Chapter 185: Don’t You Want to Know Who That Person Is?

The moment the pepper water was poured in, the members of the Insect Clan near the nest frantically scrambled to escape, not caring if they would die once they got out.

The Insect Mother was in the deepest part of the nest. There was too little pepper water, and the Insect Clan’s nest was massive, so it wouldn’t be flooded for some time.

But it heard the wails of its underlings and couldn’t help but come out of its chamber to look. The moment it emerged, it was hit by a stench even more unbearable for an insect than the one before.

If the previous smell was merely uncomfortable, this one was agonizing.

The Insect Mother roared, "Spread out! Go through all the tunnels! Charge all at once! One squad, stay and escort me. Those who break through, tell the rest where their defenses are weakest and easiest to breach."

Its massive body trembled with each roar. The nest was so full of the pepper smell that it had to pause to rest as it spoke.

Outside, pot after pot of pepper water was poured in. Even after being funneled through several tunnels, only a thin layer made it inside, with much of it seeping into the ground.

But even so, the effect on the Insect Clan was devastating.

The power of the double-strength pepper drove the Insect Clan to grab all their heavy weaponry, preparing for a desperate, all-out battle.

But the Beastmen watching from outside immediately began bombarding anything that so much as poked its head out.

Even the few that managed to charge out were instantly wiped out.

"Squad One couldn’t break through."

"Squad Two’s exit was blown to bits!"

"A few from Squad Three got out, but they’re gone now."

...

"Squad Six has been completely wiped out!"

The reports came in one after another, and not a single one was good news.

The Insect Mother’s massive body trembled with rage. In just this short time, more than half of its swarm had been annihilated.

Even though its body had regenerative abilities, they still required certain conditions to work.

It could not die now. If it died, the Insect Clan would truly be doomed.

Unable to break through, they had to devise a new plan. An insect highly trusted by the Insect Mother immediately said, "Dig! Dig a new path!"

"Yes!"

After selecting a spot, all the remaining members of the Insect Clan began to dig frantically, fighting through the pain caused by the pepper.

Hu Yan noticed that all activity from below had suddenly ceased. He turned to Bai Zhi and the others. "I’m taking a team down to investigate. You all stay up here."

Lang Qiu said, "Let’s go together. We might be able to help."

Hu Yan thought for a moment. "Alright."

He then entered Bai Zhi’s mind so he could protect her at the first sign of danger.

Hu Yan led a team with Bai Zhi and Yan Yichen, while Sates and Lang Qiu led another, and Sang Mo and Yue Junxiao led a third. They entered through different tunnels.

They all wore gas masks. Entering the cavern opening was like stepping into a different world. This nest was no smaller than the previous one, standing about ten meters high. To ensure the Insect Mother’s comfort, the width and height were built to its proportions. While many members of the Insect Clan were large, none were as colossal as their mother.

Bai Zhi looked like a little pixie inside, seeming especially small.

They walked for a long time without encountering a single insect, which was clearly abnormal.

However, Sang Mo’s team had not gone far before they faintly heard a THUMP THUMP THUMP.

Yue Junxiao looked around and asked, "Sang Mo, do you hear that strange noise?"

He pointed ahead and to the right. "It sounds like it’s coming from over there."

Sang Mo said, "Let’s go check it out."

The two of them led their team rapidly toward the source of the sound, where they found a new tunnel. Piles of fresh earth were heaped by the opening, making it stand out in the otherwise empty nest.

The sound was much clearer here. They had obviously already dug a considerable distance.

Yue Junxiao stared blankly for a couple of seconds. "They’re digging a new exit to escape!"

Sang Mo shot him a look. "Then what are you standing there for? Let’s go after them."

They hadn’t gone far before they came upon the Insect Mother. She was resting, attended by a group of massive insects, while several meters in front of her, numerous smaller insects were furiously digging.

The Beastmen all had excellent eyesight, and with the Insect Mother’s colossal size, they could spot her at a glance, even though she was surrounded by her swarm.

They had even deliberately dug two separate paths.

Hearing the noise, the insect guards surrounding the Insect Mother immediately turned toward them, assuming an attack stance.

The members of the Insect Clan were still dizzy and burning with irritation from the pepper water. Seeing the Beastmen, one of them snarled, "You Beastmen are despicable! Using such low-handed tactics! If you’ve got the guts, fight us for real!"

Before Yue Junxiao even had a chance to retort, Sang Mo gave the insects an indifferent glance. "Against you? All that matters is that it works."

The Insect Mother turned around with great difficulty. After a quick scan, she asked with a hideous expression, "Where is Hu Yan? Does he think our defeat is so certain that he won’t even bother to show his face?"

Yue Junxiao didn’t like the sound of that. He frowned and said, "Hu Yan is on the other side. If you have a message for him, we can pass it along."

The Insect Mother gave a sinister laugh. "Pass it along? Hah. And who are you? I want to see Hu Yan. Tell him to come see me."

Hu Yan’s team had just found their way over, having met up with Lang Qiu’s group en route. They arrived just in time to hear the Insect Mother’s words.

Hu Yan stared expressionlessly at the Insect Mother. "I’m here. What do you want to say?"

"Good, good, good. As long as you’re here. Hahaha... COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..." The Insect Mother’s laughter turned into a violent coughing fit.

The towering insects all cried out in concern, "Insect Mother."

Having been inside for too long, the larvae in the Insect Mother’s belly began to protest. There were many of them, and their constant, restless movements made the thin skin of her abdomen seem to churn. The densely packed shapes of the larvae were visible through it, triggering Bai Zhi’s trypophobia.

With each cough, its belly jumped and twitched, a truly frightening sight.

Suddenly, the Insect Mother’s gaze snapped toward Bai Zhi. Its eyes burned like torches, so intense they sent a chill down Bai Zhi’s spine.

The Insect Mother suddenly gave a hideous grin. "So this is the female, is it? Her presence here means the Illusion Insect and the Enchanting Heart Worm have failed."

Bai Zhi was so scared she ducked behind Hu Yan. This Insect Mother looked more terrifying than one of those cats in an internet video jumping at a fluffy white doll. At least the doll was plump and white; this Insect Mother’s face was black, while its belly, stretched taut, was a sickly white. Its features were intensely insectoid, and combined with that hideous grin, it looked infinitely more terrifying than a Judge.

Seeing her fear, Hu Yan shielded her behind him. "What do you want to say?"

The Insect Mother asked meaningfully, "Aren’t you curious about who that person was you overheard contacting me last time?"