I struggle to contain my grin as I speed up our carriage convoy just a tad faster towards the little spider ahead.

Curiously, this spider is not part of my taming group. But it’s clear from my scan that it’s under Gong’s control, nonetheless. Meaning that she doesn't need my taming connection to exercise total control over them.

She's always had a lot of control over them, but it seems like the connection is on an entirely different level now.

No wonder people are getting suspicious about whether she’s a cultivator now. I suspect that if she didn't want to stay hidden, she could infest this entire region with spiders from the deep.

Core Formation and Nascent Soul cultivators would immediately squash such an attack. Nevertheless, she could do it.

Just as we approach within a kilometer of the spider, it quickly moves its little legs toward us, finally leaping a considerable distance over to me. To land right on my head.

A little scary, to be honest. Even Yalei flinches at the sight.

Of course, I’ve let everyone know it’s safe.

Though I like Gong and have become more accustomed to spiders, it’s still a little scary to see a spider the size of a nickel jumps at you. Even so, I love the little thing and give it little head pats. Careful to avoid its many eyes.

Surprisingly, Yalei seems to love it, after the initial scare.

“Aww, look at the little legs! Their wiggles are so adorable!”

A charmingly cute side of her being revealed. But I soon remember my original aim, switching my focus back over to the little spider.

To allow for communication between Gong and me to be a little more fluid, I extend a taming contract over to the spider. One which is accepted, linking me to the person I’ve been missing for months now.

With the new level of scan, the proximity, and the increased connection she has with the spider, this is the closest to telepathic connection that I’ve had since I’ve gotten here. A flurry of thoughts, emotions, and a whole mess of tension flows between us in the moment.

Leaving me to say something I’ve been wanting to this whole time.

“Hey.”

“…Hey.”

“…”

“…”

Even Gong is dumbfounded how I came up with just that, after what just was felt between us at this moment.

… You’d think after all this time I’d be less awkward.

I have to be honest with myself. And her.

“… I missed you, Gong. A lot, actually. How’ve you been?”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“I MISSED YOU! We should meet! And good.”

An immediate outpouring of affection comes out toward me at that moment. And then is suddenly pulled back, before being contained. Each sentence being packed with an iceberg of thoughts, and at each step being lowered, as if trying to not overwhelm me in its intensity.

There’s no other thought than how much I need to see her right then. All the previous communications were masking the loneliness she's been harboring. Both from her leadership position and being away from Ai, Lin and I.

At first, I intended to go see Big Sis Crane, but now I realize I have a far greater priority.

Seeing the person who I care so much about.

And even if I know it’s going to lose me points with Big Sis Crane.

I don’t care. There’s no way I’m going to leave her alone a second longer.

I turn my head over to Ai and Lin.

“We’re heading to Gong now. You guys ready to go?”

The huge smiles on their faces tell me everything I need to know.

Though the nods are also good confirmation.

A small yip of joy comes from the spider as she realizes we’ll be coming over. Making me consider if it may be worth having this spider along to represent Gong on the rest of our journeys. Especially since the connection between them seems so strong.

Maybe this little spider is already used to be a conduit for Gong’s presence.

Thought for the future.

Nonetheless, we move through the city as a wave of nostalgia hits me. A view of the architecture styles having quietly shifted in this area to match what I had originally seen in Gong's area.

Using web as the cement, she placed the stone walls of the nearby buildings back together. Showing a clear sign that the same actions she took back her base, have been replicated across this entire city.

A small nugget of pride fills me, as I notice even more stonework merging the same art I saw on her walls within the tunnels and the elegant designs of dragons and giant sea creatures battling, with men facing rising tides of water, that I saw back at her base. Interestingly, she even kept the specific aspects, like the reddish tinged, upturned roof corners for every building.

And if it’s like this, so far away from her main area of protection, I can only imagine how she’s grown her area of control. No wonder, too, as even now I can see small streams of tiny spiders shuffle around in lines, like ants. A simple mistake to make for a non-cultivator.

However, the way I see people delicately avoid them means that there have already been some situations that might have brought their true nature to light.

Since we still have quite a distance to go and are still on the outskirts of the city… on the other side from where Gong would be, we’ll have plenty of time to prepare my group for what to expect in the underground.

But not everything goes according to plan, especially here in Monchon City.

As my scan is always on and I can effortlessly see the coordinated movements of others around us. Our presence has undeniably been noted.

Blue. Yellow. And Vermillion.

Representing the Blue Bands, Yellow Sashes, and the Vermillion Stripes.

Each being one of the major gangs of the city. I notice that the former two appear noticeably larger than the latter. Considering that the power of the gangs used to be equal before I had left, something has clearly changed between them. With only one answer coming to mind.

Gong’s Maroon Spiders. Or at least that’s what the city has taken to calling her group of demi-humans.

It’s no secret that our Gong hates the Vermillion Stripes with a passion. And the ideology of them is in direct conflict with how she does things. I wonder how many times she’s beaten them down at this point?

Wait a second.

Could that be why we’ve been seeing so many bandits around the outside of the city.?

…

Oh no.

My eyes drift over to one of the Vermillion Stripes spies. Seeing the hostility inside theirs. Realizing the bad feeling that I’ve been getting the closer I’ve gotten to the city. And realizing the course of action that I have to take.

I turn to the rest of the group.

“no.”

I don’t even say a word yet, but Yalei has already spoken her decision on the matter. Of course, she saw the same thing I did, using her spiritual sense in the area. And based on my actions so far, she already knows my approach. And right after, Ai and Lin repeat those same words, catching on to my plan.

I want to fight the whole of the Vermillion Stripes myself. And clear out a problem before it begins.