Honestly, Buluoduo didn't really believe Bai Qi, thinking he was joking. But seeing the grim expression on the warrior's face next to him, Buluoduo felt that although the matter was a bit bizarre, it was likely true.
The warrior glanced at Bai Yue and said, "The old chieftain is unconscious. Take these people back and keep them under guard. As for the final decision, we'll make it after the old chieftain wakes up."
"What?!"
Buluoduo immediately objected upon hearing this, angrily accusing the other of breaking his word. However, he was silenced by the warrior's retort.
"Now that the old chieftain is unconscious, who can guarantee that you have healed the chieftain's illness?"
Helpless, the three had to follow Bai Yue back to the small stone hut where they were originally.
On the way back, an unforeseen incident occurred. Six strange figures wearing dragon-patterned masks and wielding long spears suddenly burst out from both sides of the road, encircling Bai Qi, the other two, and Bai Yue's men.
Upon seeing these people, Bai Yue frowned, a hint of surprise on his face.
It was obvious that Bai Yue recognized these individuals, especially their dragon-patterned masks, and hadn't expected them to appear here.
"What do you mean by this?"
Bai Yue stepped forward, intending to negotiate with them.
The six exchanged glances, parted to the sides, and their leader stepped forward. He approached Bai Yue and said, "An order from the Witch."
"The Witch?" Bai Yue said with some disbelief. "The Witch wants to see these outsiders?"
"No," the man shook his head. "The Witch's order is for us to bring him to the temple. Only him."
As he spoke, the leader pointed at Bai Qi.
Seeing Bai Yue hesitate, the man continued, "You wouldn't want to defy the Witch's wishes, would you?"
"Of course not."
Bai Yue quickly stepped aside and, at the same time, said to his subordinates behind him, "Release him. The Witch wants to see him."
It was known that the Witch held a very high status among the Gatekeepers, being an absolute authority. Anyone who dared to defy the Witch's wishes would likely be driven out of the tribe the next day, or even beaten to death by the angry tribesmen. These people were the Witch's personal guards, and their dragon-patterned masks were the best proof.
"Sir."
Harry didn't care about any Witch or not. Who knew if this old man called the Witch would do anything detrimental to his master? Without giving them any face, he directly blocked Bai Qi.
The masked man, seeing this, didn't waste any more words. He raised his long spear, intending to kill Harry on the spot.
As loyal guards of the Witch, all those who dared to defy the Witch's wishes or act against him must die.
Harry, seeing this, also showed no weakness and prepared to transform into a werewolf to fight back.
Fortunately, at this moment, Bai Qi walked between them, placing one hand on Harry's shoulder.
Harry's transformation was instantly suppressed, and on the other side, the leader also put down his weapon, his mission to be completed.
Bai Qi approached the leader and said, "Lead the way."
"Certainly, please follow me."
Under the leader's guidance, Bai Qi arrived at the foot of the temple.
There was a seemingly endless staircase leading up to the temple. Upon reaching the stairs, the six did not rush up. Instead, they formed a peculiar formation, with the leader in front and the other five behind. Then, they knelt down with a thud, clasped their hands together, and recited for a long time towards the top of the stairs before standing up again.
"Please follow me."
The leader bowed slightly to Bai Qi, then turned and began to ascend the stairs.
They walked up the stairs, one step at a time. Every fifty steps, the leader would stop, kneel down again, chant something, and then continue forward. This showed the immense reverence he held for the Witch.
Bai Qi wanted to hear what he was muttering. After all, the Gatekeepers spoke in a demonic language. However, the stairs leading to the temple were made of a special kind of mineral with extremely strong sound-absorbing properties. The moment the leader's voice was uttered, it would be completely absorbed by the steps.
Although Bai Qi was curious, asking what he was saying felt beneath him. Moreover, the fact that they had used sound-absorbing mineral for the stairs clearly indicated they didn't want anyone to know. So, Bai Qi didn't ask further, following behind the leader and watching him kneel and rise repeatedly as they moved forward.
Finally, after more than two hours of progress, they reached the entrance of the temple.
Compared to the simple architectural style of the Gatekeepers, the temple could be described as magnificent. It was not made of stone but of a special kind of wood. Approaching it, one could smell a faint, pleasant aroma that greatly relaxed both mind and body.
This time, after kneeling and chanting, the leader did not stand up again. Instead, he remained kneeling at the entrance. After a long while, he turned to Bai Qi and said, "The Witch is waiting inside. You may enter."
Bai Qi said nothing superfluous and walked directly past the leader into the temple. He wanted to see what kind of person this Witch was, who could inspire such reverence, even to the point of obsession.
The moment Bai Qi stepped into the temple, the first thing he saw was a massive, over ten-meter-tall statue of an angel standing before him.
Here, one had to admire the Gatekeepers' carving skills. Even though it was carved from stone, it was incredibly lifelike, a work of art that was second to none in the entire world.
The angel depicted in the carving had a beauty that could only be described as breathtaking. Just looking at the stone statue could captivate countless people.
However, this was not the main point. The key was the stone platform beneath the colossal angel statue. On the platform lay a set of silver armor and a red longsword.
From the aura emanating from both the armor and the sword, it was clear they were no ordinary items. And from the fact that they were always meddling, constantly spouting justice, and from the unparalleled beauty of the statue, Bai Qi had already guessed where these foreign angels came from. Now, all he needed was a confirmation to be one hundred percent sure.
But at this very moment, the curtain beside the statue was lifted, and an old woman holding a cane walked out.
The moment she saw Bai Qi, the old woman's steps instantly froze. She rubbed her wrinkled hands repeatedly, and after confirming, her entire body began to tremble violently.
Her reaction completely bewildered Bai Qi, who wondered if the old woman would pass out from excitement.
Fortunately, Bai Qi's worries did not materialize. However, what the old woman said next truly made Bai Qi's jaw drop.
The old woman hurried a few steps forward to Bai Qi, then knelt down with a thud.
"Servant Witch, pays respects to the Holy Lord."
Bai Qi's mind struggled to process this. He had never met her before. He had even found the Gatekeepers only through Bob and the disc. And the Witch, if Bai Qi's memory was correct, he was meeting for the first time as well. Why was she calling him Lord and referring to herself as a servant?