Jinjian observed the expressions on the faces of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group members and proposed a new deal.
"Here's the deal, I can help you find the secret treasure and even let you have it. I can also help you resolve your conflict with Black Horn. But this is under one condition, you must spare me. I can only do these things while I'm alive."
Boggy seemed to want to say something, but Ma Lu cut in before her, "I think that's acceptable." Exclusive content from m,v lem|p,yr
"Oh, you must be the mysterious deputy leader of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group," Jinjian said. "We are both deputy leaders, it seems we have quite a bit in common, but no offense, I would like to know how much weight your words carry within your hunting group."
"His opinion is my opinion," Boggy replied.
"The deputy leader saved my life. I will always support him," Seta immediately stated.
"I do as well," Sadie chimed in.
"I've always been a cheerleader for both the leader and the deputy," Mai Mai said with a hand on her hip.
"Very good, very good," Jinjian extended his hand. "It seems we can make a deal. According to the Hunter's Code, we must stake our hunters' honor. If one side breaks the promise, they will be spurned by all, lose the favor of the Hunting God, and never bag valuable quarry again."
"No need for a handshake. You're not exactly trustworthy, and who knows what sneaky ideas you might have," Ma Lu said. "But I am willing to accept your deal."
A hint of mockery flickered across Jinjian's face. "Don't be like that, you can't be that cowardly. I'm surrounded by you. You already know about my psychic power. What trouble could I possibly stir up now?"
"Well, that remains to be seen," Ma Lu mused. "In any case, I've already agreed to your terms. It's up to you whether to continue the deal or not."
Jinjian shrugged. "Alright, then I'll trust you this once. You seem like an honorable man."
And so, two men bereft of hunter's honor made their dubious promises to each other.
Following that, Boggy stepped forward and searched Jinjian thoroughly, confiscating anything that could potentially be used as a weapon.
She even tied up his hands with a rope.
As a telekinetic creation, the Sand Soil Puppet wasn't frightened by this eerie scene. Swinging its fist, it viciously smashed the head of the Spiked Whip Spider Queen, surprisingly shattering her skull with ease.
But beneath the skull, there was nothing.
On top of the bone pile, there was only an empty exoskeleton.
Spiked Whip Spider Queens have a habit of molting, and as they grow, they shed their old exoskeleton when it becomes too tight.
They secrete bodily fluids to form new skeletons, then dissolve the connective tissue between the new and old skeletons, shedding the old exoskeleton like removing clothing.
Realizing the dire situation when the Sand Soil Puppet hit the old exoskeleton, Seta tried to get the puppet to turn around, but before the command could be issued, the puppet was knocked over by a tremendous force.
The puppet's ribs were instantly pierced by limbs, then forcibly torn apart by two robust pincers.
The Spiked Whip Spider Queen ultimately revealed herself.
Her appearance was odd indeed—a spider with 8 eyes, 8 legs, but also equipped with a scorpion's pincers, allowing her to attack like a scorpion.
However, she lacked a scorpion's tail spike and her size dwarfed the ordinary Spiked Whip Spider Queen that Boggy and the others had encountered before—the legs alone were 4 meters long and bristled with dense, backwards-facing spines.
To be struck by one would likely lead to a gruesome fate.
After pouncing on the Sand Soil Puppet, the Spiked Whip Spider Queen intended to relish its meal, but biting down, she got only a mouthful of sand.
She soon realized she'd been tricked and spat out the sand from her mouth, set to find a new target, only to suddenly feel weak and powerless.
[No Spitting Anywhere: During combat, any party that spits indiscriminately, friend or foe, has a 33% chance of entering a weakened state for 15 seconds. In this weakened state, strength, speed, stamina, and response time are reduced by 50%.]
This was another of the blessings Ma Lu possessed, initially intended for Jinjian and his subordinates. Unexpectedly, it turned out the people from Black Horn had quite decent manners.
Instead, it was the Spiked Whip Spider Queen who got caught out, though strictly speaking, it couldn't be blamed since anyone with a mouthful of sand would desperately want to spit it out.
Boggy, with his hunter's keen instincts, immediately caught onto the abnormal state of the Spiked Whip Spider Queen. Guided by his hunting instincts, he sprang into action, charging ahead with cover from Sadie and Seta, and hurled his mechanical spear.