Shui Bing'er was a tangled mess inside.
If Chu Xiu really does have something naughty in mind, should I let him get away with it?
But Chu Xiu did nothing more forward. Seeing how shy she looked, yet how she made no attempt to pull her hand away, he already understood her feelings.
Shui Bing'er was different from Rongrong. She really had no idea what jealousy was.
Still, acting like a lecher probably wouldn't work on her. If he wanted to deepen their bond, showing her care was the way to go.
"Bing'er, we've known each other for days now, but I don't think you've ever mentioned your family."
Chu Xiu simply held her hand as he asked, seemingly casually.
At the mention of her family, Shui Bing'er's expression dimmed.
"Our Shui Family is a fairly large family of soul masters in Skywater City, but my parents are just ordinary soul masters. I'm their only child. They must be worried sick after being unable to find me all these days."
Shui Bing'er wasn't naturally all that competitive. The reason she came across that way was that she wanted to give her family a better life.
In a family of soul masters, the parents' standard of living was often directly tied to their children's potential.
Shui Bing'er worked so desperately to grow stronger for no other reason than to let her parents live a little better.
But now, she was trapped in this strange, unfamiliar place, with no idea how long it would be before she could leave.
If her family mistakenly assumed she had died, her parents' living conditions would surely plummet.
"Bing'er, don't be sad."
Chu Xiu took the opportunity to draw her into his arms and comforted her softly. "At least you still have parents out there worrying about you. I don't even have anyone to miss."
Shui Bing'er looked up at him in surprise. "Huh? What about your parents?"
Chu Xiu looked bitter. "They didn't want me because I had a body martial soul. They abandoned me when I was little."
Chu Xiu had made up the part about the body martial soul.
But being abandoned by his parents was true.
In both his lives, he had started out in an orphanage. Otherwise, he might never have gotten the chance to transmigrate.
Shui Bing'er hadn't expected Chu Xiu to have such a miserable background, and she couldn't help aching for him.
[Shui Bing'er feels sympathy for you. Bond value +5.] [Current bond value: 85 points.]
"Chu Xiu, if you'd like, you can think of me as your family from now on."
Shui Bing'er spoke with a solemn expression.
"Huh? If you mean as a little sister, I'll pass."
Chu Xiu deliberately pretended not to understand.
Shui Bing'er's face flushed. "You rascal. If you want, I could be something else," she said coyly.
"What else?"
Chu Xiu pressed her with a wicked grin.
"I'm not telling. Figure it out yourself." Giggling, Shui Bing'er slipped out of his arms and ran after Ah Yin up ahead.
Suddenly, Chu Xiu's smile vanished, and his gaze swept over their surroundings.
Over the past few days, they had taken the same route whenever they went out for supplies, heading straight for the Spring Pool at the foot of the mountain.
For one thing, the mountain spring water was essential. They lacked suitable containers and couldn't carry much at once, so they needed to fetch water every day.
For another, the girls couldn't stand going two days without bathing.
Chu Xiu had walked this path so often that he could now follow it with his eyes closed.
But now, they had strayed far from their usual route.
A gray tint surfaced in Chu Xiu's pupils, and his vision rapidly extended into the distance. In an instant, a Man Faced Demon Spider several hundred meters away appeared within his extreme long-distance vision.
Interesting. Is this an accident? Or is she trying to use the spider to kill me?
An intrigued smile curled Chu Xiu's lips.
Judging by its size, this should be a ten-thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider.
With the poison resistance the Oldenlandia diffusa gave me, I should be able to withstand its paralyzing webs. Then, if I catch it off guard, I might be able to kill it in one hit.
The Man Faced Demon Spider had a glaring weakness. As long as someone could reach the eight eyes on its abdomen, anyone could kill it with a dagger.
The real problems were its paralyzing webs and its concealment ability.
Now that Chu Xiu had discovered it and possessed poison resistance from the Oldenlandia diffusa, he was practically its natural counter. Even if he couldn't find an opening to kill it, he could at least protect himself.
So Chu Xiu decided to pretend he hadn't noticed anything and first determine whether Ah Yin was doing this deliberately.
If she was, it meant she had a way to sense spirit beasts from hundreds of meters away, which would be vital to their survival going forward.
Meanwhile.
As they drew closer to the Man Faced Demon Spider, Ah Yin's heart beat faster and faster.
Although martial souls and soul power couldn't be used on the Deserted Island, Ah Yin was, after all, a Blue Silver Emperor who had cultivated into human form. She had an innate affinity with nature and could sense where danger lurked in the forest.
The danger is getting closer. As long as I die here, Brother Hao and my son will be safe.
Ah Yin silently thought to herself.
She had no intention of getting Chu Xiu or Shui Bing'er killed. She only wanted to use the Man Faced Demon Spider to end her own life.
"Ah Yin, what's wrong?"
Shui Bing'er caught up from behind. Noticing that Ah Yin's expression seemed off, she asked with concern, "You look a little nervous. Why don't you let me lead?"
Not wanting to drag her into this, Ah Yin hurriedly refused. "No need. I think I used to live in the mountains and forests, so this place feels familiar. I'll stay in front."
"All right, then. I'll keep you company."
Shui Bing'er giggled and walked forward beside Ah Yin.
Her warmth left Ah Yin deeply conflicted.
She didn't want to hurt Shui Bing'er, but she couldn't think of any way to protect Tang Hao and Tang San other than dying.
Soon, they had walked another two hundred meters, leaving only a hundred meters between them and the Man Faced Demon Spider.
Ah Yin gritted her teeth and made her decision.
You're the one who chose to follow me. For Brother Hao and Xiao San's sake, I'm sorry, but I have no choice.
Ah Yin's gaze hardened with resolve.
Little did she know that Chu Xiu had seen every change in her expression.
Made up your mind?
It seems a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form really is different from an ordinary soul master.
Chu Xiu sneered but did nothing to stop Ah Yin.
He simply let her lead Shui Bing'er and himself toward the Man Faced Demon Spider.
Fifty meters, forty meters...
Thirty meters...
Twenty meters...
Once a Man Faced Demon Spider reached the ten-thousand-year level, it developed a concealment ability that made it difficult for even mental-type soul masters to detect.
So even when they were little more than ten meters away, Ah Yin could only sense the danger drawing closer, without finding any trace of its source.
The same was true for Chu Xiu. He had detected the Man Faced Demon Spider from hundreds of meters away, but as they approached its territory, the spider before his eyes suddenly vanished into thin air.
It wasn't camouflage. It had disappeared completely.
Both its body and its presence were gone.
What a badass ability. It'd be amazing if I could get a Core after killing it.
Chu Xiu licked his lips.
With his poison resistance, he wasn't nervous at all. Instead, he was incredibly excited.
Just as all three of them had fully entered the Man Faced Demon Spider's range, a gigantic Man Faced Demon Spider suddenly appeared in the canopy overhead.
Pfft!
Pfft! Pfft!
Three webs dropped from above, each spreading over one of their heads.
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