**The Ao-Jing Sect (袄景教):** As hinted by the nuns, this is a fictional fusion of two very real, historically influential religions in China: **Zoroastrianism** (袄教, also known as Xianism, the ancient Persian faith of Ahura Mazda) and **Nestorian Christianity** (景教, the Church of the East that reached Tang Dynasty China). The name itself is a portmanteau. Their symbol, a “withered black lucky leaf” that looks like a cross, is a clever hybrid of the Christian cross and the aesthetic of a religion fading away.
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Definition
**The Ao-Jing Sect (袄景教):** As hinted by the nuns, this is a fictional fusion of two very real, historically influential religions in China: **Zoroastrianism** (袄教, also known as Xianism, the ancient Persian faith of Ahura Mazda) and **Nestorian Christianity** (景教, the Church of the East that reached Tang Dynasty China). The name itself is a portmanteau. Their symbol, a “withered black lucky leaf” that looks like a cross, is a clever hybrid of the Christian cross and the aesthetic of a religion fading away.
Story context
Alright, fellow Daoist traveler, take a deep breath. Chapter 117 is a somber, lonely hike through a landscape of death and unanswered questions. We leave the Anci Nunnery behind and set off with Li Huowang on a two-day journey to find the mysterious Ao-Jing Sect. But the trail leads through a **massacred town** and collapsed temples, and our boy’s gut tells him something is *very* wrong. This is a slow-burn horror chapter, heavy on atmosphere and light on action, where the *absence* of a sect is more terrifying than meeting them face-to-face.
Why it matters
This chapter is a masterclass in **negative space horror**. The terror isn’t in what Li Huowang finds, but in what’s *missing*. The Ao-Jing Sect was built up as a dangerous alternative to Danyangzi, so stepping into their empty, desecrated territory is profoundly unsettling.
Quick facts
Source novel
Dao Gui Yi Xian
First appearance
The Ao-Jing Sect
Chapter references
1
Type hints
li huowang, mantou the dog, ao-jing sect
Guide tags
atmosphere, lonely hike, world-building
Appears in chapters
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