Nangong Huan did not stop her; she watched as Nangong Qian'er fled.

"Ah Huan, she got away," Ye Wanjun said, glancing at the sticky insect juice on the ground, feeling his stomach churn.

"She won't get far; it's almost time for us to leave," Nangong Huan replied, releasing her red token to depart.

Ye Wanjun followed suit, activating his own token.

Meanwhile, in front of the judging panel, Nangong Qian'er was still writhing in pain, looking utterly disheveled.

"Ah—!"

Her screams sent shivers down the spines of the onlookers; it was the first time they had seen Nangong Qian'er in such a frenzied state. They also noticed black spots appearing on her face, almost identical to those on Nangong Huan's—only worse!

"Hold her down and see what's wrong!" the city lord shouted, while the judges looked on in confusion.

They had no idea what had happened to Nangong Qian'er or that she had just activated the cursed insects; they only assumed she had encountered some great danger and had returned in a panic.

Immediately, a physician rushed forward to examine her.

Wei Yugong, who had been waiting outside, also wanted to charge in, but Shen Yeyao was faster. She quickly reached Nangong Qian'er, pressed several acupoints, then bit her finger, letting her blood flow into Qian'er’s mouth.

Only then did Nangong Qian'er slowly stop struggling and faint.

"How is this possible..." Shen Yeyao held Nangong Qian'er in her arms, her face pale and trembling. After raising cursed insects for so many years, how could she not understand the situation before her?

The mother and child insects she had nurtured for years had ended up in Qian'er’s body, and now that the mother insect was dead, the only way to save her was with her heart's blood...

Thinking this, Shen Yeyao drew a dagger and plunged it into her own heart, extracting a drop of heart's blood to drip into Nangong Qian'er’s mouth.

Immediately, a rice-sized cursed insect was expelled from Qian'er’s mouth. Although small, it twisted like a pretzel on the ground before finally dying.

Next, Shen Yeyao pressed several acupoints on herself to ensure her own survival.

The crowd gasped at the scene.

Wei Yugong's expression changed, and he quietly stepped back, retreating into the crowd to distance himself from Shen Yeyao.

Just then, a pair of black boots stepped into Shen Yeyao's view.

"Shen Yeyao, you incited Nangong Qian'er to use cursed insects, harming all of our trial disciples. You and your daughter are in cahoots; what do you have to say for yourself?" Nangong Huan's voice was calm, devoid of emotion.

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Shen Yeyao slowly raised her head, her eyes dark and fierce. It was only then that she noticed the black spots on Nangong Huan's face had faded significantly, going from dark to light gray in just a few days.

"Your face... it’s impossible! I clearly placed the curse on you... How did you do this? Why didn't I notice anything?" Shen Yeyao gritted her teeth and asked, her words audible to the crowd.

This revelation sent shockwaves through the audience!

"What does this mean? Shen Yeyao placed the curse? Or did Nangong Qian'er?"

"Fools! Both of them used cursed insects and harmed all the disciples participating in the trial!"

"How could she possibly place the curse on so many people?"

"Ugh, don’t talk about it. Just thinking about those insects makes me nauseous."

As the crowd erupted in outrage, Shen Yeyao's face turned even paler.

"If you could have noticed, then Qian'er wouldn't have ended up like this," Nangong Huan smiled sweetly, tilting her head. "Do you know Black Lotus? She’s my senior sister."

Creating another identity to confuse the situation, she had also told Ye Sang and Ye Wanjun the same story.

Elder Xue and Song Xiran exchanged surprised glances; Black Lotus was her senior sister?! They wondered from which powerful sect she hailed.

"Black Lotus..." The mention of that name nearly caused Shen Yeyao's heart, which had just stopped bleeding, to rupture again!

How could she not know? That wretched alchemist who had scammed her out of over thirty million spirit herbs!

"My senior sister discovered the cursed insects in the potions, and she asked me to collect some potions to send to the certification association for inspection. I believe everyone here participating in the trial would be more than willing to identify you," Nangong Huan said, spreading her hands.

"I'll do it! I'll identify her!" The two disciples from the Pool family, who had been rescued, rushed forward, shouting, "Shen Yeyao sold us potions a few nights ago, and each bottle contained cursed insects! We fell into her trap!"

Young disciple Ye Qihe followed, saying, "That's right! Luckily, our young master discerned the truth and, at the behest of Master Black Lotus, took our potions for inspection; otherwise, we would have been cursed too!"

Several other teams that had returned early also stepped forward to identify Shen Yeyao and Nangong Qian'er as the culprits.

What was even more distressing was that the cursed insects inside them had not been removed!

Amidst the uproar, Elder Xue finally stood up, saying, "In the past few days, I did receive many potions, and upon investigation, they indeed came from Shen Yeyao. The inspection results confirmed that each bottle contained cursed insects."

His confirmation sent the crowd into a frenzy.

"How disgusting! They really use cursed insects!"

"What about my child? My child also consumed those potions!"

"Shen Yeyao, you vile woman! To go so low as to do this for victory—you and Nangong Qian'er are both despicable! Bah!"

"Old poisoner, execute her slowly! Execute her slowly!"

The crowd was outraged, and some even threw rotten vegetables and stinky eggs at the mother and daughter, forcing Nangong Huan to step back from the assault.

Wei Yugong watched in disbelief, clutching his chest. He had also consumed the potions; did that mean he...

Shen Yeyao lowered her head, her eyes filled with malice.

"Teacher, how could you not tell me about such a major issue?" Song Xiran asked in surprise. She had been at the certification association during the early days of the trial and had heard nothing of this.

"Black Lotus entrusted this to me in secret, so I kept it quiet," Elder Xue replied, stroking his beard. He had no idea what relationship Black Lotus had with the Ye family, allowing her to collect all the potions auctioned that day.

"I see." Song Xiran looked at the unconscious Nangong Qian'er and suddenly had a bold idea.

What if the Ziwei Star was not Nangong Qian'er, but... Black Lotus?!

Otherwise, how could she have such powerful influence and action?

"Who is Black Lotus?" Song Que asked, confused. Although he had heard about the cursed insects and wanted to condemn the mother and daughter, he was also afraid of losing Nangong Qian'er if she truly was the Ziwei Star; that would be a significant loss.