The giant spider was indeed valuable, every part of it a treasure, yet in his heart, it could never compare to Mi Xue. Having skirted the edge of life and death today had made it utterly clear: he had truly fallen for this girl.

At the same time, he was acutely aware of Mi Xue’s feelings for him. A girl who disregarded danger to her own life, who cared nothing for fear for his sake, was absolutely worth cherishing, worth loving.

Only after Zhang Yang had thrown the spider’s corpse out of sight did Mi Xue dare to open her eyes.

She still seemed shaken, glancing constantly to the side.

“Mi Xue, let’s go back!”

Zhang Yang reached out and held her. As for the poor Fox-tailed Marten, Zhang Yang swung it around carelessly in his hand; even if it hadn't been knocked unconscious, it likely would have been from the motion.

“Okay, let’s go back!”

Mi Xue nodded, then immediately recalled something and quickly lowered her head to look at Zhang Yang’s arm.

“The poison on you?”

Mi Xue pointed at his arm with a finger, asking in surprise. The skin around the fang marks on Zhang Yang’s arm had completely recovered, though it hadn't returned entirely to normal yet, appearing somewhat darker than before.

“The poison is gone. I’m fine!”

Zhang Yang smiled and nodded. His poison hadn't been completely cleared, but he could handle the remaining traces himself without any issue.

“That’s good!”

Mi Xue smiled and nodded. Then, her body suddenly went limp, and she slumped directly into Zhang Yang’s arms.

Everything tonight—for Mi Xue—was an experience unlike any she had ever known: the venomous marten, the enormous, hideous spider, and running alone through the mountains in the darkness.

In the beginning, she had worried only for Zhang Yang, her mind solely focused on him, wanting only to bring him back safely. It was this belief that had sustained her, miraculously leading her to this location.

Now that her wish was fulfilled, and she confirmed Zhang Yang was safe, that pillar of resolve finally slackened. Fear, panic, combined with the desperate run, finally overcame her, and she collapsed completely.

After all, Mi Xue was just a young girl, a girl who hadn't even finished university yet.

“This girl!”

Zhang Yang quickly placed his hand on her pulse point, then a smile spread across his face. Mi Xue was fine; she was just overwhelmed by fright and exhaustion. He would administer a few needles later or give her some calming medicine.

Mi Xue fainted. Now, only Zhang Yang was conscious. He had no choice but to carry her back on his back.

This fainting spell saved Zhang Yang the trouble of making two round trips. Carrying Mi Xue, holding the Fox-tailed Marten, and dragging the Black Iron Spider, he slowly made his way back up the mountain.

Coming down had been easy; going up was hard. It took him a full hour, though part of that was because he was afraid of startling Mi Xue, so he walked exceptionally slowly.

He first concealed the Black Iron Spider’s carcass nearby before returning to the Xie family villa.

“Dr. Zhang, what happened to you!”

Xie Hui and Xie Fei, the two brothers, were waiting at the entrance. They rushed forward when they saw Zhang Yang arrive. Zhang Yang had been gone too long; it was already midnight.

This was the mountains, after all, and there were still areas around the Xie villa that held danger. Both brothers had been worried sick about him. Even Old Master Xie had asked about him multiple times.

“I’m fine. We just got lost!”

Zhang Yang shook his head. He didn't mention what had happened; there was no need to. Xie Hui and Xie Fei exchanged glances, then both nodded.

Zhang Yang’s clothes were torn in several places, as was Mi Xue’s. They wanted to ask questions, but seeing that Zhang Yang didn’t want to talk, they hesitated.

“It’s good that you’re alright. We shouldn't have let you go out alone today; that’s my responsibility!”

Xie Hui said quickly. Zhang Yang’s prolonged absence had indeed startled them, and people from the Xie family were still out searching for them.

They were in the mountains, and this was not the modern era with cell towers everywhere; there was no signal here. Otherwise, they would have contacted Zhang Yang long ago.

“Mr. Xie, you are too formal. Let’s discuss it tomorrow. Mi Xue is tired and needs rest!”

Zhang Yang smiled slightly. Xie Hui immediately nodded in assent and ushered them inside.

As they entered, Xie Fei glanced with confusion at the Fox-tailed Marten in Zhang Yang’s hand. The marten was beautiful, its fur pure white and silky, making one want to touch it.

However, the fact that its legs and mouth were bound confused him, and he felt Zhang Yang was being unnecessarily harsh toward the small animal.

Xie Fei assumed this marten was something Zhang Yang had luckily caught on the mountain.

Unfortunately, Zhang Yang did not know his thoughts; if he had, Xie Fei might have suffered a little. One should not underestimate this small Fox-tailed Marten; if released while everyone was in the courtyard, it could poison every person there.

It was a truly terrifying creature.

Back in the room, Zhang Yang immediately placed Mi Xue on the bed, first gently wiping her body, then taking out his needles and applying them to several key acupoints for calming shock and soothing the spirit. This would ensure she slept soundly tonight and wouldn't have nightmares.

After finishing this, he closed the door and went to the living room.

In the living room, the Fox-tailed Marten still lay there. When Zhang Yang emerged, he didn't know when the marten had woken up, but it was glaring at him with wide eyes.

“Squeak, squeak, squeak!”

The marten’s body swayed for a moment, then stopped swaying, looking at Zhang Yang pitifully. Its eyes were bright, and its bound state evoked a sense of pathos.

If a girl overly prone to sympathy had seen it, she might have dared to untie it, which would have created immense trouble.

“Don’t look at me like that. No matter how much you look, I won’t let you go!”

Zhang Yang was exhausted and sank onto the floor, ignoring the 'squeaking' marten beside him.

He genuinely hadn't decided how to deal with this marten, but one thing was certain: he absolutely could not release it; its danger level was far too high.

Zhang Yang took off the canvas bag on his shoulder. The bag’s quality was quite good; despite all the turmoil, it hadn't broken, which was much better than his clothes.

The Tri-colored Fruit was inside. Zhang Yang carefully took the fruit out.

As soon as the fruit appeared, the Fox-tailed Marten stopped squeaking. Its eyes fixed intently on the fruit; it was these few fruits that had led to its current predicament. However, upon seeing the fruit, it couldn't resist the temptation.

After observing it closely for a moment, Zhang Yang carefully placed the fruit into his iron box. This box was originally for Ginseng Pills, and only one pill remained inside. He took out the Ginseng Pill to make room for the Tri-colored Fruit.

The Tri-colored Fruit could be consumed directly, but taking it without the accompanying medicinal mixture resulted in less absorption and a weaker effect.

Zhang Yang was versed in traditional Chinese medicine and knew how to compound formulas; naturally, he wanted the Tri-colored Fruit to achieve its maximum efficacy. Wasting even a bit of such a heavenly treasure would be a sin, absolutely impermissible.

After putting the fruit away, the Fox-tailed Marten started yelping again, seeming agitated at being unable to see the fruit.

Zhang Yang ignored it, stretched his arms, and carried it directly to the study.

This little creature was indeed difficult to handle. Since he didn't want to kill it, he had to cage it first, and it had to be in a secure location.

He couldn't manage it today; he would have to ask the Xie family for a cage tomorrow, and it couldn't be an iron one—it needed to be a specially made glass cage.

The Fox-tailed Marten not only had venomous fangs but could also spray poison gas potent enough to kill an ox, let alone a human.

If Zhang Yang hadn't fortuitously taken the Ginseng Pill and fully activated its medicinal power earlier, coupled with his internal Neijin reserves, he likely would have died instantly when the marten bit him.

After all, ginseng over two thousand years old couldn't completely resist the toxins, but it could at least serve as a mitigating factor.

The Fox-tailed Marten was still crying out, so Zhang Yang, without hesitation, knocked it on the head again, finally knocking the little creature unconscious. Whether the marten suffered a concussion was outside Zhang Yang’s concern.

Changing his clothes, Zhang Yang began to meditate to rest.

The previous exertion had severely drained him, especially the poisoning; he had used up about seven or eight-tenths of his full Neijin reserves. The immediate priority was to restore this energy; otherwise, everything he did would be affected.

Fortunately, the massive potency of the Ginseng Pill he had consumed earlier had not entirely dissipated, accelerating his recovery speed by several times the usual rate.

Three hours later, nearing dawn, Zhang Yang stretched and awoke from his meditative state. His Neijin had recovered to six or seven-tenths capacity—a speed significantly faster than normal.

Zhang Yang glanced at the Fox-tailed Marten beside him and shook his head slightly.

The little creature was either still dizzy or asleep; in any case, it lay there with its eyes shut, completely still.

It looked cute in this state, giving off a harmless aura, but Zhang Yang would not be fooled. He found something else to add another layer of restraint, covered it with a shroud, and then got up to leave.

Upon exiting, he remembered to lock all the doors and windows securely to prevent any incidents.

He checked on Mi Xue in the bedroom, then left the room with satisfaction. The giant spider was still outside; many things on its body were useful and couldn't be left exposed indefinitely. Even if other animals didn't dare eye its corpse, it would rot if left too long.

Zhang Yang took a sharp knife when he went out—one he had borrowed from the kitchen. Mi Xue was afraid of spiders, and if she woke up in the morning to see the giant spider, she would be terrified again.

He had to butcher the spider himself outside and bring back the useful parts.

An hour later, Zhang Yang appeared at the main gate of the Xie family residence. Two men were sweeping the ground at the entrance; they were both servants brought from Taiwan by the Xie family, and they were surprised to see Zhang Yang.

They recognized him but had no idea when he had left or why he was returning with a large black bag.

“Dr. Zhang, good morning!”

Despite their surprise, they maintained the necessary courtesy; they all knew their master was waiting for him to treat him.

“Good morning!”

Zhang Yang waved casually and walked in with his belongings.

As Zhang Yang entered, the two men glanced curiously into the bag, but they saw nothing—only smelling a fishy odor.

It was fortunate they didn't see what was inside; if they had, they probably would have collapsed in fright. The bag contained the spider’s dismembered body; Zhang Yang had carved the Black Iron Spider into pieces and brought it back like that... Fourth update, Xiao Yu continues writing; more to follow, likely updating around four o'clock. Those who cannot wait can read it tomorrow! (To be continued……RQ

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