Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King-Chapter 432 - 295: Teaching Clan Law, Brewing Grand Duel, Earth Altar Gathering, Flower Cage Urgency
Li Xian furrowed his brows, immediately sensing hostility from the visitor. He ascended to the mansion’s attic, using his Heavy Pupils to observe the mysterious woman outside the side door.
The woman was draped in a black robe, her face obscured and unseen. But through the Heavy Pupils, he could see beneath her clothes—a face burnt and startling in appearance.
"A woman with burn scars... could she be Zeng Xiaoke, He Qing Snake’s disciple? Has she recovered and come here seeking vengeance?"
Li Xian never forgot his grudges, always on guard. Zeng Xiaoke’s martial and poison skills were average, typically not a threat to Li Xian, but he feared He Qing Snake making a move. He had joined the Candle Sect precisely to guard against this. Now, seeing Zeng Xiaoke reappear, he thought it was time to settle the score.
However, he didn’t know Zeng Xiaoke was already dead. Beneath the façade was another person—named Zhao Lei, one of He Qing Snake’s formidable disciples.
This matter began half a month ago.
Zhao Lei returned to the Water Altar Island aboard Tang Feng’s flower boat. That day, she encountered Li Xian exterminating water bandits, bringing hundreds of bandit leaders back to the island. The crowd cheered and praised him. Zhao Lei took notice of Li Xian, but felt disdain upon hearing the others’ exaggerated praises. Taught by He Qing Snake, she held her fellow disciples in low regard, perceiving the praises of "mighty in bandit slaying" as trivial.
She thought she could easily achieve the same result with her poison skill.
Upon returning to the island, she immediately paid respects to her master. He Qing Snake, eccentric in nature, was practicing poison skills and ignored her return. He had actually forgotten about the challenge between "Hua Wu Cuo" and Zeng Xiaoke.
Several days passed in this manner.
Until yesterday at noon, Zhao Lei noticed a skin shell hanging outside the mansion. She curiously inquired: "Master, are you concocting a new poison lately? What is this skin shell used for?"
He Qing Snake gazed at the skin shell for a few moments, furrowing his brows as he pondered, finally recalling the matter, saying: "I had indeed forgotten about this."
He smiled and asked: "Good disciple, should someone insult your master, how would you respond?"
Zhao Lei replied: "Kill swiftly and with delight."
He Qing Snake shook his head and said: "Too easy; think of a more vicious method."
Zhao Lei cruelly said: "How about turning him into a human vessel?"
He Qing Snake chuckled: "That sounds acceptable." His methods were ruthless, his demeanor thoroughly unpleasant. Chu Liuqin, staying on the island for over a month, knew He Qing Snake was also on the island, a member of the remaining Candle Sect, but had never met or conversed with her, disliking her nature.
The so-called "human vessel" refers to using humans as containers for cultivating poisonous insects and beasts, subjecting them to the agony of countless bites daily, a torment beyond endurance.
He Qing Snake recounted the events of the challenge in full, saying: "That boy indeed has some skill, spewing white mist, immune to ordinary poisons. Can you handle it?"
Zhao Lei felt immense disdain, knowing that ’Hua Wu Cuo’ was her enemy, she said arrogantly: "Defeating him is as easy as crushing an insect. Master can rest assured, leave this matter to me. I’ll ensure he suffers unbearably."
"Recently, this person is in the limelight, attracting much attention. Beating him now would also enhance the master’s prestige."
He Qing Snake said: "Hmph, do I care about fame within the Flower Cage Sect? They are just a bunch of lowly Flower Thieves. Only evil people need fiercer evil; I’m worse than them, using them to concoct poisons and experiment with toxicity, couldn’t be better."
"That day I wanted to kill him, it wasn’t serious, but Old Shi and Yan Hao hindered me several times. The more they interfere, the more I want to kill. Last time, I didn’t succeed, but this time I must kill him in front of them!"
Zhao Lei laughed and added: "Master, you misspoke, wasn’t it to turn him into a human vessel? Master delegated this to me, and I will handle it comprehensively; during the duel, first I’ll dismantle his limbs and cut out his tongue, but keep him alive for master to cultivate poisonous insects."
He Qing Snake said: "Excellent, Zhao Lei, you execute tasks comprehensively, much to my liking."
"Now that you’re back, I have let that little thief live for over a month, so let’s fulfill the duel."
She immediately drafted a letter to inform Shi Yu Fei, giving him ten days to organize this matter. It needed to be grander than any "feast," to vent her resentment. The resentment stemmed from ’Shi Yu Fei’ and ’Yan Hao,’ but should be expressed against Li Xian. Hence, the letter emphasized the ’scale of the duel,’ to humiliate these two.
Zhao Lei donned the "Zeng Xiaoke" skin shell, preparing for the "duel." Her practice of the "poison skill" often accompanied pain, her personality extremely twisted, taking pleasure in watching others cry from poisoning, kneeling and begging.
This is how she justified her suffering from learning poison skills. Seeing Li Xian as her enemy, recalling the situation that day, she saw him lauded by the crowd, and her haughty nature evoked disdain. She thought the Flower Cage Sect disciples were petty wastrels, and thus, anyone praised by them must also be a wastrel. Although she held no actual grudge against Li Xian, having never even met him, she was quite annoyed.
Thus, she plotted to pick a quarrel. She first learned about Li Xian’s mansion; although the duel was ten days away, she already felt eager, knowing there was a beautiful woman residing in Li Xian’s home.
She inherited He Qing Snake’s vicious and insidious nature, intending to subtly poison and kill the beautiful woman. Ten days were left before the poison duel, so she planned to use the "Ten-Day Butterfly Scatter." The poison’s name was elegant, but its effects were chilling.
On the first day, one vomits blood, on the second day, hair turns white, on the third day, one’s appearance withers, on the fourth day, fingers break, on the fifth day, one goes blind, on the sixth day, teeth fall out... In ten days, experiencing various ailments, one is tormented into despair, their looks completely ruined.
Torturing their spirit, by the time of the duel, dispensing the final blow. Only by doing so could she feel truly delighted.
Knowing Li Xian would be out during the day, she came deliberately before daylight, waiting outside the door to observe, thinking: "Hua Wu Cuo must be defeated during the duel, poisoning him now wouldn’t be fun."
