——I feel like there's a big spider sweeping me with spiritual power.

——Let's wait in the forest at the foot of the mountain.

——I agree.

——Hurry up!

Natsumi, Blue Catalpa, Snakebark Maple, and Areca all sensed something was wrong, instantly agreed, dashed down the mountain, and hid in the little forest behind the mountain.

They didn't wait long before the Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord traced their scent and came over.

——Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord, what are you panicking about?

——Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord, is there a problem?

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple asked.

The Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord deftly untied the spider silk rope binding the goods on his carapace, then skillfully took out a petite spider silk bag, gave it a shake, and from inside came a crisp, beautiful clinking of seedshells.

"From now on, you two are not allowed to talk."

Blue Catalpa: "Oh—"

Snakebark Maple: "Mm—"

Blue Catalpa couldn't help but ask, "Is this a hush money?"

Snakebark Maple chimed in, "Dragon Cypress Ant King said this year you need to buy 50,000 to 150,000 high-quality Origin Force Food with source stones."

Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord: "..."

The Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord pushed around with the spider silk rope again, then took out twenty Black Emperor Peach Kernels, put them in the spider silk bag he was holding, shook it again, but still didn't hand them to Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple.

The two little troublemakers tactfully stepped back and helped push Areca forward.

"Your name is Areca."

"Areca."

"That's a tropical plant. Did Dragon Cypress find you in the tropical jungle?"

"Yes."

"Where exactly?"

"Tropical jungle."

"..."

That's nonsense~ Seven-Leaf raised a foreleg, pointed at the boundary barrier beside them, and asked, "South along the barrier?"

Areca: "All the way south, straight to the coast."

Seven-Leaf: "The Ant Clan has searched that way countless times, and never heard of any Primitive Flame Spider Tribe being found."

Before coming here, Dragon Cypress already expected the Flame Spider Roving Merchant would ask about Areca's origins, and everyone had agreed on what to say ahead of time.

Areca replied blankly: "I don't know."

Blue Catalpa muttered, "Just migrated out from deep in the rainforest, right?"

Snakebark Maple murmured, "We've been there before. You have to eat Origin Force Food to replenish Origin Force, then dash through a stretch of Origin Force Vacuum Land at full speed."

"Oh???"

Seven-Leaf's thoughts spun a few times, then asked, "That area, does it have Origin Force?"

Blue Catalpa: "Of course. It's like Xianglan Mountain, a small place suitable for living."

Snakebark Maple: "The Origin Force there isn't any weaker than on the Ten Thousand Nations Continent—probably seeping up from way underground."

Lying is best left to Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple—their wording is sharp, their mind is clear, not the least bit hesitant.

Seven-Leaf: "!!!"

Seven-Leaf understood instantly, but then asked, puzzled, "Deep in the Origin Force Vacuum Land? So how did you even find it?"

Blue Catalpa: "Ink Orchid has a special talent—can sense Origin Force Fluctuations from far away, ones other insects can't perceive."

Snakebark Maple: "The distance she can sense increases as she evolves, with a stronger soul."

——So that's it!

Seven-Leaf felt that a lot of questions he'd had about Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid were suddenly clear.

Seven-Leaf handed the spider silk bag to Blue Catalpa, and warned, "I've basically got the gist of things. Now you two are not allowed to talk."

Seven-Leaf then moved the spider silk rope again, rummaged through the goods, filled a petite spider silk bag with all sorts of treasures, and handed it to Areca.

"Areca. First time meeting, here's a small gift for you."

"Thank you, Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord."

Areca received it happily and opened it up to look through.

Seven-Leaf asked, "Areca, how old are you?"

"Primary-Level, eight age periods."

"And your Life Seed? Did it root in the tropical rainforest?"

"Of course."

"So you must have a colony, right?"

"Yes."

"What about elders? Any other Primordial Spider Warriors?"

"No."

"Is your colony big?"

"Not big."

"So roughly how many ordinary Primordial Spiders?"

"A bit more than a thousand adults and subadults. Two or three hundred Little Flame Spiders."

Areca answered fluently, closed the spider silk bag, and stated honestly, "There are lots of predators in the jungle, many little primordial spiders get eaten. Also, many subadults starve to death because they can't catch prey. My tribe has always teetered on the edge of extinction."

That's just how brutal survival is in Nature.

"..."

Seven-Leaf pondered for a bit, then continued asking:

"Areca, it's Dragon Cypress who provides Origin Force Food and helps you grow."

"Of course."

"The inherited memory you awakened—was it any different from other insects…?"

"???"

"Did your inherited memory mention anything about the Ancestral Land?"

Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord stared at Areca with eight eyes, watching its reaction closely.

"Ancestral Land?"

Areca looked lost, and asked back.

——Looks like not, then.

Seven-Leaf was a little disappointed and changed the subject, asking offhandedly:

"Did Dragon Cypress teach you any knowledge not in your inherited memory?"

"Yes."

"Are you replacing Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple in trading with the caravan?"

"Yes."

"Alright, say honestly, how much Origin Force Food with source stones does Dragon Cypress Ant King want to buy this year?"

Areca hesitated for a moment, and answered, "A hundred thousand source stones' worth. Dragon Cypress Ant King said if there are suitable Divine-Given Origin Force Foods, we can buy more."

Now that actually sounds like the truth.

Finally, an honest insect.

"You're not bad."

Seven-Leaf worked the spider silk rope, unloading goods, and warmly greeted, "Areca, come have a look—see what you need to buy."

——Hey, we're still here!

——We're still in charge this year!

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple rushed forward, blocking Areca.

Blue Catalpa: "Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord, don't think Areca's easy to fool."

Snakebark Maple: "She's actually really smart. Knows every Origin Force Food type, knows the prices."

Blue Catalpa: "This is the last time we trade."

Snakebark Maple: "Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord, after this we'll never see you again."

Blue Catalpa: "We'll miss you."

Snakebark Maple: "We're not talking kickbacks today, just feelings…"

…

…

…

Cloud Trace Continent, Starship Rift Entrance.

They watched Natsumi leave into the distance.

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple turned back and hurried to report:

"Dragon Cypress Ant King, looks like your guess was wrong!"

"When Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord saw Areca, he totally flipped out."

"Turned and ran."

"And some old Flame Spider, don't know which, blatantly swept us with spiritual power…"

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple chimed in, each adding bits to the story.

In the end,

Areca, who had been silent the whole time, added, "Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord asked me a strange question."

Dragon Cypress wasn't surprised by the Flame Spider Caravan's overreaction, and asked casually, "What question?"

Areca: "Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord asked me whether my inherited memory had anything about the 'Ancestral Land'."

Ancestral Land?

Isn't there supposed to be an Ancestral Land of the Flame Spider Kingdom on the Ten-thousand Tribes Continent?

Dragon Cypress was stunned, thoughts racing, then asked, "Areca, which Ancestral Land?"

Areca looked puzzled, and asked back, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, you don't know either?"

"…No, I don't."

Dragon Cypress lightly waggled his tentacle, pondered for a long while, and said, "Should mean the original birthplace of the whole Flame Spider Tribe. Since they're asking like that, then the so-called 'Ancestral Land' on the Ten-thousand Tribes Continent is probably fake."

"No need to guess blindly—let's pack up and rest at the Ant Nest. We can ask the Grass Dragon about it later."

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