"Here we are, Shopkeeper. Feel free to come inside." Venom Master Xun said as she invitingly gestured towards the largest, most opulent tent in the Poison Demon Cult's encampment.
It was less a tent and more a portable palace of spider silk and her signature specialty. The fabric was a deep, shimmering indigo, embroidered with silver spiderweb motifs that seemed to shift and crawl in the firelight. Two massive, docile Doom Spiders stood guard at the entrance, their mandibles clicking softly in what might have been a greeting or a warning.
Most of the spiders weren't linked to any of her priests or acolytes. They're only answering to the Doom Broodmother and, by extension, Venom Master Xun.
They had other spider demonic creatures that they've tamed from the Abyssal Forest but those weren't as unique as the Doom Spiders.
Lin Mo hesitated for a fraction of a second. Behind him, he could practically feel the burning gazes of Liu Xiaoyu and Wu Meiyu. Liu Xiaoyu looked ready to summon a storm cloud directly over the tent, while Meiyu's smile had become dangerously polite.
"I will be... brief," Lin Mo said over his shoulder, offering them a reassuring nod that he hoped conveyed 'I am just doing business' rather than 'I am walking into a spider's web willingly'.
At this point, his wariness of the Poison Demon Cult had already lessened to the extent that he wouldn't feel in danger even if he were invited to their temple. Still, Venom Master Xun's clear intentions towards him couldn't be ignored.
Who knows? She's still stronger than him. If she decided to pin him down, he'd be helpless against her.
Although she's wise and intelligent enough to do that, who would guarantee that an impulse wouldn't urge her to do so?
"Take your time, Shopkeeper," Xun Caiyin alluringly chuckled with her hand resting lightly on his lower back as she guided him in. "We have much to discuss. And... uncover."
With a final, triumphant glance at the two women outside, she swept the flap aside and ushered him in.
The interior was an assault on the senses, but in a strangely pleasant way. He could smell a heavy, exotic incense that smelled of night-blooming jasmine and something sharper, like corrosive acids.
The floor was covered in plush, dark furs. Possibly something from spiritual or demonic beasts. The lighting came from glowing, bioluminescent sacs suspended from the ceiling, casting a soft, purple hue over everything.
His initial assessment? It felt intimate, luxurious, and undeniably dangerous. Just like its mistress.
"Welcome to my humble temporary abode in this place, dear Shopkeeper," Venom Master Xun said as she moved to a low table set with a decanter of amber liquid and two crystal glasses. She poured two drinks with graceful movements. "It is not the Divine Convenience Store, but it serves its purpose."
Lin Mo took a seat on a velvet cushion opposite her, maintaining a respectful but professional distance. Her chest thumped lightly but not because of nervousness. Venom Master Xun just had that undeniable allure that even he could ignore.
"It is impressive, Venom Master. You have a distinct... aesthetic."
"Mhm? Flattery will get you everywhere, Shopkeeper," She smiled, handing him a glass. "Drink. It is called [Hundred-Venom Nectar]. Don't worry, for a cultivator of your constitution, it is merely a potent spirit wine. It stimulates the circulation and... relaxes the inhibitions."
Lin Mo took the glass but didn't drink immediately. He swirled the amber liquid, watching the light catch in it. "I prefer to keep my inhibitions where they are but it wouldn't hurt to take a sip of your offering."
As he did so, a delighted smile flashed on the woman's face. She was expecting him to decline drinking what she offered but as always, the Shopkeeper defied her expectation.
"My, I'm flattered." She took a sip of her own drink, yet her eyes never left his figure. "You trust me enough to drink from my cup. Most righteous cultivators would assume it to be a death sentence."
"I am not a righteous cultivator, Venom Master. I am a simple shopkeeper," Lin Mo replied calmly, the nectar sliding down his throat. It tasted of honey and fire, and a strange mixture of whatever venoms were among those hundred that made his tongue tingle pleasantly.
As she promised, a warm, relaxing sensation bloomed in his chest, though his mind, guarded by the [Everflowing Serenity Sutra], remained sharp and his spiritual energy remained guided by the calm current of the [Vein of the Silent Stream].
"Besides, an expert like you knows that poisoning her business partner is bad for long-term profit. You went through a lot of trouble to get this audience. Killing me or incapacitating me now would be… inefficient."
Xun Caiyin laughed. It sounded rich and throaty as it vibrated in the small space. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand, the loose fabric of her robe slipping just enough to hint at the creamy skin of her shoulder and collarbone.
"Efficiency. Convenience. You speak the language of utility, Shopkeeper, but your actions betray a certain… grandeur. Do you know how stimulating that is for a woman like me?"
Lin Mo set the glass down, meeting her gaze squarely. "I think we have different definitions of stimulation. But let's get to the point, shall we? You wanted a private audience. We are private. The Crystalweb Tyrant is subdued. The branch is open. You have my attention. What is it that you truly want, Xun Caiyin?"
Using her full name was a calculated move. It stripped away the title, the role, and addressed the woman beneath.
Xun's playful smile faltered for a fleeting second, replaced by a look of intense focus. She set her glass down with a sharp clink.
"Always business. Very well. If you wish to play the merchant, let us trade."
She clapped her hands twice.
From the shadows at the back of the tent, Marrow Weaver emerged. She was carrying a large, ornate chest made of the dark metal he had seen used by the High Priest. It was protected by a binding talisman as if what was inside was a treasure that needed careful storage.
"The Crystalweb Tyrant was a trove of surprises," Xun said as if she were narrating her encounter with it. It was still alive but she seemed to have already dissected parts of the foreign creature. "Its silk, its venom, its carapace... they are all valuable. But what we found in its private larder... that was the true prize."
Marrow Weaver placed the chest on the table and unlocked it. The lid creaked open.
Inside, resting on a bed of preservation moss, were three pulsating, translucent sacs. Each was the size of a melon, glowing with a faint, rhythmic inner light. Inside the sacs, shadowy, curled forms could be seen.
"Eggs?" Lin Mo asked, leaning forward as he tried to probe with his spiritual senses.
"Not just eggs," Xun corrected. "Royal eggs. The Tyrant, apart from building a nest, was also preparing to birth a new caste. These are Queens in the making. But look closer."
Lin Mo focused his gaze. The embryos inside clearly held the characteristics of spiders. However, they had humanoid torsos fused to arachnid lower bodies. They looked disturbingly similar to the legends of Arachne.
And a certain term flashed in his head,
"Driders," Lin Mo murmured. "Or something close to it."
"Driders, huh?" Xun said, her eyes gleaming with ambitious zeal. "The Tyrant consumed everything in her path, including cultivators. It seems she found a way to integrate our biology into her offspring. These creatures... if they hatch, they would possess the innate characteristics of their mother and the meridian system of a cultivator. They would be able to cultivate and harness our realm's spiritual energy."
She paused, letting the implication sink in. "Imagine, Shopkeeper. A legion of loyal, intelligent, cultivating arachnid-warriors. Guardians who weave their own armor and produce their own silk."
"Here… I propose a joint venture. My branch will raise them. Your store will provide the resources. And we split the... product."
Lin Mo stared at the eggs. It was a monstrous proposition, ethically gray at best. But he remembered Lihua's advice. 'A path that circumvents spiritual roots is a revolutionary concept.' This was another form of that. Biological engineering.
And it's not like he can develop it himself. Leaving it to Xun's hand should be the most obvious choice.
"And the silk?" He asked, keeping his face neutral.
"Ah, the silk." Xun reached into her sleeve and pulled out a spool of thread. It wasn't white or silver, but a deep, shifting violet. "We harvested this from the Tyrant's spinnerets before... processing her. It conducts spiritual energy with zero resistance. It is stronger than spirit steel and lighter than air. My priests are calling it [Void-Weave Silk]."
She tossed the spool to him. "The Professional's Foundry would kill for this. We have tons of it. Raw, unprocessed, and ready for your shelves. We're keeping the Tyrant alive but it was intelligent enough to try and negotiate its terms after getting its essence harvested."
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