The Old Spider Takes the Blame

Zhu Zhuqing's lips turned pale from biting, but she didn't hesitate for too long.

"Senior, I have no regrets. I'll take it off now."

Extreme shame made her tightly shut her eyes, with only one thought repeatedly circling in her mind:

He saved your life, gave you a new one, and never had any intention of harming you. What is there that you cannot trust?

Yes, her very life was given by him.

From the moment she was on the verge of death in the Star Dou Great Forest, her life had been irrevocably tied to him.

It was just taking off her clothes. Even if something shameful were to happen, what of it?

Once she made up her mind, her movements actually quickened.

Her plain white undergarment slid down her shoulders, silently pooling at her feet.

Her skin was fair and delicate, flushed with a thin layer of red from nervousness.

It was like the finest mutton-fat jade, warmed by body heat, its surface emitting a gentle luster.

Her delicate collarbones formed two shallow crescent moons, connecting to rounded shoulders at their ends.

The lines of her neck and shoulders were smooth and taut, without any excess.

What truly captured the eye was a fullness utterly incongruous with her age.

Plump and perky, like ripe peaches.

It rose and fell slightly with her nervous breaths...

Further down...

It was like a mountain peak rising from the earth, then abruptly narrowing halfway up.

Further down...

The lines were rounded and upturned, like two soft full moons hidden within.

Her thighs were firm and long, the muscle lines honed by long-term training faintly visible, flowing with a sense of power beneath her fair skin.

Every inch of her skin was firm and elastic.

Every curve was smooth and full of tension.

Clearly the body of a teenage girl, yet it already possessed the plumpness and charm of a mature woman.

Her tender white skin was tinged with a faint blush, spreading from her cheeks all the way to her neck and chest...

On that porcelain-white base, a thin layer of pink bloomed, like peach blossoms in early spring falling on snow.

The blush on her face had already burned to the roots of her ears.

She stood frozen, eyes closed, awaiting the next instruction from the voice in her sea of consciousness.

"Why are you closing your eyes?"

Gu Chensha's voice echoed in her sea of consciousness, carrying a genuine confusion, even a hint of bewilderment.

Zhu Zhuqing's body instantly stiffened even more.

Why close her eyes?

Wasn't it...

Did he want her to keep her eyes open and watch him do those things?

A stronger wave of shame instantly surged to the top of her head.

She bit her lip, a hint of resistance uncontrollably rising in her heart.

Just as her heart was pounding, almost making her refuse aloud.

Gu Chensha suddenly chuckled twice, the playfulness in his tone impossible to hide.

"Did you misunderstand something?"

He spoke slowly, "I asked you to take off your clothes so you could see the changes in your body clearly, not so you could close your eyes and overthink things."

"Three days ago, your meridians were reshaped through sacrifice. There are bound to be hidden dangers from the clash of soul power, so a thorough check is necessary."

Zhu Zhuqing froze.

She instantly opened her eyes, which were still veiled with a layer of moisture forced out by shame and nervousness.

Her entire body was rigid, she even forgot to breathe.

"Misunderstood...?"

Her mind was a complete blank.

"What else would you think?"

Gu Chensha's laughter became more pronounced.

"Don't forget, I am a Demon Spider that has lived for five hundred years. I have no particular interest in the bodies of human females."

He said this, but looking at the girl who was usually cold and aloof, who was stingy even with her smiles, now appearing so flustered and shy in front of him...

His five-hundred-year-old heart felt a rare spark of amusement.

Zhu Zhuqing's face instantly flushed, as if it might bleed, and she wished she could find a hole to crawl into right then and there.

From beginning to end, it had all been her own wild imagination?

She had even absurdly conjured up so many other ridiculous thoughts.

In that case, in the eyes of this senior Demon Emperor who had lived for five hundred years, a "peerless beauty" would be a female spider with sharp chelicerae, a hard carapace, and a body covered in barbs?

Just like humans wouldn't be interested in a female monkey?

He wasn't interested in human women, which seemed...

...reasonable enough?

But still, something felt very strange...

Yet, the next second, she reacted.

All those chaotic thoughts she'd just had, with him connecting with her soul in her sea of consciousness, hadn't he perceived them all clearly?

But he had deliberately held back, watching her scare herself and embarrass herself?

Thinking of this, she felt both ashamed and angry, her cheeks burning hot enough to fry an egg. Biting her lip, she yelled at him in her sea of consciousness, her voice full of indignation.

"Senior, you're a bit wicked!"

"How am I wicked?"

Gu Chensha feigned confusion. "I only told you to take off your clothes. You twisted my words and are now blaming me?"

"You clearly knew what I was thinking!"

Zhu Zhuqing was even more upset. "You knew I misunderstood long ago, yet you didn't say anything sooner. You were deliberately watching me make a fool of myself, weren't you?"

As she spoke, she instinctively bent over, wanting to pick up her inner garment from the ground to cover herself.

But as soon as she moved, Gu Chensha's voice rang out again.

"Alright, since you've taken it all off, don't cover up now."

"I've already seen what I needed to see. Covering up won't do any good."

He didn't deny his wicked sense of humor at all.

"Also, you're not wrong. I am indeed wicked."

"If I weren't wicked, I wouldn't have so many Titled Douluo, Soul Douluo, and hundred-thousand-year-old ferocious beasts chasing after me."

"Enough with the nonsense. The bathing room is right next door. There's a full-length mirror inside. Go in and take a look yourself."

He changed the subject, regaining some seriousness.

"The sacrifice reshaped your entire body's bones, muscles, blood, and veins. The changes aren't just in your soul power. You need to touch it yourself, see it with your own eyes, to understand how strong your foundation is now."

Zhu Zhuqing bit her lip. In the end, she still chose to pick up her inner garment from the ground, holding it in her hand to shield her chest, and walked barefoot towards the bathing room.

With every step, she felt her body heat up. Although the marble floor beneath her feet was cool, she felt as if she were walking on fire.

Compared to standing still just moments ago, walking around naked like this amplified her sense of shame tenfold.

Entering the bathing room and standing before the huge full-length mirror, she finally understood what Gu Chensha meant by "changes."

In the mirror, her figure seemed to have grown a bit taller.

Her originally slender limbs now had even more fluid lines.

Within her seemingly lean body, every inch of muscle hid explosive power.

She raised her hand to her abdomen and, through the thin layer of skin, could feel the clear, smooth abdominal muscles – a toned line she hadn't achieved even after years of arduous training.

Her gaze moved down, and her eyes fell on her chest. She instinctively reached out and touched it.

Finding that it hadn't grown any larger, she let out a sigh of relief and muttered softly.

"Thank goodness... thank goodness, it didn't grow any bigger here."