Players, Please Board the Train

Duke Tal’s smile faded slightly, his frivolous expression turning serious. His gaze lingered on Madame Butterfly’s face for a moment before he said, ”Madame Butterfly is very well-informed.”

The beautiful woman closed the small folding fan in her hand, its tip resting against her chin. ”The influence of the New Wheel Church might be a bit greater than Duke imagines. Although our people haven’t come to District 011, we can still learn news from here through other partitions. The Rongxin Group is a phrase that appears quite frequently.”

”I thought about it. Rather than communicating through intermediaries, it’s better to come in person. Cutting out the middleman makes our communication more convenient.”

Duke Tal pondered for a moment before replying, ”Let me ask my subordinates about this matter first.”

Madame Butterfly nodded with a smile and changed the subject.

The two continued chatting in the garden, having a pleasant conversation. Neither side was in a hurry to push the deal through.

Soon it was dinner time. The food on the table included both meat and vegetables. Although both guests expressed a preference for vegetarian fare, Xu Huo didn’t completely accommodate their tastes.

Duke Tal was somewhat displeased, but Madame Butterfly was quite interested in the dishes he had prepared and actively engaged him in conversation twice.

”If Madam is interested, I can write the recipes for you,” Xu Huo said directly.

The rest of the dinner passed peacefully.After the meal, the two decided to stay overnight in the ancient castle. With no evening entertainment planned before bed, Xu Huo suggested taking them to see the spiders kept in the annex behind the castle—he had already obtained Mr. Dong’s permission beforehand.

Duke Tal wasn’t very interested, but he went along for the enthusiastic Madame Butterfly’s sake.

Madame Butterfly had broad knowledge. She recognized most of the spiders kept in the glass cabinets, clearly understanding their habits and whether they were venomous.

”Butterfly Spider. I didn’t expect to find such a precious species here,” she said, standing before a lit glass cabinet and gazing at the spider inside that was perched on a miniature landscape. Its coloration resembled a withered leaf butterfly.

”It looks quite ordinary. Is it venomous?” Duke Tal asked.

”Non-venomous,” Madame Butterfly replied calmly. ”Although it doesn’t have medicinal uses like other venomous spiders, this species is extremely rare. Moreover, after evolution, it developed a truly remarkable characteristic.”

She leaned closer to the glass cabinet, lightly tapping the surface with her fingertip. A faint ripple of power transmitted through the glass into the cabinet. The spider, which had been curled up with its legs tucked in, extended its walking legs. The dense hairs covering them all stood erect, overlapping front and back, looking just like unfurled wings. As it moved, it was light and agile, appearing very much like a butterfly in flight.

”Looks rather beautiful. The Madam is very knowledgeable,” Duke Tal commented, not forgetting to flatter Madame Butterfly. ”What is this remarkable characteristic you mentioned? Can it actually fly?”

Madame Butterfly chuckled lightly. ”It hasn’t grown real wings. How could it possibly fly?”

Duke Tal was captivated by her eyes. ”Then what is it?”

”The young spiders eat the female that gave birth to them,” Madame Butterfly said.

”Cannibalism within a species isn’t unique in nature,” Xu Huo, who had been playing a supporting role until now, showed some interest in the conversation. ”Octopuses even choose to die before their eggs hatch to avoid eating their own offspring.”

Madame Butterfly turned her head to look at him. ”Animals’ feeding and hunting stem from survival instinct. They eat when hungry, and might eat even when half-full and half-hungry. But the Butterfly Spider’s feeding isn’t driven by hunger.”

”Under normal circumstances, the female spider won’t leave the young spiders from the time she lays eggs through their hatching until the spiderlings can feed themselves.”

”Scientists have conducted experiments. When male spiders, female spiders, and young spiders are placed together, the young spiders have a one hundred percent chance of eating the female, but only a seventy percent chance of eating the male.”

”Regardless of whether they are hungry, even if scientists intentionally feed them in laboratory settings, the young spiders will choose a time before reaching maturity to abandon other food and eat the female.”

”Why is that?” Duke Tal couldn’t help asking. ”Animals may lack intelligence, but they wouldn’t necessarily have to eat their own mother, would they?”

Xu Huo also agreed with this statement. Intelligent animals like octopuses were, after all, a minority. That animals engage in cannibalism is proof they aren’t very clever. Under such circumstances, why would they choose specific prey? Usually, it’s driven by feeding instinct—they eat whatever is in front of them first.

”That’s precisely why it’s called a remarkable characteristic,” Madame Butterfly said. ”What’s even more interesting is, if the young spider is male, and they are artificially separated, then after the male matures, it will track the scent to eat the female and the male. The proportions are again one hundred percent and seventy percent.”

”But if the young spider is female, it will definitely eat both its parents, prioritizing the female first, then the male.”

”Spiders have limited lifespans,” Xu Huo remarked.

Madame Butterfly’s eyes curved into a smile. ”That’s the interesting part. Among Butterfly Spiders, males can have lifespans of several decades, while females live multiples of the male’s lifespan. It’s said some scientists raised them from their youth, and the spiders were still alive and well when the scientists themselves died.”

”So, if a young spider fails to eat its mother before reaching maturity, it will begin a century-long hunt to kill its mother, continuing until the female dies or its scent disappears.”

”How terrifying,” the woman said, opening her fan to cover her red lips. ”The vast majority of non-evolved spiders have lifespans of less than two years. After mutation, the Butterfly Spider’s longevity is so great it’s equivalent to human immortality.”

”Some scientists have also wondered if the female Butterfly Spider truly dies. To ensure the species doesn’t proliferate uncontrollably, they developed this trait of pursuing their parents across great distances to kill them.”

Xu Huo laughed. ”Immortality? Seeking immortality in a species of spider?”

Madame Butterfly also smiled. ”Exactly. So most Butterfly Spiders end up dying in laboratories. They haven’t figured out if they truly don’t die naturally, but they’ve managed to turn this spider into a rare species.”

”Perhaps this is the despicable nature of humans. They want all the good things and are willing to trample everything to get them. Though if they actually succeeded, it would benefit humanity. Unfortunately, they’re mostly mediocre people.”

She was only talking about one type of spider, but it was easy to imagine the species used in experiments weren’t limited to this. Even humans themselves were likely one of the test subjects.

”That’s why the world needs to change. What’s the point of living so long? With boundless great love, if a person can make an outstanding contribution that surpasses the limits of a single individual, isn’t that a form of immortality too?” Madame Butterfly turned back and winked at Duke Tal. ”Don’t you think so, Duke?”

”Very reasonable, very reasonable,” Duke Tal said with great admiration. ”So this is the philosophy of the New Wheel Church. The Madam’s words can truly elevate one’s soul. The life and death of the physical body are insignificant; only the spirit of dedication can endure forever.”

Madame Butterfly lowered her eyelids, turning her head away with a hint of boredom. She touched her cheek and said, ”I need to get my beauty sleep.”