Chapter Forty-Two: Bandits Who Devour Humans Are Worse Than Spiders

Yet after searching for a while, there was an unexpected delight. In the main hall, Xu Wenshan found a sword, and in the corner, he discovered its scabbard.

From its design, the blade resembled a Western Han ring-handled sabre: single-edged, straight and slender, with an inward curve, and a small tiger's head carved at the end of the hilt, serving much the same purpose as the ring on ancient sabres.

The material was akin to those sabres as well, forged from steel repeatedly hammered and quenched—a technique centuries ahead of what was known in Deer-Crane Ravine. The blade appeared well-maintained and frequently polished; its owner must have cherished it deeply. Xu Wenshan surmised that its previous master was likely the bandit chief of this place.

There was an inscription on the blade: "Supervised by Ping, Tenth Year of Yuanqin."

"Yuanqin" was the reigning era name of the Chen Kingdom at present; "Ping" must have been a person’s name, and "supervisor" indicated not a eunuch, but the official responsible for its manufacture. Thus, this sword was likely a military weapon, forged under the supervision of an official named Ping in the tenth year of Yuanqin. That it had ended up in a bandit's hands spoke of some unspoken tragedy.

Xu Wenshan swung the sword a couple of times—the balance suited him well. Fortunately, he had previously studied worldly martial arts, including the "Falling Wild Goose Sabre Technique," so now, with this weapon, he was adequately armed. The only concern was the military inscription on the blade—it would have to be erased to avoid suspicion.

As he searched the area, Xu Wenshan kept his attention focused on Lu Ze. After forming a master-servant bond, a demon cultivator and their yokai could sense each other, their demonic powers flowing between them as effortlessly as a phone call—remarkably convenient.

Well, perhaps not quite like a phone call.

Following Lu Ze’s trail, Xu Wenshan walked several hundred meters farther, climbed down a cliff, and on the far side discovered a cave.

Lu Ze’s aura vanished within.

Xu Wenshan leapt into the cave, feeling his way along the wall as he ventured deeper. The darkness grew with every step. The air was thick with the stench of decay, and the ground echoed occasionally with the patter of spiders, the sound so near it sent chills up his spine.

Before long, Xu Wenshan noticed a faint light ahead. A fissure in the cave ceiling let sunlight stream in, illuminating the heart of the cavern.

It was a vast hollow. Moss blanketed the ground. Drops of water from stalactites struck the stone below with a rhythmic drip. Here and there, cocoon-shaped bundles wrapped in silk littered the floor—spider eggs, it seemed.

On one cave wall hung a tapestry-like spiderweb, as large as half a basketball court. Many silk bundles dangled from its threads, inside which were deer, horses, and people—all stored as the spider’s future meals.

Thankfully, Lu Ze stood unharmed at the center of the cavern, appearing none the worse for wear, though at her feet lay a writhing cocoon of spider silk.

“Where’s the spider demon?” Xu Wenshan asked.

Lu Ze shook her head. “I lost track after chasing it here. Maybe it escaped through that crack.”

The cave walls were far too smooth; Xu Wenshan had neither hooks nor barbs on his hands and no hope of climbing out, let alone squeezing through that fissure.

With a look of distaste, Xu Wenshan pointed to the bundle at their feet. “What’s this?”

“There’s someone alive inside,” Lu Ze replied.

Xu Wenshan bent down to look. Through the thin silk, he could just make out a person within.

Lu Ze looked up at him. “What should we do?”

Her meaning was clear—should they grant the poor soul a quick end?

Xu Wenshan hesitated, wondering if Lu Ze’s moral education required further attention. “Since we’ve found them, it must be fate. Let’s save them.”

The silk was tough and unyielding. Xu Wenshan tugged with his hands and cut with his sword, only after much effort managing to tear open a gap, revealing a human face inside.

“Help me…”

Inside the cocoon was a woman.

She had clearly been trapped for some time—her face was deathly pale, lips devoid of color. One could tell she was once lovely, but now she looked heartbreakingly frail.

Yet Xu Wenshan did not lower his guard. He paused, hands still, and asked, “Who are you?”

The woman struggled to speak. “I… I am from Xiushui Village. I married here, but was taken by bandits… All my uncles, brothers, and sisters who escorted me were killed…”

Xu Wenshan glanced at Lu Ze, who shook her head.

From the start, Xu Wenshan had been sensing for any trace of demonic energy, but found none in the woman, nor could Lu Ze detect any. Normally, spider demons inject venom into their prey before cocooning them, waiting until their bodies dissolve. It wasn’t cruelty; spiders simply cannot chew, only suck—such is their way of life.

So, finding this woman alive, Xu Wenshan remained on guard.

Xu Wenshan stared at her for a long moment, then with a sudden movement, drew his military sabre. The blade sliced through the air, stopping just before the woman’s nose.

And there it stopped, as if frozen, unable to descend another inch.

The woman’s face turned even paler. “What… what are you doing?”

Xu Wenshan sheathed his blade. Even as the sword had fallen, he had not sensed a flicker of demonic energy within her. If she had been a demon in disguise, her power would surely have surged forth at such a moment.

The girl understood he was testing her, and bit her lip. “You suspect me… How cruel you are…”

Xu Wenshan showed no hint of remorse, nor did Lu Ze react at all. As a demon herself, Lu Ze had no sympathy for humans beyond Xu Wenshan.

“How did you end up here?” Xu Wenshan asked.

The girl replied, “The bandits were about to… force themselves on me when a giant spider appeared. It killed them all, wrapped them in silk… I was brought here too.”

Her account matched what Xu Wenshan had pieced together earlier in the bandit den.

The main hall had been in chaos, and only the ring-handled sabre remained—likely the chief alone had been there. The other bandits must have gathered in another room, intent on harming the girl.

Then the spider appeared, taking down a group of men. Some fled outside to grab weapons from the rack, but the spider gave chase and killed them as well. The chief, discovering the demon, stood with his blade at the door, but the spider crawled onto the roof, dropped down, and killed him.

Afterward, the spider demon returned, cocooned the girl, dragged her and the dead bandits into the lair, and went back to the main hall to await the rest atop the rafters.

Clearly, the spider demon had known that half the bandits would be out raiding that day, and had seized the opportunity to attack. What ruthless cunning! What venomous patience!

Looking back at the girl, Xu Wenshan found his eyes filled with new sympathy.