Chapter 515: Heavenly Silkworm
"Owner?"
Chen Shi's heart tightened. "Godmother said the Fusang Tree had no owner... Right, she never said the Heavenly Silkworm had no owner."
He didn't bother asking anymore. Holding the hundred-acre mulberry leaf aloft, he swiftly flew toward the willow leaf boat where the Empress of Earth was waiting.
"I've been stolen?"
The little girl with white hair and white clothes blinked. "So, should I scream and shout to show my loyalty to my owner? If I do, will my owner treat me better?"
Thinking this through, she made up her mind not to scream.
"Changing owners couldn't possibly be worse than before," she thought to herself.
Chen Shi raised the mulberry leaf high and landed on the boat.
"Your Ladyship, is this the Heavenly Silkworm?" he asked.
The Empress of Earth studied the white-haired little girl and smiled. "Yes, this is exactly the Heavenly Silkworm."
Chen Shi placed the mulberry leaf on the sea's surface and immediately dashed back toward the Fusang Tree, his voice trailing behind: "Your Ladyship, keep her safe for now. I'll be right back!"
The Empress of Earth and the white-haired little girl were both quite puzzled. Moments later, Chen Shi stormed back, carrying a thick stack of mulberry leaves—all freshly grown tender leaves.
Landing on the willow leaf boat, he chuckled, "Since I stole her, I was worried she'd go hungry, so I picked some extra leaves."
The white-haired little girl looked up at him, somewhat surprised. "This thief who stole me... he doesn't have a bad heart."
The Empress of Earth picked up the mulberry leaf, which immediately shrank rapidly to the size of an ordinary leaf, resting in her palm. She said, "Fusang leaves are too big. One leaf is enough to raise her. No need for so many."
Chen Shi looked at the leaf in her palm. On it sat a miniature thatched hut, with the white-haired little girl standing in front of it, looking up at them with a puffed-cheeked, indignant expression, as if angry at the Empress for saying she had a small appetite.
"Let's hurry! If the Heavenly Silkworm's theft is discovered, the owner will surely notice."
The Empress of Earth tossed the leaf to Chen Shi, who caught it hastily, afraid the little girl might fall into the sea. She was so tiny now that if she fell in, finding her would be harder than searching for a needle in the ocean.
The Empress of Earth urged the willow leaf boat forward, and it shot off like lightning, retracing their path.
No sooner had they left than movement stirred from the Fusang Tree. Two white-robed fairies flew out from the palace atop the tree, laughing as they headed toward the mulberry leaf where the Heavenly Silkworm had been.
Suddenly, one of the women shrieked, "Where did the mulberry leaf and the Heavenly Silkworm go?"
The two searched frantically but found nothing. Cold sweat broke out on their foreheads.
"So many leaves have been stolen too!"
"This Heavenly Silkworm is the Immortal Lord's treasure for surviving the Calamity Opening. If it's stolen now, what do we do?"
Panicked, the two discussed the matter and finally returned to the palace, lighting incense and praying.
Before long, a handsome Immortal Lord descended, arriving at the Jade True Palace on the Fusang Tree. The two women immediately knelt and reported what had happened. "We were cultivating in the palace and were negligent for just a moment, and the Heavenly Silkworm was stolen. Please punish us, Immortal Lord!"
The Immortal Lord was quite surprised. "This place is where the Golden Crow fell, giving rise to the Fusang Tree. I found this treasure tree, then found the Heavenly Silkworm. I raised it on this tree, hoping to use this treasure to survive the Calamity Opening. This matter was extremely secret. Who would know that such a treasure existed in this remote place? Who would set their sights on me?"
The more he spoke, the angrier he grew. A murderous aura spread across his face. He sneered, "Stealing my Heavenly Silkworm means they want me to fall during the Calamity Opening! This is a blood-deep grudge. I absolutely cannot forgive it!"
He counted on his fingers, trying to divine the culprit, but he couldn't calculate anything. Frowning slightly, he muttered, "Could someone have confused the Heavenly Secrets? Or is it that with the Calamity Opening approaching, cause and effect have become chaotic?"
He tried again but still couldn't calculate anything. He instructed the two women, "The Heavenly Silkworm is about to metamorphose, so its appetite will grow larger. The thief can't afford to raise it and will definitely return to pick more mulberry leaves. Be vigilant. The Xuanhuang Sea has been unsettled lately. Many people have no sense of propriety. I heard that Ascendant Withered Glory had an immortal tree that never dies, but someone targeted it. A Blue Goat appeared out of nowhere and gnawed the immortal tree bald."
The two women were horrified. "Has the culprit been identified?"
The Immortal Lord shook his head. "No. For some unknown reason, that Blue Goat managed to enter Ascendant Withered Glory's world and gnawed the immortal tree bald right in front of everyone. That immortal tree was also a treasure for surviving the Calamity Opening—nothing ordinary. My Heavenly Silkworm is the same. It seems someone is targeting us, robbing us of our treasures to survive the tribulation."
A flash of killing intent crossed his eyes. "Whoever stole my precious silkworm will definitely come back for the mulberry leaves. When you encounter that person, notify me immediately. I want to see what grudge they hold against me!"
The two women acknowledged.
The Immortal Lord departed.
On the willow leaf boat, Chen Shi stared at the mulberry leaf. The white-haired little girl had now revealed her true form—a plump, chubby, white silkworm with a collar around its neck, dragging a chain as it came to the edge of the leaf and began nibbling.
It seemed provoked by the Empress of Earth's words; it was eating with great effort, as if trying to prove its appetite was enormous.
The Empress of Earth coughed. Chen Shi, lost in thought, looked up. The Empress of Earth was smiling, with no sign of illness.
Chen Shi looked back down and continued watching the Heavenly Silkworm.
The Empress of Earth coughed again. Throughout Chen Shi's observation of the silkworm, her coughing hadn't stopped.
Chen Shi blinked, then suddenly caught on. He asked with concern, "Godmother, are you feeling unwell? By the way, Godmother, didn't you say the Fusang Tree had no owner? I clearly heard the Heavenly Silkworm say it has an owner!"
The Empress of Earth stopped coughing immediately, looking quite pleased with herself. She laughed, "I said the Fusang Tree had no owner, but I never said the Heavenly Silkworm had no owner. Your Majesty must not slander me."
Chen Shi beat his chest and stamped his feet, filled with regret.
The Empress of Earth grew even more smug. She laughed, "Who told you to act without asking clearly? Now that you've snatched the Heavenly Silkworm, you've offended someone. But don't worry, Godmother may not have many skills, but I'm quite good at confusing cause and effect. Immortal Lord Qin won't trace it back to you."
"Immortal Lord?"
Chen Shi's face changed instantly, his regret deepening. "I've gained a powerful enemy for no reason. I won't be able to sleep or eat in peace! No, I need to build a True King's Tomb quickly, so I don't die at Immortal Lord Qin's hands, with my corpse rotting before the tomb is even finished."
The Empress of Earth quickly said, "Don't worry, Immortal Lord Qin will absolutely not find you. I know exactly how capable he is."
Chen Shi was skeptical. "How capable is he?"
"About the same as the Celestial Venerable."
Chen Shi's face turned ashen. He collapsed into despair, mumbling to himself as if he had lost his mind.
The Empress of Earth quickly comforted him, and only then did Chen Shi slowly shake off his gloom.
The Empress of Earth smiled. "I didn't make you steal his Heavenly Silkworm for no reason. He offended me back then, so today's retribution is only fitting."
Chen Shi asked, "Godmother, how did he offend you?"
"Just a small matter before he became an immortal."
The Empress of Earth didn't elaborate. "Don't be so downcast. This Heavenly Silkworm is a treasure Immortal Lord Qin searched high and low for, to aid him in surviving the Calamity Opening. Now that you have it, you have a sixty to seventy percent chance of surviving the Calamity Opening."
Chen Shi's heart stirred. He looked at the Heavenly Silkworm on the mulberry leaf.
The silkworm had already eaten itself round and plump, transforming back into the white-haired little girl. She held her belly, wobbling toward the thatched hut.
"This Heavenly Silkworm can really help survive the Calamity Opening?" Chen Shi found it harder and harder to believe.
"What's your name, young lady?" he asked.
The white-haired little girl reached the thatched hut, boiled water for herself to make tea to aid digestion, and looked up. "My name is Silkworm. That's what my previous owner called me. You can call me Silkworm too, master."
Chen Shi shook his head. "I'm not your master. I just need the silk you spin. Godmother, can you free her?"
"That's simple."
The Empress of Earth pointed casually, and the collar around Silkworm's neck fell off, landing beside her along with the chain.
Silkworm was stunned. She stood there, unsure of what to do.
She had dreamed of freedom for so long, and now that freedom had suddenly arrived, she was at a loss.
After a moment, Silkworm crouched down, picked up the collar, and put it back around her neck.
Seeing this, the Empress did not try to save her again. Instead, she lightly flicked her sleeve, and Silkworm involuntarily flew out of the mulberry leaf, landing on the small boat. The collar and chain were still there, but while the collar remained the same size, the chain had shrunk many times over.
And the hundred-acre mulberry leaf shrank to just two inches, hanging beneath her neck.
Her thatched hut became even smaller, like a button on the leaf.
"When you're hungry, you can take a tiny bite, but don't eat too much," the Empress of Earth instructed.
Silkworm was overjoyed and thanked her profusely. Then she turned to Chen Shi and said, "Master, when I finish this leaf, please hang another leaf on my chain, and I'll be able to eat easily."
Chen Shi agreed.
Silkworm was deeply grateful and fawned, "I can spin silk to make clothes for you, master, as repayment!"
Chen Shi felt a bit embarrassed. "Silkworm, shouldn't you hate me for stealing you?"
Silkworm shook her head. "Master didn't whip me. I'm already very grateful. And you even planned to set me free. Master must be a truly good person."
Chen Shi frowned slightly. *How did Immortal Lord Qin treat her? I haven't been good to her, yet she thinks I've been too kind and is full of gratitude.*
He had originally planned to use the Heavenly Silkworm and then return it to the Fusang Tree, but that thought vanished without a trace.
*I can't change Silkworm's mind overnight, so I'll let things be for now. As we spend more time together, she'll naturally change,* Chen Shi thought.
Before they knew it, the willow leaf boat had sailed back into the Dark Sea. When Chen Shi had first sailed from the Dark Sea into the Xuanhuang Sea, he hadn't thought much of it. But now, sailing from the Xuanhuang Sea into the Dark Sea, all he could see was endless, boundless darkness, sending a chill down his spine.
Sailing from light into infinite darkness indeed brought a great sense of fear, making one hesitate to step forward.
The moment they entered the Dark Sea, Chen Shi felt a strong sense of unease. It only gradually faded after they had traveled some distance.
In the darkness, it was impossible to tell direction. Chen Shi couldn't determine where the willow leaf boat was heading. *If it were me, I'd get lost in this darkness, drifting who knows where. So, is the Divine Continent of China also in the Dark Sea?*
The willow leaf boat sped up, plunging deeper into the darkness.
As his mind wandered, Silkworm suddenly snapped him out of it with a fawning smile. "Master, I've woven you a set of clothes. Try them on."
Only then did Chen Shi notice that, at some point, the white-haired little girl had used silk to weave him a Daoist robe fit for an emperor. The Daoist robe Chen Shi was wearing was a Ming Dynasty design, said to have been passed down from Emperor Jiajing. Silkworm's creation was identical to his current one, but more exquisite and refined—a masterpiece of ingenuity!
The only drawback was that this set of robes was pure white, with no other colors.
Chen Shi accepted the robe and immediately put it on. It fit perfectly. He praised, "Silkworm, your craftsmanship is truly remarkable!"
Silkworm was delighted, as if she had never received such praise before. She laughed, "I'll weave you a set of undergarments too, master."
Chen Shi was about to thank her when the Empress of Earth drawled, "Go ahead, weave away. By the time we reach the Western Ox New Continent, you'll be out of silk and exhausted to death, little girl."
Chen Shi immediately put on a serious face. "Silkworm, you're not allowed to weave me any more clothes! You may only weave when I permit it. When I forbid it, you cannot act on your own."
Silkworm obediently nodded. She carefully picked up the mulberry leaf and brought it to her lips.
"Just a small bite," Chen Shi instructed.
Silkworm took a tiny nibble, looking quite aggrieved.
But the leaf's original size was a hundred acres. If she took even a slightly larger bite, she might burst.
Chen Shi was a bit worried and asked, "Godmother, how much silk does Silkworm need to spin to circle the Western Ox New Continent once?"
The Empress of Earth smiled. "The amount used to make the clothes you're wearing is enough."
Chen Shi was startled. Had Silkworm used that much silk for the robe she gave him?
The Empress of Earth said, "Clothes woven from Heavenly Silkworm silk are naturally immortal artifacts. This silk is incredibly tough, impervious to water and fire, immune to blades and weapons, and resistant to lightning spells. Extremely powerful. If further refined with Dao patterns and secret techniques, its power would be even greater."
Chen Shi felt this gift was far too precious. He looked at Silkworm, unsure how to repay her.
He racked his brain, and suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck. He asked, "Godmother, how exactly did Immortal Lord Qin offend you?"
The Empress of Earth said, "It's not that he offended me personally. Back when he hadn't yet ascended as an immortal, he killed an entire family over a trivial grudge. The victims became wandering ghosts and came to file complaints at the Underworld before their reincarnation. This palace simply remembered. But after he became an immortal, the Heavenly Tribulation wiped away his mortal karma, and I couldn't do anything to him. So, this palace has always wanted to find some excuse to make his life difficult."
Her teeth ground together with an audible grinding sound.
Chen Shi broke into a smile. *Now I know how to repay Silkworm. I'll steal the Fusang Tree and give it to her. Perfect, isn't it?*
Just then, waves surged in the darkness, and a wooden boat appeared amidst the billows. Chen Shi looked into the distance and saw a Daoist tied up on that wooden boat. His heart stirred, and he quickly said, "Godmother, can you rescue that Daoist?"