Chapter 329 Old friend Gu Ying_1
The Eight Great Sects of Jianghu were once renowned, with disciples scattered all around the world showcasing their unique talents.
For example, Xuanmen, known to be the top among the eight sects, excels in Xuanmen’s subtle techniques, feng shui geomancy, astrology, and fortune telling, with disciples often acting as fortune tellers wandering the rivers and lakes.
Nowadays, some con-artists in the martial arts world claim to be of Xuanmen to scam others, but in reality, they lack genuine skills. They are even inferior to the disciples of Chen Zhonghan who died at the hands of Su Chengyu, yet at least they had some abilities.
Take for instance another, God Farmer Gate, where the disciples are proficient in medical science and alchemy. They used to roam the land as rustic doctors, inheriting the principle of dedicating themselves to the cause of helping the world. But now that God Farmer Gate has retreated, most of the barefoot doctors crowding the streets and lanes are mere conmen under the banner of God Farmer Gate.
The Witchcraft Gate, one of the eight sects, has been exterminated by the authorities and fewer disciples have appeared.
That Fang Yue could master witchcraft surprised Su Chengyu.
A hundred years ago, the Eight Great Sects of Jianghu began to face official suppression with Witchcraft Gate being directly exterminated. Other sects also suffered severely, causing the disciples to flee and start transforming over these hundred years.
For instance, the Golden Holy Door was originally a gang of tomb raiders. Today, many disciples of the Golden Holy Door are camouflaging themselves by dealing in antiques. With their eye for detail and skills, they have been thriving.
Among the Eight Great Sects, the disciples of the Red Flower Door used to be people of the brothels. After authorities abolished brothels, they turned to legitimate businesses, packaging actors and actresses into stars. Over the last hundred years, they have grown substantially, establishing media and brokerage companies, and creating celebrities.
Most of the top media and film brokerage firms today have the backing of the Red Flower Gate.
Of course, some disciples of the Red Flower Gate continued their old business discreetly, cultivating numerous pimps and building a vast underground network involved in illegal brothel activities. Despite severe suppression from the authorities, their operations remained resilient.