Chapter 249: Blood Feud Challenge

After listening to Shao Wanwan’s account, the Fifth Elder’s expression turned solemn for a moment—then slowly broke into a smile of delighted surprise.

“Fifth Elder, did something occur to you?” Shao Wanwan asked at once, her tone urgent.

“What was that young man’s age?” the old woman asked again, as if seeking to confirm a long-held suspicion.

“Around twenty,” Shao Wanwan replied without hesitation.

“Then there’s no mistake,” the elder said with a note of certainty. “It must be him!”

“You know who he is?” Shao Wanwan pressed eagerly.

“The most powerful and profound poison techniques under the heavens have always belonged to our Poison Sect,” the Fifth Elder began, her voice low with gravity. “But some of those methods—those passed down through the deepest lineage—aren’t ones you or I could ever wield. That boy… he must’ve used one of them.”

“But… those techniques are taboo. Secrets never to be taught, never to be shared. How could someone like him…” Shao Wanwan trailed off, then suddenly caught her breath as a terrifying thought took root. “Wait—you’re saying he’s one of us?”

The elder nodded slowly. “Exactly.”

“But we don’t have anyone like that in the sect,” she said, brows furrowing.

“There is one,” the elder said, her eyes gleaming with a wild fervor.

Realization struck Shao Wanwan like lightning. Her heart pounded. “You mean… the Ancestor?!”

“That’s right!” the elder declared, her voice trembling slightly with awe. “Aside from the Ancestor, I can’t imagine another person in this world capable of such an overwhelming mastery of poison.”

“But he was from more than a hundred and fifty years ago! How could he still be alive today?” Shao Wanwan gasped.

“About fifty years ago,” the elder began, her tone reverent, “our sect’s founder reached the limits of his natural lifespan and passed down the position of Sect Master, leaving behind the Supreme Poison Scripture. After that, he vanished—roamed the lands in search of a way to reverse aging. He hasn’t been seen since. But now… now I believe he found it.”

Shao Wanwan could hardly breathe. The idea was too shocking, too surreal.

“That young man you met, appearing no older than twenty—he must be the Ancestor reborn,” the elder continued, voice growing firmer. “And the fact that he didn’t kill you after you dared offend him… that’s the clearest proof of all.”

The weight of her words settled heavily in Shao Wanwan’s chest. Her lips parted slowly as the earlier encounter replayed in her mind.

“No wonder he said I should be grateful for my identity… that if I weren’t the Saintess of the Poison Sect, I wouldn’t have walked away alive,” she murmured, shaken.

Her emotions surged and tumbled like a storm tide. Yet one question still lingered, gnawing at her. “Fifth Elder, if the Ancestor is still alive… why hasn’t he returned to the Poison Sect?”

At that, the elder’s joy dimmed slightly. Her voice carried a trace of sorrow. “Because he’s disappointed in us. In our failures. Even our former Sect Master was defeated by the Divine Doctor of Yixian Valley and ended up taking his own life in disgrace.”

Shame flushed across Shao Wanwan’s face. Her talent was impressive by ordinary standards—but compared to Bian Suwen, the prodigy of Yixian Valley, it was clear she still fell short.

Even so, she steadied herself and raised her head. “We came to Qingling for one reason—to avenge that defeat. If we can bring down Bian Suwen, the so-called Little Divine Doctor, the Ancestor will have no choice but to acknowledge us again.”

From the moment they were founded, the Poison Sect and Yixian Valley had been mortal enemies. The two legacies—one rooted in poison, the other in healing—stood on opposite ends of life and death. With the last Sect Master’s defeat, the grudge had turned irreconcilable, its blade drawn to the bone.

“Your predecessor lost to Bian Suwen,” the Fifth Elder said, her gaze sharp. “That loss left the Sect Master’s seat vacant. You may be the Saintess now, but tell me—do you truly believe you can defeat Bian Suwen? Would you dare challenge her to a duel to the death?”

Shao Wanwan stiffened. A direct match… her chances were slim, two or three in ten at best. Against someone like Bian Suwen, it was essentially suicide.

But there was one edge. The Poison Sect’s founder still lived. While Yixian Valley’s old Divine Doctor had long since passed, the Poison Sect’s Ancestor remained hidden in the world.

Bian Suwen was powerful—but compared to the Ancestor, she was still a generation too young.

That was their true trump card.

A bold idea surfaced in Shao Wanwan’s mind. “Fifth Elder… if we follow the old rules and issue a formal life-and-death challenge, what if this time, we use one of the forbidden poisons from the Supreme Poison Scripture? Bian Suwen wouldn’t stand a chance!”

“You’re insane!” the elder snapped, her expression twisting in horror. “The forbidden poisons in that scripture… their power is immense. Unrivaled. No one but the Ancestor can undo them. If they erupt unchecked, they could wipe out a city within half a day! You’d be bringing annihilation down on our heads!”

Because beyond the Poison Sect and Yixian Valley, the world still held other hidden sects. And if news broke of a poison so lethal it endangered innocent lives, those secluded powerhouses would unite to stamp them out.

That kind of catastrophe… no one could afford.

But Shao Wanwan didn’t flinch. Instead, she smiled.

“You said it yourself, Elder. No one but the Ancestor can resolve it.”

The elder’s fear slowly began to fade. A spark lit in her eyes.

By tradition, Yixian Valley’s duels were simple: poison and antidote. The Poison Sect released the venom. Yixian Valley had to neutralize it. Whoever failed… died.

Even the old Divine Doctor would’ve struggled with a forbidden poison. Bian Suwen? She had no hope.

Victory was all but guaranteed.

And if the Ancestor was nearby, he would never let the poison run rampant. He would intervene the moment things got out of control.

Shao Wanwan’s plan was dangerous—but it was the only way to reclaim their pride.

“You may be reckless,” the elder said after a long silence, “but this might just be our best shot.” She gave a slow, thoughtful nod.

Shao Wanwan didn’t say another word. Her goal was set. She turned and left the base without hesitation.

——

Late that night.

Bian Suwen, having finished her errands, walked alone along a quiet road near a private villa community. She was heading back to Liu Yue’s place.

For a lone woman to be out this late might seem dangerous.

But Bian Suwen was not just a doctore—her combat skills were formidable. Even in the dead of night, she moved without fear.

Still, as she drew within two hundred meters of the villa, she suddenly stopped.

A faint fragrance lingered in the air—sweet, floral… and unmistakably laced with poison.

But with her level of medical mastery, such toxins posed no threat. Her internal energy and cultivated techniques could easily neutralize their effects.

“Come out,” she said calmly, eyes narrowing.

From the darkness, a voice answered her with a light laugh. “As expected of the Little Divine Doctor. My Ghostly Mist Fragrance really is useless on you.”

Shao Wanwan stepped into the moonlight, her smile radiant and malicious all at once.

“So it’s you,” Bian Suwen said coldly, her tone sharpened by disgust. “You didn’t dare face me back in the Imperial Capital, and now that we’re outside its walls, you think you’re qualified to challenge me?”

When enemies meet, emotions flare.

The hatred between Yixian Valley and the Poison Sect had festered for generations. The loathing was mutual, bitter and personal.

“I’m not here to talk,” Shao Wanwan said, throwing a sealed scroll onto the ground between them. “Same old rules. Life and death duel. Dare to accept?”

Bian Suwen caught the scroll, but didn’t bother opening it. Her lips curved into a cold sneer.

“You’re just the Saintess. You don’t have the standing to challenge me. Go fetch your Sect Master—oh wait, I forgot. He’s dead, isn’t he? That position’s still vacant.”

“You—!” Shao Wanwan’s face tightened, but she quickly forced herself to smile. “I heard you’ve got a few sisters here in Qingling.”

“Leave them out of this,” Bian Suwen snapped. “This feud is between our sects. Don’t break the rules.”

“As long as you don’t run,” Shao Wanwan said sweetly, “no one else will be touched.”

“Fine. Since you’re so eager to die, I’ll grant your wish,” Bian Suwen replied, her voice like ice.

“Let’s see if you’re still that confident tomorrow,” Shao Wanwan said with a smirk, then melted back into the shadows.

Bian Suwen stood there for a long moment, her brows furrowed.

Shao Wanwan… she’d crushed her before. Even the former Sect Master had fallen to her hands.

So why issue a challenge now? It wasn’t desperation. It was something else.

She must have a trump card.

But what?

Bian Suwen turned, questions crowding her mind, and made her way back to Liu Yue’s villa.