Outsiders

Would it stir up more turmoil, or provoke even more wars? At the very least, it would put Panlong City—already surrounded by enemies—into an even more desperate predicament. If his deduction held true, Wen Daolun had paid a staggering price just for that sliver of certainty. Contemplating this, He Lingchuan could not help sighing inwardly. It seemed Mitian's relations with the other deities were truly terrible. Returning to the matter of Demon Nest Swamp, had that tormentor ultimately managed to seize the treasure? He Lingchuan had no way of knowing. However, since the Moon Goddess was very likely Panlong City's Mitian, whatever the tormentor had obtained was at least not the Dafang Pot. And if it had claimed the treasure, what did it do with it? He Lingchuan thought back to all the anomalies inside the Demon Nest, as well as that small earthen mound in the "atrium." Right then, faint voices drifted over from the distance. He Lingchuan started. This was the heart of Demon Nest Swamp, the territory of powerful demons. Yet he distinctly heard human speech, the snorting of horses, and the creak of wagon wheels grinding over gravel. Then he saw spiders scurrying past the water's edge in groups, their eight legs carrying them swiftly toward the source of the noise. With no reason to wait, he followed close behind. By now, the Han River's floodwaters had completely drained, and the swamp's water level was steadily receding. Expanses of muddy, difficult-to-traverse ground had reemerged. A human merchant caravan was dragging its gear toward the ruins of the Jiana tribe, which served as the largest open clearing in Zhu Erniang's territory. Two spiders led the way, while the rest scurried around the convoy as if watching a spectacle, making no move to attack or devour anyone. The convoy comprised over forty large wagons, followed unexpectedly by thirty to forty sheep, though their numbers were small—only around thirty people. He Lingchuan could tell from the deep ruts that the cargo was heavy. Whenever a wheel became stuck in the mud, spider guardians would circle behind to help push. How attentive. Clearly, this caravan could traverse Demon Nest Swamp not only because the mirage demon let them pass, but because they had Zhu Erniang's permission. He Lingchuan noticed thick spiderwebs draped over the roofs of both the lead and rear wagons. The patterns woven into them were quite peculiar, resembling unraveled balls of yarn. While he could make no sense of them, they were likely a passkey in the eyes of the spiders. The Jiana ruins were very close to the Demon Nest. When the convoy arrived, Zhu Erniang lumbered out from the cavern, slowly descended the slope, and came to a stop before the caravan. "What is this? Why the change in people?" Two men stepped forward to meet her. One was a burly man around thirty, dressed in the finest fabric of the entire group—evidently the leader. The other was past fifty, weathered by the elements, and bore the demeanor of an experienced chief manager. The manager stepped forward and bowed. "Lady Spider Queen, our master fell gravely ill this year and could not come in person. This trip's trade is being handled on his behalf by his nephew, Tu Zhongli." He was a frequent guest entering and leaving the swamp with the caravan, having visited more than seven or eight times. Zhu Erniang recognized him at a glance. A familiar face was the best credential. Even so, Manager Zhao held up a small pennant. "This is the token you bestowed upon us. Please inspect it!" The cloth shimmered with radiant hues—the cloud brocade that Zhu Erniang was so adept at weaving. Naturally, she recognized it immediately. Tu Zhongli wore an ingratiating smile as he bowed deeply. "Spider Queen, pray forgive us. My uncle developed an abdominal tumor and cannot leave his bed, let alone trek over mountains and across rivers. It fell to me to come and pay our respects to you!" With that, he waved a hand behind him. The rest of the men hurriedly pulled back the oilcloth covers on the first five wagons, revealing identical black crocks. Each crock stood half a man's height, tapering at the rim and sealed with red cloth. "All of these are fine wines brewed from Mount Xiyao's spring waters, of even better quality than the last batch." Zhu Erniang moved to the first wagon. Without bothering to break the mud seal, she plunged her mouthparts straight through the lid of a massive crock and sucked vigorously for a long moment. The motion gave Tu Zhongli quite a fright. He had not expected Zhu Erniang to dive right in without a word of warning... Fortunately, things went smoothly. "Mmh, not bad." The wine was passable. She flicked a claw, and a swarm of massive spiders scuttled forward. Hoisting the wine crocks onto their backs, they hauled them into the Demon Nest. If there was any concern that the jars were unstable, they needed only spit a few sprays of spider silk, guaranteed to hold firmer than any glue. Zhu Erniang loved fine wine and kept a dedicated cellar inside the Demon Nest. Taking two steps, she suddenly asked, "Why do your wagons and bodies smell of human blood?" The men all blanched. Tu Zhongli quickly smiled and said, "You might not know, but things aren't peaceful outside the swamp right now. Before entering, we crossed paths with a band of brigands and only just managed to drive them off! Otherwise, this entire trip would have been for nothing." Afterward, the tarps on the remaining dozens of wagons were uncovered. Aside from a few sundries, what caught He Lingchuan's attention most was an endless array of coarse cloth sacks. He had transported grain before, and sacks of this sort were far too loose-woven to hold even grain. Yet thirty wagons here were loaded with them, each sack large enough to fit at least two men, all bulging to the brim. What was packed inside? Fortunately, Zhu Erniang quickly answered his unspoken question. With a casual swipe of her claw, the giant spider demon tore open a sack, exposing what lay within— "Yellow dirt?" Packed inside the coarse cloth sacks was ordinary yellow earth. Some was in chunks, some in loose dirt, mixed with bits of grass roots, but it appeared to be nothing more than dried yellow mud. Zhu Erniang stirred it twice with a claw, even scooping up a bit to taste. "This batch has a bit too many impurities." "As you know, that is the nature of salty clay," Manager Zhao rushed to explain after Tu Zhongli nudged him with a heel. "It is no different from what was delivered before, all dug from the same area. The fluctuations in quality are likely due to the heavy rains lately." "That is your problem," Zhu Erniang countered bluntly. "When quality drops, the price drops." The manager opened his mouth to argue, but Tu Zhongli cut him off. "No matter, no matter. This was our oversight, so we will accept your price. Those dozens of sheep in the back shall be a gift to the Spider Queen by way of compensation." Zhu Erniang snorted, then waved a claw. Her brood swarmed forward, unloading the wagons and leading away the sheep. They had long grown sick of the prey in the swamp; a chance to taste tender, plump sheep was a welcome change of diet. Zhu Erniang said coldly, "Same as always: you will stay in the Jiana ruins tonight and not wander about. Otherwise—" The manager nodded repeatedly. "We understand! The jungle is dangerous, we understand completely!" He Lingchuan tugged at a nearby spider guardian and asked, "What is this salty clay used for?" If it was for cultivating the fungal mats, this hardly seemed enough. "It is feed for the aphid cattle," the spider guardian rumbled. This human had been wandering around their camp for over half a month and frequently struck up conversations with them, so it answered instinctively. Besides, it had not yet learned how to lie. "They will only lay eggs after eating salty clay." He Lingchuan let out a long, enlightened "Oh." He had heard of birds and beasts consuming certain earths to supplement their nutrition, but he hadn't imagined aphids here needed it as well. It went to show that the burrow spiders were true experts at husbandry, having figured out prenatal and postnatal care for their aphid cattle down to the finest detail. Now he roughly understood why the humid jungle environment seemed more suited to burrow spiders, yet Zhu Erniang's offspring were nowhere near as numerous as those in the Ghost Needle Stone Forest. The yield of salty clay was likely a major factor. In the Panlong Wasteland, the supply was abundant, sustaining vast herds of aphid cattle and providing the spiders with ample rations. Demon Nest Swamp probably produced little to no salty clay. Relying on humans to import it from outside naturally constrained the population. As dusk fell, the merchant caravan prepared to stay the night in the swamp as was their custom, intending to load up goods and depart the next morning. A living human mingling among a swarm of spiders stood out like a crane among chickens. The merchants could hardly fail to notice him. Once the group dispersed to make camp, Tu Zhongli walked over, eyes full of curiosity. "Brother, how should I address you?" "He." "How did you end up in the burrow spiders' nest?" Tu Zhongli turned to the manager beside him. "Manager Zhao, didn't you say living men cannot enter Demon Nest Swamp?" "Uh, by rights, yes," Manager Zhao said cautiously. "However..." "The Han River flooded, and I was swept in. The burrow spiders had more than enough food during that period, so they didn't eat me. But I can't get out either." He Lingchuan sized up Tu Zhongli. "What line of work are you in, Brother Tu?" "Me?" Tu Zhongli chuckled. "Just doing a bit of business with my uncle." "And here I thought..." The fellow's frame was solid and sturdy, almost rivaling He Lingchuan's own, looking capable of felling an ox with a single blow. "With a physique like that, being a merchant seems a bit of a waste." He Lingchuan had cultivated martial arts for years to attain his vigorous bearing; what about this fellow? From the way Tu Zhongli walked, he was at least a practiced fighter, carrying the distinct air of the wild frontier. Ever since his encounter in Xianling Village, He Lingchuan had developed a keen nose for hardened brigands. Tu Zhongli smiled. "Everyone says that. What about you? What do you do?" "A mercenary. I work for coin." He Lingchuan asked, "I heard Demon Nest Swamp is surrounded by mirage mist. How are you able to come and go as you please?" Tu Zhongli gestured with his chin toward Manager Zhao, who immediately explained, "A few years ago, our master rescued several burrow spiders at a market. They were quite large. The hunters said they trapped them outside Demon Nest Swamp and intended to kill them for their parts. When our master heard the giant spiders could speak, he couldn't bear it, so he bought them and set them free. "A few days later, the Spider Queen sent giant spiders to find us, proposing to do business." Manager Zhao swallowed hard. "The giant spiders she had sent out of the swamp were searching for a kind of salty clay. If we could provide a steady supply, she promised us safe passage through the swamp—though only for our family. Anyone else coming in would be courting death." "I see. Good deeds bring good rewards." He Lingchuan nodded, well aware that Manager Zhao had omitted many details. For instance, why Tu Zhongli's uncle had deliberately taken the giant spiders outside Demon Nest Swamp to release them, and how the Spider Queen had tracked them down so easily. Evidently, the shrewd old man had smelled a massive business opportunity the moment he saved those spiders. It was hardly a case of simply "not bearing it." By this time, the caravan had gathered dry twigs and fallen leaves to start campfires for cooking. Acting on Zhu Erniang's orders, the spiders generously delivered large fish harvested from the swamp.