Chapter 341: Dong Rui's Demonic Puppet and Zhu Erniang's Army

"Coming," Dong Rui said. He Lingchuan and Dong Rui exchanged a glance, then reluctantly turned back.

"Hey," Yellow Hair wondered, "what were these two up to? Just moments ago, everyone had been drinking and eating fish together, and while these two seemed to blend in, they hadn't said a word."

What exactly were they doing here?

In an instant, He Lingchuan and Dong Rui disappeared into the jungle.

Yellow Hair had no choice but to quickly return and report.

Tu Zhongli glanced at the sky. The moon was beginning to wane in the west. "Ignore them!" he declared decisively, then winked at Yellow Hair.

Yellow Hair understood. While adding firewood, he discreetly tossed several packets of powder into the bonfire.

The firewood crackled, occasionally spitting out a few sparks, but nothing seemed amiss.

But imperceptibly, a faint herbal scent began to permeate the jungle.

This scent blended unusually well with the swamp's natural odor, so much so that even the spider guards stationed nearby failed to detect anything amiss.

About fifteen minutes later, the nearby spiders became largely immobile, as if they had entered a dazed state.

Yellow Hair reached out and waved his hand in front of one of the spider guards.

These creatures kept their eyes open whether asleep or awake, making it difficult to confirm their state.

He even used a branch to poke the spider guard, and only after seeing no reaction did he give Tu Zhongli a thumbs-up.

Tu Zhongli ordered one of his subordinates to swim to the opposite bank, find a good position, and then tear a Wind-Summoning Talisman.

Immediately, gust after gust of breeze blew from west to east, carrying the medicinal scent from the bonfire towards the demon lair.

After about another fifteen minutes, even the spiders surrounding the caravan began to move sluggishly, appearing drowsy yet seemingly unaware of their own state.

Tu Zhongli then took out another packet of powder, this time making no attempt to conceal it as he tossed it into the fire in full view of everyone.

With a sudden "boom," the bonfire surged four feet high, emitting thick, rolling smoke that was an unsettling bright yellow, like the scene of a bizarre fire.

In the dark of night, such thick yellow smoke churning into the sky was exceptionally conspicuous.

Back in the demon lair's workshop, He Lingchuan saw that no spider guards were posted outside. "They'll make their move tonight," he told Dong Rui. "Bring out what you've got."

Dong Rui looked surprised. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Don't pretend," He Lingchuan scoffed. "You've been tinkering here for over half a month, gone through forty or fifty spiders. Haven't you assembled a new monster yet?"

"Monster?" Dong Rui glared. "It's a fiend puppet!" With that, he walked to the deepest part of the cavern.

A large quantity of materials were piled here, seemingly scattered, but in Dong Rui's words, they were "well-ordered," following a strange system known only to him. He would curse anyone who dared to touch his things. After more than half a month, the spider guards had learned to avoid this area, never daring to lift the black cloths covering the items.

Now Dong Rui pulled back the black cloth, revealing what lay beneath. He Lingchuan looked down. "There's no change," he said. "Are you sure this is a fiend puppet?"

Beneath the black cloth was only a single, intact spider. It was massive and pure black, standing four feet tall even with its legs drawn in.

Yet, it looked no different from any other cave spider, possessing twelve eyes, eight legs, and bristly hair covering its limbs.

Compared to the ghost ape and the werewolves, it was remarkably plain.

"Use your brain!" Dong Rui exclaimed, frustrated. "If I made it into some kind of alien creature, how would it sneak us out? Besides, I managed to create this fiend puppet in just over ten days! You should be grateful! Normally, a fiend puppet takes at least two years—*two years*—from creation to debugging to training!"

"So, can this thing actually obey your commands?" He Lingchuan asked, a new concern surfacing. "It won't just dump us halfway through, will it?"

"It understands basic commands, but it can't engage in highly complex combat." Dong Rui explained. To make this spider fight with the same ferocity and agility as the ghost ape would be impossible; that would require years of meticulous debugging. He patted the spider. "Stand up and walk a few steps," he commanded.

The spider did indeed stand, scuttling around the room with steps that seemed even more agile than those of typical spider guards.

In fact, it was the largest and most powerful of all the experimental subjects sent by Madam Zhu Er. Dong Rui had secretly transformed it while outwardly reporting that it had been lost during experiments.

After all, he was the one who decided how much lab material was consumed and how it was used.

This was simply taking advantage of an amateur.

Once the creature was complete, they simply waited for the right opportunity.

He Lingchuan circled the fiend puppet, a hint of envy in his voice. "Can it obey *my* commands too, just in case the opportunity arises?"

"Put your hand on its head so it can get used to your scent."

He Lingchuan complied. Dong Rui then leaned close to the fiend puppet's head and whispered a few words. He Lingchuan could hear them but didn't understand, suggesting it was Dong Rui's unique way of communicating with the puppet.

The spider fiend puppet actually sniffed and then rubbed itself against He Lingchuan's hand.

Dong Rui sighed in relief. "Alright, it recognizes you now," he said, then added to He Lingchuan, "My fiend puppets usually only obey me."

He Lingchuan rolled his eyes. "What am I going to do, convince it to rebel against you? Oh, you said 'usually'—what's an unusual circumstance?"

"There are exceptions," Dong Rui replied casually. "Before I was wanted by the Beijia Kingdom and before I created Number Thirty-Four, there was one time I was truly cornered. I had no choice but to custom-build a fiend puppet for someone in exchange for their help to escape Beijia."

From then on, he deeply reflected, realizing that even four fast legs were no match for wings. That's what led him to create Fiend Puppet Number Thirty-Four, the monstrous bird.

"Huh? So this isn't your first time with Madam Zhu Er? Who did you custom-build that fiend puppet for last time?" He Lingchuan asked, curious. "You even take orders like that? So could I also...?"

"No!" Dong Rui practically spat. "Do you think this is simple? I've told you countless times that creating fiend puppets is incredibly difficult, and their final appearance is entirely random!"

He rarely shared the secrets of fiend puppets with outsiders. Did this guy always let everything go in one ear and out the other?

"But you *did* make one for someone else, didn't you?"

"That time, I was just lucky," Dong Rui explained. "I happened to have an existing fiend puppet embryo that fit their requirements perfectly, so I only needed to make a few modifications. Plus, things made in a hurry always have flaws. That particular fiend puppet needs to consume large amounts of self-heal every few days, otherwise, it can't sustain itself."

"What number did you give it?"

"Thirty-One."

"Is it still alive?"

"Of course, as long as it's properly maintained!" Dong Rui quickly changed the subject, fearing further questions. "Alright, alright, let's get back to business! How do you think they're going to make their move?"

He paused. "Madam Zhu Er mistaking these thieves for guests—that's our opportunity."

Madam Zhu Er had not interacted with humans in a very long time. Even when living people occasionally stumbled into the demon lair's swamp, she and her offspring simply devoured them. The only exception in recent years had likely been that merchant caravan.

He Lingchuan and Dong Rui could see through the disguise of their fellow humans, but the spiders could not.

For now, this was their slight advantage.

"That depends on their target," He Lingchuan replied. "It can't be Madam Zhu Er herself. Their meager numbers and abilities are no match for a prehistoric great demon." Bandits typically sought only wealth. "If they're after the things inside the demon lair, then they'll have to find a way to lure Madam Zhu Er away."

As he spoke, he suddenly twitched his nose, sniffing around. "Do you smell anything?"

The demon lair, with its fungal mats and aphid cattle, was inherently humid, and the air was always thick with the scent of decaying wood. Yet now, there was a faint aroma of green grass, flowers, and fruit. Considering the subtle changes in the external environment, He Lingchuan grew wary. He took two pills from his pouch, swallowed one, and offered the other to Dong Rui.

"Antidote pills, specifically for neutralizing intoxicating scents."

Dong Rui glanced at him and shook his head. "No need, no poison can fell me." He spent his days immersed in chemicals; unless it was a potent toxin like dragon's venom, ordinary poisons had no effect on him.

He then posed the crucial question: "Which side are we going to help?"

"The side with the better chance of winning, of course." He Lingchuan replied. "Taking the wrong side could lead to a grim end. While Madam Zhu Er was no benevolent being, these bandits were even worse, and there was likely a mastermind pulling their strings."

"Which side..."

Before he could finish, a piercing howl, tearing through the air, echoed from outside.

Who could produce such a roar? It wasn't like a tiger, wolf, or bear; it was a heart-rending sound.

But it was loud enough to carry far.

Even the two men deep within the complex maze heard it clearly.

Dong Rui pondered. "It sounds like..."

"A pig's squeal?"

The sound was exactly like a pig being slaughtered.

"Right!" Just as Dong Rui was about to speak, the spider fiend puppet suddenly stirred, taking steps towards the exit. He issued two commands in quick succession. The puppet stumbled a couple of steps, as if undergoing a fierce internal struggle, before finally halting reluctantly in place, though its claws continued to tap the ground restlessly.

"Ugh, still a semi-finished product," Dong Rui muttered, clearly dissatisfied. "It's received an order from the Spider Queen, demanding that all mid-to-high-level offspring immediately go to the Gana Ruins for support."

The conflicting commands from its ancient matriarch and its new master battled within the fiend puppet's mind, but ultimately, Dong Rui's control prevailed.

Sure enough, within moments, rustling sounds emanated from outside.

He Lingchuan leaned against the doorway, watching countless spiders stream past the workshop, so densely packed that the passage itself was almost obscured. Everywhere were twitching round heads, plump bodies, and spider legs moving so fast they left blurred afterimages.

The sight was truly unsettling. Who could have imagined that a single demon lair could house so many spiders!

He Lingchuan waited patiently for a considerable time until the spider army had mostly passed.

Soon after, an enormous figure appeared in the passage, radiating a heavy sense of oppression.

It was Madam Zhu Er.

This passage was the only way to the surface.

In this critical moment, she passed directly in front of them without even glancing at the two humans.

Thanks to the powerful illumination from the fluorescent spores in the passage and He Lingchuan's sharp eyesight, he noticed something amiss with Madam Zhu Er's eyes.

She had twelve eyes, arranged around the sides of her head. But from He Lingchuan's vantage point, it looked as if... several were missing?

Where had Madam Zhu Er's eyes gone?

Behind her, several more spider guards arrived, spraying layer upon layer of webbing until the workshop door was completely sealed shut.

Madam Zhu Er, despite her apparent crudeness, was meticulous; she hadn't overlooked these two insignificant humans.