The Valley of Ten Thousand Insects
Xu Shulou and her companion went to express their gratitude to Mr. Dan and offered to pay for his medical services, but he refused: "If you two are willing, there’s actually something I’d like to ask of you."
"Don’t tell me you want my junior sister to stay behind and help you deal with patients seeking medicine?" Xu Shulou said warily.
"...No."
"Please go ahead, Mr. Dan," Xu Shulou pretended as if the previous exchange had never happened.
"The once-in-a-decade opening of the Valley of Ten Thousand Insects is approaching. Inside, there’s a type of giant multi-eyed spider—I need its silk for medicine," Mr. Dan explained straightforwardly. "But I can’t leave here, so I’d like to ask you to retrieve it for me."
"No problem," Xu Shulou clasped her hands in salute. "If you have any request, Shulou would not dare to refuse."
Mr. Dan glanced at her: "Except for leaving your junior sister behind, right?"
"..."
"The Valley of Ten Thousand Insects is quite dangerous, and I won’t send you on this task for nothing," Mr. Dan stopped joking and said seriously. "When you return, I’ll give you a medicinal recipe."
The two bid farewell to Mr. Dan and went to the lake to launch the small boat they had acquired from the bandits. Bai Roushuang asked curiously, "Senior Sister, what kind of place is the Valley of Ten Thousand Insects?"
Xu Shulou gazed into the distance: "A place I’ve been avoiding for a long time."
Bai Roushuang thought about the name and immediately understood, teasing her with a smile. "Senior Sister, are you afraid of bugs?"
"I’m not afraid of bugs," Xu Shulou sighed. "What I fear is... accidentally locking eyes with their countless pairs of eyes."
"Huh?"
"The insects in the Valley of Ten Thousand Insects are enormous—many times larger than us," Xu Shulou thought for a moment. "Why don’t you stay here? I’ll go alone."
Bai Roushuang shook her head. "I’m not afraid of bugs. When I was little, I used to catch insects for fun in the village."
Xu Shulou explained, "I’m not afraid of most ordinary insects either—I’ve even touched caterpillars. But the ones in the Valley of Ten Thousand Insects... they’re terrifying."
"I really don’t mind," Bai Roushuang smiled. "Senior Sister, don’t worry."
"Alright then." Xu Shulou nodded and began propelling the boat with her spiritual energy. At the time, she hadn’t yet realized the true meaning behind Bai Roushuang’s claim of "really not being afraid"—until days later, when her junior sister asked if she wanted to try a bug meat pie, did she finally understand.
———
On the way, the two passed through a city where cultivators ran shops. Xu Shulou finally had the chance to buy the pocket realm she had been wanting ever since losing her little pavilion.
The pocket realms sold by the City of Eternal Night were miniature courtyards, easy to carry. When needed, a surge of spiritual energy would restore them to full size. Bai Roushuang stood in the shop, examining one closely—within a palm-sized artifact, there were intricately crafted miniature mountains, flowing water, pavilions, and towers. She marveled at its exquisite craftsmanship.
Seeing their interest, the shopkeeper eagerly explained, "Don’t be fooled by the imitations out there—so-called 'Mustard Seed Realms' or 'Sumeru Realms.' Our pocket realms aren’t just beautiful and comfortable, they’re also safe. Even if someone’s inside when the courtyard is shrunk back down, they’ll be safely ejected first. No one will ever get crushed inside."
Seeing that her junior sister also liked them, Xu Shulou bought two courtyards on the spot—one was a Hui-style residence with dark tiles and white walls, deep and elegant, while the other was a Jiangnan-style garden with winding paths and flowing water, fresh and refined.
Each pocket realm cost three thousand high-grade spirit stones—an exorbitant price. The shopkeeper, delighted by Xu Shulou’s swift payment, beamed and began recommending the City of Eternal Night’s newest product: the "Mirage Tower."
Bai Roushuang looked curiously at the large pearl the shopkeeper presented. "Is this inspired by the mirages at sea?"
The shopkeeper nodded and invited them to the rooftop for a demonstration. He infused the lustrous pearl with spiritual energy, and as it glowed brightly, a projection appeared in the sky—carved beams, painted rafters, winding corridors—like a mystical and ethereal celestial palace, a true mirage.
Bai Roushuang gazed up at the enchanting sight. "This doesn’t look like a place you could live in."
The shopkeeper smiled mysteriously. "Try it for yourself, miss."
Bai Roushuang and Xu Shulou exchanged glances before leaping up to the side of the Mirage Tower. When they reached out, they could actually touch it—solid and real. Stepping inside, they found everything from tables and chairs to inkstones and brushes fully functional. It was nothing short of miraculous.
The glazed tiles and cloud patterns gave the place an elegant, celestial air. If the two courtyards they had just bought were earthly dwellings, the Mirage Tower was a lofty immortal palace.
Bai Roushuang couldn’t help but sigh. "The City of Eternal Night’s master must be a business genius."
The shopkeeper studied their expressions carefully. "Would the young ladies be interested?"
"This must be incredibly expensive, right?"
"Twenty thousand high-grade spirit stones," the shopkeeper answered honestly.
"Twenty thousand?!" That was more expensive than many top-tier magical artifacts. Converted to silver, it could buy countless luxurious mansions in the mortal world.
The shopkeeper explained, "The production cost alone is astronomical. Our city master spent millions of spirit stones just to perfect this. The Mirage Tower is extremely difficult to make, and the output is low. Right now, this is the only one in our shop."
Without hesitation, Xu Shulou made the decision. "I’ll take it."
The shopkeeper, thrilled by such a rare sale, grinned from ear to ear. "Excellent! Right this way, miss. We’ll draw up a contract—if the Mirage Tower is damaged within two hundred years, you can bring it back for repairs anytime."
"Good."
Xu Shulou left satisfied with the Mirage Tower and the pocket realms. With these two treasures, she would never lack a place to stay, even in the wildest of mountains.
———
The origin of the Valley of Ten Thousand Insects was recorded in cultivation history. It was said that long ago, giant insects plagued the mortal world, impossible to eradicate. Eventually, several great cultivators joined forces to drive them into a secret realm and seal them away. However, the insects reproduced too quickly, requiring periodic culling—otherwise, they would eventually break free and wreak havoc again. The great cultivators thus decreed that the secret realm would open once every ten years.
Many parts of these insects could be used to craft magical artifacts or elixirs, so whenever the realm opened, cultivators flocked there for opportunities, inadvertently helping to control the insect population. Even if they couldn’t venture deep into the dangerous forest, they could still find rewards on the outskirts.
When Xu Shulou and Bai Roushuang arrived, the opening of the Valley of Ten Thousand Insects was still some time away. Already, groups of people had gathered nearby, and just like at the Void Abyss Secret Realm Bai Roushuang had visited before, vendors had set up stalls selling magical tools, healing medicines, spirit wine, and other supplies.
She also noticed vendors hawking snacks, but none of the cultivators around seemed interested. Perhaps they were thinking about what awaited them in the Ten Thousand Insect Cave and knew that eating now would be a waste—anything consumed would likely be vomited back up inside. Even her usually gluttonous senior sister stood at a distance, eyes downcast, wearing an expression of transcendent disinterest in food.
It wasn’t until the gates of the Ten Thousand Insect Cave opened that Xu Shulou reluctantly stirred.
Bai Roushuang had never seen her senior sister afraid of anything before and couldn’t help but laugh. "How about you close your eyes, and I’ll lead you in with a rope?"
Xu Shulou actually considered the idea seriously.
Before she could respond, a nearby cultivator burst into laughter. "Not seeing anything in a place like this would be even scarier! You’d spend every second wondering if bugs were creeping up on you."
Xu Shulou had to admit the logic was sound and bravely strode into the Ten Thousand Insect Cave with her head held high.
Many cultivators entered together, glancing at one another for mutual courage. Some even deliberately moved closer to Xu Shulou and Bai Roushuang, thinking they could use the two as eye candy after being traumatized by the grotesque appearances of the insects.
One male cultivator, likely a seasoned visitor, confidently approached the towering ancient trees. After inspecting them carefully, he stopped before the third one. "There must be bugs inside."
He pulled out an axe-shaped magical artifact, channeled his spiritual energy into it, and swung with all his might. The massive tree toppled instantly, and as it fell, something swarmed out from the broken trunk in a dense, writhing mass.
The tree had appeared intact, but its insides had long been hollowed out.
"Minglian larvae!" someone shouted.
The burly man who had felled the tree acted swiftly, hacking away at the larvae with his axe. Since these insects could be ground into medicinal ingredients and he had discovered them, the others didn’t interfere.
"What are those black and white specks mixed in with the bugs?" a newcomer asked curiously.
"Eggs and insect droppings," a kind soul explained.
"…" Bai Roushuang shot a worried glance at her senior sister, whose face had turned pale.
"Be careful, everyone. Unless you’re as skilled as this brave fellow, don’t try this," the kind soul added. "These larvae may be small, but if they swarm over a person and crawl into their ears, nose, or mouth, they’ll devour their insides in moments."
Xu Shulou let out a whimper and buried her face in her junior sister’s shoulder, looking as delicate and helpless as a wilting flower.
Had Bai Roushuang not known about her senior sister’s fear of bugs, she might have mistaken this for a delayed reaction to the "frail and timid" pill they’d discussed earlier.
Other cultivators couldn’t help but stare. "This place is dangerous. Why bring deadweight along?" one asked Bai Roushuang.
"Are you talking to me?" Bai Roushuang found the situation bizarre—usually, she was the one being called Xu Shulou’s "deadweight." This reversal was oddly refreshing.
"Of course I’m talking to you," the cultivator pressed. "If she’s not strong enough, send her out now before she becomes a liability."
Bai Roushuang quickly retorted, "My senior sister is incredibly powerful!"
Instead of backing her up, Xu Shulou patted her shoulder. "Junior Sister, I’ll be relying on you this time."
Her senior sister needed her protection! Bai Roushuang’s heart swelled with heroic determination. "I’ll do my absolute best!"
Seeing her stubbornness, the others shook their heads and walked away.
Xu Shulou pulled out a recently purchased "Mirage Pearl" from her Qiankun Bracelet and handed it to Bai Roushuang. "Your rope idea inspired me. I read the manual—when the pearl moves, the mirage it projects moves with it. I’ll stay up there. Call me if anything happens."
Was this even allowed? Still, it was definitely better than leading her senior sister around with a rope. Bai Roushuang took the pearl in a daze.
Xu Shulou added, a bit uneasy, "If I don’t respond in time, just cut off the pearl’s spiritual energy. The mirage will vanish, and I’ll drop down to join the fight."
Bai Roushuang wiped away a cold sweat. Her senior sister was truly ruthless to herself.
After walking with the mirage for a while, Bai Roushuang started to enjoy it. Inside the Ten Thousand Insect Cave, she could fight to her heart’s content, honing her skills. If she encountered an insect too powerful to handle, she could always summon her senior sister.
It was like carrying a battle spirit pet with her.
She cast a floating spell on the pearl, keeping it steadily suspended at her side.
That day, the cultivators in the Ten Thousand Insect Cave were treated to a rare spectacle.
They glanced at the "celestial palace" floating in midair, then at Bai Roushuang grinning foolishly below, and were momentarily speechless.
Your senior sister is using you as a pack mule, and you’re still smiling?
When they later learned the price of the artifact, all they could do was gasp in awe—first, at the luxury of wealth, and second, at the bliss of having a doting junior sister.
