Shou San

**The Ao-Jing Sect (袄景教):** The name itself is a deliberate, chilling fusion of two historically distinct foreign religions that entered China via the Silk Road: *Xianjiao* (祆教), a Chinese designation for Zoroastrianism, and *Jingjiao* (景教), the historical Chinese name for Nestorian Christianity. By smashing these names together, the author creates a fictional cult that feels authentically "foreign" and ancient within the Chinese supernatural landscape. They are a suffering-cult: they do not seek enlightenment or immortality through transcendence, but through the agony of self-mutilation. Pain is their currency, their scripture, their ladder.

Definition

Story context

Get ready, folks—Li Huowang finally knocks on the door of the Ao-Jing Sect, and he finds out pretty darn quick that even the "ask nicely" route has its price. This chapter is all about atmosphere and negotiation: the silent, skinless watchers in their wide gray robes, a charred corpse who might be the sect leader, and one very specific request that makes Li Huowang's blood run cold. Our boy is no longer the clueless victim; he's walking into a den of pain-worshippers with a clear goal, but the game they're playing is on a whole other level.

Why it matters

This chapter marks a fascinating shift in the story's "dungeon" dynamic. Unlike Qingfeng Temple, where Li Huowang was a prisoner and a raw ingredient, here he walks in as a *client* with diplomatic credentials. But Shou San's condition—a live demonstration of the Ascension—instantly flips the negotiation. It's a masterclass in how the Dao-Twisted World operates: even the "civilized" request has a hook in it. Keep an eye on that phrase "steal Bashe's power." It recontextualizes everything we've heard about the Ao-Jing Sect and the *Thousand Greats Record*. They are not faithful servants; they are parasites trying to become predators.