Late at night, Li Banfeng and Ma Wu hid in a cave, quietly watching the entrance.
Straw Moth Lady was right outside the cave, waiting quietly for the two men to emerge.
Straw Moth Lady could enter, but she chose not to. She enjoyed playing hide-and-seek with her prey, though in her eyes, Li Banfeng and Ma Wu were quite clumsy at the game.
After they had hidden for a few minutes, Straw Moth Lady began to release insect silk into the cave, and Ma Wu completely broke down.
Actually, he had broken down long ago. He wasn’t a Traveling Cultivator and lacked such endurance. Lust Cultivation inherently weakened the body. After running an entire day without food or drink, Ma Wu could no longer stand.
The crucial point was that there seemed to be no end to this running. Ma Wu had read in books that if one encountered Straw Moth Lady and failed to satisfy her demands, escape was impossible unless one’s cultivation level was equal to or greater than hers.
How high was Straw Moth Lady’s cultivation level?
It almost reached the Eighth Layer. She was one of the most formidable beings in the New Land.
Encountering Straw Moth Lady during pioneering meant the endeavor had failed. Pioneers had to scatter and flee; whether anyone survived depended entirely on Straw Moth Lady’s mood.
Da Boyins had once successfully survived an encounter with her. Most of the time, Straw Moth Lady didn’t like to kill; she preferred to toy with people. But whether one could live after being toyed with by her was a matter of fate.
Since they couldn’t get rid of her, Ma Wu felt he could only follow the survival method described in the books: satisfy Straw Moth Lady’s demands.
But the question was, could he withstand Straw Moth Lady’s demands?
Da Boyins could, but he couldn’t.
Da Boyins was a Body Cultivator. He not only possessed a high cultivation level but also a physique far beyond ordinary people—qualities Ma Wu could not hope to match.
Yet even so, Ma Wu decided to make a stand, even if it cost him his life, to give Li Banfeng a chance to escape.
"Brother Li, you run! I’ll fight her!"
Li Banfeng looked at Ma Wu and said, "What will you fight her with?"
Ma Wu said, "She just wants to play. I might as well play along. I’m a Lust Cultivator; what haven’t I experienced?"
Li Banfeng pointed at Straw Moth Lady. "This kind of thing too?"
"This kind... no..." Ma Wu gritted his teeth. "Brother Li, I owe you my life. Consider this repayment. Get away quickly!"
With that, Ma Wu rushed to the cave entrance and shouted, "You want to play? Then let’s really play!"
Straw Moth Lady laughed. "Call the other one out too. One of you isn’t enough."
Ma Wu shouted, "It’s just me! What more do you want?"
"Little one, why so much anger?" Straw Moth Lady laughed heartily, her feelers waving as she prepared to entangle Ma Wu.
She might play with Ma Wu for a while, or she might eat him immediately.
She might also turn Ma Wu into one of her ’children,’ placing him in an Insect Cocoon to be slowly nurtured.
But Li Banfeng had already seen where this was heading. No matter what she did to Ma Wu, she wouldn’t let Li Banfeng go.
Li Banfeng took out a Rust Pill and threw it at Straw Moth Lady, hitting her.
Rust spread quickly over Straw Moth Lady’s body, and she felt intense pain.
She ignored Ma Wu and turned to look at Li Banfeng.
Ma Wu was still in shock when he heard Li Banfeng shout, "Run!"
Ma Wu didn’t dare to delay and bolted.
If Straw Moth Lady wanted to pursue him, Ma Wu couldn’t escape. Even with Li Banfeng delaying her, Ma Wu wouldn’t be able to get away.
But Straw Moth Lady had no intention of chasing him; she was angry.
She ignored Ma Wu, her gaze fixed on Li Banfeng.
"You’re very disobedient. I don’t like children like you."
Li Banfeng kept his eyes fixed on the rust spreading over Straw Moth Lady’s body.
But Straw Moth Lady didn’t shed her skin. She didn’t even shake off the rust.
The fluids beneath her skin surged, forming a vortex that completely devoured the patch of rust.
Ever since Li Banfeng obtained his first Rust Pill on Kuwu Mountain, the powerful Elixir had been nearly invincible. This was the first time a Rust Pill had almost no effect on an opponent.
Straw Moth Lady caressed Li Banfeng’s face with two of her feelers, speaking calmly, "I can have children with you, or I can make you my child.
I can turn you into one child, or into three.
I can cut you into a hundred pieces and make a hundred children.
I can also lay my eggs inside you, let them eat your flesh and blood to grow, making you their home."
Li Banfeng remembered the Bagworm Moth’s cocoons.
The feelers caressed Li Banfeng’s face faster and faster, a sign that Straw Moth Lady’s mood was worsening.
"I think the last option suits you best, because you are neither gentle nor cute." With those words, Straw Moth Lady charged into the cave.
Li Banfeng retreated quickly, opened his Portable Residence, and tossed the key out.
The door slammed shut, and Li Banfeng let out a sigh of relief.
Li Banfeng swung his Tang Sword, trying to sever the feeler.
The feeler flicked lightly, sending Li Banfeng flying.
By the time Li Banfeng struggled to his feet, the door was already open.
A massive green caterpillar charged into the Portable Residence, filling the entire main room.
"What is this place? Why is it so strange?" The room was too narrow, and Straw Moth Lady couldn’t immediately turn around.
WHIRR... CLICK...
The Phonograph awakened, singing cheerfully, "Husband, you’re back from buying groceries! You bought... you bought... what is this thing you’ve brought?"
Straw Moth Lady turned, surveying the room. "This house isn’t bad. I’ll leave it for my children. It can hold many of them."
Li Banfeng pulled out his Tang Sword and threw it at Straw Moth Lady.
SHIIING! The Tang Sword unsheathed itself, struck Straw Moth Lady’s head three times, and then immediately returned to Li Banfeng’s pocket.
The three strikes landed, but Straw Moth Lady’s defenses weren’t breached at all.
Not even a mark was left on her head.
Li Banfeng took out the Blood-Thirsty Pendulum, intending to strike Straw Moth Lady, but the Pendulum recoiled. "Master, it’s no use! Spare me!"
Li Banfeng was just about to look for the Teapot.
WHOOSH!
A wad of insect silk shot towards Li Banfeng. In the cramped room, he had little space to dodge.
HISS!
A blast of Steam flew out, incinerating the insect silk.
The Phonograph declared, "Sir, please wait in the outer room. Today’s ’ingredient’ is a bit tricky. Allow this Little Servant to deal with it first."
Before Li Banfeng could speak, a cloud of Steam pushed him into the outer room. The door to that chamber then closed tightly, sealed shut by Steam.
Straw Moth Lady roared at the Phonograph, "What in the world are you?"
HMPH.
The Phonograph sneered, "Such audacity! It is only because I have fallen on hard times that a mere insect like you dares to speak to me so."
FWOOSH!
Scorching Steam filled the entire room.
Straw Moth Lady opened her enormous mouth wide and, with a single gulp, swallowed all the Steam in the room.
SCREEECH!
The Phonograph emitted a high-pitched chant, and the Steam inside Straw Moth Lady began to rapidly expand.
Straw Moth Lady shrieked repeatedly, spitting out insect silk that entangled the Phonograph’s record and jammed its horn, silencing it.
Two huge milk teeth pierced the Phonograph’s casing, embedding themselves in its body.
...
「A few minutes later」
The sounds of fighting from the main room gradually subsided.
Li Banfeng rushed into the main room. Straw Moth Lady’s body had shrunk significantly; she lay curled up on the ground, motionless.
The Phonograph was covered in wounds, silent.
Its front panel was shattered, the horn deformed. What distressed Li Banfeng most was that two gears had fallen out from inside the Phonograph’s body.
Li Banfeng panicked. He had never been this distraught.
He caressed the Phonograph, calling out again and again, "Wife, Wife, please answer me..."
WHINE...
Though very faint, Li Banfeng could hear it.
He looked at the Phonograph’s horn and saw it was blocked by insect silk.
The horn was scorching hot, but Li Banfeng ignored the pain and frantically dug out the insect silk.
SQUEAK... SQUEAK...
The horn was clear, but the Phonograph could only emit a strange scraping sound.
Inside the casing, many gears were also jammed by insect silk.
Li Banfeng fetched his tools and carefully cleaned it, working for over an hour until the gears slowly began to turn.
CHUFF... CHUFF...
Steam began to spurt out rhythmically.
"Wife, answer me!" Li Banfeng urged, looking intently at the Phonograph.
"Oh, my Husband... what’s the matter? Why are you so anxious?" the Phonograph responded, its voice weak but clear.
PS: The Phonograph is injured, and Shala is heartbroken. Dear readers, if you feel heartbroken too, please give Shala a vote and say a few words to her.