Chapter 36: He Is Still Alive

"Why did this thing have to come back and join the fray?" Cheng Xiangru felt as if his scalp were about to burst.

Leng Ying said irritably, "Its mate and offspring are here. We broke into its home; did you expect it not to return?"

Being suddenly attacked from both front and rear filled Cheng Xiangru with despair. "We haven't done anything yet! Is this really necessary? Think of something! Wait... the insecticide!"

They had tested it earlier and knew they could use the insecticide to repel the black-haired spider. Although the can was nearly empty, there was no better time to use it than now.

Leng Ying quickly unslung her travel bag, tossed it aside, unzipped it, and snatched the insecticide, throwing it to Cheng Xiangru.

Cheng Xiangru expertly flipped the cap open. Ignoring the risk of inhaling the fumes himself, he screamed and charged toward the black-haired spider blocking the exit, firing bursts of spray.

It worked!

The black-haired spider seemed hypersensitive to the scent. As Cheng Xiangru pressed forward, it recoiled to the side.

Cheng Xiangru sprinted through the doorway, yelling. He glanced back to see the spider hadn't retreated far; it remained nearby, staring at him silently, clearly unwilling to let its prey escape so easily.

Leng Ying followed close behind. Seeing Cheng Xiangru standing there in a daze, she shouted anxiously, "What are you staring at? Run!"

Cheng Xiangru snapped out of it and turned to run toward the tomb entrance alongside Leng Ying.

But the black-haired spider was relentless. Abandoning the mangled remains of its previous meal, it leapt onto the ceiling of the passage. Hanging upside down, it swung its eight long, hairy legs and, with a foul-smelling gust of wind, overtook them and dropped to the path ahead, blocking their way once more.

Cheng Xiangru roared viciously, "You asked for this!"

He didn't stop, continuing to charge forward while raising the can to clear a path with more spray.

But after two short bursts, the nozzle only hissed dryly. No mist came out.

Had it really run out at such a critical moment?

Cheng Xiangru turned pale with fright and skidded to a halt. Watching the black-haired spider closing the distance, he was left helpless and paralyzed with panic.

"Move!"

Leng Ying lunged, tackling him to the side.

Almost simultaneously, the bloated, massive body of the spider heaved, and from its thick coat of black hair, it launched a mass of white, sticky substance.

The object expanded rapidly in the air, whizzing past Cheng Xiangru’s shoulder and slapping against the wall. It was a spiderweb!

"Any more insecticide?" Cheng Xiangru struggled to his feet, pulling Leng Ying up with him.

"Do you think I'm a wholesaler?" Leng Ying glanced at the countless spiderlings swarming behind them, then at the black-haired spider ahead. She said in a low, grim voice, "When I give the signal, run forward and don't look back!"

"What do you mean? What are you planning?" Cheng Xiangru sensed something wrong and grabbed her arm as she prepared to rush forward.

Leng Ying shook him off, annoyed. "Don't be such a coward! Are you a man or not? I said run, so you—why are you doing that? Come back!"

Without warning, Cheng Xiangru charged toward the black-haired spider, raising the empty insecticide can in his right hand. "I’ll hold it off! You run, and don't look back!"

His movement was so sudden it caught Leng Ying completely off guard. By the time she reacted, he was already right in front of the beast. Even with her speed, she couldn't stop him.

Surprisingly, even without the spray, the black-haired spider seemed wary of Cheng Xiangru. It scurried backward, causing Cheng Xiangru to lunge at thin air.

At the same time, the wave of spiderlings arrived, surrounding Leng Ying in a dense, writhing mass. Yet, they all maintained a distance; not a single one dared to approach her.

Cheng Xiangru scrambled up from the ground, looking from the black-haired spider to Leng Ying with confusion.

Leng Ying stood still for a moment, then, as if realizing something, took a step directly toward the tide of spiderlings.

An unbelievable scene unfolded: the spiderlings crowded backward, maintaining their distance from her.

Emboldened, Leng Ying took a few more steps. The spiderlings retreated in kind, keeping the perimeter but never daring to advance.

Cheng Xiangru noticed this startling development but couldn't fathom the reason.

Though she still appeared to be in danger, Leng Ying let out a long, relieved breath and began to laugh. "Blue Fatty, we were both wrong!"

Cheng Xiangru kept his gaze fixed on the black-haired spider and the sea of young spiders, slowly backing toward Leng Ying. "What do you mean?"

Leng Ying smiled. "They aren't afraid of the insecticide at all. Think about it—the dose in that can wouldn't even hurt a person. That thing is bigger than both of us combined; why would it fear a little bug spray? What they are really afraid of is the Undying Water!"

Back when they had donned the burial robes as a disguise, Leng Ying had sprayed them both with Undying Water to mask the stench from the van. She had mentioned then that, beyond its properties for preserving corpses and masking odors, it was known to repel insects, beasts, and evil spirits.

Amidst the layers of spiderlings, Cheng Xiangru and Leng Ying regrouped.

"How much Undying Water do you have left?" Cheng Xiangru whispered.

Leng Ying clutched her travel bag protectively. "What do you want? This stuff is precious—more valuable than gold!"

Cheng Xiangru urged, "Whatever it costs, is it worth more than a human life?"

Leng Ying immediately understood what he was planning. "You still want to go back and save that weird, giggling freak?"

Cheng Xiangru nodded solemnly.

"But he might already be dead! Is it worth it?" Leng Ying was furious, unable to understand why he was so stubbornly single-minded.

Cheng Xiangru hadn't known Chen Shangke for long, but they had formed a bond. More importantly, he felt that only by saving Chen Shangke could he find Boss Zhou.

Regardless of how much Leng Ying told him to be wary of Boss Zhou, the man had been a benefactor, and he was the only hope for him and his sister.

As long as there was a shred of hope, Cheng Xiangru refused to give up!

Seeing the resolve in his eyes, Leng Ying knew it was useless to argue. She sighed, finally relenting. "I give up on you!"

She took out the Undying Water and sprayed it over both of them again, intensifying the scent.

Sure enough, as the liquid misted the air, the dense swarm of spiderlings retreated like an ebbing tide, scurrying back to their lair. Even the black-haired spider guarding the exit backed far away, vanishing into the shadows.

"Now, we only need to watch out for the spider's web. But I suspect it took a lot out of it; it shouldn't be able to fire another one so easily. Let's go, quickly!"

The two returned to the doorway and moved along the tunnel back into the grisly secret chamber.

Throughout the process, neither the black-haired spider nor the spiderlings dared to get close to them.

Just as Leng Ying had guessed, even though the black-haired spider tracked them with its eyes, it made no attempt to launch another web.

Leng Ying reached Chen Shangke, raised her red-tasselled spear, and with a series of sharp, crunching sounds, sliced through the tough silk.

The unconscious Chen Shangke lost his support and hit the floor with a heavy thud.

Without a word, Leng Ying sprayed him with the Undying Water and reached out to check his breathing. "Looks like these beasts prefer their food fresh."

Cheng Xiangru’s heart had been pounding, and he blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Leng Ying stood up, grabbed Chen Shangke by the shoulder, and hoisted him up. "This guy is still alive."