At this moment, Ning Rongrong, flying in Su Xiaoqi's grasp, felt all her earlier feelings of being cared for utterly dashed. This guy really had zero consideration or tenderness for her.
I, Ning Rongrong, am indeed a bit younger than Zhu Zhuqing, but I'm still a beauty—and I'm going to keep growing. Was it really necessary to treat me so differently?
Su Xiaoqi had no time to think about Ning Rongrong's feelings right now. He was rushing full speed toward Zhu Zhuqing's location.
From the message Zhu Zhuqing sent earlier, Su Xiaoqi learned that Tang San did encounter the Human-faced Demon Spider while chasing the Titan Giant Ape. Zhu Zhuqing appeared just in time to help "rescue" Tang San, allowing him to chase after Xiao Wu.
However, as expected, trouble still came. Before long, Tang San suddenly turned back and told Zhu Zhuqing he had reached level 30 and needed the Human-faced Demon Spider as his third spirit ring.
Of course, Zhu Zhuqing would never give the demon spider to him, so the two of them were now fighting over that spider's "head."
When Su Xiaoqi and Ning Rongrong arrived above the scene, the Human-faced Demon Spider was already near death. Tang San and Zhu Zhuqing were both delivering the final blows—but using unconventional weapons.
Tang San took out his Zhuge Crossbow, while Zhu Zhuqing wielded a Desert Eagle.
The result was obvious—by the time Tang San's crossbow bolt hit, the demon spider was already dead.
"Equipment drop!"
Su Xiaoqi's eyes lit up seeing the sparkles on the demon spider's corpse. He threw Ning Rongrong forcefully toward Zhu Zhuqing, and sped toward the spider's body himself.
"Ahhhh\~!" Ning Rongrong screamed midair as she was tossed, utterly horrified. This was no longer about tenderness; it was a life-or-death situation.
"Zhuqing, you *must* catch me!"
Meanwhile, Su Xiaoqi successfully obtained the Eight Spider Spear and immediately sold it in the chat group's marketplace, exchanging it for 5,000 points.
At first, Su Xiaoqi was confused—why was such a divine-level item in Douluo Continent only worth this little? But when he saw the words "Initial Form" in the marketplace, he understood.
Back at Zhu Zhuqing's side, Su Xiaoqi teased Tang San, who was scowling fiercely,
"Tang San, what's wrong? You look constipated."
Tang San glared at Zhu Zhuqing angrily, shouting,
"Zhu Zhuqing, why did you steal my Human-faced Demon Spider? You already have a third spirit ring!"
He wasn't concerned about why Zhu Zhuqing's third ring was black, or what that iron lump she held was. He didn't even care that Su Xiaoqi could fly.
After leaving the demon spider, Tang San had felt something important slipping away from him. Restless, he turned back.
When Zhu Zhuqing killed the spider, that feeling came again—stronger than before.
Su Xiaoqi smiled,
"Tang San, first, I have to correct you—the Human-faced Demon Spider doesn't belong to any of us. As for why Zhuqing had to kill it, it's simple."
"When I got knocked away by the Titan Giant Ape, I almost got killed by that spider. It was just trying to avenge me—just like you trying to take Xiao Wu back from the Titan Giant Ape."
Su Xiaoqi made up a random story for Tang San, whether he believed it or not was none of Su Xiaoqi's business.
He had thought about killing Tang San right here but gave up for the sake of points.
If Tang San died, he and Zhu Zhuqing might get some unknown points, but the storyline quest would end.
Su Xiaoqi urgently needed points. That black-hearted woman Nami was charging an outrageous 50,000 points for a Gravity Room—and said that was a "friendship price." Su Xiaoqi might spend 50,000 points and still not get one.
A Gravity Room alone cost 50,000 points; if other group members drew powerful items like a Time Travel Card or King Kai's Fist, who knew what sky-high prices would come next?
Most importantly, once the quest ended, he'd have to return to his lonely world and suffer in boredom every day.
So if he was going to kill Tang San, it had to be after squeezing every bit of value from him. With his growth rate, killing Tang San later would be easy.
Tang San pressed on,
"Zhu Zhuqing, why didn't you tell us you got a third spirit ring?"
"If you had told us earlier, we wouldn't have met the Titan Giant Ape today, and Xiao Wu wouldn't have been captured."
"Brother!"
Suddenly, a slender figure ran out from the trees.
The unexpected voice startled Tang San. Seeing the familiar figure rushing at him, he spread his arms to catch Xiao Wu.
Su Xiaoqi looked at Zhu Zhuqing and joked,
"Zhuqing, it's been a while—how about a hug for old times' sake?"
Zhu Zhuqing frowned,
"What? Haven't you already hugged Rongrong just now? Rongrong has already explained everything about you two."
"I don't have *anything* with her."
Su Xiaoqi was annoyed, and even more so because Ning Rongrong was hiding behind Zhu Zhuqing making all sorts of mocking faces at him.
"Ning Rongrong, your cannon is gone."
Hearing this, Ning Rongrong immediately got mad. She stomped up to Su Xiaoqi, hands on hips, puffing out her chest:
"How come? You promised me."
"Why? I'm so mad I want to stuff you in a cannon and fire you out."
"You just wait!"
Knowing she couldn't out-argue Su Xiaoqi, Ning Rongrong ran to Zhu Zhuqing to complain about the "cruel acts" Su Xiaoqi had done to her.
Zhu Zhuqing had already guessed Ning Rongrong's thoughts but was in a good mood, so she played along.
However, some people just don't know when to stop ruining good times—Tang San, holding Xiao Wu, came to Zhu Zhuqing again,
"Zhu Zhuqing, although Xiao Wu is fine now, everyone was hurt because of you. You owe us an explanation."
Zhu Zhuqing glanced at Xiao Wu, coldly saying,
"I don't owe you an explanation. I just don't like other men bothering me besides Xiao Qi."
"My third spirit ring was thanks to the Titan Giant Ape. While chasing Xiao Qi, I ran into a dying millennium spirit beast. It willingly sacrificed itself to me."
"Otherwise, how do you think I could absorb a millennium spirit ring under normal circumstances?"
Tang San was speechless. Zhu Zhuqing's explanation was logical and well-founded. He had learned this from Yu Xiaogang.
Xiao Wu secretly glanced at Zhu Zhuqing. She didn't remember seeing any spirit beast when the Titan Giant Ape took her away, but Zhu Zhuqing's story roughly matched the explanation she had prepared.
Just then, another figure appeared in the woods.
Su Xiaoqi recognized her—'chuunibyou' girl Meng Yi—and thought, *I thought they wouldn't come, but why just her? Where are the two old folks?*
Yet Meng Yi's next action shocked everyone present.
She suddenly knelt before Su Xiaoqi with a thud, pleading,
"Please, go save my grandfather and grandmother. The Titan Giant Ape hurt them badly; their lives are in danger."