Volume Two: A Season of Turmoil, A Series of Twists and Turns. Chapter 130: The Three Great Sects, A Complete Transformation.

Pondering the matter, they felt that unless a miraculous cure appeared, Chen San would likely remain this insufferably effeminate until they found Zen Master Du'e of Puxian Temple. They wondered, perhaps they would eventually get used to it?

Yet, becoming accustomed to such a monstrosity was no simple task. Chen San had once been the star courtesan of Tianxiang Garden in Yutai Town. Previously, he had needed Chen Wan'er to speak on his behalf, but now, his girlish mannerisms were entirely natural. Sometimes, Yang Chengzi felt a perverse urge to follow him to the latrine—not for any lewd reason, but simply to verify if his equipment was still there.

Just as they were on the verge of madness from this inability to adapt, an old man sought them out. He had not come to treat Chen San; the old man hailed from the Kaitian Sect, one of the three major sects, and had business with Yang Chengzi. Upon seeing Chen San’s dainty, bewitching demeanor, the man was so incensed he nearly drew his blade to run him through.

After explaining his purpose, the group was filled with hope, learning that the old man could not only rid Chen San of his "flower-like" affectations but also restore his voice. However, Yang Chengzi was not entirely certain he could succeed in the favor the old man requested of him.

He had hoped to have the old man treat Chen San first, but since the man lacked his tools, Yang Chengzi accompanied him to the Kaitian Sect’s branch hall, located just outside Yutai Town, where the incident in question had transpired.

Yutai Town differed from the region around Mount Mao. While Mount Mao and Mount Longhu were centers of Taoism, they also hosted many Buddhist temples. In the vicinity of Mount Mao, masters of yin-yang sorcery were plentiful, but in Yutai Town, Taoists like Yang Chengzi, who possessed a profound mastery of the unseen, were rare. Most were merely outer-sect disciples who performed basic rituals or practiced feng shui.

Though capable Taoists were few, the region was home to many powerful figures belonging to the three major sects: the Kaitian Sect, the Xuantian Sect, and the Yuhun Sect—much like the presence of Mount Mao and Mount Longhu near Chen Family Town. These three sects were equally capable of slaying wicked spirits and demons, though their methods differed from those of the traditional Taoist and Buddhist schools.

The Kaitian Sect was the preeminent power, boasting countless experts. While few practiced sorcery, they were all masters of weaponry and possessed extraordinary skills. Many had mastered the ability to tread on snow without leaving a trace or to strike with a sword that could move mountains and rivers.

The Xuantian Sect was more akin to the schools of Mount Mao and Longhu, yet it consisted primarily of sorcerers. They possessed a smattering of yin-yang techniques, though few attained true mastery. Their true strength lay in the crafting of magical artifacts and talismans; a single drop of blood could activate a device capable of cleaving mountains, making them highly effective at subduing demons. However, the Xuantian Sect maintained a clandestine rivalry with the Kaitian Sect, and their lack of strict criteria for recruitment had earned them a somewhat tarnished reputation.

The Yuhun Sect was the most mysterious of the three. Unless one specifically sought them out, they would likely go unnoticed. Yet, their power was so formidable that no one dared disregard them. Within the martial world, it was known that they practiced soul-possession, similar to the Taoist "invoking the gods," but the exact nature of their capabilities remained shrouded in rumors, making it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction.

The old man who sought out Yang Chengzi was Yang Shiqian, an administrator of the Kaitian Sect’s Leiming Hall, who assisted the Hall Master in daily affairs. He had come specifically regarding his Hall Master. The origins of this affair were long and deeply unsettling.

It began several years ago. As the leader of the three sects, the Leiming Hall was magnificent and imposing, housing hundreds of disciples who could scale walls and vault over eaves with ease. The Hall Master, Wu Chengfeng, was a young man of great promise and immense martial prowess. With a long sword that unleashed waves of qi and a roar like a dragon, he had secured his position as Hall Master at a remarkably young age. Although the previous Hall Master was his father, the positions within the Kaitian Sect were not hereditary.

Wu Chengfeng was a favored son of heaven; not only was he intellectually gifted, but he was also strikingly handsome. As a child, he had been a beautiful youth, and with his father as the Hall Master, he had been pursued by countless young ladies from wealthy families.

Not long after Wu Chengfeng officially assumed the role of Hall Master, he seemed to undergo a transformation. Previously, he had been kind-hearted and decisive, judging matters objectively rather than based on personal bias. While not as universally revered as his father, he had performed admirably for a young master.

But as the years passed, Wu Chengfeng became increasingly inscrutable, his conduct growing arrogant and extreme. Not only the elder Hall Master, but even Yang Shiqian, who worked alongside him daily, found his behavior baffling and inexplicable. Gradually, voices of dissent emerged regarding his decisions. Yang Shiqian saw this and grew anxious, but as the young master, there were limits to what could be said or done. His subtle attempts to guide Wu Chengfeng had proven largely ineffective.

Wu Chengfeng remained headstrong, causing the branch hall to fracture into internal conflicts and low morale. Six months ago, Yang Shiqian discovered something that made everyone’s skin crawl—a realization that sent the elder Hall Master into a bedridden state of despair: the young master was increasingly resembling someone else—a dead man he had personally executed.

It was not a physical resemblance, but the tone of his voice, his mannerisms, his temper, and his gaze—all were uncannily similar. Specifically, the eyes. Those who knew the truth found that staring into the young master’s eyes revealed the soul of that dead man.

His name was Xia Houzhi, formerly one of the three great experts of Leiming Hall. With his elusive, ghostly footwork and a pair of mystical "Dark Yin Needles," he had been impossible to track, assassinating countless foes over the years. He had been a man of few words, always dressed in black, with a gaze that seemed to pierce the soul, making others deeply uncomfortable. Yet, he had never failed a single assassination mission assigned by the hall; his victims truly never knew what hit them.

This realization ignited a storm of rumors within the branch hall, momentarily quieting internal disputes as the disciples grew uncertain: were these erratic decisions the will of the Hall Master, or the influence of the deceased Xia Houzhi?

However, the branch hall was full of experts who could tell at a glance if someone was possessed. Simple tricks like demonic possession were ineffective here, and the Hall Master himself was a top-tier martial artist; it was inconceivable that he could be possessed by a ghost. If not possession, then how to explain the personality and the gaze?

Yang Shiqian and the disciples were desperate. They had consulted Taoists and monks, but none could find a solution. The matter had languished for over half a year.

Upon hearing that a capable Taoist had arrived in Yutai Town, Yang Shiqian had him monitored. Every time Yang Chengzi subdued a demon, the spies from Leiming Hall were well aware of it. Once convinced of Yang Chengzi’s true skill, he had personally come to invite him to investigate the Hall Master.

On the way, Yang Shiqian warned him that the Hall Master was temperamental and that he must not give offense. Furthermore, he could not perform a traditional consultation; he would have to sense the situation from an adjoining room under the pretext of checking on the elder Hall Master. Yang Chengzi was perplexed—his own sensitivity was not poor, but he had never attempted to diagnose someone from another room. Still, he decided to try.

Upon arriving at Leiming Hall, Yang Chengzi was staggered; to call it a palace might be an exaggeration, but the vastness of the place—nearly half the size of a city—was hard to fathom. If the branch hall was this expansive, what must the main sect be like?

As promised, Yang Shiqian led him to a well-appointed room intended for guests. Pointing to the wall, he gestured that the Hall Master was in the next room and left without another word. Yang Chengzi nodded, surveyed the room, leaned against the wall, and began to meditate, closing his eyes to sense the surroundings.

He could indeed feel someone in the next room, but after half a day of concentration, he realized the distance was too great. He would have to find a way to get the man closer.

He opened the door to find Yang Shiqian waiting nearby. Seeing Yang Chengzi emerge, the man hurried over.

"How is it?"

Yang Chengzi shook his head. "Take me to the elder Hall Master. I wish to see him."

Though momentarily surprised, Yang Shiqian nodded. "Very well, this way. Ever since this began, the elder Hall Master has been bedridden. He is advanced in years, and I fear his illness stems from accumulated grief."

"Indeed," Yang Chengzi replied. "A parent would surely be heartbroken by such a situation. Perhaps the elder Hall Master holds the key."