The Witch Sect's temple wasn't in the city. It had been built on a mountain south of the county seat.
The temple was thick with incense. Every day, before dawn, worshippers began making their way up the mountain, offering devout prayers before the halls and lighting incense.
Early the next morning, Lu Chen followed a few scattered worshippers up South Mountain.
The mountain path was paved with bluestone steps, slick with moisture and shrouded in morning mist.
The worshippers climbed in silence. Most were dark-complexioned, calloused common folk: hunters, woodcutters, and peddlers who traveled the mountain roads, carrying simple offerings in their baskets.
The Witch Sect's temple stood halfway up the mountain. It was a massive hall built of dark blue stone, its design rough and imposing, with grotesque stone beasts of indistinct features crouched at the corners of its eaves.
The interior was dim.
On the altar.
Eighteen statues stood at varying heights.
Each had a human body, but a hideous beast's head.
Under the gaze of these eighteen deities, the worshippers filed in and knelt on the cushions before the altar, offering the simple sacrifices they had brought,
perhaps just a bowl of coarse grain, a few wild fruits, or a strip of dried meat.
They kowtowed and murmured prayers for their families' safety, bountiful harvests, and safe passage along the mountain roads—or to be spared the intrusions of the "Mountain God."
"Mountain God" was what the Witch Sect's followers called the strange beasts in the mountains.
Incense swirled, shrouding the devout or fearful faces alongside the impassive beast faces above the altar, blurring the line between them.
Lu Chen had come empty-handed. He didn't offer incense, but wandered around the temple, looking here and there and touching this and that.
His casual demeanor stood out in the temple.
Before long, a thin-faced shaman in a gray robe came over and eyed him. "You look unfamiliar, friend. Judging by your manner, you don't seem to be here to offer incense?"
Lu Chen answered frankly, "I didn't come specifically to offer incense. I've always been somewhat interested in the Witch Sect. I heard it's a great sect in the Northern Lands, so I thought I'd come see it for myself."
Understanding flickered in the thin-faced shaman's eyes, and his wariness eased a little.
He traveled all over and had met plenty of people like this.
Some were curious; others had something they wanted. Either way, they were interested in the Witch Sect.
People like them were often potential converts the sect could win over and bring into its fold. The man before him especially so: he wore a saber at his waist and walked with steady steps. Clearly, he was a martial artist.
"I see."
A kindly smile appeared on the shaman's face.
"It's rare to find someone with such a thirst for knowledge. Our sect's doors are open wide to all who are destined to join us. The Witch Sect reveres the spirits in all things and studies the workings of nature. We believe in living in harmony with the fierce beasts of the mountains, the wind and rain, and the thunder. Join our sect, and you'll earn the protection of mountain spirits, travel safely, and hunt with success."
His gaze swept over the saber at Lu Chen's waist again. "Judging by your bearing, you're a martial artist?"
"That's right," Lu Chen said with a nod.
"May I ask how far you've progressed in your cultivation?"
"I've just about reached the threshold, but haven't truly broken through yet."
Lu Chen was vague, but hinted that he was close to External Force.
"Oh?" The thin-faced shaman's eyes lit up, and he rejoiced inwardly.
An expert nearing External Force was a rare find in Wen'an County.
If he could persuade him to join the sect, it would not only bolster the sect's strength but also count as a personal achievement.
The shaman's face grew even warmer. "Come, come. Let me show you around the temple and tell you a little about our sect. Though this place may look rustic, it's steeped in the wisdom of our forebears, who studied nature and communed with all spirits."
The thin-faced shaman led Lu Chen along the side hall's corridor, explaining the temple's furnishings and the Witch Sect's legends as they went, hoping to show off the sect's heritage and draw him in.
Lu Chen followed behind, occasionally nodding along, but his thoughts were already elsewhere.
He'd come hoping to unlock a new card pool, but he'd waited and waited without a sign of one.
With no chance of a new card pool, he didn't have much interest in joining the Witch Sect, either.
The thin-faced shaman noticed Lu Chen's lack of enthusiasm and realized that ordinary talk wouldn't sway him.
His eyes flickered, and he suddenly lowered his voice. "To be frank, our sect has an ancient lineage and a deep foundation. We also possess secret arts passed down specifically for martial artists."
Lu Chen stopped and turned to look at him. "What sort of art?"
Seeing that he'd finally piqued Lu Chen's interest, the thin-faced shaman said no more. He only waved mysteriously. "This isn't the place to discuss it. Follow me."
He led Lu Chen through a small side door and onto a narrow path through the woods.
Ancient trees towered overhead. The air was damp, the mountain path grew steeper, and the surroundings turned secluded and shadowy.
They walked one behind the other through the quiet woods for about a quarter of an hour. Then, the view suddenly opened up.
A spacious courtyard stood in a forest clearing, built from rough-hewn timber and stone in an archaic style.
"This is the place. Some fellow disciples who devote themselves to cultivation and dislike the bustle down the mountain often practice here in seclusion. You may be able to catch a glimpse of the art you're interested in here."
The thin-faced shaman stopped outside the courtyard gate and explained.
The two entered the courtyard. Several men in gray robes spotted the thin-faced shaman and asked curiously, "Senior Brother Chen, what brings you here?"
"This friend is interested in our sect's human-beast secret art, so I brought him to see it for himself."
"Human-beast?" Lu Chen's eyes shifted.
"Exactly," the thin-faced shaman said with a grin.
A round-faced shaman came over with a wide grin. "Brother, are you a martial artist? What a coincidence—I am too. This human-beast secret art of our sect is incredible. Want to give it a try? To be honest, I decided to join the sect after I tried it myself."
Lu Chen's expression turned a little odd. "This human-beast secret art... what exactly is it?"
"Hey, just take a look and you'll see."
The round-faced shaman clapped his hands, and a sturdy wild boar came grunting out of the house and sidled up against his leg. "See? This is my Witch Beast."
Only after the shaman explained did Lu Chen understand.
The so-called human-beast secret art was actually a secret Witch Sect ritual for taming and communicating with specific "Witch Beasts."
Through this method, one could form a bond with a Witch Beast and borrow some of its strength or special abilities.
The round-faced shaman proudly patted the boar.
"See? It listens to me, doesn't it? We're practically one now. I can borrow its strength three times a day, for the time it takes an incense stick to burn each time. My punches pack a lot more power in a fight, and it can also charge in at my command and help me kill my enemies. It's like having an extra helper who isn't afraid to die."
Lu Chen asked, "That's just an ordinary wild boar, isn't it?"
"Exactly. The real power lies with the fellow disciples who can tame unusual species. The wilderness outside the city is full of strange creatures with unusual bloodlines that absorb vicious energy. Tame one, and the benefits are beyond measure. You might gain boundless strength, skin like bronze and bones like iron, or speed like a ghost. You could even acquire some special ability the creature was born with. For martial artists like us, this kind of opportunity is no less valuable than an unparalleled martial art!"
After hearing this, Lu Chen felt a flicker of interest.
It sounded pretty good, like raising a powerful assistant.
But the greater the benefits, the deeper the trap was likely to be. If it were really that easy, this courtyard ought to be packed with people.
"This method can't be easy to practice, can it?" he asked bluntly, fixing his gaze on the round-faced shaman.
The round-faced shaman's smile faded, and he sighed.
"Ah, isn't that the truth? There were at least fifty or sixty brothers who joined the sect with me and learned this secret art back then. Just look at us now. Only a few of us are still standing here, alive and in one piece. The others either couldn't endure it, or..."
He shook his head and said no more.
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