Only after listening did I realize that today is the Double Ninth Festival. Iâve been so busy with the new book that Iâve been working myself to a daze.
Wishing everyone a happy Double Ninth Festival, and also wishing my daughter Guoguo a happy birthday.
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In the afternoon, Yang Kai changed direction and headed towards the location of the Lingxiao Pavilion.
Iâve only taken three days off, and the day of departure doesnât count, so I must return by tomorrow morning, or I might be punished.
Thereâs plenty of time. Yang Kai estimated that he was about a hundred miles away from the Lingxiao Pavilion, which wasnât too far. He could arrive before dark.
Looking forward to the improvements the incense burner from the third page of the wordless black book would bring, Yang Kai felt elated, and his steps were light.
He hadnât even walked halfway when Yang Kai suddenly heard a series of angry roars and heart-wrenching shouts, interspersed with a childâs cries.
Hearing the commotion, Yang Kai stopped in his tracks and listened carefully. After a moment, his expression changed, and he hurriedly ran in the direction of the sounds.
He recognized the roars as those of the hunter he had encountered the night before, and the cries belonged to the little boy.
These two must have run into some trouble; otherwise, they wouldnât be so panicked. That night, Yang Kai had eaten the hunterâs provisions, and the hunter had done him a favor. How could he ignore them now?
As he ran, the hunterâs roars grew increasingly mournful, while the little boyâs cries gradually weakened.
Yang Kaiâs expression turned grave, and he had a bad feeling.
By the time Yang Kai reached the spot, even the hunterâs roars had stopped. He saw a dark cave entrance at the foot of a high slope, with dense grass and silver spider webs all around. On the ground was a small bow, the weapon the little boy had been holding that night.
Without hesitation, Yang Kai quickly threw his belongings to the ground, widened his eyes, and cautiously observed the surroundings before darting into the dark cave entrance.
The light inside the cave wasnât bright, but he could still see.
Taking a closer look, Yang Kai was startled to see the cave filled with spider webs. The walls and the ground were covered with silver-white strands as thick as chopsticks, crisscrossing and layering, blocking the path forward.
The cave was damp and dark, with water dripping from the ceiling. Yang Kai felt the ground sink slightly under his feet.
Holding his breath and moving cautiously, he took a few steps and saw a man almost completely wrapped in spider silk, lying on the side, with only his face exposed. It was the hunter he had met the night before.
Yang Kai rushed over, checked the hunter, and found that he had fainted due to shock but was otherwise unharmed. He quickly pinched the hunterâs philtrum to revive him.
The hunter slowly regained consciousness and, upon seeing Yang Kai, urgently said, "Save the child! The child was dragged inside. Please, save the child!"
"Dragged inside?" Yang Kai was shocked. He hurriedly tried to free the hunter, but the spider silk was incredibly resilient and couldnât be untangled quickly. He had to abandon the attempt and rush into the cave.
The hunter warned from behind, "Be careful, itâs a spider demon beast!"
Hearing the words "demon beast," Yang Kaiâs heart sank. Demon beasts were not ordinary wild animals; they were fierce and could not be easily dealt with. Any one of them was beyond Yang Kaiâs current capabilities.
The outer thirty miles of Blackwind Mountain were considered safe because no demon beasts were found there. The appearance of one here was unexpected.
Knowing there was a demon beast inside, Yang Kai moved even more cautiously. After feeling his way for about ten yards, he found the hunterâs son.
The little boy was also tightly bound in spider silk, stuck to a huge spider web and suspended in mid-air.
Next to the little boy, a giant flower-backed spider was probing its mouth, inserting a tube into the boyâs arm, and clearly drawing blood from him.
On the cave floor, various strange bones were piled up, indicating that the spider demon beast had killed many prey here.
Yang Kai didnât have time to consider whether he could defeat the spider. Any delay could cost the little boy his life. Without a word, he charged forward.
The giant flower-backed spider, caught off guard, was enjoying its meal when a powerful force collided with it from the side, tearing a large hole in the spider web. The spider and Yang Kai were both thrown back, and the little boy fell to the ground.
Suddenly attacked, the flower-backed spider was enraged. Its eight furry legs thrashed on the ground, and its eyes turned to Yang Kai.
Before Yang Kai could get up, the flower-backed spider pounced on him, pinning him to the ground.
Yang Kai roared and punched the spiderâs mouth, causing it to stagger. Seizing the opportunity, he kicked it away, finally managing to send the spider flying.
Rolling to the side, Yang Kai crouched down, watching the spider cautiously.
The brief confrontation made him feel slightly more at ease. This demon beast wasnât of a high level; otherwise, he wouldnât have been able to fight it. It was probably just a level one demon beast.
But even a level one demon beast was a challenge for his current strength.
Both sides were sizing each other up. The flower-backed spider was calm, but Yang Kai was growing impatient because the little boy looked severely bloodied and showed signs of poisoning. He needed to act quickly to save him.
Suddenly, the flower-backed spider opened its mouth, and a bright strand of silk shot out, aiming directly at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai had already experienced the toughness of the spider silk and knew he couldnât be caught. He rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding it.
The flower-backed spider ignored his evasion and kept spitting silk at one spot. By the time Yang Kai realized what was happening, the cave was separated by a huge spider web, cutting off his escape and trapping him inside.
"Is it trying to force me into a fight to the death?" Yang Kai smiled, his last bit of hesitation vanishing, and his pride was ignited.
In this situation, he couldnât leave without killing the spider. Since that was the case, it would be a fight to the death.
Time was running out, and Yang Kai couldnât afford to waste any more. He pushed off the ground with his feet and quickly approached the flower-backed spider. Another strand of spider silk flew at him, but he was prepared and dodged it.
After dodging three strands of spider silk, he finally closed the distance to the demon beast. Before he could punch, the flower-backed spider raised a front leg and struck him forcefully.
Yang Kai raised his arm to block, and the spiderâs sharp front leg pierced through his arm.
The pain made Yang Kai roar, and his blood suddenly boiled. The flow of blood didnât make him feel fear or panic; instead, a strange excitement and anticipation surged in his heart, and his bones resonated. A warm sensation spread throughout his body.