He sends his spy Lao Denuo to infiltrate the Mount Hua School and steal Yue Buqun's Violet Mist Divine Skill manual, and instigates the exiled Sword faction members of the Mount Hua School to challenge Yue Buqun.
He bribes members of the Mount Tai School to turn against their leader Tianmen, who is betrayed and killed by his own men during a special ceremony.
In an earlier chapter of the novel, Zuo Lengchan confronts Liu Zhengfeng of the (South) Mount Heng School during the latter's retirement ceremony to force him to surrender.
The (South) Mount Heng School (衡山派) is led by Mo Da, a mysterious swordsman known for playing melancholic tunes on his huqin, where his sword is concealed.
Mo Da's junior, Liu Zhengfeng, befriends Qu Yang of the Sun Moon Holy Cult.
Mo Da is the sole survivor from the school after Linghu Chong saves the swordsmen trapped by Yue Buqun in a cave.