Chapter 32: Repelling the Man-Faced Demon Spider

Upon hearing Ning Fengzhi’s roar, Ning Rongrong’s delicate frame trembled, and tears of indignation welled up in her eyes.

"Father has never spoken to me like this before. It is clearly the fault of Grandpa Gu and Grandpa Chen, so why should I be the one to apologize?"

"I won’t apologize! I’d rather hunt spirit beasts myself than have you all bossing me around!"

With an angry flick of her sleeve and a sharp shout, Ning Rongrong stormed off in a fury. Gu Rong rose to his feet, calling out urgently, "Rongrong..."

However, Ning Fengzhi held him back. Hearing Gu Rong’s voice only made the already indignant girl quicken her pace as she left. Gu Rong sat down helplessly, sighing as he muttered, "Sigh, Fengzhi, was all this really necessary?"

Unable to contain his impatience, Chen Xin pulled a long face and asked indignantly, "Fengzhi! What are you doing? What does it matter whether she apologizes or not? As long as Rongrong is happy, isn't that enough?"

He felt it was completely unnecessary to upset his beloved Rongrong over such a trivial matter.

Hearing Chen Xin’s words, Ning Fengzhi slowly closed his eyes. His own heart was aching, too. Ning Rongrong was his own daughter, the apple of his eye; he had never been able to bear scolding her. But this time, he could not indulge her any longer. If he allowed her to continue being so willful, how could she ever find friends worth entrusting her back to in the future, given her haughty nature?

Sitting in his chair, Ning Fengzhi breathed a silent sigh and offered a bitter smile. "Uncle Chen, Uncle Gu, it is because you two indulge her too much. This is not good for her future."

Chen Xin stood up, crossed his arms, and turned his head away. "Hmph! I don't care. If Rongrong is angry with me because of this, I won't let you off the hook."

To Chen Xin’s petty temper, Ning Fengzhi could only respond with an awkward smile.

Gu Rong frowned, worried that something might happen to Ning Rongrong on her own. "Fengzhi, won't she be in danger? I feel better if I go check on her."

To his surprise, Ning Fengzhi shook his head, rejecting the suggestion. "No need. Let her reflect on this herself. Besides, as long as she stays within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, no one can harm her, can they?"

Chen Xin and Gu Rong exchanged a glance and had no choice but to drop the subject.

***

Walking through the Sunset Forest, Xu Sheng looked up at the pitch-black surroundings, covered by dense locust trees. Even he felt a sense of trepidation at the occasional mournful cries of spirit beasts echoing through the woods.

Xu Sheng sat down and grumbled, "The Sunset Forest looks quite intimidating at first glance. It’s so gloomy and much more terrifying than the Star Dou Great Forest. I shouldn't have come."

He had assumed the quality of spirit beasts here would be lower than those in the Star Dou Great Forest, but he hadn't expected the atmosphere to be so different at night.

Suddenly, a "hissing" sound came from the branches behind him. It was a Mandible Snake, about 1.5 meters long, its body covered in deadly poison. Its cold, malevolent eyes were fixed on Xu Sheng’s neck, waiting for the perfect moment for a lethal strike.

Xu Sheng, too lazy to care, stretched leisurely. At that moment, the snake’s pupils dilated, turning a faint purple, and it lunged with lightning speed.

Xu Sheng rolled his eyes and backhanded the snake’s jaw, stopping it in its tracks. He then effortlessly dragged it down from the branch and began rubbing its head against the ground. The snake let out a soft whine, and before long, its life force vanished. A yellow spirit ring manifested above its carcass.

Seeing that he had accidentally killed it, Xu Sheng sheepishly scratched his head and tossed the snake aside. "So fragile," he muttered with a shake of his head.

Before he could finish, a woman’s shrill scream pierced the air from ahead. "Ahhhhh! Stay away from me... stay away!"

Xu Sheng had not intended to meddle, but upon hearing the female voice, he narrowed his eyes. He had a nagging feeling he had heard that voice somewhere before.

***

Ning Rongrong collapsed to the ground, her legs feeling as if they had lost all strength. Pale-faced, she stared at the spirit beast before her. It was a giant spider with markings on its back that resembled a human face. Its dozens of small, icy eyes, located beneath its feelers, stared at her as if she were nothing more than a delicious meal.

Terrified by the Human-Faced Demon Spider, Ning Rongrong trembled, her voice laced with absolute fear. "You monster, stay away from me! Get lost!"

She was filled with regret; she shouldn't have let her temper drive her to this dangerous, god-forsaken place, only to encounter such a hideous creature!

The spider, unable to understand her words, twitched its legs and crept closer, spitting silk. Ning Rongrong curled into a ball, her desperate eyes watching the approaching predator. With no power to fight back, she could only whimper, "Save me... someone, please save me!"

The spider, now less than a meter away, could no longer restrain its urge to kill. It leaped into the air, pouncing on the immobilized girl. Ning Rongrong hurriedly shielded her head with her arms, closed her eyes in terror, and shrieked, "Ah!"

***

A loud "thud" echoed through the forest. The spider's abdomen caved in by several centimeters, and its massive body was sent flying ten meters away, slamming violently into a tree. It slid down and managed to stand, its gaze fixed on the stunned Ning Rongrong with deep resentment.

Curled on the ground, Ning Rongrong cautiously opened her hands and scanned her surroundings with fearful eyes. Seeing that the spider had vanished from her immediate view, she heaved a sigh of relief, clutched her right hand—which had been cut by sharp stones—and slowly stood up.

She peered into the darkness and called out tentatively, "Is that you, Grandpa Gu? Grandpa Chen?"

There was no response. The light in her eyes dimmed. If they had heard her, they would have rushed to her side instantly. But now... they clearly weren't here.

As a mere level-ten spirit master who had yet to absorb a spirit ring, she could never escape the perils of the Sunset Forest on her own. Panic set in, and she began to stomp her feet in distress. "What do I do? What do I do?"

What if that spider came back? What if she encountered other beasts?

Standing behind her, Xu Sheng’s mouth twitched. He had been standing there ever since he knocked the spider away. Heaven knows why the girl hadn't noticed him.

Xu Sheng extended a finger and gently poked Ning Rongrong’s delicate shoulder. Feeling someone touch her, she instinctively frowned and snapped, "Don't bother me..."

A second later, she realized something terrifying, and her face froze. Clasping her chest tightly, she trembled as she slowly turned around.