The Blade-Wielding Legend

Chapter 1543 787: Silkworm Calamity (Part 3)

Zhou Dayong's face was expressionless, "After being under the 'Silkworm Zombie Curse' for a long time, you'll become a puppet. Those who can still move will guard the ancestral hall, and those completely unable to move will cocoon here."

"The cocoons that form will be devoured by the Divine Silkworms, and once they're empty, they're boiled to reel the thread, producing the so-called Divine Silkworm Silk..."

"It's simply ... atrocious!" Kong Shangzhao's voice trembled.

Following Li Yan and others, he had seen many things, from the 'Flat Peach' cultivated using children in the Capital, to the Divine Silkworms fed with human lives here, all of which utterly shattered his worldview.

Zhou Dayong's eyes dimmed, "The villagers were left with no way out, unable to pay the tax silver, the court would come to collect, exposing the secret here. Moreover, those under the Silkworm Zombie Curse must offer sacrifices regularly and feed the Divine Silkworms for others to live a bit longer."

"Hmm..."

Next to him, Fatty Lin sensed something was off, suppressing the churn in his stomach, instinctively forming a mantra as a faint golden light flashed in his eyes. When they scanned over the collected silks, his pupils suddenly contracted.

"Brother Yan!"

His voice carried a tremor of disbelief, "These threads... these threads are unusual! They... they have treasure aura!"

Fatty Lin's Divine Skills allowed him to see treasure aura.

Upon his words, everyone's curiosity was piqued.

Li Yan stepped forward, picked up a handful, and after several tests, nodded, "Indeed, it's a treasure, impervious to water and fire, extremely tough. Not suitable for making magic artifacts but perfect for crafting mortal armor."

"I understand now!"

Kong Shangzhao nodded, "The Silk Cocoon Sect likely arose from this, secretly pulling these civilians into their scheme, not only to control but also to collect silks, killing two birds with one stone."

"It seems so."

Li Yan nodded, looking towards a stone statue deep within the cave.

It was a female deity figure clad in luxurious brocade, sporting a phoenix crown, her face indistinct. One hand pinched as if twirling silk, while the other held a silkworm cocoon.

Li Yan squinted, "Is this Lai Yin?"

Zhou Dayong gazed at the divine statue, his expression complex, harboring deep-seated hatred and a hint of fear, his voice hoarse, "Indeed, that's her. We called her Silkworm Goddess, hearing from the village elders that there was once tribute, claiming she was a True God, gaining the people's trust easily."

Li Yan said solemnly, "The Silkworm Goddess was someone else, Miss Ma Tou; this Lai Yin is merely posing under the guise of a True God to deceive the world."

Wang Daoxuan also nodded, "I suspect the plague in your village back then was dubious, more like the handiwork of rogue magicians in the pugilistic world, releasing disease first, then profiting by offering cures."

"I see..."

Zhou Dayong, not understanding, continued, "Our village was the hardest hit... even nearby villages like Zhangjiawa and Liu Shu Village had people secretly raising this thing, not as extensively nor blatantly..."

"They thought they got a bargain, little did they know they were digging their own graves!"

He took a deep breath, turning to Li Yan, a flicker of pain in his eyes, "As for Brother Tian... I too was deceived, not the mastermind."

"All I know is, the person in action was named 'Lin Zhongweng,' skinny to the point of not looking human, clad in a green robe. He gave me a small bell, telling me to shake it under the big locust tree at the northeast corner of the camp at 7:45 PM."

"He assured me the bell would only make Tian Qianhu fall asleep. He said Brother Tian was from the Capital, with his help, the people from the Silk Bureau wouldn't act rashly..."

"I was possessed by a ghostly spirit, fearing for my wife and children's lives."

Sighing deeply, he said, "That 'Lin Zhongweng' is the head of Lady Lai Yin in the Jinling area, mingling with a troupe of ghosts."

"I suspect, once the Tai Lake Demon Army arrives, all villages believing in the Silk Cocoon Sect inside and outside Jinling City will act as their insiders!"

"That's all I know, farewell."

With that, he turned to leave.

Li Yan furrowed his brows, "Where are you going?"

Zhou Dayong halted, his voice icy cold, "To kill!"

With that, he walked out of the cave without looking back.

Seeing this, no one stopped him.

They knew this man was now driven only by hatred. Whether he would kill a few officials or powerful families was none of their concern.

"Let's go!"

Li Yan looked around, his eyes filled with fury, "The true culprit has been found, let's head to Jinling City to rescue the rest of the Lin Family and let them see what havoc they've caused!"

At this moment, he cared not about any aristocratic family or magic veins.

As Zhou Dayong said, Lai Yin was a demon.

Were these people any different...