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"Indeed, it's that scoundrel Zhu Tianze from Blood Spider Valley. If we were in White Tree Nation, I'd definitely mobilize the troops to annihilate Blood Spider Valley."
Upon hearing this, General Chu slammed his fist onto the table, cursing vehemently with gritted teeth.
The young girl beside him also showed a furious expression upon hearing these words.
They had been chased by Zhu Tianze all the way, with over a dozen of their guards dead or injured, forging a deep-seated enmity.
"Have the archers take positions on the watchtowers, and arrange several squads to guard both entrances of the villa. Everyone else, come down to the ground floor."
At this point, General Chu and Commander Cao began to give orders to the guards below.
"Commander Cao, General Chu, it's my fault that you're involved."
After the arrangements were made, the Sixth Princess approached them with an apologetic expression.
"Your Highness, you shouldn't say such things. We are your personal guards for this journey to Black Vulture Nation. Protecting you is our duty."
General Chu shook his head, then looked at the young girl with a serious expression:
"However, Your Highness, could you please inform us why we must wait for the person you mentioned?"
Hearing this, the Sixth Princess sighed deeply before speaking:
"When I left, Mother gave me three brocade bags. One of them told me that only by waiting for that person would we have a way to deal with Fan Qi, the rebel from Fury Fist Villa."
Upon hearing this, General Chu's expression turned solemn, and he said with some surprise:
"Is there really someone in this world who can defeat Fan Qi?"
But he quickly regained his composure and said earnestly to the Sixth Princess:
"Your Highness, perhaps that person is indeed capable of dealing with Fan Qi as the Empress Mother said, but now you must listen to me and evacuate from this villa as soon as possible. Otherwise, I fear we will fall into the lair of Blood Spider Valley before we even meet Fan Qi."
"Alright."
After pondering for a moment, the Sixth Princess finally nodded her head.
She knew that insisting on waiting any longer would only dishearten the soldiers around her.
"Bang!"
However, just as they began to discuss plans to escape that night, a loud collision suddenly echoed above the valley where Mandala Villa was located.
General Chu and Commander Cao immediately became alert, one protecting the young girl beside him, and the other rushing to the window.
Upon opening the window.
They saw a red thread that had appeared above the valley where the villa was located.
The thread stretched from one end of the valley to the peak of the mountain on the other side, like a straight zip line across a cliff.
"Spider demon, it's a spider demon!"
Before Commander Cao at the window could figure out what the red thread was.
The guards who had come out to look started shouting in panic.
Then, they saw a giant blood-colored spider crawling across the massive red thread.
"It's… it's the Blood Demon Spider from Blood Spider Valley!"
Seeing the giant spider, Commander Cao couldn't help but exclaim in shock.
"The young master of Blood Spider Valley actually brought the Blood Demon Spider too?"
General Chu and the young girl also came to the window.
Upon seeing the giant blood spider in the sky, both of their faces turned deathly pale.
"Whoosh!"
Just then, the Blood Demon Spider suddenly spat out a thread towards the villa.
The thread accurately wrapped around a guard who was watching below.
"Ah!"
Amidst the screams, the guard was pulled up by the thread, quickly bound by it, and turned into a giant blood-colored cocoon hanging on the thread.
"Sixth Princess."
As the three of them stood dumbfounded and pale, a young man dressed in a bright red robe lightly leaped onto the back of the giant blood spider, using the thread as support.
"Your Highness, are you satisfied with this betrothal gift from my Blood Spider Valley?"
The handsome and sinister-looking young man smiled down at the small building where the girl was.
"Light the purifying smoke on the watchtowers, everyone else, get back inside!"
After only a brief hesitation, General Chu shouted to the guards below.
As soon as he finished speaking, one after another, blood-colored threads began to shoot out like arrows from the mouth of the spider in the sky.
Many guards who didn't manage to get back inside in time were caught by the threads spat out by the Blood Demon Spider and turned into cocoons, hanging upside down in the air.
Screams filled the air.
At the same time, in just a moment, a giant blood-colored spider web appeared above Mandala Villa, covering the entire villa beneath it.
"Bang!"
Just as a thread was spat towards the small building, General Chu forcefully closed the thickened wooden window.
Darkness enveloped the interior of the small building.
And then, the playful laughter of the young master of Blood Spider Valley rang out again:
"Sixth Princess, I have little patience. I'll give you one more night to consider. If you don't come out and agree to marry me, all the guards in Mandala Villa will become blood food for the spirit spiders in my valley."
***
The next morning.
Outside Green Snail Valley.
Amidst the "clip-clop, clip-clop" of hooves, Xu Taiping, riding on horseback, galloped along the road at the foot of the mountain like the wind.
Although his horse had some Spirit Horse lineage, it was still no match for a true Spirit Horse, hence he only arrived at Green Snail Valley now.
Moreover, since there were still at least two days left until the final deadline, Xu Taiping was not in a hurry to travel, often switching riding with Fairy Lingyue along the way.
Thus, by this morning, he had already mastered control over the fiery horse.
"Hmm? Such a heavy scent of blood."
As he was about to reach the mouth of the valley, a thick scent of blood rushed towards Xu Taiping with the mountain breeze.
His horse also neighed loudly, suddenly rearing up and stopping.
Clearly, the horse sensed danger too.
"There's the presence of a demon."
Fairy Lingyue's voice then echoed in Xu Taiping's mind.
Xu Taiping nodded.
He immediately dismounted.
Holding the horse's reins in one hand and gripping the hilt of the Spring Tiger saber at his waist with the other, he cautiously approached the mouth of the valley.
The meeting place with the Sixth Princess was inside the valley; regardless of the danger ahead, he had to find out what exactly had happened.
He hadn't walked far when Xu Taiping's vision was suddenly filled with blood-colored spider webs of various sizes.
They were densely packed and layered, covering the entire valley.
"So it's the Blood Demon Spider."
Fairy Lingyue immediately recognized the demon in the valley.
"It's probably targeting the Sixth Princess."
Xu Taiping continued to walk forward while expressing his concern.
"Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop!"
And at that moment, a rapid sound of horse hooves suddenly came from deep within the valley.
Xu Taiping gripped his saber tightly, alert, and looked into the distance.
He saw a blood-soaked man in armor, riding a chestnut fiery horse, galloping towards him.