Chapter 147 Spider 34
It was like a thunderclap, striking him headfirst. The boy's delicate face suddenly paled, as pale as if made of paper, and his dark eyes flickered with immense fear. The carefully stored eggs in the net bag had been destroyed. As Lin Yue heard the noise, the net bag suddenly crashed to the ground, spilling the yellow and white egg liquid all over the floor.
When Xu Zhao left, he was covered in a spider web that carried his scent. Besides, the two of them had been together all day, their scents had already blended together. Even if they encountered a giant spider, it wouldn't be a problem...
Lin Yue comforted himself as he quickly walked towards the source of the sound. His mind had already gone blank, with only one urgent thought remaining: find Xu Zhao quickly!
The forest was dense and lush. The further you went inside, the more the sunlight was completely blocked out. The vision in front of you became dim, and the shaking leaves made a rustling sound. From time to time, a few dead leaves stained with blood fell. The strong smell of blood quickly covered up the original fragrance of the forest's grass and trees.
Lin Yue's heart gradually sank to the bottom.
He stared at the empty forest in disbelief, his voice hoarse as he shouted, "Xu Zhao—"
The birds were startled and flapped their wings, making a harsh sound.
Lin Yue held his breath amidst the clamor, anticipating Xu Zhao's response, but there was no response, no response, nothing at all. She was gone...
Almost instantly, Lin Yue was overwhelmed by a sudden surge of self-blame and regret.
He should stay by her side closely and not leave her side even for a moment. How could he let her move around in the forest alone?
Lin Yue's pupils were bloodshot, and red blood threads crawled all over his eyeballs like spider silk. In contrast, his face seemed to have suddenly been drained of all its energy, turning as pale as paper. He anxiously called out Xu Zhao's name, and spider silk secreted from his spinning machine danced wildly in the wind, drifting to every corner he had never noticed.
Soon, the vast forest was transformed into a giant spider web with him as the center. The fine spider silk connected his belly and legs. Not even a tiny and insignificant flying insect could escape his keen senses.
"Don't scare me, Xu Zhao. Where are you? Come out quickly."
Lin Yue swallowed the sour taste rising in his throat and choked with sobs. His clear and beautiful eyes seemed to be bleeding. The two spider eyes on his forehead also lost their gem-like brilliance and became blood red and wild, with bright red liquid flowing out.
He'd only been gone for a moment, just a moment, how could he have vanished? Lin Yue clenched his fingers tightly, a bitter smile forming on his lips: "Xu Zhao, are you kidding me?" He lowered his head, staring at the freshly dripping blood on the ground. The foul smell was not Xu Zhao's. He lied to himself: "...Are you playing hide-and-seek? If so, I lose. Come out quickly... Don't scare me... Don't scare me..."
What was he doing? He thought about how they hadn't had breakfast yet, and how he'd pick up a few eggs to bring back and make Xu Zhao a bowl of noodles with a poached egg that morning. The remaining eggs could be made into omelets, which she would surely like. Even if she didn't, he could adjust the recipe to her taste and improve his cooking. His attention had simply drifted for a moment, away from Xu Zhao, and in the blink of an eye, she had vanished...
Lin Yue blinked blankly as tears of blood streamed down his face. The moment his thick eyelashes drooped, they masked the anxiety in his eyes. This was impossible. His sense of smell was sharp, but there was no trace of Xu Zhao around. He followed her scent to the depths of the forest. The ground was soaked with blood, which had long been dried. Lin Yue breathed a sigh of relief.
Immediately afterwards, blood began to drip from the top of his head.
Lin Yue looked up and saw a giant spider perched on a thick branch, its fangs piercing the chest of its prey, which was wrapped in spider silk into a cocoon. His eyes immediately turned red, and he had an outlet for his unbearable anger. He climbed up, raised his arms and clamped the giant spider, using his flesh and blood to resist the spider's hard limbs. After successfully snatching back the prey, his body was inevitably injured.
Lin Yue pursed his lips, unconcerned. The spider's silk coiled around and around. It was a stranger, someone he didn't know. He couldn't tell whether he felt more relieved or disappointed. He ripped the spider open, and a sticky black liquid oozes out onto the ground. With the spider hollowed out, his body seemed to be hollowed out as well. He stood bewildered on the bloody ground, unsure of what to do...
Xu Zhao, Xu Zhao, Xu Zhao. Where are you?
…
The cave was dark and dark. Even after untying the ropes and spider webs, the group of people still couldn't recover. They were trapped in the cave. Usually, Wang Zhiming just used some things to barely keep them alive. Naturally, they were all skin and bones, and they didn't even have the strength to escape.
Xu Zhao wandered around and found the bucket of slop hidden in a recessed wall. She awkwardly carried it to Zhao Wenqing, and everyone in the corner turned their gazes on her. She ignored him and scooped out a bucket. "...This is all I found. How many sips can you drink? Fill your stomach so you have the strength to leave..."
Before she could finish, Zhao Wenqing took it and gulped down several mouthfuls without changing his expression: "Thank you, Xu Zhao." Xu Zhao had just explained the situation to him. Although she repeatedly emphasized the reward amount, Zhao Wenqing heard comfort in her words and his heart couldn't help but feel warm.
"...Thank you for taking the risk to come here to find me. Don't rush to refute me. You just saved my life. If you hadn't appeared, I would have died here. You are my savior. Don't mention money, even if it's anything else you want, I will give it to you with both hands..."
At times like these, the most important people were naturally the ones who were most in need. The people in the corner stared eagerly at the swill bucket, as if it were a delicious treat. Xu Zhao ignored them and waited until Zhao Wenqing had almost finished his drink before kindly bringing it up to the group, letting them divvy it up and fight over it.
The cave was surrounded by solid rock, carving out a terrifying scene. Staying inside felt like being in a confined space. No sound from the ground could be heard. There was no telling how much time had passed, let alone the situation above. When Lin Yue discovered he was missing, did he worry? With his temperament, he must have been anxious, perhaps even crying...
According to common sense, she successfully found the living Zhao Wenqing, and the next thing she should worry about is how to leave Heishui Town. By leaving Heishui Town, she can get the remaining bounty, which is a considerable amount of money. If calculated based on her past spending, it is enough for her to spend for several lifetimes. It can be seen that the Zhao family attaches great importance to Zhao Wenqing.
But……
Why can't she be happy at all?
"Xu Zhao, what are you thinking about?"
"Hmm?" Xu Zhao came back to her senses. Zhao Wenqing leaned against the stone wall, took a weak breath, and looked at her with some concern: "...What were you thinking about just now? I called you and you didn't respond."
How could Xu Zhao possibly tell him about Lin Yue? Lin Yue's appearance was unique, and she alone knew it. No one else could be trusted. Who knew what they could do if they knew Lin Yue could combine with spiders? They might even take him to the lab for an autopsy.
She casually said she was in a daze and tried to get away with it: "Sorry, could you please say it again?"
Facing his savior, Zhao Wenqing naturally repeated in a good-tempered manner, "...Heishui Town seems to have a very strange magnetic field. I escaped from the cave once in the beginning. At that time, I tried to leave Heishui Town. I brought all kinds of instruments with me, but none of them worked. The compass didn't work either, the needle spun rapidly. I guess this is because Heishui Town has a stronger magnetic field... This magnetic field is very strange, I can't explain it, just like the situation in Heishui Town, there is no scientific explanation..."
"...I tried to leave many times, but each time I got lost in the forest, where countless spiders lurked. That's where I was captured. I almost thought I was going to die, but I ended up being tied up in spider silk. Then, Wang Zhiming brought me to this cave..."
Zhao Wenqing meant that they couldn't leave Blackwater Town for the time being. It was too strange here, and it wasn't certain whether they could leave! This was very negative news. When the tour group heard the news, everyone's face was sad. Xu Zhao was an exception. She actually curled the corners of her lips, and her expression seemed a little happy.
Zhao Wenqing looked puzzled. Could it be that he was simply overwhelmed with sorrow and turned to joy? He quickly consoled him, "...It's not that there's no way out. As long as we gather our strength and kill all those spiders, it'll just take a while. We'll definitely find a way out!"
Everyone can say encouraging words, but the question is, can all those spiders be killed? One or two is easy, but more than that would be fatal.
Xu Zhao pulled back her complex thoughts, set aside the inexplicable joy, and carefully examined Zhao Wenqing's condition. He looked frail, but after seeing Lin Yue's miserable condition, she now thought everyone else was okay. Just skin and bones, covered in wounds, nothing serious. Even she herself felt she could still bear it. What was wrong with enduring this little pain?
She stood up and said urgingly, "It's not good to stay in the cave all the time. The air here is bad, and it's not conducive to healing. Since you've left here once, you should know where the exit is, right? Let's get out of here as soon as possible."
Xu Zhao did as he said, supporting Zhao Wenqing and walking towards the exit. But when they reached the exit, they saw no road at all. Rocks crowded together, blocking the entrance and the only passage. The stones were wet, and they could faintly hear the thunder of heavy rain outside the cave, and a fishy tide was coming towards them.
Following the sighs of those who were trying to escape.
"Wang Zhiming must know where the exit is," Xu Zhao said with a cold face, her heart aching. She had disappeared for a whole day, and now it was night. What was he doing? Was he crying, or had he returned to his room to rest, treating her as a passing guest and not thinking about her anymore? She thought about it for a while, then helped Zhao Wenqing back to their original position.
Because of his inner anxiety, Xu Zhao directly lifted Wang Zhiming's collar and asked: "Where is the mechanism?"
Wang Zhiming had been beaten, and now he was limp, like a rag doll. Xu Zhao easily lifted him up, but he gritted his teeth and refused to utter a word. Xu Zhao had fallen from the ground, and she knew there must be another way out. She was furious, and some were even angrier than she was, especially the people of Blackwater Town. They, filled with resentment for being backstabbed and insulted, vented their anger on Wang Zhiming.
"Whether you want to tell me or not, just wait and see!" The man who had just filled his stomach hastily managed to regain his strength, and with his anger, his punch can be very lethal.
Xu Zhao walked back and forth in the cave with his arms folded. The portraits carved on the stone wall were vivid and lifelike. Since Wang Zhiming gathered them here and slaughtered them, it proved that this location was very important, including the surrounding carvings.
She picked up the butcher knife, and the tip of the knife scratched the stone wall, making a teeth-grinding sound. Then, the portrait on the stone wall was cut by the knife marks. She used a lot of force, as if she wanted to chisel the stone wall down.
Wang Zhiming couldn't stand it anymore and cried out for Xu Zhao to stop. The stone statue in the cave was the god he believed in and his spiritual support. Even the stone statue that symbolized it could not be destroyed casually!
According to Wang Zhiming's explanation, Xu Zhao and others found the control room hidden in the stone wall. It was equipped with quite modern facilities. The central control screen displayed various corners of the forest, which indicated that there were traps nearby.
The moment she saw the electronic screen, Xu Zhao hurriedly pushed Zhao Wenqing aside and stared at the screen. The screen showed the scene deep in the forest, with only a few places where Xu Zhao had passed by. There was no image of Lin Yue in it, and she suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhao Wenqing fiddled with the console nearby. "It's actually powered by batteries! I was so excited I thought there was a signal. Looks like outsiders can't help us. We have to find a solution ourselves... Xu Zhao, eh? Why did you smash the screen..."
Xu Zhao put away the hand holding the butcher knife and raised an eyebrow: "If we don't smash it, will we keep it? This cave cannot be left. After we leave, we will destroy it!"
She had just caught a glimpse of Lin Yue, though it was only a fleeting moment. He lay in a pool of blood, surrounded by the corpses of several giant spiders. Was he okay? Although she wanted to see him a few more times, Lin Yue's identity couldn't be discovered by others. She quickly smashed the screen.
Next, the two of them turned the knob according to Wang Zhiming's reminder.
——Boom!
Oops!
The two of them looked at each other quickly and realized they had been fooled!
The button Wang Zhiming instructed them to press was clearly the button to destroy the cave. In an instant, the rubble collapsed, and Wang Zhiming lay on the ground, laughing cruelly and triumphantly: "Hahahahahaha no one can escape! Everyone should stay here, sacrifice human blood, and wait for the coming of God!" The rubble fell on his head, and the second half of Wang Zhiming's words were stuck in his throat. At the end of his consciousness, his pupils briefly faded away from the turbidity, and then Wang Zhiming took his last breath.
Xu Zhao frowned, but he didn't care, pressing buttons randomly on the control panel. After all, the situation was already like this, how could it get any worse?!
Finally, someone pressed a switch somewhere, and a rumbling sound was heard, and the grass surface used to make the trap opened up.
The people in the cave rushed over, blocking the exit.
…
The rain poured down in torrents, and lightning flashed as if it threatened to rip the night sky apart, suddenly illuminating the deep forest. The ancient trees, thick and robust, their leaves rustled with the pounding of raindrops. The birds lingering in the deep forest chirped incessantly, the clamorous noise muffled by an invisible barrier. The young man, sprawled on his side, lay silent and motionless, as if dead.
He had gutted the nearby spider carcasses, revealing only a thin layer of slime. Lin Yue had searched every cocoon he could find, peeling back the threads. If it wasn't Xu Zhao, he'd find the next one, peeling back the threads again, repeating the cycle endlessly. When he encountered a giant spider, he'd charge forward without hesitation, attacking it head-on. Despite his immense strength, his upper body was still mortal, a fragile human form. Whether it was the spider's attacks or the branches that spun outward, they left bloody wounds on his pale chest and abdomen.
In just one night, Lin Yue returned to the miserable state he had when he first met Xu Zhao. He collapsed on the muddy ground, his beautiful dark pupils filled with infinite emptiness. The spider silk was wet with raindrops, but it still stubbornly stretched out, waiting for its prey to arrive.
Even with the truth before him, he couldn't believe it. How could someone simply vanish into a jungle teeming with danger? The possibility of her being hunted by a giant spider was so strong, so strong that every thought sent a shiver of pain through his body.
It would have been fine if only he had endured that kind of pain. How could Xu Zhao be made to endure it... He would rather believe that Xu Zhao's appearance was a beautiful dream he had before his death. Now that he has woken up, Xu Zhao might be living safely and healthily somewhere in the world...
The air in the torrential rain carried the scent of grass, mud, and trees, washing away the surrounding mess. Lin Yue was soaking wet, his hooded sweatshirt clinging to his chest, outlining his narrow, thin waist and abdomen. The bristles on his spidery belly and legs clung to his limbs, drooping and pitiful. He looked like a fledgling washed from its nest in a downpour. His eyes betrayed no desire to live, but rather a boundless, dead despair.
He thought, if he couldn't fulfill his wish in life, he wouldn't even be able to get Xu Zhao's remains after death. He didn't believe in ghosts and gods, and even if the spider monster appeared, he wouldn't believe in the afterlife. But when he thought of Xu Zhao, he earnestly hoped that she would wait for him on the road to the underworld. He wanted to find her, to catch up with her quickly...
A sweet fragrance suddenly blew against his face. Lin Yue opened his eyes suddenly. The morning light broke through the fog in the mountains. The heavy rain had not stopped yet, but the light swayed, avoided the dark clouds, and fell on him. Lin Yue couldn't believe it, and his breathing almost stopped.
The mist dissipated, revealing a cold face, and his eyes seemed to be filled with cool spring water. When her eyes fell on him, he trembled violently. The desperate energy and ferocity he had when hunting the giant spider yesterday disappeared at this moment. His face looked aggrieved and wilted, like a bullied puppy returning home to look for its owner. His back was stiff, and he tilted his head back, his eyes glued to her face, as if he couldn't see enough.
Concern was revealed in Xu Zhao's hazy eyes. She put her palm against his face and sighed softly, "Why are you crying?" The moment Lin Yue heard the voice, tears flowed from his eyes. The crystal tears mixed with the rain and quickly disappeared. He only felt that his heart was suddenly burning with a flame due to the warmth from her palm, burning his heart so much that it hurt.
He didn't dare to move. The fragrance suddenly came over to him, almost touching his face. In the blink of an eye, Xu Zhao was lying on his side on the muddy ground like him, with his cheek only half a fist away from him.
It was so close that he could reach out and grab it, and once he did, he would never let go...
"Don't even think about leaving me again..." Lin Yue choked out these words, and his enlarged tentacles suddenly clamped her waist and abdomen, slowly pressing her to his chest. He was enveloped by deeper and deeper fragrance, and trembling and shyly kissed her lips that were so close to him.
Soft as flower petals, sweet as honey... Lin Yue's eyes were filled with obsession, and he smiled sweetly. At the same time, a sound like tearing cloth came from above his head. His vision blurred for a moment, and there was no trace of Xu Zhao in front of him.
Lin Yue sat up in a daze, his cheeks were cold, without any temperature at all. He stretched out his hands to cover his face. After a while, his shoulders began to shake violently. He bit his lips tightly and cried silently.
The spider silk holding his legs trembled a few times, and he stood up reflexively. His dilapidated body, which seemed like it could fall apart at any time, gathered itself together again, maintaining the surface integrity. He walked towards the place where the noise came from, trembling, with subtle expectation.
The closer they got, the stronger the sweet smell became. Lin Yue was actually a little timid, fearing that it was just another beautiful dream. But he didn't dare to stop moving for even a second, even if it was just another beautiful dream, even if he suffered the despair of disappointment again, he didn't want his hesitation to make Xu Zhao suffer for even one more second - he had to hurry, hurry up and get to her side.
Even if it was fake, he didn't want the wonderful Xu Zhao to suffer even a little harm. He wished he could bear the heart-wrenching pain alone. Lin Yue hurried to the source of the sound, sniffing the familiar scent. He didn't care that he was surrounded by people. Amidst the screams and fleeing of familiar and unfamiliar faces, he rushed to the cave entrance and looked down to see Xu Zhao, who had been pushed down by the crowd and pinned under the rocks.
His heart suddenly tightened, and the pain almost suffocated him.
At first, the people in the cave saw a young boy's face appearing in front of the cave entrance and didn't pay much attention. But then, the boy jumped down. Everyone stared at the boy's lower body in shock - the horrible spider limbs, and immediately screamed and fled in all directions.
Lin Yue pushed the rocks away and carefully held Xu Zhao in his arms. His thin shoulders blocked the falling debris, and although they were broken and bleeding, he slowly smiled, and that smile hid infinite pain and pity.
"Xu Zhao...does it hurt?...I'm here. I'm sorry, I'm late..." His eyes were red as he stared at Xu Zhao's wounds, as if they were his own. "It hurts so much...Let's leave now. I'll help you stop the bleeding once we leave. Don't hold it in. Cry if you want to..."
He carefully wiped away the debris that fell on Xu Zhao's face.
Xu Zhao thought she was dreaming, the pain was so severe that her eyes became sore when she heard Lin Yue's tone of coaxing a child. It was obviously her who was in pain, but Lin Yue looked like he was in even worse pain than her.
"...Don't cry, why are you crying? I just hit my foot, it's okay."
"You got your foot smashed and you still say it's okay," Lin Yue's big belly covered Xu Zhao firmly, and his legs stuck to her legs so that the falling rocks couldn't hurt her. He quickly spit out spider silk, and the other end stuck to the cave entrance. With his spare legs, he moved and soon weaved a spider web that stuck to the cave entrance and temporarily covered the rubble.
The moment she saw Xu Zhao, tears began to flow non-stop: "From now on..." There was a strong sense of oath in her voice, and fear and a faint possessiveness appeared in her pupils: "...I will never leave you again, not even a step away..."
Xu Zhao's appearance at the moment was no more horrific than Lin Yue's. He was soaked to the skin, his royal blue sweatshirt looking as if it had been soaked in blood, which didn't smell very good. His body wasn't much better either. Everywhere visible to the naked eye, there were long, thin wounds. But what about the invisible parts?
Xu Zhao's limbs were weak, but he didn't mind the stench on his body at all. He leaned over and rested his face on his chest. "The cave is about to collapse. Let's go up first... Hey, there's another person, Lin Yue. Please help and bring him up with us."
Lin Yue's eyes narrowed suddenly, but he finally responded with "Okay".
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