“Sharp-Horned Demon Spider? What kind of demon beast is that?”
Hearing Shucao’s question, Xiao Simeng immediately took out a drawing.
“Look here. It’s a spider-type demon beast with a pitch-black body. Its most distinctive feature is the pure white, jade-like sharp horn on its head. It can use this horn to channel earth-attribute spiritual energy and influence the surrounding environment. It usually lives in underground mines and feeds on spirit-infused minerals.”
“That’s surprisingly detailed.”
“Right? This information cost this young lady quite a few spirit stones to gather from other people.”
Xiao Simeng smiled and continued.
“Moreover, this demon spider has a habit of weaving webs. The minerals it consumes are converted by its abilities into silk threads, which it stores inside its large body and spits out when needed. Most importantly, the silk it produces is highly elastic and incredibly soft. It’s an excellent material for refining defensive artifacts.”
Hearing Xiao Simeng’s explanation, Shucao suddenly spoke up.
“So you want to hunt it for the materials to refine some artifacts, right?”
“Correct. Didn’t I mention it before? I want to use my own immortal cultivation abilities to create a piece of clothing that satisfies me, then show it to my father when I return to Dragon City. I want to prove to him that making clothes won’t interfere with my cultivation. Now, I finally have a clear idea for the clothes I want to make.”
“Then I really must congratulate you, Simeng. I wish you success.”
“Hehe, actually, it’s all thanks to you, Shucao. You gave me the inspiration.”
“Eh? Me? Because of the outfit I’m wearing?”
Shucao immediately thought of how fascinated Xiao Simeng had been with her magical outfit and quickly figured it out.
“That’s right! The reason I want to hunt this demon beast is to obtain its silk threads and try to recreate those ‘stockings’ you’re wearing on your legs. If I succeed, I’ll be able to use this kind of silk on many more garments.”
“So where is this demon beast located?”
After hearing Shucao’s question, Xiao Simeng took out a map of the area around Ningzhou City and pointed to a mountain some distance away from the city.
“There’s an abandoned mine in this location. It was closed long ago after the minerals were depleted. However, recently some idle explorers claimed they found a new vein inside. Some of them went deep into the mine and went missing, while only a small number made it back out.”
“Later, some cultivators went to investigate and discovered traces of a Sharp-Horned Demon Spider living there. They determined that the spider’s strength is around upper-tier first-rank. A few mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators wouldn’t be able to handle it, so they sold this information, and it eventually ended up in this young lady’s hands.”
“I see. By the way, why did you choose me?”
At this point, Xiao Simeng paused and looked away, but under Shucao’s gaze, she quickly looked back.
“Um… if possible, can you keep this a secret for me, Shucao?”
“A secret? Is there something special about it?”
“Mm.”
Xiao Simeng pressed her lips together, then said with some difficulty,
“Actually… I’m afraid of the dark.”
“Pfft.”
Inside the Heart Realm, An Qianhua suddenly burst out laughing.
“Hahaha, a young lady from a cultivation family is afraid of the dark. What an interesting contrast!”
“Sister Qianhua… don’t laugh at her like that.”
“Sorry, sorry. But it really is quite amusing. She’s a cultivator, yet she has such a cute weakness.”
After briefly speaking with An Qianhua in the Heart Realm, Shucao continued listening to Xiao Simeng.
“So this young lady wanted to find someone to go with me. Even though we can use spells to light up the mine, underground caves still feel scary. Among the loose cultivators I know, you’re the only one, Shucao. That’s why I wanted to ask you to come hunt the Sharp-Horned Demon Spider with me. When we divide the materials afterward, you can take most of them. I only need the silk threads.”
After saying all this in one breath, Xiao Simeng looked at Shucao with a slightly flushed face, full of expectation.
Looking at her like this, Shucao found it hard to refuse and smiled.
“I don’t have anything else to do anyway, so I’ll go with you.”
“Great!”
Xiao Simeng excitedly grabbed Shucao by the shoulders.
“When should we set out? Now? Or tomorrow? I can’t wait to get those materials!”
“Alright, alright, calm down. I just got back after all. Let me rest first. How about we head out tomorrow?”
Hearing Shucao’s words, Xiao Simeng smiled and scratched her head.
“Oh right, I completely forgot you just returned. Sorry about that. Then rest well. This young lady will go make some preparations for hunting the demon beast.”
With that, Xiao Simeng left the room together with Shucao, went downstairs, and left the Welcoming Crane Pavilion.
“She’s really full of energy.”
Shucao sighed as she watched the direction Xiao Simeng had gone.
“She’s also a very nice person. Definitely worth getting to know better.”
Hearing An Qianhua’s comment, Shucao couldn’t help but say,
“Getting to know her better, huh… The problem is, the appearance I’m using now is too different from my real self. If our relationship gets any deeper, it might cause quite a lot of trouble.”
“That’s something you’ll have to figure out yourself. Handling relationships with two different identities is one of the major lessons every magical girl has to learn.”
“So this is just normal for magical girls, huh.”
“Most magical girls have to hide their identities after all. If their true selves are exposed, it causes all sorts of problems.”
“It does sound quite similar to my current situation. Looks like I’ll have to be more careful about how much I interact with others in this form in the future.”
“Anyway, since there’s nothing else to do right now, how about practicing your flying techniques?”
An Qianhua suddenly suggested.
“Even though you can accelerate to extremely high speeds, the fact that you can’t stop properly is a huge issue. It’s an even more fatal flaw in battle. If you can master accelerating, hovering, and stopping smoothly, your mobility will become terrifyingly high. You’d be able to beat those enemies senseless.”
Under An Qianhua’s guidance, Shucao began practicing low-altitude hovering inside the room.
“Carefully feel the sensation at the soles of your feet. Imagine two masses of magic power lifting you up.”
Following An Qianhua’s instructions, Shucao struggled to control the two masses of magic power at her feet, trying to prevent them from suddenly launching her into the air.
“Sister Qianhua, why do we have to practice inside the room?”
“Hehe, this is special training! If you don’t want to crash into the ceiling or smash straight through the roof, then focus and practice properly!”
And so, under An Qianhua’s strict guidance, Shucao spent the day getting intimately acquainted with the walls.
Thankfully, Xiao Simeng had previously cast a spell to isolate sound from the room.
Otherwise, the loud banging noises would have made the inn staff think the place was being torn down.
Through this training, Shucao’s mastery over magic-powered flight improved significantly.
At the very least, she had learned how to suddenly stop mid-air and hover stably.
The next day, Shucao first transformed back into Mo Yao’s appearance.
After showing up at the newspaper office where he was nominally employed, she found Xiao Simeng and prepared to set off with her to hunt the Sharp-Horned Demon Spider.