Witch Sect, Red Pill Sect

That afternoon, the grain transport caravan limped back into Wen'an County in a wretched state.

Lu Chen was covered in blood, all of it splattered during his desperate struggle with the bandits.

Ten of the thirty hired hands had been lost, and nearly half the grain carts had been plundered; had it not been for Lu Chen fighting with his life on the line, the entire group likely would have perished on those desolate mountain roads.

Jin Ming lay slumped in a cart, his face ashen and his body trembling like chaff in the wind. This pampered young master, who had lived a life of luxury, had never seen blades sink into flesh or guts spill across the ground; he had been scared out of his wits.

Before the Daxing Rice Shop, under the glow of the lanterns.

Jin Haotian, Jin Ming's father, stood on the stone steps, watching the pathetic sight of his youngest son being helped down from the cart by two laborers.

Jin Haotian's face darkened instantly.

Beside him, his eldest son, Jin Shuo, shook his head and sighed, "Father, I advised you earlier. Third Brother is still too flighty and far too young; it is too early for him to be doing business. He is not yet ready to shoulder such responsibilities alone."

Jin Haotian said nothing, his eyes filled with anger and disappointment, before he flicked his sleeves and turned into the shop.

Jin Shuo watched his father depart, a look of smug satisfaction rising on his face.

Lu Chen took all of this in, and his heart grew clear.

It seemed this eldest son of the Jin family had no intention of letting his younger brother get a foothold in the family business.

The arrival of those bandits had been suspicious, and thinking back on it now, it was likely no coincidence; it was highly probable that this was the man's own handiwork.

He saw through it but said nothing. After dark, he wandered over to Sheep Intestine Alley. This area was filled with coal shops and laborers who mined in the North Mountain, and consequently, it had many bathhouses. Lu Chen ducked into one to wash away the blood and fatigue, emerging dressed only in a grey martial outfit. He found a washerwoman at the mouth of the alley, handed her the blood-stained cotton robe, and placed a few copper coins in her hand.

"Please, I will come to collect it at this time tomorrow."

The woman took the robe and nodded in agreement.

In the cold night, he walked alone back to the small courtyard in Sheep Dung Alley.

That brat Jin Ming had been scared out of his mind this time, Lu Chen calculated. He would wait two days; once the boy had recovered his senses, he would go and collect his payment for this trip.

Upon arriving home, he summoned Blind Man and the others to ask about the lottery stall business.

Blind Man replied, "Don't worry, Big Brother, the stall is doing fine. There haven't been any disturbances."

Er Gou chimed in, "It's just that lately, there have been a lot of sticky-fingered thieves on the streets. Several neighbors have come to complain about missing items."

Lu Chen said, "Go and ask if they are from the Thief Gang. If they are, tell them to get out of my territory. If they aren't, catch them, kill them on the spot, and dump them outside the city."

"Understood, Big Brother."

The next day, Lu Chen went to the martial arts school's inner courtyard to present the shell hairpin to his master's wife.

"Thank you for your care and guidance, Mistress. A small token of my appreciation; I hope you do not find it too crude."

The mistress picked up the hairpin to examine it, a warmth appearing in her eyes as she spoke in a gentle voice, "You are very thoughtful."

She placed the hairpin lightly on the desk and turned her gaze toward Lu Chen, studying him from head to toe for a moment before speaking slowly, "Looking at your progress these past few days, your steps are steady and your breath has grown more robust. If you continue to train like this, within half a year, you will be able to cultivate External Force and truly step across the threshold of the martial path."

Hearing this, Lu Chen seized the opportunity to ask, "What exactly is External Force? I feel my strength and vitality are superior to the average person, but if I were to truly face an expert of External Force, I fear I wouldn't last three moves. Where exactly does this gap lie?"

The mistress pondered for a moment before saying:

"External Force is not just about having great strength. When ordinary people practice martial arts, their power resides in their tendons, bones, and flesh; they fight by clashing hard against hard. External Force is about taking your vitality, your spirit, and the foundation you have built over these years, and twisting them into a force that is more solid and more obedient."

She paused and continued, "It is like mercury—heavy and cohesive—but you decide where it flows. If you gather it at your fingertips, you can pierce through wood and stone; if you disperse it throughout your body, ordinary blades cannot easily harm you."

Lu Chen listened, nodding thoughtfully.

That evening, as Lu Chen returned from the martial arts school and passed through Meat Market Street, he stumbled upon two groups of men hacking at each other.

Blade light mingled with blood, and severed limbs and gore were scattered everywhere. Even so, a crowd of onlookers still gathered by the roadside, craning their necks to watch the spectacle.

One side was the Witch Sect, while the other was dressed entirely in red; judging by their formation, they belonged to some other sect.

He asked a butcher who was packing up his stall, "What is the background of those fighting the Witch Sect?"

The butcher whispered, "They are the Red Pill Sect, a new sect that has arrived. Many wealthy families in the county believe in them and have even donated money to build them a temple."

Lu Chen understood immediately.

In this world, there were countless chaotic sects. The area to the north had always been under the control of the Witch Sect, and many who had tried to seize their territory had been driven off.

For this Red Pill Sect to gain a foothold here and even build a temple, they must have some tricks up their sleeves. No wonder the two sides were fighting so fiercely; they were encroaching on the Witch Sect's livelihood.

Lu Chen withdrew his gaze and prepared to leave, but without warning, a line of text popped up before his eyes.

[Task: Choose to assist one of the two sides]

[Option One: Assist the Red Pill Sect]

[Reward: Unlock the "Red Pill Secret Technique" card pool]

[Option Two: Assist the Witch Sect]

[Reward: Unlock the "Human Face Beast Heart" card pool]

Lu Chen's footsteps faltered, and the text appearing before him left him slightly stunned.

Another task?

And this time, it required him to make a choice between two factions.

Help whom? Lu Chen weighed the options in his mind, unable to make a firm decision for the moment.

The main issue was that he couldn't gauge what type of card pools these were, and he had absolutely no idea what could be drawn from them.

He knew a bit about the Witch Sect; they dealt with exotic beasts outside the city year-round, dabbled in terrifying things, and excelled at controlling fierce creatures.

Their card pool was likely inclined toward this path, perhaps offering methods for beast taming or exorcism.

As for the Red Pill Sect, he knew nothing at all—what laws they cultivated or which deities they worshipped was a complete mystery to him.

The Witch Sect is the safer bet, he mused.

After all, the Witch Sect had entrenched itself in the North for years as the premier sect, with roots running deep. The Red Pill Sect's foundation was still shallow, and as newcomers, they might not last; who knew when some formidable figure from the Witch Sect might uproot them entirely? Helping the Witch Sect now might prove more advantageous in the long run.

With his mind made up, he was just about to step forward to assist when—

A sudden turn of events erupted in the arena.

Seeing his side suffering heavy casualties, a Red Pill Sect member gritted his teeth, pulled a packet of crimson powder from his robes, and flung it out.

The Witch Sect members recoiled as if they had seen a venomous snake, covering their noses and mouths as they retreated, clearly terrified of the powder.

Taking advantage of the gap, the Red Pill Sect group hoisted their wounded and slipped away into the alleyways.

The Witch Sect members had suffered a major loss, with several dead and many wounded; lacking the strength to pursue, they cursed and grumbled as they picked up their own and retreated as well.

In the blink of an eye, the street that had been burning with conflict was left with nothing but blood, scattered limbs, and the lingering red mist, a sight that made one's skin crawl.

The onlookers vanished in an instant.

Only Lu Chen remained, standing there like a wooden stake.

He felt a pang of regret; he had been too slow to act, missing the opportunity entirely.

No, chances to unlock new card pools were rare.

Tomorrow, he would have to visit the Witch Sect's temple; perhaps he might still stumble upon some luck.