Not a silkworm keeper? Raising spiders works too (3/3)

In the mountains and forests outside Li Household Village, there are those wild places that have not yet been set foot in by the Mountain Folk.

However, while normal Mountain Folk may not be able to leave this area, abnormal Mountain Folk may be.

"Xiao Gui, are you sure it's around here?"

The Human-Faced Spider, Xiao Gui, continued to hover in the sky above this area, while Li Jingshu followed closely below.

"Yes, this is it!"

"That Zhuhuai was enormous and extremely irritable; those leaning trees nearby were knocked down by it."

Zhuhuai is a ferocious beast that looks like an ox but has four horns.

All four of its horns grow forward, making it a mountain overlord that would be injured or killed if bumped or touched.

Even for Li Jingshu now, confronting Zhuhuai is not an easy task.

Logically speaking, although Li Jingshu was unruly and impulsive, she shouldn't have made enemies with a ferocious beast of this level.

Unfortunately, Li Jingshu had practically watched Li Boyang grow up, so she was quite aware of his thoughts.

So before Li Boyang officially took action, Li Jingshu had been searching in the mountains for suitable dog breeds to be trained as hunting dogs.

Especially this month, with the help she received, Li Jingshu quickly locked onto her ultimate target— the Huodou.

According to legend, to the west of these Hundred Lands Mountain Range lies a special kingdom called "Fire-Repelling Kingdom," inhabited by a breed of dog capable of breathing fire.

Because fires usually break out wherever it goes, it rarely appears in mountains and forests.

But there are always exceptions, and Huodou is no exception.

Every autumn and winter, Huodou migrates to the warmer southeast, only returning to the Fire-Repelling Kingdom after winter has passed.

During this migration, wherever forest fires occur, traces of the Huodou can most likely be found.

It was precisely because of this characteristic that Li Jingshu discovered several seemingly lone Huodou (a type of monster).

To be honest, Li Jingshu originally intended to secretly capture those few Huodou and then give them to Li Boyang as a surprise birthday gift.

However, Li Jingshu's side hadn't even officially started taking action yet.

Those few Huodou caused a forest fire, which angered Zhuhuai, who was already short-tempered.

When Li Jingshu received Xiao Gui's message and rushed to the scene, all she saw were those gruesome corpses pierced by bull horns.

Fortunately, Xiao Gui then told Li Jingshu that not all the Huodou were killed by Zhuhuai.

One pregnant Huodou managed to escape and ran all the way to the vicinity of this mountain forest.

Unfortunately, the enraged Zhuhuai had no intention of letting the Huodou go and relentlessly pursued it all the way here.

We need to find that Huodou quickly.

Scratching her head in frustration, Li Jingshu didn't want her carefully prepared birthday gift to go to waste.

As for Zhu Huai, who can only Zhuhuai freely in the mountains and forests?

Although Li Jingshu was no match for it in a direct confrontation, it didn't mean she was helpless against the Zhuhuai.

After all, the reason why humans have been able to establish themselves in these mountains and forests is not because of their physical strength but because of their wisdom.

"Go!"

Li Jingshu opened her specially made animal skin bag.

Dozens of bright green Sleepy Bug flew out instantly.

These Sleepy Bug are a special breed that Li Boyang cultivated a few days ago. They have an extremely strong ability to sense abnormalities, which is perfect for tracking.

Li Jingshu brought them out specifically this time, hoping to use their abilities to find the pregnant Huodou before Zhuhuai.

"Your little brother is so good to you."

Seeing this, Xiao Gui gently landed on Li Jingshu's shoulder.

The longer Xiao Gui spent with Li Jingshu, the more she envied her relationship with Li Boyang and Li Household Village.

That kind of unconditional care and trust is a kind of kinship that Xiao Gui, who was born as a "tool," can never experience.

I always think of the Spider Queen, Hanging Silk Lady, with her cold eyes.

Xiao Gui was very frustrated. Why couldn't she be like her other brothers and sisters, just a little spider without any intelligence or feelings?

"Of course, I'm the best person in the world!"

Li Jingshu doesn't deny Xiao Gui's statement; she is genuinely proud of it.

"That.-"

With envy resurfacing in her eyes, Xiao Gui suddenly lowered her voice and asked somewhat shyly.

"I overheard you talking to your younger brother before; it seems he's looking for a silkworm that can spin silk."

"The conditions are that the silk must be of good quality and plentiful, and the silkworms themselves must be easy to raise and not picky about food."

Noticing Li Jingshu's slightly surprised gaze, Xiao Gui's voice became even lower.

"What do you think about replacing the silkworms with spiders?"

"Among my mother's siblings, many were spiderlings that met the criteria."

"And I can guarantee that the spider silk they produce is much stronger than silkworm silk."

After listening with her head tilted for a long time, Li Jingshu finally took the initiative to ask a question.

"Did your mother tell you to ask this?"

She immediately closed her eyes in shame, and remained silent for Xiao Gui time.

Because it was indeed the Spider Queen who asked Xiao Gui to ask this question, she had clearly been aware of her little cub's betrayal for a long time.

However, considering Li Boyang's existence, the Spider Queen not only dared not punish this traitor, but also wanted to take the opportunity to formally establish a relationship with him.

Of course, there might also be an element of wanting to repay a debt of gratitude involved.

After all, if Li Boyang hadn't come to their rescue back then...

The Spider Queen had long since died in the underground shrine set up by the Six-Tailed Fox.

"This is none of your business. What does your mother want?"

Seeing Xiao Gui's ashamed face, Li Jingshu reached out and stroked her head before continuing to ask.

"Hmm, my mother wants my current Breathing Method."

"...

"But don't worry, I didn't teach her the Breathing Method without her permission, and she didn't force me to reveal it."

Xiao Gui is currently practicing the latest version of the "Breathing Method," which is a modified version specifically designed by Li Boyang for spiders.

He originally just wanted to study whether insects, like mammals, could strengthen their Life Primordial Qi by regulating their breathing rhythm.

"Don't worry, I won't mind such trivial matters."

"Besides, if your mother can really make those spiders obediently spin silk, I will definitely agree to this deal."

Based on her understanding of Li Boyang, Li Jingshu patted her chest and Dao Proving Xiao Gui.

She knew very well that Li Boyang had practically turned the entire Mount Yunmeng upside down in his search for suitable silkworms.

In comparison, the "Breathing Method" didn't hold much weight in Li Boyang's mind at all.

Saying that it "spreads the word to all beings" might be a bit of an exaggeration.

But for organisms that one finds appealing or that have research value.

Li Boyang wouldn't mind tailoring a unique "Breathing Method" for them— Xiao Gui herself is an excellent example.

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