After completing its fourth evolution, Bai Jie staked out for two whole days. Not just the teaching building—it even went to the entrance of the girls' dormitory to keep watch.
But still, there wasn't a single trace of Wang Miaoyin.
Bai Jie was already getting frustrated—at this rate, when would it ever end!?
Over these two days, something happened that left Bai Jie not knowing whether to laugh or cry. When it woke up, it found spider eggs inside its nest...
And five of them at once.
It had almost forgotten—the Egg Laying skill didn't stop just because you wanted it to. If not actively used, it activated automatically every seven days.
Barring surprises, these five eggs would hatch into new lifeforms of Bai Jie's current race—Gu-Devouring Demon Spiders.
Amid the helplessness and sighs, the only silver lining was that Bai Jie's Vitality had increased again.
Because the gu insects from the Wu Gu elder's cloth pouch had been devoured clean by the Gu-Devouring Demon Spider.
After refining the essence, blood, and toxins of that motley assortment of gu insects, Bai Jie's Vitality rose to 108.
After some study, it discovered that the pouch could store living things—it contained something akin to a pocket dimension, capable of holding objects many times larger than the pouch itself.
At first Bai Jie hadn't known how to use it, but once it injected spiritual power, it could see the interior and retrieve gu insects by will alone. It couldn't help but marvel at the Wu Gu Clan's mysterious arts and deep heritage.
"Well, the pantry's empty again now..."
Bai Jie had no choice but to plan for its next evolution:
"Wang Miaoyin keeps not showing up, which makes me more and more suspicious that she's been parasitized by the eldritch purple glow. But I can't hang everything on one tree, hoping she'll suddenly appear."
"Starting tomorrow, I'll have to go foraging for venomous insects on the back mountain's northern face again. But after that big fire, who knows if the insect population's been affected?"
"Also, I told Long Ge to prepare venomous insects for me. If he doesn't want to die from the poison, he should deliver them tomorrow."
Right now, Long Ge was Bai Jie's only "sustainable development path." As an inner-hall disciple of the Wu Gu Clan, there was no way he'd run short of venomous insects.
And tonight, Bai Jie planned to make Lin Binbin take on the task of collecting venomous insects for it as well.
...
Sure enough, when night fell deep, Lin Binbin arrived.
He placed the three transparent golden little spiders from his body onto the ground. The three little ones were visibly taken aback for a moment, sensing that their mother's aura had undergone some kind of change.
But after two seconds, guided by their familiar spiritual link, the three little ones still crawled toward the great tree where the Gu-Devouring Demon Spider dwelled.
However, Bai Jie only reeled two of them back up with its silk.
And instructed: "Keep the remaining one with you. I can communicate with you through it."
Lin Binbin was very surprised and scooped the leftover spider back up, placing it on his shoulder. The little spider, seemingly influenced by Bai Jie's will, didn't move around.
Lin Binbin sighed inwardly: "I don't know what happened, but clearly Lady Bai Zhi has grown even more powerful—to actually be able to use long-distance voice transmission. Truly unfathomable."
He reported his activities from the past two and a half days as usual—nothing more than fighting in the ring for money, and caring for and feeding the three little ones.
When Bai Jie heard that Lin Binbin had made over a hundred thousand from fighting, it couldn't help but take a mental sharp breath.
"If I hadn't been reincarnated as a spider, how many years would I have to work to earn that much?"
"It's only been a few days... underground fighting is way too lucrative. I admit, I'm jealous."
Bai Jie wasn't stupid—it knew that underground fighting came with equally high risks.
Bai Jie cautioned: "Seems like you've been drawing a lot of attention these past few days. Besides the opponents in the ring, watch out for daggers in the dark."
"If you run into trouble you can't solve, you can call on me through my familiar. I can intervene once."
Hearing this, Lin Binbin immediately bowed, grateful: "Understood. Thank you for your concern, Lady Bai Zhi. This subordinate will not disappoint you."
Inwardly, he was pleased, noticing that Lady Bai Zhi's attitude toward him seemed to be shifting.
Bai Jie glanced at Lin Binbin's information panel. It figured that unless someone came at him with a whole squad firing guns, he probably wasn't in any real danger.
[Target]: Lin Binbin (Mutant)
[Identity]: Agent No. 1
[Vitality]: 15
[...]
"You've worked hard these two days. I have a new task for you..."
Seeing that Lin Binbin now had so much money, Bai Jie decided to have him buy venomous insects and some fruit, and deliver them periodically to the back mountain.
When Lin Binbin heard "fruit," he visibly froze for half a second, but quickly recovered, hiding it well.
Bai Jie's toes curled in embarrassment, but it couldn't be bothered to explain.
Presumably Lin Binbin would come up with his own rationalization. As the lofty, unfathomable Lady Bai Zhi, how could I possibly have a sweet tooth? Unless I just can't help it...
...
After giving Lin Binbin his instructions, Bai Jie brought the two little spiders to the back mountain's northern face.
It was sending the little spiders to live in the Blood Shadow Spider Queen's nest, to fend for themselves.
Truly, it was seizing another's nest—practically inhuman.
The nest was filled with the Blood Shadow Spider Queen's offspring, dark red in color and resembling wolf spiders. Though numerous, their Vitality was very low. Bai Jie judged they posed little threat to the two little ones.
The two little ones had the race "Gold-Striped Laser Snake-Devouring Spider," had grown to 30cm, and had inherited some of Bai Jie's skills.
Including "Leg Blade Slash," "Bite/Maul," "Razor Spider Silk," and "Corrosive Deadly Toxin," among others.
Of course, their proficiency and levels were still far from adequate, but they should be more than enough to handle the Blood Shadow Spider Queen's offspring.
The moment Bai Jie set the two little ones down at the nest entrance, they charged into the depths like wolves scenting meat.
Watching the two little spiders plunge into the wolf spider swarm as if entering an empty field, slaughtering wantonly, biting and devouring without restraint, soon leaving broken legs and severed limbs everywhere, Bai Jie was reassured.
"Cannibalism among the same kind—reasonable enough, I suppose."
"This counts as fulfilling my duty as a parent. From now on you live by your own strength. I'll visit when I have time."
"Don't blame me. Because the second batch of freeloaders has already come knocking..."
The two little spiders, engrossed in their gluttonous feast, paid no mind to Bai Jie. They'd probably gone fully blood-crazed.
After watching for a while, Bai Jie left the nest and made its way to a clear, tranquil pond.
It was quietly drinking the sweet, cool pond water when suddenly a little snake patterned with gold and white markings burst out of the water and landed on Bai Jie's head.
Who else but Bai Huahua?
"Big Sister Bai Zhi, you finally came to see me~" The golden-white little snake transmitted in a crisp voice.
"You have no idea—I'm super strong now."
"Strong?"
Bai Jie shook Bai Huahua off its head. Splash—she dropped into the water. The spider's senses probed toward the snake, and a string of data appeared before its eyes.
Bai Huahua's Vitality had risen to 18. This wasn't unconnected to Bai Jie's own increasing Vitality and improving "Mutated Venom" skill level, but also because the Calamity Python's meat hadn't gone to waste.
"So, you're strong, are you? Besides what I've already seen, do you have any skills you can use for hunting?" Bai Jie transmitted.
"Umm..." The little snake widened her ruby-like eyes and thought for a long time, then declared solemnly:
"I can spray water to attack prey."
"Oh? Show me." The demonic spider responded indifferently.
Bai Jie didn't believe it for a second. It had seen Bai Huahua's water spray before—good enough for cleaning up crime scenes and sweeping the floor, maybe.
Use it for hunting?
Give me a break.