, and they have become muddled.
The people in this city have long been brainwashed to regard gods and weird new religions as sacred and inviolable existences.
Their eyes reveal a morbid obsession and madness for the idols, which is frightening.
Religious worship itself has an unusual flavor.
Any excessive worship can be regarded as a mental illness.
"But...why do sacrifices to gods wear wedding dresses?"
Aslan frowned, with a face full of confusion, "Isn't the wedding dress worn when you get married?"
Tang Rou shook her head, "I don't know either."
No one knows why, only those who carry God’s will know.
If you want to end all this, there is actually a simpler and more crude way. Tang Rou can let Yue destroy this place directly.
Let the priest who promulgated the Day of Killing and the Day of Freedom disappear in the pure white thread, and let everything that is happening in front of you stop.
But, what then?
The pastor disappears, what happens next?
Will religion disappear? Will this crazy belief disappear from the hearts of people in this city?
Won't.
What is society?
Society is a noun.
Is it real? Or is it a conventional concept? Is it illusory? Or does it have substance?
Even if the city collapses, society will still exist. Even if the people who control the city disappear, society will still stand.
It does not pass with time and will not disappear. Wherever there are people, there is society, and the same goes for these crazy beliefs.
As long as there are people and the sea, these weird and morbid power worships will not disappear.
Unless we can find the source and know why all this happened.
Tang Rou and Atherland quietly came out of the back door.
A group of people also gathered near the cemetery not far away. They did not have the right to enter the church, but they could wander around the church.
Those people were thin and had sunken cheeks, like moving skeletons.
Materials in this city are not rich, and are even scarce, so most people are emaciated. Even if the city maintains normal operations, traffic congestion still has a huge impact.
When Tang Rou saw clearly what they were doing, her scalp was numb.
Those people pulled out the weeds beside the cemetery, reached out to grab the grass blades and roots, and licked the soil on them.
They are eating soil from the cemetery.
"...Tell me, what kind of people can enter this cemetery?"
Aslan rubbed his arms and muttered in a low voice, "I don't know much. I heard that it is usually related to the church. The pastors, believers, and the parents of the sacrifices have the qualifications to enter the cemetery."
So, it still has something to do with this weird religion.
The singing had ended, and the high priest disappeared into the center of the church.
He is the most sacred and inviolable person in this city. Not long ago, Tang Rou discovered a secret through her convenient sense of smell. This priest had some unexplainable relationship with the musician with a beautiful voice in the bar next to him.
Those people were still eating dirt, and their expressions were morbid and crazy.
Aslan held back the surging stomach acid and twitched the corners of his mouth, "Is this considered feudal superstition?"
Tang Rou felt something was not right.
Sacrifice to... Poseidon?
With the development of science and technology, higher education has long been popularized.
What's more, the City of God's urban conditions are running well, with complete infrastructure, institutions of higher learning, independent energy supply systems, high-rise buildings and other wine roads, and advanced technology.
The people inside the church seemed to behave in a polite manner, and the people outside the church did not look like urban white-collar workers wearing suits or playing tricks. It was definitely not a low-civilized city.
How could a place like this give birth to such ignorant beliefs?
What blinded them?
Tang Rou lowered her eyes and said softly, "Go find that priest."