Superstar Spider

A young man dressed in brocade robes with his sleeves neatly bound sat upright on a chair. He was slender, locks of hair brushing his shoulders, his complexion fair and delicate. His brows and eyes were clear and bright, his features somewhat childlike, and a charming smile played on his lips. He was in the midst of introducing himself, his voice gentle and warm.

"Greetings, Young Master Chu. My name is Crimson Pinch."

Seated across from him was a graceful young woman. Her hair was piled high and secured with a golden hairpin, her face as radiant as a blossom, and she covered her smile with a sweep of her sleeve, revealing a pair of sparkling eyes.

Between them was a table laden with sumptuous dishes, both fragrant and inviting. The setting was an elegantly furnished, brightly lit loft, with mountain and river scenes painted across the screens and sheer red gauze drapes hanging softly from above.

"Miss, your name sounds... very refined," Chu Liang remarked with a smile.

"Is this your first time in a place like this, Young Master?" Crimson Pinch glanced at him, her voice tender.

"Indeed," Chu Liang nodded. "My elders always forbade me before, saying I was too young..."

"How old are you, Young Master?" Crimson Pinch inquired at once.

"Seventeen," Chu Liang replied.

"That's hardly young anymore. You should have come to try for yourself long ago," she teased softly. "Once you've tried, you're not a child anymore."

"Well... in fact, I've tried quite often before, but always near home, and they were rather small ones..." Chu Liang smiled sheepishly. "Someone your size—this is really my first time meeting."

She chuckled, her gaze lingering on him. "In youth, one doesn't yet know the charm of an elder sister..."

Chu Liang grew earnest. "If I lack experience later, I hope you'll be understanding, Miss. And I must ask you to cooperate as much as possible—thank you in advance."

"There's no need to be so polite," Crimson Pinch lifted her slender hand, poured a cup of wine, and slid it toward Chu Liang. "Sister promises to give you an experience that will send you to the heavens."

"Um..." Chu Liang blinked. "That's something I ought to say, isn't it? I promise to send you to the heavens, Miss."

She arched an eyebrow coquettishly. "Such bold words from a youngster—are you really that confident in your skills?"

"My skills... perhaps not fully honed yet, but I can make up for it with some tools," Chu Liang replied.

"Oh? Tools, you say?" Crimson Pinch's eyebrows rose. "You don't look the type, but you seem to know how to have fun. What have you brought? Show me."

"Very well, then let us begin early." Chu Liang nodded, then reached to his waist, produced an object, and set it on the table with a clatter.

It turned out to be half a golden brick, gleaming brilliantly, clearly no ordinary item.

The woman's expression shifted. "I have no idea how you intend to use that thing... If you're into something perverse, I'm not playing along!"

"Well..." Chu Liang mused for a moment, then suddenly pointed behind the woman. "What is that?"

"What?" Crimson Pinch turned to look.

In that instant, the gentle-faced youth sprang into action, snatching up the brick from the table and striking her on the back of her head!

Thud.

With a single blow, a ripple of golden light spread out, and from the spot where he had struck, black mist began to ooze forth!

"Ah—" Crimson Pinch clutched the back of her head in agony, letting out a shrill wail. "You... you tricked me!"

She cried out as she staggered to her feet, retreating two steps. Then, as the black mist gushed from her wound like a fountain, a baleful aura filled the air! Suddenly, her entire form shimmered and transformed into a gigantic spider, nearly ten feet across! On the spider's abdomen was a human face—the very visage of Crimson Pinch moments before, but now stripped of beauty, replaced by snarling rage and hideous fury.

This seemingly harmless young man had struck with such ruthless decisiveness that the spider demon's fury was palpable.

With a single brick, her true form was revealed!

By now, Chu Liang had already stowed away the golden brick and calmly faced the fearsome monster before him, smiling as he said, "I never deceived you—I truly am exorcising a demon for the first time on my own."

"Curse you—" the giant spider bellowed, "Where did this brat come from? I'll tear you limb from limb!"

"I am a disciple of Mount Shu. Someone reported to our sect that a demon was wreaking havoc here, masquerading as a brothel and murdering innocents. I accepted the order from my sect to come and slay this demon!" Chu Liang's voice rang out, firm and clear.

"Mount Shu?" At those words, terror flashed across the spider demon's face. Mount Shu, as one of the nine great celestial sects of the age, still commanded fear among lesser demons, even if its prestige had waned somewhat in recent years.

Without warning, she spat out a ball of red light, which transformed in midair into a massive net, descending toward Chu Liang. At the same time, she turned and, with all eight legs, vaulted toward the door in an attempt to escape.

But her ruse failed. Chu Liang darted aside, evading the web, and then raised his left hand, forming a sword gesture. With a crisp shout, "Sword Control! Fly!"

A flash of light burst from his wrist—the bracelet he wore transformed instantly into a streak of radiance, becoming a flying sword!

Swoosh—

With a single thrust, the enormous spider had no chance to evade and was pierced straight through by the sword's light.

"Ah!" The giant spider shrieked, crashing down with a thunderous crash, smashing through the floor to the level below, exposing a gruesome expanse of white bones beneath the floorboards.

Clearly, many lives had already been lost here.

Faintly, a golden light, invisible to ordinary eyes, drifted from the spider demon's corpse and merged into Chu Liang's body.

He sheathed his sword with satisfaction. The flying blade once again transformed into a bracelet on his wrist.

The dust settled.

He finally let out a long breath.

This truly was Chu Liang’s first time... accepting a mission to descend the mountain and exorcise a demon alone. Though his face had been calm, inside he had felt a measure of nervousness. The spider demon's cultivation was not high, but she excelled at illusions, able to disguise herself as a human and evade detection. If not for precise intelligence and the unique magical treasure in his possession, Chu Liang would not have found her so easy to handle.

...

After the battle, Chu Liang was in no hurry to leave. Instead, he sat cross-legged where he was, closing his eyes in meditation.

His consciousness sank, and he entered a space of darkness. The place was empty save for a towering white pagoda before him.

Nine stories with six corners, it loomed majestic and imposing, its surface inscribed with intricate, enigmatic runes and images, ancient and solemn.

Chu Liang stepped inside the white pagoda and saw that it was filled with cells barred by black iron railings—a prison, row upon row, countless in number, yet all empty except for one.

Within that cell was a golden phantom, which looked very much like a large spider...

The cell had no door, only a wall, upon which was inscribed a single red character: "Refine." Chu Liang approached and pressed lightly upon it.

Boom—

A red light flashed, and the golden phantom vanished instantly.

A sphere of white radiance floated out from the cell.

Indeed, every time Chu Liang slew a demon, a phantom would appear within this tower. By refining it, he could obtain a treasure—almost as if it were a reward for ridding the world of evil.

Chu Liang caught the ball of white light, and as the glow faded, a bundle of red cord was left in his hand, along with a sense of understanding in his mind.

[Binding Demon Rope]:

When activated with true qi in combat, the Binding Demon Rope will automatically bind the enemy in a formidable tortoise-shell knot. Not only will it render the foe powerless, but it can also shatter their psychological defenses, even unlock hidden personalities within them, making it a weapon of tremendous power.