Chapter 341 - 340: The Outsiders

Chapter 341: Chapter 340: The Outsiders

Would it stir up more turmoil? Trigger more wars?

At the very least, it would put Panlong City, already surrounded by enemies, in an even more difficult position, right?

If his deduction was correct, Wen Daolun had truly paid an immense price for this one piece of "certainty."

Thinking of this, Hee Lingchuan couldn’t help but sigh. It seemed Mitian’s relationship with the other Deities was truly awful.

Returning to the Demon Nest Swamp, did that Sadist manage to snatch the treasure in the end?

Hee Lingchuan had no way of knowing. However, since the Moon God was likely Panlong City’s Mitian, the Sadist at least hadn’t gotten the Grand Square Pot.

’If it did get the treasure, what did it do with it?’

Hee Lingchuan recalled the various anomalies within the Demon Nest, and the small burial mound in the "heart chamber."

Just then, the sound of human voices seemed to drift from the distance.

Hee Lingchuan froze. This was the heart of the Demon Nest Swamp, the territory of Great Demons. Yet he definitely heard human speech, the snorting of horses, and the crunch of wheels rolling over pebbles on the ground.

Then, Hee Lingchuan saw swarms of spiders scuttling over from the water’s edge, scurrying on their eight legs toward the source of the sound.

There was no reason to wait, so he followed closely behind.

By now, the floodwaters of the Hanhe River had long since receded. The water level in the swamp was also gradually falling, exposing large patches of ground, though it was muddy and difficult to traverse.

A human caravan was currently hauling its goods toward the Jiana Race ruins, which was also the largest open space in Second Madam Zhu’s territory.

Two spiders led the way, while the rest circled the procession as if watching a spectacle, but they didn’t approach to harm or eat anyone.

The caravan consisted of more than forty large carts, surprisingly followed by thirty or forty sheep, yet there were only about thirty people. Hee Lingchuan could tell from the deep ruts that the cargo was heavy. Sometimes, when the wheels got stuck in the mud, a Spider Guard would even circle around to the back and help push the cart.

’How diligent.’ It was clear this caravan could pass through the Demon Nest Swamp not just with the Mirage Demon’s permission, but also with Second Madam Zhu’s approval.

Hee Lingchuan noticed that the roofs of the first and last carts were covered in thick spiderwebs. The woven pattern was quite peculiar, like a tangled ball of yarn. He couldn’t make any sense of it, but to a spider’s eyes, it was perhaps a password for passage.

The Jiana Race ruins were very close to the Demon Nest. When the caravan arrived, Second Madam Zhu emerged from the Demon Nest, slowly descended the slope, and came to the front of the procession.

"What’s going on? Why the new face?"

Two men came forward to greet her. One was a robust man of about thirty, whose clothes were of the finest material in the whole group, likely the leader.

The other was over fifty, with a world-weary face, looking like an experienced old steward.

The Steward stepped forward and bowed. "Spider Queen, my master has fallen gravely ill this year and could not come himself. This transaction will be handled by his nephew, Tuu Zhongli."

He was a regular, having entered and exited the Demon Nest Swamp with the caravan more than seven or eight times. Second Madam Zhu recognized him at a glance.

A familiar face was a living testament to their business.

Still, Steward Zhao held up a small flag. "This is the token you bestowed upon us. Please inspect it!"

The flag’s surface shimmered with Flowing Light; it was Cloud Brocade, a specialty of Second Madam Zhu’s. Of course she recognized it instantly.

Tuu Zhongli’s face was all smiles as he gave a deep bow. "My apologies, Spider Queen. My uncle has developed an abdominal tumor. He can’t even get out of bed, let alone travel over mountains and rivers, so I had to come pay tribute to you in his stead!"

With that, he waved a hand behind him.

The others quickly pulled the tarps off the first five carts, revealing rows of identical black jars. Each jar was half a person tall with a narrow mouth, sealed with red cloth.

"This is all fine wine brewed from West Yao Mountain Spring, even better quality than the last batch."

Second Madam Zhu walked to the first cart. Without bothering to break the clay seal, she plunged her mouthparts directly into a large jar and drank for a good while.

This action gave Tuu Zhongli a huge fright. He hadn’t expected Second Madam Zhu to just... without a word of warning...

’It’s fine.’

"Mm, not bad." The wine was passable.

She waved her claws, and a group of massive spiders scurried over. They loaded the wine jars onto their backs and carried them into the Demon Nest. If they feared a jar wasn’t secure, they would just spray a few tufts of Spider Silk, guaranteed to hold stronger than any glue.

Second Madam Zhu loved to drink; there was a dedicated wine cellar in the Demon Nest.

She took two steps, then suddenly asked, "Why do the carts and you all smell of human blood?"

Everyone was startled. Tuu Zhongli chuckled, "You may not know this, but things aren’t peaceful outside the swamp either. We ran into a band of robbers right before we came in and barely managed to drive them off! Otherwise, this whole trip would’ve been for nothing."

Then, the contents of the other dozens of carts were also unveiled. Aside from some miscellaneous trinkets, what most caught Hee Lingchuan’s eye were countless coarse cloth sacks.

He had transported grain before; these sacks had such poor seals they couldn’t even hold grain. But here, thirty large carts were loaded with these coarse sacks. Each was big enough to fit at least two people, and right now, every single one was bulging, stuffed full of something.

’What’s inside them?’

Fortunately, Second Madam Zhu soon answered his question.

The giant Spider Demon casually swiped a claw, and the sack beneath it ripped open, revealing what was inside—

"Dirt?"

The coarse sacks were filled with... the most common yellow dirt? Some of it was in clumps, some loose, mixed with a few grass roots, but it certainly looked like dried yellow mud.

Second Madam Zhu stirred it twice with her claw and even scooped a little into her mouth to taste it. "This batch has a few too many impurities."

"You know how salty clay is." Nudged by Tuu Zhongli’s heel, the Steward hastily said, "It’s no different from what we’ve brought before, dug from the same area. The quality fluctuates, probably because it’s been raining a lot recently."

"That’s your problem," Second Madam Zhu said bluntly. "Lower quality, lower price."

The Steward opened his mouth to argue, but Tuu Zhongli cut him off. "It’s fine, it’s fine. This one’s on us. We’ll take your price. Let the dozens of sheep in the back be a gift to the Spider Queen as compensation."

Second Madam Zhu snorted. With another wave of her claw, her minions swarmed forward, emptying the carts and leading the sheep away.

They were tired of the prey in the swamp; it wasn’t often they had a chance to try some juicy little lambs for a change of pace.

Second Madam Zhu said coldly, "Same as always. You’ll stay in the Jiana Race ruins tonight. Don’t wander around. Or else—"

The Steward nodded quickly. "We understand! The jungle isn’t safe, we understand!"

Hee Lingchuan tugged on a nearby Spider Guard and asked, "What’s this salty clay used for?"

’If it was for growing the Fungal Mat, this seems like too little.’

"It’s one of the feeds for the Aphid Bulls," the Spider Guard replied in a booming voice. The human had been wandering around their camp for over half a month, often striking up conversations with them, so it answered instinctively. Besides, it didn’t know how to lie. "They only lay eggs after eating the salty clay."

Hee Lingchuan let out a long, drawn-out "Ohhh."

He had heard that birds and beasts sometimes ate certain types of earth to supplement their nutrition, but he hadn’t expected the aphids here would need it too. It was clear the Earth Cave Spiders were truly experts at animal husbandry, having even figured out the prenatal and postnatal care for their Aphid Bulls.

He now roughly understood why, although the warm, humid jungle environment seemed more suitable for Earth Cave Spiders, Second Madam Zhu’s offspring weren’t as numerous as those in the Ghost Needle Stone Forest.

The supply of salty clay was likely one of the key factors.

The Panlong Wasteland had an abundant supply, which could support more Aphid Bulls, providing the spiders with plentiful rations.

The Demon Nest Swamp probably produced very little salty clay, so the Earth Cave Spiders had to rely on humans to import it. This, in turn, limited their population.

The sky had grown dark. The human caravan would, as usual, spend the night in the swamp and leave with their new cargo the next morning.

Hee Lingchuan, a lone human in a crowd of spiders, truly stood out like a sore thumb. The merchants couldn’t have missed him even with a cursory glance.

So, after the group dispersed to set up camp, Tuu Zhongli walked over, his eyes full of suspicion. "My friend, your name?"

"Hee."

"What are you doing in the Earth Cave Spiders’ den?" Tuu Zhongli asked the Steward beside him. "Steward Zhao, didn’t you say the Demon Nest Swamp was off-limits to outsiders?"

"Er, that’s supposed to be the case," Steward Zhao said cautiously. "But..."

"The Hanhe River flooded, and I was washed in. The Earth Cave Spiders have had too much food lately, so they haven’t eaten me. But I can’t get out, either." Hee Lingchuan sized up Tuu Zhongli. "What’s your line of work, Brother Tuu?"

"Me?" Tuu Zhongli gave a hollow laugh. "I just help my uncle with his business."

"I would have thought..." The man’s build was solid, nearly a match for Hee Lingchuan’s own, looking like he could kill an ox with one punch. ’With a physique like that, being a merchant is a bit of a waste.’

’I trained in martial arts for years to attain my agile and powerful physique. But this fellow?’

From the way Tuu Zhongli carried himself, he could tell the man was at least a martial artist, and he had the air of a ruffian—

Ever since the incident in Xianling Village, Hee Lingchuan had become especially sensitive to the aura of hardened bandits.

Tuu Zhongli smiled. "Everyone says that. What do you do?"

"Mercenary. I work for coin," Hee Lingchuan said, then asked, "I heard the Demon Nest Swamp is surrounded by Mirage Mist. How are you able to come and go freely?"

Tuu Zhongli jutted his chin at Steward Zhao, who immediately explained, "A few years ago, my master rescued a few Earth Cave Spiders at the market. They were very large. The hunter said he’d caught them in a trap outside the Demon Nest Swamp and wanted to kill them to strip their materials for money. When my master heard that these Giant Spiders could talk, he couldn’t bear it, so he bought them and set them free."

"A few days later, the Spider Queen sent a Giant Spider to find us, saying she wanted to do business with my master’s family." Steward Zhao swallowed. "She had originally sent Giant Spiders out of the swamp to find a type of salty clay. If we could provide a long-term supply, she would guarantee us free passage in and out of the swamp—of course, that only applies to my master’s family. Any other outsider who comes in here is just asking to die."

"I see. A good deed brings a good reward," Hee Lingchuan nodded, though he knew perfectly well that Steward Zhao was omitting many details. For instance, why Tuu Zhongli’s uncle had specifically taken the Giant Spiders to the edge of the Demon Nest Swamp to release them, and how the Spider Queen had managed to find them so quickly.

’Clearly, the old man had smelled a huge business opportunity when he rescued the Giant Spiders. It probably wasn’t a simple matter of ’not being able to bear it.’’

At that moment, the caravan members began gathering dead branches and fallen leaves to start fires and cook their meal.

Following Second Madam Zhu’s orders, the spiders generously delivered some large fish raised in the swamp.