On the outskirts of Chengdu, Sichuan, there stood an abandoned Taoist temple that had long been forgotten by people, though rumors had recently emerged that it was haunted.
The temple had been abandoned for quite some time, forgotten by the people, but now it was filled with the rich scent of herbs and was packed with people.
These people, who filled the interior of the temple, were the masters and artisans of silkworm farming (Zam-sa) from across the Central Plains.
A strange tension filled the air inside the temple, where the masters and artisans of silkworm farming gathered.
“This time, we must succeed. There are very few eggs left now,” one of them spoke, his voice heavy with urgency.
The silkworm artisans, who had been kidnapped from various parts of the Central Plains, lowered their heads in apology at the words of Xintu Galjihong.
Indeed, they had to succeed this time.
“I’m sorry, Elder,” one of the artisans said.
“Please forgive us,” another murmured.
Amidst these artisans, the oldest man among them bowed his head respectfully.
“Is there any doubt, Xintu Elder? At this time, I’ve already gathered almost all the herbs and leaves. This time, it will certainly work. I, Baekga, have put in a lot of effort.”
“Not only that, but I’ve prepared a variety of trees, shrubs, and even the stems. I’ll make sure we succeed this time,” the old man continued.
As Baek, the leader of the artisans, spoke, the large bamboo sieve in front of him was filled with a wide array of different leaves and herbs.
“That’s right. We want to succeed and return home too,” one of the artisans said.
“It’s certain this time,” another added.
Though they had been forcibly brought here to work, it was well-known that helping Xintu would earn them rewards far beyond what they had expected.
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The artisans, who had spent decades dedicated to silkworm farming, clenched their fists with determination, vowing to succeed this time.
For them, it was a challenge of sorts.
At first, the artisans had been taken aback.
Xintu had suddenly captured them and ordered them to raise a new type of silkworm they had never seen before.
But after several failures, the lost spirit of challenge from their youth was reignited, and they had become determined to raise this new silkworm and extract its silk.
It wasn’t because of the pile of gold that Xintu had thrown in the corner of the abandoned temple.
They were artisans, not mercenaries driven by money.
Though the gold did shine beautifully...
“Then, let’s begin,” Xintu Galjihong said.
“Yes, Elder,” the artisans replied.
With the men’s resolute resolve etched into their minds, Xintu Galjihong, after one last look at the leaves and herbs prepared by the artisans, took out a small medicinal jar from his robe.
Clink.
Inside the open jar were four large white beads.
The jar was nearly empty from multiple failures, but Xintu picked up one of the beads and placed it in his palm, infusing it with his inner energy.
He waited for a moment, and soon the bead began to turn a deep blue.
As the bead absorbed his inner energy, it slowly transformed into a bluish hue, and the surface of the bead began to bulge.
Hiss.
After a brief moment, there was a sound of something tearing, and two sharp teeth shot out from the surface of the bead.
As the surface of the bead cracked open, a large caterpillar, about the size of a thumb, crawled out.
“It has awakened,” Xintu said.
The caterpillar, snow-white with two yellow horns protruding from its head, had a strange appearance.
The first thing the caterpillar did after emerging from its shell was to lick its body, covered in fluids.
After licking its entire body dry, Xintu quickly placed it on the sieve.
The caterpillar, just like the others, raised its head and began to survey its surroundings, as if searching for something.
Swallow.
The tense silence in the room was broken only by the sound of artisans swallowing nervously.
Then, the caterpillar suddenly started moving in a slithering fashion.
It crawled across the sieve and attached itself to a leaf.
“Oh! Could this be... success!?”
“Quiet!” Baek, the old man, shouted in a commanding voice.
Although the artisans had cheered at the unexpected reaction, they quickly quieted under the old man’s sharp command.
It was a new response, but the caterpillar still hadn’t eaten anything.
If it didn’t eat, it would wither and die, just like the other caterpillars that had hatched earlier.
“But what kind of leaf is that?” one of the artisans asked.
“It’s white. It looks like silver vine,” another replied.
The caterpillar clung to the white silver vine leaf, and the artisans watched with bated breath, mentally chanting, ‘Eat it! Please eat it!’
However, just as they had hoped for success, the caterpillar seemed to touch the leaf but, as before, shoved its head into it.
“Elder! Another sieve!” Baek shouted urgently.
This meant that Xintu should move the caterpillar to another sieve with different leaves.
Only those who had infused their inner energy could handle the caterpillar, so Xintu was the one to move it.
It seemed the leaf on the first sieve had failed.
“Understood,” Xintu responded, picking up the caterpillar and moving it to another sieve.
The caterpillar again raised its head, surveyed the area, and then once more buried its head into the leaves.
“This... Next sieve!” Baek shouted.
“Next!”
“This is the last one...” one of the artisans muttered.
After moving the caterpillar through all the prepared sieves, it still refused to eat from any of the leaves.
It was the same response as before.
Xintu Galjihong’s face grew serious.
“Another failure... There are only three eggs left. This is serious.”
The artisans, anxious and desperate, hurriedly picked flowers and other items to present to the caterpillar, but it refused to move and, just like the others before it, withered and died within two days.
Another failure.
***
Geolhwang, rummaging through the large pouch at his waist, tossed a young yellow-spotted centipede larva into his mouth.
Crunch.
The savory taste of the yellow-spotted centipede spread through his mouth.
Truly, the yellow-spotted centipede had a unique flavor.
It tasted somewhat like dried shrimp, but once consumed, it left a distinctive, rich, and savory aftertaste of the centipede's oil that lingered in the mouth, reminding one of its flavor.
That was why he couldn’t stop eating them.
At first, he had only intended to eat the ones he had been given.
It would be beneath his dignity to seek them out from the Tang Clan’s apothecary, after all.
Even though Geolhwang was the "Emperor of Beggars," it would have been too much to beg from powerful families like the Gu Daemun Sect or the Seven Great Families.
However, as if knowing he would seek more, he had wandered nearby, and sure enough, a Tang Clan warrior appeared in a hurry.
"Honored Geolhwang, one of the Three Emperors, we greet you!" the warrior called out.
"Quiet! Quiet! What’s going on?" Geolhwang quickly motioned for the warrior to calm down, worried the commotion might attract attention.
The warrior handed over a large pouch.
"Please give this to So-ryong and Lady Hwa-eun when they return...," the warrior said.
"Huh? What is this?" Geolhwang asked, taking the pouch.
"These are dried yellow-spotted centipedes. If you need more, just tell us, and we will bring them to you," the warrior explained.
"Hmph... Heh. These young ones sure know how to show respect to the martial world’s elders," Geolhwang muttered, impressed.
As he thought back to receiving the centipedes again, he reached into the pouch, feeling the familiar sensation of the critters, almost at the very bottom of the bag.
Soon, he would need to visit the apothecary again, he thought, irritated.
“Hyung, heh...”
“Oh, that brat is back again.”
It was his brother-in-law, Xintu Galjihong, who had come to visit again.
He had already sent over a list of notable silkworm craftsmen from across the region several times, but here he was, showing up again.
Geolhwang, irritated, threw a yellow-spotted centipede into his mouth and asked with a grumble.
Knowing Galjihong had been kidnapping most of the people on the list to force them to create the Heavenly Silk (Cheon-jam), Geolhwang wasn’t happy to see him again.
“Why again? Did you not kidnap enough people and put them in your airways?” Geolhwang asked sharply.
Galjihong waved his hands in an exaggerated gesture and gave a serious look.
"Me? Kidnap? Hyung! If anyone hears this, they'll think I’m a human trafficker!" he protested.
“You little—what you’re doing is no different than human trafficking!” Geolhwang shot back.
"No, Hyung, you know my situation. It's just for the silk, and I’m paying them generously," Galjihong argued.
“Ha... You're just a thief after all,” Geolhwang muttered, though he softened his tone.
“Ah, stop scolding me. Let’s have a drink and relax, Hyung,” Galjihong said with a grin, sitting next to him and pulling out a bottle of wine.
Geolhwang sighed but reluctantly stood and took a seat.
He had probably come with another request, but after eating those rich, oily centipedes, he felt like a refreshing drink would be just the thing.
The yellow-spotted centipedes were surprisingly oily, and they went perfectly with a cool drink.
Clink.
Galjihong poured the drink into a bamboo cup, and Geolhwang inhaled deeply. It was the fragrance of Juyeopcheong, his favorite.
As he savored the aroma, Geolhwang asked, "So, what's the matter? Things not going well?"
Galjihong scratched his head awkwardly. "I think I made a mistake."
“Mistake?” Geolhwang asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, Hyung. I gathered the best silkworm artisans to hatch the Heavenly Silkworms and make the silk. But I just realized that what I really needed were experts in insects—not just silkworms," Galjihong explained sheepishly.
Swallow.
"Hm... Well, that’s good," Geolhwang murmured, sipping his drink as the oiliness of the centipedes disappeared into the wine.
"Now you're looking for experts in insects?" Geolhwang asked.
"Heh... yeah, something like that. But, uh... last time, and every time, what’s that you’re eating again?" Galjihong inquired, eyeing the centipedes Geolhwang was snacking on.
Geolhwang chuckled and teased, "Heh, go ahead, try one. It’s one of the greatest tastes in the world."
"You’re kidding me, right?" Galjihong stared at the centipede in disbelief.
After some hesitation, he closed his eyes, then popped the centipede into his mouth.
Crunch.
Galjihong’s face contorted at first, but soon his expression softened and widened in surprise.
"Why... is this so good?" Galjihong muttered, unable to believe it.
As Galjihong eagerly devoured the centipedes, Geolhwang warned, "Hey, slow down! You’ve got to savor it—this stuff’s hard to come by!"
"Heh, Hyung, who’s going to save a bug like this?" Galjihong laughed.
"Do you have any idea how hard it is to find these?" Geolhwang grumbled, shaking his head at Galjihong.
"By the way, how did you get this? Tell me where you found them. This stuff is amazing!" Galjihong asked eagerly.
"Ah, not you too!" Geolhwang snapped.
As Galjihong joked about stealing some, Geolhwang’s thoughts shifted. He remembered the face of the one who had introduced him to the delicious centipedes, a peculiar figure who carried a great beast, the Qingban O-Gong.
Not only were these centipedes delicious, but they could also kill someone with their venom, something only the most knowledgeable individuals would understand.
"Hold on..." Geolhwang thought to himself, his mind working.
Perhaps the person who knew the most about insects would be the one he needed to introduce Galjihong to.
Geolhwang looked over at Galjihong, who was eagerly digging into the centipedes again.
"No!" Geolhwang shouted, kicking Galjihong’s hand away from his pouch.
“You little thief! Stop stealing from my pouch!” Geolhwang yelled.
"Heh... Let’s share, Hyung," Galjihong grinned mischievously.
"Ahh, you..." Geolhwang sighed in exasperation.
In the midst of their playful banter, Galjihong asked, "Hey! Who knows the most about insects?"
Geolhwang smirked and nodded, "I think I know just the person."
As he spoke, he reached for another handful of centipedes.
"Let’s start by getting two roasted ducks, shall we?"
Thus began a new deal between a beggar and a thief.