From the beginning of Swordsman, he created a legend in the martial arts world.

"However, if a swordsman becomes a cripple, what difference is there between him and death? Young Master Meng, you are a smart man, you should know how to make the right choice."

"As long as you obey my orders, serve my Black Stone Village, and help my daughter win the position of Holy Maiden in the competition, I will consider curing you of this poison."

Looking at Sha Xiong, whose eyes were full of smug satisfaction, Meng Fei felt a surge of rage and almost drew his sword to attack him without hesitation.

But he quickly calmed down. He realized that he was surrounded and controlled by the strange "Tethering" poison. If he acted rashly, he would have no chance of winning and would only lose his life.

As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood. We must first feign compliance to appease the other party before devising a plan.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging blood and anger, and forced a bitter and helpless expression onto his face. He said in a low voice, "Chieftain... well done. I... admit defeat. However, Chieftain Sha must keep his word. After this is done, you must cure me of the poison."

A smug glint flashed in Sha Xiong's eyes. He could naturally see that Meng Fei had not truly submitted, but so what? As long as the poison of "Qianji" was not cured, he would not be able to escape from his grasp.

"Young Master Meng, rest assured, I keep my word. As long as you do your best, the antidote will be delivered."

Seeing that the matter was settled, Sha Xiong immediately waved his hand.

"Then, please pack your things, young hero. Let's set off immediately for the main altar."

The elegantly dressed young woman—Sha Man, daughter of Sha Xiong and a candidate for the Holy Maiden of the Five Poisons Sect—snorted coldly upon seeing Meng Fei yield so easily, and turned to walk away.

The journey to the Five Poisons Sect headquarters was arduous and long, sometimes involving climbing steep mountain paths and sometimes wading through rushing streams.

Meng Fei could walk at the back of the group, remaining silent and low-key, but the gazes cast upon him by those few wiry Miao warriors were always filled with undisguised hostility and resentment.

At first, Meng Fei was somewhat confused, simply assuming that these Sha Xiong guards were naturally hostile to outsiders.

During one of his rest stops, he overheard two of the warriors muttering complaints by the stream, their words filled with hostility.

"...Why? That kid is just a sickly fellow of unknown origin. Just because he saved the young chief once, the chief gave him the spot for the 'Martial Arts Competition'? That's a chance to enter the Ten Thousand Poisons Cave and learn superior martial arts!"

"Hmph! I've heard his swordsmanship is a bit unorthodox, but look at his face, he looks like he could be blown away by a gust of wind. What good can he do? In the end, he'll be even more disgraced than us Black Stone Stronghold at the main altar!"

"That's it! The follow-up techniques to the 'Panwang Blade' and 'Spirit Serpent Step'... We brothers have practiced diligently for so many years, hoping for this opportunity... and it's been given to an outsider..."

Meng Fei then realized that the selection of the Holy Maiden was not only a contest between candidates, but also included a "fight" between supporters.

The victor among these warriors who participate in the martial arts battles not only gains significant prestige for the saintess candidate they support, but also earns the opportunity to enter the Five Poisons Sect's sacred ground, the "Ten Thousand Poisons Cave," to study profound martial arts techniques.

Sha Xiong directly gave him the opportunity to represent Black Stone Village in battle, which was tantamount to depriving these warriors of the path to advancement they had been dreaming of. No wonder it aroused such strong jealousy.

Having figured all this out, Meng Fei once again turned his gaze to Sha Man, the candidate for Holy Maiden, who was being subtly protected by the crowd not far away.

The girl seemed to have heard the samurai's discussion as well. She turned her head to face Meng Fei, her red lips pursed, and although she didn't say anything, her contempt and dissatisfaction were almost overflowing.

As they climbed over a steep cliff, the young girl finally couldn't hold back any longer and whispered to a trusted nanny beside her, "Nanny, isn't Father giving this Han man too much weight? Look at him, he hasn't uttered a single word the whole way, and he looks so sickly... Are those Central Plains sword techniques really effective against our poison and gu?"

"It would be a real joke if we lost the fight and people thought that Black Stone Village had no one to rely on but an outsider to hold things together."

The old nanny quickly whispered, "Miss, please be careful what you say. The chieftain has his reasons for making this arrangement. This person must have extraordinary abilities to earn the chieftain's favor..."

What makes you stand out?

Sha Man snorted softly, interrupting the old woman, and glanced at Meng Fei out of the corner of her eye.

"Father always talked about how amazing the swordsmanship of the Central Plains was, but now it seems he's nothing special. I wonder if he can even hold his sword steady on the fighting stage?"

These words clearly reached Meng Fei's ears, and also reached the ears of the surrounding warriors.

The warriors looked at Meng Fei with even more hostility, and some even gloated. Some were eager to challenge Meng Fei in public, hoping to replace him and represent Black Stone Village in the battle.

Despite the hostile or contemptuous gazes he received, Meng Fei remained unmoved.

He was unwilling to get involved in this struggle, and this so-called "opportunity" was even less relevant to him. But now he was caught up in the situation and could only be more vigilant and cautious.

The day before the full moon, the "Thousand Peaks Plain," where the Five Poisons Sect's headquarters is located, is already bustling with activity, filled with a strange atmosphere that blends grand celebration with tense competition.

The forces from the ten Miao villages under the Five Poisons Sect have all arrived and, in accordance with the rules, have settled in their respective designated areas.

The black flag of Black Stone Village, embroidered with a ferocious silver centipede, stands in stark contrast to the dark green flag of Green Scorpion Village, which is painted with a venomous scorpion with a curled tail, not far away.

Shi Yan's figure appeared and disappeared among the crowd of Qingxie Village. Occasionally, his gaze toward Heishi Village was filled with resentment, especially when he saw Meng Fei, his eyes seemed to want to devour him alive.

Meng Fei stood at the edge of the Black Stone Village camp, coldly observing this place where heroes had gathered.

The villages under the Five Poisons Sect have distinct appearances: some villagers are fierce and outwardly aggressive, wearing ornaments made of various poisonous substances; others are mysterious and gloomy, with strange chanting or instrumental music faintly emanating from their camps.

As his gaze gradually swept across the various villages, it suddenly stopped at a camp about a hundred paces away from Black Stone Village.

The camp's flag was quite unique; instead of using ferocious beasts or poisonous insects as its emblem, it featured a strange herb with a graceful and lifelike posture, making it stand out conspicuously among the surrounding flags.

"Those are people from Baicaodong."

Shaluo walked up to Meng Fei at some point, followed his gaze, and spoke in a somewhat complicated tone.

"The only anomaly in the Five Poisons Sect is that they do not like to refine poisons. Instead, they are good at detoxification, healing, and cultivating rare herbs. Everyone in the village is knowledgeable in pharmacology."

"Although their martial prowess isn't top-tier, their unique medical skills and detoxification methods rarely get them involved in conflicts. I didn't expect them to come this time, and they even brought a candidate for the Holy Maiden..."

Meng Fei's attention was not entirely focused on Sha Luo's explanation. His gaze was drawn to the back of a Miao girl who was bending over and tidying up a medicine basket in front of the Baicaodong camp.

The girl was dressed in a light blue dress, different from other Miao girls. The sleeves and hem of the dress were embroidered with elegant herbal patterns, rather than the more common insects and snakes.

She skillfully sorted the scattered medicinal herbs by the campfire and put them back into the medicine basket. Occasionally, when she raised her hand, a section of her fair wrist would be revealed. What she wore on her wrist was not silver jewelry, but a bracelet made of some kind of brown seeds.

Just that profile and those few movements made Meng Fei's heart skip a beat.

A faint, almost forgotten sense of familiarity swept over me. Was it by that icy, bone-chilling stream? Or was it the touch I felt in my hazy consciousness, carrying the scent of bitter medicine?