Chapter 349: New Mission

Zhu Erniang whispered, "Every time I pass through here, I can sense their presence. But they are not here anymore."

"Impressive," He Lingchuan commented. "Do you intend to reclaim them?"

Zhu Erniang remained silent.

He Lingchuan had just climbed out of the sinkhole when spiders of all sizes swarmed him, hissing.

This fellow was a wanted criminal of their Ancestor; after the battle, they had been forced to search for him day and night, exhausting them.

He Lingchuan didn't understand the spiders' language, so he was unaware of their venomous curses.

Just as the spiders were about to attack, Zhu Erniang's massive body emerged from the sinkhole and issued a command: "Step back! Do not harm him!"

The spiders exchanged bewildered glances, unaccustomed to their Ancestor's uncharacteristically pleasant demeanor towards a human.

However, this human had ascended from the sinkhole with their Ancestor, implying they had already made peace.

A few of the more intelligent spider guards immediately regarded He Lingchuan with awe.

Everyone knew the Ancestor's temper was volatile and unpredictable. For this human to have outwitted the entire cave spider colony and emerge unscathed, he had to be truly remarkable!

Meanwhile, He Lingchuan stood beside the ruins and whistled a sequence: four long, three short, and then three long notes.

The jungle remained silent, and nothing happened.

He Lingchuan showed no urgency, waiting with his hands clasped behind his back, occasionally chatting with Zhu Erniang.

The humans trapped in the ruins heard the commotion and cautiously peered out, their eyes filled with awe.

Although they didn't understand what was happening, they were utterly astonished to see the young man leisurely strolling through the furious spider swarm and conversing lightheartedly with Zhu Erniang.

That was a dominant power in the Demon's Lair Swamp, a man-eating behemoth everyone spoke of with dread.

Could it really be an entity one could communicate with on equal terms?

After a long time, Dong Rui slowly ambled over from the distance, drenched from head to toe.

He had been observing He Lingchuan from the shadows, and only after seeing his relaxed and casual demeanor, free of any signs of coercion, did he dare to step out.

The nearby spider guards were also somewhat surprised, having been unaware of his hiding place.

This indicated that he still had a few tricks up his sleeve.

He Lingchuan beamed at him. "Zhu Erniang is incredibly generous; she's allowing us to leave the swamp."

Just like that?

No earth-shattering battle, no life-or-death struggle, no blood or sweat—they could just leave?

Dong Rui was skeptical, but He Lingchuan confidently turned his back on Zhu Erniang, and the prehistoric great demon showed no indication of making a move.

What about the fierce threats earlier, vowing to make He Lingchuan unable to live or die? Had the giant spider simply forgotten them?

Actions spoke louder than words, and Dong Rui finally relaxed.

For some reason, Dong Rui also sensed a profound resentment emanating from Zhu Erniang.

He was all too familiar with this kind of resentment. Dong Rui instinctively glanced at He Lingchuan, concluding it must all be thanks to him.

This young man seemed jovial and easy to talk to, but if one dared to underestimate him, they would eventually regret it bitterly, spitting blood and unable to even shed a tear.

His venomous cunning and meticulous planning were all hidden beneath that harmless facade.

Alas, he and Zhu Erniang were both kindred spirits in misfortune.

Before he could speak, the merchant caravan in the ruins reacted first. Steward Zhao and the others rushed out, bowing repeatedly to Zhu Erniang. "Please, Spider Immortal, show us mercy and let us go too!"

"We are humble commoners; how could we dare harbor ill intentions toward the Spider Immortal? We were forced by the mountain bandits."

Ignoring their desperate pleas, Zhu Erniang instead turned to He Lingchuan and asked, "What do you think?"

"Me?" He Lingchuan pointed to his nose. "What am I supposed to think?"

"Will you save these people?" Zhu Erniang sneered. "They conspired with the mountain bandits to steal my treasures. I should devour them!"

Steward Zhao quickly changed tack, immediately kneeling before He Lingchuan and pleading, "Young Master, save me!"

Everyone knelt down together: "Please, Young Master, save our lives!"

"If I say release them, you'll release them?" He Lingchuan's mouth twitched. Zhu Erniang was trying to manipulate him with these merchants. "Then release them. Heaven cherishes life."

Zhu Erniang smiled. "I have just one small request."

It slowly took two steps towards the crowd, increasing their sense of dread.

"No," Dong Rui stated flatly. "Let's go." He knew the spider demon's request would most likely involve him. He certainly didn't want He Lingchuan to trade his life for this group of people.

"Do you remember your proposal from a few weeks ago?" Zhu Erniang asked He Lingchuan. "You said you were willing to go to Beijia to retrieve my belongings for me!"

"I..." He had spoken without thinking back then, just to survive. What would be the point of going to Beijia now?

Just moments ago in the display room, the divine bone necklace had stopped glowing. Evidently, it was sated after consuming one molted skin and had no interest in the rest. He Lingchuan suspected it would also have little appetite for the cave spider molting intercepted by the Beijia Kingdom.

"Now I think that proposal is excellent!" Zhu Erniang declared. "I cannot go to Beijia, but you can."

The agreement was already in place, and it couldn't trap them, so it decided to make a deal. It was worth a shot, just in case. After all, it had been confined here for over a century; what did casting a wider net and waiting a few more years matter?

He Lingchuan frowned. "I am from the Kite Kingdom, and Beijia is currently at war with us. It would be difficult for me to go."

Upon hearing this, Steward Zhao quickly interjected, "Young Master He, please agree! Our family's business extends all the way to the capital of Beijia. We can guarantee your smooth entry and exit!"

Zhu Erniang suddenly leaned closer and whispered in He Lingchuan's ear, "I've learned that the remains are hidden within Mount Xu, the former site of the Great Restoration Sect, now located within the Beijia capital territory."

No sooner had she finished speaking than He Lingchuan felt a sudden warmth in his chest.

The divine bone necklace was reacting.

Which words had it heard to become so agitated?

"Mount Xu, Great Restoration Sect?" he murmured, uttering those two terms. Though only he and Zhu Erniang could have heard, the divine bone necklace grew even hotter.

"Hiss—" Others might have thought he was scared, but only he knew his chest was probably scorched red.

Indeed, this thing had been silently prying and eavesdropping on his daily life!

If the divine bone necklace was frantically signaling its desire to go, then he—

He couldn't simply accept the task so easily.

He Lingchuan mused, "You can't even enter the Beijia capital. Wouldn't my going there be a suicide mission?"

That's right, Mount Xu was Shou'an Mountain, the location of the Great Restoration Sect's mountain gate, one of the six Kaiyuan sects from ancient times.

It was also the origin of the old turtle demon's divination arts.

Though things had changed, divination arts were passed down through generations. If True Man Dongli could improve his sect's divine abilities, then it was possible that other members of the Great Restoration Sect could as well.

At least during the Middle Ages, immortals still resided in the Great Restoration Sect.

An ominous fate consistently cast a shadow over his heart. Unless he confronted it, it would eventually affect his state of mind and hinder his cultivation. Furthermore, the karmic predictions he had received from the turtle demon and Wen Daolun during his last divination had mostly come true.

In other words, they were depleted.

Perhaps he should seek new premonitions.

It might be worthwhile to go there and investigate the karmic connections.

Most importantly, the divine bone necklace had also clearly expressed its desire to go. If he didn't comply, it would likely be more demanding than a girlfriend.

This thing could easily scald his chest, and since he couldn't get rid of it, it was quite bothersome.

"I've been on Beijia's wanted list for over a century; I'm easily recognized the moment I enter their territory." Zhu Erniang exposed the star chart on her abdomen, whose distinctive appearance made it impossible for her to go unnoticed. "You are different. You are just a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy, as unremarkable as they come. If the Gan family fully assists you in entering Beijia, you can act discreetly."

Steward Zhao nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, it's a piece of cake."

He Lingchuan shot him a look. "Master Gan is gone. Who is in charge of your family now?"

"The Old Madam is still here!" Steward Zhao immediately replied. "Our Old Madam is incredibly capable, managing everything inside and out. She will certainly provide Young Master He with full assistance."

Dong Rui, who had been listening from the side, realized he wouldn't have to take any risks. Of course,

he no longer objected.

He was deep in thought when Zhu Erniang suddenly addressed him. "I still need your elixirs or modifications. If you can accomplish this, I have another secret treasure to bestow upon you." With that, she whispered a few words to Dong Rui.

Dong Rui's face registered surprise, clearly intrigued. He held no loyalty to the Beijia Kingdom, having recently been a wanted criminal of the Northern Demon Kingdom. If he could be swayed by the valuable materials offered by State Preceptor Frostleaf, he could naturally also be swayed by Zhu Erniang's secret treasure.

An ancient monster that had lived for thousands of years truly possessed numerous hidden treasures, more than one could ever take.

"Dragon venom remains indispensable," Dong Rui stated soberly. "And even if the modification is successful, the process will be extremely painful."

Zhu Erniang was unconcerned.

Given her age and cultivation, the agony of each forced molting was akin to being flayed and having one's marrow extracted, yet she had endured it every time.

To survive and thrive, one must inevitably pay a price.

"Then it's settled." Having secured Dong Rui's cooperation, Zhu Erniang focused on persuading He Lingchuan. "I can grant you a divine ability that can protect your life and serve as a trump card."

He Lingchuan's resolve softened. "Even if I find your remains... your treasure, it's likely quite large. How would I bring it back to you?"

His mind was working rapidly.

This trip to Mount Xu was primarily for himself and the divine bone necklace, with Zhu Erniang's request being a convenient addition.

But Zhu Erniang wasn't aware of this, so she still had to offer some incentives.

Zhu Erniang was currently hesitant to speak openly due to the merchant caravan's presence. After all, she no longer trusted these humans.

"When the time comes, just blow this forcefully," Zhu Erniang said, unexpectedly spitting an object from her mouth for him. "Don't worry about anything else."

"Don't worry about anything? That sounds too easy!" He Lingchuan first rinsed off the spider's saliva in the swamp before examining the newly acquired object.

The object was shaped like a goose egg, but two sizes larger, with eight holes on its round body and what appeared to be a mouthpiece at the top. Was it a musical instrument?

"How do I play it?" He Lingchuan fiddled with the small object. "Does it only work if I play a tune?"

"This *xun* you can play however you like normally; no unusual phenomena will occur," Zhu Erniang said calmly. "But when you discover the treasure, you must reveal and blow into the last hole on its back."

This was a *xun*. He Lingchuan turned it over and saw that it was a nine-hole instrument, with only the last hole sealed off.