#128. Heavenly Silkworm 2
“That, that means?”
“Yes, to wrap yourself in such a strong thread means, in other words, to protect yourself from something that can only be stopped by such a strong thread. It means that there is something near where the guy is spinning the thread that could be dangerous to him.
And if we find that dangerous thing, it will be easier for them to find food, right?”
After I finished my explanation, the craftsmen nodded their heads as if my opinion was valid.
“Certainly. If the purpose of the Cheonjamsa is to protect the body, then what Confucius said seems to be correct.”
“I thought they were just building houses, but there was a reason for everything. It’s true that people’s houses are also meant to protect them from the cold, heat, and animals.
Are you saying that even a tiny insect won’t change that fact?”
However, Shinto’s surprised expression was clearly visible, and it seemed that Shinto was a very cautious type due to the nature of his job.
Shintu wiped away his surprised expression and asked again.
“But can you be sure that it will be so based on just one fact? You haven’t even verified it yourself?”
‘As expected, it’s because of the nature of your job, so you’re very careful. If you’re not careful, you’ll get caught, right?’
I nodded my head because I didn’t come to this conclusion based on just one fact.
This Fabre is also a very cautious person.
If you’re not careful, you won’t be able to catch things like poison.
“Of course, I am not convinced by just one fact. There is another reason why I think so. Did you say your disciple’s name was Yeongnyeon?”
“Oh, yeah, Yeongryeon. Why is that kid suddenly like that?”
“If there are any prickly ash, tangerine, or sycamore trees nearby, could you please go there and catch some bugs for me? They are caterpillars that are the color of grass leaves.”
The best way to explain this is to show it.
When he asked his disciple to catch a larva for him for an explanation, one of the masters of the larvae stepped forward hesitantly.
“Excuse me… Your Majesty?”
“yes?”
“There’s a prickly ash tree in the backyard here?”
The story goes that there is a prickly ash tree nearby.
I decided to drag the people to the tree and see if the guy I was looking for was there.
“Then, let’s all go and see. It’s important.”
As we led the people to the backyard of the abandoned building where there was a tree, a tree that had grown overgrown due to neglect caught our eye, and as we approached it, the fresh scent of Sancho pepper wafted out.
“Let’s see. Where is this guy?”
The first place to look is under the tree.
As we looked around the lower part of the tree, we soon noticed that there were small ring-like things scattered here and there on one side of the tree.
‘As expected, it exists!’
I was worried that there might not be any, but since we don’t use pesticides like in my previous life, I could still see traces of them.
As I quickly checked the soft, young leaves above, I noticed a few green, camouflaged ones crouching on the branches near the eaten leaves.
The pupa also stands out.
I have a feeling that the other guys will soon become pupae too.
‘Fortunately, it’s just the right size for a caterpillar.’
These guys look like bird droppings when they first hatch from the eggs to protect their bodies, but once they become larvae, they take on the appearance I want.
He said, pointing to the plumpest and biggest one among them.
“Okay, everyone, look here. Do you see this?”
The masters of the detectives nodded as they pointed at the guys.
Perhaps because they were commoners, they seemed to have encountered it at least once.
“A green caterpillar? It’s one that you sometimes see on tangerine trees.”
“I’ve seen similar things on tangerine trees sometimes.”
“Yes, they are really troublesome because they eat tangerine leaves. The ones seen on the tangerine trees are also those.”
As they say, these guys are pests that eat the leaves of tangerines, tangerines, and prickly ash trees.
But it is also true that when transformed into feathers, it is one of the most beautiful insects.
The name of the guy I’m referring to is ‘Pyojeop’ (豹蝶) in Chinese.
It was the larva of something called a tiger butterfly in Korean.
“But why did you ask me to come see this?”
Shintu, unable to bear it any longer, asks why he came to see this guy.
She smiled and ran her fingers along the guy’s body.
-Bam.
Then, a butterfly caterpillar raises its head and flutters.
A yellow horn suddenly appeared on the side of the guy’s head and then disappeared.
“Oh! What is this?”
“Doesn’t it look familiar?”
“Oh, so that’s what I saw in the larva of Cheonjam. Is this yellow thing another reason I thought of?”
“Yes, please take a look at this.”
Shinto’s question again touched the butterfly larva.
And he rubbed the osmeterium, the horn he had pulled out, on his fingertips.
A strong scent wafting from your fingertips, along with a sticky feeling.
When I held it out, Shinto was startled and shouted, holding his nose.
“Ugh! What, what is that smell?”
The horn-shaped osmetrium, an organ observed in the larvae of swallowtail butterflies such as the swallowtail and the coral swallowtail, condenses and exhales the unique scent of the tangerines, prickly ash, and quince fruits they eat.
To humans, it has a strong citrus vinegar-like scent, but to animals such as insects or birds, it is strong enough to make them run away.
So, from the horns visible on the heads of the dead larvae of the Cheonjam, I guessed that their horns might also be an organ for this purpose.
The caterpillars of the swallowtail butterfly species only emerge when they reach the fifth stage, and judging by the osmetrium that sprouts from their heads as soon as they are born, this means that there are dangerous creatures nearby as soon as they are born.
This is the second reason why I thought there might be something dangerous around Cheonjam.
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“The larvae of the horned beetle emit such a foul smell from their horns, and this is all to protect themselves from animals or insects that would eat them.
The larvae of the Thousand Sleeps also have the same thing, and they even have strong threads, so wouldn’t it be to protect themselves from something?
That’s why I thought so.”
After presenting those two reasons, Shintu finally looked at me with eyes of respect.
Shinto’s doubt was cured, and Shinto, who had become a fervent believer, shouted with a joyful expression.
“I’ve been dealing with Cheonjamsa all my life, but I never thought of it that way. My brother said that something would be different, and as expected, Soryong, you think differently!”
“So, what do you think they’ll eat?”
But as I continued to speak, his admiring eyes quickly turned to disappointment.
“that···.”
“that!?”
“I have to look for it from now on.”
“···.”
No, I’m not a god, so how could I find them all at once?
***
Shinto’s expression was filled with disappointment, but it was still too early to be disappointed.
I just don’t know right now, but since this spicy Fabre is out, it won’t be long before I figure out what to eat.
“It’s still too early to be disappointed.”
“Poetry, who said disappointment was there?”
“I guess you’re disappointed again… Anyway, I’ll find out soon.”
“okay!?”
‘He’s a small thief in size, but he’s really light as a feather. Is that why he’s so fast?’
Shintu’s expression became expectant again when he heard that he could find it quickly.
I asked him, feeling like I knew where the secret to Shinto’s lightness lay.
“Do you happen to know where I first got the Cheonjam?”
“Cheonjam? I don’t know exactly, but I have a rough idea···.”
“Yes, usually the best way to check for food is to look at the place where they were collected. Let’s go there first.”
To be honest, I could say that Shinto’s suffering was something he did for free.
If you closely observe their ecology when collecting insects or animals, you won’t have to go through all this trouble.
Why did I go all the way to Hwangsan, where Namgungga is, to take care of Seol-i and Bing-i?
Isn’t it to check what the guys are eating and prepare it?
So, all of this happened because the previous generation’s Shinto warriors, who first collected the Cheonjam, were obsessed with the Cheonjamsa’s abilities and were only focused on collecting it.
That’s why I suggested that we go to a habitat that we know a little about and check it out, but Shintu said with a look of distaste.
“Even if I go there, there won’t be anything special, right?”
“Nothing special?”
“I thought I could get some more eggs, so I went there. It was just a rocky mountain with nothing there.”
“Rock Mountain?”
“Yes, it’s a place called Jeokamrim (赤巖林), a rocky mountain full of red rocks. I searched for a long time, but I couldn’t find anything.”
‘It’s a rocky mountain···.’
If what he said is true, it was a strange thing.
I thought there must be some kind of predator nearby, but it was just a rocky mountain with nothing there.
But since they are just ordinary people, they might not have found anything special.
Since it might look different from a professional perspective, I decided to check out some other things.
“Did you find an adult insect or an egg?”
The first thing to check is whether what you find is an egg or an adult.
“Adult? If you mean a fully grown snail, then I know you haven’t seen one. You said you found the eggs and the snail shell together.”
“Also with the eggs and the silkworm?”
The fact that they found the eggs and the silkworm together probably means that they found the egg and the silkworm together.
When I asked again to confirm the facts, Shintu nodded as expected.
“Was the cradle empty?”
“That’s right. The one made from that empty shell is the Cheonjamsa I’m using now.”
If we look at the situation, it is a story that the adults that woke up in the cocoon, mated, and laid eggs right there.
If that’s the case, then it’s clear that there will be some kind of food there that I can’t even guess at.
He said that we should go together first.
“But you should go there anyway. You might see something different from a professional’s perspective.”
“Professional perspective?”
But Shintu doesn’t understand my professional perspective.
Last time I explained to you what an expert is, but it seemed like you didn’t understand the expert perspective.
“How should I explain this… Oh, right.”
The best way to explain a professional perspective is, of course, to explain it from eye level.
I asked him, pointing to the norigae attached to my clothes.
“Do you know how precious this is?”
The norigae is an object with a jade pendant attached that was given to her by Namgung Seol.
Shintu glanced at the norigae with the jade pendant and answered as if it was nothing special.
“It’s a Bing-ok. It’s small, but it’s worth a thousand nyang. But it’s not something that this Shin-tu would steal.”
“yes!?”
‘No, is it that expensive!?’
I didn’t think it would be this expensive since Namgung Seol was just giving it away, but it’s a great price.
First, I calmed down my surprised mind and explained.
“That, that is the expert’s perspective. Who else but the elder Shintu would easily recognize that this is a jade? It’s just a jade with a slightly different color. Furthermore, who would recognize its value so quickly?
“That is to say, if I go there in person, what I see may be different from what other criminals see.”
“Oh my!”
Shintu nodded, wondering if it was effective to explain it to the thief at eye level.
Shintu answered, his eyes once again filled with anticipation.
“Okay, let’s go right now!”
I feel like it’s going to drag me away at any moment.
He calmed Shinto down and asked again.
“But where is it?”
“But why?”
“No, I don’t think they’ll let you go if it’s too far. This, you know. This···.”
“ah···.”
Shintu nodded as he pointed to the two strands of thread tied around his ankles.
The bowl of the demon was quite fierce, and Shinto had seen it too.
‘I told you she’s scarier than my wife?’
***
Fortunately, Shintu’s answer was that it was only about a day away.
The reason why they tried to hatch Cheonjam here was because they found Cheonjam eggs nearby.
Shintu looked at the craftsmen of the temple and asked.
“What should we do with the craftsmen of the investigation? If they are helpful, we can keep them, but if not, we can send them home.”
It would be a good idea to clean up the Dojo before going to ask for permission from the Yohwa.
Even if I had, it wouldn’t be of any help to me.
“Send them all back. I don’t think I’ll need them.”
“Hmm. Okay. Then, since you’ve worked hard, I guess I’ll have to give you the gold I brought and then tell you to send it back to Yeongryeon.”
When I finished speaking like that and was about to leave,
The old man who I had introduced earlier as the leader of the fortune tellers approached me and asked.
“Your Majesty, may I look at it for a moment?”
“that?”
I wondered if it was because he wanted to see the iceberg, but the old man’s gaze was directed at my ankle.
The old man was looking at the thread that the fairy had tied.
Come to think of it, the old man is a master of meditation.
That means you have an expert perspective on thread.
‘I thought it would be nice to weave something like a cloth with the thread of the fairy tale, but should I show you what these people think?’
As I nodded, the old man quickly squatted down and examined my legs.
“Can I touch it?”
“I know.”
It was when I allowed the old man who asked if he could touch it to do so.
“This, this is!”
An old man with wide-open eyes in surprise.
“Everyone, come and see!”
The old man called the other craftsmen together, and the craftsmen who were clinging to my legs shouted while holding on to my legs.
“What, what kind of silk is this!?”
“Wow, it’s light and tough, stretches and then shrinks back down again!”
“It is more lustrous and beautiful than silkworm thread!”
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my entire life!”
It seems that the thread of the fairy tale is of extremely high value.
Even from my perspective, the yarn of the fairy is soft, yet strong and very elastic.
‘Why don’t you make something like a sword-proof suit and sell it to the martial arts people?’
In the martial arts world of the Central Plains, being stabbed in the neck is a daily occurrence.
If I made this and sold it, wouldn’t it sell like hotcakes? That thought crossed my mind.
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The illustration of the Heavenly God has been updated.
If you check out the latest episode and the part where the 111th Heavenly God gets the name Smallpox, you can see Yeondoo’s cute appearance.
If you are using the series, please delete the downloaded episodes and then download them again to apply the changes.
(Today is a day off, but I wanted to show you Yeondoo’s illustration, so I’m uploading it.)
