Chapter 734: Zhu Erniang's Retreat Plan

He was so exhausted from completing the task that he could barely open his eyes. Just then, Aunt Zhu announced, "My subordinates have already cleaned the two middle rooms. You may choose either." They had arrived days ago and had nothing else to do anyway.

He Lingchuan immediately bowed to her, exclaiming, "Aunt Zhu, you truly are the best!" Tonight, the starlit sky was like a painting.

He Lingchuan said to Dong Rui, "Tell me about Xunyang Sandbar."

"Head northwest from Mount Rong's territory, and you'll reach it after another thirty li. For many years, it's been a no-man's-land where merchants trade strange and unusual goods without paying taxes. I've been there many times."

"I heard there are quite a few temples there too?"

"As I said, it's a no-man's-land."

"No governance from whom?"

"Mount Rong doesn't govern it, Baling doesn't govern it, and even the State of Yuan doesn't govern it," Dong Rui explained.

"Xunyang Sandbar isn't large, and its borders are constantly shifting, so managing it would be a thankless task for anyone."

"Sounds good," He Lingchuan chuckled.

"Once you've rested up, we'll depart." Most of the houses in the desolate village were half-buried under years of accumulated snow, their doors impossible to open. Only two rooms stood out, their doors, windows, and roofs cleared of snow.

Dong Rui eagerly chose one of the rooms. Sure enough, it had been neatly cleaned, and the *kang* (heated bed) was covered with a thick layer of dry straw.

He first unslung his backpack containing the demon puppets and set it down. Then, he took out his bedding and a thick cloak, collapsed onto the *kang*, and fell asleep in three seconds flat.

Seeing him snoring loudly, He Lingchuan shook his head, grabbed an axe, and went to chop firewood. The trees in winter were surprisingly dry; he easily gathered a large bundle and took it to Dong Rui's room first.

Amidst the man's thunderous snores, He Lingchuan started a hearth fire, and the room quickly became as warm as spring.

Only then did He Lingchuan take out the snail toad from his backpack and place it on a long bench by the fire. This creature preferred warmth and humidity, and disliked cold.

The bat demon puppet from the sky also landed and scratched at the door to be let in. He had originally intended to return to his own room to boil water, but seeing the cave spiders moving back and forth without entering the village, he became curious.

Following them, he discovered a large cave behind the village. It was about five *zhang* high with an unknown depth, but no wind blew out from inside, suggesting it was likely a dead-end cave with no other exits.

This was the main lair of the cave spiders. Aunt Zhu had already hidden several molted skins here, sealing the cave entrance with thick webs, leaving only a single passage for entry and exit.

Each molted skin was tall, too large for human houses to accommodate. Moreover, she had only just managed to reclaim these immortal molts, so she needed to keep them under her watchful eye to feel at ease.

The cave spiders were quite friendly towards He Lingchuan and led him into the cave. Only then did he notice the elaborate structure of the webs blocking the entrance: they were divided into several layers, both inside and out, with gaps between each layer to block the wind while still allowing ventilation.

If an external enemy attacked, the spiders could quickly rearrange the webs to block the passage. The cave was deep. There had originally been fissures leading underground, but the spiders had sealed them with rocks and then padded them with webs, creating an enclosed space.

He didn't know what methods Aunt Zhu had used, but the temperature inside the cave was much higher than the freezing world outside. Therefore, He Lingchuan was not surprised to see thick fungal mats inside the cave.

As well as aphid cattle on the fungal mats.

"Why are these aphid cattle so thin?" Compared to the aphid cattle he had seen in the Demon's Nest, these were at least two sizes smaller, currently gorging themselves on the fungal mats.

Aunt Zhu walked over from behind. "They've had few opportunities to feed since leaving the Demon's Nest Swamp. It's a wonder they're even alive." These aphid cattle were a food source for the cave spiders, and they hadn't had a chance to grow properly throughout the journey.

"I've heard about your actions in Mount Xu." It seemed the spider queen sisters had engaged in a deep conversation.

He Lingchuan shamelessly asked, "I braved countless dangers to bring back your immortal molts; shouldn't there be some reward?" In truth, the rewards had been pre-paid, mostly received before they even set out.

Aunt Zhu glanced at him, though it was unclear with which eye, and said, "I won't pursue the matter of you stealing one of the molted skins earlier. Consider that your reward." He Lingchuan looked embarrassed.

At that time, when Lord Boshan and King Siwen jointly attacked the spider's nest, He Lingchuan had seized the opportunity to steal a spider molt and feed it to his divine bone necklace.

Aunt Zhu would surely figure out who the real thief was later, so his excuses would be pointless and only create further animosity.

Aunt Zhu continued, "However, the immortal molts are of great significance to me, so I can give you something extra." He Lingchuan chuckled. Working for Aunt Zhu was always worthwhile.

"Just wait a few days then." He Lingchuan had that much patience. "By the way, what are your plans now? The Demon's Nest Swamp is no longer viable; where will Aunt Zhu and her large family settle?"

Aunt Zhu had already thought about this question. "I want to set sail from Baisha Bay and go to the State of Mou!"

"The State of Mou?" He Lingchuan was surprised.

"That's a very long journey." Currently, they were west of Beijia, while the State of Mou was to its east. For this relocation, Aunt Zhu would have to cross an entire large empire by ship.

"Beijia's power doesn't extend that far," Aunt Zhu stated, fully aware that Lingxu City would not let them go, and thus she had to leave Beijia's sphere of influence.

"I recall that the eastern part of the State of Mou still has vast lands, with several large canyons perfect for me to build a nest." Indeed, if she wanted to leave, no one could stop her.

He Lingchuan sighed, "Then it's unlikely we'll meet again."

"That would be for the best." He Lingchuan wasn't sure if she was joking. He rubbed his nose and added, "By the way, have you ever heard the name 'Nailuotian'?" Aunt Zhu thought carefully for a long moment. "No." What kind of formidable being could this heavenly deity be, if even ancient demon immortals didn't recognize the name?

Just then, a cave spider crawled out from the depths of the cave, and He Lingchuan found it peculiar. To his eyes, its form was unusually blurry, as if he were looking at it through frosted glass.

"Huh, what's that?" He pointed it out to Aunt Zhu.

"There's a strange creature mixed in with your offspring." But Aunt Zhu's plump form didn't stir, as if she knew the creature posed no threat.

"That's a mirage demon. It dislikes outsiders and doesn't wish to come out and see you," Aunt Zhu said lazily.

"The Demon's Nest Swamp is no longer suitable, so it decided to come with me." If Beijia decided to attack Aunt Zhu, the demons in the Demon's Nest would likely become collateral damage.

"This is a mirage demon?" He Lingchuan was astonished.

"I always thought a mirage demon's true form would be a large clam that spouts water." A significant reason why the Demon's Nest Swamp was so mysterious was that a mirage demon resided there, enveloping the swamp in dense fog, isolating it from the world. Humans and animals entering it would get lost and die.

He Lingchuan hadn't expected Aunt Zhu to be able to persuade the mirage demon to accompany her.

"I haven't seen its true form either." Aunt Zhu suddenly realized something was amiss.

"Wait, how can you discern its abnormality?"