Infiltrating the Team

Li Feng and Mordo had not gone far when Mordo suddenly heard galloping horses behind them and quickly signaled Li Feng to hide.

Before long, a rider wearing a burlap cloak passed by Li Feng without noticing him.

Hidden in the grass, Li Feng watched the rider's retreating back thoughtfully. As long as I get a look at the Crusader Swords used by those knights ahead, I'll be able to tell whether this is the movie world I remember.

Mordo stood and watched the knight ride away before turning to Li Feng. "I can see from your eyes that you seem to know something about this world. Care to explain?"

It was clearly the first time either of them had come to this world. What did Li Feng rely on to know about it? Mordo was curious.

Li Feng scratched his head. This really was not easy to explain. Curling his lip, he said, "I just remembered that I caught a glimpse of the symbol on one of the knights' Crusader Swords earlier. It seemed to be the symbol of the Church's Crusaders."

Mordo was somewhat confused. The cross banner in the small town behind them already proved that the Church existed in this world, so was it not perfectly normal for there to be Crusaders? Besides, Mordo considered his eyesight better than Li Feng's, yet even he had not noticed any Crusader Sword. How had Li Feng seen it? Most importantly, what did this have to do with his question?

Still, since Li Feng was using nonsense to cover up how he knew what world this was, Mordo did not press further. Everyone had a few secrets, after all. Even if Li Feng harbored ill intentions, Mordo did not care. Li Feng was merely a rookie who had trained for less than three years. Mordo could destroy him with one hand. At worst, he would be unable to return to his original world. He could simply establish a Masters of the Mystic Arts in this world and continue striking down Demons that dared invade Earth.

As for Li Feng escaping back to his original world because Mordo let his guard down, Mordo believed that the shrewd Ancient One had surely noticed something. Li Feng would not have a pleasant time then.

Thinking this, Mordo glanced at Li Feng. "Let's go. I want to see whether that strange girl really is the incarnation of a Demon."

Li Feng shrugged and followed Mordo toward the Prison Wagon, muttering inwardly, If this world really is the movie I think it is, you didn't even bring a Magic Artifact for checking Demonic possession. What the hell are you going to find?

Moving swiftly, the two soon caught up to the Prison Wagon and saw a white-bearded old man wielding a sword in his left hand, beating a young man so badly he could barely fight back.

Seeing this, Li Feng curled his lip. He had already confirmed that this was the world of Season of the Witch.

That knight, who looked remarkably like the Level 777 Mage Balthazar Blake, was this world's protagonist: Behmen, a man who believed in God but hated the Church for using faith as an excuse to slaughter women.

The man using left-handed swordsmanship to utterly crush the young man in the distance was Behmen's friend, Felson.

The two had once been undefeated generals among the Crusaders. After spending decades on the battlefield, they had left the Crusader forces because they refused to obey orders to slaughter women and the elderly. After wandering for a month, they entered the small town Li Feng and Mordo had discovered because their horses needed food and rest.

The moment they entered the town, the Crusaders recognized them and threw them into prison. During that time, the town's bishop asked them to escort a Witch who had brought Plague upon the world to Sefrak Abbey. There, a magical spellbook called The Key of Solomon could effectively destroy the Witch and Purify the Plague afflicting the world.

Disappointed in the Church, Behmen rejected the bishop's request without a second thought—until he saw the Witch mentioned by the bishop in the prison, a girl who looked more like a little child than anything else.

In the end, moved by pity, Behmen said that as long as the little girl suspected of being a Witch received a fair trial, he was willing to escort her to Sefrak Abbey.

After that came the scene Li Feng had witnessed: the little girl was placed in the Prison Wagon, and Behmen led a Knight, a Priest, and a swindler out of the city toward Sefrak Abbey.

The reason Behmen and Felson had spent decades on the battlefield without losing any limbs was because they maintained a high level of vigilance during combat and had developed the habit of observing their surroundings to guard against hidden enemies.

Behmen quickly called for Felson to stop sparring with the young man. The two turned to look at Li Feng and Mordo, who had made no effort to hide themselves.

Felson shifted the Crusader Sword to his accustomed right hand in case a fight suddenly broke out. Curling his lip, he said to Behmen, "That altar boy who followed us earlier could at least be said to want our recognition and dream of becoming a Knight. But these two don't look like altar boys at all. They look more like a monk and a heretic."

Mordo could sense that the entire group escorting the Witch consisted of ordinary people. Even if there were supernatural beings among them, he would not care. All he cared about was whether the little girl in the Prison Wagon was a Demon. If she was, there was no need for any bullshit—he would destroy the Demon on the spot.

Li Feng glanced at the wary Behmen. Seemingly talking to himself, yet also seemingly speaking soundlessly to Behmen, he thought, The one in the Prison Wagon really isn't a Witch, but she isn't the innocent little girl you think the Church tortured into confessing, either. A Demon is hidden inside that body.

Then Li Feng looked speechlessly at Mordo, who ignored Behmen and the others as he walked toward the Prison Wagon. Without a Magic Artifact to detect Demons, you won't be able to see the Demon inside the girl. That cunning Demon never killed the girl's soul. Instead, it coexists with her soul inside the same body. You can sense that the girl's soul is strange, but don't even think about identifying the Demon by feeling alone.

In this era, when white people were everywhere and black people were rarer than pandas, Behmen instinctively drew his Crusader Sword to stop Mordo. "Gentlemen, could you explain your purpose?"

Mordo assessed Behmen, then pointed at the Prison Wagon. "I sense Demon's Aura. Please allow me to investigate."

Behmen found it somewhat ridiculous. The Church had called the poor little girl a Witch, while this fellow, black as charcoal, said she was a Demon. So the question was: was that poor little girl a Witch or a Demon?

The Demon in the Prison Wagon was taken aback upon hearing Mordo's words. Narrowing his eyes, he examined the two men who had suddenly appeared. He could sense the Mana within Mordo and Li Feng and knew they were no ordinary people. But he also knew they could not possibly see his true form, so he leisurely observed them, especially Li Feng. He could sense that Li Feng's Mana leaned toward darkness.

Behmen glanced at Felson, who spread his hands to show that he did not believe Mordo, then turned back and sneered at Mordo. "Yet I think you look more like a Demon. A black devil."

At Behmen's "black devil," Li Feng felt it was time for him to step in. If he did not stop Mordo and Behmen now, he would soon get to watch a Mage battle a Knight.

Li Feng walked up to Behmen, touching the Magic Longsword at his waist. "We are travelers wandering the land. Could we join your group for a while? I would like to learn swordsmanship from you."

The Priest knew the Church altar boy who had fought Felson and knew that his name was Kay. Since Kay's impressive battle with Felson had earned Behmen's approval, the Priest did not object to allowing someone of known origins to join the group escorting the Witch.

But the yellow-skinned Li Feng and the black Mordo received no such friendliness from the Priest. He merely hid in the distance and shouted at Behmen, "No, I refuse to let them join the group. They are heretics."

Heretic my ass. Li Feng was extremely displeased at being inexplicably accused of heresy. He reached into his pocket, pulled out the Magic Playing Cards, and prepared to greet the Priest with a Fireball.

In this world, Li Feng was only interested in the spellbook called The Key of Solomon. Swordsmanship could wait.

Now that the Priest had displeased him, Li Feng did not care how the Demon living inside the girl intended to conquer this world. He only wanted to kill the Priest, head to Sefrak Abbey to seize the spellbook, then return to the Marvel Universe and slowly study it.

Standing to one side and peering past Behmen at the little girl in the Prison Wagon, Mordo was displeased at being called a "black devil," but he still reached out to stop Li Feng. At the moment, he cared more about the Demon. Frowning, Mordo quietly asked Li Feng, "I can't sense any Demon's Aura from the little girl, but she gives me a strange feeling. Can you see anything?"

"See my ass, isn't it just—" Halfway through his sentence, Li Feng noticed the little girl in the Prison Wagon narrowing her eyes at him. Her gaze seemed full of warning.

Li Feng suddenly realized that spoiling the plot might feel good for a moment, but it could cost him his life afterward. Especially when he was still a rookie with limited Mana and spells. If he exposed the Demon's identity here and enraged it enough to flee the Prison Wagon, everyone present might be finished except perhaps Mordo, who had some fighting ability—including Li Feng himself.

Li Feng was not sure Mordo could keep the Demon occupied long enough for him to calmly open a Portal and escape. Especially since he would be the one who exposed the Demon and disrupted its plans. Once the Demon revealed itself, who would be its first target? Of course, Li Feng.

Damn it, you Demon actually dare threaten me with your eyes. Once I prepare a spell that lets me escape at any time, I'll have Mordo deal with you properly.

Or I'll wait until I find The Key of Solomon and have the means to counter you, then kill you myself.

Thinking this, Li Feng rubbed his cheeks and put on a fake smile. Grinning at the Priest, he said, "Since you say I'm a heretic, then I should join your group even more. That way, you'll have time to see whether I really am one."

Just wait. I'll show you how I deal with a Priest who loves spouting nonsense.

Behmen glanced at the cards in Li Feng's hand. As a soldier who had spent years fighting with his life on the line, he could sense the threat emanating from them.

Originally, Behmen had not wanted Li Feng and Mordo to join the group. Their origins and intentions were unknown. But when he heard Mordo say, "If you disagree, we'll just quietly follow behind the group," Behmen had no choice but to agree, his face darkening, to let them join the party escorting the Witch.

Compared with letting the two cause trouble from behind the group, Behmen believed they would not dare make trouble under his watch.

Thus, under the wary gazes the others occasionally cast their way, Mordo and Li Feng joined the group.

During this time, Li Feng truly did join with the intention he had mentioned earlier—to learn swordsmanship from Behmen. He constantly stayed by Behmen's side, asking how to practice swordsmanship.