Chapter 54: Battle Against the Five Spiders

The sky was overcast, heavy with an oppressive atmosphere that threatened rain at any moment.

The spider demons spat from their mouths, and the saliva instantly condensed into threads upon meeting the air. After weaving an inescapable, heaven-covering web, the five siblings of the Zhu family were left with parched throats. They had made a fatal mistake: with no rain falling from the sky, they had nowhere to find water to quench their thirst. Because of their massive physical forms, the exertion consumed a vast amount of moisture, forcing them to revert from spiders back into human shapes.

Xiao Bugui also transformed from a small bird back into a human form. The moment his feet touched the web, they were instantly glued to it. He sprouted wings from his shoulder blades and flapped them frantically, yet he remained trapped.

Seeing this, Zhu Changfa exclaimed, "Splendid! I am terribly thirsty, and I shall drink your blood."

Zhu Changfa voiced his intense craving for Xiao Bugui, though in truth, all four of his siblings were drooling profusely. Sister Zhu Xiu, in particular, kept spitting toward Xiao Bugui to show how much she lusted after his flesh. Xiao Bugui summoned his Azure Lion, telling them that his pet's appetite was larger than all five of theirs combined.

The heavy Azure Lion plummeted onto the web, acting like a fish throwing itself into a net, sinking deeply and unable to free itself. Ignoring the useless iron lump of a lion, Zhu Changfa lunged in attack against Xiao Bugui. At this critical juncture, Shang Qiufeng came to the rescue with his tongue, shooting it out like a soft, pointed thorn that pierced Zhu Changfa's arm.

Upon being pierced, Zhu Changfa suffered severe reactions. His eyelids grew heavy, his eyes closed, dizziness overtook him, and his head slumped. With his limbs completely sapped of strength, he lay flat upon the web.

The Zhu siblings excelled at coordinated combat. Zhu Juanmao shook his head frantically, causing his curly hair to generate numerous sparks and a massive amount of electric current, which traveled straight through the web lines directly to Xiao Bugui and the Azure Lion. Simultaneously, the three siblings Zhu Liuhai, Zhu Qingsi, and Zhu Xiu coughed up thick globs of phlegm and spat them toward Xiao Bugui. Their objective was clear: defeat those trapped in the net first, before dealing with the fish outside of it.

Finding a way out of trouble was one of Xiao Bugui’s strengths. Since he was stuck to the web, he simply transformed into a spider. Once transformed, he could indeed bounce around the web and walk about freely. He promptly dodged the trio's spit and even spat back in retaliation.

Thus, they all spat at one another, competing on accuracy, speed, and volume.

Shang Qiufeng dared not extend his tongue again; after all, the tongue was meant to be drawn back into the mouth, and if it got contaminated, it would be equivalent to turning his own mouth into someone else's spittoon.

Unable to withstand the four demons alone, Xiao Bugui cast a pleading look at the Sect Leader for help. From her vantage point high above, Shi Yuhuan watched with disdain, considering the use of saliva as a weapon to be utterly repulsive. She offered her assistance through a piercing gaze instead; wherever her eyes fell, raging fires ignited, burning the inescapable web to ashes. The Zhu siblings suffered from the fire attack, allowing Xiao Bugui to break free from their entanglement. The liberated Azure Lion promptly flew back to rest against Xiao Bugui's chest.

With the spider web incinerated, the Zhu siblings—already tormented by thirst—found themselves suffering intensely amidst the great fire and unable to produce any more saliva. To escape the blazing inferno and billows of thick smoke, the Zhu siblings retreated to a corner. Because the distance was short and Xiao Bugui’s senses were sharp, he could clearly hear their conversation.

Choking on the acrid smoke, Zhu Juanmao coughed and began to confer with his younger brothers and sister: "Brothers and sister, I don't think we can beat them. There is only one way out now."

Witnessing the sturdy web crumbling in the sea of fire, Zhu Liuhai, carrying the unconscious Zhu Changfa on his back, said helplessly, "Eldest brother, we'll listen to whatever you say."

Zhu Juanmao declared, "Let's surrender!"

Zhu Liuhai argued, "Eldest brother, look at the sky—it's about to rain. If we hold on a bit longer... besides, if we surrender, the Master of the Flying Skull Pavilion will never spare us."

Zhu Juanmao retorted, "We can't even count on ourselves, yet you expect the heavens to save us? Is the heavens your father? Even if it were your father, with so many wandering souls suffering in this world, do you think he has time for us? If we don't surrender, we'll be burned alive immediately. We might as well surrender and join the Demonic Cult."

With smoke filling the air and the situation truly unbearable, Zhu Qingsi said, "Second brother, listen to eldest brother. Sect Leader Shi is far more powerful than the Flying Skull Pavilion Master!"

Since their fourth brother, Zhu Changfa, was unconscious and no one else raised any objections, Zhu Liuhai had no choice but to agree: "Fine! If we can't beat the Demonic Cult, we'll join them!"

Zhu Juanmao said, "Since we are all in agreement, come! Let us siblings shout it out together in unison!"

Moments later, Shi Yuhuan heard the loud and sincere cries of the Zhu siblings: "We surrender! We wish to sever ties with the Wanyou Pavilion! We wish to join the Demonic Cult! We surrender! Sect Leader Shi, please take us in!"

Not only were their words earnest, but the Zhu siblings showed genuine sincerity by dropping to their knees as well. The anger in Shi Yuhuan's eyes subsided, and she smiled, saying, "I will spare your lives. Since you are willing to submit to me, I have some medicinal pills here. Take them and eat one pill each."

Shi Yuhuan tossed down a medicine bottle. The eldest of the Zhu siblings caught it, poured out a red pill, swallowed it without a moment's hesitation, and passed the bottle to the others.

Refusing meant being burned to death; taking poison might also lead to death, but at least it offered a glimmer of hope. After a brief hesitation, Zhu Juanmao distributed the pills to his siblings, urging them, "I've taken one, and I feel nothing unpleasant. You should take yours as well."

Choking violently from the thick smoke, the younger brothers and sister all consumed the pills. Zhu Liuhai even pried open Zhu Changfa's mouth to feed him one as well.

Following this, Shi Yuhuan waved her sleeve. Winds rose and clouds surged; after a deafening clap of thunder, the dense dark clouds piled high in the sky broke into a torrential downpour.

The raindrops poured over the smoke, the fires, the webs, the trees, the rocks, and the bodies of the Zhu siblings, soaking everything thoroughly. It washed away the ash, extinguished the flames, cleared away the remnants of the web, washed the trees and stones, blended into the mud, and rescued the bedraggled five siblings of the Zhu family.

In the wake of this incident, Sect Leader Shi developed a deep sense of paranoia. Trusting no one, she initiated a thorough investigation into the identities of the craftsmen, forcing them to ingest a slow-acting poison. Only those who obeyed and worked diligently were granted eligibility to receive the periodic antidote. She also conducted a verification of Xiao Bugui's identity.

Shi Yuhuan summoned Xiao Bugui for a private meeting and posed numerous questions to him.

"You come from the immortal island in the heavens. What are your parents' names?"

Xiao Bugui replied, "I am an orphan; my master took me in."

"What is your master's name?"

"Zhuangzi, with the immortal title of True Person Nanhua."

Shi Yuhuan asked again, "Are you an immortal or a manifestation of an auspicious beast?"

Xiao Bugui answered, "My true form is a jade rabbit—a rabbit carved from stone."

Finally, Shi Yuhuan said, "I understand. You may return. I shall pay a visit to the immortal island right now to see your master."

Xiao Bugui wanted to ask Shi Yuhuan if she could take him back to the immortal island, but then he realized that even if the Sect Leader were willing to take him back, his master would simply kick him back down for failing to gather all the Jianghu Tokens. Hesitating for a moment, he could only say, "Sect Leader, I wish you a safe and smooth journey."

True to her nature, Shi Yuhuan vanished without a trace. A gust of wind brushed past, and the Sect Leader was gone from sight.