Martial Saint with Passives

Night.

In a stretch of Black Pine Wood, several miles from the Cangyun Sect.

The woods were pitch-black, and the evening wind whispered through the trees.

Vice Sect Leader Xie Songnian stood alone in a clearing.

He wore a long, blue-gray robe, his figure slender. He had black hair and a white beard, and his face was gaunt.

But a persistent weariness was etched upon his features.

He stood with his hands clasped behind him, his fingers fiddling restlessly, betraying a hint of anxiety.

He was waiting for someone.

Someone he didn’t want to see, but had to.

Suddenly, the shadows not far in front of him seemed to spring to life, silently twisting and coalescing into a figure draped in a wide, black cloak.

The person was extremely tall but abnormally gaunt. They were completely wrapped in heavy fabric, their head and face concealed in the darkness of a deep hood, leaving their appearance a complete mystery.

All that emanated from the figure was a sinister, chilling aura that could make one’s blood run cold.

Xie Songnian’s heart leaped into his throat, and a cold sweat slicked his palms. Forcing a calm facade, he said coolly, "Why seek me out so suddenly? Aren’t you afraid of being seen?"

A low chuckle rumbled from beneath the cloak, the voice deep and ageless. "In Sect Leader Xie’s own territory, what have I to fear?"

The corner of Xie Songnian’s eye twitched almost imperceptibly.

The other had called him ’Sect Leader,’ not ’Vice Sect Leader.’ The subtle distinction sent a strange ripple through his heart.

He collected himself and asked directly, "Out with it. Why did you come looking for me?"

The cloaked figure didn’t beat around the bush. His voice was flat as he said, "I’m going to the You Family to retrieve something."

"The You Family?" Xie Songnian’s brows knitted together instantly. "You mean *the* You Family? One of the three great Noble Families of Cangzhou Prefecture?"

"The very same."

"What does that have to do with me?" A note of caution entered Xie Songnian’s voice.

’The You Family is no minor clan.’

’They’ve been the dominant power in Cangzhou Prefecture for years!’

’Their roots run deep, they have masters as numerous as the clouds, and their influence is far-reaching!’

’Though not quite on the level of the Three Great Sects, they aren’t far behind.’

The cloaked figure said lightly, "I need your help to muddy the waters. If this succeeds, I can dispatch ten experts of the Refining Organ Realm to be at your disposal for a time. And... I recall you’ve been stuck at the Fifth Layer of the True Master Realm for over twenty years now, haven’t you? Your Qi Blood is weakening, and your chances of a breakthrough grow ever more distant. As it happens, I have a ’Golden Spirit Pill’ in my possession. Perhaps it can help you take that next step, and extend your life by at least twenty years!"

Xie Songnian’s breathing suddenly grew heavy.

’Experts of the Refining Organ Realm! That’s the kind of power that could serve as a Sect’s pillars!’

’With those ten at my command, so many problems I can’t personally handle would be resolved effortlessly!’

’And the Golden Spirit Pill... that was an even greater temptation!’

’No one knew that in recent years he’d often felt his power failing him. His cultivation had stagnated, and he felt as if he could see the end of his life approaching. It had practically become his Heart Demon.’

’If I could extend my life by twenty years, I might even be able to break through to the Sixth Layer of the True Master Realm!’

He was silent for a long time, weighing the pros and cons in his heart.

"...What do you want me to do?" he finally asked.

"Simple." The cloaked figure spoke as if discussing some triviality. "I will have my Shadow Prison Sect members cause some trouble in the Cangzhou Territory. For instance, attack a few disobedient minor Sects, raid a few secret treasuries, or perhaps claim a few lives. Then, you will help me direct the rumors toward the You Family."

"Framing them?" Xie Songnian frowned. "To say that the You Family is responsible for all of this? That’s... a bit of a stretch. Who would believe it?"

"Who said anything about framing them?" The cloaked figure let out a soft, mocking laugh. "The You Family hails from one of the three great Demon Sects—the Sinful Desire Sect! They just got lucky a few decades ago, whitewashed their history, and slapped on the veneer of a Noble Family. I’m not slandering them by calling them a Demon Sect! They may seem glamorous now, but they haven’t shed their true nature. We’re just... helping them recall their past."

Xie Songnian was shaken to his core. He cried out in shock, "The You Family are the remnants of the long-vanished Sinful Desire Sect?! Is this true?"

The three great Demon Sects were the Shadow Prison Sect, the Sinful Desire Sect, and the Blood Spirit Sect.

Among them, the Shadow Prison Sect specialized in assassination and infiltration, their movements always shrouded in secrecy.

They were also adept at brainwashing, using spiritual control to compel their disciples to commit all manner of evil deeds.

These disciples were extremely fanatical, willing to sacrifice their lives without a second thought.

Most of the Demon Sect members active today belonged to the Shadow Prison Sect.

They were also the ones Xie Songnian was now cooperating with.

The Sinful Desire Sect, on the other hand, captured respectable women to use as cultivation cauldrons, a practice that violated all moral decency.

However, they had vanished without a trace several decades ago.

As for the Blood Spirit Sect, they captured living people for sacrificial rituals, intending to summon the legendary Evil God.

They were a group of true madmen. Even other members of the Demon Sects wanted nothing to do with them.

"It is absolutely true." The cloaked figure’s voice turned cold. "When they withdrew back then, they took a Supreme Secret Treasure that belonged to all three of our Demon Sects, and they have refused to return it ever since! Now, I am merely going to take back what is mine, and while I’m at it... clean house! Sect Leader Xie, when the time comes, you will first release some rumors to fan the flames. Don’t worry, I will provide you with all the evidence you need. When the You Family becomes a public enemy, you will seize the opportunity to incite the Righteous Sects to launch a joint crusade against them. At that point, I will be able to make my move amidst the chaos!"

Xie Songnian’s expression was a whirlwind of changing emotions.

’This secret is too astonishing. If word gets out, it would shake the entire Great Chu Martial World, let alone Cangzhou!’

He scrutinized the cloaked figure, trying to glean something from the deep shadows of the hood, but came up empty.

In the end, his thirst for power and his desperate craving for a longer life overwhelmed the unease and doubt in his heart.

He slowly let out a heavy breath, his voice returning to a state of calm. "Fine. I agree. But after this is done, I want everything I was promised. Not one thing less!"

"Rest assured." The mockery in the cloaked figure’s laugh grew thicker. "We of the Demon Sects, though we act ruthlessly, value our word above all. Unlike you so-called Righteous Sects, who appear virtuous on the surface, but behind the scenes... heh heh."